Our Christian life does not begin when we are born in a Christian family, or when we start to go to a church. We begin our Christian life, when we realise we are sinners, repent of our sins and believe in Jesus alone(Mark.1:15; Acts.20:21) for salvation from our sins; Thus we are born-again(John.3:3,5) with a new life from God(John.1:13) and also become God’s children(John.1:12). From this moment of our life, we are a new-creation(2Cor.5:17) and also a spiritually born baby. But this is just the beginning of our Christian Life. What we need to know is: what is the goal of our Christian life?
Most born-again Christians are ignorant about the Goal of their Christian Life. They are just satisfied with going to church, pray, sing, listen to sermons, read the Bible, and doing other religious activities. Only when we know a destination, we know where to start, how to go there and which way to take or avoid. So what is the destination/goal of Christian life?
Once we have become children of God, our goal is to become disciples(of Jesus) (Matt.28:19) and thus becoming like Jesus(Rom.8:29). A born-again child is a new born baby but a disciple is a grown individual, who has trained himself/herself to be godly(1Tim.4:7) and trained to discern between right and wrong by practicing doing right (Heb.5:14 NCV). And it is the work of the Holy Spirit inside us, who helps us to transform into Christlikeness(2Cor.3:18). He gives us the power to live godly lives(Acts.1:8) and also the desire to live godly lives(Phil.2:13 NLT).
We may think that our goal is to go to heaven after we die. Though we will go there, that is not what Jesus came to earth for. He was not born as a man(like Adam) and die on the cross for our sins, Instead He was born as a baby and lived on earth as one among us for 33 and half years. Why? To show us how we should live. He set an example for us to follow Him. Only after that, He died for our sins. But there are only a few who wants to become like Jesus. Only a few who understands and finds this way of life(Matt.7:14). If a born-again Christian is only interested in going to heaven, that person just needs forgiveness, like the thief on the cross. But such people don’t care whether their life is pleasing before God or not. They live their lives for themselves, though they may act religious on Sundays. Such people will have a great regret in eternity.
A disciple learns from the life of Jesus(Matt.11:29), lives like Jesus(1Jn.2:6) and is driven by the law of love(Rom.13:10) that He lived by. They are more interested to live their lives that brings glory to God while here on earth. Lets ask the Holy Spirit to change our inner thoughts, our attitudes towards others, our words, our motives, our actions and make us Christlike.
