2. O To Be Like Thee 2 Corinthians 3:18
O To Be Like Thee (#97 in song book)
2 Corinthians 3:18
Introduction
Romans 8:29 – It is God’s will that Christians be conformed to Christ’s image.
The apostle showed such was occurring in his life as he ministered the transforming gospel:
2 Corinthians 2:14; 3:18; 4:6 – Their Apostolic ministry was to reveal the glory of God in the face of Christ – i.e. by revealing the knowledge of Christ.
This transformed them “into the same image from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord,” as they lived the gospel themselves, and spread it to others.
We also, as we peer into the gospel of Christ and do what it says, are being transformed into that same image.
This should be our desire – to be like Christ – to be transformed into His image by His gospel.
“O To Be Like Thee” is a hymn which encourages us, and teaches us some important things concerning this topic.
O To Be Like Thee – Desire (v. 1) (Desire to be like Thee)
“O to be like Thee, blessed Redeemer: This is my constant longing and prayer; Gladly I’ll forfeit all of earth’s treasures, Jesus, Thy perfect likeness to wear.”

3. O To Be Like Thee – Desire
“O to be like Thee, blessed Redeemer: This is my constant longing and prayer; Gladly I’ll forfeit all of earth’s treasures, Jesus, Thy perfect likeness to wear.”
Constant Focus
– 2 Peter 1:2-4; Psalm 119:33-40 –
Desire Manifest in Action
– Matthew 19:16-22 –
O To Be Like Thee – Desire (v. 1) (Desire to be like Thee)
“O to be like Thee, blessed Redeemer: This is my constant longing and prayer; Gladly I’ll forfeit all of earth’s treasures, Jesus, Thy perfect likeness to wear.”
Constant Focus
“Imitate me, just as I also imitate Christ” (1 Corinthians 11:1).
“Therefore be imitators of God as dear children” (Ephesians 5:1).
Our desire, and focus in this life should overwhelmingly be to imitate Christ/God. We should LONG FOR THIS, and PRAY FOR THIS.
2 Peter 1:2-4 – We can be like Christ and God, i.e. partake of the divine nature, through the knowledge of Him.
Not simply knowing the facts, but living the facts!
It is a participant knowledge through which we partake of the divine nature. THIS SHOULD BE OUR CONSTANT LONGING AND PRAYER 
Psalm 119:33-40 – If our focus and desire is to be like Christ, then we will be constant in prayer for such, and focus on His word – both in study, and application.
Desire Manifest in Action
If this is our constant longing and prayer, when the time comes to take action to be like Christ, we will forsake whatever we need to in order to follow Him.
Matthew 19:16-22 – Rich young ruler. (READ vv )
“If you want to be perfect” – complete in your obedience to God, thus, closer in relation to His character.
“Therefore you shall be perfect, just as your Father in heaven is perfect” (Matthew 5:48).
O To Be Compassionate Like Thee (v. 2)
“O to be like Thee, full of compassion, loving, forgiving, tender and kind, helping the helpless, cheering the fainting, seeking the wandering sinner to find.”

4. O To Be Compassionate Like Thee
“O to be like Thee, full of compassion, loving, forgiving, tender and kind, helping the helpless, cheering the fainting, seeking the wandering sinner to find.”
Compassionate to All
– James 1:27; Luke 10:33-37; Galatians 6:10 –
Seeking the Lost
– James 5:19-20 –
O To Be Compassionate Like Thee (v. 2)
“O to be like Thee, full of compassion, loving, forgiving, tender and kind, helping the helpless, cheering the fainting, seeking the wandering sinner to find.”
Compassionate to All
James 1:27 – Marks of pure and undefiled religion.
Not only living holy/pure lives.
Also, proactive, positive religion of helping others as they need, and as you can.
NOT the TOTALITY of “pure and undefiled religion” – Rather, one cannot be involved in “pure and undefiled religion” if these are left out.
Luke 10:33-37 – Parable of the Good Samaritan.
Man who was robbed – possibly Jewish, but not stated.
Either way – Priest, and Levite – would think one would stop and help, but they passed by.
(vv ) – The Samaritan (least likely) is the one who was more Christ like than any – “Go and do likewise.”
Galatians 6:10 – Do good to all, especially to your brethren!
Seeking the Lost
These things we must be given to in order to be like Christ. However, THE GREATEST ACT OF COMPASSION WE CAN HAVE IN IMITATION OF JESUS IS SEEKING THE LOST TO SAVE 
James 5:19-20 – This is the greatest thing we can do for another – teach them the truth, so they themselves can become like Christ. (True in regard to erring Christians, and those in the world.)
O To Suffer Like Thee (v. 3)
“O to be like Thee, lowly in spirit, holy and harmless, patient and brave; Meekly enduring cruel reproaches, willing to suffer, others to save.”

