Like Jesus

Welcome to today's encouragement from Our Daily Bread. Today's reading titled like Jesus was written by Bill Crowder as a boy. Theologian Bruce Ware was frustrated that first Peter chapter 2 verses 21 through 23, calls us to be like Jesus. Ware wrote of his youthful exasperation in his book, the man Christ Jesus.

Not fair. I determined especially when the passage says to follow in the steps of one who did no sin. This was totally outlandish. I just couldn't see how God could really mean for us to take it seriously. I understand why Ware would find such a biblical challenge so daunting and old Cora says to be like Jesus to be like Jesus. My desire to be like him, but as Ware rightly noted, we are incapable of doing that, left to ourselves, we could never become like Jesus. However, we are not left to ourselves. The Holy Spirit has been given to the child of God, in part, so that Christ can be formed in us, so it should come as no surprise that in Paul's great chapter on the spirit in Romans eight we read for those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his son, God will see his work completed in us and he does it through the spirit of Jesus living in us as we yield to the spirits work in us. We truly become more like Jesus. How comforting to know that God's great desire for us today is Our Daily Bread devotional Scripture reading is from Romans chapter 8 verses 20 to 330. We know that the whole creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time. Not only so, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for our adoption to son ship the redemption of our bodies. For in this hope we were saved but hope that is seen is no hope at all. Who hopes for what they already have.

But if we hope for what we do not yet have we wait for it patiently in the same way the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us through wordless groans and he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for God's people, in accordance with the will of God. And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.

For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters. And those he predestined he also called those he called he also justified those he justified he also glorified.

Let's pray father we want to be more like your son, but so often we fall short. Please forgive us and help us to yield to the work of your spirit so that Jesus might be formed fully in us. Thank you Lord it's in Jesus name we pray.

Amen. Today's encouragement was provided by Our Daily Bread ministries