Your Destiny

Well, brethren, many people today have various beliefs regarding one's destiny. What happens after death? Some believe that they will go to heaven, and they'll bask in the light of the beatific vision for all eternity. Some just seem to have the belief that they will simply float on the clouds in eternal bliss for all eternity. Some believe they will be continually reincarnated as various life forms throughout eternity. Some believe that there is no life after death at all.

And there are many other beliefs about man's destiny. What do you believe is your eternal destiny? Do you believe that you will live forever? Do you firmly believe that you will live forever? What will you be like? Can we even know? What does the Bible have to say about your eternal destiny?

Brethren, the Bible proves that mankind's ultimate purpose in life is to become a member of the God family. The Bible proves that mankind's destiny and purpose is to actually become spirit, to be rid of this flesh and become spirit not as the angels are spirit but as God Himself is spirit. We're going to talk about that today. So this sermon is entitled, Your Destiny, the Eternal God Family. That is your destiny. We couldn't talk about anything more important than what we're going to talk about today.

Because this strikes close to each and every one of us, we're talking about your future, what you'll be doing for eternity. Let's begin in Genesis 1, verse 1. In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. Now, I believe what the Bible says. I believe that God did create the heavens and the earth. I believe everything it says here in Genesis, chapter 1. When we notice verse 20, it says, well, let's look at verse 21. So God created sea creatures and every living thing that moves with which the waters abounded according to their kind and every winged bird according to its kind. And God saw that it was good.

And he goes on to continue to say that in verse 24, that he brought forth the living creatures according to its kind, cattle and creeping thing and beast of the earth, each according to its kind. And God made the beast of the earth according to its kind, cattle according to its kind, everything that creeps on the earth according to its kind. And God saw that it was good. But notice verse 26, Genesis 1 verse 26.

Then God said, let us, and notice that it does say us because there was another being of the God family. There were two beings in the very beginning, and John chapter 1 talks about that. We're not going to go there today, but there were two beings. And God said, let us make man our image according to our likeness.

Let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over the cattle, over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth. So God created man in his own image. In the image of God, he created him male and female. He created them. And God blessed them, and God said to them, be fruitful and multiply, fill the earth and subdue it, have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over every living thing that moves on the earth. And God said, see, I have given you every herb that yields seed which is on the face of all the earth, and every tree whose fruit yields seed.

To you it shall be for good. Also, to every beast of the earth, to every bird of the air, and to everything that creeps on the earth, in which there is life, I have given every green herb for food, and it was so. And God saw everything that he had made, and indeed it was very good. So the evening and the morning were the sixth day.

Then it goes on to talk about how God sanctified the Sabbath day and rested on it. The scriptures reveal to us God's plan. The scriptures reveal to us God's will. Just as God had created the plants and the animals after their own kind, he created man after his own kind.

He actually created us after the God kind. Why is the phrase, after its kind, never applied to man, even though it is consistently applied to all other life forms? Well, the answer is fundamental. It is because the primary purpose, the primary purpose of human life, is not to physically reproduce after the human kind. Now, we do reproduce after the human kind, but the primary purpose, the ultimate purpose, is that we are to be spiritually reproduced after the God kind.

And that's the very, very important truth that we all need to realize, understand, accept, that we are destined to be a part of the God family. We are made in His image, made in the likeness of God. In the same manner that a newborn puppy or a kitten is designed to grow up and be like his family, like his parents, every human being was designed to grow up and be like his spiritual family, his spiritual parent, to become like God and like Jesus Christ.

There is an awesome difference between the various animal kinds and mankind. And the big reason is that man's purpose is to become like God. We are different. We are not animals. We are made in the very image and similitude of God Himself. We are to become like Him. Brethren, we are now in the process of changing from physical beings to spirit beings. And that's an amazing truth that every day we should think about, because it will guide our steps. It will help us walk more faithfully with God when we realize what He's doing.

