How Do We Become More Like Jesus?
Romans 12:1–13
It’s possible to know a lot about Jesus without actually becoming like Jesus.
I learned this lesson through Spanish.
I started taking Spanish in 7th grade and continued all the way through my senior year of high school. Learning a second language came pretty easily to me, and I genuinely enjoyed it. I did well enough in the class that, during my senior year, I was placed in a native-speaker class.
One of the reasons I loved Spanish was because of how practical it was. Every year, my youth group would take trips to Mexico, and I always wanted to help translate.
But there was a problem.
Even though I had earned great grades in Spanish, I still struggled to hold a conversation whenever I was actually in Mexico.
As it turns out, knowing Spanish and speaking Spanish are two very different things.
And I think something similar can happen in our faith.
Information Isn't the Same as Formation
We can easily confuse information with formation.
We think that because we know something, we must therefore be able to do something.
But knowledge by itself doesn't guarantee formation.
Information is necessary for formation, but information alone isn't sufficient for formation.
And this reality can creep into our relationship with Jesus.
We can know the stories.
We can know the theology.
We can know the songs.
We can remember the sermon points.
We can know the vocabulary and culture of the church.
And yet we can still fail to resemble Christ in the way we think, serve, and love.
That's one of the dangers of Christianity: seeing faith primarily as something that saves us rather than something we have been saved into.
The church should be a place that doesn't simply inform us about Jesus, but helps form us into the likeness of Jesus.
So how do we become more like Jesus?
Paul gives us a picture of this in Romans 12.
1. A Renewed Mind Is the Pathway to Transformed Living
Paul begins Romans 12 by writing:
“Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship.”
Then he says:
“Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.”
Notice where Paul begins: the mind.
Before Paul talks about how we serve others or how we love one another, he talks about how we think.
Our lives are shaped by the patterns of thinking we adopt.
The world is constantly discipling us—teaching us what to value, what to pursue, how to treat people, and where to find our identity.
Paul says that instead of simply conforming to those patterns, followers of Jesus are invited to be transformed through the renewing of their minds.
That transformation isn't something we manufacture on our own. Paul begins by reminding us of God's mercy. Our obedience is a response to what God has already done for us.
We offer ourselves to God because of His mercy.
And this isn't just something we do on Sunday.
Worship becomes a way of living every day in light of God's grace.
What might renewing your mind look like?
Sometimes transformation begins by identifying the old patterns that continue to shape us.
When I'm anxious, my old pattern might be to obsess. My new pattern can be to pray.
When someone hurts me, my old pattern might be to write them off. My new pattern can be to practice forgiveness.
When someone annoys me, my old pattern might be to withdraw. My new pattern can be to move toward them.
Becoming like Jesus requires more than learning what Jesus taught. It requires allowing God to reshape the way we think so that we can increasingly bring our lives into alignment with His will.
And this transformation doesn't happen overnight.
The Holy Spirit doesn't magically erase every deeply ingrained habit the moment we believe. We may still find ourselves influenced by the patterns of our old life.
But God invites us to remain in the world without being conformed to it.
Transformation begins in the mind and works its way into the rest of our lives.
2. Your Gifts Aren't Meant for Your Own Glory
Paul then moves from the transformation of our minds to the way we function together as the body of Christ.
Romans 12:3–8 describes the church as one body with many different members. Each person has a different role, and each person has been given different gifts.
Paul lists gifts such as prophecy, serving, teaching, encouragement, giving, leadership, and mercy.
The list isn't exhaustive. Instead, Paul is illustrating an important truth:
Every member of the body matters.
No one has every gift.
That means we need one another.
The church is lacking when people refuse to use the gifts God has given them.
At the same time, Paul warns us against thinking too highly of ourselves. Our gifts aren't given so that we can build our own reputation or receive recognition.
They're given by God's grace for the good of the body.
Your gifts aren't about you.
This is something I've had to learn personally.
For some reason, I tend to think I should be able to do everything.
I'll remodel my kitchen. Fix my car. Replace an iPhone screen. Cut my own hair. There's almost nothing I won't at least attempt.
