Then answer the question: Why?
Why do you want to be like Jesus? To please the Father? To be better than you are? Were those the motivations of Christ, or did He have something else in mind?
\”Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit, but with humility of mind regard one another as more important than yourselves; do not merely look out for your own personal interests, but also for the interests of others. Have this attitude in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus, who, although He existed in the form of God, did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied Himself, taking the form of a bond-servant, and being made in the likeness of men. Being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. For this reason also, God highly exalted Him …\” (Philippians 2:4-9)
\”Truly, truly, I say to you, the Son can do nothing of Himself, unless it is something He sees the Father doing; for whatever the Father does, these things the Son also does in like manner\” (John 5:19)
\”But if I cast out demons by the finger of God, then the kingdom of God has come upon you.\” (Luke 11:20)
Before we can answer the question #1, \”why do I want to be like Jesus\”,
we must answer the question, #2 \”who did Jesus want to be like?\”
But before we can answer question #2, we must answer question #3: was Jesus trying to be like God, or was He simply watching the Father, and doing what He did, doing His will?
Someone once said, \”I will be like The Most High\”, and it didn\’t go to well for him. (Isaiah 14:13-15)We can only be who we are, who God has molded us to be. He does not want us to all look the same, but He does want all of us to be about His business.
Once we\’ve learned that there is grace and mercy for our sins, and teachings and doctrines enough to keep us from sin if we will only take the time and patience to learn, then we can be about His business and doing what Jesus did: \”nothing from selfishness or empty conceit, humble of mind and regarding others more important than ourselves, not just looking out for our interests, but the interests of others, emptying ourselves of our pride, and looking to the Father for our next marching orders.\”
So, why do you want to be like Jesus? Do you want to do the will of the Father, or do you have other motives?
Do you just want to be happy, or are you willing to be battered and bruised doing the work of the Lord? Is happiness the goal, or is Glory of God the goal? One is incorrect, the other is not.
Do you think being like Jesus will make you accepted of God, or do you want to put the needs of others before your own? One is a lie, the other is how we live in the Kingdom.
Desire the best gifts, but not for yourself: desire them so that you may edify others, so that you may build up others through love.
\”Therefore it says, \’WHEN HE ASCENDED ON HIGH, HE LED CAPTIVE A HOST OF CAPTIVES, AND HE GAVE GIFTS TO MEN … for the equipping of the saints for the work of service, to the building up of the body of Christ; \” … for the work of service, to the building up of the body of Christ; \” (Ephesians 4:8,12)
A Recovering Legalist 