Tuesday, December 13, 2022

To Be Christlike ...

To be Christlike is the duty and privilege of every believer. God's Word distinctly settles that matter when it affirms, "Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his." (Romans 8:9)

I ask myself, oh, will you not do the same? How much of His likeness has been visible in my conduct during this day? How far have I been that which my Lord expects me to be His representative in this sinful world? If bearing the cross after Christ is the chief work of the Christian, have I borne it in patience and obedience and full surrender to His will in all things, or have I, as far as I was able, put it aside and thought my own thoughts, walked in my own ways, and done what pleased myself without any reference to Him or recognition of His right to "reign over me"? 

There are Christians who think they have liberty to do their own will in a thousand things. They speak very much as they like; they do very much as they like; they use their property and possessions as they like. They are their own masters, and they have never dreamed of saying, "Jesus, we forsake all to follow Thee." May God keep us from the sin and error of thinking that we can accept Christ as our Savior, and yet practically deny Him as our Master! 

[Susannah Spurgeon]

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Galatians 5:13 ... For, brethren, ye have been called unto liberty; only use not liberty for an occasion to the flesh, but by love serve one another.

1 Corinthians 15:34 ...  Awake to righteousness, and sin not; for some have not the knowledge of God: I speak this to your shame.

Luke 9:23 ... And he said to them all, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me.