CHRIST FORMED WITHIN -- Monday:
"My little children, of whom I travail in birth again until Christ be formed in you" (Gal 4:19, NASB)
The objective of God for those in Christ is not realized until Christ is "formed" within them. His purpose for them involves more than getting rid of their sin. That is essential to the realization of His purpose, but is not the purpose itself. Neither, indeed, is the Lord's goal for us to simply be found keeping a set of finely defined rules. In God's kingdom, character – participating in the Divine nature – can produce rule keeping; but rule keeping can never result in godly character, or conformity to the Divine image. 1,500 years of the administration of Law confirmed this to be the case.
The formation of Christ within, in its ultimate sense, involves the eradication of "flesh," or the Adamic nature. In the progressive sense, it is "growing up into Him in all things" (Eph 4:15), and being "changed from glory unto glory" (2 Cor 3:18). No progress is made in spiritual life where likeness to Christ, in some measure, is not found. An other-worldly frame of mind, continual attentiveness to the Father, and an aggressive desire for the will of God to be done in the one being saved, is absolutely essential.
Notice what is said in our text! It is Christ formed in us, not us working ourselves into His likeness! It is God Himself who accomplishes this work through the Spirit. It is He who "works in us both to will and to do of His own good pleasure" (Phil 2:13). It is the Father who has placed us in Christ and makes Him to be to us "wisdom, righteousness, sanctification, and redemption" (1 Cor 1:20). If God does not do the work, it will not be done! Faith relies upon Him "performing" this glorious work "until the day of Christ" (Phil 1:6).
Jesus, in this case, is the "Author and Perfecter" (Finisher) of the work started in us (Heb 12:2). The outcome of that work is the formation of Christ within — the domination of our entire personality with the Divine mind and character. All of this is accomplished with our full consent. Our wills are not violated, and the Divine nature is not compromised!
Bringing the saints to maturity is like giving birth to them again. Paul travailed in birth again until Christ was formed in them. The work is difficult because of the proliferation of zealous teachers of the Law. Law, you see, will not let God do His work! It insists upon us doing it ourselves. The Law promises life to those – and only to those – who "DO," not to those who believe, or even who "want." It is the "DOERS" that are justified by the Law, not those who, by faith, allow God to do the work. No person can be justified apart from Christ. Faith allows the formation of Christ within. Law forbids the accomplishment of that work!
The predestinated purpose of God is our conformity to the image of His Son. Thus it is written, "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" (Rom 8:29). Where this is not taking place, God's will is not being done in the individual. If a change is not taking place from glory unto glory (2 Cor 3:18), no spiritual progress is being made. If Christ is not being formed in us, we are only drifting further and further from the living God. Woe to the person or system that renders the process of Christ being formed in us improbable, or, worse yet, impossible! Such a system, however wise it may appear, is competing against God.
PRAYER POINT: Father, in the name of Jesus, I thank You for a salvation which I can become like Your Son, and thus walk and live with You.