To be comformed

[Guest plahztito]

Shalom,

2Cr 3:18 But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, [even] as by the Spirit of the Lord.

Why are you here?

What is the purpose behind humanity having to endure those things which beset them?

Why did Y'SHUA have to come and die to redeem us?

Why was sin allowed to run its course; to be expressed?

When satan rebelled why did YHVH not simply squash him under HIS feet and grind him into creative dust?

Why?

Psa 8:4 What is man, that thou art mindful of him? and the son of man, that thou visitest him?

Psa 8:5 For thou hast made him a little lower than the angels, and hast crowned him with glory and honour.

Psa 8:6 Thou madest him to have dominion over the works of thy hands; thou hast put all [things] under his feet:

Some say that these verses apply to Y'SHUA. Others conclude that YHVH is talking about mankind. Yet others declare that both may be what YHVH is addressing. I happen to fall into the last group. I can see applications in both directions. It is easy to find scriptures to support either position from these three scriptures.

I want us to simply look at them in respect to the questions I have opened with.

Why did YHVH create mankind?

Gen 1:26 And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth.

Did He create us SIMPLY to exercise HIS authority over the things that HE had created upon this earth?

To a degree, as we have seen in the past, this is why HE created us but is this the only reason?

Is this even the primary reason?

What do you think?

What has HE led you to believe is your primary motivation in life?

What is your primary motivation for living?

There exist a group that says that HE has already preassigned who will accept HIM and who will reject HIM. If this is true then "really" you and I have no purpose. We have no purpose because we are already designed to comply with HIS will. We are nothing but a predesigned vessel for or not for HIS use!

If this is the case then why make vessels that you are not going to use? Why make vessels that are going to dishonor you? Why make faulty, broken or useless vessels? Why make "junk"?

If you are a "perfect" being can you make somethng that is useless? That is "junk"?

Rom 8:29 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.

This vesre and the verses surrounding it can easily be used to make a case for the position of being predesigned and one can really develope a good case around it as long as you chose to ignore other scriptures. If you have a belief that fosters this "predesigned" belief, in one respect you have acknowledged a prejudice.

What is a prejudice?

In it's most rudimentary application it is simply; "to judge prior to having enacted". In essence "prejudice" draws a conclusion before anything is set in motion.

So, do think that you were designed in view of a prejudice? Was it concluded before anything ever happened that this person would bring honor to YHVH and that one would not? If so then is there "REALLY" any reason for you, me or anyone else? If the outcome is predetermined then why play the game? Lets just agree to the final score and go do something else with our time!

Somehow I think there may be more to this life! That there may be something yet to be conluded.

2Cr 3:18 But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, [even] as by the Spirit of the Lord.

Can we see something more in these verses? Something that may not yet be finished or predetermined?

"Change"! "Change" is a process and in us it does not yet appear to be finished. Ok, well at least in me it does not yet appear to be finished! Looking back again at the early argument, if YHVH has predetermined or preassigned some to be vessels for HIS honor and some to fail misserably why bother? Why make junk on purpose?

Do you think that "maybe" we can conclude that all is not preassigned or predetermined? That there exist an element of chance or better phrased "choice"? That there exist a process of change that we must desire or choose to go through in order to obtain an eternal reward? If so what is that "goal" or determining point that we much reach if we are to obtain that eternal reward? If we must change what must we change to become?

As I asked at the onset:

Why are you here?

What is the purpose behind humanity having to endure those things which beset them?

Why did Y'SHUA have to come and die to redeem us?

Why was sin allowed to run its course; to be expressed?

When satan rebelled why did YHVH not simply squash him under HIS feet and grind him into creative dust?

Why?

As we again turn back the pages of eternity we see in Gen 1:26 that YHVH determined to make mankind in HIS image. Then this creature; Adam, sinned and his spirit died. He was still physically alive but communication was severed between him and HIS CREATOR. Once communication is reopened; once mankind is redeemed then "change" can take place.

What "change"? "Change" into what? If we were first created in HIS image then we lost or had die part of what HE had given us then it must be a "change" or process to reinstate that which was lost or that had died, correct? Thus if originally we were created in HIS image then we must be getting "changed" back into HIS image. We must be getting "changed" back into what we were before. We must be getting "justfied" or made "just-as-if-I'd" never sinned.

Then what "image" is that? what is the image of YHVH?

Eze 8:2 Then I beheld, and lo a likeness as the appearance of fire: from the appearance of his loins even downward, fire; and from his loins even upward, as the appearance of brightness, as the colour of amber.

What? What is being said here?

Deu 4:24 For the LORD thy God [is] a consuming fire, [even] a jealous God.

YHVH is a consuming fire of what? Of anything that tries to usurp or exalt itself above HIS position, HIS authority, HIS granduer. Of exactly that which caused Adam to fall! Of that which caused emnity between YHVH and man. Of that which so easily besets us. Of Sin!

HE is a consuming fire that stands in direct opposition to satan and the works thereof!

Act 14:11 And when the people saw what Paul had done, they lifted up their voices, saying in the speech of Lycaonia, The gods are come down to us in the likeness of men.

This is precisely what Paul did in Lycaonia. He saw the sin of these people and the sin or the "religious" leaders and he yeiled himself to be a vessel of honor for the use of YHVH. A vessel that YHVH could use and move through. A vessel that would bow in recognition as to the power and authority of his CREATOR, REDEEMER and YHVH! He stood in opposition to the works of a false god, of satan.

Rom 6:3 Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death?

Rom 6:4 Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.

Rom 6:5 For if we have been planted together in the likeness of his death, we shall be also [in the likeness] of [his] resurrection:

Rom 6:6 Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with [him], that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin.

Rom 6:7 For he that is dead is freed from sin.

Rom 6:8 Now if we be dead with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with him:

Rom 6:9 Knowing that Christ being raised from the dead dieth no more; death hath no more dominion over him.

Rom 6:10 For in that he died, he died unto sin once: but in that he liveth, he liveth unto God.

Rom 6:11 Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord.

What we need to see here is that we that have been redeemed and baptized in CHRIST are dead to sin no more! We are to become a "consuming fire", so to speak, unto sin. CHRIST's death and burial was to defeat sin. HIS resurrection was to conquer death. In HIM we are no longer dead SPIRITually. In HIM we have newness of life. When we choose to follow HIM we no longer choose to walk after the flesh or our sin-filled ways but rather to walk after HIM (Lk 9:23). It becomes not what goes into us but what comes out of us that shows whether we are alive unto YHVH's use or defiled unto the use of satan; unto sin.

Therefore I again ask, "Why?"

Why are we here?

What is our purpose for living?

Psa 17:15 As for me, I will behold thy face in righteousness: I shall be satisfied, when I awake, with thy likeness.

When you awake through the tunnel of death what will you awaken with?

1Jo 3:2 Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is.

When HE appears, what will you be like?

Will you be like HIM or sin?

1Cr 13:12 For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known.

Will you be known as dead to the things of YHVH or will you be known as a consuming fire to sin and death?

Rom 8:29 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.

What "image" are you being conformed into?

Why are you here?

What is the purpose behind humanity having to endure those things which beset them?

Why did Y'SHUA have to come and die to redeem us?

Why was sin allowed to run its course; to be expressed?

When satan rebelled why did YHVH not simply squash him under HIS feet and grind him into creative dust?

Why?

There was not a prejudice to why YHVH made you and me!

There was a purpose!

To be conformed!

Why are you here?