In Ephesians 4:22-24 I read, “Take on an entirely new way of life—a God-fashioned life, a life renewed from the inside and working itself into your conduct as God accurately reproduces his character in you." (The Message)
Many religions and philosophies promote the old lie that people are divine or can become gods. Let's be absolutely clear: I will never become God or even a god.
That prideful lie is Satan’s oldest temptation. Satan wanted Adam and Eve to follow his advice and promised them this if they would: “You will be like God . . .” (Genesis 3:5 NIV).
This desire to be a god shows up every time I try to control my circumstances, my future, or the people around me. But I’m a creature; I will never be the Creator. God doesn’t want me to become a god; he wants me to become godly, taking on his values, attitudes, and character.
I am meant to “take on an entirely new way of life—a God-fashioned life, a life renewed from the inside and working itself into my conduct as God accurately reproduces his character in me” (Ephesians 4:22-24 The Message).
God’s ultimate goal for my life on Earth is not comfort but character development. He wants me to grow up spiritually and become like Christ.
Becoming like Christ does not mean losing my personality or becoming a mindless clone. God created my uniqueness, so he certainly doesn’t want to destroy it. Christlikeness is all about transforming my character, not my personality.
Every time I forget that character is one of God’s purposes for my life, I become frustrated by my circumstances. I’ll wonder, “Why is this happening to me? Why am I having such a difficult time?” One answer is that life is supposed to be difficult! Difficulty enables me to grow. Remember, Earth is not heaven.
In John 10:10, Jesus promises: “I have come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly” (KJV). Many Christians misinterpret this promise of abundant life to mean perfect health, a comfortable lifestyle, constant happiness, full realization of dreams, and instant relief from problems through faith and prayer.
In a word, expecting the Christian life to be easy. Expecting heaven on Earth.
But God is not my genie or my servant. If I fall for the idea that life is supposed to be easy, I will become severely disillusioned and live in denial of reality.
Life is not about me! I exist for God’s purposes, not vice versa. Why would God provide heaven on Earth when he’s planned the real thing for us in eternity?
God gives me my time on Earth to build and strengthen my character—so that I’ll be ready for an eternity in heaven.
In summary, many religions and philosophies promote the old lie that people are divine or can become gods. That prideful lie is Satan’s oldest temptation. This desire to be a god shows up every time I try to control my circumstances, my future, or the people around me. But I’m a creature; I will never be the Creator. God doesn’t want me to become a god; he wants me to become godly, taking on his values, attitudes, and character. I am meant to “take on an entirely new way of life—a God-fashioned life, a life renewed from the inside and working itself into my conduct as God accurately reproduces his character in me. God’s ultimate goal for my life on Earth is not comfort but character development. He wants me to grow up spiritually and become like Christ. God created my uniqueness, so he certainly doesn’t want to destroy it. Christlikeness is all about transforming my character, not my personality. Every time I forget that character is one of God’s purposes for my life, I become frustrated by my circumstances and wonder, “Why is this happening?” Life is supposed to be difficult! Difficulty enables me to grow. Earth is not heaven. Many misinterpret the promise of abundant life to mean perfect health, a comfortable lifestyle, constant happiness, full realization of dreams, and instant relief from problems through faith and prayer. Expecting the Christian life to be easy. Expecting heaven on Earth. But God is not my genie or my servant. If I fall for the idea that life is supposed to be easy, I will become severely disillusioned and live in denial of reality. Life is not about me! I exist for God’s purposes. God gives me my time on Earth to build and strengthen my character—so that I’ll be ready for an eternity in heaven.
My old way of life before I believed in Christ is completely in the past. I should put it behind me like old clothes to be thrown away. When I decided to accept Christ's gift of salvation, it was a one-for-all-time decision along with daily conscious commitments. I am not to be driven by desire and impulse. I must put on a new nature, head in a new direction, and have a new way of thinking that the Holy Spirit gives me.
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