CHRISTIAN LIVING: THE GOAL OF THE CHRISTIAN LIFE
What is the goal of the Christian life, and how do we help one another get there? One old catechism says that our chief purpose in life is to glorify and enjoy God forever. This is true. We were created for Godâs glory and to proclaim his praises (1 Corinthians 10:31; Ephesians 1:11-12; 1 Peter 2:9). We exist to worship God, and in order to be genuine, this worship must come from the heart. It must be an expression of our real feelings. We adore God above everything else, and we submit to his every command.
How do we help people get to this point? We are unable to achieve such a task. It is God who changes peopleâs hearts; it is God who converts the soul, who leads people to repentance, who touches people with love and grace. We can describe Godâs amazing love and his astonishing grace and we can set an example of adoration and dedication to our Savior, but after all is said and done, it is God who changes each personâs heart.
Yet another way to describe our goal in life is to become more like Christâand here I think we can briefly sketch some practical ways in which we can help one another submit to Godâs work in us as we grow toward that goal.
It is Godâs plan for each of us that we âbe conformed to the likeness of his Sonâ (Romans 8:29). Even in this life, we âare being transformed into his likeness with ever-increasing gloryâ (2 Corinthians 3:18). Paul labored with the Galatians âuntil Christ is formed in youâ (Galatians 4:19). He told the Ephesians that our goal is âattaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christâ (Ephesians 4:13).
In Christ, we have a new identity and a new purpose for living. The new self is âto be like God in true righteousness and holinessâ (Ephesians 4:22-24). What a concept! We are to be like God not just in the resurrection, but even, to the extent possible, in this life. We are becoming like Jesus, who showed us what God is like when living in the flesh. We are not just hoping to be like him in the next lifeâwe are to be like him in this life.
We do not need to look like Jesus physically. We do not try to match his carpentry skills, his language skills, or his knowledge of agriculture. Rather, we are to be like him âin true righÂteousness and holiness.â In our behavior and in our devotion to God, we are to be like Jesus Christ.
Be transformed!
How is the transformation accomplished in our lives? Paul exhorts, âBe transformed by the renewing of your mindâ (Romans 12:2). Our new self âis being renewed in knowledge in the image of its Creatorâ (Colossians 3:10). Both heart and mind are involved. Behavior is, too. These three work together in those who are being transformed by Christ.
The mind alone is not enough. If only the mind is involved, we may be like demons who know truths about God but do not obey him. Simply knowing the truth is not enough. We must not only hear, but we must also do (Matthew 7:24). Behavior alone is not enough. If we go through the motions without really believing in God, we are play-actors. Even if we believe in God and do the right actions, if our heart is far from God, our worship is in vain. If we sing Godâs praises without feeling any affection for him, we are hypocrites.
In short, we need right beliefs, right actions, and right emotions. If the heart is right and our beliefs are right, then right behavior will be the result. We want right behavior, but we need to remember that it is the result of other things, and not the ultimate goal. Now, as I asked in the introduction, how do we help one another grow toward our Christian goal? How do we help one another become transformed to become more like Christ in righteousness and holiness?
