TRAVAILING UNTIL CHRIST IS FORMED IN YOU 1

“MY LITTLE CHILDREN, with whom I am again in TRAVAIL UNTIL CHRIST BE FORMED IN YOU.”
Galatians 4:19 (RSV)

A leader has a responsibility to labour and travail in prayer, for Christ to be formed in the lives of the people under their leadership.
You do that through supplications in prayer and fellowshipping with God.
If you feed your people with the Word of God and pray for them that Christ be formed in them, they would not be a prey to the false teachers.
The diluted truth would be like the real truth to a spiritual famished soul—very hungry soul.
Jehovah witnesses and other groups that the Bible scholars called cults, go about with poisonous doctrines or teachings, and they are leading many away from the truth to destruction.

Note: A cult is defined by a dictionary as a small group of people who have extreme religious beliefs and who are not part of any established religion.
Some naive and ignorant nominal Christians and professed believers who are carnal, who do not have the understanding of the Bible, have found themselves in the traps of these religious cults.
These cults are not Christians, yet they professed to be Christians, they use Christian phraseology and terminologies to deceive the ignoramuses; those who are ignorant, lacking knowledge about the Bible in the body of Christ.
At the time that Apostle Paul was writing this Epistle, the battle was with the Judaizers, those who preach and teach salvation through the works of the Law (Galatians 1:6-8).
Christ, however, is the end of the Law for righteousness to everyone who believes (Romans 10:4).
Salvation, being reconciled with God and having a right standing with Him, is gotten through faith in Christ Jesus alone:
9 THAT IF YOU CONFESS WITH YOUR MOUTH THE LORD JESUS AND BELIEVE IN YOUR HEART THAT GOD HAS RAISED HIM FROM THE DEAD, YOU WILL BE SAVED. 10 FOR WITH THE HEART ONE BELIEVES UNTO RIGHTEOUSNESS, AND WITH THE MOUTH CONFESSION IS MADE UNTO SALVATION” (Romans 10:9,10 (NKJV).
READ: Romans 10:9,10; 4:25; 2 Corinthians 5:18,19

It was the Judaizers in Paul’s days who were persuading the Gentile believers to be circumcised and observed the old testament law (Galatians 5:4,6); but, in our contemporary time we take issue with a number of religious cults; such as Jehovah witnesses, Christian Science, Jesus of Latter-Day-Saints; And other religions of the world:
28 AND YOU, DEAR BROTHERS AND SISTERS, ARE CHILDREN OF THE PROMISE, JUST LIKE ISAAC. 29 BUT YOU ARE NOW BEING PERSECUTED BY THOSE WHO WANT YOU TO KEEP THE [Jewish] LAW [however, in the present time: it is those who want you to be part of their cults, or their religions], JUST AS ISHMAEL, THE CHILD BORN BY HUMAN EFFORT, PERSECUTED ISAAC, THE CHILD BORN BY THE POWER OF THE SPIRIT" (Galatians 4:28,29 NLT paraphrased).
Christians are being persecuted by the religious cults, and Islam, and other religions in the world.

A Pastor
A Pastor was sharing with me how one of his members left for Jehovah witnesses people. According to the Pastor, he said the brother made an offer of marriage to a lady who happened to be a Jehovah witness, in the process of time the brother was not regular in church attendance again, so they started visiting and admonishing him.
In the long run, the brother eventually left the church—stopped attending the church meetings completely.

Note: In my own view, I could deduce that the Pastor, the one who shared the story with me, is not mature enough.
To my understanding, he himself does not know the difference between a genuine Christian group and the false ones.

Admonitions.
• If you as a minister of God is not knowledgeable enough in the things of the Kingdom, you would do well to update your knowledge. A novice should not be a leader in the church of Christ: “A BISHOP [pastor or overseer] THEN MUST BE BLAMELESS . . . NOT A NOVICE . . . ” (1 Timothy 3:2,6).
• Study in order to equip yourself that you may be able to lead the people under your leadership aright:
"STUDY AND DO YOUR BEST TO PRESENT YOURSELF TO GOD APPROVED, A WORKMAN [tested by trial] WHO HAS NO REASON TO BE ASHAMED, ACCURATELY HANDLING AND SKILLFULLY TEACHING THE WORD OF TRUTH" (2 Timothy 2:15 Amps).
READ: 1 Timothy 4:13-16
• You can only give what you have, if you have nothing in you, you are lacking in knowledge of the Word of God, you would not have what to teach the people under your leadership: "THEN PETER SAID, “SILVER AND GOLD I DO NOT HAVE, BUT WHAT I DO HAVE I GIVE YOU: IN THE NAME of JESUS CHRIST OF NAZARETH, RISE UP AND WALK" (Acts 3:6 NKJV).

If I may ask you, do you have what It takes, the spiritual substance or food, to feed the people under your leadership?
You would do well to give yourself to the study of the Word of God, that you may be able to save yourself and those who hear you:
"PAY CLOSE ATTENTION TO YOURSELF [concentrate on your personal development] AND TO YOUR TEACHING; PERSEVERE IN THESE THINGS [hold to them], FOR AS YOU DO THIS you will ENSURE SALVATION BOTH FOR YOURSELF AND FOR THOSE WHO HEAR YOU" (1 Timothy 4:16 Amps).
Remember, the travailing should not be in praying for the people under your leadership alone, but in feeding them with God's undiluted word also.

You will not fail in Jesus' name. Peace!
TO BE CONTINUED