5. Suffer Patiently, and Willingly
O To Suffer Like Thee
“O to be like Thee, lowly in spirit, holy and harmless, patient and brave; Meekly enduring cruel reproaches, willing to suffer, others to save.”
Suffer For Doing Good
– 1 Peter 2:18-20; 3:13-17 –
Suffer Patiently, and Willingly
– 1 Peter 2:21-25 –
O To Suffer Like Thee (v. 3)
“O to be like Thee, lowly in spirit, holy and harmless, patient and brave; Meekly enduring cruel reproaches, willing to suffer, others to save.”
Suffer for Doing Good
1 Peter 2:18-20 – Servants suffering at the hand of their masters because of their righteous living before God.
This suffering is not unrelated to their being a Christian.
“because of conscience toward God,” i.e. their resolve in life to do His will, they are suffering.
Doing good, and continuing to do good while suffering for it is commendable.
Not suffering for sin committed.
Suffering for being like Christ – humble, holy, harmless, etc.
EX: Employer employee relationship. It is possible Christians have it worse than others because of their employer’s disregard for God, and His children.
1 Peter 3:13-17 – As Christians we will suffer, but we must continue doing good even during such injustice.
(vv ) – The general rule is that good doers do not suffer for their deeds, but if it happens we should not be troubled by it.
(vv ) – Instead of being troubled, we must set aside Christ in our hearts and give a defense, that the revilers will see the truth and be ashamed.
(v. 17) – It is better to suffer for doing good, i.e. doing God’s will, than for doing evil.
Suffer Patiently, and Willingly
1 Peter 2:21-25 – When we suffer for doing good, we are to suffer like Christ.
(v. 23) – He did not retaliate, i.e. stoop down to their unrighteous ways, but committed Himself to God.
(vv ) – Ultimately, He did this in submission to God’s will, and for our sins.
We should be like Christ in that we do God’s will always, even, and especially when we suffer for it.
O To Be Like Thee – Invitation Extended and Accepted (v. 4, and chorus)
“O to be like Thee, Lord, I am coming, now to receive the anointing divine; All that I am and have I am bringing; Lord, from this moment all shall be Thine. O to be like Thee! O to be like Thee, blessed Redeemer, pure as Thou art; Come in Thy sweetness, come in Thy fullness; Stamp Thine own image deep on my heart.”

6. O To Be Like Thee – Invitation Extended and Accepted
“O to be like Thee, Lord, I am coming, now to receive the anointing divine; All that I am and have I am bringing; Lord, from this moment all shall be Thine. O to be like Thee! O to be like Thee, blessed Redeemer, pure as Thou art; Come in Thy sweetness, come in Thy fullness; Stamp Thine own image deep on my heart.”
Invitation Extended
– 1 John 2:18-29 –
Invitation Accepted
– Philippians 3:7-11; Romans 8:28-30 –
O To Be Like Thee – Invitation Extended and Accepted (v. 4, and chorus)
“O to be like Thee, Lord, I am coming, now to receive the anointing divine; All that I am and have I am bringing; Lord, from this moment all shall be Thine. O to be like Thee! O to be like Thee, blessed Redeemer, pure as Thou art; Come in Thy sweetness, come in Thy fullness; Stamp Thine own image deep on my heart.”
Invitation Extended
“I am coming, now to receive the anointing divine??”
1 John 2:20-21 – You (speaking to Christians) have an anointing.
Holy One – Holy Spirit.
“you know all things” – this is directly related to the “anointing.”
(vv , 22-23) – “antichrists” – Gnostics who deny that Jesus has come in the flesh.
False Doctrine – false teachers promoting, and claiming that you do not know the truth – BUT YOU DO BECAUSE OF YOUR ANOINTING 
1 John 2:26-27 – The anointing teaches you, and is true.
(vv ) – heard in the beginning? – The gospel preached by the inspired apostles! (cf. 1 John 1:1-4) – THEN YOU WILL HAVE FELLOWSHIP WITH THE FATHER AND THE SON.
The anointing is nothing more than the knowledge gained, then believed and obeyed, given by revelation of the HS through the apostles.
(vv ) – The one who receives this anointing, i.e. believes and follows the truth (“practices righteousness”) is born of Him, or is LIKE HIM.
God offers an anointing through knowledge of the HS’s revelation – in receiving such, we become children of God!
“Lord, I am coming, not to receive the anointing divine” 
Invitation Accepted
In order to obey the gospel, thus receive the anointing, one must give up all for Christ.
Philippians 3:7-11 – It was Paul’s desire to be like Christ, and to be found in fellowship with Him.
(vv. 7-9) – Paul counted all things as loss to gain the knowledge of Christ – i.e. the saving knowledge, the anointing divine.
(vv ) – It is then through the power extended to him in obeying the gospel that Paul was able to live for Christ, and be closer to Him in suffering – ultimately having the hope of the resurrection.
Like Paul, if we have the desire to be like Christ, and be in fellowship with Him, we must first forsake all – then we can have His image stamped on our heart 
Romans 8:28-30 – The will of God in the scheme of redemption works toward the end of our desire to be like Christ coming to fruition.

7. O To Be Like Thee 2 Corinthians 3:18 Conclusion
We must have a strong desire to be like Christ in all things.
We must know how to become more like Him each day.
Our lives must be filled with diligent study of God’s word, and with the application of it.