Becoming more Christlike is the ultimate goal for every Christian. The Bible provides clear guidance on how to pursue Christlikeness through studying God’s Word, prayer, fellowship, serving others, and more. Here is a detailed look at 9 key areas the Bible highlights to help believers become more like Jesus.
1. Study the Life of Jesus
The first step in becoming more Christlike is simply spending time reading and studying the four Gospels – Matthew, Mark, Luke and John. These provide first-hand accounts of Jesus’ life, ministry, teachings, character, compassion, humility and more. As we read the Gospels, we can get to know Jesus on a deeper level and understand how He interacted with and cared for people during His earthly life. Several key things to look for when reading the Gospels include:
- Jesus’ complete obedience to the Father and commitment to do His will (John 5:19)
- How Jesus spent time alone with God in prayer before major decisions or miracles (Luke 5:16)
- Jesus’ compassion for people – healing the sick, feeding the hungry, drawing near outcasts (Matthew 14:14)
- His wisdom in answering questions and teaching deep spiritual truths (Matthew 22:15-46)
- His humility in serving and submitting to others (John 13:1-17)
As we spend time studying Jesus’ life and character in the Word, we gain understanding of what it means to live a truly Christlike life. Our minds and hearts are renewed to become more like His.
2. Imitate Christ’s Example
Once we have studied Jesus’ life and character, the next step is actively striving to imitate Him through our thoughts, words and actions each day. As Philippians 2:5 (ESV) encourages us: “Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus.” Everyday we face opportunities to live out Christlike virtues. For example:
- When offended, we can choose forgiveness over anger (Luke 23:24)
- When busy, we can still take time to rest and spend time with God (Luke 5:16)
- When asked to serve, we can do so with joy and humility (John 13:1-17)
- When making decisions, we can seek God’s will above our own (Luke 22:42)
Each day, we must actively die to our old sinful nature and choose to follow Jesus’ example of living a godly life empowered by the Holy Spirit.
3. Crucify Your Sinful Nature
An essential part of becoming Christlike is putting to death our old sinful habits and desires. Galatians 5:24 (ESV) tells us, “Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.” Our sinful flesh will always hinder us from living a holy life. As we grow closer to Christ, we must intentionally put off sinful habits like greed, pride, lust, anger and replace them with spiritual virtues like kindness, humility, self-control.
Here are some practical tips for “crucifying the flesh”:
- Examine your heart and confess specific areas of sin to God (Psalm 139:23-24)
- Repent and ask God to help you walk in the Spirit, overriding fleshly desires (Galatians 5:16)
- Remove influences that tempt you to sin – media, relationships, environments
- Fasting – temporarily giving up something like food to devote time to prayer and refocus your affections on Christ
- Memorize Scripture on resisting temptation and taking every thought captive (Psalm 119:11, 2 Corinthians 10:5)
As we daily crucify our sinful desires and walk in the empowering Holy Spirit, Christ’s righteousness will shine brighter through our lives.
4. Renew Your Mind with Scripture
In order to live like Christ, we must fill our minds with the same Scriptures He studied and loved. Romans 12:2 (ESV) tells us, “Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind.” One of the primary ways God renews our minds is through reading, studying and meditating on the Bible. Here are some keys for renewing your mind through Scripture:
- Read through the gospels and New Testament epistles regularly
- Memorize key verses on Christlike living to meditate on (Philippians 2:1-11, Galatians 5:22-23, Colossians 3:1-17, 1 Peter 2:21-24)
- Apply and obey Scripture – don’t just read as an intellectual exercise
- Use Scripture to test every thought and perception you have (2 Corinthians 10:5)
- Study Jesus’ teachings on kingdom living – Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5-7), Parables, etc.
As we saturate our minds with God’s Word, we will gain kingdom perspectives and Christ’s thoughts will become our thoughts.
5. Develop Christlike Character
While actions are important, Christlikeness ultimately flows from who we are on the inside – our character, perspectives and motivations. Galatians 5:22-23 (ESV) describes the Christlike fruit that should be developing in every believer’s life: “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control.” Growing in these virtues requires intentional effort through disciplines like Scripture study, prayer, fasting, service, etc. Here are some specific ways to cultivate Christlike character:
- Pray through each fruit of the Spirit, asking God to develop them in your life
- Study biblical examples of each virtue – Joseph’s perseverance, Moses’ meekness, Ruth’s loyalty, etc.
