The Greatest Good

The Greatest Good

“And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose. For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren.” Rom. 8:28-29.

Paul said, “We know”; all doubt was excluded. “All things work together for good to those who love God . . . .” However, not many people know what this “good” is. Verses 28 and 29 belong together, and in verse 29 we find the greatest good in which anyone could possibly have a share. This great and glorious good is that we can be conformed to the image of His Son through everything that meets us. That must be our greatest goal. Paul was running toward this goal. Romans 8:28 brings great joy and peace to all those who believe. Nevertheless, the good things most people rejoice in do not help them to be conformed to the image of the Son—that which surpasses everything else.

“He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things?” V. 32.

Jesus is the firstborn among many brethren, and these brethren shall now share this eternal good together with Him. They love Him. They were foreknown and predestined to be conformed to the image of the Son. We find the Son’s image in the entire New Testament; we find it in Jesus as well as in the apostles. Paul says, “We have the mind of Christ.” They were firmly united in this one mind, this one Spirit, and this one faith. They were also united with Him in His sufferings, and the image of the Son was brought forth through these sufferings. God has this specific goal with us, and we need to be united with Him to have this goal clearly before our eyes.

All the Word of God in the New Testament points toward this goal. Only those who look into the glory of the Word to find the image of the Son are transformed from glory to glory. 2 Cor. 3:18. The one who purifies gold will keep on purifying it until he can see his own image reflected in it. God’s Word is as pure as gold that has been refined seven times; in other words, it is perfectly pure. God sees His own image in all His Word. There He sees perfect wisdom, love, truth, righteousness, goodness, and mercy. Jesus came to bear this image in Himself, and now we are to bear this image within ourselves.

In the old covenant only the children of Levi could be purified and refined as gold. Mal. 3:3. In the new covenant it is only those who are foreknown and predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son who endure the refiner’s fire. They consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in them. Rom. 8:18.

Since Christ came as High Priest of good things to come, He entered into the Holiest by offering up His own blood. He offered Himself in the power of an eternal Spirit. Heb. 9:11, 14. Jesus wants to have His brethren come with Him into the Holiest in that same Spirit of sacrifice for the good things to come.