verily was fore-ordained (Gr. foreknotvn), i. e. Jixed upon, chosen before the foundation of the world," 1 Pet. 1 : 20. 2 Tim. 2 : 19. John 10 : 14, 15 ; see also Acts 2 : 23. 1 Pet. 1 : 2. The idea, therefore, obviously is, that those whom God peculiarly loved, and by thus loving distinguished or selected from the rest of mankind ; or to express both ideas in one word, those whom he elected he predestined, &c.
He also did predestinate to be cojiformed to the image of his Son. To predestinate is to destine or appoint beforehand, as the original word is used in Acts 4 : 28, " To do whatsoever thy hand and counsel determined before to be done ;" " Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children," Eph. 1:5; "Being predestinated according to the purpose of him who workethall things after the counsel of his own will," Eph. 1: 11. In all the cases in which this predestination is spoken of, the idea is distinctly recognised, that the ground of the choice which it implies is not in us. We are chosen in Christ, or according to the free purpose of God, &c. This is a/ore-ordination, a determination which existed in the divine mind long prior to the occurrence of the event, even before the foundation of the world, Eph. 1 : 4 ; so that the occurrences in time are the manifestations of the eternal purpose of God, and the execution of the plan of which they form a part.
The end to which those whom God has chosen, are predestined, is conformity to the image of his Son, i. e. that they might be like his Son in character and destiny. He hath chosen us " that we should be holy and without blame before him," Eph. 1:4. 4: 24. " He hath predes- tined us to the adoption," i. e. to the state of sons, Eph. 1:5. " As we have borne the image of the earthy, we shall also bear the image of the heavenly," 1 Cor. 15 : 49 ; see Phil. 3 : 21. 1 John 3:2. As Paul in verse 17, had spoken of our suffering with Christ, and in the subsequent passage was principally employed in showing that though in this respect we must be like Christ, it was not inconsistent with our being sons and heirs, so here, when we are said to be conformed to the image of Christ, the idea of our bearing the same cross is not to be excluded. We are to be like our Saviour in moral character, in our present sufferings and future glory.
That he might he the Jirst-born among many brethren. This clause may express the design or merely the result of what had just been said. ' God predestinated us to be sons, in order that Christ might be,' &c. or ' He made us his sons, hence Christ is,' &c. The Jirst-born generally expresses merely the idea of pre-eminence. Ps. 89 : 27, "I will make him my first-born," 1. e. I will highly distinguish him. Col. 1 : 15, " First-born of every creature," i. e. the head of the creation. As all those who are called are destined to bear the image of Christ, to share ir the dignity, purity, and blessedness of the children of God, the result will be, that Christ, who partakes of our nature, and is not ashamed to call us brethren, will be the glorious head and leader of the sons of God, a mul titude which no man can number.