This Year's Vision: Becoming More Like Jesus

The Vision to know Jesus!

Philippians 3:7-14

Online Sermon: http://www.mckeesfamily.com/?page_id=3567

The beginning of another year is upon us, you know the time when most people review last year’s accomplishments and strive to set new goals and dreams. For many their vision of a better future is one in which they obtain more money, fame, or power. And yet for believers I would like to think that their vision of a successful year would be nothing short of “cultivating a passion for grace, and an intense longing” to become holy as God is holy. While holiness is too lofty a goal for some, for others by comparing to those less spiritually mature than themselves, “spiritual dwarfs” and still babies in Christ, they lower God’s standards so that in filling with themselves with the “gas of self-esteem” they might boldly but wrongly declare that they have attained holiness. But “self-satisfaction rings the death-knell of (spiritual) progress. There must be a deep-seated discontent with present attainments, or there will never be a striving after the things which are yet beyond.” Even though “perfect righteousness of Christ is deposited into every believer” this does not mean that we have taken the necessary steps of faith to invite the Holy Spirit to fill our souls with the image of our Lord, Savior and King! To keep our “form of religion” from pacifying us in a stupor of spiritual complacency or decline, I invite you to prayerfully review Apostle Paul’s vision of running the race in Philippians 3:7-14. This sermon will review three vital questions whose answers are to be the foundation of the believer’s vision while on this earth: are you on the right track, do you have passion to run, are you looking back or are you looking forward and striving to become more like Jesus so that upon His return you might hear the words “good and faithful servant”?

Are you on the Right Track (7-9)?

One simply cannot become holy as God is holy without first having a relationship with His Son! Just because a person goes to church, reads the Bible, and prays does not make them a Christian. In the Sermon on the Mount Jesus warned that prophesying, driving out demons and performing miracles is not sufficient proof that one has been born again (Matthew 7:21-23). Apostle Paul by his own admission flawlessly followed the Old Testament laws and yet on the road to Damascus he got on his hands and knees and realized how desperately he still needed to be saved! Our works no matter how glorious they might be in ours or other people’s eyes are mere filthy rags for without being born again the “self-proclaimed righteousness pacifier” is of little comfort to those on the broad track that leads to destruction (Matthew 7:13)! While one is alive physically and intellectually one has not been placed on God’s racetrack of eternal life with Him until one is called and in faith believes in the atoning sacrifice of the Son (John 3:16). Since flesh and blood cannot enter the kingdom of God (John 3:5-8) one must be born of the Spirit to be adopted as one of God’s children (John 1:12). When this happens, one is freed from the power of sin (Romans 6:1-14) and being born of the Spirit (John 3:5-6) and a participant of the divine nature (2 Peter 1:4), is not only capable but expected to be a living sacrifice (Romans 12:1-2) by striving to imitate the holiness of the Son (1 Corinthians 11:1). If your inward soul is not progressing towards the image of the Son, that is you can see no change or fruits of the Spirit in your life, then by the grace of God I implore you to examine your spiritual life and if the Spirit testifies to your spirit you indeed are not saved then get on the right track by believing in Jesus and making Him the Lord of your life (Romans 8:9, 16)!

Once one is on God’s track, to become more like Jesus this year will require one to stop measuring one’s “success” based on earthly accomplishments. “When God chose on the road to Damascus to reveal His Son” Paul’s view of righteousness completely changed. Before meeting Christ Paul felt he was righteous because of his many impressive accomplishments such as: being part of the Israelite nation, being taught under Rabbi Gamaliel I (Acts 22:3) whose interpretations were often cited in the Mishnah and Talmud, being faultless according to the Mosaic Law, and advancing socially and politically in Judaism far beyond many of his own age (Galatians 1:14; Philippians 3:5-6). The intimate personal relationship with his Savior that Paul so desperately wanted, however, after his encounter with Christ and from a carnal perspective costed him plenty, the chief of which would be the security and his high status in the Jewish community! Paul did not see losing any of these things as a loss because righteousness for him was no longer based on confidence in the flesh to obey the law but in faith in a risen Savior! In his spiritual reassessment after meeting Christ, Paul truly experienced his old life being dead and as such considered all external righteousness not indifferently but as mere garbage, human dung, and a constant liability because they tempted him to take his eyes off the track of allegiance to Christ! Like Apostle Paul if we truly want to become more like Christ then our righteousness must surpass that of the Pharisees (Matthew 5:20) by keeping our eye fixed on He who bought us at price and forever secures our place in God’s kingdom (1 Corinthians 6:20)!