Spiritual Formation - Pt. 2

2 - Spiritual Formation

Becoming a Modern Monk

They like Paul, learned to master their body

But it was not for the end result of just mastering their body, their disciplines were not an end but rather a means - a means to practicing the presence of God and the fullness of joy and pleasure that comes from Him.

They lived in such constant precious communion with God. Problems? Give them to God, no big deal and move in in praise of who He is.

Brother Lawrence called the practice of the presence of God the easiest and shortest way to attain Christian perfection and to be protected from sin.

They would come to a place that nothing could separate their heart and mind from the love of God.

Some considered men blind, complaining that we are content with too little. God has infinite treasures to give us, why should we be satisfied with a brief moment of worship and such meager devotion that restrains the flow of God’s abundant grace.

If God can find a soul filled with a lively faith, He pours His grace into it in a torrent that, having found an open channel, gushes out exuberantly.

We only die once, so let’s at once stop restraining it any longer and let the infinite almighty God pour a torrent of His treasures into us.

Not advancing - is falling back.

Do you recall your first enthusiasm and passion for Christ? May it be rekindled and inflamed.

These men and women may be unknown to the world but to God they are greatly loved and significant.

So what do we do?

Romans 6:5–13 (NIV)

For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we will certainly also be united with him in a resurrection like his. For we know that our old self was crucified with him so that the body ruled by sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves to sin—because anyone who has died has been set free from sin. Now if we died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him. For we know that since Christ was raised from the dead, he cannot die again; death no longer has mastery over him. The death he died, he died to sin once for all; but the life he lives, he lives to God. In the same way, count yourselves dead to sin but alive to God in Christ Jesus. Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body so that you obey its evil desires. Do not offer any part of yourself to sin as an instrument of wickedness, but rather offer yourselves to God as those who have been brought from death to life; and offer every part of yourself to him as an instrument of righteousness.

3 Parts to this passage of Scripture:

Baptism in Christ (Identity) “For we know that our old self was crucified with him so that the body ruled by sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves to sin”

This is our new realm. We are identified with Christ.

I am who God says I am

If God said today was Monday, guess what, today is Monday.

We are dead to sin, sin is now odd, disgusting, a terrible decision that becomes harder and harder for us to do and live in.

Our identity - died to the sinner in Adam and raised to a new master - God. Our new identity is one which has died and has been raised in Christ. We truly have new life.

This is Jesus’ life

A life of power over sin and death

We receive this new identity by faith, and through faith we must also continue to embrace and live that new identity so that obedient works become expressions of our living faith.

Reckon it (think it) “In the same way, count yourselves dead to sin but alive to God in Christ Jesus.”

In Chapter 4, God reckons/credits righteousness to us 11 times (using Abraham as the example)

Here Paul is telling us to agree with God’s perspective!

Because He reckons us righteous, we must reckon ourselves righteous and all because we are in Christ.

We do not do righteousness to get God’s gift; rather, righteousness is God’s gift in Christ, and we demonstrate active faith in Christ as we live accordingly.

We do not stop sinning in order to be “saved”; rather, we are “saved” from sin through faith.

New Living Translation Chapter 3

5 They will act religious, but they will reject the power that could make them godly. Stay away from people like that!

Present your bodies (do it) “Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body so that you obey its evil desires. Do not offer any part of yourself to sin as an instrument of wickedness, but rather offer yourselves to God as those who have been brought from death to life; and offer every part of yourself to him as an instrument of righteousness.”

Not so much about what to not do

More now about what we do

Our bodies can be used for evil but also can be presented to God’s service.

Disciplines are to mold and shape us more and more - as an instrument of righteousness.

To reject spiritual disciplines is to insist that growth in the spirit is something that just happens all by itself.

Church history reveals that the church, at least on a large-scale political level, has often lived no differently than nonbelievers (and in some cases worse). But then, Paul’s theology may have been largely untested because it has been largely untaught; emphasizing either moralism or justification without transformation truncates Paul’s message of unity with Christ.

