Conformed to His image

Dear brothers and sisters,

Please share your understanding of the bracketed verses below, especially the phrase "to be conformed to the image of His Son"
Would like your comments to the edifying of all.

Romans{8:28} And we know that all
things work together for good to them that love God, to
them who are the called according to [his] purpose. {8:29}
For whom he did foreknow, (he also did predestinate [to be]
conformed to the image of his Son), that he might be the
firstborn among many brethren.

My thoughts, brother: That the conforming us into the internal and spiritual image of His Son is done through the writing of the law of God on our hearts by the Holy Spirit, as we behold Him and He applies the cross to our old man more and more in a practical way.. Then, as we join Him in His death in an ever increasing measure, He changes us from glory to glory into the same image - as by the Spirit of the Lord.

It is me being internally changed in my likes and dislikes, my desires, my life aspirations and my objectives...that they become His.

That my old (unbroken and soulish and selfish) man would be broken and put to death that the life of Christ might be made manifest in me. This life is the light and the glory of God.

It is in this way that we are the temple of God - when He lives in us and His light (life) and glory are seen in us.

Just my thoughts, shooting from the hip (so to speak) for the sake of time.

Great topic!

Blessings, brother.

Edit: After posting the above comment, I started listening to "God's Supreme Interest in Man #1 by T. Austin Sparks" - and it seems to be on this particular topic. I highly recommend any and all TAS preaching/teaching, but this may be of particular interest to those interested in the topic at hand in this thread:

God's Supreme Interest in Man #1 by T. Austin Sparks: http://ia800700.us.archive.org/9/items/SERMONINDEX_SID0401/SID0401.mp3

TAS Sermon Page: https://www.sermonindex.net/modules/mydownloads/viewcat.php?cid=2&min=20&orderby=titleA&show=20

Hebrews 1:3 says that Jesus is the "express image" or "exact representation" of the Father and the "radiance of His glory."

I think there is a connection between that passage and the Romans passage. It might be an analogy but I am not certain.

If the Father is A, Jesus is B and we are C, it could go like this:

As B is to A, C is [should be] to B.

Thanks,brothers,for your contributions sofar. I will check out the TAS messages, Forrest.

Just thought of Ephesians 4 verse 20 to 24:"You were taught with reference to your former way of life to lay aside * the old man who is being corrupted in accordance with deceitful desires, to be renewed in the spirit of your mind, and to put on the new man who has been created in God’s image * ”“ in righteousness and holiness that comes from truth. *

Paul often said the same thing in slightly different ways.

From the verses above: are we conformed to His image as our minds are renewed to the truth of us being new creatures in Christ and we therefore fling off the habits and behaviors of the old natural man and begin practicing behaviors suited to a new creature in Christ?We, by faith, clothe ourselves with Christ, as it were?

Blessings,

Over the years I have heard many Christians quote Romans 8:28 apart from Romans 8:29, but they are interrelated.

The all things that are working together for our good is according to His Purpose, and Romans 8:29 is the purpose of God, and that is that we would be conformed to the image of His Son.

To become more and more like Christ is the purpose of God for every child of God.

"But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as from the Lord, the Spirit." (2 Corinthians 3:18).

"Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it does not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is." (1John 3:2).

"In this, love has been perfected with us, so that we may have confidence in the day of judgment that, just as He is, also are we in this world." (1 John 4:17).

Thanks Mike for your contribution.

I quote from your post : "To become more and more like Christ is the purpose of God for every child of God."

These questions are for you and whoever wants to contribute (they are NOT trick questions but asked sincerely)

What does "Christlike" look like to you?
How are you measuring up?
What do I do to become more Christlike?
How do we help one another become more Christlike?

It is a mouthful, I know. Do your best :)

Blessings,

Some thoughts...
If we quote Romans 8:28 and believe even when disappointed with unanswered prayer..( honest we have all been there.) However,, if we are seeking His will and He shuts doors we will know HIS LOVE FOR HE DID PREDESTINATE US...
He knows all things.. He sees all things Hes GOD.. we are not..
He will work all things for our good because HE IS A GOOD FATHER,HE LOVES US ALWAYS HE ALWAYS IS SEEKING OUR GOOD..

