The Firstborn and His Many Brethren
Dearly beloved of God, “He that spared not His own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things?”
Every time I read this verse I am overwhelmed by God’s love, mercy, and grace to us in Christ Jesus.
God’s Son, Jesus Christ, did all the work to make this possible, and the Father freely gives us all things with him. Such grace!
God called us in Christ, He justified us in him, and He will glorify us with him. God freely gives His children all things with Christ; all in the new birth today, and all things pertaining to our future inheritance.
Jesus Christ was God’s firstborn among many brethren, and we will be conformed to the image of His Son.
Acts 13: 33 and 34
God hath fulfilled the same unto us their children, in that He hath raised up Jesus again; as it is also written in the second psalm, ‘Thou art My Son, this day have I begotten Thee.’
And as concerning that He raised Him up from the dead, now no more to return to corruption, He said on this wise ‘I will give you the sure mercies of David.’
This reveals that Psalm 2:7 was speaking of God’s Son’s resurrection from the dead.
Romans 8 informs us that Jesus Christ was the firstborn among many brethren that will be conformed to the image of God’s Son.
He was the firstborn from the dead; the first one of His children to be resurrected from the dead. He was the first to be created with the new life-giving spirit, and the first to have a new resurrected body.
God determined beforehand that His Son was firstborn among many brethren: we are among his many brethren, dearly beloved! Today we are born again of the spirit from God, we are His children, we are members of God's household, and are brothers and sisters of Jesus Christ.
When the Lord Jesus Christ returns for us he will raise the dead in Christ first, and then we which are alive shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air. When this occurs we will be conformed to the image of God’s Son. Rejoice!
God has given us the victory over sin and death through our Lord Jesus Christ, and it is a victory like no other. What can compare to the glorious spoils that God has given us in this victory through the Lord Jesus Christ?
When Christ, who is our life shall appear, we shall also appear with him in glory. [See Colossians 3:4]
God called us to the obtaining of the glory of the Lord Jesus Christ. [See II Thessalonians 2:14]
We will be glorified together with Christ as heirs. [See Romans 8: 17 and 18]
When Christ returns he will change our mortal, corruptible bodies so that they have the same form as his glorious body [See Philippians 3:21]
It is Christ in you, the hope of glory! [See Colossians 1:27] These are glorious riches indeed!
Yes, dearly beloved of God, Jesus Christ was God’s firstborn among many brethren, and we will be conformed to the image of His Son. Rejoice forevermore.