A fond memory I have from my early childhood is of my dad dropping my siblings and me off at our elementary school each day. Every morning as we got out of the car, he would say, “Remember who and what you are.” It was a short way of saying, “You have a familial reputation to uphold and a duty to yourself and others to never do anything less than your very best in all things.” And while I have even earlier memories to suggest that that was a set of ideas I knew innately, I’m very grateful to my dad for etching them into my mind and heart each morning before I set off to face my little world at school. The principle has been a guiding light to me amidst great challenges.
Rob Smith’s latest book, “Learning and Living the Character of Christ,” is an exposition and elaboration of the sentiment behind my dad’s daily admonition. It is centered in the idea that, by learning more and more about the character of Christ and by living everything we learn, we become more like him. To my mind, it is such a simple, reasonable, and exquisitely beautiful idea, it is shocking to me how many people ignore, reject, and even contend against it when it is presented to them.
In the book, the author not only presents the plausible argument that we can be like Christ in character, but also the less-likely-to-be-applauded argument that we must be like Christ in character in order to experience the greatest possible joy. Christ demonstrated the highest potential of human character, and he calls us to follow him. His gospel enables us to acquire his character, facilitating the same for others who might not otherwise engage in the process because they believe the outcome to be impossible.
Here are some of my favorite quotes from the book:
Some erroneously think that believing that a person can become like God somehow degrades God. Those who contend that a man could never be like God think they are making a statement about the baseness of human nature, not realizing they are simultaneously minimizing the power of God, the sacrifice of Jesus Christ, and the efficacy of his gospel. The assertion that God is mighty enough to enable man to become more like him is not blasphemous—it is quite the opposite. It doesn’t demean God to believe that he has the power to make us more like he is. It actually glorifies him! (pg. 13)
God’s power comes from his character. It is the embodiment of his characteristics of wisdom, mercy, truth, justice, and judgment that make him God. These attributes, coupled with his knowledge of all things, are what enables him to have all power. (pg. 48)
God’s power is found in God’s purpose, and those who only pursue the parts of his purpose that are pleasant will find very little of his power. Only those who are as willing to advance God’s purpose when it hurts them as they are when it helps them will possess more than minimal power with God. (pg. 56)
The Lord’s power is for advancing the Lord’s purpose. The more you seek the will of God, the more often you will find the power to accomplish what you desire. God’s purposes cannot be frustrated, and to the extent you make his purposes your own, neither can yours. (pg. 57)
Every outcome has a cause, regardless of whether or not we yet know or understand it. God’s power derives from his knowledge of and adherence to these relationships. God is how he is because of the laws he lives. The source of his power is knowing the relationship of cause and effect in all things to a greater extent than we do. God knows and understands all things. He sees what we are ignorant of, and he understands relationships we do not know.
A principle reason for creation is to provide each of us with the opportunity to obtain a greater measure of God’s power through the acquisition of a greater portion of God’s knowledge. To the extent that you lack the knowledge of God, you lack God’s power. In order to encounter greater manifestations of God’s power in your life, you must not only reconcile yourself to your present awareness of reality, but increase it. It is impossible to learn more about God’s character without learning more about his creation, or more about his creation without learning more about his character. The more you learn about reality, and more effectively you use your knowledge to bring to pass better outcomes than would otherwise occur, the more of God’s power you will experience. (pg. 59)
Jesus is the example of both the end and the means of salvation, the archetype of eternal life. The role of the Lord as the archetype of eternal life is unnecessarily obscured by weak translations of the Greek word archégos (Strong’s 747), which means “the first example.” An archégos is the first person who demonstrates something by doing it, and by demonstrating it, makes a way for others to do the same. (pg. 67)
Those who believe they can become like God behave differently than those who do not. It is rare to find a person who actually believes that they can become like God. One who thinks this will act and feel very differently than one who does not. They will purify themselves by following his example as far as they understand it. (pg. 70)
The life of Christ was meant to be irrefutable proof that the gospel “…works for you just as it did for Christ….” (1 John 2:8, The Living Bible) The example of Christ is obscured for those who do not understand that the only difference between us and Jesus is that, because he was born sinless, he had power over his own life and could therefore atone for the sins of the world by enduring pain beyond what would kill anyone else. Everything else he did was through power available to anyone willing to choose to live as he did. (pg. 71)
Immortality is to live forever. However, having a state of immortality does not imply the quality of that life. Eternal life is the quality of someone’s immortality. Eternal life is by degrees. It is to learn more about and live more of the character of Jesus Christ for the purpose of obtaining more of his joy. The more someone obtains the character of Jesus, the greater portion of his joy they also obtain and the higher the quality of their eternal life. (pg. 130)
The Lord’s purpose is the only one that endures eternally. It is a unique solution to the puzzle of eternal meaning. Christ is the triumph over the tragedy of life. Unconditional preference for the Lord’s desires in your life will establish you on a sure foundation strong enough to weather the unwelcome and inevitable disappointments that will overwhelm any lesser aim in life. Only in the purpose of Jesus can you find meaning that overcomes the torment of life. (pg. 134)
