The Image of His Son
For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters.
Romans 8:29
All that accept Christ as their Lord and Savior, are predestined to conform to the image of Jesus. To be like Jesus we need a heart of love, knowledge of the Word, much time in prayer, a church family, and we give Christ first priority in our life. Then we be among many brothers and sisters living in Heaven with the Father and the Son.
If we are to conform to the image of Jesus, then we must understand Jesus as we read the Word. Understanding the mind and heart of Jesus, and his relationship with the Father, is a model of what our mind and heart should be, and our relationship to Christ. Therefore, be imitators of God, as beloved children. And walk in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God. (Ephesians 5:1-2) To be like Jesus we first start imitating his life as we learn about Jesus from the Word.
Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect. (Romans 12:2) We read the Word, pray, and have a church family, and our mind rewires; unwiring the old worldly thinking and wiring in the new Godly thinking. The mind actually rewires the neural connections based on our thoughts. The more we think new Godly thoughts, and stop thinking old sinful worldly thoughts, the faster our mind rewires. This process will continue throughout our life.
Jesus was motivated by the love in his heart, and to be like Jesus, we must be motivated by the love in our hearts. We can memorize the Bible from Genesis to Revelations, but we need love in our hearts to motivate us to do the will of God. If I speak in the tongues of men or of angels, but do not have love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing. If I give all I possess to the poor and give over my body to hardship that I may boast, but do not have love, I gain nothing. (1 Christians 13:1-3) Love increases in our hearts as we follow the Holy Spirit.
Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says. (James 1:22) Through faith we step out into the world and tell people about salvation through Christ. Pray, and the Lord will open doors where you can minister to others; such as through prayer, sending cards, encouraging others, teaching class, writing short booklets to hand out to others. The Lord will guide everyone through the Spirit to be a Light on hill for Christ.
Today seek to reflect Jesus to everyone in whatever you are doing. We can do this by reflecting the fruit of the Spirit. (Galatians 5:22-23)
Prayer: Father, keep molding me to be more like Jesus every day, filling my heart with more divine love. Guide me to live in the image of Jesus. In Jesus men, Amen