Christ Formed In You

Read: Galatians 4:19

Galatians 4:19 KJV 1900

19 My little children, of whom I travail in birth again until Christ be formed in you,

Introduction:

It is my strongly held belief that the new birth, salvation, getting saved is a supernatural work. or monergestic. By that I mean that we don’t have anything to do with it.

We must repent yes,

we must believe in Christ yes,

but that is only possible due to the grace given to us by God.

Our walk with God, and growth in grace however I believe is a synergistic. Meaning we cooperate with the Holy Spirit.

It is only as we continue to believe in Christ that we continue being saved.

It is only as we walk in the light that we have that God gives us the next step

It is only as we apply the truth of the scriptures to our lives that we experience significant growth in our spiritual walk.

Paul is talking to people in this passage that he has preached to, prayed over, and worked with that he is waiting desperately for Christ to be formed in them.

Now the Galatian church had some great problems. Paul calls them in a couple of places backslidden.

But he knows that doesn’t have to be the end of the story.

What does it mean for us today to have Christ formed in us?

Well first lets look at what Paul meant by this idea.

The word - “formed” means to shape or become like. Louw-Nida says you could translate this as, “until you become like Christ was or is”

means “to form, not to the external and transient, but to the inward—expressing the necessity of change in character and conduct.”

Paul is sharing that his heart for these believers is that they be conformed to the image of Christ from the inside out.

This idea of “Christ formed in you” is a metaphor for Spiritual formation, Discipleship, Growth in grace whatever term you prefer.

It is us becoming Christlike.

Paul is wanting, or actually longing desperately to see Christ visibly living in the Galatians.

We are given a couple of Biblical pictures of this:

Phil. 2:5-8 “5 Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: 6 Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: 7 But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: 8 And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.”

1 Peter 2:21-23 “21 For even hereunto were ye called: because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that ye should follow his steps: 22 Who did no sin, neither was guile found in his mouth: 23 Who, when he was reviled, reviled not again; when he suffered, he threatened not; but committed himself to him that judgeth righteously:”

Eph. 4:13-15 “13 Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ: 14 That we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive; 15 But speaking the truth in love, may grow up into him in all things, which is the head, even Christ:”

Now a couple of things I need to point out before we go much further

We cannot imitate Christ if Christ is not dwelling within. As Oswald Chambers accurately notes, “[He] is either there or not.” Christ takes up His abode or lives in our hearts, when we invite Him in. When we repent of our sin, and confess Him to be Lord and He forgives our sins and comes to dwell in our hearts by faith. Paul admonished the Corinthians to:

2 Corinthians 13:5 “5 Examine yourselves, whether ye be in the faith; prove your own selves. Know ye not your own selves, how that Jesus Christ is in you, except ye be reprobates?”

Col. 1:27 “27 To whom God would make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles; which is Christ in you, the hope of glory:”

We cannot be what we do not know - This is why we need to know God’s Word. Read it, ingest it, accept it, apply it. I’ll talk more about this later.

So I think the big looming question is - How does this happen? How is Christ formed in us?

There are a couple of ways mentioned in the Bible that I want to talk about briefly.

1. Hard Work: Prayer and Travail - Gal. 4:19

This attitude and action of Paul captured and challenged my heart. Sometimes Paul writes some pretty strong and blunt things that make him sound so harsh but then he pulls back the cover and you see his soft and tender heart.

Paul says I am travailing in birth for you again until you become Christlike AGAIN!!!

this has two parts:

Prayer - Paul spent countless hours in prayer for these people.

Sometimes I think we waste so much time criticizing and picking people apart when we should be praying for them. I understand the whole “fruit inspecting thing:” but I’m afraid people take that way too far. It is so much easier to say to yourself or to someone else, “Look at how worldly they’ve become” or “Doesn’t how they raise their children just eat you up?” Instead of saying - “God I don’t understand so and so, and what they are doing. Would you help them to see the light, or help me know how to kindly and Christianly share the truth from your word to them?”

See that’s harder to do - thats travailing. Paul wasn’t going all through his missionary work spreading the gossip of all the other churches, he was on his knees for them praying and then he does another hard thing

Rebuke - Paul writes this letter sharing the truth with them.

They were wanting to become like the Law and Paul was saying no become like Christ.

There are times when rebuking and exhorting are necessary to help people get in line.

I have seen people sidestep this responsibility and the church suffer because of it.

I have been guilty of doing this incorrectly and watched people suffer from it.

I’m not saying we will get it right every time but God hep us to do the first part right so the second will be correct.

So when we are rebuked - take it with humility. Evaluate it sure, be sure it is of the Lord Absolutely - but receive it with humility and graciousness.

2. Heart Work: Reading God’s Word -

I know I’m a preacher I’m supposed to tell you to read the Bible - but I want to try to tell you why you need to read the Bible -

Listen to this important practical principle found in 1 Thess 2:13 “13 For this cause also thank we God without ceasing, because, when ye received the word of God which ye heard of us, ye received it not as the word of men, but as it is in truth, the word of God, which effectually worketh also in you that believe.”

Notice something important - The Word of God effectually working in us is contingent upon three important things

Accepting it as TRUTH as the Word of God

Believing it

Accepting and believing is presupposing you have access to it - which we in America do not have any excuse. It is everywhere. I have several Bibles at home, I have one on every electronic device I own, it is available online for free and yet we are so biblically illiterate today - we are also a weak little thing and its hard looking on to know whether we are Christian or something else…

I’m afraid its’ because we aren’t letting God’s Word Work effectually in us.

Here is how Paul worded it to the young preacher Timothy 2 Tim 3:16-17 “16 All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: 17 That the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works.”

Now I want to further add - this isn’t us doing it all We are given the HOly Spirit who is forming Christlikeness in us.

2 Corinthians 3:18 KJV 1900

18 But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord.

Has Christ been formed in you?

Do people know you as one of His followers?

Are you doing anything to aid your growth in grace? Praying, reading, walking in the light?

There should be measurable growth in your walk with God in your being formed into the image of Christ.