Who was the firstborn among many brethren (Romans 8:29)?

Next is predestination to be conformed to the image of His Son. It is not, let us mark well, merely predestination to be saved, but for future glory as conformed to the image of Christ, who is Himself “the image of God.” Doubtless the moral side of the truth is the prominent one here — that is, that the purity, holiness, and every other blessed virtue of our Lord, will have its bright reflection in His saints. Marvelous purpose indeed, and worthy of such a God! Elsewhere, of course, we learn that even physically our bodies shall be fashioned like unto His body of glory (Phil. 3:21). How blessedly complete the gracious purpose of our God. To our own hearts today could anything compare with being like Him who has saved us both from our sins and from the power of sin? To contemplate such a Person is to long to be like Him.

His title here — “the Firstborn among many brethren” — is plainly one of priority in Person, not in point of time of birth. Colossians 1:15-16 confirms such a principle as to the “firstborn.” Christ is “the firstborn of every creature.” Why? “For by Him were all things created.” Psalm 89:27 bears clear testimony also. Speaking of David as typifying Christ, God declares, “I will make him my firstborn, higher than the kings of the earth.” It is an official dignity far above any mere question of time. In Old Testament times the firstborn according to nature was accorded the priority over his brethren, but this rigid custom was yet oftentimes reversed by God, who gave the birthright to a younger. So now, God would make clear that Adam has been fully dispossessed of all the rights of the firstborn, and these are now eternally held by the Lord Jesus. Yet we may thank God that in grace He (Christ) has “many” whom He is not ashamed to call brethren (Heb. 2:11).

We were called according to purpose, and as foreknown of God. He has predestinated us to be like His Son, but mark, it is that HE might be pre-eminent—the Firstborn in that happy circle in heavenly glory—“FIRSTBORN AMONG MANY BRETHREN.”

The purpose itself is put clearly before us. Christ is of necessity in the forefront of it, and thus its justification, and the full assurance that it will be carried out. "We know that to those who love God all things work together for good, to those who are the called according to purpose." The present is linked with the future in a most absolute way. From God's foreknowledge of us in the past eternity to the accomplished glory of the future, there is a perfectly linked chain of blessing, no link of which can ever be sundered. God's purpose is that Christ His Son, should be a First-born among many brethren. How blessed to see the grace which is necessarily manifested when Christ is thus in the forefront! It is not here, therefore, the "Only-Begotten," of whom the apostle speaks. The Son is that; but He is here in human guise, a "Firstborn," which implies others, and that is clearly expressed. He is found thus with those whom He is not ashamed to call His brethren. God's purpose, therefore, includes, of necessity, these. If it failed as to the brethren, it would fail as to the Son of His love. They are bound up together in His thoughts.

We have, therefore, strong words here, words that are often somewhat too strong for the faith of His people. "Whom He foreknew, He also fore-ordained to be conformed to the image of His Son." If Christ is, on the one hand, the image of God Himself, (and He alone can be that in the reality of all that is implied,) yet we are to be conformed to His image. That is God's purpose as to us. He could not surely be without a purpose, and having the purpose, He could not be without the power of carrying this through. What comfort would there be for us in the midst of such a world as this, if it were not so? if God had not a purpose, or if He had one which could be set aside by man's self-will? How blessed, when we know Himself, when we realize that His will is but the expression of His perfect nature, how blessed then to see His will in all its sovereignty! We may be sure, too, that He will respect all the powers with which He has endued His creatures. He will do violence to nothing, but while this is surely so, He will carry out in the most absolute way every part of His purpose. This is definitely asserted here. "Whom He foreordained, these He also called; whom He called, He justified; whom He justified, He glorified." It is remarkable here that there is one thing left out which we should expect perhaps to have a foremost place. After justification, we are accustomed to say, comes sanctification, but where is sanctification here? We are indeed to be conformed to the image of His Son, and that, one may say, implies it fully; but in the chain of blessing which we are looking at now, sanctification seems, surely purposely, to be omitted; for it is just here that, alas, we perplex ourselves with all sorts of questions. We make of a condition, a doubt; and the legality natural to us will seek to intrude at any possible point; but between justification and glory here, there is absolutely no room left for it to come in.

Verse 28. We can, however, say, “And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.” We know this because, God is absolutely for us. This is now brought out to the end of the chapter. “To them who are the called according to his purpose.” God has not called us on account of any good in us, or any purpose in us. Let us carefully mark what His purpose was, for His call is the result of His purpose. This, then, is His purpose: “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.” He foreknew whom He should call; and He predestinated them, those whom He called, to this glorious destiny, to be like, conformed to the image of, His Son. What a purpose that His Son should be the firstborn among many brethren! How great the privilege to be called to share this place of glory!

In general the epistle to the Romans deals with man's responsibility, and God's blessed remedy in Christ, but here the epistle rises up to the purpose of God formed before the responsibility began; it reaches to the point where that to the Ephesians begins. The saints are called according to this purpose. Compare Titus 1:1-2; and 2 Tim. 1:9. God foreknew these persons and predestinated them to a state equally in His purpose, for the glory of Christ, namely, to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren. Wonderful place! but the place of God's counsels for them, who works all things after the counsels of His own will, not relative to anything that we are, save as connected with Christ's becoming a man; but the fruit of God's will, so that we measure it by that. But how blessed for us, not only as intrinsic glory, but as likeness to, and association with, Christ, the Son of God! He is the firstborn among many brethren. Such is the counsel of God - to associate us with Christ, in the place of sons, and conform us to the image of Him, the firstborn. Our responsibility was as children of the first Adam; the purpose of God concerning us in connection with the last Adam. This is a glorious and blessed truth. "As is the earthy, such are they also that are earthy; as is the heavenly, such are they also that are heavenly; and as we have borne the image of the earthy, we shall also bear the image of the heavenly." Being in this place, we are, then, anew responsible to show forth the life of Christ, and glorify Him; but this is founded on the possession of life. This purpose God pursues and accomplishes. Whom He has predestinated to this, He calls; whom He calls, He justifies: whom He justifies, He glorifies. He carries it on to the end. We have nothing here of sanctifying.

