Brethren I am.not a theologian. But there are some of us in this forum who desire to live Christ like. We want our lives to be victorious over sin. We desire to be followers of the Lamb in the word and prayer.

I ask for practical suggestions. Not theological discussions. Please no cutting and pasting of articles. I ask for any saint who follows Jesus in simplicity and purity devotion.. How do you live Christ like in this present age?

Are there any practical saints that can please answer this question? Maybe provide some testimony. Or am I asking in the wrong forum?

Blaine

Blaine, I hope many more will find this post as I would love to hear from those here who know God deeper than I do.

Here is one thing that I have learned: We must be willing to give up everything. Most of us would readily agree because Jesus made that clear, but I see very few Christians actually living like it, yet Christ didn't live His life for Himself and we shouldn't either.

In practice it means that we surrender to the Lord in prayer our possessions, our health, our children and loved ones, our ambitions, careers, plans, lives, and then truly no longer consider them our own. For years I knew this, but never fully understood and certainly didn't live like it.

It comes down to trust. Are we afraid that God will take away what we give over to him? He may or He may not but in full surrender it doesn't matter anymore. This is how you check your level of surrender: Ask yourself if it would be ok if God took this particular thing from you (your house, career, social circle, sports, etc.). I spent years building up a business, it brought me respect in the community and was pretty much my identity. When I realized how important it had become for me, I told the Lord I would let it all go if He wanted me to and within a year it was gone. The Lord placed a door into ministry in front of me and I have never looked back.

While the surrendering is a daily thing in so many ways, having truly given over your life means that disaster, sickness or death hold no threat. It means that I do not make plans for what I will do in the coming years, where I will live and how I will spend my money. It doesn't matter, I lay no claim to it. I will go where He wants me to go and do what He wants me to do and it will be enough.

Jesus lived like that and we know it. Had He lived like many of His followers today, He would have talked much about His carpentry skills, put money aside to buy a house by the lake, insisted on hanging out with the old friends from Nazareth and spent time going to camel races. While doing some preaching/teaching of course. One or maybe two days a week, if it fit His schedule.

Greetings Blaine

How does one live the Christ like life? Wow that is a wonderful question and for me the answers are in the BIBLE and the examples we see in the lives of the disciples. I believe its about truly living my life in submission unto the LORD every moment of the day. Yielding all that I am and have unto HIM. Its about asking and seeking first the KINGDOM of GOD and then following HIS leading as I go through the day. Its about being a servant and putting the desires of others above my own, and caring for them enough to love them and be honest with them. Its about holding on to JESUS and dieing to the flesh. Its about letting HIM truly be LORD of my life, over my time, my family, my choices, every aspect of my life belongs to HIM. Its about walking it out every moment of the day, and not just talking about it. Now I can not say honestly I live this daily but the desire of my heart is to do so. I seek to walk with HIM and to submit myself unto HIM and daily HE helps me in doing so more and more. Living for GOD and loving HIM mean I have a willingness to obey HIM. I place my trust and faith in HIM, knowing no matter what tomorrow might bring HE has got it all covered. Will the day ever come when I can say, "ok I have arrived, I have made it and I don't need you LORD." No! Never! That day will never come because living a CHRIST like life is all about dependency on GOD our FATHER!

Just my heart on this, thank you for allowing me share it with you.
God bless
mj

by sermonindex on 2014/4/12 7:54:58


- showing mercy
- listening to God's voice

__________

I can add to that:

-seeking God's KINGDOM first when I wake
-seeking God's KINGDOM last before I sleep
-extending myself to others

_________________
Ron Halverson

- Keep a mindful watch over your feelings and pray in your heart as often as you can.

- Watch that your physical diet doesn't starve your spiritual revelation.

- Silence is sometimes much better than a trail of jesting and joking.

_________________
Joshua

Pray pray pray

Confess all your sins to Him .
Ask not only for forgiveness.
Ask also that He will purify you completely of all sins , iniquities and transgressions .
If you dont see your sins ask Him to show them to you
Crave to be cleansed of sins in all forms.Sins of thought, of words and deeds.
Sins of all types . Lust of the flesh.Lust of the eyes and vainglory of life

Ask Him to fill you with His Spirit .
Fill you with His thoughts , His Mind , His passion.
Be saturated with Him.

Desire earnestly for Him to make you like Him.
Never try to be like Him without abounding in prayers .

Meditate on His word daily. It fortifies us in holiness

Persevere and be patient. All of us are infested deeply with sins .Sin is a bondage . It does not release its prey willingly. So dont be disheartened when you seem not to be making much headway. Remember Jesus took 3.5 years to refine his disciples

An absolute conviction that the Lord Jesus Christ is everything.

On a practical level, its making the Lord Jesus Christ the obsession of your life.

The peripheral stuff will take care of itself.

_________________
Zeke Oosthuis

It helps to be around other believers who also want to burn for the Lord. I do not think this can be stressed enough.

Being obedient in the little things; God reveals Himself to us as we obey. Good intentions are not enough. Jesus taught a practical faith. We must do the practical things.

Worship, worship worship. While in the car, cutting the grass, or cooking dinner. I find that if I go through a season where I have not worshipped (outside of a church service) then I have slipped backwards.

_________________
Todd