Spiritual Formation, Wk#1
Spiritual Formation • Sermon • Submitted
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· 29 viewsSpiritual formation is an ongoing process in the life of the believer. We are never fully formed here on earth. So, we are always being formed. We will be formed to and by the Spirit or to and by the world. We as the church, have a responsibility to, not only grow ourselves but, to aid in the growth of others.
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What is Spiritual Formation?
What is Spiritual Formation?
Spiritual formation may refer either to the process and practices by which a person may progress in one's spiritual or religious life or to a movement in Protestant Christianity that emphasizes these processes and practices. The processes may include, but are not limited to,
Specific techniques of prayer and meditation
A lifestyle integrating spiritual disciplines or exercises
Understanding and practice of historical religious philosophy and techniques
The knowledge and expression of the truth of God and of self
Christian spiritual formation is distinct from other religious perspectives due to the centrality of Jesus as the model of the process and ultimate goal of formation as well as the activity of the Holy Spirit in the believer to develop them toward maturity.
Christian spiritual formation is the process of being conformed to the image of Jesus Christ for the glory of God and for the sake of others.
Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another. For this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit.
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The focus of spiritual formation is the Holy Spirit, who guides the ongoing journey.
The response is submission.
Formation is an organic, life-long, and holistic process involving right thinking (orthodoxy), right behaviors (orthopraxy), and right feelings (orthopathy) of individuals and communities.
Terms Defined
Terms Defined
Spiritual direction is a relationship between a person seeking a more Christ-like life and another who serves as guide to the process. The guide is trained as a spiritual director.
Spiritual formation focuses on the ordinary maturing of one's relationship with God.
Discipleship focuses on the maturing of one's faith in the context of the particular beliefs and values of a faith community. Disciples are respected and spiritually mature mentors and leaders in a faith community.
My son, be attentive to my words;
incline your ear to my sayings.
Let them not escape from your sight;
keep them within your heart.
For they are life to those who find them,
and healing to all their flesh.
Keep your heart with all vigilance,
for from it flow the springs of life.
Put away from you crooked speech,
and put devious talk far from you.
Pastoral counseling focuses on relational and emotional maturity of an individual and/or family group. It is usually crisis-driven. Pastoral counselors are trained and certified.
There is nothing outside a person that by going into him can defile him, but the things that come out of a person are what defile him.”
And he said, “What comes out of a person is what defiles him. For from within, out of the heart of man, come evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, coveting, wickedness, deceit, sensuality, envy, slander, pride, foolishness. All these evil things come from within, and they defile a person.”
Mark 7:
“For no good tree bears bad fruit, nor again does a bad tree bear good fruit, for each tree is known by its own fruit. For figs are not gathered from thornbushes, nor are grapes picked from a bramble bush. The good person out of the good treasure of his heart produces good, and the evil person out of his evil treasure produces evil, for out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks.
I particularly like the definition given by Dallas Willard in his writing on this subject.
I particularly like the definition given by Dallas Willard in his writing on this subject.
Spiritual formation in the tradition of Jesus Christ is the process of transformation of the inmost dimension of the human being, the heart, which is the same as the spirit or will. It is being formed (really, transformed) in such a way that its natural expression comes to be the deeds of Christ done in the power of Christ.
If you examine some of the next passages I will show you, you will see that they include a
Passive Element and an Active Element.
Passive Element and an Active Element.
And making the distinction between passive and active, and seeing how they come together, poses--especially for the evangelical understanding--the greatest difficulty in the area of spiritual formation.
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you, who by God’s power are being guarded through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. In this you rejoice, though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been grieved by various trials, so that the tested genuineness of your faith—more precious than gold that perishes though it is tested by fire—may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ.
to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you, who by God’s power are being guarded through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. In this you rejoice, though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been grieved by various trials, so that the tested genuineness of your faith—more precious than gold that perishes though it is tested by fire—may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ.
I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing.
And above all these put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony.
We know, as Jesus says, "Without me you can do nothing." () And I think everyone here will agree with that.
It is the initiative of God and the presence of God without which all of our efforts are in vain--whether it is in justification or sanctification or in the realm of the exercise of power, all our efforts will be in vain if God does not act.
But we had better believe that the back side of that verse reads: "If you do nothing it will be without me." And this is the part we have the hardest time hearing.
Keep your heart with all vigilance,
for from it flow the springs of life.
In Southern Baptist Circles, we are not only saved by grace
In Southern Baptist Circles, we are not only saved by grace
We are paralyzed by it.
We are paralyzed by it.
The "old man" will not be put off, and the "new man" put on, unless I do something--and, indeed, unless I do the right things.
And so the need as we approach the topic of spiritual formation, is to understand as well as we can what is our part and what is God's part.
(If the idea that we must do something to "enable" God to do something bothers you, you have just hit a major barrier on the pathway of spiritual formation.)
Have nothing to do with irreverent, silly myths. Rather train yourself for godliness; for while bodily training is of some value, godliness is of value in every way, as it holds promise for the present life and also for the life to come.
1 Timothy
Discipleship became a option sometime after WW II.
The subsequent rise of talk about spiritual formation occurred because of the felt (though often unarticulated) need to find something deeper: something that actually lead to the transformation of life, that actually moved people in the direction of "the good tree", that looked into the tangled depths of the heart and said, "There must be a way of doing something about that."
The hope of this study will be to aid us in growing in Christ through Spiritual Formation.
The hope of this study will be to aid us in growing in Christ through Spiritual Formation.
There are two primary principles to remember throughout this study.
First, spiritual formation is the holistic work of God in a believer’s life whereby systematic change renders the individual continually closer to the image and actions of Jesus Christ.
First, spiritual formation is the holistic work of God in a believer’s life whereby systematic change renders the individual continually closer to the image and actions of Jesus Christ.
Second, the change or transformation that occurs in the believer’s life happens best in the context of authentic, Christian community and is oriented as service toward God and others.
Second, the change or transformation that occurs in the believer’s life happens best in the context of authentic, Christian community and is oriented as service toward God and others.
For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers.
And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another. For this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit.
2 Corinthians
Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.
my little children, for whom I am again in the anguish of childbirth until Christ is formed in you!
Are we in anguish until Christ in formed in other?
Are we in anguish until Christ in formed in other?
How about in ourselves?
How about in ourselves?
Pray through your commitment to grow, to be volitionally involved in your own, and others, spiritual formation.
Pray through your commitment to grow, to be volitionally involved in your own, and others, spiritual formation.