That is Christlikeness. Let me give you another example. There was a Hindu professor in India who once identified one of his students as a Christian and said to him: 'If you Christians lived like Jesus Christ, India would be at your feet tomorrow.' I think India would be at their feet today if we Christians lived like Christ. From the Islamic world, the Reverend Iskandar Jadeed, a former Arab Muslim, has said 'If all Christians were Christians - that is, Christlike - there would be no more Islam today.'
That brings me to my third point - Christlikeness and the indwelling of the Spirit. I have spoken much tonight about Christlikeness but is it attainable? In our own strength it is clearly not attainable but God has given us his Holy Spirit to dwell within us, to change us from within. William Temple, Archbishop in the 1940s, used to illustrate this point from Shakespeare:
'It is no good giving me a play like Hamlet or King Lear and telling me to write a play like that. Shakespeare could do it - I can't. And it is no good showing me a life like the life of Jesus and telling me to live a life like that. Jesus could do it - I can't. But if the genius of Shakespeare could come and live in me, then I could write plays like this. And if the Spirit could come into me, then I could live a life like His.'
So I conclude, as a brief summary of what we have tried to say to one another: God's purpose is to make us like Christ. God's way to make us like Christ is to fill us with his Spirit. In other words, it is a Trinitarian conclusion, concerning the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit.
Dr John Stott
Dr John Stott is revered the world over for his life of ministry. The world famous evangelist Rev Billy Graham testified him as "the most respected clergyman in the world today".
Dr Stott, who founded the Langham Partnership International, was confirmed into the Anglican Church in 1936 and has since enjoyed working in a wide range of activities and organisations.
He held the position as chair of the Church of England Evangelical Council from 1967 to 1984, and has also been the president of two hugely influential Christian organisations, the UK branches of Scripture Union from 1965 to 1974 and the Evangelical Alliance from 1973 to 1974.
His commitment to evangelism and the fostering of future Christian leaders led him to the Universities and Colleges Christian Fellowship, where he was president four times between 1961 and 1982.
He also served as chaplain to the Queen from 1959 to 1991 and received the rare honour of being appointed an Extra Chaplain in 1991.
He has now moved to a retirement community for Anglican clergy in the south of England which will be able to provide more fully for his present and future needs.
