The Divine program is possible of accomplishment only as a firstfruits of the elect, and then the entire elect, have attained the moral image and the unity in Christ in God that God is seeking.

To be in the image of the Lord Jesus Christ. The elect are to become all that the Lord Jesus is in moral nature and character. The Lord Jesus Christ is perfect in righteousness, perfect in holiness, perfect in obedience to the Father.

Christ is the Lion of Judah when a lion is needed. Christ is the Lamb when a lamb is needed. Christ can be more cunning and ferocious than any earthly emperor. Christ can be more gentle than a nursing mother. Christ is more of a powerful, awesome lord than any human ruler. Christ also is as playful and innocent as a small child.

Christ is as free as an eagle, as kingly as a lion, as patient as an ox, and as compassionate as a man.

Christ is fully in the image of His Father. Christ is what God meant when He said, "Let us make man in our image."

Each member of the elect is being created so as to be perfect in righteousness, perfect in holiness, perfect in obedience to the Father. The remaining characteristics of Christ will be wrought in us according to our calling in the Kingdom of God.

Such transformation of moral nature and character is possible only as Christ is formed in us. The purposes God has for His elect become possible only as the objective of the transformed image is accomplished in the elect.

For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be changed into the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren. (Romans 8:29)

To be in union with Christ and with one another as Christ is one with the Father. The first two parts of the original Divine declaration concerning man is that he would be in the image of God and be male and female. Apart from image, and male and female there can be no fruitfulness and no rulership over the creation.

Unlike the other creatures of God (as far as we know), man is made in half. Half of mankind is male and half is female. The incompleteness of man makes union possible—union with God and union with people.

Of all the areas of human existence, relationships are the most important. Each of the Ten Commandments has to do with relationships. The world is in ruins today because of destructive relationships.

Man is made to be in perfect union with God through Christ and in perfect union with people. Perfect union is possible only through love—not human love or human compassion or human sentiment but Divine love and compassion. Much of our discipleship consists of the Lord removing destructive, human- instituted relationships from us and replacing them with pure, peaceable, God-instituted relationships.

The perfect union of which we are speaking is that which exists in the Godhead.

That they all may be one; as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us: that the world may believe that thou hast sent me. (John 17:21)

To be continued.