Tuesday, February 21
Formed
Scripture: Galatians 4
Galatians 4:19–20 My children—I am again undergoing birth pains until Christ is formed in you! 20 I wish I could be with you now and change my tone of voice, because I am perplexed about you.
Observation
You can feel the pastor-heart of Paul in this chapter. He is hurting, concerned, perplexed over the Galatians’ abandonment of the gospel and their return to keeping the Mosaic law. He feels like he is going through the pains of labor all over again!
He desires to see “Christ formed in you” (formed is the Greek word morphoō—we get “morph” from it). This is the work of discipleship or spiritual formation—to help people follow Jesus and become like Jesus. Being a Christian is so much more than just believing a few things or behaving in a certain way. It’s about being formed into the image of Jesus.
Romans 8:29 …those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son…
This is our destiny: to be conformed to the image of Jesus (Greek: sunmmorphoō) .
2 Corinthians 3:18 And we all, with unveiled faces reflecting the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another, which is from the Lord, who is the Spirit.
This is our destiny: to be transformed into the image of Jesus (Greek: metamorphoō.)
Formed, conformed, transformed—more like Jesus. Nothing less.
Application
Are you becoming more like Jesus? That’s the goal. Don’t settle for anything less. This is the process of discipleship—apprenticing with Jesus to become more like him. Be with Jesus, become like Jesus. What are you doing today to be formed like Jesus?
Formed, conformed, transformed—more like Jesus. Nothing less.
Prayer: Lord, I love you and I want to be formed to be more like you. Here is my life—form me today.
More: Leviticus 13-14, Acts 28