The Goal of the Christian Life
Knowing this goal, gives life circumstances and trials, purpose.
What's the goal of the Christian life? Heaven? Success? Persecution? Love? Freedom? Allow me to submit to you that the goal of the Christian life is found in Romans 8:29.
Romans 8:29 (NIV) "For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters."
What Does Being "Conformed" Mean?
To be "conformed" means to both "resemble" and "represent." The goal of our lives as sons and daughters of our Heavenly Father is to look like, think like, and live like His son, Jesus, to resemble and represent Him to the world.
Those who don't know Christ generally measure success by position, power, and possessions. But for believers, success is ultimately measured by how we resemble and represent a person, namely, Jesus.
So a good question to ask yourself is, "Am I thinking, living, and looking more like Christ today than I did a month ago, six months ago, or one year ago? Is my life consistent with His?
Though I'm thankful for all that I get access to in heavenly places, that in and of itself falls short in comparison to being molded and fashioned into His image and likeness, representing Him daily to others.
Giving Purpose to Every Trial
When I handle the trial in a godly way, a greater image of Christ is produced in and through me. Being conformed to His image and likeness gives purpose to every trial we face. Why else would James tell us to count it all joy when we encounter various trials (James 1:2).
Closing Thought
Whatever we are currently experiencing, the trial we are encountering, the temptation that is in front of us, the promotion we just received, or the favor we are presently walking in, all of these things should move us into greater levels of resembling and representing Jesus.
When we overcome the trial and humbly manage God's favor, continuing to draw near with thanksgiving and dependency on our Heavenly Father, we resemble and represent Christ more and more. This is our witness to the world and the goal of the Christian life.
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Thanks Greg. I would add that our Father conforms us to Christ according to His predestined plan for doing so. He works in us to will and to do His good pleasure, and so He gets the glory as we work it out with His help.
So true, Greg, and so important for every disciple to know!
I am so grateful to Francis Frangipane and his online course "In Christ's Image" for teaching me this crucial and life-changing truth some years ago, so I'm always happy to see someone else also teaching it. :-D