It seemed natural to me to follow the last thoughts of my blog ,admiration vs. appropriation, with the subject of conformation. The dictionary defines conformation as; manner, form , structure, adaption, adjustment, the state of being conformed. As I gained momentum in my understanding of identification /position in Christ, I began to see a new consciousness form in my mind. Could this be my awareness of what the Bible calls us to do, be conformed to the image of Christ? In position, we find ourselves actually already formed in the blessed image. God would surely not send His Son to Die a horrible death,as our federal representative, thereby putting to death judicially by His Grace the totally unacceptable first man , us in the flesh, and then resurrecting The Man representing us in His sight, now seen by The Father, in the second Man Jesus Christ; thereby bringing us to be conformed to the image of His Son in His sight,and then leave us to work out this understanding by the works in the flesh of a rejected Adamic man. The paramount question in light of this truth, is why did it take so long to realize who I was and where I am found in my Christian experience? Why did I then, and often now, look to the world and myself for the definition of who I am?
I did not become devoted in a true sense , until I found who I was conformed too in the eyes of the Father. I was always looking to receive from Him,[admiration] being a object conformed to myself. As I was to discover I was a completed object to Him, seen in His Son, only then, was I free to make Him the object in my minds understanding, of my conformation, by the will of my faith! Just what does this all mean ,and what does it look like to live a conformed life?
I recently read a study on this very subject by a old timer, W. J Pearce. I will attempt to follow his logic ,in my own words as well as quotes from him ,in the hope of shedding more light on this important subject.
We as Christians have been predestined, marked beforehand, to be conformed to the image of Jesus Christ. This is simple Biblical truth. He purposed that there should be a vast expanding flock of human creatures for the soul purpose of His pleasure. We were to be under Him in subordination, which is as it should be , as He is God. We were made in His image, mind will and emotions, persons as is He, able to contemplate ourselves. This places us in the most intimate relationship possible with the Creator,God Himself fully responding to Him in such a way as to give satisfaction to Him. As we know from reading Genesis this, His loves very intent ,was corrupted by the fall of man into sin and made us incapable of answering the call of God to be conformed in the love relationship intended.
But found in the wisdom of God was a plan for redemption, for the conformation of fallen man to the original intent ,in the entrance upon the earth of His Son ,The Second Man; who became our Representative, and in His perfect obedience was to restore us to a acceptable position and identification conforming us in the sight of the Father to The Son. This place of conformation was found in His moral excellence, bringing God to earth subjecting Himself to manhood, then suffering and dieing, so that the full effect of the beauty and love the Father has for us might be fulfilled. Oh what Grace has fallen upon us , we of Adams sinful and fallen race have been marked from eternity's passed to be conformed to the image of this glories person Jesus Christ. He being the firstborn of many brethren, the second Adam our new identification. We now have been conformed to the moral perfection of His manhood in the sight of the Father by His sacrifice unto sin for us and the whole world. This is a completed fact for all Christians, we simply need to understand it and learn to live in that conformed place.
1st John says "It has not yet been reveled what we shall be, but we know that when He is reveled we shall be like Him". So we see here that our conformity even extends to the physical body. This is necessary to provide a new and glorious house [2 Cor. 5:1-5] to provide a place for what we have become inwardly conformed to Him in a moral sense. He now in heaven is in the resurrected body, the same one He appeared in on the earth. We will be brought into conformity to Him in that perfection, so that we will be suited to inhabit a body of glory [ Phil. 3:21], like unto His glorious body.
Looking at what we are to be conformed to, brings us also to what we are not to be conformed too. Romans 12:2 says " Be not conformed to this world". The same world which hated the Lord Jesus, and still does, the very same worldly system made up of people living in their Adamic natures to this day, who crucified Him. And despite the worlds rejection; He continued in His pathway of love, that we might by faith be conformed to His image. So shall we who have been called to be conformed to His image seek in any way to become conformed to a world which was so evil as to murder The Prince of Life? Are we admiring and assimilating to its ways, its world view, its spirit.? Or are we walking here as pilgrims and strangers, as those who desire to be conformed to the Son of God? We will find the answer in our depth of understand of His conformed image in us, reveled by the Word of God.
"Be transformed by the renewing of your mind.". If we are believers in Jesus Christ, then we have the Holy Spirit, which means we posses the Mind of Christ. The Holy Spirit ever lives in us to only and always display Jesus Christ. This glorious mind, if allowed by the believer, will renew the old mind of the natural man and begin to form in us a new mind fashioned after the Mind of Christ conforming us to His image. While this may appear in our actions and Christian efforts in a practically way, it must emanate from within by our new spiritual awareness of who we are in Him. Found by study of the Word and a desire to be as God intended , like His Son. This puts us in the place the Bible refers to as "presenting our bodies as a living sacrifice, not doing our own Adamic will ,but pleasing the Father in fellowship as we become conformed by the will of our faith.
To some of my friends who have just begun reading this blog it may seem rather random. Remember as I've said, this is not a Bible study but a journey, my journey. I am writing it to grow in the image of Christ, with great hope that some will come along with me, to the place of overwhelming joy and peace, which we may enjoy here and now, and thereby glorify the Father, in the present, not waiting for the by and by, Heaven now is my goal. I learned that I must study seek out other believers who aspire to live a Christian life of position and identification with Christ, as intended by the Father, in His plan. Please if needed, go back and review my earlier blogs for introduction to the principals of identification I found on my way down the narrow path, and references to reading material. I would like to add to that list by recommending, The Normal Christian life, by Watchman Nee . It is my sincere prayer that we together will find our life in Christ, as we travel down the road of a newly conformed life, found only in Him.
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