When we obeyed the gospel of Christ, we became children of God.  Membership in God’s family is a wonderful blessing that demonstrates how much God loves us.  John wrote, “See what kind of love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God…” (1 John 3:1).

Now that we are children of God, the question is, are we Christians?  As children of God, we are what we are because of what we have done, that is, obeyed the gospel of Christ.  As Christians, we are what we are because of what we are doing, that is, following the example of Christ.

Luke 6:40 (ESV)
⁴⁰  A disciple is not above his teacher, but everyone when he is fully trained will be like his teacher.

We must do our best to live the way Jesus lived when He was here on earth.  This does not happen by accident.  We must purposely strive to be as much like Him as we can.  Here are a few examples.

• Jesus did not tolerate sin (John 2:13-17). 

Jesus could have ignored the long-standing practice of the money changers in the temple, but that was not in His nature.  He was bothered by sin.  His hatred of evil would not allow Him to just walk by and pretend that nothing was wrong; thus, He made a whip and drove them out of the temple, overthrowing their tables.

What do you do when you find yourself in the presence of sin?  I know we cannot escape sin altogether.  To do that would require leaving this world (1 Corinthians 5:10).  However, we can speak out against sin whenever we have the opportunity.  Paul said, “Take no part in the unfruitful works of darkness, but instead expose them” (Ephesians 5:11).

• Jesus was willing to forgive (Luke 23:34).

Are you willing to forgive those who sin against you?  If not, you are not making an effort to be like Jesus.  It is not always easy to be a Christian.  Forgiving those who hurt us can be hard but think about what Jesus had to do because of those He was willing to forgive.  He did not ask the Father to forgive those who simply made Him mad; He asked forgiveness for those who were torturing Him on the cross.  Surely, if Jesus could forgive those who crucified Him, we can forgive those who in some way (no doubt a far lesser way) hurt us.  For Christians, forgiving others is not an option, it is a divine directive (Matthew 6:14-15; Ephesians 4:32).

• Jesus sacrificed for others (Isaiah 53:4-5).

No one has ever sacrificed as much as Jesus did.  That would be impossible, seeing what He was willing to do for our redemption (Philippians 2:6-8).  Jesus, being equal with God, made Himself nothing by taking on the form of a servant, in the likeness of men, and then, gave up His life for our salvation.  Nothing in that was for Himself.  From beginning to end, the humiliation of Christ was a sacrifice for others.  Let us learn not to be a self-centered people who always think about ourselves before others.  Let us learn to make sacrifices for the cause of Christ, for our brethren in Christ, and for our neighbors, in general.  Let us strive to be like Jesus.  That is what being a Christian really is.

As you wind down for the night, think about these things.