Think, Act, Be Like Jesus: Becoming a New Person in Christ
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Think, Act, Be Like Jesus: Becoming a New Person in Christ
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Overview
In Think, Act, Be Like Jesus, bestselling author and pastor Randy Frazee helps readers grasp the vision of the Christian life and get started on the journey of discipleship. After unfolding the revolutionary dream of Jesus and showing how our lives fit into the big picture of what God is doing in the world, Frazee walks readers through thirty short chapters exploring the ten core beliefs, ten core practices, and ten core virtues that help disciples to think, act, and be more like Jesus Christ.
This compelling new book can be used in conjunction with the 30-week all-church Believe campaign or read separately as an individual study. Either way, readers will deepen their understanding of what it means to not just know the Story of God, but to live it.
Product Details
| ISBN-13: | 9780310250173 |
|---|---|
| Publisher: | Zondervan |
| Publication date: | 12/30/2014 |
| Pages: | 272 |
| Product dimensions: | 5.45(w) x 8.35(h) x 0.95(d) |
| Age Range: | 18 Years |
About the Author
Robert Noland has authored more than seventy-five titles spanning across children, youth, and adult audiences over the past twenty-five years. He is an author, writer, editor, and project manager for Christian publishers, ministries, and faith-based organizations. He lives in Franklin, Tennessee with his wife of 30+ years and has two adult sons. Visit robertnoland.com.
Read an Excerpt
Think, Act, Be Like Jesus
Becoming a New Person in Christ
By Randy Frazee, Robert Noland
ZONDERVAN
Copyright © 2014 Randy FrazeeAll rights reserved.
ISBN: 978-0-310-25017-3
CHAPTER 1
PART 1
Think Like Jesus What Do I Believe?
Just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live your lives in him, rooted and built up in him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness.
See to it that no one takes you captive through hollow and deceptive philosophy, which depends on human tradition and the elemental spiritual forces of this world rather than on Christ.
COLOSSIANS 2:6 – 8
When Christ saves us and we are grafted into his vine and ushered into his kingdom, the Spirit of God, the presence of God, comes to live within our hearts. He is now the center of our lives. Christ is, so to speak, the hub of the wheel, now creating movement in us, for him.
Every thought, action, and virtue produced from our renewed and redeemed mind and heart is born from and empowered by the very presence of God. He is the origin and catalyst for this mighty momentum available in our lives.
We begin this individual revolution, this spiritual rotation, with thinking like Jesus, with believing like Jesus.
So we must begin by asking, "What are the key beliefs of Christianity that, when embraced in the mind and the heart, create true change in our individual lives, in the church, and in the world?"
Throughout the history of the church, thoughtful students of Scripture have identified the biggest ideas. These central beliefs have unified and empowered the church over the centuries. While there are multiple views within each of these topics, there is a body of truth all Christians embrace. This unifying content draws together followers of Jesus from all times, all ages, and all places on our globe.
Over the course of the next ten chapters, we'll focus on the top ten key beliefs of the Christian life. While a myriad of beliefs and truths are presented in the Bible, these beliefs are, in my opinion (and based on my aforementioned work with Packer, Willard, and Gallup), the top ten themes affecting our spiritual development. Within each topic, we will address three areas:
1. KEY QUESTION: What life question does this belief answer?
2. KEY IDEA: What is the unifying concept of this belief that most Christians embrace? 8
3. KEY APPLICATION: What difference does this make in the way I live?
Your first goal is to read each belief to understand it. Once you do, you need to ask yourself honestly if you then also believe. Do you believe it enough to take such truth down deep into your heart? If the answer is yes, the remaining step is to simply live it from the power source of God's presence in your life.
BELIEF 1
God
May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all. 2 CORINTHIANS 13:14
A little girl in kindergarten was drawing a picture when her teacher walked up to her desk to take a look. She asked the child, "What are you drawing?" The bright-eyed girl quickly responded, "God." The teacher smiled and then said, "Well, honey, no one actually knows what God looks like." The child looked up from her work and confidently quipped, "Well then, they're about to!" This little girl had no doubts at all as to whether God exists; rather, she was now going to show the world what he looked like to her. This is exactly where we must begin in examining our belief in God — not with, "Does he exist?" but with, "Who is he?"
