WEDNESDAY: FORMED INTO THE IMAGE OF CHRIST
KEY PASSAGE
“I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.”
DEVOTIONAL
The apostle Paul takes us to a funeral service in Galatians 2:20. He is communicating that the process of becoming more like Christ requires death - death to our personal will, old patterns, and the person we were before we met Jesus. In Christ, we have been given new life. Jesus changes everything.
Being formed into the image of Christ does not require that you try harder to change, but it requires a deeper yielding and surrendering to God’s will. It’s much like a potter with a mound of clay. The clay has no power in and of itself to change; it must yield to the potter’s hands to be molded into its greater purpose. It is the same way for us as the children of God.
Spiritual formation does not happen overnight. It is a gradual process where we must yield to God, allowing Him to remove what does not align with His character and refine what does. As we spend time with God, the Holy Spirit begins to reshape us from the inside out. He reshapes our desires, attitudes, and actions.
So, what is the evidence of a transformed life? Fruit! Galatians 5:22 says, “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self- control.” We cannot produce this fruit on our own. But as we stay connected to Christ and surrender to God’s work in our lives, He produces the fruit! Humility will begin to replace pride. We will choose forgiveness over resentment. Our love for others will be sacrificial instead of self-serving. We will choose to trust God rather than try to control. This is the evidence of Christ living in us!
CHALLENGE
What area of my life is God reshaping right now?
Am I resistant to any part of this process?
Take some time in prayer to yield that area of your life to God so that He can work.