A woman went to a diet center to lose weight.
The director took her to a full-length mirror.
On it he outlined a figure and told her, “This is what I want you to be like at the end of the program.”
Days of intense dieting and exercise followed, and every week the woman would stand in front of the mirror, discouraged because her bulging outline didn’t fit the director’s ideal.
But she kept at it, and finally one day she conformed to the longed-for image.
Right now, we are in Christ’s image in our spirit, we are in the process becoming like Him in this life in our soul, and in the future we will just like Him in our body.
In my series of blogs through Romans 6-8, we have come to Romans 8:28-30:
“And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God; to those who are called according to His purpose. For those whom He foreknew, He also predestined to become conformed to the image of His Son, so that He would be the firstborn among many brethren; and these whom He predestined, He also called; and these whom He called, He also justified; and these whom He justified, He also glorified.”
We can be assured that God’s work in us is always for our good.
In vs. 28, we see that we never have to worry that God will change His attitude toward us, no matter what we go through, because He is working all things out for our ultimate good.
The “good” is not necessarily what we think is good for us but what is good from God’s perspective.
God can use even tragedies in our lives.
The causes of tragedy in this world come from Satan, people’s sinful choices, and the consequences of living on this sin cursed earth.
God mixes all the good and bad in life in His divine mixing bowl to cause it to work for our eternal good and His purpose for us.
We see His purpose for us in vs. 29, which is us ultimately being “conformed to the image of his Son.”
This verse says God knew us in advance and predetermined that those who trust Christ as their Savior, would share the likeness of His Son.
In our human spirit, we are already like Christ because we are a New Creation.
We share Christ’s righteousness, and the Holy Spirit indwells our spirit (justification).
In our soul (mind, will, and emotions), we are in the process of becoming like Christ through our spiritual growth (sanctification).
In our body, we will be just like Christ at the Rapture (glorification).
We see in vs. 30 that our new future in Christ is confirmed, so we are eternally secure in Christ.
God called us to Christ to be conformed to His image; He justified us by declaring us righteous in our spirit; and He will complete that image when we are glorified in our bodies at the Rapture.
The word “glorified” here is in the past tense because God guarantees it will happen.
Praise the Lord!
Blessings!
Pastor Ken Keeler, Director of Church Ministries