Romans 8;29
 
28. &nbsp;For those whom he knew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the first-born among many brethren.
 
The moment egg and sperm are joined, new life is created. &nbsp;Each one, the egg and the sperm, contain 23 chromosomes, once joined the fertilized egg now has 46 Chromosomes. &nbsp;Coded within each chromosome is a single molecule of Deoxyribonucleic Acid (DNA). &nbsp;Together, these specifically coded chromosomes serve as the ‘blue-print’ of every human being, each&nbsp;with their&nbsp;individualistic,&nbsp;unique characteristics of hair color, pigmentation, height, the&nbsp;shape of each ear and nose, your finger prints, and the&nbsp;thickness and length of your vocal cords, (so that even&nbsp;your voice is a gift by&nbsp;God’s design).
 
This code is taken from the parents, so much of you is a biological&nbsp;repetition of your parents,&nbsp;but within this code are also&nbsp;other characteristics (which may not have been visible in either parent)&nbsp;belonging&nbsp;to a grand or great-grand parent, carried forward by your parents and finding form again in you.
 
If you could see a newly fertilized egg, it would look&nbsp;nothing like&nbsp;you now look. &nbsp;But, the blue-print, your specific design, is already all present and settled. &nbsp;What you will look like&nbsp;is firmly fixed&nbsp;in those unique chromosomes with their DNA. &nbsp;It is just a matter of time, nourishment, nurture, and protection, and the person&nbsp;&nbsp;you see in the mirror, your image will take form.
 
We are not only the result of a ‘biological blue-print,’ but also a ‘spiritual blue-print’ as well. &nbsp;Our spiritual image is “predestined”&nbsp;by God to appear like Christ, who is perfectly devoted to the will of the Father, holy, sacrificial,&nbsp;eternal, and&nbsp;beautiful in the eyes of our Father.
 
“For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.” &nbsp;(Ephesians 2;10)
 
Our ‘spiritual blue-print,’ ever since we were conceived by the water and the Word, has as its’ DNA not so much a ‘form’ (physical appearance), as a ‘function’ (purpose). &nbsp;We are “predestined” to&nbsp;show forth Christ our elder&nbsp;brother. By our baptism into Christ we received&nbsp;from our Heavenly Father a divine resemblance to Jesus in His ‘function’, which is best described as the showing forth of the&nbsp;Love of God. &nbsp;This ‘characteristic’ of our Father in heaven is now at work&nbsp;in us, conforming us to the image of our ‘elder brother,’ Jesus. &nbsp;
 
To know that we are “predestined” by&nbsp;our Father, to bear the image of Jesus into this world through our good works, is great comfort to us. &nbsp;For we see ourselves as ‘incomplete’ and deviating from Christ in sin and sloth,&nbsp;&nbsp;the love of God which&nbsp;He manifested in this world is not perfected in us yet. &nbsp;(As&nbsp;Paul remarked to&nbsp;the Church in Galatia, saying, “ my little children, with whom I am again in travail until Christ be formed in you!”(Galatians 4;19)
 
Yet, we remember, God has&nbsp;not yet finished His work in us. &nbsp;Just as in&nbsp;all of life, we are being changed, from fertilized egg, to infant, to child, to adult, to elderly, so too our final spiritual form is also developing, it is ’in process’. &nbsp;In every stage we are God’s dear children. &nbsp;God’s finished work in forming Christ in us,&nbsp;is the&nbsp;life-long work of God. &nbsp;In every stage of development, the blue-print of God is present. &nbsp;This makes us God’s own dear forgiven, “predestined”&nbsp;children in every stage of life,&nbsp;how comforting is this to know.
 
This is why in the parable of the ‘Sower,’ Jesus concludes with these wonderful&nbsp;Words. &nbsp;“And as for that in good soil, they are those who, hearing the Word, hold it fast in an honest and good heart, and bring forth fruit with patience.” &nbsp;(Luke 8;15)
 
Prayer: &nbsp;Merciful Father, Your ‘seed’ is sown into our hearts by baptism and the preaching and teaching of Your living Word. &nbsp;By it, You are conforming us to Your image, the image of Christ. &nbsp;
(Jesus answered Philip, &nbsp;“He who has seen Me, has seen the Father.”&nbsp; John 14;9).&nbsp;
He is the&nbsp;very&nbsp;image of Your love.
Bless us never to depart from, neglect, or despise our baptism, and&nbsp;the&nbsp;preaching&nbsp;and teaching of Your&nbsp;Word. &nbsp;It is our ‘heavenly&nbsp;umbilical cord’. &nbsp;In Jesus we pray, Amen.
 
