christ formed in you

7/28/2019 Christ Formed in You

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2/6/2013 CHRIST FORMED IN YOU 1

Gal 4:19 "My little children, for whom I am again in anguish of childbirthuntil Christ is formed in you."

By the time David Garrett was eight years old, he was studying violin withthe worlds finest teachers, practicing seven hours a day, and making solo

appearances with legendary orchestras, including the LondonPhilharmonic.As an adolescent, he studied at the Juilliard School in New York City. In2003, for the price of one million dollars, Garrett purchased a Guadagnini,a rare 236-year-old violin made by a student of Stradivarius. But onDecember 27, 2007, after a brilliant performance at the Barbican inLondon, David Garrett tripped, fell down a flight of stairs, and landed on

the valuable instrument.Though still in its case, the violin was smashed, sustaining damage to thebody, neck, and sound post. Restoration was predicted to take eightmonths and cost more than $120,000. Experts doubted the finely craftedinstrument would ever sound the same. Garretts unfortunate accident and

crushed violin recall a darker tragedythe Fall of Man and thedevastation that followed.We live in the rubble of the worlds resulting brokenness. Pain, sickness,

suffering, sin, crime, violence, fear, hatred, war, alienation from God,shattered relationships, disease, natural disaster, and death are on everyside, the ruins of our broken world. Can it all be made right? Is restorationpossible? Scripture teaches that restoration is not only possible, but is acertain reality, secured by God himself through the redeeming death andresurrection of jesus and realized in our lives by the power of the H.G.The gospel is about nothing less than the redemption of fallen human

beings and the perfect, complete restoration of our broken world. AsChrist himself says in the closing pages of Scripture, Behold, I am

making all things new (Rev. 21:5). Restoration through the gospel is thehope of all Christians.But the practicality of the good news for personal transformation hereand now sometimes escapes us. Someday, everything that is wrong with


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the world will be made right forever. God will wipe away every tear fromour eyes; mourning, crying, pain, and death will be no more (Rev. 21:4).

We are to resolutely set our minds and affections on Christ and have it inour hearts to please him in all that we do (2 Corinthians 7.1; Colossians

3.2-3). We should be conformed to the image of Jesus (Romans 8.29) andshould have purposefully severed ties with former passions (Titus 2.11-14)in order to focus attention on the things of God (Romans 12.1-2). Weendeavor to take every thought captive that we may obey jesus (2Corinthians 10.3-5).

GODS CALL

Not surprisingly, by endeavoring to be obedient to Gods call Christiansoften find themselves out of step with the rest of the world. Many godlypeople in Scripture were also estranged from their contemporaries (Noahan his ark, Genesis 6; Abraham, who began a new life at 75, Genesis 12.1;Samson with his Nazarite vows regarding his hair, wine and dead things,Judges 3.5)Sometime after Pauls conversion he was constrained by the Holy Spirit to

become an apostle to the Gentiles and lived out the remainder of his life asan itinerant preacher (2 Corinthians 11.16-33). As strange as some of thesebehaviors may appear, these people were motivated by the same thing thatmotivates every Christian: more than anything else, believers love Godand they love his people (1 John 4.19-5.2).There is no force in the world that can compete with the indwelling powerof Gods Spirit. Satan does not ignore believers (Ephesians 6.12), so it is

not surprising that Christians undergo trials and temptations, but God doesnot intend for his children to be overcome by sin (Romans 13.11-14; 1Corinthians 10.13; James 1.2-4, 12-15).Is it not interesting that the Devil, and the darkness he represents, isfrequently associated with power and self-fulfillment (Matthew 4.8;Ephesians 6.12), while the light of Christ is associated with humility,service and sacrifice (John 13.12-17)?


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Christ calls men and women to live in a vital, life-dependent relationshipwith himself (Luke 14.26). The call of Christ on ones life is not aninvitation to embrace a new fad or philosophy. Being a follower of Christrequires that the believer be in communication with him. It is not enoughto admire, respect or esteem the things Jesus represents; you must love

Him, and love what he loves.What matters is understanding and holding on to true doctrines (cp. 1Timothy 3.15) and maintaining godly rectitude in life (Hebrews 5.14; 2Peter 1.10). The person who possesses such things can never bedispossessed of his treasure (Proverbs 4.7-8, 23). All true needssuch asfood, drink, and companionshipare satiable. Illegitimate wantspride,envy, greedare insatiable. By their nature they cannot be satisfied (cp.

Herbert Schossberg, Idols for Destruction, p. 107). Those who cling toworthless idols forfeit the grace that could be theirs (Jonah 2.8, NIV).

