Becoming Like Jesus is a book written by Bro Gbile Akanni, renowned Bible teacher and founder of Peace House, which is a ministry based in Gboko, Benue State.

Core Message

The book captures God’s ultimate goal for mankind, which is to be conformed to the image of Jesus Christ through the instrument of “Discipleship”.

Jesus has promised abundant life to those that would believe in Him but that abundant living is only possible when believers conform to His image. And conforming to the image of Jesus Christ comes only through discipleship; learning of His lifestyle, the Kingdom principles for godly living and yielding to the entire process that produces the Christ life in the believer.

This process involves the evacuation of the flesh life or sin nature that humanity inherited from Adam, now to be replaced by the life of the Spirit which is in perfect alignment with the nature of Christ.

Thus, when a believer becomes a disciple of Jesus, he or she would be involved in discipleship which is “a process whereby a Christian who has voluntarily surrendered himself to the Lord Jesus Christ is being made to become like Jesus by various exposures, activities and discipline, administered by the leadership and determination of the Lord Himself.

The goal of discipleship is not to make a Christian become like another brother or sister but to become like Jesus Christ, to be conformed to His very image.”

First, what qualifies one to become a disciple of Jesus Christ. Gbile Akanni lays out the conditions: “A disciple is first of all a person who is born again, who has voluntarily decided to take up Jesus’ yoke and put it on his own neck, by totally surrendering their life to be tied down for the Master’s use.”

The summary of the message in Becoming Like Jesus, is that no one can be effectively used by God until such a person has gone through discipleship under the supervision of Christ Himself, because “God uses only men whom He has formed”.

Structure And Style

The book is 309 pages and divided into 12 chapters, dealing mainly on discipleship as God’s pattern for raising His men, beginning with the gift of Jesus Christ as God’s offer for the salvation of mankind, which marks the start of the discipleship journey.

This is followed with the description of who a disciple is; the necessity and conditions for discipleship; what God intends to accomplish in the believer during the period of tutelage.

The book also clarifies the basic concepts of the self-life and how it puts up a fight to prevent the emergence of the new creation man or nature of Christ in the believer; the provision for the believer’s deliverance through the power of the Cross; and the necessity to take up one’s cross daily to follow Christ.

Becoming Like Jesus is a training manual for every born-again child of God, who is willing and ready to conform to the image of Jesus Christ and to fulfil God’s purpose for their life.