#2 Spiritual Formation...

SPIRITUAL FORMATION

“Therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, I urge you to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God; this is your spiritual worship.”

The objective in any basketball game is clear. One team seeks to win the game by scoring more points than the other team. This mission is unmistakable.

Yet, there are hundreds of actions that are required to accomplish this mission. You can’t simply roll a ball out on the court and expect that a team will naturally be able to win without equipping them for the task at hand. They’d need to know the basics— how to dribble, pass and shoot. Then, you would orient them to the rules of the game so they understand the parameters that guide their actions on the court. They would certainly need to learn to play defense to stop the other team from scoring. You would hope the individuals on the team would also learn to work together so each person on the team used their skills in order to uniquely contribute toward the shared mission. You might even work on some offensive plays so the players knew how to score most effectively. No one comes ready-made with all of these abilities. Basketball players, regardless of their natural ability, need to be developed in order to accomplish the mission of winning a basketball game.

The same is true of our mission as disciples of Jesus. We are created to be the image of God by declaring and demonstrating His glory throughout the world. We’re actually even more ill-equipped to accomplish this mission than the novice basketball player who has undeveloped potential that needs to be harnessed. In our case, sin renders us incapable of accomplishing the mission God has given us. We are born sinners, intent on declaring and demonstrating sinful actions that are a stark contrast to the glory of God.

But God, in His grace, saves us, not by the works we’ve done but because of His loving-kindness (). Even once we’ve been saved by Jesus work, we still battle with the sin that so easily entangles our lives and hinders our mission (). Like a developing basketball player, we have all sorts of bad habits we have to relinquish in order to be effective. As a response to the salvation we’ve been given, we enter the life-long process of spiritual formation that allows us to accomplish the mission God created us for in the first place. If we are going to declare and demonstrate the glory of God, we must offer ourselves to God and allow Him to transform us.

WEEK 2

How is growth and development in the Christian life like learning any skill or hobby? How is it different? Why are these differences important?

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This might not be the typical way you think about spiritual formation. The normative assumption for many is that godly actions are done in an effort to merit God’s favor. Think about the person who is caught in a sinful pattern of behavior—the wife confronted in an extramarital affair, the teenage girl battling an eating disorder, or the businessman whose stealing money from work. They may feel shame and guilt and commit to getting their act together. They try to live a good life in an effort to exonerate themselves for their failures or to prove themselves to God. Sadly, many of those who believe this lie end up caving in because they can never consistently do what is right. God’s grace is what makes us right with God, not our ability to be good.

Others see spiritual formation as a way to elevate themselves over others. Sure, they’d never say it that way, but often efforts at maturity and growth bolster pride because some are able to look at those around us and think, “Well, at least I’m better than that person over there.”

Or, finally, some view spiritual formation as an optional extra for the superstar Christian. The normal, run-of-the-mill church attender doesn’t need to concern themselves with spiritual formation. That’s the work of pastors or missionaries. The rest of us can rest in the fact that we’ve been saved and that we’re going to heaven when we die. Why bother with the work of spiritual formation anyway?

Each of these three responses results from an inadequate understanding of growth and maturity. Spiritual formation helps us fulfill God’s mission for our lives. The process of change is as essential as a lay-up drill or a bounce pass for a basketball player. Without the development of Christian character and competencies, we are unable to accomplish the mission.

Notice the link between spiritual formation and God’s mission in the following parallel passages. Peter reminds the church in his day that "But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his possession, so that you may proclaim the praises of the one who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light. "Once you were not a people, but now you are God’s people; you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy. "Dear friends, I urge you as strangers and exiles to abstain from sinful desires that wage war against the soul. "Conduct yourselves honorably among the Gentiles, so that when they slander you as evildoers, they will observe your good works and will glorify God on the day he visits.” ()

He begins with four statements of fact. The people are chosen, royal, holy and His. This is true, not because they deserve these descriptors, but because God has declared them to be by virtue of Christ’s work.

Do you tend to think of yourself using these terms? If not, why?

They are then given a mission to proclaim His excellences and declare His glory, even to those who might speak against them.

How is this mission accomplished? Honorable conduct. Behavior. Holiness. They will need to act like the people God has declared them to be.

How does sin hinder mission?

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Peter’s language is reminiscent of the words God spoke to Moses before giving the law to the nation of Israel: “Now if you will listen to Me and carefully keep My covenant, you will be My own possession out of all the peoples, although all the earth is Mine, and you will be My kingdom of priests and My holy nation’” (). God did not call Israel to be holy to earn His favor, He’d already demonstrated His love for them and redeemed them from slavery. He also wasn’t calling them to holiness for their sake alone. His goal was that Israel would be “a light for the nations, to be My salvation to the ends of the earth” (). He had a mission for Israel and their obedience was critical to accomplishing this mission.

This is one of the central purposes of the law. Yes, the law is used by God to point out the depth of human sin and the need for Jesus. But, it was also meant to be a way that God’s people were clearly distinct from the pagan nations that surrounded the Promised Land. The other nations were meant to look at Israel and say, “So that’s what God’s people look like.” Their obedience to the law, understood in this way, was a means by which they fulfilled God’s mission.

We see the same truth embedded in Jesus’ famous Sermon on the Mount. In , Jesus uses the same imagery of light to portray the mission of all of God’s people: “You are the light of the world. A city situated on a hill cannot be hidden. In the same way, let your light shine before men, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father in heaven” (, ).

The end goal is the same here as in the passage from 1 Peter earlier—that people who are far from God would see the good works of God’s people and glorify God. This means that good works are all about God. They are not meant to point the spotlight on the person in question but redirect the attention to God, whose grace makes such obedience possible in the first place.

