Christ Formed In You

Tonight I’ve been thinking about how Christ is formed within us. And that’s what I want to open up with you a little bit tonight and share with you. In Ephesians chapter 5. You see, every earthly father who is a real, you know, Christian father and who loves his children. He desires within the innermost part of his being as an earthly father to reproduce himself in his children. The heart of Christianity, my people, is the father God, through Jesus Christ building himself in us through his revealed Word. So that our moment by moment living is like and with the Master. In Ephesians 5 it says:

Be ye therefore followers of God, as dear children; And walk in love, as Christ also hath loved us, and hath given himself for us an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweetsmelling savour. -- Ephesians 5: 1, 2

God so loved, according to John, remember? 3:16. God so loved that he what? Gave. All love is giving. God, the Creator of all heaven and earth so loved that he gave His only begotten son. That whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have what? Everlasting life.

For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. -- John 3: 16

The reason it’s everlasting life is because it has a starting point for you. The reason it’s eternal life is because it has no starting point for God. And therefore that which you receive from God, is eternal, but for you it’s everlasting. That’s the difference in the usage of the two words everlasting and eternal. With God, that which you receive is eternal, but for you it’s everlasting because it had a starting point. If you were 25 years old before you were born again, then before that time you had no everlasting life. But when you got born again of God’s spirit at 25, from then on you have His eternal life, but it’s everlasting from that point on for you. We walk in love as Christ hath also hath loved us. He who knew no sin became sin so that you and I might become what? The Righteousness of God in Him. Imagine that. God so loved that he gave. Jesus Christ so loved that he gave. And you and I must so love that we have to give. I have to love to the point where people learn to love because of the love that I share with them. That’s what I mean when I say in classes, you have to learn to let people walk on your feet until they learn to walk on their own. You have to be the hands of people until they learn to use their own hands. You have to be the heart of people until people learn to use their heart and extend it out to the lives of other people. We have to be broken bread for people until they learn to break their own bread of life. God so loved, Christ loved and we have to so love because he had given himself for us an offering, a sacrifice to God for a sweet-smelling savour and that’s better than Chanel number 5. And the Word says that we are to God a sweet smell. When this Christ is formed within us, to the end that we love with the love wherewith he loved, and people it is possible. It is possible to love the unlovable in spite of. It is possible to so renew your mind that there is absolutely nothing that any other Christian believer does but that you still love them. And don’t criticize and find fault with them.

There is something brewing in my heart just didn’t have enough time to get it all brewed up and canned. But one of these Sunday nights by God’s mercy and grace I am going to teach on the battle of the mind. And show you that you can so get in alignment and harmony with God’s Word, that that Word so lives within you and you live within that Word that you can absolutely take anything your mind has done previously and make it agree with God’s Word, change it around. And you can so walk that you are the optimization of the love of God in Christ Jesus. Christ in you the hope of glory. Spiritually yes.

But what about that love, that forgiveness, that tenderness? What about the criticism we pass on people? You know, he’s a Christian brother and he does something that doesn’t quite agree with what you think you oughta’ do. So instead of really loving, we criticize. The only criticism I have ever seen in God’s Word that Jesus Christ ever gave were to the religionists. Those men who sat at the top echelon of so-called Judaism which was supposed to represent the power of God and the Word of God in its day and time. Those men he called whited sepulchers. He called them hypocrites. But I remember a woman taken in adultery. Everybody else was really laying it on her. They wanted to stone her. And Jesus said which one of you fellows want to throw the first one? He never criticized her. He never called her a whited sepulchre or a Pharisee.

You see we’ve got to go to the Word and love with the love wherewith Christ Jesus loved. And you’re never going to get to that place unless you commit yourself to the integrity of God and His Word and let this Word be built in you. And the building of the Word takes time, people. It’s not something you take a class on Power for Abundant Living in 2 weeks and walk away and say well now I got it. The rest of my life, I can fool around. That’s just the bare foundation. It gives you all the principles upon which to build, that I know.

