August 23

And everyone who has this hope in Him purifies himself, just as Christ is pure. — 1 John 3:3 BSB

God’s goal is to reproduce in us the pattern we see in Jesus Christ, His Son. The Christian life is not about imitating Christ but being made new in Christ. Our union with Him is so complete that He imparts His own nature to us, and His life becomes our life. As a result, our Christlike behavior is not an imitation but a natural outflow of the life He has planted in us.

We live like Christ because we have His life within us. God requires nothing less than perfection, as He required it of His Son. He doesn’t lower the standard in the process of grace; instead, He brings us up to that standard. He doesn’t reduce the righteousness of the law but expects a righteousness from us that exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees—and then He imparts it to us. In sanctification, He counts us as righteous, saying, "He who practices righteousness is righteous, just as He is righteous."

Lord, live out Your life in me.