As He Is

1 John 4:16-19

As he is so also are we in this world. (1 John 4:17, ESV)

IN THE EARLY YEARS OF THE CHURCH, Christian was not a very complimentary term. It was often spoken with contempt about those who went around like “little Christs.” Believers were known not just as people who believed in Jesus as the Messiah; they were known as people who strangely emulated him too.

We have a high calling, and it’s bigger than just doing what Christians do or preaching what Christians preach. It’s even bigger than obeying what Jesus said. Our calling is to become like him in every way: embracing his nature, having his mind, and expressing his love. As we’ve seen, John presented this picture in the context of loving others with the same love we have received from the Father, and other places in Scripture apply this likeness even more broadly. The invitation to follow Jesus was never only about a belief system or a social group. It was a calling to conform to the image of God in Christ, to become who we were originally designed to be, to reflect the glory we were given at Creation. That includes doing the works Jesus did (and even greater ones, according to his words in John 14:12), having his thoughts (1 Corinthians 2:16), and being sent into the world in the same way he was sent (John 20:21). It’s a comprehensive mission that involves not just what we do but who we are.

Always remember that Jesus is the image we are growing into. Aim for everything that image entails—even his purity of heart and mind, the miraculous works he did, and the wisdom and revelation he received. Never settle for the fallacy uttered by so many that “I’m only human,” as if all we can expect is mediocrity. Jesus came as a human, and there was nothing mediocre about him. He set a high standard, to be sure, but then he called us to follow him. Let one of your most persistent daily prayers be “More, Lord.” Know the glory of your purpose, and never settle for anything less.

{Lord, what does Jesus look like in me? Whatever that image is, I ask for it in its fullness—more today, more tomorrow, and even more every day until my life is complete and my mission fulfilled. Amen.