Q2. Conformed to Jesus' Likeness

[Old Jerry]

To

[Charles Sanger]

I think what this means is that God wishes us to be the same as his son in that we all are from the same father. Perhaps not the same in stature, because Paul does mention later that we shall be brothers to God

[Ramon]

Q2. (Romans 8:29) What does it mean to "be conformed to the likeness of his Son"? In practical terms, what does that involve in our lives?

Answer:

When God created Man,it was in the Likeness of His own image,and that of His Son,Jesus Christ.(Colossians 1:15- Who is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of every creature).

However after the fall that image become corrupted,and fall short to the image or Glory of God.

Genesis 1:27-So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them

Genesis 1:31- And God saw every thing that he had made, and, behold, it was very good. And the evening and the morning were the sixth day.

Since then God planned for Man to be reconciled back with Him,for Man to be again reflecting His image as he had created them

[Charles Sanger]

My understanding is that we are made to be just like His Son...to be made equal as His Son of which Jesus is the first born. This in return means that we need to strive and live like Jesus did.

[rosegarden]

Q2. (Romans 8:29) What does it mean to "be conformed to the likeness of his Son"? In practical terms, what does that involve in our lives? Why does Paul support this statement with ideas of our destiny? Why does he support this with ideas of brotherhood with Jesus?

2. a. It means that God first saves us and then shapes us into Christ's very image and character.

b. Obedience to the Holy Spirit, thereby, producing change.

c. That he might be the first born of many brothers.

d. That as we become more like Jesus that people can see that we are brothers and sisters of Jesus Himself.

[ljmnkscart]

Conformed to the likeness of His Son means to be like Jesus. We will someday reflect Jesus spiritually. We will have the same mind that Jesus has. It involves our lives now because this is a process taking place now, every day. God is shaping us into what He wants us to become; like His Son. He is using whatever situations that are going on in our lives to conform us to His Son. Paul uses the word predestinate because this gaurantee that we will become like Christ because God has ordained it to be so. He will bring it to happen because we love Him and believe in Him and because He KNOWS us which is we have a personal relationship with Him. Jesus Christ is the firstborn. He is the begotten(One and Only) Son, the One with the highest ranking. But because of our belief and faith in Jesus we are the children of God--Rom 8:17 and joint heirs with Christ. If we suffer with Christ we will share in His glory. PRAISE THE LORD!!!

[Guitar Jim]

Q2. (Romans 8:29) What does it mean to "be conformed to the likeness of his Son"? In practical terms, what does that involve in our lives?

To be conformed to the likeness of God's son means to exhibit the same characteristics of behavior and attitude as Jesus displayed while on Earth. We've been given the example by the Son himself. Reverence to the Father, love and concern for others, and the advancement of God's Kingdom are the characteristics we must have in our own lives.

Why does Paul support this statement with ideas of our destiny?

Paul is telling us that it's been God's plan all along to save us and, through us, the world . . as many as will believe in Him.

Why does he support this with ideas of brotherhood with Jesus?

God's original intent was to have fellowship with Mankind. With the fall of Mankind in Eden that fellowship was corrupted. Sin had destroyed it. Jesus paid the penalty to restore the fellowship between God and Mankind and as we believe in Him and accept Him as Savior we become like a family with Jesus as it's firstborn and us His siblings. We call God our Father, just as Jesus does.

[Barbara A. Lee]

Q2. (Romans 8:29) What does it mean to "be conformed to the likeness of his Son"? In practical terms, what does that involve in our lives? Why does Paul support this statement with ideas of our destiny? Why does he support this with ideas of brotherhood with Jesus?

To be conformed to the likeness of Jesus is to be similar to Him. Have His likeness. Have his appearance.

This change involves us being made in Christ

[Barbara A. Lee]

Q2. (Romans 8:29) What does it mean to "be conformed to the likeness of his Son"? In practical terms, what does that involve in our lives? Why does Paul support this statement with ideas of our destiny? Why does he support this with ideas of brotherhood with Jesus?

To be conformed to the likeness of Jesus is to be similar to Him. Have His likeness. Have his appearance.

