For many years I have known (and kind of understand through experiences) God’s goal in our lives is to be able to conform us into the character and nature of His dear Son Jesus Christ. This is the heart message of Paul. In Romans we read, “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. 30Moreover whom he did predestinate, them he also called: and whom he called, them he also justified: and whom he justified, them he also glorified.” (Romans 8:29-30)

Now this conforming is done not so that we will be able to get from God like many denominations and churches teach, not to do mighty miracles and works, or even some day go to Heaven. My friend, Jesus did not come to lead a rebellion against the Romans as the Disciples wanted, open blind eyes and ears, give strength back to weak limbs, and feed the masses that listened to Him, but He came to do the will of the Father. “And he went a little further, and fell on his face, and prayed, saying, O my Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me: nevertheless not as I will, but as thou wilt.” (Matthew 28:39) Jesus came to be the light of the world. “Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying, I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life.” (John 8:12) Now all of these works and more Jesus did and we are to do them also, but they were His secondary focus, primarily Jesus came to seek and save that which has been lost. “For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost.” (Luke 19:10) Now we must do the working for God as we are being conformed for it is the hardships, troubles, and experiences we face, while working for God, that are what God uses to conform us into His dear Son’s icon. The pain, sorrow, confusion, grief, darkness, uncertainty, sickness, and so much more (the same tools the Father used to work on Jesus) are the tools God uses to conform us. Oh yes my friend, we are “changed from glory to glory” (2 Corinthians 3:18), we are conformed into the precious icon of Jesus Christ, through God’s dealing and judgments in our lives, not so we will be able to do things for God, but we are conformed so that we will be able to receive His precious promises. The ones Peter talked about, “According as his divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and virtue: 4Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.” (2 Peter 1:3-4) But how does God use His tools to conform us? That is the mystery of faith and that is the mystery of us correctly adjusting to God’s work in our lives. Unless God can work in our lives we are incapable of receiving anything from Him. Sadly many Christians do not allow God to work in their lives and settle for the temporal and emotional change that religion and the traditions of men bring, but this type of change does not reach the spirit and the heart where “true” conversion takes place. Many Christians are just saved, but not yet converted. “And in them is fulfilled the prophecy of Esaias, which saith, By hearing ye shall hear, and shall not understand; and seeing ye shall see, and shall not perceive: 15For this people’s heart is waxed gross, and their ears are dull of hearing, and their eyes they have closed; lest at any time they should see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and should understand with their heart, and should be converted, and I should heal them.” (Matthew 13:14-15) Jesus told Peter, “And the Lord said, Simon, Simon, behold, Satan hath desired to have you, that he may sift you as wheat: 32But I have prayed for thee, that thy faith fail not: and when thou art converted, strengthen thy brethren.” Luke 22:31-32) Now Peter was hand picked and has been walking with Jesus for some time. Unless we are truly converted we will never be able to “strengthen thy brethren.” When are changed from glory to glory, we understand and see from our heart, we are converted not by God bonking us over our head with His magic wand, but by us correctly adjusting to the experiences God bring into our lives. These experiences are God’s expression in our lives that molds and develops us into maturity and propels us toward spiritual growth and development. These experiences are God’s sovereign will for our lives and if we respond correctly will open up the word of God to us in a greater way and more important will lead us in the paths of righteousness as His Holy Spirit is now able to touch our heart and lives. It is our correct adjustment; a changing or a settling of things to bring them into proper order or relationship from the experiences God brings into our lives and His dealings and judgments that cause loss in us that He can fill with His more of His Spirit, revelation, and His life.

But my friend, we (I often times input myself here) really do not want God to change us because the price we must pay is high, the cost we must tender is measured not in money, but in loss to our selfish self-seeking ways, in pain and tears when we are exposed for who and what we really are, embarrassment from all of our pride that exalts itself over Christ, in sickness of a soul doomed to Hell apart from Christ, and the shame of years and years of walking astray from God. We seek the glory and not the shame, the crown, but not the cross. We seek to be masters, not servants to all. We have been trained to be self-sufficient in life and this earthly thinking has bled over into our heavenly thinking. But, when we make correct adjustments to God and His dealings and judgments w e are not delivered (oh no my friend there is no deliverance in God), but as we correctly adjust to God’s will and ways we are developed. Moses, Job, Daniel, Jesus, Paul, Peter, the list goes on all had to endure God’s dealings and judgments in their lives and then make the correct adjustment or they would not have been able to do that which God has planned and purposed for them to do. It was God’s intention and plan for His Son, but it was Jesus’ correct adjustment in the Garden of Gethsemane, “ And he went a little further, and fell on his face, and prayed, saying, O my Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me: nevertheless not as I will, but as thou wilt.” (Matthew 26:39) that enabled Him to go to the cross and become our Lord and Savior. It was the pressing of Son by the Father that squeezed the words, “ nevertheless not as I will, but as thou wilt.” It was no accident Jesus often went to Gethsemane to pray, for Gethsemane is an olive grove and means where oil is pressed. Jesus was pressed into submission by the Father to correctly adjust to the death on the cross and is the servant greater than the Master? If the Father loved the Son so do we not think He will not love us the same? Oh yes, my friend God too will lead us to a place like Gethsemane, we too will fall on our face, and He will press us into submission and obedience. Remember, the obedient alone are honoring to God. This is why the Father could say, “ And lo a voice from heaven, saying, this is my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased” (Matthew 3:17) years before He went to the cross. The Father knew Jesus always made the right adjustments to His will, ways, dealings, and judgments in His life.

Brethren let us learn to make correct adjustment to God’s ways and will in our lives. Our life here on earth is all about learning and ever learning to correctly adjust to God if not we will never be apart of the family of God. We will never be able to speak for the Father. In the Books of Galatians Paul teaches us, “ To redeem them that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons.” (Galatians 4:5) (also see Romans 9:4 and Ephesians 1:5) Now the word “adoption” used here does not mean what we use the word today for. It has nothing to do with taking an estranged child into our family, but is a three day Hebrew feast the father throws for the son after the son completes his training. After the training the son is authorized to conduct and receive from the family business and to be identified with the father. After training the son is authorized to speak for the father. Let us learn to make correct adjustments to God and complete our training so that we too will be able to speak for the Father.