To be like He is

1. He is above all forces and powers.
2. He creates with His words.
3. He brings life wherever he goes.
4. He serves with the heart of a king.
5. He reigns with the heart of a servant.
6. He loves us unconditionally.
7. He has empathy and sympathy. 
8. He is clothed with authority. 
9. He has laid His life down for us. 
10. He gives us healing, protection, provision and restoration.

“³For His divine power has bestowed upon us all things that [are requisite and suited] to life and godliness, through the [full, personal] knowledge of Him Who called us by and to His own glory and excellence (virtue). ⁴By means of these He has bestowed on us His precious and exceedingly great promises, so that through them you may escape [by flight] from the moral decay (rottenness and corruption) that is in the world because of covetousness (lust and greed), and become sharers (partakers) of the divine nature.”

2 Peter 1:3-4

”⁵For this very reason, adding your diligence [to the divine promises], employ every effort in exercising your faith to develop virtue (excellence, resolution, Christian energy), and in [exercising] virtue [develop] knowledge (intelligence), ⁶And in [exercising] knowledge [develop] self-control, and in [exercising] self-control [develop] steadfastness (patience, endurance), and in [exercising] steadfastness [develop] godliness (piety), ⁷And in [exercising] godliness [develop] brotherly affection, and in [exercising] brotherly affection [develop] Christian love.

⁸For as these qualities are yours and increasingly abound in you, they will keep [you] from being idle or unfruitful unto the [full personal] knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ (the Messiah, the Anointed One). ¹⁰Because of this, brethren, be all the more solicitous and eager to make sure (to ratify, to strengthen, to make steadfast) your calling and election…”

2 Peter 1:5-8,10

The word godliness suggests a life focused on a goal – that one will live courageously and bravely in faith to make a difference in the world one lives. Virtues refer to the good things one does, whereby the glory of the Lord is displayed.

The enemy always tries to convince us of our sin, helplessness, hopelessness and failures. He wants us to identify with all kinds of disappointments and weaknesses, so we can be and feel inferior. Those are all lies!

The truth is that we are more than conquerors in Him because He overcame sin and death. That is whom we are in Christ: powerful warriors in the kingdom of God on earth, equipped with everything we need to be more than conquerors. 

Here are a few guidelines that will help us to be more like Jesus:

1. Take note of what you are focusing on. 

If we focus on negative things, we enforce the negative things in our life.

“For the rest, brethren, whatever is true, whatever is worthy of reverence and is honourable and seemly, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely and lovable, whatever is kind and winsome and gracious, if there is any virtue and excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think on and weigh and take account of these things [fix your minds on them].”

Philippians 4:8

“And set your minds and keep them set on what is above (the higher things)…”

Colossians 3:2

“Set up for yourselves highway markers [back to Canaan], make for yourselves guideposts; turn your thoughts and attention to the way by which you went [into exile]….”

Jeremiah 31:21

1. Think like a conqueror and not like a victim.

“⁸Be well balanced (temperate, sober of mind), be vigilant and cautious at all times; for that enemy of yours, the devil, roams around like a lion roaring [in fierce hunger], seeking someone to seize upon and devour. ⁹Withstand him…”

1 Peter 5:8,9

According to this verse we do not have to be a victim of the enemy. In all circumstances we can be more than conquerors if we stand firm in faith, and resist him.

1. Determine to live as a conqueror

“But Daniel determined in his heart that he would not defile himself by [eating his portion of] the king’s rich and dainty food or by [drinking] the wine which he drank…”

Daniel 1:8

Similarly, we must decide beforehand that we will not be victims of circumstances. We must choose to stand firm in faith and not to defile ourselves. 

1. Allow the Holy Spirit to renew your mind

“… I will put My law within them, and on their hearts will I write it…”

Jeremiah 31:33

The prophet Ezekiel goes one step further when he says:

“And I will put my Spirit within you and cause you to walk in My statutes, and you shall heed My ordinances and do them.”

Ezekiel 36:27

With the outpouring of the Holy Spirit, we have His power and strength in us, making it possible to be more like Him.

Conclusion

“He has showed you, O man, what is good. And what does the Lord require of you but to do justly, and to love kindness and mercy, and to humble yourself and walk humbly with your God?”

Micah 6:8 

All scripture references are from the Amplified Bible, Classic Edition, unless otherwise stated.