Love,
Dad/Baba/Eric/Grandpa Pickle Pastor
“A chapter a day, every day, progressively be transformed, ‘soak’ in the living Word. &nbsp;God’s Word is our habitation, and we, broken-hearted, contrite, forgiven, born-anew, believing, ‘children’ are His.”

Romans 8;29

28.  For those whom he knew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the first-born among many brethren.

The moment egg and sperm are joined, new life is created.  Each one, the egg and the sperm, contain 23 chromosomes, once joined the fertilized egg now has 46 Chromosomes.  Coded within each chromosome is a single molecule of Deoxyribonucleic Acid (DNA).  Together, these specifically coded chromosomes serve as the ‘blue-print’ of every human being, each with their individualistic, unique characteristics of hair color, pigmentation, height, the shape of each ear and nose, your finger prints, and the thickness and length of your vocal cords, (so that even your voice is a gift by God’s design).

This code is taken from the parents, so much of you is a biological repetition of your parents, but within this code are also other characteristics (which may not have been visible in either parent) belonging to a grand or great-grand parent, carried forward by your parents and finding form again in you.

If you could see a newly fertilized egg, it would look nothing like you now look.  But, the blue-print, your specific design, is already all present and settled.  What you will look like is firmly fixed in those unique chromosomes with their DNA.  It is just a matter of time, nourishment, nurture, and protection, and the person  you see in the mirror, your image will take form.

We are not only the result of a ‘biological blue-print,’ but also a ‘spiritual blue-print’ as well.  Our spiritual image is “predestined” by God to appear like Christ, who is perfectly devoted to the will of the Father, holy, sacrificial, eternal, and beautiful in the eyes of our Father.

“For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.”  (Ephesians 2;10)

Our ‘spiritual blue-print,’ ever since we were conceived by the water and the Word, has as its’ DNA not so much a ‘form’ (physical appearance), as a ‘function’ (purpose).  We are “predestined” to show forth Christ our elder brother. By our baptism into Christ we received from our Heavenly Father a divine resemblance to Jesus in His ‘function’, which is best described as the showing forth of the Love of God.  This ‘characteristic’ of our Father in heaven is now at work in us, conforming us to the image of our ‘elder brother,’ Jesus.  

To know that we are “predestined” by our Father, to bear the image of Jesus into this world through our good works, is great comfort to us.  For we see ourselves as ‘incomplete’ and deviating from Christ in sin and sloth,  the love of God which He manifested in this world is not perfected in us yet.  (As Paul remarked to the Church in Galatia, saying, “ my little children, with whom I am again in travail until Christ be formed in you!”(Galatians 4;19)

Yet, we remember, God has not yet finished His work in us.  Just as in all of life, we are being changed, from fertilized egg, to infant, to child, to adult, to elderly, so too our final spiritual form is also developing, it is ’in process’.  In every stage we are God’s dear children.  God’s finished work in forming Christ in us, is the life-long work of God.  In every stage of development, the blue-print of God is present.  This makes us God’s own dear forgiven, “predestined” children in every stage of life, how comforting is this to know.

This is why in the parable of the ‘Sower,’ Jesus concludes with these wonderful Words.  “And as for that in good soil, they are those who, hearing the Word, hold it fast in an honest and good heart, and bring forth fruit with patience.”  (Luke 8;15)

Prayer:  Merciful Father, Your ‘seed’ is sown into our hearts by baptism and the preaching and teaching of Your living Word.  By it, You are conforming us to Your image, the image of Christ.  
(Jesus answered Philip,  “He who has seen Me, has seen the Father.”  John 14;9). 
He is the very image of Your love.
Bless us never to depart from, neglect, or despise our baptism, and the preaching and teaching of Your Word.  It is our ‘heavenly umbilical cord’.  In Jesus we pray, Amen.

Love,
Dad/Baba/Eric/Grandpa Pickle Pastor
“A chapter a day, every day, progressively be transformed, ‘soak’ in the living Word.  God’s Word is our habitation, and we, broken-hearted, contrite, forgiven, born-anew, believing, ‘children’ are His.”