Now, when we go around day to day, we don't see the animals praying. Although I had a neighbor that insisted that I had a dog who prayed. She did. She was getting senile, and she insisted that my dog was praying, that I knew otherwise. But we don't see animals praying. We don't see them fasting. We don't see them reading the Bible. We don't see them developing a relationship with God.

But you can, and you should be. We talked about that two Sabbaths ago when I was here, about our relationship with God and with Jesus Christ, and the importance of spending time with God and spending time with Jesus Christ. We should be developing a close, personal relationship with God. Now is our time to do this. We have peace, for the most part. We need to be drawing close to God. We need to be redeeming the time. It's going to get more difficult as time goes on.

It's already very difficult in many ways. But it will become even more so as we draw closer to the return of Christ. We are now going through a metamorphosis as God's people. You may remember last Feast of Trumpets, a sermon I gave about how we are, in a sense, like an ugly pupa. This corruptible flesh is like an ugly pupa that is being changed into a beautiful butterfly. We need to have that vision in our minds and in our hearts each day.

In Leviticus 11, we remember that Leviticus 11 is one of the clean and unclean food chapters in the Bible. But here it says something that is profound in many, many ways. Leviticus 11 is in the context of clean and unclean foods. Leviticus 11, verse 44, after talking about what we should eat and what we shouldn't eat, what we should take into our bodies, God says, For I am the Eternal your God, you shall therefore consecrate yourselves, and you shall be holy. Now, some people think it doesn't matter at all what we eat. Now, some people think it doesn't matter at all what we eat.

But if God says it matters, then it matters. We are to learn a lesson. Every time we turn down something that's unclean, we should think of this Scripture. We should consider the spiritual implications of this Scripture. For I am the Lord your God, you shall therefore consecrate yourselves, and you shall be holy, for I am holy. God wants us to become like Him. It is our destiny to become like God. You shall be holy, for I am holy. In Matthew 5, verse 48, and by the way, we will be going to a lot of Scriptures today, and these Scriptures will certainly prove what our destiny is all about. Matthew 5, verse 48.

Therefore, you shall be perfect just as your Father in heaven is perfect. Jesus Christ, in the Sermon on the Mount, talks about learning to love our enemies, to pray for our enemies, to really be loving like God is loving, God who gave His only Son to die for the sins of all of mankind. He says, Therefore, you shall be perfect just as your Father in heaven is perfect. So perfect that He allowed His Son, He gave His Son to die for each and every one of us, and His Son laid His life down for us. That is perfection. Having that kind of love, God is love, and we are to become like Him. Our goal is to be perfect. We need to change and overcome and grow in this life. While we are in the flesh, we need to make changes in our life. We do need to be overcomers.

In Ephesians 4, again it talks about our destiny, our calling. It talks about what God wants from each and every one of us, how we need to look at our lives, how we need to draw close together as God's people, and that we need to have a clear vision of what God is doing in our lives.

Ephesians 4, verse 11. Now, obviously, He's talking about the Church here.

It says, He Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers. Why? For the equipping of the saints, saints are those God is calling now. Saints are all of us who have yielded ourselves before God and are striving to become like Him. Saints are those who have the Spirit of God dwelling in them. That is what a true saint is, and the Scripture reveals that. For the equipping of the saints, for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ, the Church of God, till we all come to the unity of the faith. This is our goal, that we would all come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ. This is your destiny, to become like Christ, to become fully like Jesus Christ, that we should no longer be children, no longer toss to and fro and carry about with every wind of doctrine by the trickery of men in the cunning craftiness of deceitful plotting, but speaking the truth in love may grow up in all things into Him who is the Head. Christ is the Head of His Church, from whom the whole body, and we all have a part to play in the body, each and every one of us, as the saints of God, from whom the whole body joined and knit together by what every joint supplies, according to the effective working by which every part does its share.

It causes growth of the body for the edifying of itself in love. So, brother, we are called to be a church that is to become without spot or wrinkle or any such thing. Certainly we fall short of that, but that must be our goal. That must be our vision. The Scripture goes on to talk about how we are to put off the old man and how we are to walk in newness of life.

