Conformity To
Christ - How?
I John 3:2
Every child of God wants to be like
Christ. We live in hope of one day awaking in his likeness and being completely
transformed into the image of our dear Savior. We know that our conformity to
Christ is the work of God's grace. (If this sinner winds up like Christ, it is
the work of God alone!) Yet, the whole religious world is devoted to getting
men and women to conform themselves to Christ. Little children are taught that
if they will behave in a certain way, they will be like Christ. People join the
church and are expected to meet certain requirements of morality, generosity,
kindness, and religious ceremony, being assured that their compliance will make
them like Christ. But the harder they strive after this work of being like
Christ, the more frustrated they become. The most frustrating thing in this
world is trying to "live the Christian life" without Christ! If you
would be conformed to the image of Christ, it will require a work infinitely
greater than anything you can produce. It will take the work of the triune God
to conform a sinner to the image of Christ.
The conformity of his elect to Christ was
the object of God's sovereign predestination from eternity (Rom.
The infinitely meritorious obedience of
Christ as our Representative and Substitute, in life and in death, was required
before we could be conformed to his image (Rom.
Regeneration by the Spirit's sovereign
power is necessary. The only way a sinner can be made like Christ is by the
Spirit of God giving him a new, holy nature. "Ye must be born again"
(John 3:3-7).
Ultimately, conformity to Christ shall be
accomplished by our Savior's resurrection power. When Christ comes,he will "change our vile body, that it may be
fashioned like unto his glorious body" (Phil.
Don Fortner