Conformed to the Image of God’s Firstborn Son
Two posts last month presented six steps to New Jerusalem based on Romans 8:29-30. One of these steps is conformation to the image of God’s Firstborn Son. New Jerusalem is the ultimate issue of this conformation.
In Genesis 1 man was created with God’s image. But Adam was like a photograph without the reality because he did not have God’s life and God’s nature. Adam was created as a vessel to contain God but failed by taking in the fruit which leads to death and so was excluded from the tree of life.
Four thousand years later God was incarnated in Jesus. He is the image of God (2 Cor. 4:4), the image of the invisible God (Col. 1:15). In Him dwells all the fullness of God, the reality of God (Col. 2:9).
God has predestined us to be conformed to this Christ. This conformation is not an outward change with a mask or makeup. It is a change from within.
The Spirit has regenerated us with Christ as our life and this life will bring forth the image that God desires. First Corinthians 15:49 promises “even as we have borne the image of the earthy [Adam], we will also bear the image of the heavenly [Christ].”
To be conformed to the image of Christ is to fulfill God’s purpose in creating man—to have a corporate man as His expression. This expression is developing now and will be fully manifested when New Jerusalem descends out of heaven.
Image courtesy of pixabay.com.
Posted by Don on November 19, 2021