It's reflecting back on our baptism. When we're drowned in a watery grave, we bury the old man and we come out resurrected, in a sense, walking in newness of life, learning to walk in the Spirit and not in the flesh.

In Philippians 2, it talks about the mind we are to have. We are to have a certain kind of mind. Again, it speaks of our destiny as God's people. Philippians 2, verse 5, Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus, who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, but made himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bond servant, coming in the likeness of men, coming in the flesh. Jesus Christ was born of a woman. He was a baby in her womb, in Mary's womb. Verse 8, And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself, this divine being who was there in the very beginning, who said, Let us make man in our image. He now humbled himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross. Therefore God also has highly exalted him, and given him the name, which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven and those on earth, and of those under the earth, and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God the Father. We are to be humbled and exalted as Christ. Was humbled and exalted. That is our destiny, to become like Christ, to put on His mind to one day be shed of the flesh like Jesus Christ was shed of His flesh. He died, but He was resurrected, a spirit being, no longer flesh.

This is our destiny. We are now to put on the mind of Christ so that one day we will become exactly like Christ, changed in the spirit, a member of the family of God, for eternity. In 2 Corinthians chapter 3, 2 Corinthians chapter 3, again we see this theme in the Bible throughout the entire Bible from Genesis to Revelation.

God's plan is revealed. Your destiny is revealed in the pages of the Bible. 2 Corinthians chapter 3, 2 Corinthians chapter 3 verse 7. But if the ministry of death, written and engraved on stones, was glorious so that the children of Israel could not look steadily at the face of Moses because of the glory of his countenance which glory was passing away, how will the ministry of the Spirit now be more glorious?

For if the ministry of condemnation had glory, the ministry of righteousness exceeds much more in glory. For even what was made glorious had no glory in this respect because of the glory that excels. Again, it's talking about the glory that is going to be revealed in each and every one of us at the return of Jesus Christ when we will no longer be flesh, but we will be born into the family of God, born of the Spirit. Verse 10, for even what was made glorious had no glory in this respect because of the glory that excels. For if what is passing away was glorious, you know, really this fleshly body, in a sense, is also glorious. It's fearfully and wonderfully made. It is astounding, really, this creation that God has put together, this human body. It's truly amazing, but it has nothing in comparison to the glory that will be revealed at Christ's return. Verse 12, therefore, since we have such hope, we use great boldness of speech, unlike Moses, who put a veil over his face so that the children of Israel could not look steadily at the end of what was passing away.

Remember, Moses had the Shekinah glory. It was in his being. God gave this to him. Verse 14, but their minds were blinded, for until this day the same veil remains un-lifted in the reading of the Old Testament because the veil is taken away in Christ. But even to this day, when Moses is read, a veil lies on their heart. He's talking about how God isn't calling everyone now. There is still a veil over the hearts and minds of the vast majority of people. Verse 16, and certainly the Jews have not accepted Jesus Christ as their Savior in the main, now some have, but many have not. Verse 16, nevertheless, when one turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away. We have turned to the Lord, the veil has been taken away. Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty.

But we all with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror, the glory of the Lord, we are being transformed. This is the word metamorphosis. We are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord. We have an earnest of the Spirit now. We have a down payment. Mr. Palmer was talking about what we are developing in our lives, a kind of interest. Are we stirring up the Spirit of God in our lives? Are we walking in the Spirit? That's the most important investment that we can make. In Philippians, we'll go back to Philippians chapter 3. It talks about our citizenship being in heaven. We are not to look at ourselves as citizens here on earth. Now, in one sense, we are, but in a greater sense, we are to look at ourselves as citizens of God's heavenly realm.

Philippians chapter 3 verse 12. Not that I have already attained or am already perfected. This is Paul speaking. He knows that he's not yet perfect. In fact, Paul was the one who said, the things that I want to do, I don't do, and the things that I do, I don't want to do. O wretched man that I am, who will deliver me from this body of death? He said, I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord. That's how we'll all be delivered from this body of death.

