KEY SCRIPTURES

“My little children, for whom I labor in birth again until Christ is formed in you…”
— Galatians 4:19

And Paul writes:

“As you therefore have received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him, rooted and built up in Him and established in the faith…”
— Colossians 2:6–7

These two passages belong together.

Galatians 4:19 gives us the goal:

Christ formed in us.

Colossians 2:6–7 shows us how the Christian life continues:

Receive Christ. Walk in Him. Become rooted in Him. Be built up in Him.

We do not receive Christ and then continue the Christian life through our own strength.

We received Christ Jesus the Lord, and we are called to continue walking in Him.

Our roots go deeper into Christ.

Our lives are built upon Christ.

Our faith becomes increasingly established in Christ.

And as we remain in Him and yield to the Holy Spirit, the life and character of Christ become increasingly evident in us.

Paul’s burden was not merely that believers would know more about Christ, become more religious, attend more meetings, or improve their behaviour.

His burden was:

“…until Christ is formed in you.”

The goal is Christ.

Not merely better habits.
Not greater activity.
Not stronger self-discipline.

The Holy Spirit is at work so that the life, character, mind, priorities and purposes of Christ become increasingly expressed through those who belong to Him.

And this formation must eventually move beyond us.

When Christ is formed in us, He becomes increasingly visible through us and increasingly made known by us.

So today we are asking:

What should happen to a believer—and to a church—when Christ is truly being formed in us?

1. Christ Must Remain The Centre

Before we discuss what a Christ-formed believer looks like, we must begin here:

Christ is not merely our example. Christ is our life.

Colossians 3:4 calls Him:

“Christ who is our life…”

And Jesus said:

“Abide in Me, and I in you… for without Me you can do nothing.”
— John 15:4–5

Christian formation is therefore not studying Jesus and then attempting, through human effort, to become like Him.

We depend upon Him.

We abide in Him.

We receive from Him.

We yield to His Spirit.

And the Holy Spirit increasingly forms the life of Christ within us.

This is why spiritual formation can never become Christian self-improvement.

The question is not simply:

“How can I become a better Christian?”

It is:

“Am I remaining surrendered to Christ so that His life can increasingly govern and be expressed through mine?”

And this is equally true of the Church.

Colossians 1:18 says:

“He is the head of the body, the church…”

If Christ is the Head, the Church does not determine its own purpose and then ask Him to bless it.

He defines the character.

He gives the direction.

He establishes the mission.

Therefore, when Christ is formed in His people, the Body should increasingly resemble its Head.

2. Christ Formed In Us Will Become Visible

Romans 8:29 tells us that God’s purpose is that we be:

“…conformed to the image of His Son.”

And Galatians 5:22–23 describes the fruit of the Spirit:

“love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control.”

Formation must eventually become visible.

We should increasingly become more loving.

More patient.

More truthful.

More humble.

More faithful.

More forgiving.

More compassionate.

More self-controlled.

Not because we are trying to manufacture a Christian personality, but because the Spirit is producing His fruit in a yielded life.

And one of the clearest places this becomes visible is in our responses.

How do I respond when I am offended?

When I am corrected?

When I am disappointed?

When I am misunderstood?

When I am under pressure?

When obedience becomes costly?

Philippians 2:5 says:

“Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus.”

A person can know Scripture and still habitually respond from pride, fear, anger, insecurity or self-protection.

But as Christ is formed in us, the Spirit begins to interrupt those old patterns.

We learn to pause.

Recognise what is happening within us.

Yield to God.

And respond differently.

This is where formation moves from what we know to how we actually live.

3. Christ Formed In Us Will Change How We Love People

Jesus said:

“By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.”
— John 13:35

Christ formed in us must affect relationships.

The evidence of formation cannot remain inside prayer meetings, Bible studies and worship services.

It must enter our homes.

Our marriages.

Our friendships.

Our workplaces.

Our leadership.

Our disagreements.

Our treatment of difficult people.

Our response to those who cannot benefit us.

And even our response to those we may be tempted to regard as beneath us in status or importance.

A Christ-formed Church should become increasingly recognisable by love.

Not sentimental love.

Christlike love.

Love that forgives.

Love that serves.

Love that tells the truth.

Love that bears with weakness.

Love that seeks another person’s good.

And Scripture shows us that this love cannot remain only in feelings or words.

Christlike love notices people, moves toward need, and expresses itself in practical compassion.

Jesus said in Matthew 25:

“I was hungry, and you gave Me something to eat; I was thirsty, and you gave Me something to drink; I was a stranger, and you invited Me in; naked, and you clothed Me; I was sick, and you visited Me; I was in prison, and you came to Me.”

Notice how practical the love is.

Hunger is met with food.

Thirst with drink.

The stranger is welcomed.

The naked are clothed.

The sick are visited.

The prisoner is remembered.

This is love taking form.

And Jesus later says:

“Inasmuch as you did it to one of the least of these My brethren, you did it to Me.”