Theologian A. W. Tozer wrote, "What comes into our minds when we think about God is the most important thing about us." Why? Because this mind-set — or absence of it — will drive all we are and all we do.
KEY QUESTION: Who is God?
Any discussion or teaching regarding this big idea will have to start with the question, "Who is God?" The Bible's very first words are, "In the beginning God ..." (Genesis 1:1). Our very lives, as a part of this creation story, also begin with God as our Creator.
The story of the world's beginning has no hint of defense. No language flirting with a desire to prove. No attempt to allow for anything other than this overarching truth being true. The entire Bible from Genesis to Revelation is written on the assumption there is a God — the constant focal character of each story.
The apostle Paul writes, "For since the creation of the world God's invisible qualities — his eternal power and divine nature — have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that people are without excuse" (Romans 1:20).
From Gallup's first poll in 1944 to its 2011 poll, Americans who believe in God have stayed inside the 90th-percentile range. Though declining somewhat, the affirmative answer has stayed strong as an overwhelming majority.
So our central question here is not, "Is there a God?" but "Who is the one true God?"
Joshua 24 describes a powerful moment when Israel's leader calls all the tribes together. Joshua is coming to the end of his life and wants to challenge the people to stay true to the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. After he rehearses God's powerful intervention on their behalf and his protection of them, he offers this challenge:
"Now fear the Lord and serve him with all faithfulness. Throw away the gods your ancestors worshiped beyond the Euphrates River and in Egypt, and serve the Lord. But if serving the Lord seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your ancestors served beyond the Euphrates, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you are living. But as for me and my household, we will serve the Lord" (Joshua 24:14 – 15).
Scripture makes it clear that there have always been, and will always be, other gods that people choose to follow. God freely talks about his competition, if you will, for our attention. He allows us the choice.
Here is the declaration God wants us to make:
KEY IDEA: I believe the God of the Bible is the only true God — Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
Throughout the Old Testament, the clarion call is for belief in the oneness of God. The Shema (Hebrew for "hear") forms the belief without mincing words: "Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one" (Deuteronomy 6:4). Judaism and the Christian faith are rooted in monotheism — one God. This idea stood in radical contrast to all the other religions of the day. Israel's neighbors had come to accept scores of gods, each with their own influence, limitations, and petty self-interests.
Yet, as we turn the page to the New Testament, the names of what seem to be three deities emerge — each declaring to be God — God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. These three are mentioned and appear throughout the Old Testament era, but their distinctive identity and presence invade the life and times of the New Testament.
In 2 Corinthians 13:14, Paul addresses the three persons in one sentence: "May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all."
At Jesus' baptism, we see all three present simultaneously, playing a role in the work of redemption.
"As soon as Jesus was baptized, he went up out of the water. At that moment heaven was opened, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and alighting on him. And a voice from heaven said, 'This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased'" (Matthew 3:16 – 17).
How do we reconcile this mathematical equation of 3 = 1? Throughout church history, clarity developed on what this did not mean:
• God is not three separate gods (tritheism; modern-day Mormonism)
• God is not one God who manifests himself in different roles or modes (modalism; Oneness Pentecostalism)
• Jesus is not subordinate to God the Father (subordinationism; modern-day Jehovah's Witness)
Yet there is something about the nature of God we are missing. Theologians invented the word Trinity (a word not used in the Bible) to capture God's essence — three persons who share a being, or fundamental nature. Throughout the centuries, students of the Bible have come up with analogies to get at the heart of the nature of God as a Trinity and to make it a more accessible and practical concept. The following analogy has helped me in developing a practical concept for the nature of God and in understanding what it means to be made in God's image. Of course, all analogies regarding the Trinity fail or break down at some level, so hold this one lightly. But I hope this offers a strong visual for you, as it has for me.
Christians embrace the doctrine of the Trinity as bedrock to our faith. However, not all Christians have a common understanding. I know not all Christian thinkers will embrace my analogy, and that's okay. I include it because it has helped me immensely to see in my daily life the power and practicality of this elusive doctrine. Give me a chance to explain.
