Until Christ is Formed in You
Until Christ Is Formed in You
Galatians 4:12–20
In the 1940s, as WWII raged, Dietrich Bonhoeffer faced a life-altering choice. He could remain safe in America, far from the chaos of Nazi Germany. Everyone urged him to stay. But the more he read the Gospels, the more he knew he couldn’t. Following Jesus meant stepping into the storm, even if it cost him his life. It did. Just weeks before the war ended, Bonhoeffer was executed. His last words? “This is the end—for me, the beginning of life.”
That’s Christianity: when you come to the end of yourself, you step into real life.
You and I may not face Nazi Germany, but every day we face the temptation to choose comfort over calling, safety over surrender, self over Christ. And like the Galatians, we can let politics, ideology, or culture shape us more than Jesus. Paul’s plea still echoes: “My little children, for whom I am again in the anguish of childbirth until Christ is formed in you” (Gal. 4:19).
The Christian life isn’t self-improvement—it’s Christ’s life taking shape in you.
So what does that look like?
Spirit-driven (2 Cor. 3:18): Transformation is not self-engineered but Spirit-empowered. Christ formed in you means daily surrender: “Holy Spirit, lead me; I can’t do this without You.”
Lifelong (Phil. 1:6): God never leaves His work unfinished. Holiness is not a sprint but a lifelong journey of grace. Christ grows in us like an oak—slow, steady, enduring.
Mind-renewing (Rom. 12:2): You are always being discipled, by Jesus or by the culture. Every scroll, headline, and ad shapes your heart. Scripture must be the loudest voice in your life.
Worship-centered (Ps. 73:25–26): What you love most shapes you most. Until Christ becomes your greatest treasure, something else will sit on the throne of your heart.
Community-shaped (Eph. 4:13): You can’t grow in isolation. Gospel formation happens in the soil of the local church. What God does in you is always meant to overflow into others.
Think about a blacksmith shaping iron. The metal doesn’t form itself—it’s softened by fire, struck by the hammer, and molded into strength. In the same way, God uses His Spirit, His Word, trials, and His people to press Christ into our lives.
As Paul Miller says, “This is the pattern of Jesus’ life: going down into death, then up into resurrection. And if the Spirit is united with Christ, it makes sense that the pattern of Jesus’ life would become ours.”
This week, take one intentional step toward that formation.
Because the invitation of Jesus isn’t simply to die—it’s to truly live. The way of the cross leads to resurrection. Christ already carried your sin, conquered the grave, and now lives in you.
The Christian life is not about becoming a better version of yourself. It’s about Christ’s life taking shape in you—until the world no longer sees you, but Jesus in you.
Galatians 4:12–20
In the 1940s, as WWII raged, Dietrich Bonhoeffer faced a life-altering choice. He could remain safe in America, far from the chaos of Nazi Germany. Everyone urged him to stay. But the more he read the Gospels, the more he knew he couldn’t. Following Jesus meant stepping into the storm, even if it cost him his life. It did. Just weeks before the war ended, Bonhoeffer was executed. His last words? “This is the end—for me, the beginning of life.”
That’s Christianity: when you come to the end of yourself, you step into real life.
You and I may not face Nazi Germany, but every day we face the temptation to choose comfort over calling, safety over surrender, self over Christ. And like the Galatians, we can let politics, ideology, or culture shape us more than Jesus. Paul’s plea still echoes: “My little children, for whom I am again in the anguish of childbirth until Christ is formed in you” (Gal. 4:19).
The Christian life isn’t self-improvement—it’s Christ’s life taking shape in you.
So what does that look like?
Spirit-driven (2 Cor. 3:18): Transformation is not self-engineered but Spirit-empowered. Christ formed in you means daily surrender: “Holy Spirit, lead me; I can’t do this without You.”
Lifelong (Phil. 1:6): God never leaves His work unfinished. Holiness is not a sprint but a lifelong journey of grace. Christ grows in us like an oak—slow, steady, enduring.
Mind-renewing (Rom. 12:2): You are always being discipled, by Jesus or by the culture. Every scroll, headline, and ad shapes your heart. Scripture must be the loudest voice in your life.
Worship-centered (Ps. 73:25–26): What you love most shapes you most. Until Christ becomes your greatest treasure, something else will sit on the throne of your heart.
Community-shaped (Eph. 4:13): You can’t grow in isolation. Gospel formation happens in the soil of the local church. What God does in you is always meant to overflow into others.
Think about a blacksmith shaping iron. The metal doesn’t form itself—it’s softened by fire, struck by the hammer, and molded into strength. In the same way, God uses His Spirit, His Word, trials, and His people to press Christ into our lives.
As Paul Miller says, “This is the pattern of Jesus’ life: going down into death, then up into resurrection. And if the Spirit is united with Christ, it makes sense that the pattern of Jesus’ life would become ours.”
This week, take one intentional step toward that formation.
- Trade a comfort for a cross—fast from something you run to for escape and fill that space with prayer.
- Confess one struggle and encourage a friend.
- Plant yourself deeply in a local church.
Because the invitation of Jesus isn’t simply to die—it’s to truly live. The way of the cross leads to resurrection. Christ already carried your sin, conquered the grave, and now lives in you.
The Christian life is not about becoming a better version of yourself. It’s about Christ’s life taking shape in you—until the world no longer sees you, but Jesus in you.
No Comments