- Examine your thoughts, words and actions each day in light of Christlike virtues
- Journal about situations where you could demonstrate more spiritual fruit
- Confess and repent when you act without love, joy, peace, etc.
- Memorize 1 Corinthians 13 and other passages about godly character
Growing in Christlike character brings glory to God and allows us to powerfully represent Jesus on earth.
6. Serve Others Sacrificially
Jesus consistently modeled selfless, sacrificial service towards others while on earth. He gave His time to disciple others, fed hungry crowds, healed the sick, washed His disciples feet, and ultimately gave His own life for our sins. We grow more Christlike as we follow His example of humble service. Scripture calls us to look to others’ interests above our own and offer our lives as living sacrifices to God (Philippians 2:3-4, Romans 12:1). Here are some tips for selfless service:
- Ask God to reveal needs around you each day
- Serve your family, church and community behind the scenes without expectation of reward
- Use your spiritual gifts and abilities to serve God’s kingdom
- Look for opportunities to care for the poor, widowed, orphaned
- Inconvenience yourself at times to meet someone’s need
- Go on mission trips to serve the needy
- Volunteer time to disciple younger believers
Laying down our lives in service to others demonstrates Christ’s love and brings glory to Him.
7. Submit Your Will to God
Jesus provided the ultimate example of surrendering His personal will to the Father while on earth. He declared in John 6:38 (ESV), “For I have come down from heaven, not to do my own will but the will of him who sent me.” As followers of Christ, God calls us to give up our personal agendas and fully submit to His will and plans for our lives. This requires humility, trust and intimate communication with God. Practical ways to surrender to Christ include:
- Pray daily for God to align your heart with His will (Psalm 143:10)
- Study God’s Word to understand His general will for believers (1 Thessalonians 4:3-8)
- Present all your decisions to God in prayer for His direction (James 1:5, Proverbs 3:5-6)
- Obey even when God’s plan differs from your desires or timing
- Remain open and yielding for God to change your plans
- Trust that God’s way is best even amid confusion or delay
Laying down our will to embrace God’s always leads to greatest joy and fulfillment.
8. Cultivate Intimate Prayer
Jesus maintained a vibrant, intimate prayer life with the Father even in the midst of a demanding ministry. Prayer was the source of His strength, guidance and alignment with God’s will. If we want to become more like Christ, we need to cultivate a deep, consistent prayer life. Jesus provided the perfect example of a life of intimate communion with God. Here are some tips for cultivating deeper prayer:
- Follow Jesus’ model – find a solitary place, get away from distractions, pray early before the day begins (Mark 1:35)
- Spend time worshiping and praising God for who He is
- Humble yourself before God and surrender your will, plans, desires
- Pray through Scripture – the Lord’s Prayer, Psalms, Proverbs, etc.
- Listen and allow God to speak to you as you pray
- Pray consistently both morning and evening
- Fasting – gives more time and focus to pray
Prayer was Jesus’ lifeline. If we want to emulate Him, we need to devote ourselves to prayer just as He did.
9. Walk in Purity
Jesus led a sinless life and calls His followers to lives of purity and holiness. As 1 Peter 1:15-16 (ESV) states, “But as he who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, since it is written, “You shall be holy, for I am holy.” Our lives should be set apart from sinful practices and reflect Christ’s holy nature. Here are some practical tips for pursuing purity:
- Regularly examine your heart and confess all known sin to God (Psalm 139:23-24)
- Immediately repent when convicted of sinful thoughts or actions
- Avoid tempting environments, relationships, media
- Commit to moral purity regarding sexuality, honesty, what you watch and listen to
- Be discreet – avoid gossip, coarsely joking, immodesty
- Focus your thoughts on what is true, honorable, right, pure (Philippians 4:8)
As we walk in holiness and purity, we reflect Christ well to the world around us.
Becoming Christlike is a lifelong journey. But as we devote ourselves to pursuing Jesus through His Word, prayer and obedience, He promises to complete His transforming work in us (Philippians 1:6). We must persevere and trust the Holy Spirit to reproduce Jesus’ character in our lives as we yield to Him.