Paul said, not that I have already attained or am already perfected, but I press on that I may lay hold of that for which Jesus Christ or Christ Jesus has also laid hold of me. Brethren, I do not count myself to have apprehended, but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead, I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. Therefore, let us, as many as are mature, have this mind. Again, we are to put on the mind of Christ. And if in anything you think otherwise, God will reveal even this to you. God will reveal His truth and His will to you as you remain faithful and as you seek Him. Nevertheless, to the degree that we have already attained, let us walk by the same rule, let us be of the same mind. Brethren, join in following my example and note those who so walk as you have us for a pattern. We are to follow men as they follow Christ. God does have authority in the Church and we are to follow as people follow Christ. For many walk, of whom I have told you often and now tell you, even weeping, that they are the enemies of the cross of Christ, whose end is destruction, whose God is their valley, and whose glory is in their shame, who set their mind on earthly things. Now, we are not to set our mind on earthly things. We are to look beyond the earthly things to the spiritual, for our citizenship, as it says in verse 20, is in heaven, from which we also eagerly wait for the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, who will transform our lowly body, that it may be conformed to His glorious body. He's saying that we will be shed of this flesh, this lowly body, and we will be conformed to His glorious body. We will literally be born into the family of God. We will be born of the Spirit at Christ's return. Now, that is the vision that we need to have each and every day of our lives. It says, according to the working by which He is able even to subdue all things to Himself. God is in charge. God knows what is happening. God is on His throne. Christ is the head of the church. Anyone who has the Spirit of God is a part of God's church, no matter what organization they find themselves in. So, we need to treat one another with respect. At all times, people who have decided to leave our fellowship, we need to treat them with respect. We need to love them. God is their judge. God is working in their lives. And we need to pray that we all would repent of our sins, beginning with me, beginning with you. So, we need to keep that in mind, brethren. Anyone who has the Spirit of God dwelling in them is a member of God's true church.

But our citizenship is in heaven, and we need to look beyond the fleshly and beyond this earthly to the spiritual. In Revelation 2, verse 7, it speaks of how we are to be overcomers in this life. With God's help, we will all overcome. We will grow.

And with God's help, we'll remain steadfast to His truth.

Revelation 2, verse 7, He who has an ear let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches, To him who overcomes, I will give to eat from the tree of life, which is in the midst of the paradise of God. Speaking about the kingdom of God, those who overcome will eat from the tree of life.

It's speaking of actually being changed into spirit. At the return of Christ, as God's kingdom and government is ushered in, as it's ushered up upon this earth, we are to be kings and priests. We are to rule with Christ for a thousand years on the earth.

That's when we will be eating of the tree of life, which is in the midst of the paradise of God.

In chapter 21 of Revelation, chapter 21, again it says, He who overcomes. Revelation 21, verse 7, He who overcomes shall inherit all things. It's talking about overcoming our human nature, overcoming sin, overcoming Satan, overcoming the self.

To He who overcomes shall inherit all things. We will inherit all things.

God owns everything, doesn't He? We will inherit all things as we become a part of His family. He who overcomes shall inherit all things, and I will be His God, and He shall be my son. Now, that sounds like a family relationship.

God will become, in the fullest sense, our Father. We will be His sons, His daughters, spiritually. But the cowardly, the unbelieving, the abominable, the murderers, the sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars shall have their part in the lake which burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death. We are to overcome sin. We must not be practicing sin at the return of Christ. This is something that we must put out. We will keep the days of Unleavened Bread again after Passover this year. It will picture putting sin out of our lives, becoming cleansed through the blood of Jesus Christ, accepting Christ as our Savior, allowing Christ to live in us, to motivate us, to guide us, to help us overcome, to help us put sin out of our lives. This is a part of our destiny as God's people.

To He who overcomes will I grant to sit with Me on my throne.

