Journey of Continuous Growth in Christlikeness

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The path is described here and is compared to Sunrise. Sunrise is a picture of being born again from the darkness. The light comes up, and the Noonday position, the full day, is mentioned here, refers to the second coming of Christ. So from sunrise to noonday means from the time you're born again till the coming of Christ. [00:01:21]

God's will is that our life should shine brighter and brighter, meaning that we should progressively become more and more like Christ, preferably every day or at least every year, just like we want our children to go from one grade to another every year. We don't want our children ever to sit in the same class for one more year. [00:02:01]

We need to examine our lives and see over a period of a year whether we have become more Christlike. And if you're married, the best person is to ask is your marriage partner. You think I become more Christlike over the last one year? Have I become more patient with you? Have I controlled my anger a little more at home? [00:03:16]

Repentance, I've discovered, the best way to describe is it with the military term about turn. If you've seen a military parade, they sometimes say left turn, everybody turns left, or right turn, everybody turns right. And the other command is about turn. About turn means you turn right around and face the opposite direction. [00:05:48]

The trouble with a lot of Christians when they accept Christ is they have not done an about turn. They've done a left turn or a right turn, which means they have not turned completely from that old sinful way. See, when we are unconverted, our faces are towards the world and sin. [00:06:25]

Revelation comes when you have a desire to obey God, and the mark of Revelation on God's word is that it changes your life. So whenever you read God's word, pray for Revelation, and that will change your life, that you will repent and turn around 180°. And repentance is not something that we need to do just once. [00:08:32]

We need to repent constantly. In 1 John chapter 3, it says that Christ, we will become like Christ only when we come back. Let me turn to that verse. 1 John chapter 3 and verse two, the last part, we all know this. We know that when Christ appears, we shall be like him. [00:09:01]

If you really have this hope in you, you will purify yourself until you reach his standard of Purity. Read that. How do you know you're waiting for the coming of Christ? 1 John 3:3. This is the only proof that you have a Living Hope, otherwise a dead hope. Everyone who has this hope fixed in him, everyone will purify yourself. [00:10:31]

Baptism symbolizes death and burial and Resurrection. The person goes down into the water, he's accepting death and burial with Christ. Coming out of the water is symbolizing God lifts him up, just like God raised up Christ from the dead. So Jesus said we must take up the cross every day. [00:14:42]

Let that CH put you to death. Go down, don't respond, don't fight back. Somebody accuses you, keep quiet. Let them believe whatever they want about you. Choose to die with Christ like Paul. Paul said I'm crucified with Christ, and you can be absolutely sure of one thing. Why did Jesus submit to death? [00:15:50]

You can be just as sure that if you accept death in some situation when somebody treats you badly or speaks rude way to you and you keep quiet and you love him in return, you can be absolutely sure you'll experience a spiritual Resurrection inside. That is the meaning of baptism. [00:16:26]

You will receive power when the The Holy Spirits come upon you, and you will be my witnesses. That is the purpose of being filled with the Holy Spirit. Otherwise, we are shy, ashamed to testify about Christ in our place of work. I remember when I was in the Navy, and I said, Lord, I seem to be ashamed to be a bold witness for Christ. [00:20:27]

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