“My dear children, for whom I am again in the pains of childbirth until Christ is formed in you,”.
Galatians 4:19 NIV
Until Christ is formed in you!
The church in Galatia was founded by apostle Paul on one of his first missionary journeys. Apostle Paul wrote this message to the church in Galatia because he was concerned about the members as they were turning away from the Lord and following false teachings.
Paul, the founder of that church, the pastor of that flock, writes to them, calling them “children”!
He says: “My dear children I am suffering pains until Christ is formed in you!
Church is a family and not a religious organisation.
That’s why we always teach that Shalom is a family. “Biblically” we are not a religion, we are a family, we have “spiritual fathers” and we are brothers and sisters.
As a family no one can walk alone, no one can live without being connected and actively participating in Sunday services, cell groups (home meetings), prayer meetings, youth meetings (if you are young). etc.
As a family, everyone needs to be under the leadership of one of the church leaders. They are there to take care of you.
Sheep that go astray, that choose to be alone and disconnected from the Body of Christ are easy prey for the enemy.
Remember that the church is not a building, the Church is the Body of Christ, and if you are not actively participating in the church, you are moving away from the Body of Christ.
In John 3:1-10 We see a man (Nicodemus) full of knowledge of the Religion, but he was in doubt whether he was saved or not.
“Jesus replied, “Very truly I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God unless they are born again.”” John 3:3
Jesus said that in order to be saved you must have a new beginning in life!You must be born again.
In other words, Jesus told Nicodemus: Because of the way you are living your life, the way you talk, the way you think, your way of treating people, because of your arrogance, you will not enter the Kingdom of God!
Jesus was saying: Your old man has to die, you have to be born again. Christ’s personality has to be formed within you!
That’s why the Church exists: to help shape Christ in you! You go to meetings to be taught, edified, confronted, and strengthened so that Christ may be formed in you!
For Christ to be formed in you, you must take up your Cross!
What does the Cross mean in your life? What has the work of Christ done to you ?
The church lost the meaning of the cross and has placed many different things in its place.
The cross of Jesus Christ is central to the Christian faith.
The cross reveals us the character of God: His love for lost sinners and His perfect justice both meet at the cross.
If we want to grow in our love for God,( which is the first and greatest commandment) , then we must grow in our understanding and revelation of the cross, which shows us His great love.
If we want to grow in godliness, we must grow in our understanding of the significance of the cross, which confronts the way we live, the cross confronts our pride , our carnality and our sins.
Why does the Church exist? Why do you have a pastors and leaders? Why do you need to attend these meetings?
The Church is the place where you receive foundation and teachings for your new life, it is the place which Apostle Paul was speaking about when he said: Until Christ is formed in you!
When one is born again they become a child, a baby and a baby does not know about spiritual things, but they need care.
After conversion, after the new birth (which is instantaneous) every person needs guidance and teaching from more mature people so that Christ can be formed in them!
Salvation or the “New Birth” is the beginning, it is the Door to the start your spiritual life.
Jesus said: I am the Door John 10:9 (Beginning)
Jesus also said: I am the Way John 14:6.
The Church is not only here for you to be born again, or for you to receive Salvation! But for you to walk along the path and develop your salvation!
There is a problem with some Christians : some only enter through the Door, are baptised by the church but they do not continue down the path of growing in the Christian faith.
“Therefore, my dear friends, as you have always obeyed—not only in my presence, but now much more in my absence—continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling,”
Philippians 2:12
You must continue to work out , developing your salvation with fear and trembling.
Now I want you to quickly think of a person who has just recently become a Christian.
They are happy to have found Jesus, Happy with Baptism, they are reading the Bible, attending Church – this person has just walked through the door !
Your new birth makes you a spiritual baby, and you need teachings until Christ is formed in you!
You were born again, baptised, and became part of the family of God that is the church, but you are still carrying many habits, you have many wrong ways, you came with wrong concepts, wrong ideas, bad ways of thinking .
When you were of the world, you had a bad character, you lied, stole, didn’t keep your word, you cheated, didn’t pay your bills, you liked to fight, argue, didn’t obey authorities, didn’t obey your parents, didn’t obey yours boss, you drank, swore, judged people, gossiped, you had enemies, was selfish , etc.
Yet I see many Christians in the church today, with these same faults still!
That’s why we all need the church and we need to be under someone who will help us in this process, until Christ is formed within us!
