Christianity Oasis Forum

[saint701]

Hi JCSM, Mac, All,


Blessings!

One of the more interesting descriptions of the new creation in Christ Jesus is given by Paul in Romans chapter 8. And one of the key words in the description given by Paul is image. Romans 8:29..For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren.

When I was a babe in Christ 30 years ago I was sitting in my living room reading Andrew Murray's book, The Two Covenants. He was explaining the differences that exist between the the law of the Old Covenant as opposed to the grace of the New Covenant.

I came to the place in his book where he was working out his exposition of how we come to cry, "abba, Father." My mind wasn't completely grasping everything he was teaching, but my newborn spirit was. And as I was reading, suddenly this vocal thing inside me quite literally cried out, Daddy! I grabbed my bible and looked up references and compared what I had experienced with what Paul wrote, and what Andrew Murray was explaining, and sort of said to myself, oh, now God Almighty is my dad????

That was 30 year ago. My mind couldn't grasp the concept of being a child of God. I was a novice. I had no understanding. All my mind could grasp was being saved by grace..and not much of that. But my baby spirit understood what being born of the Spirit meant. He cried abba, Father.

Yes, 30 years have passed, 30 years of being knocked around by the dark side of growing up spiritually. But that's ok. Because now I have a little understanding, and a little wisdom, and a vision of what we are all growing up to be in Christ Jesus. We are growing up to be sons of the Great God Almighty, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, made to conform to image of Jesus, who was and is in all respects, the image of our Dad. I especially like what the Apostle John spoke of us, that when we see our Dad, and/or the Lord Jesus, we will be like Him. (I say and Jesus, because, he who has seen Jesus has seen the Father.

I John Chapter 3 verses 1 and 2.

Behold what manner of love the Father has bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God; therefore the world knoweth us not, because it knew him not. Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it does not yet appear what we shall be, but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is.

30 years in one's Christian life can make a wonderful difference in what we are willing to believe about our spiritual selves.

References:

John 14:9
I John 4:13
Romans 8:29
I Corinthians 11:7
I Corinthians 15:49
2 Corinthians 4:4
2 Corinthians 3:8
Colossians 1:5
Hebrews 1:3

Like Paul, we just press on to the "high calling" of God in Christ Jesus, keep on growing up to be what we have been created to be. So let's just keep on knocking, seeking, and asking so we can keep growing.


Blessings!
L,ICJ, saint701.