A Changed Life

If we bear His name, then our life and conduct must be in conformity with His holy character. That’s what it means to be a Christian and to adopt His name. A Christian is a follower of Christ or one who imitates Christ. A Christian is a mimic of Christ. If we take His name, then we must live a life that is consistent with Christ’s holy character.

But unfortunately, not everyone who claims to be a Christian lives like Him. It is to this one that Christ says, in essence, “Change your conduct, or change your name.”

In the life of every true Christian, there will be the pursuit of Christlikeness. A Christian is one who knows Christ, follows Christ, and is becoming like Christ. His life bears a distinct resemblence to the One whose name he bears. This pursuit of holiness, called sanctification, is the lifelong process of the true believer in which he experiences a decreasing pattern of sin and an increasing practice of righteousness. While we never become sinless, we do sin less. Sin remains in us, but sin no longer reigns in us. The more we pursue and practice holiness, the less we sin.

Excerpt taken from Absolutely Sure, by Steven Lawson.