FOR THE FIRST..
SECOND TO BE CONFORMED to the image of his son..
Phil 3:10That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death;
So how do we know HIM?? By separation as JESUS was.. By Suffering as JESUS did.. then we will be made conformable to the image of his SON..
to die unto our will and live unto HIS will.. is to be conformed unto His image.
Just some thoughts.
In Him
Frannie

Thanks Frannie,

Appreciate you comments and thoughts!

Blessings,

What does "Christlike" look like to you?
How are you measuring up?
What do I do to become more Christlike?
How do we help one another become more Christlike?

The fruit of the Spirit is the character and nature of Christ. So to be Christlike means that His love, joy, peace, patience, and the other characteristics of His nature are being manifested in our lives. As we abide in the vine, His life flows into us, and we bring forth the fruit of the Spirit.

To be Christlike is (Galatians 2:20) It is Christ living in us. We can be like Christ, because He lives within us. It is no longer I that lives, but Christ is living His life in us and through us.

The Holy Spirit is the One that is sanctifying us. It begins with the new birth. Sanctification is the process of becoming more Christlike. It is not just a one time experience but is progressive.
"May God himself, the God of peace, sanctify you through and through. May your whole spirit, soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ." (1Thess. 5:23).

Our part is to consecrate ourselves to God, presenting our bodies to Him as a living sacrifice, not being conformed to this world, but being transformed by the renewing of our minds.

"Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God--this is your true and proper worship. Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is--his good, pleasing and perfect will." (Romans 12:1,2).

Thank you Mike.

Indeed my thoughts also regarding the fruit of the Spirit ( the expression of Christ's nature )

Why are certain Christians " more Christlike " than others?

Are they more consecrated than others? More spiritually disciplined?
Can one be a Christian for many years and show no real fruit or no evidence of growing in grace?

Practically speaking how does one " put off" the old man and " put on" the new? How do you practice this in your life?

All comments welcome for our common growth and encouragement.

Blessings,

William:

Where to begin. I am sitting here almost weeping thinking about what these verses mean. (OK, I am writing through tears).

2 Peter 1:3-4 According as His divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness through the knowledge of Him that hath called us to glory and virtue. Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.

He has foreordained that I should be a partaker of the divine nature. He is the firstborn among many brethren. It has been His desire that I might be a partaker with Him of the glory of God. How amazing is that. How marvelous is God to desire that I enter into covenant with Him, that I might know Him and fellowship with Him. We think His sacrifice was simply so that we might avoid Hell and get a reward one of these days. If that is as far as we go, we have missed it altogether.

It is His goodness that leads us to repentance. I have been the sinful man that I have been, born after the first Adam. I deserved only the wrath of God and my place in Hell, and all along He was looking at me and saying, "Travis, I want to know you. I want to fellowship with you. I want to impart to you all that I have so that you might be a partaker in the divine nature." It drives me to my knees in repentance, in submission, in consecration, and in love for my Father. Oh how I want to know Him. Oh how I want to please Him.

To be honest with you, this revelation is the key to holiness and to faith. What would I not give to God knowing what He has given me?

I want Him to lead me every step of the way. I want Him to direct my paths. I want my thoughts to please Him. I want my actions to please Him.

I think about how I have been conformed to the image of my wife and vice verse. Have you noticed that? Married people look more and more alike as they grow older. They spend hours together; they fellowship intimately. As a result they take on the attitudes, expressions, and attributes of their mate. Their covenant through which they became one flesh leads to oneness in so many ways.

I am in covenant with God. We fellowship intimately. I take on His attributes, His attitudes, His expressions. He is the express image of the Father. I want to be the express image of Him.

Thank you for this post brother. I have been blessed today.

If I may respond to your last post as well.

When we are born again, a baptism takes place. Paul tells us in Romans that we are baptized into His death and take part in His resurrection. Paul tells us to reckon ourselves dead indeed to sin and alive unto God. If we are born again, it is a truth, a reality. We must accept it as such, and consider it done. We are told that we are a new creation, that old things are passed away, and that all things are become new.

God does not deal with us outside of covenant, and no man has ever entered into covenant with God apart from sacrifice. What do I have to sacrifice? What do I have to give so that I might enter into the new covenant. My only sacrifice is myself. Present your bodies a living sacrifice. I am no longer my own. I am bought with a price.

Paul tells us in Ephesians and in Colossians to make that a reality. Why would I lie to you seeing I have put off the old and put on the new? It is a reality. It is not a thing to be done...it is done. But it is fleshed out as we are in intimacy with Him and obedient to His Spirit.