But the building takes time, like building this Biblical Research Center takes time. If we were going to manufacture a piano, you could have all the things to put in a piano. It still takes time to put it together. And in that process of learning and growing, where people move from hearing the Word to building the Word within their life, takes time. And that takes a lot of love. Well, think of the love God had in Christ Jesus to make salvation available to us. To make it possible for us to be born again of God’s spirit, to be filled with the Holy Spirit. To have a knowledge of His Word so we can rightly divided it and operate manifestations decently and in order. That all of God’s people can be edified, built up by way of exhortation and comfort. To hear from God Almighty, the creator of heaven and earth.

In Acts chapter 16, there’s a record of two men of God and the same God that was in those two men is the same God that’s in you tonight. The same Jesus Christ same yesterday, today and how long? Forever. I think I’ll just read this thing. I hadn’t planned on it but it won’t hurt you. 16: 16 Acts

And it came to pass, as we went to prayer, a certain damsel [young lady] possessed with a spirit of divination met us, which [who] brought her Masters much gain by soothsaying: [Palm reading kind of stuff, you know, other things] -- Acts 16: 16

The same followed Paul and us, and cried, saying, These men are the servants of the most high God, which [who] shew unto us the way of salvation. -- Acts 16: 17

Was she right in what she said? Absolutely right. Don’t tell me that devil spirits don’t know. What she was saying was right on. Most of the people give her a front row seat.

This did she many days, but Paul, being grieved, turned and said to the woman, No. He said to what? The spirit. The spirit, that devil spirit. He said I command thee in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her. And he, the devil spirit, came out of her the same hour. That means pronto, right away, booms quick.

And this did she many days, But Paul, being grieved, turned and said to the spirit, I command thee in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her. And he came out the same hour. -- Acts 16: 18

And when her masters saw that the hope of their gain was gone, they caught Paul and Silas, and drew them into the marketplace or court unto the rulers.

And when her masters saw that the hope of their gains was gone, they caught Paul and Silas, and drew them into the marketplace [or the court] unto the rulers. -- Acts 16: 19

And brought them to the magistrates, saying, These men, being Jews, do exceedingly trouble our city, -- Acts 16: 20

And teach customs, which are not lawful for us to receive, neither to observe, being Romans. -- Acts 16: 21

And the multitude rose up together against them [against Paul and Silas]: and the magistrates rent off their clothes, [you know, they get real hot under the collar], and commanded to beat them. -- Acts 16: 22

And when they had laid many stripes upon them, they cast them into prison, charging the jailer to keep them safely: -- Acts 16: 23

Who, having received such a charge, thrust them into the inner prison, [so they couldn’t get out], and made their feet fast in the stocks. -- Acts 16: 24

And at midnight Paul and Silas moped. They said, Oh God, we’re working for you. Why do we have to suffer like this? Lord, all we were doing is your Will. You gave us revelation, it was a devil spirit, we took it out.

Midnight Paul and Silas what? Prayed. Under the most adverse conditions being in prison for something they shouldn’t have to be in prison for at all. Yet at midnight, at midnight, they prayed and they sang praises unto whom? And the prisoners heard them and Paul and Silas were ashamed that they heard them sing. No.

And at midnight Paul and Silas prayed, and sang praises unto God: and the prisoners heard them. - Acts 16: 25

And suddenly, there was a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison were shaken: and immediately all the doors were opened, and everyone’s bands were loosed. -- Acts 16: 26

And the keeper of the prison awaking out of his sleep, and seeing the prison doors open, he drew out his sword, and would have killed himself, supposing that the prisoners had [all] been fled. -- Acts 16: 27

But Paul cried with a loud voice, saying, Do thyself no harm: for we are all here. – Acts 16: 28

Then the jailer called for a light, he got his little lantern, his 6-cell and sprang in, and came trembling, fell down before Paul and Silas, And brought them out, and said, Sirs, what must I do to be saved?