TRUE AND FALSE RELIGION

True religion is completely theocentric because it has its origin in God, notin man. God tells his children what he expects of them: how they are tolive and how they are to worship him.Peter said, His divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to lifeand godliness, through the knowledge of him who called us to his ownglory and excellence, by which he has granted to us his precious and verygreat promises, so that through them you may become partakers of thedive nature, having escaped from the corruption that is in the worldbecause of sinful desire (2 Peter 1.3-4). The image of God is etched uponthe soul of the believer or, as the apostle Paul phrases it, Christ formed

within you (Galatians 5.19).

As wonderful as this sounds there is a caveat: that is, the true spiritual lifehas its artificial counterpart. There is an appearance of religion in somepeople that has no more depth than the skin.


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He who is utterly destitute of this inward principle, and does not aspire toit, but contents himself with those religious performances wherein he isprompted only by education or custom, by fear of hell, or carnal notions ofheaven, can no more be accounted a religious person, than a puppet can becalled a man. (Scougal, p. 38)

Ultimately, it is not demands of doctrinal fidelity that conscripts Christiansinto service; rather, it is the love of Jesus which inwardly compels themtake up their cross (Romans 5.6-11; Galatians 2.20). When viewed fromthe perspective of heaven the radical demands of Christ are quitereasonable. Christians believe that Jesus died to secure eternal life andsalvation for all who put their faith in his redemptive work. Thus all who

love Jesus delight in obeying his commands (John 14.15; 1 John 2.3; 5.2).

Let us then stand in awe of this great God! And let us turn from all thetrivial resentments and fleeting pleasures and petty pursuits of materialismand merely human spiritually.

Christians depend on Gods word and turn to it for guidance in everything

(John 8.31). Their understanding of what it means to be conformed toChrist is based on Scripture. That is not to say that adherence to doctrinalsuppositions is all there is (cp. Revelation 2.2-7). It is obvious that onecannot be properly called a Christian whose only claim to faith is that hehas not denied the creeds of the church. What is to be said for the manwho professes to be a disciple yet neither trembles, nor thrills, nor hopes,nor dreads, nor desires, nor does any single thing because of his belief(Alexander McClaren, Expositions of Holy Scripture, 10.335). Savingfaith is not merely acceptance of the creeds of the church. It is the reliance

of the soul on Jesus: it is a heart that is fully committed to him.

John addresses the theme of being formed in Christ in his farewelldiscourse (John 15.1-16). All true believers are fruitful and they all abidein Christ. to understand what Jesus is talking about when he refers tohimself as the true vine and his Father as the vinedresser. As branches thedisciples are only productive as long as they are attached to the vine.


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Moreover, all the branches must, at some time or other, be pruned(Hebrews 12.4-11). Though the experience may be painful it is essential.Without it there can be no fruit of Christ-likeness.

So, then, the question is a simple one: how is Christ being formed in you?

In the first chapter of Genesis we dont read that man was created forGods glory, but in Gods image. Whats the difference? Not much. As

Sinclair Ferguson has noted, In Scripture, image and glory are

interrelated ideas. As the image of God, man was created to reflect,express, and participate in the glory of God,

God created human beings in his image so that they would glorify him byrightly representing him. In other words, the more we resemble God, thebetter we honor him. With this in mind, look at Genesis 1:2627. ThenGod said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness. And let them

have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavensand over the livestock and over all the earth and over every creeping thingthat creeps on the earth. So God created man in his own image, in the

image of God he created him; male and female he created them.Human beings were Gods crowning achievement in creation. We aloneare made in Gods image, after his likeness.

For the creation of everything else Scripture simply records Gods words,Let there be . . . and it was so. But man and woman were different. We

were designed and commissioned by God with a special assignment increation: to display God.Irenaeus said, The glory of God is man fully alive, and the life of man is

the vision of God.4 Lets see what it means to be created in the image ofGod by looking at three aspects of it.To Reflect To be created in the image of God means we are designed todisplay Gods nature, character, and glory. As a mirror is made for

reflection, so God created us to be mirrors of his character, instruments forreflecting his glory.


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Created in Gods image, we are invested with special dignity and entrusted

with particular duties. Our distinct worth as human beings springs frombeing Gods image-bearers, the unique reflectors of his character on earth.The rest of creation declares Gods glory, speaking of it vividly in a great

variety of ways (Ps. 19:1). But we reflect it, actually making it, in small

part, visible and tangible. One of the supreme ways we reflect Gods gloryis by relating to other human beings in God-honoring ways. We ascribeglory to Gods name by reflecting his character to others.