Now, brethren, how will this big change take place? Let's look in the Old Testament at Job, Chapter 14. This change from physical to spirit. In the Old Testament, we see that Job had an understanding, perhaps not as full of an understanding as we've been blessed to have, but he did have an understanding of his destiny. In Job 14, and this is often read at funerals, this is, I make a practice of reading some of these verses at a funeral.

In verse 14, Job asked the question, if a man dies, shall he live again?

He says, all the days of my hard service I will wait, till my change comes. He expected a change from physical to spirit. He expected to be resurrected at the return of his Messiah, the Savior Jesus Christ.

If a man dies, shall he live again? I will wait till my change comes.

You shall call and I will answer you. You shall desire the work of your hands, for now you number my steps, but do not watch over my sin. My transgression is sealed up in a bag, and you cover my iniquity. See, Job was not perfect. Job was the most righteous man alive at the time, and that's why he is talked about in the Bible. That's why God selected him and used him as an example. He was the most righteous man, yet he was not perfect. He knew that he was a sinner. He knew that those sins needed to be forgiven. That is our destiny. Your sins will be forgiven through the sacrifice of Jesus Christ. No matter what you've done in your past, if you've truly repented of those sins, they are washed away in the blood of Christ.

In Psalm 17, again in the Old Testament, King David has something to say about his destiny. Psalm 17 verse 15. Psalm 17 verse 15. David says, As for me, I will see your face in righteousness. I shall be satisfied when I awake in your likeness. It's not David talking about a resurrection to life. He will awake in righteousness because no longer will he be subject to sin. David was a sinner. David repented of his sins. David was cleansed. David looked forward to the resurrection when he would awake in righteousness as a spirit being born into the family of God. That is your destiny to have your sins forgiven and to awake at the return of Jesus Christ in righteousness. Not in corrupt flesh, but in righteousness. We won't go to Acts 2.29, but it talks about how David is dead in the grave. He's dead and buried. His sepulcher is still with us. But he is awaiting a resurrection to life. I will awake in your likeness. I will become like you, born into your family as a spirit being. David understood this. Job understood. Paul understood. We have been given this precious truth that we might understand.

The Hebrew word translated lightness in this verse where David says he will awake in your likeness. The Hebrew word is temunah, and it is used elsewhere to directly represent God himself.

In Numbers 12, verse 8, and we're not going to take the time to go there, but in Numbers 12, verse 8, and also in Deuteronomy chapter 4, verses 12 and 15, this word is translated similitude. This word temunah is a completely different word from the word that's translated when it's talking about the fleshly lightness.

The fleshly lightness in which human beings were created. There is another lightness, a spiritual lightness. That's what it's talking about here. How will David bear the lightness of God without being in God's family? The answer is he won't.

He will bear the lightness of God as a member of the God family, born of spirit. Scripture says that God is spirit, and we must worship Him in spirit and in truth. In John chapter 5, let's go back to the New Testament now. John chapter 5. John 5, verse 16. For this reason the Jews persecuted Jesus and sought to kill Him because He had done these things on the Sabbath. He did good things on the Sabbath. He healed on the Sabbath.

But Jesus answered Him, answered them, My Father has been working until now, and I have been working. Therefore the Jews sought all the more to kill Him because He not only broke the Sabbath. Of course, in their minds He broke the Sabbath, but He certainly did not break the Sabbath. He is Lord of the Sabbath, Creator of the Sabbath. He rested on that seventh day as He was creating man. The day before, on the sixth day. But also said that Jesus was His Father making Himself equal with God. Remember we talked about that. How Christ thought it not robbery to become equal with God.

Verse 19, Then Jesus answered and said to them, Most assuredly I say to you, The Son can do nothing of Himself, but what He sees the Father do. For whatever He does, the Son also does in like manner. For the Father loves the Son and shows Him all things that He Himself does, and He will show Him greater works than these that you may marvel.