Then he called for a light, and sprang in, and came trembling, and fell down before Paul and Silas, And brought them out, and said, Sirs, what must I do to be saved? -- Acts 16: 29, 30

What a record. God so loved, Jesus Christ so loved, Paul and Silas so loved that even though they had laid many stripes upon them, cast them into prison, they sang hymns, they praised the Lord, they prayed. And when this thing occurred, the jailer said, fellas’, I want that stuff you got. I want to tap into the same thing you’ve got. What must I do to be what? Saved. Right.

And they said believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, thou shalt be saved and thy house. And they spoke unto him the Word of the Lord. That’s the only thing that saves people. And to all that were in his house.

And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house. And they spake unto him the word of the Lord and to all that were in his house. -- Acts 16: 31, 32

And he, verse 33, the jailer, took them the same hour of the night, washed their stripes, and was baptized, doesn’t say water so keep it out, was baptized, he and all of his household straightway. That means immediately, they were born again of God’s spirit that whole household that night.

And he took them the same hour of the night, and washed their stripes; and was baptized, he and all his, straightway. -- Acts 16: 33

And then when he had brought them into his house, he made a steak dinner for them. It’s got to be at 2: 30 or 3 in the morning. And rejoiced believing in God with all of his what? House.

And when he had brought them into his house, he set meat before them, and rejoiced, believing in God with all his house. -- Acts 16: 34

Paul and Silas did not cry because the magistrates threw them in prison. They didn’t go around complaining. They knew they had to be broken bread until the people learned to break their own. They knew they had to be able to take it until people could take on Christ for themselves. You and I have to so love, so have Christ formed within us that we are the demonstration of the love of Christ in the renewed mind in manifestation. In the book of Galatians chapter 4, look at verse 19.

My little children, of whom I travail in birth again until Christ be [what] formed in you, -- Galatians 4: 19

This was the walk of the apostle Paul. See, they were born again of God’s spirit. They were already children. But they were little kids, spiritually. You can be 90, and just be a little child, spiritually. Just sort of like a pledge or a fledgling.

And the Word says, my little children of whom I travail in birth, labor. See. It’s like in Genesis, you know. It says something about in sorrow shalt thou bring forth children. That’s a bunch of baloney. The Word says in labor. But you see being occidental and everybody having to suffer like crazy having kids, so we got to get the word sorrow in there. Naw, it’s labor.

Boy, there’s a tremendous class that Mrs. Duncan taught on Diamonds in the Rough. I’ve only listened to the first tape and a half on it. I didn’t have more time coming back from Minnesota. But if the last part is as good as the first tape and a half, she’s got something going in our Ministry that all the young women and men ought to hear. Because she is discussing from the greatness of God’s Word, the power of it. The new families in the ministry, the new husbands and wives who want to have a baby. How to go about getting ready for that baby. How to prepare for that baby. Then how to work with that baby after it arrives. That’s why she called it Diamonds in the Rough. It’s a beautiful thing she is doing. You see, and she handles that verse that I just mentioned, that it isn’t sorrow in Genesis, it’s labor which is true. And any woman that has baby is going to put in at least 15 minutes, a little bit of labor to get the production, I guess.

But look at what He is saying. Children of whom I travail in birth, in labor in birth. Again, again. See they are born again of Christ’s spirit, Christ is in them, but Christ is not formed in their mind. The new birth is Christ in you the hope of glory but putting it on in the mind up here is to get the form of Christ up here. So that when you speak, you speak like Christ would speak. That when you smile, you would smile like Christ would smile. You’d love like Christ would love. You’d share his peace like Christ would share his peace. In Philippians chapter 2. Look at verse 13.

For it is God. It is who? God which worketh in you. It is God who is at work within you to will and to do what? His good pleasure.