I honestly think that the reason we don't see fruit in some people is that they are not born again. They tried to come God for forgiveness of sin and the benefit of escaping Hell without being willing to offer themselves a living sacrifice.

I also think that we are in stages of maturity. I have seen men who were totally born again, had truly surrendered their lives to God, and it was a month or two before God dealt with them and they gave up something that to my own eyes was painfully obvious as a thing that God would not be pleased with. He cannot deal with everything in us all at once. Is he not still dealing with me about issues in my own life. As he brings them up, I have to surrender them and He changes me to be a bit more in His image. First the blade, then the ear, then the full corn. He is changing me from glory to glory.

Some mature more quickly than others, and it seems some just never really grow up. I will say this, I have never seen a man or woman who genuinely gave themselves fully to intimacy with the Father, the fellowship if believers, and the study of His word that did not grow and manifest fruit. But I have seen many who attend religious services, read their Bibles, and live "good Christian lives" who did not bear fruit and who showed little evidence of growing in the grace and knowledge of God.

Thank you brother Travis for your heartfelt responses.

The cry of your heart to be wholly His comes through loud and clear!

Thanks for the time and effort in your responses.

Let us continue to encourage one another in love and good works, all the more as we see the Day approaching.

Blessings,

I want to thank you Brother William for starting this thread, and also to you Travis for touching on intimacy which is possibly the most important element in our growth into spiritual maturity and the image and likeness of Jesus Christ.

We could quote scripture after scripture on the biblical emphasis of seeking after God to know Him, to see His face and His glory, to be in His presence, and to know His will.

God has called us into the fellowship of His Son. (1Cor. 1:9). God created man for intimacy and fellowship. The greatest commandment that God has given to us is to love God with all of our being.

We cannot just imitate Jesus to be like Him, but we must allow Him to change and transform us. This is why Jesus sent the Holy Spirit to indwell us. Our bodies are His temple. He has won complete right to our being because of His shed blood. The process of growing into the image of Christ can be hastened by our obedience to Him, and can be delayed by our resistance to the dealings of the Holy Spirit.

Our love and devotion to the Lord will constrain us to live godly lives that are pleasing to Him. Living in continuous fellowship and communion with the Lord will keep our feet from falling and keep us in the way of life.

Living in the fear of the Lord will cause us to run to Jesus when we miss it, and repentance becomes a way of life for us.

All glory to God brother Mike.

He placed this on my heart as He was lovingly dealing with a certain aspect of my character which was not pleasing to Him.

I completely agree with you and Travis on the intimacy with God aspect.
Surely He reconciled us to Himself so that we may know Him and fellowship with Him and enjoy Him forever.

Years ago, when I was still struggling with overcoming sin and fleshy lusts etc. and had not yet come to understand the truth of us dying with Him to sin, I heard Him clearly inwardly say to me:" Give Me your time and I will do the work."

So I was led to spend many hours with Him on my face in prayer and worship and being led by Him to read certain books which led me to the liberating truth I needed.
Oh, what times those were!

Now the question naturally follows: Am I still giving Him my time or are other things consuming time which He could use to further reveal Himself and His will to me?

Mike, William: Thats it brothers! We want a formula. Tell me steps 1-1000 to a victorious life. What God desires is intimacy. Abide in Me...is that not what He said? All anointing, all power, all victory come from the place of intimacy with Him. I am learning that more and more.

Bless you brother Mark as you draw near to Him today.

Thank you all for your valuable contribution. Let us practice this intimacy with our Lord so that we may be vessels of honor in His house.

Blessings,

Brothers, as we pursue this important topic on being conformed to to the image of Christ, we must remember that we have to holdfast to the Head. We are joined to Him, bone of His bone. We must also realize that we must be rightly joined to the Body. We are not going to grow up spiritually on a individual basis, but we will only get there if we are rightly related to the Body of Christ.

"and not holding fast the head, from whom all the body, ministered to and united together by the joints and bands, increases with the increase of God." (Colossians 2:19).

"Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will in all things grow up into Christ Himself, who is the head. From Him the whole body is fitted and held together by every supporting ligament. And as each individual part does its work, the body grows and builds itself up in love.…" (Ephesians 4:14,15).

Good point Mike.

We are not lone rangers but members of a body. You can contribute what I cannot and vice versa but our goal is one: to grow up into Christ.

Blessings,