You Are A Beautiful Work of Art!

Image result for sculptor working on a block of wood

 Galatians 4:19-20 "My dear children, for whom I am again in the pains of childbirth until Christ is formed in you, how I wish I could be with you now and change my tone, because I am perplexed about you!"

 Paul calls the Galatians his "dear children".  He considers the Galatians his spiritual children, because he shared the gospel with them and they became born again through believing in Jesus.  But the very reason he felt so close to them is also the reason he is so upset with them. For they are turning from the Gospel back to the Law.     

 Then, Paul uses the metaphor of being in the pains of childbirth to compare his desire for these young believers to become mature believers.  He specifically says he is in these pains, "until Christ is formed in you."  Paul uses similar language in Romans when he says  "For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son." Romans 8:29

 Though we are not Jesus, we are called to be like him.  We are called to follow his teachings, and be led by His Spirit who lives within us to obey them.  Christ being formed in us is a process that begins and ends with God's grace.  Because we still have a sinful nature we fight being conformed to Christ and constantly need God's forgiveness.  Why? Because it is easier for us to be conformed to the world than be transformed by the renewing of our minds and the obedience that comes by faith.  

 Someone has likened this process of becoming to conformed to Christ to a the process a sculptor uses to create a beaufiful sculpture.  The sculptor starts with a block of wood and carefully chips away.  The sculptor has an image in mind of what he wants to the sculpture to look like, but it takes time to develop the block of wood into the design he has intended for it.  One day through carefully chiseling and sanding the block begins to look exactly like the artist originally desired.

 In the same manner God our Creator is sculpting us through the power of the Holy Spirit into a beautiful work of art that reflects the image of His Son.  It is not a perfect analogy but you get the point. Though we will never be completely conformed to Christ until the day He calls us home, we set our eyes on Christ and rely on the promise that "He who began a good work in us will be faithful to complete it."   

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