Prayer Series

PRAYER

[part 1]

My son-in-law asked me if I would tell him how to become a more Christlike person. I had already decided to write an article on the subject, 'How can I become a more Christlike person.' I responded with, 'I CAN; GIVE ME A COUPLE OF DAYS TO REVIEW THE INFO ON THE INTERNET. The first thing that popped into my mind was 'prayer.' That is one significant answer, but I quickly discovered that many more aspects are involved with becoming more Christlike. I will share them with you in this article titled 'prayer.'

How can I become more Christlike (Christ-like)? You become like the people you spend the longest time with. If you want to become more like Christ, start by spending time with Him. Talk to Him in prayer. Read His Word. Spend time with others who live like Him. When you do this, you will know Him better and become more like Him, making you more Christlike.

As Christians, we all want to be more like Jesus. We all know that this life is about seeking after that one goal every day so that others might see Jesus in us and want to come to Him. Here are some practical ways to achieve the goal in your daily life of making Christ greater and greater and yourself less and less. Paul said, 'I have been crucified with Christ. No longer is it I who live, but Christ who lives in me. The life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.' (Galatians 2:20, ESV)

This is the core of Christianity: God loved the World enough to come as Jesus, and to die for us, so anyone who trusts in Him will be saved from sin. This is undoubtedly the most well-known verse in the Bible. It is probably the best-known and most-memorized part of any holy text in human history. The verse is a one-sentence summary of the gospel and the subject line of the entire Bible. John 3:16 also reflects another critical aspect of the gospel: the essential idea is obvious, but there are layers of meaning and knowledge inside it.

Jesus is an expression of God's indescribable love for "the world," meaning all of humankind (1 John 4:9–10). The opening phrase is traditionally translated as "God so loved the world that…" and is typically understood to mean, "God loved the world so much that…." There is nothing incorrect about that idea, but the actual phrase means "God loved the world in this way," emphasizing what God did more than why.

The phrase translated as 'One and Only Son,' or 'only begotten Son" uses the Greek word monogenes. This is an exact word that John uses in other places in this gospel (John 1:14; John 1:18; John 3:18). While the English term 'begotten' often makes people think of biology, monogenes do not imply it. The word means something of the same "stuff." In other words, the Son is of precisely the exact nature as God the Father. This makes John 3:16 an essential part of proving the biblical concept of the Trinity.

There is no question that, according to the Bible, people can be saved only through faith in Jesus. The life offered to those who believe in Christ is "eternal," from a Greek word meaning "never-ending." The alternative to life in Christ is destruction: to "perish." Verses 16 and 17 explain that the purpose of sending Jesus was our salvation, but verse 18 reminds us that those who do not believe are condemned.

Summary

John 3:16–21 begins with the most easily recognized portion of any holy book on Earth: John 3:16. This is a one-sentence summary of the entire gospel. Still, the following verses are critical for understanding the Christian message. Christ was not sent to judge the World but to bring salvation. This is an expression of God's incredible love. However, those who do not believe in Jesus Christ are condemned in the eyes of God. Human preference for sin causes many to choose darkness over Light.

Answer #1 to the question, 'How can I become a more Christlike person.'

First, You become like the people you spend the longest time with. If you want to become more like Christ, start by spending time with Him. 'Talk to Him in prayer.' Read His Word. Spend time with others who live like Him. When you do this, you will know Him better and become more like Him, making you more Christlike.

Answer #2 is 'Read the Bible.'

To be like Him, you have to know Him. How do you know Him? Study Him, and that means studying His teachings and His Word. It means knowing how He treated people and how He handled life. The only way to do that is to get out that Bible, and read it, every day!