For it is God [who? It is God] which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure. -- Philippians 2: 13

God at work within us. Spiritually, He is at work within us that we may will and do His good pleasure. Now, to know what is God’s pleasure, you must know God’s Word. And one of the things that is God’s pleasure is certainly to love with the love wherewith he loved. The tenderness with which he was tender. The joy with which he joyed. The blessings with which he blessed. The thanksgiving with which he lived. It is God at work within us to will and to do His what? Good pleasure. You see, God is building His love life in you, His righteousness, His strength, His perfection, His goodness, His justice, His forgiveness. God is at work within you to build that within you so that you can share it with others. In II Peter, there is a tremendous truth. Hebrews, James, I and II Peter. Chapter 3, verse 18.

But grow in what? Grace. Grow in grace and in the knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Grow in grace. The word grace literally could be translated love’s gifts. Grace is always God who is love at work. Love at work is grace. It says grow in grace and in the knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. It doesn’t say grow in the knowledge of Scripture.

But grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and for ever. Amen. -- II Peter 3: 18

The Way Ministry is loaded with that stuff at times, but no love. We’ve got grads on the class Power for Abundant Living I wish I never taught them. All they do is prance around showing people how much knowledge of the Scriptures they have and make everybody else that hasn’t got that knowledge feel badly if they can. Why, my goodness. Why did I ever teach them God’s Word for? Breaks my heart.

It’s not the knowledge of the Scripture you know, but the extent to which you know Him. And walk in the love wherewith he loved. Nothing wrong with knowledge of the Scripture. But it looks to me that you haven’t got enough knowledge if you don’t apply it. And you ought to read a few verses that tell you how to put it on. How to love with the love wherewith he loved. How to forgive with the forgiveness for which he forgives. How to keep your tongue under control so you don’t go blabbing everything all the time. It’s an unruly evil, remember, the tongue. No man can tame it so quit trying to tame it, let God tame it. He is the only one that can do it, otherwise you’re always going to have running of the tongue and diarrhea of the mouth, to boot. Sorry, without Ex-Lax of the spirit. Grow in grace. That growing in grace is to grow in the love life of Christ. Like you can grow in the new birth. You can’t get more spiritually than in the growing of it as in the renewed mind, and in the walk. Growing grace. Love at work in your life by God through Christ who saved us when we were totally dead in trespasses and sins without God and without hope, people. He loved us and that He saved us. Can you and I really if we know what that means do less than endeavor to build the grace of God in our minds and the love wherewith he loved? To share that love. So it’s not a knowledge of the Scriptures but what do I love, how do I love with that knowledge. You know in I Corinthians, chapter 2, look at verse 9.

As it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor what?, ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, those things which God hath prepared for them that what? love him.

But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him. -- I Corinthians 2: 9

Yet God hath revealed the things unto us by the Spirit; for the Spirit searches all things, yea, the deep things of God.

But God hath revealed them unto us by his Spirit: for the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God. -- I Corinthians 2: 10

God hath prepared for them that what? love Him. He has revealed them by His spirit and it’s the spirit that searches the deep things of God. And God at work within you to will and to do of His good pleasure when you and I renew our minds and walk in the light of that Word. Then we are having Christ formed in us. People will never see Christ until they see you. He’s seated in the heavenlies waitin’ to get back. The only Christ they’ll ever see is the walk within you, the Christ in you. The joy in you, the thanksgiving, the blessing, the effervescence, the enthusiasm, the smile, the dedication, the commitment. That’s all they’ll ever see of Christ. They’re not going to open the book. They only can buy one and put it in the house. They ain’t going to open it. Not going to read it, not going to study it. But there going to look at your life and they are going to look at mine and they say does he really love? He talks about forgiveness, does he really forgive? He talks about the tongue yakking all the time. Does he do the same? You see, honey. They’ll never see Christ until they see it in you, see it in me. We have to become Christ filled, Christ centered, Christ everything has to be within us. Whether we are in a shop or a factory, or in a car or sittin’ on a log. It has to be Christ in manifestation. In Ephesians chapter 3, listen to verse 8:

Unto me, who am less than the least of all saints, is this grace given, that I should preach among the Gentiles the [untrackable], unsearchable riches of Christ; -- Ephesians 3: 8

