ON CONFORMING

  One of the most divisive passages in the Bible are the key verses for today’s commentary. However, in an attempt at unity, the focus is not on predestination or foreknowledge, but a continuation of my commentary on the “form” of Jesus. With that in mind, read the key verses:

KEY VERSES:  ²⁸ And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose. ²⁹ For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren. ³⁰ Moreover whom he did predestinate, them he also called: and whom he called, them he also justified: and whom he justified, them he also glorified. (Rom 8:28-30)

  Everyone conforms! The question is, to whom do they conform?

  Christians, “all who are called according to His Purpose,” is the focus of Paul’s message. It is for their good. In reference to perishing, Jesus said in His parable, “For many are called, but few are chosen” (Mat 22:14) for the wedding feast. Of course, that “wedding” is for Jesus and His Bride which is the Church. Many are called never to perish, but few are chosen. As such, Christians do not choose God, He chooses them. How many is “many?” Everybody, most, some, a few, or a remnant?

Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat: Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it. (Mat 7:1314)

 Therein is “many” again. It means a great number (Strong’s Dict.) “Many” in the key verses refers to those who are born again. The “first born” is the Son’s “image” called Jesus. The key verses seems to be at great odds with what Jesus said. “Many” will be born again, but “few there be that find it,” speaking of eternal life. God calls, many are born again, but few end up with eternal life! That implies that most who are born again fail to overcome temptations in the world. That is apostasy, called “falling away” (Luke 8:13).

  Perhaps many shall fall away because believing in Jesus and His Purpose is easy but conforming to His image is extremely difficult.

  Many are born again. Just what is rebirth? Trusting the water and blood of Jesus as the sacrifice for our own sins (1 John 5:6). That means one thing, and that is trust in Jesus’s redemption of all sins.  Jesus was pierced and bled so that you need not. The Purpose of Jesus was so God’s Flesh could die, so that your own soul would not. For God to suffer death, he assumed a Form, like ours, so that He could feel the temptations that we feel, overcome them and Satan, and then die as if He was guilty like us! We are guilty, but Jesus was innocent of all sin, albeit he entered unto temptation to show that it could be overcome.

  As such, many have good intentions. They desire to trust God and intend to do so! However, albeit the “spirit is willing, the flesh is weak” (Mat 26:41). What must those who are called and respond do? Sacrifice their flesh to God, to wit: “I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service” (Rom 12:1). Many have faith to turn to Jesus, but few conform to Him.

  Just what is the “Form” of Jesus. The last key verse calls that Form, “Glorified.” Glorification is splendor and goodness; living in the Presence of God as Jesus would live. Not that Christians will be “perfected” (Glorified) in this world but walk the Way of the Tree of Life. The Tree of Life is the physical “Form” of Jesus before He was made Flesh. Not that He was a physical “Tree” but that he was glorious and rooted in the Garden of God. Those born again will walk the Way that Jesus did, and conform to the image of God of whom Jesus is God’s Form!

  Jesus died for “whosoever” because He so loved the world (John 3:16). What must those reborn do? Be as God… not God but “as God” (Gen 3:5). The reborn must be changed; they must conform to Jesus and love others as He loves us: “Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends” (John 15:13).

  Face it, few will lay down their lives for their friends. How many who have been born again tell others about the splendor of their rebirth? How many really do the Great Commission. Many will not even tell their friends about their joy and the joy that they are missing. What would Jesus do? Love “whosoever” and die so that they never perish (John 3:16). What is it that you do? Entertain with friends as if there is no judgment day? What is it that Christians must do? Chance truth — tell them that God has already judged that all men (and women) are sinners and will die (Rom 3:23)... So, confrontational, but so necessary. If men are “trees” then as Adam, we are to “dress and keep” those “trees” (Gen 2:15). That means to “serve and preserve” or fellow man.

  A story goes that an atheist doubted that Christians have conformed to Christ. Jesus died that even sinners not perish, but he perceived that we fail to even tell sinners that they shall perish. The atheist saw Christians as hypocrites!

  The Great Commission is to persuade others to answer the call and conform to Jesus. That implies that they have a choice. Although many are called, few will walk the Way to the Tree of Life until the end. Of course, God knows who will, intervenes often with His Spiritual Form, but the Way must be walked by the Christians. Satan’s delight is to steer Christians off the path less followed until few follow. The end will come when many are called, only a few hear, and then many will fail to comply by conforming to the Form of Jesus.

  When few conform to Christ, even when many are still called, the end is near. The churches may be full, but few among the many will comply to the Way of Jesus. Those are the apostate churches, and now there are many.  

  “Conforming” to the Form of God is living as if already glorified. It is striving for perfection until it is achieved, albeit it will only be rewarded after those born again overcome the temptations of the world (“To live is Christ; to die is gain”: Phil 1:21). Then when Jesus returns, those who have conformed to the Form of Christ, will be glorified like Christ. (“To live is Christ” means to conform to the Form of Christ.)

  Those who are reborn are not to meander through the world because they have already won a divine lottery, but must trust God enough to conform to His Form. Lucifer said truth, that with the knowledge of good and evil, they would be “as God” (Gen 3:5). That has two sides: one is complete knowledge, even of evil, hence the “Wisdom Tree,” and the other is to conform to God with the knowledge of God’s goodness.

  The Tree of Life was in the Garden, and that “Tree” was at that time, the Form of Jesus. All that God wanted was that Adam and Eve conform to that “Tree” of which they could freely eat (Gen 2:6). That specific Tree had twelve manner of fruits (Rev 22:2). They are named in full only in the Latin version as: charity, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, forbearance, gentleness, faith, modesty, self-control, and chastity (Gal 5:22-23; Latin Vulgate).  Those twelve manners are the form of Jesus to which those born again are willing to conform.

  They may fail because the flesh is weak, but their spirit is willing to conform. In other words, they must retain the Spiritual Form of Jesus… retain the Holy Ghost. James tells how that can be done. “Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you” (Jas 4:7). Many answer God’s call and are born again, but few submit to God because they continue in sin. They live in Satan’s environment, and Satan is comfortable there with them.

  As such, rather than born again and conform to Jesus, they remain conformed to the world and to Satan. They remain “prodigal sons” belonging to Satan, but God stands ready to welcome them back. Those who are born again can backslide but must eventually conform to Jesus.

  With that said, what must we all do? What would Jesus do? We must conform to the Format of Jesus, live His Way, and “eat” only of His fruits. Few are capable of that because they deny the Holy Ghost Form of Jesus. Why the Great Tribulation. It is one last chance for a few more to conform to Jesus!

(picture credit: BBC.com; "Tips for Raising Quadruplets")