You may think I'm splitting theological hairs, but reflecting on this is important on so many levels. For one, the Bible tells us we were created in the image of God as a community: "Then God said, 'Let us make mankind in our image, in our likeness ... So God created mankind in his own image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them" (Genesis 1:26 – 27).
The one true God — Father, Son, and Holy Spirit — created humans in their image as a community. Look again at the verses above. The image of God is in Adam and Eve together. They are not two separate beings — Eve came out of Adam — yet they are distinct persons who can be addressed individually. And we are told the two have become one (see Genesis 2:24). Our true nature is like God. We were not only created for community; in our original design we are a community. We are; therefore I am.
Of course, our unity as a community was fatally injured when Adam and Eve sinned. Selfishness versus others-ness now reigns in our flesh, making it hard for us to grasp our intended nature. This is what Christ came to restore (see John 17:20 – 26). When we enter a relationship with God through Christ, we are placed in the body of Christ (see 1 Corinthians 12:27). We, though we are many, become one (see Romans 12:4 – 5). Imagine everyone who trusts Christ cramming into a huge hula hoop. This is not the same hula hoop as God, but the rebuilding of the hula hoop of Adam and Eve lost in the garden. Christ is restoring our reflection of the nature of God that was lost in the garden of Eden. Now you can understand why relationships are so important to God. All the principles of the Bible, Jesus said, can be placed under "loving God" or "loving neighbor." Relationship! I invite you to rethink the phrase "love your neighbor as yourself." Maybe in God's design, this means your neighbor is a part of what makes up your complete self.
KEY APPLICATION: What difference does this make in the way I live?
If we actually believe this truth about God, not only in our head (understanding) but also in our heart, how can it guide the way we live?
If we embrace the God of the Bible as the one true God, these principles will direct us:
Because God is God ...
• I am not.
• I can be sure he is in charge and in control.
• I want to know and follow his will for my life.
If we embrace the threeness of God as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, we will observe how they treat each other and seek to emulate these principles in our relationships with each other.
Because I was created in the image of God as, and for, community ...
• I recognize the full personhood of others and respect boundaries.
• I look out for the rights, preferences, and comfort of others.
• I value and enjoy others.
For any situation, relationship, or decision we face, we can resolutely apply these principles to guide us. The results, over time, will lead to blessing in our own souls in the form of fruit such as joy and peace, and we will express our actions outwardly for others to enjoy in the form of fruit such as love and kindness.
* * *
For almost four decades, this one true God has guided my life. I have no backup plan; for me, it's all on Jesus. To the extent I have been willing to learn about God, and to get to know him and trust him, he has faithfully guided me in this same path of blessing. While I have certainly endured many difficult circumstances throughout my life, he has been my comfort and strength, my Savior and guide, in all things.
So, what do you believe? Who is the one true God? Our understanding of God affects everything else in our life, including how we see ourselves and how we treat others.
BELIEF 2
Personal God
I lift up my eyes to the mountains —
where does my help come from?
My help comes from the Lord,
the Maker of heaven and earth.
PSALM 121:1 – 2
Once you declare that the God of the Bible is the only true God — Father, Son, and Holy Spirit — your next question as you view the world becomes, "Is he good?"
KEY QUESTION: Is God good?
Contrary to the opinion of some, God does not have to be good to exist. After witnessing a human tragedy, some have concluded, "I don't believe there is a God. No God would allow bad things to happen to good people." The Greeks and Romans embraced the religion of paganism. The pagan gods in no way felt obligated to be good. If it were to turn out these gods were true gods, it would be unwise to deny their existence. Their followers worshiped these pagan gods in an attempt to appease them in the hope they wouldn't pick on them.
The one true God revealed in the Bible doesn't have to be good, but it turns out he is. And not only is he good; he desires to have a personal relationship with us.
There are at least two things God is not:
1. Uninvolved in creation with no plan (fatalism). This line of reasoning suggests bad things happen in our world because there is no God, and there is no plan. Or if there is a God, he has set the world in such a way that our choices and actions are irrelevant anyway. "Que sera sera." This is the same philosophy behind the famous 1980s bumper sticker, "Stuff Happens" (slightly edited for religious consumption).
