Portrayals of Christ formed in believers

The Galatian believers

Paul says he travails in birth again for his disciples in Galatia until Christ be formed in them. He was concerned about the Galatian believers who started in the spirit but ended up in the flesh. They were born again by the Spirit and the Word of God but were influenced by the legalistic Judaizers to get circumcised and to keep the law again. Paul asked: ‘who has bewitched you?’ They also stopped following Paul and his teaching and clung to the false teachers who told them Paul was a false apostle. Paul’s tone in this epistle is one of deep affection and strong emotion. He gave birth to spiritual children who now rejects him and he experiences anguish about them.

Paul immediately started praying seriously for them hoping that Christ in them would be manifested outwardly in their daily lives. This is a work of transformation that only the Spirit of God can do by the Word of God that abides in them. It is not a matter of self-effort.

The meaning of ‘form’

The word ‘form’ is ‘morphoo’ in Greek and that speaks of giving outward expression of an inward nature. (Wuest) We use the English word ‘form’ when we say, ‘I went to watch tennis yesterday. The winning player was in excellent form.’ The outward expression of his inward ability helped him to win the match.

When Jesus Christ was transformed on the Mount of Transfiguration the same basic word, ‘metamorfeo’ was used to describe his supernatural change. His inward reality of being one with God beamed out to make his clothes shine like armor and his face shine like the sun. A cloud of glory enveloped him and his 3 disciples, Peter, James & John.

Jesus’ transformation

Two men appeared in this glorious moment to speak to him about his decease that He still had to accomplish in Jerusalem for the sake of those who would later on believe in Him. Those two men were Elijah and Moses, both who were supernaturally transported from earth to heaven instead of dying normal deaths. They were taken up by God and could therefore descend again to fulfill the will of God.

Jesus lived His earthly life to perfection by obeying His heavenly Father in everything and perfectly pleasing Him so that His inner reality became greater than his flesh or his body. He could have gone to heaven at that point, just like Moses & Elijah, but if He did, He would have gone alone without us. He still had to accomplish something extremely important on earth: giving His life as a ransom for many. He still had to be crucified and shed His blood as remission for all our sins. Then God would resurrect Him and give Him an eternal body that would never be destroyed.

That new body could eat fish and honey, but it could move through walls and travel great distances at a moment’s notice. It is His glorified body – the kind we will receive when Christ returns and we are changed in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, when our co

By Apostle Aje Pelser.

Photo by Ales Me.

By Apostle Aje Pelser

Preached by Apostle André Pelser at Harvester Church Cape Town.

A command that changed people’s lives. Don’t be filled with wine. It causes dissipation (scatters energy, over-indulgence) but be filled with the Spirit. It makes you single-minded. You can focus on what you have to do.

Perspectives on being filled with the Spirit

Although Peter & John were unlearned men, when they saw their boldness, they took knowledge of them that they had been with Jesus (Acts 4:13)

Isaiah 11:1,2 – The Spirit of wisdom – Solomon’s wisdom made him wealthy

The Spirit of understanding – establishes; the Spirit of counsel – solving problems; the Spirit of might – nothing is impossible; the Spirit of knowledge – without knowledge people perish; the Spirit of the fear of the Lord – the beginning of wisdom.

Galatians 5:22, 23 – But the fruit of the Spirit is love that never fails, joy in believing; peace that passes understanding; longsuffering or patience that you might become perfected; kindness – when the kindness of God appeared, Jesus arrived on the scene; goodness – the goodness of God leads us to repentance; gentleness – David proclaimed, ‘Thy gentleness has made me great oh, Lord!’ and self-control – a spirit of self-control under difficult circumstances.

Jesus announced that the Spirit of the Lord God was upon Him to do something. He was anointed to preach the gospel to the poor; He was sent to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed, to preach the acceptable year of the Lord. (Luke 4:18, 19)

To be Spirit filled does not mean you just go around speaking in tongues all the time. Speaking in tongues is the initial evidence that you are Spirit filled. But you are filled with the Spirit to do something. You are anointed to do something for God and for others. The anointing that abides within you will teach you concerning all things (I John 2:27). He will show you things to come (John 16:13) and lead and guide you into all truth. He is your Comforter and Helper. Greater is He who is in you, than he who is in the world (I John 4:4)

Acts 10:38 – ‘How God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power, who went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with Him.’

How has God anointed you? You can go around and do good things – like Jesus did! People become aware of Jesus when you are around, because His Spirit in you shines through! You do good in what you do, because you are filled with the Spirit. Recognize it today. Say, ‘I am filled with God’s Spirit!’

Young Elihu told Job and the other miserable comforters, ‘there is a spirit in man, and the breath of the Almighty gives him understanding…the spirit within me compels me.’ (Job 32:8, 18) He spoke wise words and got Job to repent for speaking vanities against God. He spoke on behalf of God. He did not let the old men despise his

Preached by Apostle Aje Pelser at Harvester Church Cape Town.

I once asked God why he did not bless us with more money, when my parents were in missions and going through a hard time, often selling possession to fund the next mission and pay the bills. As a family we have sold everything we possess several times now to fund the work we do for God. And we continually sacrifice and give because the cause is holy. I got a simple word in my heart that settled it for me, and that aligned my heart to do it all again: “I have given you influence.”

Definition of influence – “the capacity to have an effect on the character, development, or behaviour of someone or something, or the effect itself,”

When you ask God something sincerely, He will answer you, but he might not give you the reason that you thought you would get!

Examples of a positive influence in the Bible:

Covenant with God is supposed to transcend generations. Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. IN in his Seed all the nations of the world were blessed because Jesus was born of his line.

In fact, God thought so much of Abraham that He shared his plans to him:

2. Moses on generations to come revealing Jesus: