Until Christ Is Formed in You

Few of us would suggest Galatians as particularly pastoral in nature. Paul seems to be frustrated at levels that border on anger and most of the language of the epistle is undergirded with tension. But here and there as you read Galatians, you discover the heart of Paul as he expresses his desire for a bit of reformation to occur in these churches.



One of those places is Galatians 4:19, where he says "My children, with whom I am again in labor until Christ is formed in you" (NASB). "My children," is found often in John, but not Paul. And if you read Galatians from the beginning to this point, it is a bit of relief to know that Paul still has this affection for these wayward believers.



Then he describes the impact of his concern as being akin to labor pains. While Paul obviously has no personal experience when it comes to labor pains, like males in every culture, he surely is aware of the intensity of such pain. It may even be possible that he is alluding to the Genesis narrative and the conversation God had with Eve as she and Adam were expelled from the garden.



The focus of his love and concern, his willingness to suffer as though in labor, is "until Christ is formed in you." The labor pains analogy makes me think that Paul is thinking something like "You've met Christ, but you haven't done much with that meeting yet." Or perhaps Christ is in some sort of embryonic stage in your lives, but you need to give Him birth.



All of that convinces me that the rigid legalism that characterized the faith of these believers is preventing the true spirit of Christ to be evident -to be formed in them. What an odd thing for Paul to say to people who are seemingly convinced that Paul's approach to the Christian gospel is inadequate and that only by adding some rules and regulations can one truly be Christian.



To that sort of thinking, Paul says, "You foolish Galatians." Later, in his epistle to the church in Colossae he says that such an approach to having "Christ formed in us" has "the appearance of wisdom in self-made religion and self-abasement and severe treatment of the body, but is of no value against fleshly indulgence" (Colossians 2:23, NASB). No wonder he thinks the Galatians are foolish - they are guilty of much the same sort of behavior as the Colossians.



Checking off the list of regulations seldom changes hearts. If hearts aren't changed, then it is hard to see how "Christ is being formed" in our lives. Paul is no doubt right; stepping away from "the traditions of men that we treat as the doctrines of God" is hard work. A bit like giving birth. But we all know the joy that comes after such pain!