“For those whom He foreknew He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son” (Romans 8:29)
Being a saint means to be different from non-believers. But it also means to be like Jesus. Today’s verse tells us that God wants the people whom He foreknew and chose to be His children, to be like His Son. Jesus was perfect and sinless. God wants us to be perfect and sinless as well. He was full of love. God wants us to be full of love as well. Jesus obeyed all of God’s commandments. We should do the same.
This does not happen suddenly and we are not able to change ourselves this way. The Holy Spirit transforms us gradually. Theologians call this process ‘sanctification’, becoming more and more holy. This process starts when you first come to faith, and it is only finished when you die. It takes a lifetime to become holy as God is holy.
The first humans were created in God’s image. This image has been distorted by sin, but the Holy Spirit restores it more and more in us as we grow in faith and holiness. This was God’s purpose from eternity, this is how God predestined us to be.
Do you long to be conformed to the image of Jesus? Do you see the Holy Spirit at work in you?