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UNTIL CHRIST IS FORMED IN YOU

Galatians 4:8-31

Key Verse: 4:19 “My dear children, for whom I am again in the pains of childbirth until Christ is formed in you,”

  Last week we learned the blessings and privileges of being God’s children through faith in Jesus Christ. What are they? First of all, we can call our God, “Abba, Father.” What a privilege it is to call God our father! To fatherless people this must be great news! Our human fathers are not always good. Their love and care are limited. But our Heavenly Father is different. His love endures forever and his power is limitless. He always loves and cares. He forgives us when we come to him, and he restores our failure. We have peace in him and the joy that comes from fellowship with the Holy Spirit. We receive eternal life and the kingdom of God as our inheritance.  How was your relationship with God the Father last week? Did you walk faithfully with him?  

  Today we will study Paul’s shepherd heart for the believers in the Galatian church, who went astray because of the Judaizers. With motherly affection and faith, Paul encouraged them to restore their gospel faith. He also strongly urges them to get rid of any legalism in their church. Let us learn Paul’s shepherd heart and uncompromising spirit for the sake of the gospel truth.

First, do not turn back to the slavery. (8-17) Look at verses 8-11. “Formerly, when you did not know God, you were slaves to those who by nature are not gods. But now that you know God—or rather are known by God—how is it that you are turning back to those weak and miserable principles? Do you wish to be enslaved by them all over again? You are observing special days and months and seasons and years! I fear for you, that somehow I have wasted my efforts on you.” The churches in Galatia were established by Paul and Barnabas during their first missionary journey. (Ac 13:13-14:28) Before the gospel was preached to them by Paul and Barnabas, they were ignorant idol worshipers. They believed in Greek gods. Once in Lystra, Paul healed a crippled man by the power of Jesus’ name. Then, the townspeople shouted, “The gods have come down to us in human form!” They had never seen before the crippled walk, so they thought that Paul and Barnabas were the incarnation of Greek gods. They called Barnabas, Zeus and Paul, Hermes, and they brought bulls and wreaths to offer sacrifices to them. (Ac 14:13) They were foolish idol worshipers.

  But, through Paul’s diligent Bible teaching and prayer, they came to know God personally and accepted the gospel of Christ Jesus as the truth of God. They were really happy when their sins were forgiven, and they tasted the grace of Jesus Christ. They enjoyed true freedom and happiness which come from the grace of Jesus.  Their hearts were filled with joy and thanks, and they welcomed Paul as their shepherd. According to verse 14, at that time Paul suffered from an illness, probably some eye disease. It could have been a burden to the believers in the Galatian church. But, they did not mind Paul’s illness. They welcomed Paul as if he were an angel of God, as if he were Christ Jesus himself. (14) They would even have been willing to donate their eyes to Paul, if it would have helped. (15) The gospel of Christ Jesus changed the whole church. The gospel of Christ Jesus filled their hearts with joy, thanks, love, peace, and real freedom.

  But one day, Judaizers came to their church and said to them, “You must be circumcised in order to be saved.” The Judaizers insisted that the Galatian gentiles must follow the Jewish law in order to be saved. These legalistic Jews confused the Galatian believers.  Some Galatian believers began to observe special days, months, seasons, and years according to the Jewish calendar. There was confusion and division among the Galatian believers in the church. Paul severely rebuked those who were following the Judaizers saying, “How is it that you are turning back to those weak and miserable principles? Do you wish to be enslaved by them all over again?”  (9)

  Look at verses 12-16. “I plead with you, brothers, become like me, for I became like you. You have done me wrong. As you know, it was because of an illness that I first preached the gospel to you. Even though my illness was a trial to you, you did not treat me with contempt or scorn. Instead, you welcomed me as if I were an angel of God, as if I were Christ Jesus himself. What has happened to all your joy? I can testify that, if you could have done so, you would have torn out your eyes and given them to me. Have I now become your enemy by telling you the truth?”  Paul pleaded with them to become like him. In the past, Paul was one of the extreme Judaizers. He judged Christians according to the Jewish law. He persecuted Christians thinking that he was serving God. He was legalistic and self-righteous. But then he met the Risen Christ on the way to Damascus. Jesus forgave all his sins, and Paul became a new creation in Christ Jesus. He was free from the slavery of sin and enjoyed true freedom which comes from the grace of Jesus. Paul wanted all the Galatian believers to be like him. Paul wanted all of them to restore true freedom and real joy, which comes from the grace of Jesus Christ. Paul’s rebuke must have hurt the believers, but he did not mind. He told them the truth by faith because he loved them like a shepherd. Proverbs 27:5 says, “Better is open rebuke than hidden love.”

  Look at verses 17-18. “Those people are zealous to win you over, but for no good. What they want is to alienate you from us, so that you may be zealous for them. It is fine to be zealous, provided the purpose is good, and to be so always and not just when I am with you.” The legalistic Judaizers were zealous to persuade the Galatia believers to follow the Jewish law. By doing so they wanted to separate Paul from the Galatians. Their purpose was wrong and evil. Before his conversion, Paul was zealous for the Jewish law like them. But, now Paul was zealous for Christ. His purpose was to rescue the Galatian gentiles from ignorance and unbelief and to bring them into the eternal kingdom of God. Paul urged the Galatia believers to become more zealous for Christ Jesus—not for the Jewish law. Paul had to go through birth pains for their conversion in intercession.

