Page 98 - Fundamentals Ebook

We’ve come to look at that wonderful truth; what it means to be
conformed to the Lord Jesus. That is a big truth. Usually the way
it is approached, the theologians call “sanctification”. Sanctification
deals with our progress in the Christian life. Usually when you talk
about sanctification you are talking about holiness, godliness,
separation and surrender. Some people say that if you are going to
study conformity, you’ve got to study what it means to grow in
Christ. 2 Peter 3:18, “…but grow in the grace and knowledge of our
Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To Him be the glory, both now and
to the day of eternity. Amen”

I think the Apostle John might have had that in mind when he wrote
1 John. He addresses fathers. He addresses young men and he
addresses children. Perhaps Jesus had that idea of growth in Mark
4:28, “The soil produces crops by itself; first the blade, then the
head, then the mature grain in the head.”

We want to be conformed to Jesus. We want to be like Him.
Ephesians 4:13, “…until we all attain to the unity of the faith, and
of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a mature man, to the measure
of the stature which belongs to the fullness of Christ.” We want to
grow up in Christ. Galatians 4:19, “My children, with whom I am
again in labor until Christ is formed in you..” We don’t want to get
all confused about being like Jesus. I don’t want to talk all about
sanctification. I don’t want to talk about the steps in how you grow
in Jesus. I want to look at what it means to become like Jesus in the
simplest way possible.

If you like outlines, here’s the outline. First I want to give the
starting point of being like Jesus. The starting point is the guarantee
that someday I will be like Jesus. Then I want to show you the
process of becoming like Jesus. Then I want to show you the
consummation, when we finally arrive. So, I want to show the
starting point, the process and the consummation when we finally
become like Him.