Second Corinthians 3:18 says, “But we all with unveiled face, beholding and reflecting like a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, even as from the Lord Spirit.” After we are saved, the Holy Spirit works in us that we may be transformed into the image of the Lord. This transformation is of the Lord’s Spirit and is the work of the Holy Spirit in us. The Holy Spirit will continuously work in us until we are completely transformed and even our body is redeemed and conformed to the Lord’s body of glory. First John 3:2 says, “If He is manifested, we will be like Him.” Hence, at the end of Revelation, we see that all God’s redeemed people are like jasper stone, being exactly the same as the image of God. This is the unique subject in the Bible. From beginning to end God works in us to fulfill this unique purpose—to make every one of us the same as He is.
When the Bible mentions that the Lord Jesus is the Son of God, there are two points of significance. First, He is the image of God. Colossians 1:15 says that the Lord Jesus is the image of the invisible God, and Hebrews 1:3 tells us that He is the impress of God’s substance. The second point of significance is that the life of God is in Jesus, His Son.
The image and the life of God are in His Son; thus, God, who wants us to also be His sons, requires the same of us. On the one hand, He works in us that we may have His image, and on the other hand, He causes us to have His life. Only those who have God’s life and image can be exactly the same as He is. This is the reason that God gave us His eternal life. The purpose is that we may be like Him. In other words, the unique purpose of God’s being in us is to work in us to the extent that we would be the same as He is in life, nature, image, and radiance.
Perhaps some people are not able to take this word, thinking that, regardless of how much we have been saved, man is still man, and God is still God, and man cannot be saved to the degree that he will be the same as God. However, Revelation clearly unveils this matter to us. The One sitting on the throne is like a jasper stone, and the wall of the city is also jasper stone. Both the wall of the city and the One who is sitting on the throne are like jasper stone. This means that we saved ones will one day be exactly the same as God. Not only will we see God’s glory, but God’s glory will become our glory, and we will be the same as God in life, nature, appearance, radiance, and even outward expression.
The beginning of Revelation mentions the “jasper God,” and the end mentions the “jasper city.” The jasper God becomes the center of the jasper city, and the jasper city becomes the perimeter of the jasper God. The jasper God is in the center, the jasper city is the perimeter, and the glory of God shines forth through the city. God and the city are completely one. The appearance, radiance, and nature of the city are absolutely the same as that of God. God and man are mingled together. God is in man, and man is in God. God is the content of man, and man is the expression of God. God is the center, and man is the perimeter.
Many of the visions and stories in the Bible are related to this. When we touch this matter, the whole Bible is linked together, and all the spiritual experiences are also linked together. The incarnation of the Lord Jesus was for this. His death on the cross and the shedding of His blood to bear man’s sin were for this. His resurrection, ascension, and becoming the life-giving Spirit were for this. He is saving sinners, edifying the saints, giving us grace, gifts, life, power, light, and vision for this. This matter is the center of the entire Bible. All the truths of the Bible hang securely on this because this matter is the center of God. The unique purpose of God in the universe is to make man the same as He is. This is the unique subject of the Bible.