Becoming Like Jesus: Confession and RepentanceSample

Becoming Like Jesus

If you are reading this plan, chances are, you’re interested in learning how to become more like Jesus. That’s a big deal! Whether you are just getting started and are curious about what following Jesus is like or you’ve been on the journey for a long time and want to turn up your spiritual intensity, this is a great place to start.

For those of us who have said, “yes,” to following Jesus, we’ve started a journey called discipleship. Discipleship is the process of becoming like Jesus for the sake of others. That word, “disciple,” means student. Jesus has invited all of us to be His students. To come to Him, walk with Him, and learn from Him—and, in the process, become like Him.

Jesus said this about the process in Luke 6: “Students are not greater than their teacher. But the student who is fully trained will become like the teacher.” Luke 6:40 NLT

That’s the goal of our training under Jesus—to become like Him for the sake of others. In other words, we aren’t becoming like Jesus to keep all the transformation, power, and grace to ourselves. Jesus’ vision for us is that we would turn around and teach others what we learn from Him.

Jesus came and told his disciples, “I have been given all authority in heaven and on earth. Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you. And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Matthew 28:18-20 NLT

Jesus’ goal for us is that we would go and make disciples of all the nations. He tells us the way we do that is by baptizing them and teaching them to obey everything He has commanded.

But, there’s a problem. If we don’t actually know what Jesus commanded, and we aren’t doing it ourselves, we cannot teach others to obey Him. So, what’s the solution? We decide to engage in the process of becoming like Jesus for the sake of others. One of the best tools to move us forward in that process is something called spiritual disciplines.

What are spiritual disciplines? Habits and practices that help us become like Jesus. Spiritual disciplines are like tools in your discipleship tool box that you and the Holy Spirit get to use together to chisel away your old self and form you into the image of Jesus.

In this plan, we will be focusing on the disciplines of confession and repentance—two Bible words that describe so much more than a one-time prayer or a bad feeling when you do something wrong. Confession and repentance are action words. They describe the life-long process of coming back to Jesus again and again.

In the coming weeks, we are going to unpack the ABC’s of confession and repentance and practice this discipline together. Here’s a preview:

A - Admit you’ve sinned. In this first week, we are looking at what sin is, why it matters that we don’t let sin control our lives, and how to own up when we mess up.

B - Beg for mercy. For week two, we are taking the next step of humility and learning how to ask God for mercy.

C - Change your ways. Remember how these are action words? This is the part where we learn how to back up what we say with how we live.

Each step builds on the others, and when we commit to practicing these disciplines, we find that they actually pave the way to more intimate relationships—a closer relationship with Jesus and stronger relationships with the people around us.

Challenge: Don’t do this alone! This Plan will be so much better if you work your way through it with your friends. Pick some people you trust and invite them to do this Plan with you.