Those who serve God prefer God’s will to their own. Disciples of Christ dedicate themselves to his purpose. They follow the Lamb’s example without exception or reservation (see Revelation 14:4). While we are indeed commanded to ask God for those things which we need or desire, our requests are only effectual inasmuch as they align with the will and character of the Father and the Son. (pp. 135-136)
It is the tendency of mankind to seek self-benefit. The only remedy for the deep-seated selfishness of mankind is to willingly submit to God. In opposition to man’s natural motive—which is to get everything he can, irrespective of what it costs others—God’s motive is to maximize the joy of all, irrespective of what it costs him. The transition from one’s natural state into a servant of God occurs as one learns and lives to maximize the purpose of God, which is to provide everything necessary so that all people progress as far as they are willing to into greater and longer-lasting happiness. (pg. 139)
Submission to God includes an unconditional agreement with all things he could ask of you, and an admission that all things really means all things. The sacrifice of all things is required to become like the Lord—he who has sacrificed all things for us. Those who are unwilling to sacrifice all things—even their lives —for the Lord’s purpose are unworthy of him and the blessings he provides. The Lord’s servants seek above all else to make his goodness more apparent to all, whether in life or death. Paul counted “all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord” (Philippians 3:8) because to obtain the faith by which he could enjoy the knowledge of the Lord, he had to suffer the loss of all lesser things. Until you do the same, you cannot confidently assert that you fully trust God, because you lack the currency necessary to quantify it. (pg. 143)
Sin is the choice to do less than you know is best. Sin requires that you know what is better and that you have the power to choose it. Therefore, sin is always a choice. Repentance is not a question of willpower. It is a question of value, honesty, and trust in God. Anytime you improve these things, you will move towards repentance. (pg. 156)
Knowing someone’s character is more difficult the more sophisticated they are. The more sophisticated a person is, the more variations and layers will exist in what they do, why they do it, and how they feel across varying situations. The more sophisticated a person’s character, the more partial your understanding of their character will be, and the more your understanding can increase in breadth and accuracy as you observe and analyze them in different situations over time. The more knowledge they have, the more nuanced their beliefs, the more complex their desires, and the purer their motives, the more there is to learn and the more opportunities there are to make mistakes in predicting their experience in a specific situation. (pg. 179)
The Lord’s responses to our questions are subject to what we are willing to receive. The more you know and live God’s character, the more directly and immediately he can answer the questions you ask him. The more you know him, the more building blocks you have from which he can construct the answer to your questions. The less about him you know, the more he will have to lay out to you in order to answer your questions, and the more likely limits in your cognitive abilities, diligence, or trust in him are to form a barrier between you and the answer to your question. (pg. 188)
Holy means that which is different and better. You can’t correctly judge what is better beyond the limits of your appraisal of value. In order to recognize God’s holiness, you need to correctly perceive available options and the long-term net benefit of each. The less you know about reality and the less correctly you assess value, the less prepared you are to recognize the holiness of God. (pg. 207)
The more details with which you fit your model [of God], the more correct that model will be. When thinking, studying, and asking about how God would behave in a given situation, use as much detail as you can. You need to know not just what he would do, think, or feel in general, but in a given situation. You need to know not just what he would do, think, or feel, but what he would not do, think, or feel, and why. For example, when you read that he did a certain thing in the scriptures, ask what about that specific situation made his action the best it could be. Enumerate other options he had and figure out why their long-term net benefit was less than what he chose. Every additional detail you learn in seeking God’s will provides you with a clue to improve your model. (pg. 227)
We can red these quotes and not feel inspired to become better than they are currently? There are so many more quotes that I could include here! Chapter 18, on “the words of eternal life,” is fantastic! Have to include this one from that chapter:
1 The word has always existed. Having the word and being the word is what makes God who and what he is.
2 Before the world was created, Jesus Christ was with the Father, and had obtained and become the word.
3 He made all things according to the pattern by which all things have ever been made, according to the word.
4 He had obtained eternal life before this world was, and by laying down his eternal life, he provided the light of men. (John 1, Author’s Reflection) (pg. 290)
That rendition of those verses is so much clearer and so much more accurate than what can be found in any other English translation!
Chapter 19, on “the name of Christ” is so sublime and resonated so deeply with personal experiences I have had that it took me quite some time to finish it for all the tears of joy I shed while reading it.
It is possible to learn about and live the character of Christ. It is possible to know him—what he understands, what he desires, what he values, what he does, and why. As you come to know him more fully, you will be better equipped to engage in his work, not because you will know about him, but because you will have come become like him.
This book should be regarded as an invitation from him to truly approach him, in character, and you should take him up on it.
“Learning and Living the Character of Christ” can be purchased here on Amazon at print cost and can also be found as a free, downloadable PDF here on the author’s website, UpwardThought.org.