The modern day translation of Christ’s life-changing statement is this: “In order to live with Me and My Father eternally in our earthly kingdom, one must live one’s earthly life as I lived My earthly life.” That statement, though stated in other words, are found throughout the Holy Scriptures. For example, “Be you holy for I am holy.” “Be you holy for your heavenly Father is holy” (1 Pet. 1:15,16/ Rev. 20:6; 22:11). “If we claim to be His people in this life, we must walk as He walked (in this life)” (1 Jn. 2:6). “We must purify ourselves even as He is pure” (1 Jn. 3:3). These are only a few Biblical statements that make perfectly clear what is commanded of those who desire to spend eternity with God and Christ in the Kingdom of God.

“Impossible,” we are told from pulpit to podium, from the air waves to the street corner, from the television screen to the theater screen, from books to “How To Get Saved” pamphlets taped to door frames and stuck under windshield wiper blades. However, one Biblical statement puts that Satanic “truth” to rest for good. It is found in Romans 8:29 where the Apostle Paul, who received his Gospel directly from Jesus Christ by revelation (Gal. 1:11,12). He says about the Gospel that he preached: “I did not receive it from man … but was taught it directly by Jesus Christ through revelation.” For this reason God used him as his most prolific Gospel writer and number one contributor in the writing of His Holy Bible. Therefore, I believe that we can take his words to the church at Rome at face value. In 8:29 he wrote that those who embraced Jesus Christ must be “conformed to the (spiritual) image of His Son so that He (Jesus) would be the FIRSTborn among MANY BRETHREN.” The suffix “born” in firstborn is the same as the word “begat” (“fathered”) as found in the first chapter of Matthew which refers to conception. This does not mean “born again” which involves the change from physical to spiritual bodily composition that will take place among true saints at the return of Christ. Read Born Again. Key word–Again.

In Psalm 2:7 God says about Jesus at the time of His conception, “You are My Son, THIS DAY I have BEGOTTEN You.” This is the same method by which God “begets” every true saint upon conversion when the saint receives the Holy Spirit into him/herself. Just as Jesus was born a human being, true sons of God remain human beings upon their spiritual begettal. As a begotten man, Jesus was LED BY THE HOLY SPIRIT. All begotten sons of God are LED BY THE HOLY SPIRIT, which is what makes them sons of God (Rom. 8:14).

Returning to Romans 8:29, let us delve into the “fine print” of Paul’s statement. In doing so we find that in order to be a son of God we must “be conformed to the image of His Son ….” Let us stop here and examine the word “image.” This word refers to one’s SPIRITUAL condition. Man is already in God’s physical likeness, Adam and Jesus of Nazareth being prime examples. To “conform” to an image is to be made a perfect replica of the image, pattern or template. In the case of truly converted saints, they are perfectly conformed into the spiritual image of the man Jesus, Who was the spiritual image of God.

Next let us examine the word “firstborn.” In order to have a FIRSTborn, others would have to be born later. Notice the word “brethren” relative to those who would be begotten later. In Matthew 12:50 Jesus defines His “brethren” as those who “… do the will of My Father Who is in heaven ….” Notice that the deciding factor relative to sonship is DOING THE WILL (OBEYING THE WORD) OF GOD. Notice that God requires of His sons that they be the same as the firstborn on the spiritual level. They are already like Him (bear His “likeness) on the physical level. Jesus noted that when people “saw” Him they were also “seeing” the Father. In the same way, when people “see” a true saint they are “seeing” Jesus. And when one “sees” Jesus one is also “seeing” God. The true saint is, like Jesus before him, God in human form AS WAS JESUS–THE IMAGE TO WHICH SALVATION SEEKERS MUST CONFORM. There is no substitute for godliness.

Jesus said of Himself that He is the resurrection and THE life. There is only one earthly life that will lead to eternal life–THE LIFE WHICH JESUS LIVED ON EARTH AS A MAN. This is absolutely necessary in order to be on earth as He is in heaven, and to be a begotten son as He was a begotten Son. There is only one way to get to the Father–“through Me”–meaning to live the Jesus way–the same way He got to the Father–the way of godliness, righteousness and holiness whose end result is eternal life (Rom. 5:21; 6:22).

Those who maintain their godliness, righteousness and holiness until the end of their lives or until Christ’s return will receive eternal life (Mat. 10:22). However, I will warn now as I have many times. The prophets, Jesus and His apostles were rejected by the vast majority of those among whom they lived. This usually includes one’s family. Some of the prophets, Jesus and all of His original apostles except John were killed because they obeyed God’s Word. Why were (are) God’s people rejected by all others, including the church? Because spiritual darkness hates spiritual light (Jn. 3:19/ Lk. 1:52/ 2 Cor. 6:14). L.J.