Profile of a Holy Man
Be Like Christ

A holy man will strive to be like our Lord Jesus Christ. He will not only live the life of faith in him, and draw from Him all his daily peace and strength, but he will also labor to have the mind that was in Him, and be conformed to His image [Rom 8:29]. It will be his aim to bear with and forgive others…to be unselfish…to walk in love…to be lowly-minded and humble…He will lay to heart the saying of John: “He that saith he abidith in [Christ] ought to himself so walk, even as He walked [1 Jn 2:6]…

JC Ryle, Holiness, (Welwyn: Evangelical Press, 1979).

I hear many praise songs today about “wanting to be like Jesus”. I hear folks say, “I desire to be like Christ.” The good Bishop poses as his third point on being a holy man that one such as that strives to be “like our Lord Jesus Christ”. He approaches this being Christ like from the theological and practical standpoint. Both, what is means and what it looks like.

Theologically, Ryle says being like Christ has 3 dimensions. First, live the life of faith in Him. That is, living by faith and not by sight. Knowing when all things seem wrong, they are right. Knowing when a loved one dies, bridges collapse, miners are trapped, or you lose your job, all is under control. That the way the world makes it seem is not the way it really is. We live by faith in Him when the sun is shining and the band is playing AND when we experience the unending night of bitterness. Are you OK so far?

Second, and closely related, from Him we draw our daily peace and strength. We get not our peace and strength from our stock portfolios, our positions, our health, our families, ourselves. These can all pass away or fail us leaving us in turmoil and weak. These are all temporal and not where we must lay up treasure. Our peace and strength comes from He Who is eternal, Who can keep us for eternity, Who is the peace that passes all understanding, Who is strength beyond compare. The eternal peace and strength of the Triune God of the Universe is incorruptible, unfailing, unending and secure. So why not live a life of faith in Him when from Him alone we draw peace and strength?

Third, and these are inclusive, in other words they are all together, a package deal,
we strive to have His mind and be conformed to His image. Obviously, that occurs not from being immersed in the things of the world but in the things of God. This may strike you as odd, but God does not read the NY Times, this, or any other blog, listen to NPR or watch Fox News. His knowledge is perfect and complete, man can add nothing to Him. He has revealed Himself to us in the Scripture, as my friend Dr. Kroll says, “..the only book God has written”. So, if we are to be conformed to His will and image, don’t you think it would be best to look to where He Himself has laid that out? Scholars would say it is going to the “original sources.” By studying, knowing and doing His Word we can be conformed to His image. It does not matter how many degrees you have, what you read, listen to or watch, none of it will help you be “like Christ” conformed to His image. For that image is Christ as He is revealed in Scripture.

Now that you have the theological components, how about the practical ones, the ones that show you are conformed to His image? Bear and forgive others. That means put up with sinners such as you are and forgive them their foolish sin, especially when they trespass against you. Be unselfish. My mother always said it was JOY…Jesus, others, you…as the standard of unselfishness. Not a bad way to remember to be self-less. Walk in love…that is live your life loving God and others as the first step in your relations with others. Paul writes to Timothy that his “example” is to be speech, conduct, love, faith and purity…the outward bound to the inward with love [1 Tim 4: 12]. Without love you are a hypocrite and/or self-serving.

Be lowly minded and humble. This is a difficult task for 21st century Americans who have all the comforts of technology and a high self-image. We must count all we think we are and all we have as property and privilege as “dung” as the Apostle did. [Phil ]. After all, our Lord emptied Himself of His glory to become a man to save us from ourselves. Finally, Ryle uses the Apostle John as an example of practicing Christ likeness. If you say you abide in Christ, you must act like Him, ergo, with forbearance, forgiveness, unselfishness, love and humility. Those are qualities that our Lord exhibited. So, it stands to reason, to be like Him you must also reflect those attributes.

So, you want to be a godly man? That’s easy: live by faith in Christ; daily seek Christ’s strength and peace; have the mind of Christ; and be conformed to Him by being like Him…longsuffering, forgiving, turning against self interest, loving in all things and being humble in mind, spirit and person. Easy?! No, impossible. As in all things, only by God’s grace can we be Christ-like as befits a holy man.