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Welcome to Day 2115 of\xa0 Wisdom-Trek, and thank you for joining me.\nThis is Guthrie Chamberlain, Your Guide to Wisdom\nBecoming A Radical Disciple 2 \u2013 Christlikeness \u2013 Daily Wisdom\nPutnam Church Message \u2013 08/08/2021\nBecoming A Radical Disciple \u2013 Christlikeness\nAs mentioned last week, my purpose in this series is to consider eight character traits of Christian discipleship that are often neglected and deserve to be taken seriously. In addition, last week, we considered four major secular trends threatening to engulf the Christian community. In the face of these, we are all called, not to feeble-minded conformity, but to radical nonconformity.\n\nAs we face the challenge of pluralism, we are to be a community of truth, standing up for the uniqueness of Jesus Christ. As we face the challenge of materialism, we are to be a community of simplicity and pilgrimage. As we face the challenge of relativism, we must be a community of obedience to God\u2019s precepts. Finally, as we face the challenge of narcissism, we must be a community of love.\n\nToday we will consider Christlikeness.\n\nThroughout our lives, we ask ourselves, what is our purpose during our pilgrimage while we remain here on earth? It is this: God created us to be his imagers, and as such, God wants his people to become like Christ, who is the perfect imager. For Christlikeness is the will of God for the people of God. Therefore, as citizens of God\u2019s kingdom and imagers of God, we should imitate the only perfect imager, which is Christ.\n\nIn today\u2019s message, we will consider three steps in our process to Christlikeness. First, to lay down the biblical foundation for the call to Christlikeness; second, to give some New Testament examples; and third, to draw some practical conclusions.\n\nThe Biblical Foundation of the Call to Christlikeness\n\nThis foundation is not a single text, for the foundation is more substantial than can be summed up in one text. Instead, the foundation consists of three texts connecting us from the past to the present and giving us a glimpse of the future: Romans 8:29, 2\xa0Corinthians 3:18, and 1\xa0John 3:2.\n\nThe first text is Romans 8:29, \u201cFor God knew his people in advance, and he chose them to become like his Son, so that his Son would be the firstborn\xa0among many brothers and sisters.\u201d\n\nThe second text is 2\xa0Corinthians 3:18, \u201cSo all of us who have had that veil removed can see and reflect the glory of the Lord. And the Lord\u2014who is the Spirit\u2014makes us more and more like him as we are changed into his glorious image.\u201d\n\nBefore I read the third text, we need to understand that the perspective has changed from the past to the present, from God\u2019s eternal foreknowledge to his present transformation of us by the Holy Spirit.\xa0From God\u2019s eternal purpose to make us like Christ, to his historical work by his Spirit to transform us into an imager like Christ.\n\nThe third text is 1\xa0John 3:2, \u201cDear friends, we are already God\u2019s children, but he has not yet shown us what we will be like when Christ appears. But we do know that we will be like him, for we will see him as he really is.\u201d Since God is working to this end, it is no wonder he calls us to cooperate with him. \u201cFollow me,\u201d he says. \u201cImitate me.\u201d\n\nSo, returning now to 1\xa0John 3:2, we don\u2019t know in any detail what we shall be, but we know that we will be like Christ. Therefore, there\u2019s no need for us to know any more. We are content with the glorious truth that we will be with Christ...