For as the Father raises the dead and gives life to them, even so the Son gives life to whom He will. For the Father judges no one, but has committed all judgment to the Son. That all should honor the Son, just as they honor the Father, He who does not honor the Son does not honor the Father who sent Him. Most assuredly I say to you, He who hears My word and believes in Him who sent Me has everlasting life, has eternal life, and shall not come into judgment, but has passed.

He has passed from death into life, eternal life. Most assuredly I say to you, the hour is coming, and now is when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God, and those who hear will live. For as the Father has life in Himself, so He has granted the Son to have life in Himself, and has given Him authority to execute judgment also, because He is the Son of man.

Do not marvel at this, for the hour is coming in which all who are in the graves will hear His voice and come forth, those who have done good to the resurrection of life, and those who have done evil to the resurrection of condemnation. Those who refuse to repent and continue in their evil ways will be cast into a lake of fire, a resurrection to condemnation. Verse 30, I can of myself do nothing as I hear I judge, and my judgment is righteous, because I do not seek my own will but the will of the Father who sent me.

Jesus plainly said that God was His Father. He is our elder brother. We are to be born into the family as Jesus Christ, who was born of the Virgin Mary, was born in a resurrection. The divine nature that He had divested Himself of was given back at the resurrection. In Philippians 2, verse 6, we already read this, it's about Christ who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God. We don't need to go there again, but we've read it already. Christ promised eternal life to those who hear His word and believe in Him who sent Jesus Christ.

We know that we are all called because God chose to call us. John 6, 44, No man can come to Me except the Father draws him. I'll raise him up at the last day. This is a calling. The reason you are here today is because you've been called. And I'm working on a sermon about called, chosen, and faithful.

Sometime in the future I'll be giving that sermon. We have been called, we have been chosen, and we must remain faithful. If we are to be in the family of God, now we have been called. If you've got the Spirit of God dwelling in you, you have been chosen. Now you must remain faithful. We are to become partakers of the divine nature. Let's read that in 2 Peter 1. 2 Peter 1. We are to be partakers of the divine nature. 2 Peter 1. 2 Peter 1. 4.

By which have been given to us exceeding great and precious promises, these are great and precious promises that we're talking about today. God is promising eternal life to the saints, to those who yield themselves and are overcomers, who accept Christ as their Savior, who strive to live by every word of God. These are promises. They are great and precious and exceedingly wonderful promises that through these you may be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust. We are all subject to lust, to the flesh. We're all subject to the lust of the flesh. We fight against it each and every day of our lives. But we shall be given the divine nature of God. We shall become like Him. No longer shall we sin, because we will be born into the family of God. We will be faithful as God is faithful. We will be perfect as God is perfect. This is God's plan. This is what He's doing down here. And it gets pretty messy down here on earth, doesn't it?

So we have to keep our minds and our hearts focused on our true destiny, and not allow anything to deter us from being faithful. In Matthew 13, it speaks again of our destiny as it shows us that we will shine forth as the sun in full strength. Matthew 13, the sun is so powerful we can't look into it without damaging our eyesight. Matthew 13, this is an analogy of what we have in store for us. Matthew 13, verse 43. Matthew 13, verse 43.

And speaking of the parable of the terrors, and I'm not going to take the time to read it, but it talks about those who will be cast into a furnace of fire. There will be weeping and gnashing of tea for those who will not repent. But notice verse 43. Then the righteous will shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their father. He who has ears to hear, let him hear. We will awake in righteousness at the return of Christ. We will shine forth as the sun. We will have this Shekinah glory. In the fullest sense, we will become like Christ.

In Revelation 1, it talks about Christ shining in full strength. Revelation 1. Revelation 1, verse 13. Revelation 1, verse 13. Let's read verse 12 along with it. Revelation 1, verse 12. Then I turned to see the voice that spoke with me, and having turned I saw seven golden lampstands. And in the midst of the seven lampstands, one like the Son of Man, clothed with a garment down to the feet, and girded about the chest with a golden band. His head and hair were white like wool, as white as snow, and his eyes like a flame of fire. His feet were like fine brass, as if refined in a furnace, and his voice as the sound of many waters.

