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Joined with Christ: Conformed To His Image

because those he foreknew he also predestined to become conformed to the image of his Son... (Romans 8:29)
The word conformed is συμμορφόω summorphoó – (from sýn, "together with" and morphḗ; "form, shape, outward appearance"). Conformed in the bible speaks of the outward form embodying the new inner form (the new birth of the Spirit indwelling the child of God) so that the full form is in likeness of God's divine nature.* So conformed means to be like or similar to Jesus who exists a reflection of the image of God. The idea is being imitators of God (in outwardly form) like as beloved children of God, walking in love just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us (Ephesians 5:1-3). 
now, we know all things work for good, to the ones called according to his purpose, because those he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son (Romans 8:28-30)
Whether through foreknowledge that God chose you because he knew you would believe or by grace before you did anything good or bad you have been chosen by God before he created the world. Predestination has one singular purpose, so we are conformed to the image of God's son. It is a supernatural event, the new birth of the Spirit. And conformation of the inner to the outer might seem like an impossible task, but it is not, though we will not fully experience it until we receive the fullness of our salvation, the redemption of our bodies. Through the knowledge of Jesus we grow into fullness or maturity, which comes after we have a strong foundation, and God is powerful to do above anything we can even imagine (Ephesians 3:13-21). 
like as children of obedience, do not be conformed to the desires you used to have in your time of ignorance (1 Peter 1:14)
We are not to be outwardly conformed to the world and its desires, the word also mentioned in Romans 12:2. Conformed (suschématizó) to Christ speaks of being together joined with Christ in identity, in shape and form and appearance. When God made us alive he transferred us from the kingdom of darkness into the kingdom light and we became children of obedience having a new nature (Ephesians 2:1-8) Though we might struggle with our outward appearance and form being like Christ, our new nature inwardly reflects our new identity in Christ, as spiritual children of obedience. 
until we all attain unity of faith and knowledge of the Son of God unto mature adulthood, unto the measure of the stature of Christ (Ephesians 4:13-15)
What God has called us to and eternally purposed in Christ, has such spiritual significance. The form of this world is passing away (1 Corinthians 7:31). And we are called to be conformed to the new age of his Son. Our calling and purpose is often lost because we use these words to speak of earthly works, like "God called me to preach," to do this or that... or this is what God has purposed for me in this life. Jesus does gives gifts to build up the body, but that which he purposed and called us to heavenly is so much more. In fact Paul prays that we would have a spirit of wisdom and revelation of our calling (Ephesians 1:15-19).
through which he has given us honorable and effective promises so that through which you come into existence escaping the corruption in the world in sinful desires, coming into existence partakers of God's divine nature (2 Peter 1:4)
God eternally purposed in Christ, for us to be partakers of his divine nature. He chose us to be holy and blameless in his presence in love, before he created the world. This mystery was hidden in Christ in the beginning, and is now being manifested through the true church (2 Peter 1:3; Ephesians 4:4). Calling is deserving of its own topic. But just to mention a few verses, we were called according to God's purpose, to belong to Christ, to be saints, to be sons of the living God, into fellowship with Jesus, into his wisdom and power, according to grace, into freedom, to live a life worthy of, into holiness (Romans 1:6; Romans 1:7; Romans 8:28; Romans 8:30; Romans 9:26; 1 Corinthians 1:9; 1 Corinthians 1:24; Galatians 1:15; Galatians 5:13; Ephesians 4:1; 1 Thessalonians 4:7). 
and he called you to this salvation through our gospel to obtain the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ (2 Thessalonians 2:14)
True purpose, we were called to salvation so that we might obtain the glory of Christ. Glorification speaks of transformation and conformation into the image of Christ. "Now, we all with unveiled faces reflect as a mirror, the glory of the Lord, being transformed (metamorphoō) to the same image from glory to the extent of glory, just like as from the Lord's Spirit" (2 Corinthians 3:18). For those he calls he glorifies, and since Jesus is the Lord of glory, our calling is to glorification, to be conformed to his image, to partake of God's divine nature through him. 
present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, that your reasonable service and be not conformed to this world, rather, transformed, the renewing of your mind...  (Romans 12:1-2)
What is our reasonable service? to serve some organization so it has free labor and give them money so they can spread the gospel and feed the hungry? No, our reasonable service is more, to align with that "according to purpose," the purpose God put forth in Christ, so that being conformed to his death, we may also be "transformed to the same [image] from glory to glory." If we miss God's purpose, that which he eternally purposed in Christ, we miss everything. We are called out of darkness into his glorious light.
For God said 'from darkness light shines,' who has flooded our hearts with the light of the glorious knowledge of God in the face of Jesus (2 Corinthians 4:6). 
Once we lived in darkness as the rest of the world "In which the god of this age blinds the minds of the unbelievers so they can not see the light of the gospel, the glory of Christ, who exists the image [likeness] of God" (2 Corinthians 4:4). It would be a sad thing to be religious and do many mighty works in his name and not even know the glorious knowledge of his glory, that comes through the knowledge of him. 
and put on the new man the one renewed in knowledge according to the image of its creator (Colossians 3:10)
We are a new creation in Christ, so Paul is not speaking of the man of dust who fell in image and dominion, but of the new man created spiritually in the likeness of God. Not all are children of God and not all of the descendants of Abraham are God's children but those of the promise having received the promised Holy Spirit. The new man is being renewed through transformation as it renews the "spirit of the mind" so to reflect outwardly the image of His son.
Rather we speak God's wisdom that hidden in mystery which God predetermined before the ages to the extent of our glory (1 Corinthians 2:7)
Transformation (metamorphoō) is that which changes the form or nature, bringing about the inward change to the outward primarily through the renewing of the mind. It is metamorphosis, like a caterpillar going into a cocoon and coming out something new, a butterfly. So conformation means to be like, similar to and transformation is the means that brings the change. This is needed as we still live in a body in which sin dwells, and the mind needs to be renewed so to be conformed to the mind of Christ. This happens as we grow truth in love, into mature adulthood, the stature or measure being the fullness of the image of God's son. So we grow in grace and in knowledge of Jesus, "who is the image of the invisible God (Colossians 1:15).
and just as we have borne the image of that of dust, also bear the likeness of that of heaven (1 Corinthians 15:49)
When we look into the face of Jesus which shines the glory of God (we have been awakened out of our slumber and the glorious light of God has shined in our hearts) and we are being transformed to the Lord's image and glory, so that we reflect as a mirror, that image of Christ, thus we are Christ-like. Maturity is that the inner man of the Spirit has become an outer reality of the bodily form of God's son, thus we are joined with Christ in conformation.

We pray Father, help us to determine what is essential, what is our reasonable service so that we are not conformed to the world or some religious system but are transformed and renewed in mind so we may discern and approve of your will, being conformed to the image of your Son.

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