Paul does not say, “Be like Jesus.” He says, “You are like Jesus.” . . .It’s easy for us to rely on the gospel for forgiveness and justification but then to look elsewhere for our renewal and sanctification. However, Paul says that it’s all there: “in Christ.” Only after saying this does Paul then issue the imperative to live a life that is consistent with this truth. . . . Being in Christ is the perpetual source of our becoming like Christ, not vice versa.
Michael Horton
The Gospel-Driven Life
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