Second, until Christ is formed in you. (19-20) Look at verse 19. “My dear children, for whom I am again in the pains of childbirth until Christ is formed in you, how I wish I could be with you now and change my tone, because I am perplexed about you!” Now, like a mother, Paul called the Galatian believers ‘my dear children’. Indeed Paul was a spiritual mother for them. Paul endured the pains of childbirth when he preached the gospel to them first time. He was persecuted by the Jewish mobs while he was preaching the gospel. (Ac 13:51) Once in Lystra he was almost stoned to death. But he got up and went back into the city[B1] . (Ac 14:20) He encouraged the Galatian believers that they must go through many hardships to enter the kingdom of God. Paul and Barnabas appointed elders for them in each church and, with prayer and fasting, committed them to the Lord, in whom they had put their trust. (Ac 13:22,23)

  Since Adam’s fall, women have experienced the pains of childbirth. Men don’t understand how painful it is, but someone says that the pain is excruciating. Some pregnant women faint or even die when they deliver their babies. But after they delivered the babies, they forget all their pains because of the new life next to their bosom. Paul compared his labor and effort for the Galatians’ conversion to the pains of childbirth.  Paul’s pain was not over with their conversion. His labor and efforts continued until Christ was formed in them. What does it mean ‘until Christ is formed in them’? It means until they bear the image and attitude of Christ. It means until Christ is revealed in their practical life. Conversion is not all it takes to become a mature Christian. It is just like birth. After conversion, we must grow in the image of Christ. It is like the growth of children. Children continue to grow physically and mentally. Our spiritual life is the same. After we are justified through faith in Christ, we must grow spiritually until Christ is formed in us. We call this continual process of spiritual growth ‘sanctification.’ Unlike the physical body, the inner person grows limitlessly. We can grow as humble as Jesus. We can grow as gentle as Jesus. We can grow as holy as Jesus, and we can grow as compassionate as Jesus. We must continue to grow until Christ is formed in us. In Philippians Paul describes another way, “Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus.” “In your relationship with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus.” (Php 2:5) We must have the same attitude and the same mindset of Jesus.

  There was a converted Christian in a prison. The Christian prisoner took care of his new young prison mate like his son. He encouraged him not to give up and to have faith and hope for the future. He also shared his food with him and prayed for him. One day his prison mate asked the Christian why he did so many favors for him. The Christian answered him that it was because of Jesus who loved him and cared for him. The prison mate cried out and said, “I want to believe in Jesus, if Jesus is like you.” This young prisoner reminds us of the criminal on the cross, who asked Jesus to take him to Jesus’ kingdom. (Lk 23:42,43)  Is Christ formed in you? Do you have the image of Christ in you? Do you reveal the image of Christ through your daily life? Do people who know you and are around you recognize you as a genuine Christian? We must grow until Christ is formed in us. Don’t say that you’ve grown enough and become mature enough. Do you know who the Apostle Paul is? He has been known as one of the great apostles all time in human history. Still, he confessed, “I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of sharing in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death…” (Php 3:10)

  As children grow and become mature through proper education and discipline, Christians grow through continuous self-denial and spiritual discipline. Jesus said, “If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me.” (Lk 9:23) We cannot grow spiritually if we do whatever we want to do. Sometimes we must sacrifice ourselves for the sake of Christ. We must believe in God’s promise and seek his kingdom and his righteousness more than our security. (Mt 6:33) Daily Bible reading and early morning devotion is not easy for me. I just want to skip Bible reading and to sleep a little more when I am tired. But, I have to deny myself and finish Bible reading and pray. Through this self-denial I learn Jesus’ obedience and sacrifice. I can grow until Christ is formed in me. I really want you to grow until Christ is formed in you. I don’t want you to live a lukewarm and easy-going life. You cannot grow spiritually if you don’t deny yourself and follow Jesus. You must go through the pains of childbirth for new life in Christ. If we don’t have the image of Christ, we have a danger of having the image of something evil and wrong. We learn how much Paul struggled to help the Galatian believers until they had the same attitude and mindset of Christ Jesus.

Third, Hagar and Sarah (21-31) Why did Paul suddenly mention Hagar and Sarah? Did he want to compare between the two who suffered more from birth pain? No! Paul wanted to encourage the Galatian believers to remove legalism from their church. In verses 21-31 Paul compared those who are under the Jewish law to Ishmael, the son from the slave girl Hagar, and those who are under Jesus’ grace to Isaac, the son from a free woman Sarah. Ishmael was born through Abraham’s compromise whereas Isaac was born through God’s promise. (22-23) Hagar was compared to the law which came from Mount Sinai, and Sarah, to our mother who is above, the new city of Jerusalem[B2] . (24-27) Those who are justified freely through faith in Jesus Christ are like Isaac, who was the child of promise. Those who follow the Jewish law are like Ishmael, who was the child of flesh. (28) What was Paul’s conclusion? Look at verses 30-31. “But what does the Scripture say? ‘Get rid of the slave woman and her son, for the slave woman’s son will never share in the inheritance with the free woman’s son.’ Therefore, brothers, we are not children of the slave woman, but of the free woman.” In Genesis 21:9 Sarah saw the teenager Ishmael mocking her son Isaac. So, she asked Abraham to cast out Ishmael and her mother Hagar. God told Abraham to listen to Sarah. It was because the slave woman’s son Ishmael could not share in the inheritance with the free woman’s son Isaac. By the same token Paul urged the Galatian believers to get out of the slavery to the Jewish law and cast out legalism from their church. What Paul really meant was that we can be justified and saved through faith in Jesus Christ and by God’s grace alone, not by observing the law.

  Today we learned Paul’s shepherd heart for his sheep and his clear attitude toward the truth of the gospel. We must not compromise with an easy-going life. We must not judge others based on our own standards and measurement. Instead, we must have the same attitude and mindset of Christ Jesus. We must continue to grow until Christ is formed in us. May God richly bless us and make all of us salt and light for this corrupted and dark world. Amen.

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