For you to become a True Christian, all this dirt must be removed from your Life! Here is where the Action of the Cross comes into our lives, if you let yourself be treated.
Paul said: I suffer the pains until Christ is formed in you!
Once you are born again, there is a long way for you to walk! And the Way is the Cross! God’s plan is for you to die and let Christ live in you!
Paul, the apostle said: I die daily! 1 Corinthians 3:31
This does not happen at the “New Birth” when you born again or when you get baptised! It’s a DAILY process!
The Cross is a decision, it’s you who decide whether to go to cross or not!
Many Christians still live as old creatures because they never took the decision to die and live for Christ.
Your Old Nature must die for Christ to be formed in you!
If you don’t take up your cross, your spiritual life will be in danger , you will forever be a Christian who is not mature, and you will never grow in the Kingdom of God!
“Put to death, therefore, whatever belongs to your earthly nature: sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires and greed, which is idolatry.”
Colossians 3:5
You have to make your earthly nature die.
God won’t change you if you don’t want to. Going to the Cross must be your decision! This is a Daily Decision! Make your earthly nature die!
Giving up on the Cross is giving up Christianity! If you don’t want a Cross Life, you don’t want Jesus.
This is God’s process, this is the reason why we are Church, why we have Pastors, leaders and teachings. It is to help form Christ in you!
“Then Jesus said to them all: “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me. For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever wants to save their life for me will save it.”
Luke 9:23-24 NIV
Jesus says: whoever wants it!
You have to want it! It is not God who will change your character, you’re the one who must decide to go to the cross. Jesus said: deny yourself and take up your cross daily!
Who here wants to save their lives and reach the Kingdom of Heaven one day?
Jesus said: Whoever wants to save their life must lose it; and whoever loses their life for my sake, will save it.”
This is a path of humiliation and renunciation! The Cross destroys our pride, our sin and transforms us into a new creature.
“Removes the impurities from silver, and the sterling will be ready for the silversmith.” Proverbs 25:4 NLT
The bible compares a silversmith’s work to our lives! Have you seem a silversmith working with silver?
The silversmith puts the silver on the stove and waits for it to melt in the crucible, that is used for melting metal. When the silver melts, the silversmith removes all the dross (the dirt) that rises to the surface.
To check if the metal is clean and pure, he lifts the crucible to his face to see if the metal reflects his image! If not, the silversmith takes the silver back to the fire and starts the process all over again!
There are many believers within the church who have not been completely cleansed by the fire and still a lot of dirt on their surface.
All who surrender to the work of the Cross will pass through the fire!
There are many who have given themselves to Christ, who are going through struggles, through fire, but in the end you will be cleansed and you’ll reflect Jesus!
True believers are always going through struggles and difficulties, as the fire (which is the Cross) is acting within us, making our old human nature die.
The Christian life requires renunciation and when you decide to be transformed you must go to the Cross.
Going to the Cross means deciding to pay the price to walk correctly, deciding to obey the authorities, you use your time for God, you decide to serve people, to humble yourself by asking for forgiveness to those who have hurt you.
All of this hurts us, But this is the action of the Cross in your life, it is the character of Christ being formed in your life. The old creature dies so Jesus can live through you!
“Most assuredly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the ground and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it produces much grain.”
John 12:24 NKJV
If you don’t die, you will live for yourself and for your own pleasure!
But if you die, if you take up the Cross, you’re going to bear many fruits for the glory of God.
How many of you want to produce fruits for the Glory of God?
It’s your decision!
So put to death your old ways and old nature.
Jesus went through the Cross and overcame , He is risen
We too must take up our cross as his disciples!
There is only one remedy that can cure you and that remedy is the Cross of Christ! But it’s you who must take up the Cross!
God provided salvation on the cross – but only those who are born again can be saved.
God provided healing on the cross – but only those who believe are healed.
God provided blessings on the cross – but you need to first get rid of the curse by taking up the cross.
Are you crucified with Christ? Or are you living for yourself?
May God forgive us for the sins of carnality and for grieving the Holy Spirit. Because many started their Christian life well, many started in the Spirit, but are now living in the flesh again.
Today we need to repent and leave our sins behind. We must abandon laziness , legalism, carnality, selfishness, pride, rebellion. Etc
Listen to your leaders, your pastors who are your spiritual parents, for they are suffering birth pains, until Christ has been formed in you!
We need to repent for trying to live for ourselves and not for the kingdom of God.
May God bless you and may you choose to take up your cross and follow Jesus today.