Introduction

The goal of the Christian life is for us to become the kind of persons who can reflect and represent God in the world. For this to happen, Christ must transform us through the power of the Holy Spirit. When this happens, God is glorified, because we are reflecting His image. When this is not happening, for whatever reason, we fail to fulfill the purpose for which God has saved and is saving us in Christ Jesus. Sadly, this is true for many who profess to call themselves Christians today. They are not being transformed because they are not stepping up to become like Christ in the world. However, the good news is that we can cooperate with God anytime as He works in us each day so that His purpose for us will be eventually fulfilled. The key is to step up through obedience.

Three Areas to Obey

1. Obey God’s word. (Psalm 19:7-14) – We cannot grow in our faith and become more like Christ unless we prioritize God’s word in our lives and obey it. If we keep on neglecting God’s word, we will deprive ourselves of the wisdom of God, which will enable us to grow and bear fruit in Christ.
2. Obey God’s work. (Philippians 2:12-13; 1 Thessalonians 2:13) – God is at work in us always. But if we are not paying attention to His work, because we are too busy, we will miss out on the character transformation that He wishes to fulfill in our lives. We need to work out our salvation by cooperating with His grace through the power of the Holy Spirit.
3. Obey God’s will. (Romans 12:1-2; Ephesians 5:15-21) – God wants us to know His will. But He will not reveal His will to us if we are not seeking it intentionally and with humility. We need to live our lives in such a way that God can speak to us and guide us, especially in our important decisions in life. We must learn how to discern the thoughts in our hearts so that we can please Him in every way.

Conclusion

1. Central Idea: “God transforms us as we obey Him.”
2. If we don’t step up to obey God’s word, work, and will today, we will forever be immature. We will not reflect God’s image.
3. Ask God to give you the desire to obey Him in all areas of your life so that God will be glorified in and through you.

Discussion

1. Why are some Christians not interested in growing in their faith to become more like Christ?
2. How can we help each other to overcome this attitude?
3. What will you do differently to start becoming more like Christ starting today?