THE ETERNAL PURPOSE OF GOD: TO FORM SONS IN THE LIKENESS OF JESUS
Dr. Josimar Salum — August 3rd, 2025
For centuries, many have reduced faith to a religious system and the hope of “going to heaven” after death. But the Bible reveals something infinitely greater, deeper, and eternal: God called us, chose us, and predestined us with a glorious purpose — to be conformed to the image of His Son, Jesus Christ.
God’s eternal plan is not merely to rescue us, but to form in us the character, nature, and life of His beloved Son, so that Jesus may be the Firstborn among many brothers. This is God’s revelation, the heart of the Gospel of the Kingdom, and the eternal destiny of true disciples.
“For those he foreknew, he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers.”
— Romans 8:29
THE FATHER REVEALED IN THE SON
Jesus did not come merely to forgive sins. He came to reveal the Father. He is the image of the invisible God (Colossians 1:15), the radiance of God’s glory (Hebrews 1:3), the Word made flesh who dwelt among us (John 1:14).
“No one has ever seen God; the only begotten Son, who is in the bosom of the Father, he has made him known.”
— John 1:18
By revealing the Father, Jesus taught the eternal being to the sons of God. He is the perfect Son — and God desires many sons like Him. This is the eternal purpose: not merely to save sinners, but to form sons.
THE SON, THE IMAGE OF GOD
Jesus is what the Father desires to see in us. Being a disciple is not just about learning doctrine, but following Jesus, walking as He walked, living as He lived, obeying as He obeyed.
“Everyone who is fully trained will be like their teacher.”
— Luke 6:40
“Whoever claims to live in him must walk as Jesus did.”
— 1 John 2:6
THE DISCIPLE IS TRANSFORMED INTO HIS IMAGE
The Holy Spirit works in us to transform us, day by day, glory by glory, into the image of Christ. This transformation is not superficial — it is inward, deep, continuous, glorious — the essence of our life.
“But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord.”
— 2 Corinthians 3:18
A NEW HUMANITY OF SONS
From eternity, God planned to form a family of sons in the likeness of Jesus. Not just servants, but sons born from above, holy, true, and obedient — in whom Christ dwells.
“He chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him in love; and he predestined us to be adopted as sons through Jesus Christ.”
— Ephesians 1:4–5
“Christ in you, the hope of glory.”
— Colossians 1:27
TO BRING MANY SONS TO GLORY
Jesus did not come merely to save isolated individuals, but to bring many sons to glory, forming a new family in the likeness of the Son.
“It was fitting for him, for whom and through whom everything exists, to bring many sons to glory.”
— Hebrews 2:10
THE HOPE IS NOT TO DIE TO GO TO HEAVEN, BUT TO RISE AND REIGN WITH HIM
God’s purpose for His sons is not to go to heaven when they die, but to rise with Christ and reign with Him. Death is not a desirable end but the last enemy to be destroyed.
“If we died with him, we will also live with him; if we endure, we will also reign with him.”
— 2 Timothy 2:11–12
“The last enemy to be destroyed is death.”
— 1 Corinthians 15:26
HOPE MANIFESTS TODAY AND WILL BE FULFILLED ON THE LAST DAY
“For if by the offense of one man death reigned through him, much more will those who receive the abundance of grace and the gift of righteousness reign in life through the one, Jesus Christ. So then, just as through one offense judgment came upon all men to condemnation, so also through one act of righteousness grace came upon all men to justification of life.”
— Romans 5:17–18
“See what great love the Father has given us, that we should be called children of God. And that is what we are! For this reason, the world does not know us, because it did not know Him. Beloved, now we are children of God, and what we shall be has not yet been revealed. But we know that when He is revealed, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is. And everyone who has this hope in Him purifies himself, just as He is pure.”
— 1 John 3:1–3
THE CLIMAX OF THE PURPOSE: GOD ALL IN ALL
In the end, when everything is restored, the Son will hand over the Kingdom to the Father, and God will be all in all. This is the climax of the eternal purpose: all things reconciled, subjected, redeemed, and governed by God through Christ.
“Then the end will come, when he hands over the Kingdom to God the Father… and the Son himself will be made subject to him who put everything under him, so that God may be all in all.”
— 1 Corinthians 15:24–28
THE PURPOSE OF THE SON OF GOD
The eternal purpose of the Son of God, according to the Scriptures, is:
• To fully reveal the Father (John 1:18);
• To fulfill the Father’s will with perfect obedience (John 6:38);
• To establish and manifest the Kingdom of God on earth (Luke 4:43);
• To reconcile all things with the Father through the blood of the cross (Colossians 1:20);
• To bring many sons to glory (Hebrews 2:10);
• And finally, to hand over the Kingdom to the Father, so that God may be all in all (1 Corinthians 15:28).
CONCLUSION
The eternal purpose of God is not to take men to heaven, but to form sons in the likeness of Jesus.
He predestined us to be conformed to the image of the Son, to share in His life, nature, obedience, mission, cross, glory, and Kingdom.
This is the Gospel of the Kingdom. This is the eternal purpose of God. And it will not fail.
#ASONE
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