Rom.8:29 – 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. Moreover whom He predestined, these He also called; whom He called, these He also justified; and whom He justified, these He also glorified.
This is one of Paul’s most beautiful descriptions of the fruit of redemption in our lives. In it He goes from us being loved by God from eternity and goes through the process of transforming us into the image of Christ by election, justification, sanctification, and finally glorification. That is what conformed is all about, conformed is the word sym- morphos in the original. It means to be changed into something else. In our case, the something else is Christ. All along the Lord has had the plan of the total transformation of our lives. He took us from our miserable fallen state, washed us in His blood of forgiveness, and then began the work of transformation by the Spirit to make us like Him. Here is how Henry describes this.
“Holiness consists in our conformity to the likeness of Christ. This conforming takes in the whole of sanctification. Christ is the exact representation of his Father, and the saints are conformed to the likeness of Christ. In this way, God’s love is restored to us and God’s likeness is renewed on us. All whom God has foreknown from eternity with favor he has predestined to conform to this likeness. It is not we who can make ourselves conform to Christ. No one can know their election except by their conformity to the likeness of Christ, because all who are chosen are chosen for sanctification.”
Just think about the ramifications of all of this for a moment. We were all part of a twisted, fallen race, hopelessly entrenched in our world of sin. Sin had left its mark on all of our lives. Christ’s intervention was more than forgiveness, He has always had total transformation of our lives as His ultimate goal. Why would He do this? So we can be like Him and enjoy Him forever and secondly so that our transformation would display His greatness. Heaven is going to be quite an amazing place; it will be filled with a former fallen race that has been purchased by His blood and now shine with the glorious image of the Lord.
Many things relating to “first born among many brethren” remains just beyond what I am able to grasp, right now. However, a deep conviction at times of intersession has me calling out for salvation name after name desperately and throughly as I can muster. Even as I think the list is all I can think of, inevitably a few more people come to my thoughts and I must continue and include them. I love the question” Why would He do this?” The answer keeps me coming back day after day, “so we can be like Him and enjoy Him forever and secondly so that our transformation would display His greatness”. Holy woke