He had in his right hand seven stars out of his mouth when a sharp two-edged sword, in his countenance, was like the sun shining in its strength.

His countenance was like the sun shining in its strength. And when I saw him, I felt his feet as dead, but he laid his right hand on me, saying to me, Do not be afraid. I am the first and the last. I am he who lives and was dead, and behold, I am alive forevermore. Amen, and I have the keys of Hades and of death. Here it shows, again, that Christ will shine as the sun in full strength. Converted human beings will eventually become like Christ, and we will shine also like the sun in full strength. We will have the same glorious level of God-playing existence as Jesus Christ. He is truly our elder brother, and we will become like him in the fullest sense. Of course, Christ was there in the very beginning with God. He has eternally existed. There is a difference between us, of course. We have not eternally existed. God the Father and Jesus Christ have eternally existed. But short of that, we will become like Christ. We will be like him. We will see him as he is. We will become like him. In Romans 6, it says that we shall be in the likeness of his resurrection. Romans 6, we shall be in the likeness of the resurrection of Jesus Christ. Verse 5, chapter 6, this is considered the baptism chapter. For if we have been united together in the likeness of his death, as we again go under the watery grave, have our sins forgiven, in that watery grave we commit ourselves, as it says in Acts 2.38, repent and be baptized, every one of you, for the remission of your sins. For if we have been united together in the likeness of his death, certainly we also shall be in the likeness of his resurrection. Knowing this, that our old man was crucified with him, and the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves of sin. Truly, we will no longer be a slave of sin when we are born into the family of God. We still struggle against sin today. Sometimes we allow Satan to enslave us for a time, but with God's help we break free.

It is a fight we have to continually fight. It is a battle that we must always battle. We must not give up hope when we sin. We need to fall to our knees and pray that God will grant us repentance of our sins. And God is faithful and just to forgive us our sins as Jesus Christ makes intercession for each and every one of us, knowing how difficult it is in the flesh. Christ came in the flesh that he might fully understand our dilemma. Now, he was without sin. He was tempted in every point as we are, yet he was without sin. He was conceived of the Holy Spirit. He was the Son of God. Even though he was in the flesh, and he was subject to the temptations and the lust of the flesh, he was tempted in every point as we are, yet he never yielded to Satan. We have all yielded to Satan's influence in our life. We have all fallen short of the glory of God. We need a Savior. Thankfully, it is our destiny to have a Savior.

In Romans 8, Romans 8, Romans 8, verse 14, For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God. Again, it speaks of a family, sons in the God family. For you did not receive the Spirit of bondage again to fear, but you received the Spirit of adoption or sonship by whom we cry out, Abba, Father, showing a personal close relationship. Abba, Father, is like saying, Daddy, it's like a close relationship with our Heavenly Father. The Spirit itself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God. And if children, then we are heirs. We are heirs of God, and we are joint heirs with Christ. Joint heirs with Christ. Christ is to inherit all things. We are to inherit all things. If indeed we suffer with Him, that we may also be glorified together. We shall be glorified together, all of us together, who have the Spirit of God dwelling in us. At the return of Christ, the firstfruits will be born into the family of God. That is your eternal destiny.

In 1 Corinthians 15, we'll go to the resurrection chapter for a moment. 1 Corinthians 15.

Verse 49, 1 Corinthians 15, we can read the whole chapter as it applies to much of what we're talking about. 1 Corinthians 15, verse 49, it talks about putting off this flesh and having a glorious body. Verse 49, As we have borne the image of the man of dust, we shall also bear the image of the heavenly man, or of the heavenly. Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God, nor does corruption inherit incorruption. Behold, I tell you a mystery. We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed. Job was waiting to be changed. This is what he's talking about right here. We shall be changed in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. For this corruptible flesh must put on incorruption. This mortal flesh must put on immortality. So when this corruptible has put on incorruption, and this mortal has put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory. O death, where is your sting? O Hades, where is your victory? You have none with the saints of God. The sting of death is sin, and the strength of sin is the law. The law is an effect. We must humble ourselves and observe the laws of God. But thanks be to God who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. We will fall short. We will at times break the law of God. But we have a Savior. Our sins are forgiven through the blood of Christ. So our victory is through our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your labor is not in vain in the Lord.