As Anthony Hoekema writes, We should not think of the image of Godonly as a noun but also as a verb: we are to image God by the way welive, and the heart of the image of God is love for God and for others.6

To Relate To be Gods image-bearers means we are created for

relationshipsGod created man to image his glory, but his glory could not be adequatelydisplayed by an individual living in isolation from others. God himselfsays in Genesis 2:18, It is not good that man should be alone. As John

Ortberg writes, Community is rooted in the being of God . . .. . . Godcreated human beings because he was so in love with community that hewanted a world full of people to share it withAt the core of our nature as Gods image-bearers, we are relational

beings. This involves a threefold relationship: between man and God,

between man and his fellowmen, and between man and nature.To Reign As Gods image-bearers, we are also to exercise dominion overthe earth (Gen. 1:26, 28). God created human beings to serve as his vice-regents, reigning as his representatives and stewards over the createdworld. God placed the first man in the Garden of Eden to work it and

keep it (Gen. 2:15).

Exercising this stewardship, human beings can reflect to the world theradiance of Gods infinite worth

The Fall: Shattered MirrorsThe tragic reality, however, is that the mirror itself has been shattered. Werebelled against God and now live under his judgment and wrath (Gen.3:1619; Rom. 1:18). The image of God is therefore distorted., Gods


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image is deformed, vitiated, mutilated, maimed, disease-ridden, anddisfigured.9 This is true for all of us. All have sinned and fall short of the

glory of God (Rom. 3:23). We have failed to glorify God by not lovinghim more than everything, obeying his laws, and delighting in his glory.Rather than exclusively worshiping our glorious Creator, we have served

and worshiped created things (Rom. 1:2123). We are alienated from thelife of God and dead in trespasses and sins (Eph. 4:18; 2:1).

The image of God within us has become so marred and distorted that eachof us, without exception, fails to display his character in fullness.The Gravity of Sinwe dont realize the gravity of this evil. Our souls are so calloused by sin

that we do not sense its infinite offensiveness to God. J. I. Packer observes

that the biblical words for sin portray it: in a variety of different ways:as rebellion against our rightful owner and ruler; as transgression of thebounds he set; as missing the mark he told us to aim at; as breaking thelaw he enacted; as defiling (dirtying, polluting) ourselves in his sight, somaking ourselves unfit for his company; as embracing folly by shuttingour ears to his wisdom; and as incurring guilt before His judgment seat.

These pictures reveal several distinct aspects of our sin, but the commondenominator they share is their Godwardness. All sineven so-calledlittle sinsare evil because they are ultimately committed against ourinfinitely holy God. When we sin against God we spurn his honor,preferring other things to his glory. Even when we sin against other humanbeings, we simultaneously assault Gods glory by hurting those who bear

his image.James condemns us for using our tongues to curse others because they are

people who are made in the likeness of God (James 3:9). Davidcommitted adultery with Bathsheba, murdered her husband, and coveredhis sin so the public would not know. Yes, these were grievous andhorrible sins against people,but Davids confession to God reveals hisdeeper understanding. They were not just sins against people. They weresins against God: violations of his law, infractions of his will, assaults onthose who bore his image, and therefore, on God himself. That is why


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David confessed, Against you, you only, have I sinned and done what is

evil in your sight (Ps. 51:4). Every sin against a human being is also a sin

against God. Egotism, lust, bitterness, gossip, slander, racial prejudice,violence, the devaluing of human lifethese are sins against Godsimage-bearers, and therefore sins against God himself.

The Consequences of SinThe consequences of sin are devastating; damaging each of the threerelationships for which we were createdthat is, relationships humanshave with God, one another, and nature. We see these consequences inGenesis 3, following the sin of the first man and woman

Before sin, they had enjoyed unbroken friendship with God. But after their

sinful rebellion, they hid from him in shame and fear, trying withoutsuccess to cover their shame with fig leaves. Before sin, they had alsoenjoyed the only perfect marriage that ever existed (Gen. 2:2125).But following that fatal taste of the forbidden fruit, their relationship wascharacterized by shame, blame-shifting, and conflict. Before sin, theylived in paradisea perfect environment. But ever since, humans havelived in conflict with a world under Gods curse (Gen. 3:719).

