Like Christ By Grace
Pursuing the Prize of Christlikeness By God’s Grace
by
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My heart's burning desire is to see Christians be like Christ. I want America to really be one nation under God, and not just hear a plastic and perfunctory “God bless America” from our political leaders. I pray that every nation will hear and receive the Gospel.
Like ten thousand tornadoes, moral relativism and situational ethics have ripped across America, leaving a trail of tears from coast to coast. Countless families have been traumatized and torn by divorce, drugs, alcohol, abuse, gambling, crime and pornography; perhaps your home has suffered. Secularism has sabotaged our soul; socialism is a mirage; humanism is an opiate; the paranormal is a demonic trap.
Our only hope is the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
The Gospel is not impersonal; rather, it brings you into an intensely personal, heart-to-heart relationship with God the Father, the Lord Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit.
The Gospel is not a lifeless philosophy born in a classroom; the Gospel is a life-giving, love-charged message.
The goal of the Gospel is the reproduction in you of everything that is in Jesus. The glory of the Gospel is that it supplies everything you need to be like Christ.
The Gospel is not that Jesus abolishes the moral law and gives you freedom to live however you please and to sin without condemnation or consequences; but that He writes the moral law on your heart and gives you power to obey that holy law.
The Gospel is not that Jesus forgives you and leaves you a poor, miserable sinner, incapable of doing anything but sinning; but that Jesus comes to live in you with all His might.
Jesus is not a partial Savior, saving you only from the penalty of sin. Jesus is your all-sufficient Savior: He saves you from the penalty, the pollution, the plagues and the power of sin; and He saves you for a life that brings glory to God and good to others!
The full Gospel reveals salvation by grace and sanctification by grace; right standing with God and right living in this life by the power of the Holy Spirit; the joys of heaven and the joys of holiness. If we grasp and embrace the full Gospel we can salvage our homes, save our nation and spread this Good News to the ends of the earth.
As God’s messenger, I am not allowed to alter the Gospel; I am not permitted to present only the portions I feel are palatable; I am certainly not authorized to lower the standards that God has set.
This book is about being like Christ.
Being like Christ means developing Christlike character, which can be defined as doing what is right in the sight of God.
Christlike character is not just for monks, missionaries and ministers. Christlike character is the business of every believer, including you.
Christlike character is for athletes and accountants, bankers and broadcasters, coaches and cashiers, Dads and designers, Moms and managers, students and secretaries, teenagers and truckers.
You should develop Christlike character – it is right!
You must develop Christlike character – it is imperative!
You can develop Christlike character – it is possible!
We believers ought to have, must have and by God's grace can have the highest moral character of any people on earth.
We are well able to be like Christ! Not in our own power, of course. Our strength is useless. Our inadequacy is legendary. But our frailty is not an excuse to keep on sinning.
What Jesus said to Paul He now says to you: “My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness.”
When Jesus said: “My grace” He meant you to know that grace is uniquely His. Grace is found only in Him. Grace is not something inherent in the human condition, like lungs or muscles. When Jesus declared: “My grace is sufficient” He was assuring you that His grace is more than enough for your every need. When Jesus specified: “My grace … for you” He intended that you take His word personally. When Jesus elaborated: “My grace … My strength” He wanted you to equate His grace with His strength. His grace is His ability, and His ability is forceful and supernatural.
Your weakness does not alarm or annoy Jesus. He knows how weak you are. View your weakness as a compelling reason to lay hold of His grace. Hear Jesus saying to you: “Take My grace! It is always available to you and it is more than enough for you!”
Grace is two dimensional. The first dimension is unmerited favor; the second dimension is the empowering ability of Jesus.
Grace as favor is amazing.
Grace as ability is almighty.
Grace as favor changes your identity from sinner to saint. Grace as ability changes your capacity from finite to unlimited.
Grace as favor captures the allegiance of your heart. Grace as ability transforms the strength of your will.
Grace as favor makes you God’s child. Grace as ability makes you more than a conqueror, well able to conquer sin.
Grace as favor pardons your sin. Grace as ability prevents you from sinning.
Grace as favor is motivation to holiness. Grace as ability is empowerment to Christlikeness.
Grace as favor reveals God’s character as it is in Him. Grace as ability reproduces God’s character in you.
“It is God who works in you both to will and to do for His good pleasure.” Grace as favor is how God works in you to will; grace as ability is how God works in you to do. Receiving His love creates in you the desire to please God; receiving His grace, His strength, creates in you the capacity to do what pleases Him.
Grace does not make holiness unnecessary; grace makes holiness possible.
Grace is not an excuse to live like the devil; grace is an empowerment to be like Christ.
Grace is not divine permission to indulge the flesh; grace is divine power to crucify the flesh.
Grace is not a sedative giving you security while you sin; grace is supernatural medicine giving you strength to overcome sin.
Grace does not make sin safe. There is no such thing as “safe sin” – in any dispensation.
Grace as favor brings you the gift of righteousness; grace as ability empowers you to produce the fruits of righteousness, a holy life that pleases and honors your heavenly Father.
Grace as favor puts you in Christ; grace as ability is the actual impartation of His life so that you can be like Christ.
Everything in the character of Jesus you may replicate by the grace He freely supplies.
What you cannot be by nature, you can be by His grace.
Through the grace of your Lord Jesus Christ you are empowered to keep the moral law of God with joyfulness and to be prepared to face the judgment seat of Christ.
Grace does not eliminate Judgment Day; grace empowers you to live in such a way that you do not have to be leery or ashamed when you stand before the Supreme Judge of all.
Dear friend, God’s love for you is God’s answer for your brokenness and pain.
The Blood of Jesus is God’s answer for your sin and guilt.
The gift of righteousness is God’s answer for your shame.
The Holy Spirit is God's answer for your weakness.
The Word of God is God’s answer for your ignorance.
The armor of God is God’s answer for your defenselessness.
The local church is God’s answer for your aloneness.
The ministry gifts are God’s answer for your immaturity.
The moral law is God’s answer for your confusion.
Mercy is God’s answer for your failures.
Grace is God’s answer for your inability.
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About the Book
What do you want out of life? What are you pursuing? Happiness? Money? Fame? Fortune? Pleasure? Security? The ultimate prize is none of these but is actually something much higher and better: Christlikeness. It sounds formidable, but ask yourself one question: Don’t you want to be like Christ? If you answered YES! then this book is for you! Have you ever asked yourself, “How can I be more like Jesus? How can I stop sinning? How can I live consistently in a way that pleases God?” Have you ever wondered what the scripture means, “Without holiness no man will see the Lord”? Does it distress you that many believers seem to disregard holiness because they think that they are not “under the law”? Have you ever thought about what it means to be “under the law” and “under grace”? Are you concerned that our nation has cast God aside and is pursuing a secularist agenda? How can that be reversed? Like Christ By Grace: Pursuing the Prize of Christlikeness By God’s Grace will give you the answers you seek. Jesus Christ supplies everything you need to be like Him. The book you hold in your hands is a message of encouragement and hope, as well as a challenging call to Christlikeness. No matter how many times you have fallen and no matter how miserably you may have failed, God is on your side. God is for you. He’s not about to give up on you. You can be like Christ by grace!
About the Author
Carl Becker is a Bible teacher, author, pastor, husband, and father of two children; he has over twenty years of pastoral experience. He graduated from the University of Rochester and from Rhema Bible Training Center. He was awarded a Doctor of Theology degree from Life Christian University.