Conformed To His Image A Look at Romans 8.29

Romans 8.29

²⁹For those whom He foreknew [of whom He was aware and loved beforehand], He also destined from the beginning [foreordaining them] to be molded into the image of His Son [and share inwardly His likeness], that He might become the firstborn among many brethren.

(Amplified Bible)

²⁹ For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren.

(New King James)

²⁹because whom He did foreknow, He also did fore-appoint, conformed to the image of His Son, that he might be first-born among many brethren; (Young’s Literal translation)

²⁹ For those that he knew before [For why and whom he knew before], he before-ordained by grace to be made like to the image of his Son, that he be the first begotten among many brethren.

(Wycliffe New Test.)

So what is the process of this conformity? And why?

Rom.12.2 Speaks about the RENEWING of our MIND. Then there must be something wrong with our thinking.

To go from Rom.8 to Rom.12, we see that there is a coalition with the Spirit to spirit lifestyle. Something that only can and will happen after we have accepted Jesus and received Holy Spirit; the one and only source for our continued sanctification and becoming more Christ like. We do not throw away our minds we throw away the previous thought processor and have our hard-drive reconfigured, to put it into today’s terms.

Jesus prepared the way through the cross for us to have an entrance into this new life. Without the cross and the shedding of blood for our redemption there is no going any further. Without the Spirit we cannot know God nor ever be able to approach him. But, God himself in giving us Jesus as the perfect sacrifice now gives us the opportunity to experience a new life in Christ; therefore giving us access to a redemptive process we could have never reached on our own and by our efforts. The law could never get us here either. The law only proved that we needed a savior.

And Jesus giving us Holy Spirit has brought us to this new place of becoming sons and daughters of God, likenesses of Christ. That we might be among many other brethren; all different, all unique, all with the same goal to be Christ in the world. What a marvelous plan of God to do this. He has entrusted us with a priceless treasure in becoming like Jesus. The Adam personality has been crucified. The Adam nature has been buried. The new man Jesus has been raised, because he is the redeemer of his people. He is the Christ, the anointed one.

What does it look like for each of us and from the perspective of Holy Spirit? Strong emphasis on HOLY!

Since we ARE the Temple for him, will there be requirements within us to hold his Holiness in place?

How does Holy Spirit’s presence stay within us?

How does he take us from glory to glory?

Our CON-FOR-MA-TION = 1) the manner of formation, structure, form, in our physical entity. 2) An arrangement of the parts. 3) The act or process of conforming; adaptation or adjustment. 4) The state of being conformed.

1) God has perfected that manner and matter comes through Jesus

2) He has arranged all the parts necessary for their completion also in Christ.

3) The process or adaptation is partly within our doing as we make adjustments when Holy Spirit speaks to our spirit through subtleties of conscience. Balance checks to our spirit.

4) Knowledge and understanding through the word of God and right teaching and listening to Holy Spirit who is the teacher of truth. Our state is yielding willingly.

The next part is in the molding. To become a copy, a duplicate or embodiment of the very nature of Christ. We through our thought process come into agreement as Holy Spirit prompts us. Via convictions necessary for our harmonization. This adjustment may or may not become a standard to live by as we clarify and coordinate the method by which Holy Spirit is working in us. Paul’s example of those who ate meat that had been used in sacrifices was between them and God but if it caused your neighbor to stumble, think and respond to your neighbor’s best interest. (1Cor.8.9-11)

There are many denominations that place burdens on people by insisting upon certain dress code, hair style, head coverings, make-up etc that have nothing to do with the inner working of the spirit and only places a binding rule of law and puts a greater emphasis back upon a work that you are doing on the exterior and not basing a love relationship with their Lord.

Holy Spirit will fine tune us, he will help modify, organize our thinking so we have a standard and regulatory collaboration with him. He is looking for agreement from us. We must try to come to a place of consistency so our conformity will go hand in hand with his help.

Many of us will fail in here somewhere because we will begin to strive on our own for the perfection that can only come through him. The scriptures do tell us to “work out our own salvation”, but we are never intended to do it alone… hence Holy Spirit to the rescue. He will not stand in the way of your self efforts, but will wait patiently until you return to him. With some of us that can take years while we run off down the road with our inheritance thinking we have it made now. I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me, only we are doing the majority of the work in our own strength. (See Phil.2.12-13)

So we have to decide whose job it is to bring us to the fulfillment, the place of completion?

Who has all the answers and who has the ticket to carry out this process?

Who is charged with the authority to effectively execute and meet with perfect obedience all the requirements to present us as suitable brethren fully accomplishing the action of love toward us, therefore resulting in our conformation?

It is only obstructed by our disobedience by disregarding checks in our spirit as Holy Spirit desire our attention about certain matters.

From GLORY to GLORY. Where do we get hung up? Somewhere in between. We started in this glory and Holy Spirit is trying to take us to the next glory and we remain in the middle. There can be many reasons for us to become stuck and it can seem like no matter what I pray or say or do I cannot get unstuck.

Jesus went into the temple and drove out the things within the temple, all the non glorious things. “My house shall be a house of prayer.” Why did Jesus place such a strong emphasis upon this and why such a violent demonstration? Are we getting the point today?

We are the temple and have a responsibility to HOLY Spirit, that he has a glorious place to reside in. (1Cor.3.15-18, 2Cor.6.15-17)

In the beginning there was no question as to what had to go, but what about now? The Apostle Paul wanted to teach greater spiritual truths, but he said to the people that they were still babies, still on milk. (See 1Cor.3.1-3)

We all want for more of Holy Spirit, but what has to go? Is there room for him to bring more of himself, greater things, more gifting, more revelation, more knowledge, more understanding? Do we really mean it or are we mouthing the words, doing lip service? What is the real cost of Christ likeness within my person, personality, and spirit? Am I willing to pay that price? If I’m still whining about my burdens and my heavy load, then I’m not ready, because all I’m focused on is me.

¹¹And His gifts were [varied; He Himself appointed and gave men to us] some to be apostles (special messengers), some prophets (inspired preachers and expounders), some evangelists (preachers of the Gospel, traveling missionaries), some pastors (shepherds of His flock) and teachers.

¹²His intention was the perfecting and the full equipping of the saints (His consecrated people), [that they should do] the work of ministering toward building up Christ's body (the church),

¹³[That it might develop] until we all attain oneness in the faith and in the comprehension of the [full and accurate] knowledge of the Son of God, that [we might arrive] at really mature manhood (the completeness of personality which is nothing less than the standard height of Christ's own perfection), the measure of the stature of the fullness of the Christ and the completeness found in Him.

¹⁴So then, we may no longer be children, tossed [like ships] to and fro between chance gusts of teaching and wavering with every changing wind of doctrine, [the prey of] the cunning and cleverness of unscrupulous men, [gamblers engaged] in every shifting form of trickery in inventing errors to mislead. (Eph.4.11-14 Amplified Bible)

Vs 14: “We may no longer be children…” We are to remain children with childlike faith but not those having an attitude of childishness.There is a huge difference.

Vs 13c: “the measure of the stature of the fullness of the Christ and the completeness found in him.”

Maturity, means fruitful, means that people around us will experience the essence of our conformity.

Want to know what you are really like? Just ask your family, your co-workers, those who experience you everyday. Get ready for a real eye opener and be sure to wear a flack jacket.

-continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling, ¹³for it is God who works in you to will and to act according to his good purpose. (Phil.2.12-13)

“For it is God who works in you…”

We are to “shine like stars”, letting others see the brilliance of the work of God within us. Amen.