Topic: Becoming Christ-like

1 Peter 2:21 > John 13:13-17 > Doctrine and Covenants 35:2 > John 17:3, 21 > 3 Nephi 18:16 > Moroni 7:48 > 3 Nephi 27:20-22, 27 > Matthew 5:48 > 3 Nephi 12:48

This Scripture Train, Becoming Christ-Like, follows right in line with the previous Train of Following Christ and Discipleship. Indeed, what is the logical conclusion? If we work to follow our Savior and become His Disciple, who will we eventually become like? Our Savior, of course; it is not possible in this mortal life to become exactly like Him or become perfectly one with Him, but certainly, we will be on that journey of becoming  more like Him. As we strive to follow His example in our lives, certainly our works will come to resemble His. We will serve as He served; we will show kindness as He showed kindness; we will comfort as He comforted; we will strive to learn to love as He loved. Is it blasphemous to say that we want to learn to love as He loved and then go about working diligently and faithfully to learn to do so? Is it blasphemous to say that we want to learn to become more like our Savior? The scriptures teach that we should.

In 1 Peter chapter 2 verse 21, Peter teaches that Christ set the example for us to follow, we are to walk in His footsteps. If we are to walk in His footsteps, then we certainly will begin the process of becoming like Him. In John chapter 13 verses 13 through 17, we listen to Jesus teach us to follow His example in how to serve each other. Is this not something that we can learn to do near perfectly? I believe we can learn to serve as Jesus served, this is His expectation of us, otherwise, He would not have commanded it. Remember our study of His grace? Grace is the strengthening power that comes from God and Christ to do as they command.

In the book of Doctrine and Covenants section 35 verse 2, Christ teaches that as we learn to believe Him that His atonement will be effective in our lives to the end thata we will become the sons of God; we will become one in Christ as Christ is one with the Father and the Father is one in Him, that we all may be one. In John chapter 17 verse 3 and 21, Christ teaches that in order to have eternal life we must come to know Him and His Father. How can we possibly come to know them if we do not become like them and eventually one with them? Christ prayed to the Father that we would all become one. Would Christ pray to His Father for something that was impossible? Of course not.

Here are a couple of more examples of how we can become more Christ-like. In 3 Nephi chapter 18 verse 16, Christ states that He is the light, the example that we are to follow; we are to pray for each other as He prayed for us. We can learn to be like Him in our prayes. In Moroni chapter 7 verse 48, Moroni teaches that we are to pray unto the Father with all the energy of our hearts so that we may be filled with the same love that God bestowed upon all who are true followers of His Son. Immagine how much better we will come to know our Father in Heaven and His Son, Jesus Christ if we were filled with their love and able to love as they love! To love like God and Christ love is a gift that God bestows upon those who work to do so. Then both in this verse and in 1 John chapter 3 verse 2 we learn that we shall become His sons (and daughters), we will be like Christ for when He appears we shall see Him as He is for we shall be like Him. We are taught to have this hope. Those who strive with all their hearts to follow Christ and to become Christ-like will become like Him. This must be our hope if it is to become a reality.

In 3 Nephi chapter 27 verse 20 through 22 and 27, Christ teaches that this is His gospel: To repent, be baptized, and be sanctified through the reception of the Holy Ghost, so that we may stand spotless before Him at the last day. To be spotless is to be clean and pure, without sin. Christ is spotless, so will we be like Him? Yes! In His instruction to us, He teaches us to do the works that we have seen Him do. Even though we were not with Him in His ministries, we can see Him through a thorough study of scripture. As we study His life and His works, we can learn to emulate Him in our life when we come upon difficult circumstances. Also, if we do the things that He has  commanded, then it will be much easier for us to learn to emulate Him. As we do our best to do these things, we will be lifted up at the last day! So, if we understand this correctly, only those who become Christ-like in all their deeds and words can be saved. Remember, Jesus is our example of a saved person and unless we become like Him we cannot be saved. Does the commandment He gives, “Therefore, what manner of men ought ye to be? Verily I say unto you, even as I am”, now have further meaning to us? Following this question, does the commandment He gives in Matthew chapter 5 verse 48 and in 3 Nephi chapter 12 verse 48, now have a great deal more meaning to us? In Matthew, He commands us to be perfect, even as His Father, which is in heaven is perfect. In 3 Nephi he commands us to be perfect even as I, or your Father who is in heaven is perfect. Remember, in Matthew Christ had not yet been resurrected when He uttered this commandment. In 3 Nephi, He appeared as a resurrected being to His people, thus He had obtained perfection. We learn from this that we will not obtain perfection, oneness, completeness, or wholeness in this life, it can only come after resurrection, as with Christ; but this does not mean we are not to seek it, or to strive for it, or to hope for it. We know it will not come in this life, but we know it may in the next if we work for it.