Is it a burden or privilege that God wants us to become like Christ? Isn’t it is a privilege that he provides a way for us to become New Adams and New Eve’s in the image of the second Adam, Jesus? In fact, it is astonishing that we can start doing that now. As soon as we are born anew we can start progressing towards being someone fully governed by the Spirit, full of peace, harmony, light and love.
Let’s look at some passages about becoming like Christ. In Galatians 4:19. Here Paul told the Galatians that he was “in the anguish of childbirth until Christ is formed in you” (ESV). Paul’s goal is that Christ would actually be formed in the readers. Christformation is his goal and he feels like he is in labor. It takes time and effort in order for Chrisformation to happen, it is a continuous process.
We see something similar in Ephesians 4:12-13 which speaks of “building up the body of Christ, until we all attain…to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ” (ESV). This statement comes after a list of the various types of ministers God gives to the church; they should be Christforming believers. So just as in the Galatians passage we see that believers go through a building process and the goal is to have the fullness of Christ in us. And we should be ministering to each other to make this happen. If we are faithful to his instructions for growth (which is what this website is about) then we will have this fullness. And we will go through different degrees of fullness, or what we might call stages of growth.
“This means that our mind, will, emotions and desires can all grow up into Christ. Every part of us is on a growth continuum.”
A couple verses later Paul says “we are to grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ” (Eph. 4:15 ESV). Is there some part of us that shouldn’t grow up? Doesn’t it say “in every way”? This means that our mind, will, emotions and desires can all grow up into Christ. Every part of us is on a growth continuum. This is God’s mission in us. His Holy Spirit is always doing some work inside us to Christform us. This is also a community effort because “when each part is working properly, [Christ] makes the body grow so that it builds itself up in love” (v. 16). So Jesus makes the body grow but he produces growth through the mutual edification of believers.
Paul explains that he and his team are doing their part in this mutual edification. In Colossians 1:28 Paul says that his team is “admonishing and teaching everyone with all wisdom, so that we may present everyone fully mature in Christ” (NIV). Not just mature but “fully” mature. The Greek word for “mature” here is teleios which generally means “complete” or “perfect” and other translations use these words to translate it.
This is what God is doing in you. Dive in!
Yes, by supporting and encouraging each other with prayer and scripture, we participate in this process. God really has a marvelous plan!