Romans 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.

My first encounter with God went like this; I was an angry teen who did not know why. I said in my heart “I don’t want to be like this.” Wham, instantly I was changed. I was no longer angry. I didn’t know how God did it, I just knew it was dome through no effort on my part.

Years later as I was reading Romans 8 for the millionth time, I thought to myself, “I want to be like that.” In some remote part of my brain I was hoping that God would once again perform a suddenly, wham I would be like Jesus through no effort on my part. Rather than doing that, I was led to another passage of scripture.

Philippians 2:5-8 Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.

“But Lord that isn’t what I asked?”

No, it is the answer.

There is no instant answer to conformance. The beginning is a mindset, to think and believe as the mind of Christ. Then to act on those beliefs. It is not in our human or worldly nature to serve, it is to dominate. We change the world by force. Christ change the world by serving.

God has been very patient with me during my change, much more patient than I deserve. God knows me and that my conversion is going to be a long process. But if I was honest with God in what I wanted when I said “Make me!” then I should be patient in how He accomplishes that end.

Colossians 3:16 Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom; teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord.

Let, as in allow, the Word to dwell. One of the things that I realized early in my Christian life was the sovereignty of God. Submission gave Him rule over my life and He can do as He wills in my life. He does not need my permission. Sovereignty isn’t the only attribute of God and God being one and equal in all aspects does not force one attribute of His personality over another. Man does that.

God made a way, the Way, but He doesn’t make you walk in it. Love chooses to walk in the Way. The abundant life is ours, but we have to know how to live it. God has provided everything needed but we must cooperate with God for everything to work towards that goal.

Some see God’s sovereignty as; “God’s in charge. I don’t need to worry.” While that is true in one aspect, it is not everything. Mercy and true charity will never become part of our witness if we sit and wait for God to take care of everything. That is how believers become pew potatoes.

We often extoll the coincidence of how meaningful scriptures seem to come in 3:16 verses. Well here is another and while my focus is on this one word “let” it is not everything. If I were to point out what that let was in this verse it would be at the end of the verse. “With grace in your hearts.”

Grace is never viewed as a static attribute, it is always an outpouring, it is love in action, thought and will. Grace is the vehicle of transference of God’s love towards us, of our love towards one another, and most importantly to a lost and dying world.