Spiritual Formation In Christ

Last year, I blogged through most of The Divine Conspiracy by Dallas Willard. Dallas Willard and Eugene Peterson are my two favorite contemporary authors regarding the topic of spiritual formation, how we follow Christ, and the shepherding of souls. I do not agree with all that they say on every issue, but their writings are a deep well of wisdom from which I regularly draw refreshing water for my soul. I find them to be particularly Christ-centered and solidly rooted in the work that God alone can do in the human heart.

An excellent book that deals with being formed into the image of Christ is Dallas Willard's Renovation of the Heart. I am reading through it now and am excited that our church will have a class on this starting in January. The most important task of the church is to be fully devoted to Christ and to make disciples of people. Spiritual Formation (disicpleship) has been long neglected and cannot be relugated to a class, although that can be a good starting point. We need spiritual direction and spiritual directors who major in the care and development of souls under the authority and empowerment of Christ. Everything starts with the heart.

Willard says,

"The revolution of Jesus is in the first place and continuously a revolution of the human heart or spirit. It did not and does not proceed by means of the formation of social institutions and laws, the outer forms of our existence, intending that these would then impose a good order of life upon people who come under their power. Rather, his is a revolution of character, which proceeds by changing people from the inside through ongoing personal relationship to God in Christ and to one another. It is one that changes their ideas, beliefs, feelings, and habits of choice, as well as their bodily tendencies and social relations. It penetrates to the deepest layers of their soul. External, social arrangements may be useful to this end, but they are not the end, nor are they a fundamental part of the means.

"On the other hand, from those divinely renovated depths of the person, social structures will naturally be transformed so that 'justice rolls down like waters and righteousness like an ever-flowing stream' (Amos 5:24). Such streams cannot flow through corrupted souls. Conversely, a renovated 'within' will not cooperate with public streams of unrighteousness. It will block them - or die trying. It is the only thing that can do so."

So, our desperate need is that our hearts be conformed into the image of Christ so that our entire lives are affected. In thinking about this, however, I think that it is helpful to begin with the Reformed view of Justification by Faith in that we recognize that our righteousness is Christ's alone and that we are only righteous as we look outside of ourselves to the objective, finished work of Christ on our behalf. This is essential. A contemporary author that I have found helpful on this is Jerry Bridges and his book The Gospel for Real Life. He clearly explains the facts about what Jesus has done for us and helps us to re-orient our lives around the basic, objective truths of the gospel.

I am writing on this because I think that we need constant reminders in the church that the Christian life is fundamentally about Christ and being conformed to who He is. The Great American Heresy is that the Christian life is primarily about us and our lives being blessed and happy. That lie is insidious and is tearing us apart. A continual focus on spiritual formation reconnects us with what God truly desires for us - a dependent relationship with Christ Himself. May this focus mark our lives and ministries.
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