Christ Formed in You

When making disciples, the end goal is for the individual to grow and become fully mature in Christ.

Galatians 4:19 identifies this spiritual formation as Christ being formed in you: "My little children, of whom I travail in birth again until Christ be formed in you."   

I find it amazing that Christ not only comes to dwell in our hearts by the Holy Spirit but grows in us as we allow Him to "take shape in us." The Greek word for formed in Gal. 4:19 appears only once in scripture and is used to describe the Christians in Galatians as little children who needed to mature. For something to be formed in us means to be "fashioned and transformed, as an artist who shapes their material into an image."  God sees us in His image and is molding and forming us as a potter forms the clay if we will let Him.   

Col. 1:27-29 highlights four elements that define a clear picture of discipleship: "27 To them God willed to make known what are the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles: which is 1. Christ in you, the hope of glory. 28 Him we preach, warning every man and 2. teaching every man in all wisdom, that we may 3. present every man perfect in Christ Jesus. To this end 4. I also labor, striving according to His working which works in me mightily."

Summarized, these four elements above are:

1.      Knowing Christ is in you. 

2.      We preach and teach Him to others in all wisdom.

3.      So they may grow up in Christ and no longer be spiritual babies.

4.      In all that we do, we yield to His anointing and dedicate ourselves to making disciples.

As Christ is formed in us, may John 3:30 be true in our lives: "He must increase and I must decrease." His ways and His thoughts take first place in my life as I allow Him to lead and guide me.