When the law of life is allowed to move in us without hindrance, it will develop to a state where Christ can be formed in us (Gal. 4:19). When Christ is gradually formed in us, we will be transformed (2 Cor. 3:18). The goal of transformation is to be like Him (1 John 3:2). Christ being formed in us cannot be separated from the working of God’s life in us. To the extent that God’s life becomes mingled with us, Christ will be formed in us, and to that extent we will be transformed.
To the extent that a man is filled with the life of Christ, lives Christ out, and expresses Christ, he is conformed to the image of God’s Son, as mentioned in Romans 8:29. This is what Paul pursued, and this was Paul’s experience (see Phil. 3:10; 1:20). This can also be our experience today and should be the pursuit of every child of God. As far as being fully like Him is concerned, we must wait until the Lord appears (1 John 3:2). That day will be the time of the redemption of our body (Eph. 1:14; 4:30; Rom. 8:23). At that time we will be completely like Him.
A simple illustration will help us to see what it means to have Christ formed in us. In an egg there is the life of a chicken. However, if during the first days of incubation you use a light to look through the egg, you cannot tell which part is the head and which is the foot. It is when the chicken is almost ready to break through the shell and come out that you can see what the complete shape of the chicken is. At that time we can say that the chicken has been formed inside the egg. In like manner, Christ’s life in immature Christians is not well-formed. It is only formed in grown-up Christians. The life of Christ is complete, but it is restricted by us. Therefore, Christ is not yet fully formed in us. This means that the growth of life is hindered.
Paul was in travail again for the Galatian believers until Christ was formed in them (Gal. 4:19). We see from this that the formation of Christ is very important. Paul was not speaking empty words here, nor was he feeling sorry for himself. He was travailing again, which takes time, love, intercession, tears, and daily expectation. How many of God’s children today have Christ formed in them? How many who serve the Lord care for the spiritual state of God’s children and labor painfully in spiritual birth? Oh, when we speak of this we repent, we are pained, and we weep, not only because we are in such a poor situation, but that even towards some of God’s children our love is so inadequate.
Some children of God are immature and abnormal. Others even shrink back and fall. Can we put all the blame on them for their poor situation? Can we feel at ease and go on day after day without feeling sorrow and praying for them? “O God, forgive us and be merciful to us. Give us time to learn and to experience. Give us time to travail again for those who are like the Galatian believers.”
According to Romans 12:1-2 there are two prerequisites for transformation: one is the presentation of our bodies; the other is the renewing of our mind. The presentation of our body can be likened to regeneration—it is done once for all; whereas transformation is a process and is something gradual.
Let us now consider specifically the relationship between the mind and transformation. Romans 12:2 says, “Be transformed by the renewing of the mind.” Ephesians 4:23 says, “And are renewed in the spirit of your mind.” Both of these verses refer to the relationship between the renewing of the mind and transformation. The work of the Holy Spirit is always from the center to the circumference. Because the spirit is especially related to the mind, the spirit must be renewed first; then the mind must be renewed; finally, man’s behavior will gradually be changed.
Repentance means to have a change of mind; it means that the eyes have been opened. To have our mind renewed simply means that our eyes have been enlightened. The more our mind is renewed, the more we are transformed. Day by day, through the light of life, God is causing us to know ourselves, to repudiate ourselves, to know the reality of the inner life, and to experience putting off the old man and putting on the new man regarding our manner of life. This is a matter of our subjective experience. Objectively speaking, Christians have already put off, as regards their former manner of life, the old man, and have also put on the new man (Eph. 4:22, 24; Col. 3:10). These are all facts which have been accomplished in Christ.
We must realize that transformation is not like regeneration. Regeneration is something that happens once for all, but transformation is a daily gradual process. We must ask ourselves this question: to what extent have I experienced transformation? If there has been no change in us since the time we became a Christian, if we are still self-loving, self-pitying, selfish, proud, self-exalting, and full of worry and doubt, then it is questionable whether we have really met the light. If, as we go on, we become more cold, more hardened, more proud, more conceited, more loose and unruly, then there is illness either in our heart or in our mind. If this is the case, we need to humble ourselves and begin again to deal with our heart. We need to ask the Lord to be merciful to us, to enlighten us and to give us strength to get rid of any sin and every bit of self that is hindering the move of the law of life.
The Holy Spirit says, “Today if you hear His voice, do not harden your hearts...” (Heb. 3:7-8). May the Lord be merciful to us that our heart may be softened before Him. At the same time we need to believe Philippians 2:13: “For it is God Who operates in you both the willing and the working for His good pleasure.” This is the characteristic of the new covenant. This is also the glory of the new covenant. We must praise God!