Page 9 - Central Connection online Magazine2. January 2020 (1)

We asked Pastor Mike

Q? What is the difference between desiring to be Christlike, and the ? What is the difference between desiring to be Christlike, and the
devil’s attempt to be like The Most High, which caused his demise?
devil’s attempt to be like The Most High, which caused his demise?

First, it should be self evident that while one desire is This command is a promise. The plan of redemption
sinful, the other is not. contemplates our complete recovery from the power
Second, but how can we justify one, while condemn- of Satan. Christ always separates the contrite soul
ing the other? We would reason as follows: from sin. He came to destroy the works of the devil,
While we are not to covet God’s authority and and He has made provision that the Holy Spirit shall
position, we ARE to covet His moral likeness and be imparted to every repentant soul ...There is no
aspire to be like Him in life and character. excuse for sinning. A holy temper, a Christlike life,
In His Word God declares,“You shall be holy for I am is accessible to every repenting, believing child of
holy … You shall be holy, for I the LORD your God God.” Desire of Ages p. 311.
am Holy.” Leviticus 11:44; 19:2. The New Testament Again, in seeking such holiness through faith, we are
repeats the same admonition, stating that “We should not aspiring to be like God in any wrong sense. We
be holy and without blame before Him… But as He are merely striving to reclaim His holiness, originally
who has called you is holy, you also be holy in all given to us in Adam - before he fell and lost it. But
your conduct.” Ephesians 1:4; 1Peter 1:15. praise be to God who sent Jesus! Through His victo-
Some would argue that we should not take God liter- rious life and perfect sacrifice He redeemed Adam’s
ally when He calls us up to such a high moral com- failure. He bought back for us our lost property of a
parison to Himself. While it is true that we possess no holy life and desires that we should claim it through
inherent righteousness or power to remotely approx- faith in Him. When Christ dwells within, He invests
imate the pattern, we should never underestimate us with the righteousness of His own life and
the boundless magnitude of God’s grace. It is not our empowers us to obey His will.
place to quibble with God and tell Him what He can Satan’s quest for God’s throne will reap the harvest
or cannot do in our fallen lives. If we are willing to of eternal death. Our quest for God’s holiness will
believe and willing to permit God, HE WILL separate reap the harvest of eternal life! While one is forbid-
us from every wrong practice and make us holy. We den the other is freely given!
can most assuredly echo Paul’s declaration, “I can do Written by Pastor Mike Thompson
all things through Christ who strengthens me.” Philip-
pians 4:13.
“God’s ideal for His children is higher than the If you wish to further discuss this topic, please contact Pastor Mike.
highest human thought can reach. “Be ye therefore
perfect, even as your Father in heaven is perfect.”

January/February/March 2020 9