The Day of New Beginnings
Conformed to His Image
Rom. 8:
29* ¶ 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;
What does it mean to be conformed to the image of His son? Does it mean we are to physically look like Christ? Or does it mean we are to imitate Christ and act and respond the way we think He would? Hidden away in this passage is a truth that is often missed. To be conformed to Christ’s image is to bear His nature. Unless we enter into a manifestation of Christ’s nature within us, we don’t bear His image. Like begets like. This is the premise of all creation, going back to Genesis 1. Everything brings forth according to its kind. This is why Jesus said, “That which is born of the flesh is flesh and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit (John 3:6).”
We are to bear Christ’s image just as He bore the image of the Father.
Col 1:15* He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation.
Heb. 1:3* And He is the radiance of His glory and the exact representation of His nature, and upholds all things by the word of His power. When He had made purification of sins, He sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high…
Hebrews says Jesus Christ is the exact representation or image of the Father’s nature. This nails it down. When the Scriptures speak of bearing the image of Christ, it means we are to be a partaker of his very nature!
Col. 3:9-10:
9* Do not lie to one another, since you laid aside the old self with its evil practices,
10* and have put on the new self who is being renewed to a true knowledge according to the image of the One who created him—
In a further examination of the principle that like begets like, we read in Mat. 7:
15* ¶ "Beware of the false prophets, who come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly are ravenous wolves.
16* "You will know them by their fruits. Grapes are not gathered from thorn bushes nor figs from thistles, are they?
17* "So every good tree bears good fruit, but the bad tree bears bad fruit.
18* "A good tree cannot produce bad fruit, nor can a bad tree produce good fruit.
19* "Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.
20* "So then, you will know them by their fruits.
Verses 17-19 are especially interesting. The “good tree” is the divine nature created within us; the “bad tree” is the old, Adamic nature. Good fruit is that which is born of the divine nature. Many times the religiosity of the old nature can produce “bad fruit” that looks just like the good. Without the discernment of the Holy Spirit it’s sometimes impossible to tell the difference. But all good fruit reveals the Life of Jesus Christ. Bad fruit can have many wonderful teachings, but it can never impart or reveal His life.
Verse 19 speaks of the tree that does not produce good fruit as being cut down and thrown into the fire. This passage holds a deeper meaning than just the false being judged into hell. The entire book of Mathew, especially chapters five, six and seven, which we call the Sermon on the Mount, is directed to disciples, to those who have ears to hear. It speaks uniquely to those who are maturing. So then, on a spiritual plane we can say that those disciples entering maturity who are not yet appropriating the divine nature are thrown into the fire. The fire is the refining process of God that is designed to burn up the “bad tree” (the old Adamic nature) so that a fruitfulness born of the new nature of Christ can come forth. It is also the axe that is laid to the root of the “tree” that it might die.
Mat. 3:
10* "The axe is already laid at the root of the trees; therefore every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.
11* "As for me, I baptize you with water for repentance, but He who is coming after me is mightier than I, and I am not fit to remove His sandals; He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.
12* "His winnowing fork is in His hand, and He will thoroughly clear His threshing floor; and He will gather His wheat into the barn, but He will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire."
Back in Col. 3 we read that we were to put on the new self which is being created according to Christ’s image. To “put on” implies it happens according to our initiative. It just doesn’t happen automatically. That is why there are many Christians who remain “bad trees.” It’s not that Christ hasn’t entered their lives, but they’re not appropriating His nature. They have not hungered and thirsted for the Life of Christ to the point that they are “thrown into the fire.” It is only the fire that can produce Christ’s nature within us.
1st Pet. 1:6-7:
6* ¶ In this you greatly rejoice, even though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been distressed by various trials,
7* so that the proof of your faith, being more precious than gold which is perishable, even though tested by fire, may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ;
What is the revelation of Jesus Christ? Is it something we “see” apart from ourselves? No! The revelation of Jesus Christ comes within us. The revelation of the Lord in us is the manifestation of His nature.
1st Cor. 15:
46* However, the spiritual is not first, but the natural; then the spiritual.
47* The first man is from the earth, earthy; the second man is from heaven.
48* As is the earthy, so also are those who are earthy; and as is the heavenly, so also are those who are heavenly.
49* Just as we have borne the image of the earthy, we will also bear the image of the heavenly.
50* Now I say this, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; nor does the perishable inherit the imperishable.
Flesh and blood cannot inherit the Kingdom of God. The old nature cannot inherit the Kingdom. But the promise is that as we have borne the image of the earthy, we shall also bear the image of the heavenly. This is the vision God has set before us, and it’s not fulfilled in the sweet by and by after we die. We are to become partakers of the divine nature (2nd Pet, 1:4). This is not some minor or obscure doctrine being read into the Scriptures. It is the reason for Christ dying for us on the cross, that through His sacrifice we might become the righteousness of God (2nd Cor. 5:21). If we are not actively pursuing the appropriation of God’s nature within us, we are missing God’s purpose for the Body of Christ.