JOHN 15:5.
There is only one person who is able to live the Christlike life: Jesus Christ Himself. We cannot live the life He calls us to without Him. Only as we maintain our connection to Him can He live this life through us. As Martin Luther said: “It is not imitation which brings about our sonship of God, but our sonship which makes possible imitation.”
We have not only received a new nature in Christ, but we are also indwelled by the Holy Spirit, whose power within us makes it possible for us to manifest Christlike character.
True spiritual and character transformation takes place from the inside out, not from the outside in. The attributes of faith, goodness, knowledge, self-control, perseverance, godliness, brotherly kindness, and love all flow from the life of Christ that has been implanted within us. And anytime we rely on human effort to achieve these, the attempt would be futile.
