So You Want to be Like Jesus? Really? 1

GodThoughtsWired!              Tuesday, July 24, 2012

Evangelizing the Church in the Age of Delusion

so you want to be like jesus?

Really?

1

I (Jesus) do not receive glory from men;
How can you believe, when you
receive glory from one another
and you do not seek the glory
that is from the one and only God?
-John 5:41,44, bold mine

To be like Jesus is to forsake your own glory.  To follow Christ is to reject your own will for the will of God (see Luke 22:42).  Indeed, the first step in a real Christian's walk with God is to deny yourself:

"Then Jesus said to His disciples,
'If anyone wishes to come after Me,
he must deny himself, and take up
his cross and follow Me.  For whoever
wishes to  save his life will lose it;
but whoever loses his life for My sake
will find it.  For what will it profit a man
if he gains the whole world and
forfeits his soul? Or what will a man
give in exchange for his soul?'"-Matthew 16:24-26, Luke 9:23-25,
Mark 8:34-37, bold mine

There are not 5 purposes in life as Rick Warren would suggest (See "The Purpose Driven Life"), nor is the Christian walk primarily about you, as Joel Osteen espouses (See "Become a Better YOU," "YOUR Best Life Now,"It's YOUR Time").

No, the Christian life is not about you*, not even a little bit.  And there's only one purpose in life:

"Everyone who is called by My name,
And whom I have created for My glory,
Whom I have formed,
even whom I have made.”
-Isaiah 43:7, bold mine
"Whether then you eat or drink or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God" (1 Corinthians 10:31).

*I do however, understand the predicament that folks like Mr. Osteen and Mr. Warren are in.  Book titles like, "It's Not About You!," and "Deny Yourself  Daily," are titles that probably won't wind up on the New York Times Best Sellers List.

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