Christ Formed in Us
I. The Meaning of Christ Formed In Us - Galatians 4:5-9, 19
- A. Not a process, but a state of heart where Christ alone is our focal
point
- Gal. 4:19; Eph. 3:17; Col.2:19
- 1. Returning to a former state - Gal. 4:19 ("again")
- B. The state of the Son becoming our state - Gal. 4:6; John 14:19
- C. A state of being "before" Him - Eph. 1:4-5
- D. A status that produces a state - Gal. 4:1-3, 7-8
- E. A state where certain things are "no longer" true - Gal.
4:5-7
- F. A state of knowing God by being known by God - Gal. 4:8-9; 1 Cor.
8:3; 12:13;
Psa. 36:9
- G. The state of our spirit - Gal. 4:29; John 3:6; 1 John 5:4
- H. The state of our hearts - Gal. 4:6b
- I. A state of dependency - Gal. 4:6c; Rom. 8:15
II. The Preparation of Christ Formed In Us - Galatians 4:1-7
- A. An heir for the formation - Gal. 4:1; Rom. 8:17
- B. Being kept and guarded for the formation - Gal. 4:2; 3:23-24
- 1. Kept and prepared under slavery - Gal. 4:3; Rom. 7
- C. The time for the formation - Gal. 4:4a
- D. The preparation of the Person to be formed in us - Gal. 4:4-6
- 1. Incarnation - "God sent forth His Son, born of a woman"
- 2. Human living - "Born under law"
- 3. Crucifixion - "That He might redeem"
- 4. Resurrection - "God has sent forth the Spirit of His Son"
- E. Prepared by redemption for the formation - Gal. 4:5a
- F. Prepared as a son and an heir - Gal. 4:7
III. Losing the Formation of Christ In Us - Galatians 4:8-10
- A. By returning to the former days of slavery - Gal. 4:8
- B. By turning again to the law - Gal. 4:9
- C. By becoming religious rather than enjoying Christ - Gal. 4:10
IV. The Travail for the Return of Christ Formed In Us - Galatians
4:11-20
- A. The laboring persons that bring us to Christ - Gal. 4:11
- 1. A person burdened for our spiritual welfare - Gal. 4:12
- B. Brought back to the blessedness of our beginnings - Gal. 4:13-15
- C. Having someone who will speak the truth to us - Gal. 4:16
- 1. Being warned concerning the wrong influence - Gal. 4:17
- D. Being zealous and burdened for the right thing, that is, Christ
formed in us - Gal. 4:18-20
V. The Divine Principles of Christ Formed In Us - Galatians 4:21-31
- A. The law and the flesh nullify Christ formed in us - Gal. 4:21,
23, 29 (cf. Gal. 5:1-5)
- B. Freedom and the spirit release Christ formed in us - Gal. 4:22-23,
26-27, 30-31
- 1. The examples of these principles
- a) Two sons (Isaac and Ishmael) - Gal. 4:22
- b) Two women (Sarah and Hagar) - Gal. 4:22-24, 30-31
- c) Two covenants (The old and the new) - Gal. 4:24
- d) Two mountains (Mount Zion and Mount Sinai) - Gal. 4:24-25
- e) Two Jerusalems (Heavenly and earthly) - Gal. 4:25-26
- f) Two sources (The flesh and the spirit) - Gal. 4:23, 29
- g) Two states (Freedom and bondage) - Gal. 4:22-31
- h) Two ways (Promise and law) - Gal. 4:23, 28