I genuinely enjoy figuring out how things work.
But almost every time, I eventually reach that dreaded moment when I realize I'm completely in over my head.
And that's usually when my wife asks:
“Why didn't you just hire a professional to do this?”
Over the years, I've realized that some of this comes from pride.
I don't just want to accomplish something. I want the satisfaction of saying, “Look what I was able to do.”
But I've had to learn that I will never be a professional at everything.
I've been given certain gifts and abilities—and so have you.
The church works best when we don't try to do everything ourselves. Instead, we learn to play to our strengths and allow other people to use theirs.
Imagine a sports team where one player tries to play every position. It wouldn't work.
They would be exhausted, and the team would suffer.
Paul is saying something similar about the church.
Your gifts aren't meant for your own glory. They were given for God's glory.
The deepest joy doesn't come from accomplishing everything ourselves or receiving praise for what we can do.
The deepest joy comes from serving God and blessing others in the process.
So what might be keeping you from using your gifts?
Maybe you don't know what your gifts are.
Maybe you don't know where you fit.
Maybe your schedule or priorities are keeping you from making room to serve.
Whatever the reason, the invitation isn't simply to “volunteer more.”
We don't earn our place in God's kingdom through what we give.
We give because of what Christ has already done for us.
God has invited us into His kingdom, and we get the privilege of participating in what He is doing.
3. Becoming Like Jesus Means Growing in Love Together
Paul's final emphasis in this section is love.
Romans 12:9–13 says:
“Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good. Be devoted to one another in love. Honor one another above yourselves…”
Paul describes a kind of love that goes far beyond politeness.
It's sincere.
It's devoted.
It's generous.
It's patient.
It's prayerful.
It's hospitable.
It's a love that puts the needs of others ahead of our own.
And this kind of love doesn't happen in isolation.
We need each other.
Our culture has become pretty good at surface-level love.
We can be polite. We can speak kindly. We can restrain ourselves from saying what we're thinking.
But Paul is describing something deeper.
He's talking about a love that comes from a genuinely transformed heart.
It's the kind of love experienced within a family that is committed to one another.
And it's one of the reasons Christian community matters so much.
Sunday mornings are an important place to begin experiencing Christian community, but it's difficult to experience the depth of biblical love in a one-hour gathering.
We need people who know us.
People who can encourage us.
People who can challenge us.
People who can pray with us.
People who can walk with us when life gets difficult.
I've experienced this personally through community groups.
As a pastor, there can be an expectation that I should have everything figured out. But during a difficult season in my previous church, my wife and I needed a community where we could be honest, process hard questions, and experience tangible love even when we didn't have everything figured out.
Our small group became that place for us.
It reminded me that we cannot follow Jesus alone.
Proverbs 27:17 says:
“As iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another.”
You can't always see the blind spots in your own walk with Christ.
Sometimes you need another believer to point them out.
And that's not a failure.
That's the gift of the church.
We don't just receive from one another—we contribute to one another's growth.
God is the source of our transformation, and community is one of the primary ways that transformation is lived out and deepened.
Becoming Like Jesus
Romans 12 gives us a picture of what it looks like to become more like Jesus.
It begins with a renewed mind.
Then it moves into using our gifts to serve others.
And it continues as we grow together in love.
This is why the church is about more than attending a service.
We aren't simply gathering to learn more information about Jesus.
We're becoming His people.
We're learning to think like Him.
We're learning to serve like Him.
We're learning to love like Him.
And as we become like Jesus, we become the kind of people God can use to change the world around us.
So what is your next step?
Maybe your next step is discovering the gifts God has given you.
Maybe it's finding a place to serve.
Maybe it's connecting with a community where you can grow alongside other followers of Jesus.
Or maybe you simply need to ask God:
“What is the next step you're inviting me to take toward becoming like Jesus?”
Don't settle for simply knowing more about Jesus.
Allow Him to transform the way you think, serve, and love.
We become more like Jesus by allowing God to reshape the way we think, serve, and love.
