… until Christ is formed in you …
Summary: Paul has a clear vision of what it means for a person to have Christ “fully formed” in them. We continue to meditate on Paul’s words so we can better understand what he means.
Paul’s use of childbirth as a metaphor for being “born again” (John 3:3) opens the door to some interesting thoughts.* Why, exactly, is Paul still laboring over the Galatians?
When Paul left the Galatian believers, he must have thought he left them equipped to fend off any misconceptions about the gospel of Jesus Christ. His astonishment (Galatians 1:6) at hearing about them “turning to a different gospel” suggests the news caught Paul off guard. Paul immediately dives into writing this beautiful letter about the true gospel that we call “Galatians.”
So what do we know?
- Paul taught the Galatians about faith in Jesus when he was with them.
- Paul left to continue with his work elsewhere.
- Some unknown persons arrive in Galatia and teach the Galatians a “different gospel.”
- Paul hears about the believers in Galatia turning back to a reliance on the law.
- Paul writes his letter to the Galatians.
Paul appears to have believed that “Christ was formed in [them],” but when he hears the news about them pursuing a different gospel, he realizes the opposite is true. Christ is not yet formed in them.
What does it mean for a believer to have Christ “formed in [them]”?
When the Pharisee, Nicodemus, comes to visit him, Jesus begins to teach him saying “Very truly I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God unless they are born again” (John 3:3). In this passage, Jesus is talking about a salvation issue, i.e. — how we come to “see the kingdom of God.”
Later in the conversation, Jesus says, “But whoever lives by the truth comes into the light, so that it may be seen plainly that what they have done has been done in the sight of God” (John 3:21). This statement is about how we live out our lives here on earth.
Did Jesus intend to address these topics separately? Does he want us to see our salvation through faith differently than how we see ourselves struggling with Christian living?
Rather than argue about Jesus and Paul’s intent, I would suggest that there is value in looking at our lives as Christians this way. On one hand, we are saved by faith in Jesus. There is nothing we can do to add to what Christ has already done. On the other hand, once saved by putting our faith in Jesus, we are confronted with the daily question, “How are we to live out our lives in a way that honors Christ?”
New Christians have a lot to learn. Some of us older Christians have a lot to learn, too. Having Christ “fully formed” in us is an amazing and worthy goal.
Application: Strive to please Jesus in everything we think and do.
Food for Thought: How does having Christ formed in us impact how we live our lives on earth?
*A special thanks to all who commented on yesterday’s post.
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