Therefore, let us first look at the biblical basis of the call to resemble Christ; this base is not limited to a single passage. Its content is too substantial to be summarized in a single text; In fact, this basis consists of three texts, which we would do well to incorporate into our Christian life and vision: Romans 8:29, 2 Corinthians 3:18, and 1 John 3:2. Let’s do a brief analysis of them.
Romans 8:29 says that God predestined his people to conform to the image of the Son, that is, to be like Jesus Do we all know that Adam, when he fell, lost much?But not everything? Of the divine, image that was created. God, however, restored him to Christ. Conforming to the image of God means becoming like Jesus: the eternal goal of divine predestination for us is to conform to the image of Christ.
- The second text is 2 Corinthians 3:18 😕 And all of us.
- With our faces revealed.
- Contemplating as in a mirror the glory of the Lord.
- Are we transformed.
- From glory to glory.
- In his image.
- As by the Lord.
- The Spirit?who dwells in us who are transformed from glory to glory?What a beautiful view! In this second stage of the process of conformity with the image of Christ.
- We realize that perspective changes from past to present.
- From God’s eternal predestination to the transformation he is making by keeping us by the Holy Spirit.
- Divine predestination to make us as Christ advances.
- Becoming God’s historical work in us to transform us.
- Through the Holy Spirit.
- Into the image of Jesus.
This brings us to the third text: 1 John 3:2: “Beloved, we are now children of God, and what we must be has not yet been revealed. We know that when he shows up, we’ll be like him, why should we?Do we see it as it is? We do not know in detail how we will see each other on the last day, but what we do know is that we will be in the image of Christ. We don’t need to know anything else, we’re happy to know the wonderful truth that we will be with Christ and that we will be like him forever.
Here are three perspectives: past, present and future. They all point in the same direction: there is God’s eternal plan, for which we were predestined; there is God’s historical plan, for which we are transformed by the Holy Spirit; and there is the final or eschatological purpose of God, for which we will be like Him, because we will see Him as He is. These three objectives, the eternal, the historical and the eschatological, come together and point to the same purpose: the formation of man in the image of Christ. It is, I say, God’s plan for his people. And the biblical basis for becomes like Christ is the fact that it is God’s plan for His people.
By John Stott Translation: F. R. Castelo Branco Excerpt from: The Paradigm: Becoming More Christlike. Website: Monergismo. com