For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren (Romans 8:29).
Once we’re born again, God wants us to be conformed to the image of His Son. This word conformed is the Greek word summorphoo, which means to bring to the same form with. The root of this word is morphe which means an outward expression of an inward nature.
In the New Birth, our spirits are made new creatures in Christ. Old things pass away; all things become new. And what should take place is that what has been placed on the inside should begin to show up in how we treat others, in our speech, in our personal habits, in how we treat the opposite sex, in our work ethic, in how we raise our children, and in all of our family, work, and casual relationships. Years ago we sang a song, “I’ve got something on the inside working on the outside…” That’s the idea here.
Paul prayed for the Galatians believers, My little children, for whom I labor in birth again until Christ is formed in you (Galatians 4:19). This word formed in this verse is the Greek word morphe which again means an outward expression of an inner nature. He was praying that the New Birth experience would begin to show up on the outside in the daily lives of these believers.
Paul travailed in prayer for these believers. Travail is intense prayer. It denotes agony and tears much like a woman giving birth to a child. So instead of complaining about the lack of Christ likeness we may see in others, we should pray as Paul did that Christ may be formed in them.
All of us are the process of being conformed to the image of Jesus. What’s on the inside is rising up to be seen on the outside! Let’s pray for each other today that this process would be completed. We’re morphing!