As part of my journey with Christ in the ministry of discipleship, He continually nurtures me in God's Word to articulate foundational aspects of the Christian life (or the Christ life as to be noted later). I am becoming increasingly aware of our enemy's attempts to deflect us away from our foundations so that we will become busy building upon false foundations.
This past week, I read the book When Is Christ Being Seen in Us? by my dear friend and mentor John Best. In this book are statements that stunned me to realize afresh a most foundational truth.
In this Rest Stop, I quote, and write about, these stunningly beautiful biblical statements!
CHRIST-LIKENESS
IS NOT OUR PRIMARY GOAL!
Indeed, we do want to become more and more Christlike. As great a goal this is, it is not our primary goal!
If Christ-likeness is our primary goal, our pursuit of that goal would always be a striving to behave like Christ - which is imitation apart from relationship. Even non-Christians can behave Christ-like...and sometimes even more Christ-like than some Christians!
Yes, there is a greater goal...the grandest goal of all of history, a glorious goal, an eternal goal! And our pursuit of this goal results in a growing to rest in Christ - which is all about relationship apart from the need for imitation.
CHRIST
IS OUR PRIMARY GOAL!
Listen to John Best's words regarding what is to be our foundational goal in life:
Our sole focus should be on Christ Himself, especially Him crucified and risen. The Christian life is the Christ-centered life, not merely a Christ-like-centered life.
John also quotes Charles McCall:
Some of the most Christ-like people I've known seldom, if ever, spoke of Christ-likeness. They spoke of Christ. Their focus was on Him and on living in an abiding relationship with Him wherein He was the main thing. Not Christ-likeness, but Christ; not the effect, but the cause was the orientation of their lives.
Charles McCall sums it up so well:
Why are we to preach Christ and not Christ-likeness? Because Christ is the cause of Christ-likeness!
CLOSING
Christ-lifeness, not just Christ-likeness, is the desire our Father has planted deep in our hearts to reverberate throughout our entire beings!
Christ is our source of true life. He said in John 14:6, I am the way, the truth, and THE life. So, Christ Himself is true life and He is our life.
Jesus said in John 15:5, I am the Vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me and I in Him, bears much fruit, for apart from Me you can do nothing.
This fruit is the fruit of Christ's life in and through us and, therefore, will indeed be Christ-like...not because we produced it, but because we bear it in dependent relationship with Christ Himself!
Christ-like or Christ-life? 