There are some things in life that you can track. Maybe one of these mornings we’ll have some snow. And if the rabbits have been out that night, I guarantee you you can track them. But there are other things, that in the Word of God, that cannot be tracked. Some things you can track. Having been in research all these years, there’s some things I can put together as I say with a mathematical exactness and a scientific precision. That when I’m finished with it, I’m absolutely positive, if God’s Word is right, that there is nobody can touch it. Because I can just track it like a rabbit. The way he’s sittin’ underneath the bush or the woodpile. Track him right in. But then there are other things in God’s Word that are absolutely untrackable. That’s this word unsearchable. That word unsearchable is the word untrackable. The grace given that I should preach among the Gentiles the unsearchable or the untrackable riches of Christ.

Tonight, people, again I feel like I feel every time when I teach God’s Word whether it’s here or any other place in the world. I feel like this verse. The least of all saints to me was this grace given that to you, I have the privilege and to the people of the world that I minister among to teach and to share with them that untrackable riches of Christ. I don’t understand it, but I sure appreciate it. I can’t explain it, but I sure love him for it. But there are a lot of other things much simpler than the riches of Christ that I can’t explain either. Electricity is one. I’ve had a real problem trying to explain it. But I sure enjoy it when I need it for the darkness to be dispelled and when I need toast in the morning. A few other things.

You see, that love of God tenderizers you. That love of God, when Christ is formed within you makes you forgiving, makes you tender, makes you kind, makes you understanding. Because it couldn’t do anything else but. In Colossians chapter 1, look at verse 9:

For this cause we also, since the day we heard it, do not cease to pray for you, and to desire that ye might be filled with the knowledge of his will in all wisdom and spiritual [what?] understanding. -- Colossians 1: 9

That ye might walk worthy, walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing, be fruitful. And to be fruitful is to propagate oneself literally in the text in every good work and growing up, increasing is growing up by the knowledge of God.

That ye might walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing, being fruitful in every good work, and increasing in [by] the knowledge of God; -- Colossians 1: 10

By the knowledge of God. Walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing. You see there’s a walk with the Lord and there’s a walk in the world. It’s a two-fold walk. It’s a walk with Him but there is also a walk in the world. And we’re to so walk worthy of the Lord in the world unto all pleasing, propagating ourselves and growing what? up. Growing up. I know that this Christ in you, the hope of glory is perfect. I know it’s eternal life from God’s point of view. I know all that. But I know people born again of God’s spirit who have an absolute miserable existence. Who are full of fear and worry and anxiety and frustration downcast and defeated. People that cannot be right on. For our Christ came and lived within us that we might have a life which is more than what? abundant. That we might be more than what? conquerors. I can do all things through Christ who infuses inner strength into me. One translator puts it. Who strengthens me? What a tremendous record from God’s Word.

You know in chapter 4 of Philippians, in chapter 4 of verse 11:

Not that I speak in respect of want; for I have learned, in whatsoever state, King James says I am therewith content. That’s not true. That would say if you’re sick, be thankful you’re sick. Well, if you’re dying, be thankful you’re dying. That’s a bunch of baloney. The text reads, In whatsoever state, I am self adequate. That makes you more than a what? A conqueror. More than an abundant life. In whatever state, you’re standing is one of a son of God’s state. It fluctuates. And whatever state I am, I am what? Self adequate. Not because of my own self, but because of His self. God at work within me to will and to do what? Of His pleasure. He makes me self adequate. Don’t you see it? That’s why I’m adequate because of His adequacy, His ability, His willingness, His desire.

Not that I speak in respect of want: for I have learned, in whatsoever state I am, I am self adequate relying on God. -- Philippians 4: 11 [this is the correct translation of the verse according to the text].

