Back To Slavery Or Forward To A Christ Filled Life

But there’s another way of looking at pregnancy - and that is to see it as a development that within a body there is a life being formed - an absolutely amazing process is taking place, amazing changes are happening that are miraculous. It’s not simply a case that someone is pregnant but that within them a life is being formed. And here is the most amazing thing - Paul sees the goal of the Christian life as "Christ being formed in us" - see vs. 19. If you are a Christian you are "pregnant" with Christ through the Holy Spirit, and the goal of the Christian life is that the image of Christ be formed in you, and that others may too come to know Jesus and have the image of Christ developed in them. This must be the goal of the Christian life.

God is calling out to us - Let my image be formed in you. becoming a Christian is merely that starting point - in the same way that becoming pregnant is not the goal it is the formation of a new life within, the formation of Christ within the believer.

Where the analogy breaks down is a baby is formed, Christ transforms.

Gal 2:20 Can You see if as a church and as individuals we are not becoming more Christ-like we are failing in our mission. So Jayne you are not on your own in your pregnancy.

You see this is the exciting thing about the Christian life the true content of the Christian gospel is not that we have heaven one day but Christ right now, Christ in you - through the Holy Spirit -

Pregnancy brings joy - yet as Paul reminds the Galatians "What has happened to all your joy". If you are not experiencing joy - and I mean joy (not happiness) - then one has to question whether you have understood that Christ lives in you

"Pregnancy is not to be hidden" - (read vs. 18) - the word zealous means the Galatians are called out for not being simply Christians when Paul is around - "Sunday Christians". They are to live the Christian life 24/7 and how are they to do that through the power of the Holy Spirit living in them.

"Pregnancy involves facing up to the truth". - It can be a painful experience but for Christ to be formed he must take control - the truth can hurt because he will want to grow into areas of our lives that are painful - from vs. 16 Paul says - the Galatians were not always to accept the truth of the gospel - let us not deceive ourselves and fall into the same trip

But how do we do these things

We must have total dependence on the one whom God had sent. The presence of the living Christ, by His Spirit within you gives you everything you need. It is only the Lord Jesus himself who is capable of to living the Christian life. Let me say that again - and that is why he dwells in you through the Spirit.

Yet often we can be an enslaved Christian - they have become a Christian and received the Holy Spirit, yet ignore His presence and struggles to live the Christian life another way, Tries to live the Christian life as though Christ were not there within. He feels tired, worn out, frustrated Gal 2:20. The Christian life is an exchanged life -