The early followers of Christ were disciples. Men and women, these followers, or learners, or apprentices, or imitators, or students were enthusiasts of Christ and His way of life. The disciples carried on the ministry of Christ after his death, resurrection and ascension. Jesus told them, right before He returned to His Father in heaven, "Go and make disciples…"

For two thousand years, the church has been making disciples. Note that the Great Commission doesn't say make believers, or converts, or religious people, or Christians by a nose or by a smidgeon or some other small measure of response. More than mere believers or religious dabblers who buy into the program just enough to secure a place in heaven, a disciple is someone who follows Jesus, learns from Jesus, imitates Jesus, and is basically a lifelong apprentice of the Master in the arts of life and love and that's good.

The word Christian became the common title for a disciple of Jesus, and Christian means "Christ one," or a "Christ-person." Being a Christ-one, or a Christ-person, or a Christian, or a disciple of Jesus Christ, is not only the most secure way to face our ultimate future; it's also the best way to live our brief but meaningful lives on earth.

Why? We were created to become like Christ. From the beginning, God said "Let us make man in our own image." God the Father, Son and Spirit, one God expressed in three persons, created you and me in His own image. Not that we necessarily look like God, who is Sprit and probably huge and complex beyond our imaginations. But we bear some marks, like intellect and the capacity to know good from evil and other traits.

We were not created to be or to become little gods, as if we could or should become controllers and deities. We were not made to be gods, but rather to be godly. We were created to grow in character and to mature in our perspective until we are a closer likeness to the character and perspective of God. This is God's agenda - our attitude and character. Not our comfort. Not our worldly success. Not our wealth or power or status, unless somehow those things might influence our character or the character of others for the better. God is not a genie or a divine Santa Claus or a fairy Godmother. He does not exist to make our dreams come true. We exist to fulfill God's dreams, and apparently God's dream is to live forever enjoying the companionship of teachable, humble, interested learners, whose characters are being shaped by His influences.

To help us, God sent His son. In the spiritual sense, Jesus died for our sins, bearing on His body the penalty for those sins. He also rose from the dead, opening a way for all of us to enjoy life after death. In the practical sense, Jesus showed us how to live. Jesus is the best human representation of God's character and perspective. Jesus showed the heart and personality of God. Like Father, like Son.

Now, for disciples of Jesus, who have been adopted as sons and daughters of God, like Father, like Son, like sons and daughters. Our purpose in life is to take on the characteristics, values and perspectives of the God and Savior, Father and Son, who made us and loves us more than we can fathom.

So how does it happen, this molding of Christ-like character? There are so many different words and images in scripture that help us understand and aspire to this grand purpose. I'll mention several of those words and images, read a few of the scriptures, and simply remind you that some words might really connect with you today and others tomorrow. In some seasons, I've had to learn, for example, the art of imitation. In other seasons, God's been teaching me submission, or partnership, or the power of spiritual metamorphosis. In some seasons, trials have been primarily teachers and in other seasons, God seems to use truth. But here we go:

Imitation: One way God molds our character is through imitation. "Be imitators of God," writes Paul. Jesus says, "Be holy as your Heavenly Father is holy." Tough stuff. How do we do this? I love the passage that talks about "putting on Christ" or "clothing ourselves" in the things of Christ. This creates in my mind a picture of little kids playing dress up, trying on Dad's clothes or Mom's makeup, and trying to talk and walk like Mom and Dad. In the same way, like little children, we imitate God. We imitate Jesus. This is good, affective behavior. Over time it happens - change.

But since we have a hard time with imitation, God goes to more extraordinary measures. He gives us an implant - the indwelling Holy Spirit. At the point of faith, the Holy Spirit who has been with us now moves within us, sculpting our character and reshaping our motivations and allegiances and inner worlds. More than imitation (perhaps more than anything) our character growth is the product of cooperation with this implanted agent of change (e.g. the fruits of the Spirit).

We need this spiritual help because the real need is for huge transformation. In the Greek, the word is basically metamorphosis. We are being renewed by the metamorphosis of our minds so that we can know and do God's will. While we're told to pray in the Spirit and keep it step with the Spirit and be continually filled with the Spirit, some of this transformative work is independent of our vigilance. God is simply doing it.

Not that we can't contribute. We're told to grow up. To move toward maturity in Christ. To get past the bottle of spiritual mother's milk and to learn how to think and live in meatier ways. Some of this is about pursuing God things like right living, faith, love and peace. Some of this is about partnering with God, who gives us salvation as a gift and then calls us to work out our salvation the same way an athlete with a gifted body works out his body and works out the gift, or the way a farmer works the land that God gives. God gives the gift and we work it. Imitation. Indwelling. Metamorphosis. Maturity. Pursuit. Partnership. What else molds Christ like character?

Community: As we saw last week, God never intends for us to grow only in solitude. We have each other to stimulate and prod and pull and push toward mutual growth,

It takes commitment; diligence; laying our lives out there as living sacrifices. Belly out Christianity is the best way to grow.

And, yes, trials, troubles, and testings grow us. I wish it weren't so, but the testing of our character proves and improves and refines our character. That's not to say that God causes all bad things, but He at least lets them happen. Warren says that everything has been "Father-filtered." Someone told me in a recent season of crisis, "Nothing happens to us that hasn't been run past God." Sometimes God calms the storm and sometimes God calms us in the midst of the storm. Sometimes He intervenes and stops a bad thing. Sometimes He lets a bad thing happen, and like sandpaper (or, more dramatically a chisel) He uses calamity to sculpt Christ like character.

The sculpting of Christ like character in scripture is sometimes called sanctification. In essence, sanctification means that I'm a living sanctuary - God dwells in me, or in you, and inhabits us for a host of good reasons. Again, the submission changes us (whenever we let go of control we grow) and the inhabitation changes us and is, ultimately, our only real glory on this earth - to be a dwelling place for the dynamic presence of the Most High God living in and through us and accomplishing in and through us His purposes.

Again, our character also grows through submission to God in that regard - cooperation with His agenda, instead of usurping His authority and thwarting His good plan for our lives. Trying to be God is the biggest inhibitor to being like God's character.

Discipline also helps - to precondition us for the cooperation. Paul says he pummels himself like an athlete training for a contest. Why? So that in the moment of truth, a disciplined, well-conditioned person can step up and do the thing.

All the disciplines are good. Prayer draws us close to God relationally, settles our minds, acknowledges our standing, fixes our gaze on God. Fasting helps us with perspectives, keep the monsters of human appetite at bay, and remind us not to be too dependent of the indulgences of this world. Solitude brings us to a quiet place where we can sort through all the voices and learn the distinctive sound of the Holy Spirit's whisper. Solitude also removes us from the distractions that clamor to steal our attention. Meditation on God' word is so transformative. (Psalm 1) Scripture is living, active, sharp, true and transformative. The best seasons of growth in my life have been the seasons when scripture has been swimming in my head and the Bible is in easy reach.

Then, Practice, Practice, Practice. "He who hears these words of mine and does them will be like a man who builds his house on a rock…"

So, imitation, indwelling, Holy Spirit, transformation, growing up, pursuit, partnership, community, commitment, trials, sanctification, submission, discipline, practice - these things build godly character.

One final key. Grow deeply in love with Jesus. It's about Jesus. Let Him be that teacher or couch, big brother or father figure, healer and helper, role model, and living icon - the one who enamors and enraptures us with who He is and what we might become under His influence.