2. Involved in creating, yet uninvolved in our lives (deism). Adherents to this way of thinking suggest bad things happen in our world because God created the universe to be like a cosmic watch, wound it up, and then let it run on the natural laws he set in place.
On the contrary, when one reads the Bible from beginning to end, here is the declaration God invites us to make:
KEY IDEA: I believe God is involved in and cares about my daily life.
The psalmist writes in Psalm 121:1 – 2:
I lift up my eyes to the mountains —
where does my help come from?
My help comes from the Lord,
the Maker of heaven and earth.
The writer is in a deep valley in need of help. Where does this person look? Who will help him? The psalmist says he will look up — he will look to the creator of the majestic mountains, who then must assuredly have the ability to lift him up and set him high above this lowly place in which he now finds himself.
Consider these key concepts of the qualities of God:
God is above us (transcendent)
God is great; he is above all; and he is not bound by any of the circumstances or events controlling us. He has created everything, and therefore he has complete authority and is in complete control.
So why does a God who has everything care about me? Why does he care about you? This is the same question the psalmist posed:
When I consider your heavens,
the work of your fingers,
the moon and the stars,
which you have set in place,
what is mankind that you are mindful of them,
human beings that you care for them?
You have made them a little lower than the angels
and crowned them with glory and honor.
You made them rulers over the works of your hands;
you put everything under their feet (Psalm 8:3 – 6).
As hard as it is to grasp, the answer is quite simple: He cares for us because he chooses to.
God is near (immanent)
While God is above the fray of all the things of life that overwhelm us, he also chooses to draw near to us. He comes down and stoops to our level to meet us where we are. Our great God is able to draw close to us, to care and love at a depth we struggle to grasp. The writer of Psalm 121 continues:
He will not let your foot slip —
he who watches over you will not slumber;
indeed, he who watches over Israel
will neither slumber nor sleep.
The Lord watches over you —
the Lord is your shade at your right hand;
the sun will not harm you by day,
nor the moon by night.
The Lord will keep you from all harm —
he will watch over your life;
the Lord will watch over your coming and going
both now and forevermore (Psalm 121:3 – 8).
(Continues...)
Excerpted from Think, Act, Be Like Jesus by Randy Frazee, Robert Noland. Copyright © 2014 Randy Frazee. Excerpted by permission of ZONDERVAN.
All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.
Excerpts are provided by Dial-A-Book Inc. solely for the personal use of visitors to this web site.
Table of Contents
Introduction: The Confession of Unbelief 9
Part 1 Think Like Jesus What Do I Believe?
Belief 1 God 27
Belief 2 Personal God 33
Belief 3 Salvation 39
Belief 4 The Bible 48
Belief 5 Identity in Christ 56
Belief 6 Church 65
Belief 7 Humanity 71
Belief 8 Compassion 78
Belief 9 Stewardship 83
Belief 10 Eternity 88
Part 2 Act Like Jesus What Should I Do?
Practice 1 Worship 97
Practice 2 Prayer 103
Practice 3 Bible Study 110
Practice 4 Single-Mindedness 116
Practice 5 Total Surrender 122
Practice 6 Biblical Community 128
Practice 7 Spiritual Gifts 133
Practice 8 Offering My Time 138
Practice 9 Giving My Resources 145
Practice 10 Sharing My Faith 150
Part 3 Be Like Jesus Who Am I Becoming?
Virtue 1 Love 163
Virtue 2 Joy 169
Virtue 3 Peace 174
Virtue 4 Self-Control 180
Virtue 5 Hope 186
Virtue 6 Patience 191
Virtue 7 Kindness/Goodness 198
Virtue 8 Faithfulness 205
Virtue 9 Gentleness 210
Virtue 10 Humility 216
Part 4 Transformation
The Think, Act, Be Revolution 225
Becoming a New Person in Christ 240
Acknowledgments 253
Appendix Taking It to the Next Level 257
Notes 259