Sin alienates us from God, leaving us spiritually dead, enslaved to ourpassions, and subject to Gods just wrath (Eph. 2:13; 4:1819). Sin alsobrings conflict into human relationships: between husbands and wives;parents and children; and people of different races, languages, and nations. Sin is also what put us in conflict with the created order. Originally a

welcoming environment, the earth is now hostile to human life insignificant ways. Natural disasters, environmental devastation, and the

harshness of the elements are just some of the consequences of ourrebellion against God.Glorious RuinsCalvin said, even though we grant Gods image was not totallyannihilated and destroyed in him, yet it was so corrupted that whateverremains is frightful deformity. A trace of his image is still present, butnot enough for people to rightly perceive his glory and give him the honor


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he deserves. Alistair Begg provides a helpful illustration: One of thecharming aspects of touring in Scotland is the discovery, often in remoteregions, of ancient castles. While some of them are occupied, many ofthem are now in ruins. But they continue to attract our attention and causeus to pause in wonder because, although they have fallen into disrepair,

there is still a grandeur to them. Ruins they may be, but they are stillpossessed of enough of their former dignity to be justifiably regarded asglorious ruins. So it is with man. As offensive as it may seem to be, the

Bible says that we are ruins!On account of sin, Gods image in us has been obscured, but not

obliterated. We humans are amazing in our ability to imitate the Creator incountless ways: composing symphonies; painting beautiful landscapes;

building cathedrals, skyscrapers, and bridges; and sending explorers intospace. But as magnificent as these accomplishments are, they fall far shortof Gods intention, when done without regard forhis honor and glory. Weare glorious ruins! Tiny flashes of light flicker in our achievements.

But these are merely distorted glimmers of glory in the broken shards ofour fallen, fragmented world.

Redemption:The Gracious Rescue The good news is that God is reforging the shards!When he is finished, no trace of the breakage will remain. For God hasformed a rescue plan. Not willing to abandon his creation to evil, God haspurposed to redeem and restore the world by setting a new people apart forhimself. Although hints of this plan are given even before the expulsion ofAdam and Eve from the Garden (Gen. 3:15),

Gods redemptive mission truly began to take shape when he calledAbraham.13 God promised to give Abraham two things: A son (anddescendants) through whom the world would be blessed (Gen. 12:13),and a special land that would belong to his heirs forever (Gen. 17:78).14The promised son was Isaac. The descendants were the children of Israel.The land would be Canaan. God later rescued this people from slavery inEgypt and consecrated them as a special nation (Ex. 115) over which he


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himself would reign as sovereign king (Ex. 19:36; Num. 23:21; Deut.33:25). Once Canaan was settled, God promised David, the greatest ofIsraels earthly kings, a son who would be forever enthroned over his

people (2 Sam. 7).

The entire story of the Old Testament is the outworking of these twocovenant promises to Abraham and David. It is the story of Gods glory

gradually returning to earth through this people, chosen and redeemed tobear his image. Israel, however, failed to reflect the glory of the Lord asthey should.Israels history in Scripture is marked by repeated cycles of rebellion

against God, exile from God, and deliverance by God. In spite of Gods

grace and longsuffering, the hearts of the people continually turned toidols instead of their Covenant Lord. God repeatedly sent prophets todenounce their rebellion and idolatry, warning of the impending judgmentthat would surely fall upon them. They usually refused to listen.But a kernel of hope was buried in the prophets oracles of doom. God

promised that he would not utterly forsake his people. He would preservea remnant of people, to whom he would faithfully fulfill his promises (Isa.6:913; 10:2022).

He would send a suffering servant to lead the people in a 2nd exodus. Andhe would create a new world (Isa. 4066). This rescue plan comes tofruition in Jesus, the son of David, the son of Abraham (Matt. 1:1). Bornin fulfillment of Gods promises (Matt. 1:1825), Jesus is the ultimatedescendant of Abraham, the heir to Davids throne, and the remnant of

Israel (Gal. 3:16; Rom. 1:3).

Jesus is the suffering servant who, through death and resurrection,ransoms Gods people, inaugurates his saving reign, and ushers in the new

creation (Mark 1:15; 10:45; 2 Cor. 5:17).15Gods promises are fulfilled in Christ. But there is one more dimension ofGods work in Christ that we must understand. Restoration: New Man,

New Creation In contrast to Adam, the first man, Jesus came as the secondAdam, the true image-bearer of God. Paul, looking forward to the final


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resurrection, says: Thus it is written, The first man Adam became a living

being; the last Adam became a life-giving spirit. But it is not the spiritualthat is first but the natural, and then the spiritual. The first man was fromthe earth, a man of dust; the second man is from heaven. As was the manof dust, so also are those who are of the dust, and as is the man of heaven,

so also are those who are of heaven. Just as we have borne the image ofthe man of dust, we shall also bear the image of the man of heaven.1Corinthians 15:4549 Similarly, 2 Corinthians 4:4 calls Christ, the imageof God

christ formed in you

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