This change involves us being made in Christ

[pastor neal]

Q2. (Romans 8:29) What does it mean to "be conformed to the likeness of his Son"? In practical terms, what does that involve in our lives? Why does Paul support this statement with ideas of our destiny? Why does he support this with ideas of brotherhood with Jesus?

To conform to the likeness of His Son means that we need to allow God to "save us and then shape us into Christ's very image and character." This is vital so that we can take on the family resemblance showing others that we indeed are brothers and sisters.

In practical terms? We must strive to be Christ-like and obey the Lord as we work through each day here on Earth. We must not rebel, but maintain our faith that God IS shaping us into the image of Jesus Christ.

Paul supports his statement with the ideas of our destiny because he believes that God chooses us in Him before the the creation of the world; that we are not alone in the cosmos and that God is working out his purpose on us.

Romans 8:29 (GW)

29 This is true because he already knew his people and had already appointed them to have the same form as the image of his Son. Therefore, his Son is the firstborn among many children.

[antzilla]

Hello All I am new to this, thank you for having me and sharing.

I understand it to mean I have to be free, completely free. Not bonded by the ways of the world. Free to love like Jesus has called me to. Free to give completely of my self with no expectation in return. Free to feel joy. I can not be the son, but I can strive daily to be like the son my love for Jesus and eagerness try shall keep me on the righteous path. Please keep me in your prayers lkhkh

[ross_laoshi]

Q2. (Romans 8:29) What does it mean to "be conformed to the likeness of his Son"? In practical terms, what does that involve in our lives? Why does Paul support this statement with ideas of our destiny? Why does he support this with ideas of brotherhood with Jesus?

To "be conformed to the likeness of his Son" means to become like Jesus. In practical terms it means loving God and being in the calling of God, it means giving our lives to him and co-operating with him in the process of being conformed. It is our destiny because it's always been God's plan for us. We have been adopted by God and as our heavenly father he wants us to become like his perfect son, Jesus.

[Janissi]

(Romans 8:29) What does it mean to "be conformed to the likeness of his Son"? It means to acquire the characteristics of Jesus. To be an image of Him. We become more like Him.

In practical terms, what does that involve in our lives? Renewing our minds. It means we are His mouth, hands, feet, and we have His heart (the Holy Spirit) living in us. We begin to think like Him and agree with what He says.

[awylie1949@yahoo.co.uk]

It means that we are made like Jesus which is awesome when you really think about it. We have to put on Jesus and show His love to others. He supports it because if we are faithful then we will spend eternity in glory with Jesus and share in His resurrection. We come into His family as His sons and heirs. We are adopted, Hallelujah

[lighthouse2014]

Q2. (Romans 8:29) What does it mean to "be conformed to the likeness of his Son"? In practical terms, what does that involve in our lives? Why does Paul support this statement with ideas of our destiny? Why does he support this with ideas of brotherhood with Jesus?

Romans 8:29 means to be conformed to the likeness of His Son, but we are not physically like Christ, but our ways, our life style is conformed to his likeness so we become like him in his character.

It involves in our lives, to live a life worthy of his love and present ourselves to others as his follower.

Paul represents the fact that Christ knew us before time began and our destiny if we accept Christ, He knows our destiny and if we deny Him also.

Paul supports the belief of the brotherhood of Christ because we have become and conformed into Christ character.       

[WinstonY]

Q2. (Romans 8:29) What does it mean to "be conformed to the likeness of his Son"? In practical terms, what does that involve in our lives? Why does Paul support this statement with ideas of our destiny? Why does he support this with ideas of brotherhood with Jesus?

 

 To "be conformed to the likeness of his Son" should mean to be made more and more like the Lord jesus Christ. As it is used in verse 29 it seems to have the sense of a continuing process after we become believers in the living Christ- much like John wesley's concept of sanctification after one is justified by Christ. Here it seems to follow the Greek word proorao which is often  translated in English as predestined- a term which has had a long and troubled use in Christianity. Strong's concordance also suggests predetermined as a possible translation, a term which does not bring up as many negative thoughts as predestion. As the Greek proorao is used after foreknew-implying God knew which way ones free will would lead in the question of good and evil- and before conform would seem to apply, in this corner, that proorao is being used as a connector that is simply asserting that in God's mind it has been predetermined which side of the freewill question that one will lean. 

