Becoming like Christ
The goal of every Christian is to become more like Christ, but how do we know we are on the right track? In this episode, we take a look at the importance of focusing on our input, not our output. God is our master heart surgeon and wants to tend the garden of our heart. He is also the one who performs His work in us by giving us both the will and the ability to become like Christ.
Focus on the input.
We are created for the display of God’s splendour, but our endeavour to become more like Christ and show forth His glory can soon become a work of the law or our self efforts.
Galatians 3:2-3 says “This only I want to learn from you: Did you receive the Spirit by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith? 3 Are you so foolish? Having begun in the Spirit, are you now being made perfect by the flesh?”
When are we ever going to measure up to any sort of standard of holiness or righteousness? When we are living this way we are under law. This is no gospel at all and we have departed from the faith.
Proverbs 4:23 says “Keep (guard) your heart with all diligence, For out of it spring the issues of life.”
If your life manifests things you don’t like the look of, you have an output problem, but don’t focus on changing the output, check the input. What is going on in your heart?
God is the master heart surgeon.
Is 61:1 “The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon Me, Because the LORD has anointed Me To preach good tidings to the poor; He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted.
God is in the heart surgery business, and He is asking us to partner with Him, but to be effective we need to know Him first, know His healing for ourselves so that we know how to minister with grace, mercy and tender compassion to those who are hurting.
God is the performer.
The Father is the one doing the work of grace in us, healing our heart. He takes care of the output, it is not our work, but His finished work that He is working in us.
Phil 1:6 being confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ;
Phil 2:13 for it is God who works in you both to will and to do for His good pleasure.
God who began the good work in us continues working in us both the will and the ability to show forth His glory by becoming more and more like Christ.