His life in us should make us more compassionate, more willing to serve, more sensitive to the needs of others, and less governed by status, convenience, self-interest, or the desire to be seen and recognised as a good person.

A Christ-formed Church does not merely preach love.

People should be able to experience that love.

4. Christ Formed In Us Will Produce Obedience And Spirit-Governed Living

Jesus said:

“If you love Me, keep My commandments.”
— John 14:15

Christ formed in us cannot be separated from Christ obeyed through us.

There will be moments when obedience is inconvenient.

We may have to forgive.

Apologise.

Wait.

Speak.

Stop.

Give.

Serve.

Change direction.

Release something.

Obedience does not make us righteous before God.

Our righteousness is received through faith in Christ.

But the life we have received begins to bear fruit in the way we live.

Romans 8:14 says:

“For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God.”

If Christ is being formed in us, self cannot remain the unquestioned governor of our lives.

Our emotions cannot always decide.

Our preferences cannot always decide.

Fear cannot decide.

Pressure cannot decide.

Convenience cannot decide.

We learn to yield to the Holy Spirit.

And His leadership will never contradict the written Word; He continually directs us toward the character and lordship of Christ.

A Christ-formed life is therefore increasingly a Spirit-governed life.

5. Christ Formed In Us Will Give Us His Heart For People Who Do Not Know Him

This is where we must widen our understanding of formation.

The Christ being formed in us is the Christ who said:

“For the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost.”
— Luke 19:10

He proclaimed the kingdom.

He called people to repentance.

He revealed the Father.

He sought the lost.

He made disciples.

And after His resurrection, He said:

“Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations…”
— Matthew 28:19

Then in Acts 1:8:

“You shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me…”

So the Spirit’s work in us does not turn us permanently inward.

The Spirit forms Christ in us and sends us outward as witnesses to Christ.

If His heart is increasingly becoming ours, then people who do not know Him should increasingly matter to us.

His mission should matter.

His gospel should matter.

The spiritually lost should matter.

Paul said:

“For the love of Christ compels us…”
— 2 Corinthians 5:14

And then:

“Now then, we are ambassadors for Christ…”
— 2 Corinthians 5:20

The apostles said:

“We cannot but speak the things which we have seen and heard.”
— Acts 4:20

They had encountered Christ so deeply that they could not treat the gospel casually.

Now, this does not mean everyone witnesses in exactly the same way.

Neither should evangelism become another religious performance by which we try to prove our maturity.

Jesus said:

“He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit…”

Notice the order:

Abide—then fruit.

So we do not tell people:

“Evangelise so that you can prove Christ is formed in you.”

Rather:

“Remain in Christ. Let His Word abide in you. Yield to His Spirit. Let His love govern you—and do not resist when His love moves you toward people.”

This raises a searching question:

Can Christ increasingly form His heart in us while we remain consistently indifferent toward people who do not know Him?

That is not a question for condemnation.

It is a question for examination.

6. A Christ-Formed Church Will Not Exist Only For Itself

A church can become very busy maintaining church.

Services.

Meetings.

Departments.

Conferences.

Training.

Administration.

Many of these things have value.

But if all our energy is consumed maintaining what already exists while few people are intentionally being pointed toward Christ, we must ask:

Have we become occupied with church while losing sight of the mission of its Head?

Jesus said:

“Go therefore and make disciples…”

The Church exists not only to gather.

We gather to be strengthened, equipped, formed—and sent.

But this does not mean that already tired believers must simply add more church programmes to overloaded lives.

Many believers are working long hours, carrying family responsibilities, serving faithfully in church, and reaching the weekend physically exhausted.

So “going” cannot mean only another organised event.

We must recover the truth that:

We are sent people wherever God has already placed us.

Our homes.

Our workplaces.

Our neighbourhoods.

Our businesses.

Our schools.

Our relationships.

These are also mission fields.

A lunch break can become an opportunity.

A neighbour can become someone we intentionally pray for.

An act of compassion can open a heart.

A conversation can become a doorway to the gospel.

This is particularly important for a small church.

We may not have large numbers, but every believer can learn to live intentionally where God has positioned them.

The question is therefore not merely:

“How many outreach events can we organise?”

It is:

“How can every believer live as someone sent by Christ?”

Reflection

Am I recognising and using the opportunities God gives me in everyday life to share the hope of the gospel with someone who is hurting, confused, discouraged, or searching for answers?

7. What Will A Christ-Formed Church Look Like?

Imagine a church where Christ is truly becoming increasingly formed in His people.

It would not simply be known for excellent services.

It would be known for people whose lives increasingly resemble Jesus and among whom the presence and work of God are genuinely evident.

Christ would be central.

Not personalities.

Not platforms.

Not programmes.

Christ.

Christ would be honoured as Head.

The Church would continually ask:

“Lord, what do You desire from Your Church?”

It would be Spirit-governed and Scripture-grounded.

