Christ Formed in Us

My dear children, for whom I am again in the pins of childbirth until Christ is formed in you…

Galatians 4:19

The Christian family has often returned to Galatians when it got off-track in its doctrine, expectations, and perspectives. Here in this brief letter the Spirit inspired Paul to explain true doctrine and to confront false teachings that have infiltrated the church off and on from the beginning of her history.

Consider this verse above and how it explains to us the purpose of the church, what our experience should be, and what our expectations should be. We exist to please God, and not just to please Him but to experience Christ within us, living our His life in us and through us.

The first thought, that we live to please God, can hardly be argued against by anyone familiar with the teachings of any form of biblical faith — though some have tried. Today, looking back on the past three hundred years of history, some churches have been almost swept under by humanism that has dethroned God and has exalted humanity to His authority. Whether this is called progressive-ism or liberalism or humanism or unbelief, it seems to be all in the same. But these movements, as tragic as they are, are short-lived for in their nature they have cut-off the affected parts of the Christian body from the main Body. Any church or movement that says, in the name of Christianity, that God’s opinion about us, that Christ’s authority over us, is of no account to us, is clearly antichrist doctrine. Better legalism than this.

But the second thought on this passage above is that it confronts legalism. Legalism is performance-based, promising blessings only as we outwardly do certain things. Legalism is the effort to achieve by the strict enforcing of rules and principles of outward behavior the transformation of our hearts and lives — an effort to make us godly through threats of punishments or rewards of faithfulness. It is both the “carrot and the stick” approach used in the past to motivate horses — dangle a carrot in front of his nose and the dull-minded animal will seek to walk to get it, even though it will always be just out of his reach — and if that does not help, then strike him on hip with a stick, and the sharp pain will get him going.

Unfortunately often in some Christian movements this is the only motivation offered. The “carrot” may be many things — riches, health, friends, acceptance, appeasing the judgmental attitudes of leaders — and the “stick” can also come in many forms, usually some threats — threats of financial disasters, future health problems, shame, and rejection by others. The carrots remain just out of reach, but the stick is often felt.

In these brief words — “Christ formed in you” — the Spirit-inspired writer explained to us the principle of transformation under grace. Its power is not fear or greed or the desire for acceptance by others. Its power is the Spirit of Christ who lives within us. Legalism with its threats and false promises of rewards is not the consideration, it is not the power, it is not the life of God, nor the power and force of the Christian life. The question Paul asked in Galatians 3:3 — “Are you so foolish? After beginning with the Spirit, are you now trying to attain your goal by human effort?” — echoes in the words of Christ being formed in us.

Let us be clear that God does reward faithfulness, and that disobedience does often bring unpleasant results. To do the right thing is rewarded by God. But outward adherence to righteousness mostly or only for the sake of outward rewards is the least mature motivations for Christian spiritual growth. True motivation comes from the life of Christ within us — living in our individual lives and living in our community as believers. Christ forms Himself in our hearts and in our fellowship.

So our purpose is not just to outwardly please Him, nor to even do this mostly. Our purpose is to experience Him personally and corporately and to let His life indwell us, and in so doing He will change us into His image. The outward measurements are of some benefit — our dull minds need something objective or we will too easily get off track — but the power and nature of transformation is the inward reality of God at work within us.

In our homes, God did not give us parents to merely rule us with punishments and threats, rather they set the right examples in life, and in good homes the children desire to become like their parents in all good character traits. Even more so in the Christian family — we not only have Christ as our Example, but we have Him also as our inner spiritual Experience.