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However, we know only to well that, at times, we all fail to live up to
the standards that we set ourselves, let alone the standards of

God’s Kingdom. And the unfortunate consequence of this, when it
is reflected in the body of the Church, is that the Church does not
show itself to be what it should be to the wider world.

We have a duty, as Christians, to be Christ-like. Jesus is our
example, and we should strive to both follow him and emulate him
in our everyday living. In the New Century Version of Paul’s letter to
the Philippians, we clearly see how he encourages us to live. He
writes,

In your lives you must think and act like Christ Jesus.
[Phil. 2:5]

This is key to our walk of faith and of discipleship, and it is also key
to our witness as Christians. If we claim to be followers of Jesus,
then we must want to be like him, and we should seek to be as
much like him as we are able. As we have said before, it is no good
saying that we follow Jesus and then living our lives in ways that
demonstrate the opposite of what following Jesus means.

If we truly seek to be Christ-like in
our lives, then it will follow that both
our individual lives and our
corporate life as a fellowship of
believers will demonstrate
something of the reality of the love
and grace of God that are the
hallmarks of his Kingdom.

May we each do our best to “think
and act like Christ Jesus” in our
daily lives, that we might reveal
God’s love and grace to the world.

In His name,

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