Western Christendom today has imbibed the radical Enlightenment’s skepticism of the supernatural, suspicious of miracles and other divine interventions. For Paul, however, the genuine Christian life is “supernatural” (i.e., divinely empowered) from start to finish, a life by God’s own Spirit. Apart from acknowledging and embracing the Spirit, the best imitations of Pauline religion are just “flesh.”

2 Timothy 3:5 NLT They will act religious, but they will reject the power that could make them godly. Stay away from people like that!

But when we “work out what God is working in” and obey God with our total life, we will have a wealth of power on the inside of us.

It is not automatic, it does take work!

1 Timothy 4:7–10 NLT “Do not waste time arguing over godless ideas and old wives’ tales. Instead, train yourself to be godly. 8 “Physical training is good, but training for godliness is much better, promising benefits in this life and in the life to come.” 9 This is a trustworthy saying, and everyone should accept it. 10 This is why we work hard and continue to struggle, for our hope is in the living God, who is the Savior of all people and particularly of all believers.”

Is this just rhetoric Paul is using to fill space? Or does it indicated a precise course of action in definite terms that he carefully followed himself and called on others to share.

Over and over we see him say, “Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me—put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you.” Philippians 4:9

This can be a shock to us. Godliness, living as the image of God, living a life worthy of His kingdom and name does not happen automatically! It takes hard work, the same kind of hard work it takes to get physically fit.

The New International Version Chapter 9

Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize. 25 Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last, but we do it to get a crown that will last forever. 26 Therefore I do not run like someone running aimlessly; I do not fight like a boxer beating the air. 27 No, I strike a blow to my body and make it my slave so that after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified for the prize.

This word for training is where we get the word for gymnasium

This is a powerful analogy - an athlete may have all the best intentions and motivations and dreams but if he doesn’t get in the gym and train he will not win.

Training does not always feel good.

A problem we face in western thought, is we only do, what “feels good” or what “makes us happy”

Spiritual growth doesn’t occur by us just doing what I want, but what is necessary.

When we understand that God’s grace is a gift, the disciplines then are a means to that grace and gifts. These are bodily activities (any activity is a bodily activity) that are undertaken to make us capable of receiving more of God’s life and power.

As we habitually rely on God and dedicate our bodies to righteous/godly behavior, sin becomes dispensable, uninteresting and even gross. Our attitudes and desires change because of our practices that are based on the reality of our identity in Christ.

Silence and Solitude

We are so go go go go go. Always busy. Always moving with somewhere to be and something to do, always sound and things filling our mind with distractions. Without silence & solitude and stepping back from people and business we remain stuck in the same habits, cycles, social dogmas. Stepping back in solitude to reflect and see the bigger picture enables us to step out free and non-conformist to the social order but rather to God’s order.

The study shows people would rather be shocked (after saying that they would pay not to) than to be alone with their thoughts.

Man is stripped of all superficial things and is left alone with himself and his emptiness.

We with God

Psalm 46:10 “He says, “Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.””

We with God are not alone. Silence and solitude alone gives us the possibility to be still, set the lord before our minds with intensity and length that we remain centered on him, hearts fixed and established in trust.

It reminds us that we are not in control, not God, not sovereign. Whether I do something or nothing does not determine the existence of the world.

Solitude - the place of the desert (or our closet) is the place of strength! Jesus spent 40 days in fasting and solitude - preparing him for the testings to come.

Isaiah 30:15 “This is what the Sovereign Lord, the Holy One of Israel, says: “In repentance and rest is your salvation, in quietness and trust is your strength, but you would have none of it.”

Modern Monk Practices:

Practicing the Presence of God

The Practice of Prayer

The Practice of Divine Reading

The Practice of stillness, silence, solitude, divine guidance

The Practice faith for daily living

The Practice of obedience

The Practice of fasting

The Practice of radical generosity and sacrifice

The Practice of community

The Practice of living in the world