.... Because you are predestined to be conformed to the image of Jesus

In this message, Guy Lambeau discusses why God predestines humans to be conformed to the image of Jesus Christ. He explains that God created humans in His own image and wants them to be like His Son. He emphasizes that salvation is a free gift through faith in Jesus, but discipleship requires understanding the cost and being motivated by a genuine relationship with Jesus, not just seeking the benefits of Christianity. Jesus calls his disciples to live sacrificial lives and be willing to give up everything for Him. Lambeau concludes by highlighting the importance of counting the cost before committing to follow Jesus. 🎼🎼🎼 Welcome to our weekly exhortation. Thank you for joining me. Thank you for your time. My name is Guy Lambeau. Servant of God. Servant of Jesus Christ. In today's message, we were wondering, why does God predestine man to be conformed to the image of Jesus Christ? 🎼🎼 When God created man, He created them in His own image, and His image is revealed by His Son. He that hath seen Me hath seen the Father, said Jesus. His plan was to make man conformed to the image of His Son. In this message, we will seek to understand how the believer can be the image of Christ, and how this applies in the life of the disciples. 🎼🎼 The free gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. In other words, salvation is a free gift that God gives to all who come to God through faith in Jesus. But how can it be free if the disciple is not aware of the cost? I just want to point out a phenomenon in order to explain this truth. It is quite common practice to see many people rush into discipleship not because they do it on the principle of faith, not because they are motivated by need to get into relationship with Jesus, but they are simply driven by the desire to become Christian for a certain reason. Desire can be understood in different ways. In this message, I will focus on the desire to benefit from the advantages of Christianity. In fact, discipleship cannot be based on short-lived emotions and shallow enthusiasm. I will explain. It is quite true that the possessions of God are for all those who come to Him through faith in Jesus. However, coming to Jesus with just the intention of taking advantage of Christianity is not consistent with the gospel of Christ. Oftentimes, the gospel is preached just by mentioning the benefits and advantages that we have in Christ without mention made of the cost. Obviously, this kind of gospel will draw a large number of people who will desire this benefit without really understanding the meaning of God's invitation. The truth is that many come to Jesus without knowing that salvation always involves a cost. Salvation always involves a sacrifice. 4. God did not create us so that we would have no regard for His will. He wants us to live a life of sacrifice. He has a purpose in creating us in His image, and His image is revealed through His Son, Jesus Christ. God desires each person to do His will. Jesus declared in Mark 10 verse 45 that He came not to be served, but to serve, to give His life a ransom for all that is to become a sacrifice for our sins. This was God's plan. In this verse, Jesus Christ clearly reveals the sacrificial character and the purpose of His mission on earth. He says that His disciples must also follow in His footsteps and offer their lives as a sacrifice to God. This is what the Lord Jesus says, If anyone comes to Me and does not hate his father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters, yes, and his own life also, he cannot be My disciple. He continues saying, And whosoever does not bear his cross and come after Me cannot be My disciple. Hallelujah. Luke chapter 14 verse 25 to 27. What Jesus means in this passage is this, Your love for God must be so complete and wholehearted that your love for family members will be pale in comparison, pale to the point of being like hatred. Hallelujah. Why does Jesus recommend that the disciples should take His own cross? Well, because all men, especially those who choose to come to God, have been predestined to be conformed to His image. What does this mean? Well, God's purpose for us today is to make us conform to the image of His Son, Jesus Christ. This is what the Apostle Paul tells us in Romans chapter 8 verse 29. He says, 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. Praise the Lord. You see, God wants us to become like Jesus by adopting the same attitude that led Him to sacrifice Himself for others. This is exactly what Jesus is asking the believer to consider very carefully before taking any decision to follow Him. Jesus doesn't hide His intention to them. You know, Jesus never asks to join Christianity by mentioning only the advantages. But He makes it clear to us that we are going to totally commit our lives to Him. Praise the Lord. Unfortunately, many are Christians who have responded to the call of the Lord out of desire, out of enthusiasm, without the slightest idea of the sacrifices they would have to make. The sad part about all this is that those who come to Christ only because of the benefits of Christianity may not be as committed as they should be. They enter into discipleship with enthusiasm, but as soon as misfortune comes their way, they draw back. Friend, you could have noticed this. The title of this message is an answer to a question that we do not know until now. In fact, the Scripture tells us this. God gave His only begotten Son to be crucified, and whoever welcomes Him into his life will have eternal life. Hallelujah. A question for you. How can He be free? How can that salvation be free? If to acquire it, the disciple must sacrifice his entire earthly life. How can such a stringent condition be demanded of the disciple? Well, because God predestines us to be conformed to the image of Jesus. It has been programmed that way. God wants us to become like Jesus by having the mindset of Christ who agreed to offer His life as a ransom for humanity. God calls us to live in the image of this sacrificial life. To conclude this message, I would like to ask a question. Why does God predestine man to be conformed to the image of Christ? Well, because God desires that each person be a sacrifice, a living sacrifice. Jesus said that each person be a sacrifice, a living sacrifice. Jesus said that He came not to be served, but to serve, to give His life a ransom for all. We can see that Jesus clearly reveals the sacrificial character of His person and the purpose of His mission on earth. This is exactly what God wants for you and me. God wants us to be carried by a life of sacrifice as well. We should know this. Before we commit to follow Jesus, we must first count the cost and consider our disposition toward God. It is precisely to highlight this point that Jesus teaches the parable about the building of a tower and about a king going to make war against another king. Luke 14, 28-31 Salvation is a free gift from God and no one can afford to deny it, but it is costly as well. Hallelujah! Well, this is the end of today's message. We hope you enjoyed. Please join us next Sunday if God wills it. Shalom. Shalom.