For our lives it means that we must determine on whose team we are on- God's or the Devil's. Just as Satan deceived Eve and her mate so does he continue to deceive her descendants as well. We must therefor rely on the grace given by God through the Lord Jesus Christ and believe on him in faith and trust. It is our strong Hope that we will be delivered from the foils of the evil one. 

To a very large degree Paul is speaking here not to individuals but to communities of believers and it is really only in community that we are truly able to grasp and understand the word of God. It is really only in the church that we are able to receive the promises of the Lord. We must therefor work with our brothers and sisters in the Lord to complete our common request-thy kingdom come, on earth as it is in Heaven.

[Uncle Dave]

Q2. (Romans 8:29) What does it mean to "be conformed to the likeness of his Son"? In practical terms, what does that involve in our lives? Why does Paul support this statement with ideas of our destiny? Why does he support this with ideas of brotherhood with Jesus?

Being conformed to the likeness of Jesus is not the same as physically looking like Him, but rather being like Him in the sense of doing things as Jesus did. For example, Jesus said to forgive a person 70 time 7 times, so if you are holding a grudge against someone you’re not conforming to the likeness of Jesus. The list of examples continues. We need to do things the way Jesus would. Jesus said if you look at a woman with **** you are guilty already of adultery, so we also need to not do things Jesus would not have done.

Paul supported the statement with ideas of our destiny because God already knew every person who would ever walk the earth and it was His will that all would be saved and that the destiny of every person would conform to the image of Jesus. One must begin the process of fulfilling this destiny by confessing their sins to God and having faith in Jesus to save us from what was to come.

Brotherhood with Jesus? Did Jesus not call God His Father and instruct of that He was our Father? Would that not place us at a brotherhood status with Jesus, even though much the same as Joseph became his brother’s ruler, Jesus is our Lord and King.

[Godswriter]

Q2. (Romans 8:29) What does it mean to "be conformed to the likeness of his Son"? In practical terms, what does that involve in our lives? Why does Paul support this statement with ideas of our destiny? Why does he support this with ideas of brotherhood with Jesus?
To be conformed means to be shaped into the image of Jesus, God's Son. We become more and more like Him.

It involves changing us through struggles and conflicts and problems so that we are gradually changed and become more pure and refined as we learn to lean on Him.

We are adopted by God and our destination is heaven. We are now new creations in Him and if we rely on Him we can be conformed more readily. For we live by the Spirit not the flesh.

Because we are all sisters and brothers in Christ. 

[Irmela]

In a family, the children have similar identity traits or similar looks. Each one is very unique yet something usually qualifies them as siblings. Family likenesses are sometimes also seen in two or three generations down the line. 

In verse 29 we read about sharing Christ's likeness, being molded into His image. So if we look in a mirror which reflects character we should see the family resemblance as we are now also sons and daughters of the living God, just as Christ is the Son. He is the firstborn of many brethren. (It's scary and wow at the same time ) 

The picture of the Potter and the clay. Molding us into Christ's image. Like getting a new DNA. 

So ultimately for the finished design or pattern (purpose) to be reached we need to draw nigh to God. Read His Word. Practice His Word. Pray. Live like Jesus did. Use Him as our Pattern. 

(i guess that answers about all the questions in a roundabout way) 

[Krissi]

Actors and actresses can become the character they're acting -- I believe this is called "method acting." They study and emphasize with their character so fully that they actually become that person ... in their addled minds.

What Christ does within us is the opposite. We don't strive to be like Christ, nor do we immerse ourselves in the text of the bible to such a degree that our own personalities are negated, but instead, the Spirit transforms us from within. Via the Spirit, we slowly and inexorably morph into a person who is more godly. This is what being conformed to the likeness of His son is all about. 

In practical terms, we obey the law, read the scripture and try to commune and communicate with God. yes, transformation involves our own obedience ... but that transformation is not the consequence of obedience. It is spiritual. It is done via spiritual means.

Obedience is living into our destiny. Our destiny is the path God has for us to trod in this life. It's what we're doing. When we are obedient to the law and the inner voice of the Spirit, we are on that path.