Learn to live like Christ
The followers of Jesus or His true disciples learn to live like Him. The Lord Jesus says of such believers who will learn to live like Him: “You are the salt of the earth. But what good is salt if it has lost its flavour? Can you make it salty again? It will be thrown out and trampled underfoot as worthless.
“You are the light of the world—like a city on a hilltop that cannot be hidden. No one lights a lamp and then puts it under a basket. Instead, a lamp is placed on a stand, where it gives light to everyone in the house.
“In the same way, let your good deeds shine out for all to see, so that everyone will praise your heavenly Father.” (Matthew 5:13-16 NLT).
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How better can your lifestyle be as salt and light in your home, church, workplace and community?
The church exists to help the members to learn to live like Christ, and so that they can really be effective salt and light in their communities and countries.
The churches are to build up their members to become Christ-like and to live a godly lifestyle of integrity. The Apostle Paul is very clear about the role of leaders in the Church: “Their responsibility is to equip God’s people to do his work and build up the church, the body of Christ.” (Ephesians 4:12 NLT).
If the church leadership practises Biblical leadership and carries out effective equipping of its members, the results will be the following (Ephesians 4:13-15 NLT):
• Church members will learn well and practice the Christian doctrine, or sound Biblical teaching.
• Church members will come to know Christ better.
• Church members “will be mature in the Lord, measuring up to the full and complete standard of Christ”.
• Church members “then shall no longer be children, carried by the waves and blown about by every shifting wind of the teaching of deceitful people, who lead others into error by the tricks they invent” (Ephesians 4:14 GNB).
The result of properly equipping church members is this – they will hold on to the truth of sound Bible teaching; and “growing in every way more and more like Christ” (Ephesians 4:15 NLT).
That is it! Every church member is to regularly learn to be like Jesus Christ and to live like Him: “If we say that we remain in union with God, we should live just as Jesus Christ did.” (1 John 2:6 NLT).
The most important task of the Church is to help people learn to become Christ-like and to live like Him – godly lifestyles of integrity. True christianity is Christ-like living.
We must learn to live like Christ. And this is what Dr Ephraim Amu, the legendary African musician and Christian advocate captures extremely very well in his song: “Esrɔm miele” (We are learning to become truly like Jesus).
Indeed, this is to pursue real Christ-like living. The Lord Jesus promises His followers a fully functional life (John 10:10 b). And the Bible teaches that living a godly lifestyle has tremendous benefits for life on earth, as well as life after death!
“Training for godliness is much better, promising benefits in this life and in the life to come” (1 Timothy 4:8b).
What is true Christianity? We are to learn to be like Christ and live like Christ.
The author is a consultant in authentic Christian Spirituality and Discipleship and former CEO of Scripture Union.