26. Until Christ Be Formed in You
Every human being, every believer in Christ, is given this one opportunity, their appointed days on this earth in these mortal bodies, to become all the fullness of Christ, to become a manifest son of God. Every believer in Christ has the right to become that son, to be caught up to God and to His throne. Only a few seize hold of that for which God has seized hold of them.
My little children, for whom I labor in birth again until Christ be formed in you. Galatians 4:19
“Christ formed in us” is to be all that He is.
Earlier in this volume is a chapter titled, “The Conception of Jesus Christ.” He was conceived in Mary’s womb, yes. But He has also been conceived in us. I want to share some references again that I shared in that earlier article.
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Unlike men, who produce new sperm daily throughout most of their lifetime, women are born with all their eggs in one -okay, two baskets (ovaries). To be more precise, a woman is born with about one to two million immature eggs, or follicles, in her ovaries.
Throughout her life, the vast majority of follicles will die through a process known as atresia. Atresia begins at birth and continues throughout the course of the woman’s reproductive life. When a woman reaches puberty and starts to menstruate, only about 400,000 follicles remain. With each menstrual cycle, a thousand follicles are lost and only one lucky little follicle will actually mature into an ovum (egg), which is released into the fallopian tube, kicking off ovulation. That means that of the one to two million follicles, only about 400 will ever mature.
http://www.goaskalice.columbia.edu/1639.html
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A woman’s eggs are fully formed and stowed away in her ovaries from before birth. Each mature egg contains one copy of each gene in the human genome - half the amount necessary for life. (Each sperm also contains a single copy of each gene in the human genome.)
The maximum number of eggs that a woman will ever have is the number she has when she’s a 20-week-old fetus. She’ll have about 7 million of them then, 600,000 when she’s born, and about 400,000 at puberty. Once a woman hits puberty and menstruation begins, her ovaries release one of those eggs every 28 or so days.
During each cycle, even though multiple eggs start to develop, hormonal signals ensure that only a single egg will be released and the other eggs will regress. – Dr. Michael Roizen
http://www.sharecare.com/question/how-many-eggs-born-with
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And Jesus answered and spoke to them again by parables and said: “The kingdom of heaven is like a certain king who arranged a marriage for his son, and sent out his servants to call those who were invited to the wedding; and they were not willing to come . . . there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.” For many are called, but few are chosen. Matthew 22:1-14
To be born again is to hold an invitation to the wedding. To be born again is to possess the right to become a son of God. But God never forces anyone to do anything. Holding an invitation, possessing a right, in the end, means little – unless we respond in kind.
“Of one to two million follicles (eggs, invitations, right to become) only about 400 will ever mature.” — “Only a single egg will be released and the other eggs will regress.”
Many are called, but few are chosen.
Our western way of thinking comes out of the enlightenment. Central to that way of thinking is the idea of “egalitarianism.” “Equality” in America used to mean “equal opportunity” in the same way Jesus meant when He spoke these words. But egalitarianism is not satisfied with an equal chance at fulfilling the purpose and determination of God. No, egalitarianism in Christianity now demands that everyone is always equal in experience. “Everyone (born again) goes to heaven; in heaven, everyone has the same experience with God.”
This idea is not found in the Bible.
To whom much is given, much shall be required. — The stars differ from one another in glory.
In earlier writing, I have described the transformation of a caterpillar into a butterfly. The other day, I saw a description of that transformation that was better than anything I had read previously. I want to share the part of that description I was able to write down on the only scrap of paper I had.
When a butterfly is just an egg, tiny little buds of embryonic tissue break off from the rest of the embryonic development. These little buds, called Imaginal Discs, contain embryo cells to grow the body and wings of the butterfly. These Imaginal Discs will stay inactive inside the caterpillar until the chrysalis is formed.
Once inside the chrysalis, the body of the caterpillar dissolves and everything except for the Imaginal Discs turns to liquid. Fueled by the nutrient-rich fluid surrounding them, the Imaginal Discs grow the body parts of a butterfly. In essence, the process of birth is beginning all over again.
The butterfly that emerges from the chrysalis is a completely new organism, as different from the caterpillar on the inside as it is on the outside.
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Everyone who is born again has an equal opportunity to become a manifest son of God. But of all the many who are given that opportunity, only a few will be found in that place. The difference between the many and the few is entirely in how we respond to all that God speaks. No one is forced to believe all that God speaks. Those who do have determined in their hearts to be with Him in all that He is whatever that means.
The formation of Christ in us is identical to this transformation of a caterpillar into a butterfly. We are being “metamorphosized” into the image of Christ. 2 Corinthians 3:18
When we are born again, the “Imaginal Disc,” that is, the description of Christ, His DNA, His Word, is planted in our spirits. Yet we continue in this world looking very much like a messy human being, stumbling along upon the ground. That is what we are supposed to be.
In our messy human state, we eat of Him. We eat His word, we walk with Him, learning His ways. Being a caterpillar is not “bad”; it is the appointment of God. Being a Christian is not a dead-end; it is our chance to become a son of God.
Then God sets us aside, and we let go of everything. We no longer need to be a self separate from God, trying to bend ourselves to God’s will. Now we are just Him, revealed as us in this world. Inside that “nutrient-rich liquid” that we have become, the DNA code, the Word of Christ takes all the “stuff ” found in us and forms us into the image of Christ.
So we can rephrase that entire piece. Let me do that here.
When a Christian is first born again, there is inside of his Christian humanity the buds of Christ, the word God speaks. These little buds, called the Image of Christ, contain embryo cells to grow the fullness of Christ in human form. These Imaginal Discs (Christ in you) will stay inactive inside the Christian until the time of being shut away in God.
Once inside that place of separation from everything except God, the “Christian” dissolves, and everything except for all God has spoken, embraced by faith, turns to liquid. Fueled by the nutrient-rich fluid surrounding it, the Image of Christ, the Word God speaks, grows the body parts of a new Man for a new age. In essence, the process of birth is beginning all over again.
The manifest son of God that emerges from the chrysalis is a completely new organism, as different from the Christian on the inside as he is on the outside.
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Every human being, every believer in Christ, is given this one opportunity – their appointed days on this earth in these mortal bodies, to become all the fullness of Christ, to become a manifest son of God. Every believer in Christ has the right to become that son, to be caught up to God and to His throne.
Only a few seize hold of that for which God has seized hold of them.
Whatever God does, it is ALWAYS mutual with us. It will never ever be any other way. God will never, He cannot, force us to become His sons. He will never force us to walk with Him as an equal – He, the One who fills, we, the ones who contain. We must desire it as much as He does.
We become His sons by believing what He says, by contending with the oath of God.
All the rest become happy Christians, whether in the heavens or on the redeemed earth, blessed by God, and enjoying the light and liberty of the sons of God. This also is our joy and our rejoicing.
But only those who believe all that He says will know His humble heart, the great sorrow and the great joy that He bears. They will know Him, because His heart is theirs.
They will place their hands upon His ugly-lovely face and kiss Him with the tenderness of compassion.
This is the One with whom we have to do. Do we insist on just part of Him, the part that is acceptable to us? Or will we insist that He remove His mask and show us all of Himself, the handsome and the ugly, the One who gives and the One who takes.
Do we care enough about Him, to know ALL that He is?
Will we walk with Him side by Side, heart to Heart, as His equal?
This is the dividing line, and it is holy.