The Holy Spirit’s leadership would shape its decisions, ministry and witness.

The works of God would be genuinely evident.

Jesus said:

“He who believes in Me, the works that I do he will do also…”
— John 14:12

People would be saved.

Lives changed.

The broken restored.

Prayer answered.

The sick prayed for.

The hurting comforted.

Spiritual gifts used to strengthen the Body.

But the work of God is not limited to what looks dramatic.

A hardened heart becoming tender is the work of God.

A person forgiving after years of bitterness is the work of God.

A believer becoming obedient where there was resistance is the work of God.

A sinner turning to Christ is the work of God.

A fearful believer becoming willing to speak about Jesus is the work of God.

The evidence is not hype or performance.

It is the genuine activity of God among people who depend upon Him and give Christ the glory.

Love, holiness, reconciliation and servant leadership would become increasingly visible.

Prayer would express dependence rather than ritual.

And the life of Christ would move beyond the church building into homes, workplaces and communities.

The Church would care about those who do not yet know Christ.

The gospel would not be reserved for evangelism events.

The people themselves would become witnesses.

A Christ-formed Church would therefore increasingly:

look like Jesus, live under the government of Jesus, demonstrate His works, and make Jesus known.

8. Christ Formed In Us → Christ Revealed Through Us → Christ Made Known By Us

This is the journey we have been describing.

RECEIVE CHRIST

“As you therefore have received Christ Jesus the Lord…”

↓

WALK IN CHRIST

“…so walk in Him…”

↓

ROOTED AND BUILT UP IN CHRIST

Our life continues to draw from Him and become established in His truth.

↓

CHRIST FORMED IN US

His character, mind, priorities and desires increasingly shape us.

↓

CHRIST REVEALED THROUGH US

He becomes visible in our relationships, responses, compassion, obedience and way of life.

↓

CHRIST MADE KNOWN BY US

We speak about Him.

We testify of Him.

We proclaim the gospel.

We point people toward Him.

↓

OTHERS COME TO KNOW AND FOLLOW CHRIST

And they too begin the journey of being rooted, built up and formed in Him.

Formation therefore does not terminate on us.

God forms a people who become part of His work in the lives of others.

Reflection

As we come toward the close, let us not ask only:

“Am I becoming a better person?”

Ask instead:

Where is Christ becoming more visible in my life?

What happens to me under pressure—does my response increasingly resemble Christ?

Is the Holy Spirit gaining greater influence over my decisions and relationships?

Am I becoming more compassionate toward people?

Do those who do not yet know Christ matter to me?

When God opens an opportunity to speak about Jesus, am I willing to take it?

And as a church:

Are we merely maintaining Christian activity, or are we becoming a people through whom Christ is revealed and made known?

Final Call

Galatians 4:19 still gives us the goal:

“…until Christ is formed in you.”

We cannot produce His life by human effort.

We must remain in Christ, receive His Word and yield to the Holy Spirit.

As Christ is increasingly formed in us, His life becomes visible through us and His heart shapes what matters to us.

So the evidence of formation is not only that we increasingly resemble Jesus, but that we increasingly live under His lordship, reflect His character, and make Him known.

Christ formed in us.

Christ revealed through us.

Christ made known by us.

So that others may come to know, follow and be formed in Christ.

Let us pray 

Prayer of surrender and response:

Father, as we come to the end of this teaching, we do not want to leave Your Word as something we have merely heard.

We respond to You.

Search us and show us where Christ is not yet being clearly revealed through the way we live.

Show us where self still governs.

Where pride still governs.

Where fear still governs.

Where convenience still governs.

Where indifference has caused us to overlook people You have placed before us.

We surrender those places to You.

Holy Spirit, continue Your work within us.

Form the life and character of Jesus in us.

Change the way we think.

Change the way we respond.

Change the way we love.

Change the way we serve.

Change what matters to us until the heart of Christ increasingly becomes our heart.

Father, forgive us where we have become so occupied with our own needs, responsibilities, jobs and church activity that we have stopped seeing those who are hurting, searching, confused, or far from You.

Awaken us again to the gospel.

Give us compassion for people.

Give us boldness without harshness.

Give us truth with love.

Give us sensitivity to recognise the moments when You are opening a door for us to speak about Jesus.

And when You send us, make us willing to go.

Whether that sending is across a street, into a workplace, into a conversation, toward a neighbour, into a family situation, or wherever You have positioned us.

As Your Church, bring us increasingly under the headship of Christ.

Let us not merely gather around His name while resisting His government.

Make us a Church that resembles its Head.

A Church marked by love.

A Church governed by the Spirit.

A Church grounded in truth.

A Church where Your works are genuinely evident.

A Church that serves.

A Church that witnesses.

A Church through whom Jesus is both seen and made known.

We yield ourselves to You again.

Form Christ in us.
Reveal Christ through us.
Make Christ known through us.

And may all the glory return to Jesus.

In His name we pray,
Amen.