How Do I Become More Like Jesus?

But whatever were gains to me I now consider loss for the sake of Christ. What is more, I consider everything a loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them garbage, that I may gain Christ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ—the righteousness that comes from God on the basis of faith. I want to know Christ—yes, to know the power of his resurrection and participation in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, and so, somehow, attaining to the resurrection from the dead.
Philippians 3:7-11

Changes in behavior always start with a radically new way of thinking, because what we believe shapes what we do. The same is true of becoming more like Jesus (Romans 12:2). In order for us to change our thinking, we must learn about the spiritual treasures that are part of our salvation — things like freedom in Christ, free access to God’s rich spiritual resources, the work of the Holy Spirit in our lives and the immeasurable love of God. The Bible says that as followers of God, we have every spiritual blessing in Christ (Ephesians 1:3).

A New Creation

As Christians we become more like Jesus by drawing on these Christ-given riches to enable us to behave like the new creations that we are (2 Corinthians 5:17). We determine to be humble, loving, pure, grace-giving people. When we make mistakes and bad decisions, we confess our sins and repent, which keeps our relationship with the Lord strong. When we discover our weaknesses, we draw on God’s wisdom and power for help.

Growing in Relationship with One Another

No one can become more like Jesus without having close relationships with other believers. As the body of Christ, Christians need one another to grow. We need a church in which fellow believers are speaking the truth in love (Ephesians 4:15) and in which the Bible is being preached so we know how to do works of service in Jesus’ name (Ephesians 4:12). In addition, Christians have always found that practicing spiritual disciplines — such as regular Bible reading, prayer, fasting, solitude and giving, among others — provide deep insights into their own souls and open pathways into Christlikeness.

Disciplined by Our Loving Father

Finally, we must reckon with God’s discipline (Hebrews 12:6). As a loving Father, God sometimes invests in our growth by allowing us to experience painful situations that arrest us in our sinfulness, reveal our weaknesses and build into our lives a deeper reliance on Christ and his Word (Hebrews 12:4 – 13).

Drawn from the NIV Quest Study Bible.