In Psalm 82, verse 6, and again, I know I'm going to a lot of verses today, but I really want us to be well grounded in our destiny. It's coming right out of the word of God, and there are many, many more verses that we could turn to. This is just a sampling. Psalm 82, verse 6.

I said, You are gods, and all of you are children of the Most High. You are all children of the Most High. We are all children of the Most High. We will be born into the family of God, for we are His children, and He loves His children.

In John 10, let's go back there. John 10.

John chapter 10, verse 34. John 10, verse 34. Jesus answered them, Is it not written in your law, I said, You are gods? Christ is harkening back to what we just read in Psalm 82, verse 6. Jesus quotes this verse when He's being accused by the Jews. They are saying that He has committed blasphemy by claiming that you, being a man, make yourself God. Jesus answered them, Is it not written in your law, I said, You are gods? If He called them gods to whom the word of God came, and the Scripture cannot be broken, do you say of Him whom the Father sanctified and sent into the world, You are blaspheming because I said, I am the Son of God? Now, we know that Christ is revealed as the I AM in the Old Testament. We're not going to take the time to go there either, but there are many other verses that we could tie in to this. There is a Father-Child relationship that is found throughout the Bible. We are indeed the children of God. We are made in His image. Father and Child generally enjoy the same quality of life.

We generally enjoy the same quality of life.

We are children of God Most High. We shall be His children forever. In His Kingdom, we shall become like Him. In Malachi 3, God says, They shall be Mine. He says, You shall be Mine. Malachi 3, verse 17.

Malachi 3, verse 17. They shall be Mine, says the Lord of Hosts. God wants you as His own. You shall be Mine, says the Lord of Hosts, on the day that I make them my jewels. God considers you one of His jewels, precious in His sight. On the day that I make them my jewels, and I will spare them as a man spares his own son who serves Him. His own son whom He loves. Then you shall again discern between the righteous and the wicked, between one who serves God and one who does not serve Him. God does want us to serve Him. It's not just as you are. You must overcome. You must change. You must learn to serve your God. You must learn to love Him with all of your heart, with all of your soul, with all of your mind. That is your destiny.

One final verse, 1 John 2. 1 John 2.

1 John 2.

1 John 2, verse 24. 1 John 2, verse 24. Therefore let that abide in you, which you heard from the beginning. If what you heard from the beginning abides in you, we started at the very beginning in Genesis 1, verse 1 today, in the sermon.

What you heard from the beginning abides in you, you also will abide in the Son and in the Father. If you will study the Word of God from Genesis 1 to Revelation 21, if you study the Word of God and you believe it, and you live by it, actually Revelation 22. I thought I was wrong about that, and I had to go check. Getting back again to 1 John 2, chapter 24. Therefore let that abide in you, which you heard from the beginning. And what you heard from the beginning abides in you, you also will abide in the Son and in the Father. And this is the promise that He has promised us, eternal life. That is the promise that you have. That is your destiny, eternal life. Thankfully, this is not all that there is. Thankfully, this is not all that there is. There is so much more ahead of us.

Yes, brethren, there are many, many ideas regarding life after death. Many ideas about man's destiny and man's future. But what is the truth? Brethren, God's Word is true, and today we've gone through many scriptures that prove that God is offering to us eternal life as a member of His family, a member of the God family. All the trials, all the struggles that you go through are worth what God has in store for His children. We must continue to fight the good fight. We have been called. We have been chosen. We must remain faithful. Let's be going about doing our Father's business now that we may be part of His family for all eternity.