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twayneb
Member



Joined: 2009/4/5
Posts: 2256
Joplin, Missouri

 Re: Conformed to His image

William:

Where to begin. I am sitting here almost weeping thinking about what these verses mean. (OK, I am writing through tears).

2 Peter 1:3-4 According as His divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness through the knowledge of Him that hath called us to glory and virtue. Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.

He has foreordained that I should be a partaker of the divine nature. He is the firstborn among many brethren. It has been His desire that I might be a partaker with Him of the glory of God. How amazing is that. How marvelous is God to desire that I enter into covenant with Him, that I might know Him and fellowship with Him. We think His sacrifice was simply so that we might avoid Hell and get a reward one of these days. If that is as far as we go, we have missed it altogether.

It is His goodness that leads us to repentance. I have been the sinful man that I have been, born after the first Adam. I deserved only the wrath of God and my place in Hell, and all along He was looking at me and saying, "Travis, I want to know you. I want to fellowship with you. I want to impart to you all that I have so that you might be a partaker in the divine nature." It drives me to my knees in repentance, in submission, in consecration, and in love for my Father. Oh how I want to know Him. Oh how I want to please Him.

To be honest with you, this revelation is the key to holiness and to faith. What would I not give to God knowing what He has given me?

I want Him to lead me every step of the way. I want Him to direct my paths. I want my thoughts to please Him. I want my actions to please Him.

I think about how I have been conformed to the image of my wife and vice verse. Have you noticed that? Married people look more and more alike as they grow older. They spend hours together; they fellowship intimately. As a result they take on the attitudes, expressions, and attributes of their mate. Their covenant through which they became one flesh leads to oneness in so many ways.

I am in covenant with God. We fellowship intimately. I take on His attributes, His attitudes, His expressions. He is the express image of the Father. I want to be the express image of Him.

Thank you for this post brother. I have been blessed today.


_________________
Travis

 2016/10/15 17:41Profile
twayneb
Member



Joined: 2009/4/5
Posts: 2256
Joplin, Missouri

 Re:

If I may respond to your last post as well.

When we are born again, a baptism takes place. Paul tells us in Romans that we are baptized into His death and take part in His resurrection. Paul tells us to reckon ourselves dead indeed to sin and alive unto God. If we are born again, it is a truth, a reality. We must accept it as such, and consider it done. We are told that we are a new creation, that old things are passed away, and that all things are become new.

God does not deal with us outside of covenant, and no man has ever entered into covenant with God apart from sacrifice. What do I have to sacrifice? What do I have to give so that I might enter into the new covenant. My only sacrifice is myself. Present your bodies a living sacrifice. I am no longer my own. I am bought with a price.

Paul tells us in Ephesians and in Colossians to make that a reality. Why would I lie to you seeing I have put off the old and put on the new? It is a reality. It is not a thing to be done...it is done. But it is fleshed out as we are in intimacy with Him and obedient to His Spirit.

I honestly think that the reason we don't see fruit in some people is that they are not born again. They tried to come God for forgiveness of sin and the benefit of escaping Hell without being willing to offer themselves a living sacrifice.

I also think that we are in stages of maturity. I have seen men who were totally born again, had truly surrendered their lives to God, and it was a month or two before God dealt with them and they gave up something that to my own eyes was painfully obvious as a thing that God would not be pleased with. He cannot deal with everything in us all at once. Is he not still dealing with me about issues in my own life. As he brings them up, I have to surrender them and He changes me to be a bit more in His image. First the blade, then the ear, then the full corn. He is changing me from glory to glory.

Some mature more quickly than others, and it seems some just never really grow up. I will say this, I have never seen a man or woman who genuinely gave themselves fully to intimacy with the Father, the fellowship if believers, and the study of His word that did not grow and manifest fruit. But I have seen many who attend religious services, read their Bibles, and live "good Christian lives" who did not bear fruit and who showed little evidence of growing in the grace and knowledge of God.


_________________
Travis

 2016/10/15 17:56Profile
StirItUp
Member



Joined: 2016/6/4
Posts: 949
Johannesburg, South Africa

 Re:

Thank you brother Travis for your heartfelt responses.

The cry of your heart to be wholly His comes through loud and clear!

Thanks for the time and effort in your responses.

Let us continue to encourage one another in love and good works, all the more as we see the Day approaching.

Blessings,


_________________
William

 2016/10/16 4:10Profile
AbideinHim
Member



Joined: 2006/11/26
Posts: 5185
Louisiana

 Re:

I want to thank you Brother William for starting this thread, and also to you Travis for touching on intimacy which is possibly the most important element in our growth into spiritual maturity and the image and likeness of Jesus Christ.

We could quote scripture after scripture on the biblical emphasis of seeking after God to know Him, to see His face and His glory, to be in His presence, and to know His will.

