God's original purpose and plan for man is revealed in the first chapter of the Bible, at creation. His planned purpose was and still is, that we might be in the "image and likeness" of our heavenly Father, Creator.
"And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness.... So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them." Gen. 1:26-27
But in order for us to be in our heavenly Father's "likeness", He gave us a tiny fraction of his own Omniscience, Omnipresence, Omnipotence, and Omni-will. That means we got a tiny bit of His own capability, in knowledge, presence, power, and free will to choose. This latter, fractional likeness, allows us to decide to seek to make God's will our will or to rebel against His will and purpose for us. So it was that the first man and woman chose disobedience and thus passed on to all of their descendants the willful human nature to rebel against God's will and purpose, in making us in His likeness, spiritually. Therefore, God planned a means of bringing those who "would" seek His will, whom He "foreknew", back into His will and purpose through a Messiah Savior, Jesus Christ. He would be "the firstborn among many brethren". He would lead the way, pay the price, and redeem the willing back unto Himself to seek our Father's Spiritual "likeness" which was in Jesus Christ, our example and Lord.
"For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren.
Rom.8:29.
Through faith in Jesus Christ, God's firstborn, He opened to all who would come unto Him, the doors of invitation into his presence, power, knowledge, and will ... that we might become "partakers of His divine nature"... Christ-likeness.
"According as his divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and virtue: Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust." 2 Pet.1:3-4
Jesus admonished His disciples (us) with this goal for our lives... "Christ-likeness".
"I have given you an example, that ye should do as I have done to you." John 13:15. ...Christ-likeness.
"Forasmuch then as Christ hath suffered for us in the flesh, arm yourselves likewise with the same mind ...." 1Pet.4:1. ...Christ-likeness.
"Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life." Rom.6:4. ...Christ-likeness.
"If there be therefore any consolation in Christ, if any comfort of love, if any fellowship of the Spirit, if any bowels and mercies, Fulfil ye my joy, that ye be likeminded, having the same love, being of one accord, of one mind..." Phil.2:1-2. ...Christ-likeness.
"But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass (mirror) the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord." 2 Cor.3:18. ...Christ-likeness.
"Look not every man on his own things, but every man also on the things of others. Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus." Phil.2:4-5. ...
Christ-likeness.
There is a day when we will become fully Christ-like ... God's restored, finished product ... for eternity....
"Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.' 1Cor. 15:51-52. ... Christlikeness.
"Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is. And every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself, even as he is pure." 1 John 3:2-3. ...Christ-likeness.
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