We have now brought to us the counsel and favour of God - His own purpose. If through grace any have loved God, they were called according to His purpose. The purpose is not here, nor indeed anywhere, simply sovereignty in election. It includes that to which they were called. They were foreknown; but whom he foreknew He predestinated to a glory which was in His mind and counsels before the world began, namely, to "be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren."

Before the foundation of the world He was the Object of the Father’s love, the delight of His heart. God’s purpose centred in Him. That purpose of love involved His glory as the Son in the home we speak of. Counsels of love and wisdom kept that same object in view; and even when God called those who were to be Christ’s brethren in that home, He “called” them “according to His purpose.” God loved them into loving Him, without demanding love; and He makes all things work together for their good. He foreknew them, and not only called them, but justified them, and predestinated them to be conformed to the glorious image of His beloved Son. But why? “So that HE should be the First-born among many brethren” in that home of indescribable glory, and blessedness; in that radiant circle of divine pleasure; where, in redemption glory, God has gathered those whom His Son calls brethren; where He Himself as First-born is the adored Object of every heart, even as the Father’s love finds its eternal joy in Him too; and the Holy Spirit pervading all, in plenitude of life and grace and power, gives both perfection of appreciation and response in that home of divine love.

God's Purposes about His Son. — Into the past, and into the future, are we here permitted to gaze; time being, as it were, an island in the midst of the sea of eternity, from which we can look before and behind on a boundless ocean. God foreknew, mark, not man, is it said, but a class, i.e., it is not the race as a whole of which the apostle writes, but of individuals — the called both of Jews and Gentiles. God foreknew such, and formed a purpose about them — predestined them to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the first-born among many brethren. Brethren for His Son He would seek. Companions, fellows for Him (Ps. 45:7; Heb. 1:9) He would provide, not out of the ranks of angels, but from amongst men. Now these should be conformed to the image of His Son, should be like Him. He as the Head of a race is to be, like Adam, surrounded by those who shall bear His image. Of this purpose both Paul and John have written, each too marking the difference between the saint as he is, and as he will be. "It doth not yet appear (or, is not yet made manifest) what we shall be. We know that when (or, if) He shall appear (or, be manifested) we shall be like Him: for we shall see Him as He is" (1 John 3:2). So wrote John. "As we have borne the image of the earthy, we shall also bear the image of the heavenly." (1 Cor. 15:49). So wrote Paul, who in addition has stated what is the true expectation of himself and of other Christians. "Our citizenship is in the heavens, from whence also we look for the Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ; who shall change (or, transform) the body of our humiliation, to be fashioned like to His body of glory, according to the working whereby He is able even to subdue all things to Himself" (Phil. 3:20-21). We have learnt of our standing before God. We have been taught of our relationship to Him. We have been evangelised as to the redemption of the body. Now we learn to whom we shall be like, whose image we shall bear — the image of His Son. Wonderful favour indeed this is, as yet but very faintly understood. But why are we predestined to this? Let us hear and adore, "That He might be the first-born among many brethren." God has purposes in store for Him, and this is one of them, and in working it out we are to share in such marvellous favour.

Purposing, foreknowing, predestinating, calling, in these ways has the Divine mind and the Divine will been in exercise. Ere the earth was enveloped in chaotic darkness, and when man was a creation of God unknown, and undreamt of by any intelligent creature, God purposed to have many brethren for the Son of His love. He foreknew them, He chose them from the beginning (2 Thess. 2:13). He predestined them to bear the image of His Son in the eternity of the future. Meanwhile, in time He began to call them by His grace, and to bring them to learn with worshipping hearts to what it is that they are really destined. And so surely will His gracious purpose be carried out, that it can be spoken of as if already completed. Yet, as is right and proper, God's purpose about His Son is first stated, and then the carrying out of that purpose in blessing to saints is declared to be in active operation, ” Whom He did predestinate, them He also called; and whom He called, them He also justified; and whom He justified, them He also glorified." Glorified we then shall be, for God has purposed it. Shall we exalt ourselves in our own eyes as we think of it? Who could, who will do that in the presence of the First-born, who had to die for us to enjoy it. The grace to us is wonderful. But the revelation of it in connection with the mention of the First-born should be sufficient to check all tendency to self-exaltation. We shall be with Him where He is, glorified together. Yet in all things He must have the pre-eminence (Col. 1:18.)

(Vv. 29, 30). We are left in no doubt as to the blessedness of God's purpose for us. This purpose centres in His Son. God has purposed to have a vast host conformed to the image of His Son, and in relationship with Christ as His brethren, amongst whom Christ will be supreme — the Firstborn.

THE FIRST-BORN AMONG MANY BRETHREN.

Romans 8:29. Because whom He has foreknown, He has also predestinated (to be) conformed to the image of His Son, so that he should be (the) first-born among many brethren.