God has called us into the fellowship of His Son. (1Cor. 1:9). God created man for intimacy and fellowship. The greatest commandment that God has given to us is to love God with all of our being.

We cannot just imitate Jesus to be like Him, but we must allow Him to change and transform us. This is why Jesus sent the Holy Spirit to indwell us. Our bodies are His temple. He has won complete right to our being because of His shed blood. The process of growing into the image of Christ can be hastened by our obedience to Him, and can be delayed by our resistance to the dealings of the Holy Spirit.

Our love and devotion to the Lord will constrain us to live godly lives that are pleasing to Him. Living in continuous fellowship and communion with the Lord will keep our feet from falling and keep us in the way of life.

Living in the fear of the Lord will cause us to run to Jesus when we miss it, and repentance becomes a way of life for us.


_________________
Mike

 2016/10/16 9:44Profile
StirItUp
Member



Joined: 2016/6/4
Posts: 949
Johannesburg, South Africa

 Re:

All glory to God brother Mike.

He placed this on my heart as He was lovingly dealing with a certain aspect of my character which was not pleasing to Him.

I completely agree with you and Travis on the intimacy with God aspect.
Surely He reconciled us to Himself so that we may know Him and fellowship with Him and enjoy Him forever.

Years ago, when I was still struggling with overcoming sin and fleshy lusts etc. and had not yet come to understand the truth of us dying with Him to sin, I heard Him clearly inwardly say to me:" Give Me your time and I will do the work."

So I was led to spend many hours with Him on my face in prayer and worship and being led by Him to read certain books which led me to the liberating truth I needed.
Oh, what times those were!

Now the question naturally follows: Am I still giving Him my time or are other things consuming time which He could use to further reveal Himself and His will to me?


_________________
William

 2016/10/16 12:14Profile
twayneb
Member



Joined: 2009/4/5
Posts: 2256
Joplin, Missouri

 Re:

Mike, William: Thats it brothers! We want a formula. Tell me steps 1-1000 to a victorious life. What God desires is intimacy. Abide in Me...is that not what He said? All anointing, all power, all victory come from the place of intimacy with Him. I am learning that more and more.


_________________
Travis

 2016/10/16 18:07Profile









 Re:

"Give me your time and I will do the work".

Praise the Lord for this profound yet simple truth and for His grace at work in you brother William.

This life we now live in the flesh we live by faith in the Son of God. What does that faith look like? I don't believe it is a passive faith but a faith accompanied by a particular type of "work" which is not really work but a drawing near to Him as you my dear brother pointed out.

Many would have us believe that it is God who draws near to us first when we have strayed from Him but I don't see that in the scripture. God calls us to draw near to Him; to make the first move. To first humble ourselves or to first repent and to first turn from our own ways etc. Only after we do this does it seem that we "find" God or experience His blessings so to speak. I am not trying to get too theological and I certainly don't see any merit in debating these things but it would appear to me that this is how God works. Wait upon the Lord...then He renew our strength. Draw near to Him and then He draws near to you. Seek and then we shall find (Him). Knock and then the door (to Him)shall be opened unto you.

Anyway it's getting late but just wanted to thank you again dear brother for such a needy word; you have strengthened me today:-)

 2016/10/16 23:02
StirItUp
Member



Joined: 2016/6/4
Posts: 949
Johannesburg, South Africa

 Re:

Bless you brother Mark as you draw near to Him today.

Thank you all for your valuable contribution. Let us practice this intimacy with our Lord so that we may be vessels of honor in His house.

Blessings,


_________________
William

 2016/10/17 0:26Profile
AbideinHim
Member



Joined: 2006/11/26
Posts: 5185
Louisiana

 Re:

Brothers, as we pursue this important topic on being conformed to to the image of Christ, we must remember that we have to holdfast to the Head. We are joined to Him, bone of His bone. We must also realize that we must be rightly joined to the Body. We are not going to grow up spiritually on a individual basis, but we will only get there if we are rightly related to the Body of Christ.

"and not holding fast the head, from whom all the body, ministered to and united together by the joints and bands, increases with the increase of God." (Colossians 2:19).

"Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will in all things grow up into Christ Himself, who is the head. From Him the whole body is fitted and held together by every supporting ligament. And as each individual part does its work, the body grows and builds itself up in love.…" (Ephesians 4:14,15).


_________________
Mike

 2016/10/17 22:01Profile
StirItUp
Member



Joined: 2016/6/4
Posts: 949
Johannesburg, South Africa

 Re:

Good point Mike.

We are not lone rangers but members of a body. You can contribute what I cannot and vice versa but our goal is one: to grow up into Christ.

Blessings,


_________________
William

 2016/10/18 0:22Profile





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