I too had to learn to love. Like everybody else. It said growing up, right? I too had to grow up because there was a long time I took growing up. Especially some people, I had an awful time growing up with them that I had to love them. It was so much easier getting mad at them all of time and raise hell with them. Because I just didn’t like the way they combed their hair or put on their pants, or something. Or what kind of shoes they wore, you know. And golly, 60 you know, to find some unlovable one and then the Word says you have to love them, that’s a real strain on your head. I too had to learn, people. I’ve always had, of course, in the inner part of my being, I guess, the ability to understand a lot of things about people. But that love wherewith I love today is just unbelievable even for me. I’m like that vessel we read about. I know this and it can only be God at work within me that brought me to that place. Because there is nothing anybody can tell me that will shock me, no. 1. Nobody. You couldn’t have told me anything you’ve done that you could even shock me. And you couldn’t tell me anything you’ve done that will make me think less of you to the end that I wouldn’t love you. And for God to do that within me takes an awful big God. And it comes to the place where I trust by God’s mercy and grace I am tonight that there is just nobody that I could not love. It has to be God. And I can so easily put up with the shortcomings of people. I’m talking now Christians who are also growing up because God tenderized me on the inside because of the greatness of His love. If He can take a man that is calloused and hard and egotistical and all the rest of the junk that goes with usual academic procedures and so bring him to the place that he can so love that he is willing to give what he has that others may learn to love too. It has to be God, people. That’s how I got to it, just by growing up in the Word, and letting this Word live in my mind and begin practicing the presence of God. The Word all the way through. This is why Galatians speaks so loudly to my heart tonight, people. Galatians, right before Ephesians, look at that chapter 2. Very familiar to you I am sure. Verse 20:

I was crucified with Christ: nevertheless I what? Live; yet not I, but Christ liveth where? in me: and the life which I now live, right now, this Sunday night 1974, the life I now live in the flesh, you know in the senses world, I live by the faith of the son of God who loved me and who gave himself what? For me.

I am [was] crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me. -- Galatians 2: 20

I was crucified with Christ. When Christ was crucified, I was crucified with him. So were you. When he died, we died with him. The Word says when he was laid in the sepulcher, we were laid with him. When he arose, we arose with him. When he ascended, we ascended with him. That’s why the Word says we’re already seated in the what? Heavenlies in Christ Jesus. Because wherever Christ was, we were, where he is we are, when he comes back where he will be, we will be. For he is our Savior and our Lord. I was crucified with Christ. Nevertheless, I what? Live. I am alive, yet not I, but Christ what? liveth in me. That’s the greatness of that life. And the life which I now live, right now, in the senses world, I live by the pistis of Jesus Christ - the believing. Who so loved me, that he gave himself for me.

People, as far as I understand a little bit about the Word and about building the greatness of this Word in your life. The only thing I have seen through the years is that men who grow deeply spiritual, women who grow deeply spiritual, our men and women who allow the Word to be fully declared unto them and walk in the fullness of the greatness of that Word. These are the men and the women who become deeply spiritual. I didn’t say religious. I said spiritual. And it is that Word, that Word living in us and you living in the Word manifesting forth the greatness of that Word, that moves the greatness of the power of God in our world today. This is Thanksgiving week. Many of you will not be in this auditorium Wednesday night for our Thanksgiving service. That’s why I just like to share this message that I shared with you tonight about Christ being formed in you. Because this is what our nation needs. To see that Christ in you with that love of God in the renewed mind in manifestation. Your next-door neighbor needs it. There is nothing so completely satisfying as the knowledge of the Word in the renewed mind in manifestation bringing that love to people. You will never be so blessed in your life until you’re blessed by helping somebody else with the love that Christ has given you. You will never be so blessed until you learn to forgive like Christ has forgiven you. To bring peace to someone’s soul because Christ first brought it to you. That’s why my prayer to is that Christ be formed in you. And that we can so love that we will be wonderful men and women of God whom the world can look at and if they want to see, they can then see Christ. For God so loved that He gave. Jesus Christ so loved that he gave. How can we say we love God when we don’t even love our fellow brothers and sisters?

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