How many are the Christians who can quote Romans 8:28, “And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.” Yet how few are the believers who can quote the 29th verse wherein God informs us just WHAT is this good God is seeking to work in us! I quote: “For whom He foreknew, He also predestinated TO BE CONFORMED TO THE IMAGE OF HIS SON, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren.”
Yes, there is awesome purpose in our being called by God to become members of the Body of Christ. It is not merely to save us from eternal death or even to inherit the splendors of heaven. It goes far beyond that and begins in the here and now! God is literally creating a family of spirit sons (ladies included) – what the Bible calls, “sons of light.” (See Hebrews 12:9; James 1:17; John 12:36; Matthew 5:14-16 and I Corinthians 15:40-42). As sons of light, we are called out of the darkness and misunderstanding of this world. And we are called to walk in holiness and purity in this present physical body so as to be a burning and shining light in whatever generation we happen to be born into. Satan hates this doctrine and truth and blinds countless numbers of believers from seeing it. (That is why every warning to beware of spiritual deception is directed to believers? See I John 4:1; 2 Peter 3:17; James 1:16; 2 Thessalonians 2:3, etc.)
God places teachers in the body of Christ “for the edifying of the body of Christ, till we all come to the unity of faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect (spiritually complete, mature) man, TO THE MEASURE OF THE STATURE OF THE FULLNESS OF CHRIST” (Ephesians 4:12-13). Let’s not water that down or try to “interpret” it. Those words mean exactly what they say. It is God’s clearly stated intention to conform or mold YOU into the very spiritual image of Jesus Christ, so that upon our Lord’s return He can be presented with a resplendently pure bride that is “glorious…not having spot (of sin) or wrinkle (of impurity), or any such thing, but that she should be HOLY and without blemish” (Ephesians 5:27). Remember, God has COMMANDED us “Be ye holy; for I am holy” (See I Peter 1:16). Would God give His human followers a commandment He knew good and well could not be obeyed? Peter goes on to say that Jesus Christ “left us an example that you should follow Him, WHO DID NO SIN!” (See I Peter 2:21-22). He further stated that we are to be “dead to sins” and “should live unto righteousness” (See 1 Peter 2:24).
Where do believers get the warped, and frankly satanic, idea that believers cannot break with sin, that sin has been, is now, and ever shall be an insurmountable obstacle for the fully surrendered child of God. (If you, my reader, have used Romans 7 for excusing sin in your Christian life, I urge you to ask the Lord to open your eyes to the 19th verse of Romans 6, the verse that unlocks the true meaning of Paul’s defeatist statements in Romans 7. He is speaking of the defeated Roman believers in Romans 7, NOT of himself!)
Christ’s Faithful Servant (Galatians 1:10-12),
Donald Wiley