Conform, Conformation

To “conform” means to become like a particular pattern or example. In Christian teaching, conformation is the spiritual process in which God shapes believers to become like Jesus. Paul describes this process in Romans 8:28–30:

"And we know that God works all things together for the good of those who love Him, who are called according to His purpose. For those God foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, so that He would be the firstborn among many brothers. And those He predestined, He also called; those He called, He also justified; those He justified, He also glorified."

God desires and plans to have many sons and daughters. Therefore, each believer must become like Jesus, who is the perfect example. In Romans 8:29–30 the words “predestined,” “called,” “justified,” and “glorified” are in the past tense. This is because God sees the whole process from his eternal point of view. He sees it as already complete.

From God’s point of view, believers have already been glorified because he sees them as being like his Son. However, within human history, believers must still go through the process of becoming like God’s Son.

God works through all things in the lives of those who love him and are called according to his purpose. His goal is to shape each son and daughter into the image of his beloved Son.

The rest of Romans 8 cshows that the “things” God uses to make Christians like Christ include many kinds of suffering. Becoming like Jesus Christ also means sharing in his death (see Philippians 3:10). Transformation is an inward change that gives new life and changes a person’s inner nature. Conformation involves outward pressures that shape believers into the image of Christ. Believers need both kinds of change if they are to become like him.

For Paul, knowing Jesus meant knowing both the power of his resurrection and sharing in his sufferings. No one enjoys suffering, and no one wants to suffer as Job did. However, Job understood that suffering could refine him. He said, “When He has tested me, I will come forth as gold” (Job 23:10). Suffering develops qualities in believers that they do not naturally have. God uses suffering to shape them into the image of his Son.

The Lord Jesus gave his followers an example of suffering that they cannot avoid. He followed this path as the pioneer of salvation. The Father made him fully prepared through suffering (Hebrews 2:10). As a human being, Jesus became fully qualified to lead his people and to serve as their merciful high priest because he suffered for them.

Christians should expect to share in some of the sufferings of Jesus. However, no believer can repeat his unique suffering on the cross, where he gave his life to save people from sin.

Peter says that Christ suffered for believers and left them an example to follow (1 Peter 2:21). The Greek word translated “example” is hypogrammos. In common Greek, this word could refer to a writing model that showed the whole alphabet. Students traced each letter as they learned to write.

In the same way, the life of Jesus gives believers a pattern to follow. His life included suffering. Those who follow Jesus should expect to suffer, because God uses suffering to shape them into the image of his Son.

See also Transformation.