THE PROCESS OF
THE CHRISTIAN
JOURNEY
Lesson #4
The process of the Christian life can be
described in stages that flow from one
stage to the next.
We see this in the physical realm where there
are points in time that we describe the
same person as a baby, a child, a juvenile,
a teenager, a young adult, an adult and a
senior.
We cannot pinpoint an exact time when any
of these stages are completed, but we are
aware that growth is taking place.
In like manner the Christian life may be
described by the following three stages:
1). Living in Relationship With
Jesus Christ
2). Becoming More Like Jesus Christ
3). Living More Like Jesus Christ
LIVING IN RELATIONSHIP WITH JESUS CHRIST
We Must Have A Relationship With Jesus To Be
Saved
Most humans are hung up on the false idea that we
earn acceptance from God by being members of
the right religion, practicing the teachings of that
religion and doing a sufficient amount of good
works.
The Scriptures make it clear that
acceptance by God is not based on religion and
good works but on a personal relationship with
Jesus Christ.
Consider the following Scriptures:
Jesus said,
“For God did not send His Son into the world
to condemn the world, but that the world
through Him might be saved.” John 3:
Then Jesus explained what the dividing line
is between the condemned and the
uncondemned,
“He who believes in Him (Jesus) is not
condemned, but he who does not believe is
condemned already.´ John 3:17,18.
John 3 ends with an explanation of the dividing line
between those who have (spiritual) life and
those who don’t. . .
“He who believes in the Son has everlasting
life; and he who does not believe the Son
shall not see life, but the wrath of God abides
on him.”
John 3:36. (See also 1st John 5:11-13).
The apostle Paul gave this strong exhortation to all
who make the profession of being a Christian:
“Examine yourselves as to whether you are in the
faith. Test yourselves. Do you not know
yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you?---unless
indeed you are disqualified”. 2nd Corinthians 13:5
If we desire to have assurance of our salvation it is
absolutely essential that we establish a personal
relationship with Jesus.
We Must Have Jesus Living Within To
Live In Fellowship With God
On the night before His crucifixion Jesus
gave the promise to His disciples that He
would send the Holy Spirit to live within
them. (See John 14:16, 17).
He also promised that although He would
bodily be with His heavenly Father in
Heaven He and His Father would come
and live within them. (See John 14:18-23).
Was this a promise meant only for the
apostles or for all true believers?
The following Scriptures are clear:
The apostle Paul wrote to the Christians at
Ephesus:
“. . .That He would grant you, according to
the riches of His glory, to be strengthened
with might through His Spirit in the inner
man, that Christ may dwell in your
hearts through faith. . .” Ephesians 3:16, 17.
To the Christians at Colosse, Paul wrote,
“. . .The mystery which has been hidden
from ages and from generations, but now
has been revealed to His saints. To them
God willed to make known what are the
riches of the glory of the mystery among
the Gentiles: which is Christ in you, the
hope of glory.” Colossians 1:26, 27.
The apostle John wrote these words,
“Now he who keeps His (Jesus Christ)
commandments abides in Him and He
(Jesus) in him. And by this we know
that He (Jesus) abides in us, by the
Spirit whom He has given us.”
1st John 3:24. (See also 1st John 4:12, 13).
The apostle John would later relate these words of
Jesus to those living at the end of the church
age,
“Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone
hears My voice and opens the door, I will come
in to him and dine with him and he with Me.”
Revelation 3:20.
Jesus will come and live within any person who in
sincere faith gives Him an invitation to do so.
We Must Be In Fellowship With Jesus To Be
Spiritually Fruitful.
On that night before His crucifixion Jesus made
this truth crystal clear.
“Abide in Me, and I in you, As the branch cannot
bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine,
neither can you, unless you abide in Me. I am
the vine, you are the branches, He who abides
in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without
Me you can do nothing.”
John 15:4, 5.
When we abide in Jesus a channel is
provided for the Holy Spirit to flow from
Jesus through us to produce spiritual fruit.
The apostle Paul gave us a good sample
of what that fruit is:
“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy,
peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness,
faithfulness, gentleness, self-control.
Against such there is no law.”
I humbly suggest that we start the
beginning of each day with a sincere
prayer something like this:
“Dear Jesus, we have another day to walk
together. I know that as long as we stay in
close fellowship that Your purpose and
Your power will flow through me.”
BECOMING MORE LIKE JESUS CHRIST
Our example of perfection is Jesus Christ.
We look into the Scriptures to learn about
the God/Man, Jesus Christ.
We ponder the examples He set and the
teachings He gave. Our goal is to become
like Him.
 The Goal Is Perfection
Jesus Was Without Sin.
The apostles, Paul, Peter, and John, inform
us that Jesus was without sin.
(2nd Corinthians 5:21; 1st Peter 2:22 and 1st John 3:5).
The writer of the book of Hebrews confirms
this in Hebrews 4:15.
Hebrews 2:17, 18 gives us the reason why.

Jesus Was Perfect.
We are informed that Jesus was made
perfect through sufferings in Hebrews 2:10
and 5:8, 9. It is probable that the followers
of Jesus will experience progress towards
the goal in the same way.
Jesus Set A Goal of Perfection for Christians.
In the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5-7) Jesus
taught His followers to have the goal of perfection.
“Therefore you shall be perfect, just as your Father in
heaven is perfect.” Matthew 5:48.
Bible scholars differ on their understanding and
teachings on the Sermon on the Mount. May I
simply describe these teachings as “the perfect
spiritual and moral standards of the Kingdom of
God.” We must understand that to this day the
church has existed in The Kingdom of God In
Mystery Form.
“To you it has been given to know the mystery of
the kingdom of God…” Mark 4:11.

Every person who receives spiritual birth by the
Holy Spirit is born into the family of God and
becomes a citizen of God’s kingdom.
(See John 3:3-7; John 14:2, 3; Luke 10:20; 1st Peter 1:4).
As citizens of God’s Kingdom we are to embrace
the moral and spiritual standards of the Kingdom
of God while battling a fleshly nature warped to
some degree in every aspect. Along with the
apostle Paul we say,
“Not that I have already attained, or am already
perfected; but I press on . . .” Philippians 3:12.
Also, like Paul, we look forward to the day when
our King, the Lord Jesus Christ, returns and
establishes the Kingdom of God In power. We
join with Him in saying,
“For our citizenship is in heaven, from which we
also eagerly wait for the Savior, the Lord Jesus
Christ, who will transform our lowly body, that it
may be conformed to His glorious body...”
Philippians 3:20, 21
With a glorified body like Jesus we will rise to the
level of perfection for all of eternity.

LIVING MORE LIKE JESUS
The more we learn about Jesus and the
attitudes and actions He taught the more
we embrace the practice of the apostle
Paul,
“Therefore we make it our aim, whether
present or absent, to be well pleasing to
Him”, “. . .For the love of Christ constrains
us. . .”
2nd Corinthians 5:9, 14.
After surveying the cross on which Jesus
died, the man named Isaac Watts
concluded,
“Were the whole realm of nature mine
That were a present far too small
Love so amazing, so divine
Demands my soul, my life my all.”
When we continually survey all that Jesus
was and all He did and continues to do,
we too will feel constrained
“to be well pleasing to Him”.