Becoming Christlike

Ever see a man walk on water? or Heaven open and the voice of God declare His pleasure in His Son at His baptism? Perhaps you may have seen a man calm the wind and the waves? What about feeding over 5,000 people with 5 loaves of bread and 2 fish? Have you seen a man bring the dead to life by simply calling the dead man's name, ordering him to come out of his tomb? Jesus is and was all of that and so much more. 

Jesus' bold and authoritative demeanor was a threat to some in His time on earth even before He began His ministry preaching the Kingdom of God. What made Him so bold, so rebellious to the norms and pattern of the world on earth? Perhaps it was because He was God on earth and one with God, or maybe it was because He is the word made flesh. 

Christlike-ness or being a Christian is more than a title or a label, it is a call to action, requiring us to be transformed into the image of Jesus Christ. When I begin to consider all of what Christ is and was, it is sometimes intimidating to fathom that we can be all of that and so much more, however, God says it is possible and all things are possible with Him (Matthew 19:26).

Our Christlike Swagger Collection is inspired by the bold, authentic nature of Christ. In a world that pressures us to conform to its various shifting mindsets and trends, we are told to become like Christ. This is not a call for the faint of heart. As Christians and Children of God we are called to break Free from conforming to the pattern of falsehood that the world lives by (Romans 12:2). Instead, we are called to be transformed into the image of Christ, a calling established before time began (Romans 8:29-30). This predestination, although sometimes taken lightly, is restored because of the death and resurrection of Jesus; and so we can seek and receive the Kingdom of God on earth and enjoy the abundant life after this life ends, and everything else God wills for His children.

However, once we have finally allowed God to transform and renew our minds so that we can test and approve what His will is for our lives we can become like Christ (Romans 12:2). We then are no longer hearers of the word but doers (James 1:22).

What does it mean to be Christlike? It is to be like Christ, for so many of us attempt to become what we do not fully understand, even in the secular world. To be like Christ, we must study the word of God, not simply listening to sermons, attending church or Bible study, but to be so much like Christ that when people see you and/or hear you speak you sound like the word of God, for that is what Jesus is. 

God's word is the truth, not my truth or your truth for there is only one truth, His truth. His word says, "Let God be true and every human being a liar" (Romans 3:4). 

When I consider that Jesus refused to conform, I think of the rebellious nature of beautiful street art, graffiti. The lengths to which graffiti street artists go to put their work on buildings, trains, etc., some even risk their freedom and lives to do so, daring not to show their faces and hide in the dark of the night. Although some do their work in secret, and others in the light of day, the result is a bold, often colorful artwork that is hard to miss.

I consider that God works on us in the same way, in private, although sometimes allowing us to face public persecution for His namesake and glory, either way, the result is a bold, beautiful representation of Him. However, we are not called to sell Jesus, or hide in the dark of night, but to become like Him, "to shine like stars in the sky", "become blameless and pure...without fault in a warped and crooked generation (Phillipians 2:15).

His swagger, is and was a calm, cool, collected, humble servant and Son of God, 

"He will not quarrel or cry out; no one will hear His voice in the streets. A bruised reed He will not break, and a smoldering wick He will not snuff out. In faithfulness He will bring forth justice, He will not falter or be discouraged till He establishes justice on earth" (Isaiah 42:1-4).