It’s instructive again to notice what Jesus does in the remainder of chapter 5 of Matthew. There He takes very concrete aspects of obedience to God and conformity to the law and reiterates their purpose. In fact, He takes these commands and goes further, rooting them not in outward actions but in heart disposition. He says that murder isn’t the biggest problem, it’s anger. It’s not adultery, but lust. Not making oaths, but breaking promises. These heart conditions and their corresponding actions are the way someone serves as a light to the nations and points them to the glory of God.

Think about your life currently. What heart conditions or actions hinder you from fulfilling God’s mission in your life?

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Your answer to the previous question reveals the main hindrance to fulfilling God’s mission. We often lack the maturity and obedience required to point people to the glory of God. This is why spiritual formation is critical. Without it, we will also sell out on God’s mission and waste our lives.

If spiritual formation is necessary, then what areas should this formation target? Or, asked more concisely, how does God equip me for His mission? It might be helpful to think in terms of three aspects of your being, your imago Dei, that must be formed.

Your Heart This is the starting point, as we’ve seen in Jesus challenge from the Sermon on the Mount. Later in Matthew’s Gospel Jesus says, “But what comes out of the mouth comes

from the heart, and this defiles a man. For from the heart come evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, sexual immoralities, thefts, false testimonies, blasphemies” (). Every action results from the heart. Godly actions result from a new heart that’s been given by God’s grace. Evil actions result from a heart that continues to reflect its original fallen condition. So, if we want to see lasting change, the place to begin is to do the hard work of addressing our hearts.

Let’s play a little game. In the left column of the chart below are actions that are considered by many to be sinful. Even those who are not Christians would consider many of these actions to be wrong. Beside each action list, is a corresponding heart condition, emotion, or belief that might cause each action. For many of these actions, there will be more than one predictable heart condition that would lead to the behavior. There’s one example provided for you to get you started.

Action Heart

An employee stealing from his boss Worry about the future and a lack of trust that God can meet this man’s needs

A teenager rebelling against his parent’s rules

A single lady who is contemplating an abortion

A college girl who consistently cuts herself

A father who is addicted to alcohol

An action you personally see as sin in your own life

Your Head What does this even mean? We have a sense of the power in our hearts. We know what it means to pursue things that we love. We know how our hearts can cause us to do all sorts of things—sometimes really strange things—in order to pursue the objects we desire. The heart is powerful. For it to change, God must act. We can’t change our hearts. But, as we’ve already seen, God is more than capable of doing this profoundly difficult work. He gives us new hearts that pulsate with the new life we’ve been given in Christ ().

As a result of this change, we are given the Holy Spirit who brings change to our lives from the inside out. This work begins as the Spirit works to transform our minds— changing them to believe God’s truth more than the enemies lies. We are formed as we begin to believe the truth God has declared about us. You might think about using our chart again and adding a third column. Now, beside each heart condition, list a truth about God’s character and actions that specifically challenge you to think differently. Ideally, you’ll do the work of taking these truths from Scripture so you are clear they are promises of God and not merely something you are creating on your own. Again, one example is provided to get you started.

Action Heart Head

An employee stealing from His boss

Worry about the future and a lack of trust that God can meet this man’s needs

“This is why I tell you: Don’t worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Isn’t life more than food and the body more than clothing? But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things will be provided for you” (, ).

A teenager rebelling against His parent’s rules

A single lady who is contemplating an abortion

A college girl who consistently cuts herself

A father who is addicted to alcohol

Your Hands The last of the three aspects of life in need of formation are our actions. Again, note that this is often the starting point. We try to change our actions and get frustrated when they don’t change. But, unless you start with the heart and the head, the hands will never change. Authentic formation will culminate in a change of actions that result in a transformed heart and head that believes God’s truth. So, let’s add a final column to our chart. Use the same columns to add a corresponding godly action that would replace the sinful action of the first column.

Action Heart Head Hands

An employee stealing from His boss

Worry about the future and a lack of trust that God can meet this man’s needs

“This is why I tell you: Don’t worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Isn’t life more than food and the body more than clothing? But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things will be provided for you” (, ).

The employee would confess his sin before God and his boss, seek to repay what was stolen and commit to prayer that God would meet the needs of his family.

A teenager rebelling against His parent’s rules

19Starting Point: Week 2

A single lady who is contemplating an abortion

A college girl who consistently cuts herself

A father who is addicted to alcohol

Seen in this light, we can clearly connect our actions to our mission. It’s impossible for a businessman who is stealing from his boss to live on mission and point his boss or fellow co-workers to the glory of God. It just wouldn’t work. But, the godly actions in the final column are ripe with missionary opportunity. The businessman will most likely lose his job, but the motive behind his confession could be a means God uses to point his boss to Jesus. His co-workers could see a demonstration of integrity and someone who seeks to walk faithfully with God. If he loses his job, the man could suffer well and trust God with his future, given an opportunity to testify to the greater hope that he has by virtue of his faith in Christ.

The potential is endless and exciting. Linking spiritual formation and mission, changes our perspective on growth. It’s a bit like a kid who is commended to clean his room. This boring task changes when the parent connects it to something the child wants to do. “If you clean your room, then you can go out and play in the tree house with your friends.” Now, the action of obedience is tied to the experience of joy and it’s likely the kid’s motivation changes as well.

In a similar way, think of the joy that those who live in obedience to God experience: • We can be used by God to point others to saving faith. • We can invest our lives in a way that matters long after we’re gone. • We experience freedom from shame and guilt that comes from living in known sin. • We can suffer with hope because we know God is at work in ways we can’t see. • We understand the power of God at work in our lives in fresh and new ways.

We experience joy by obeying God because we’re living the lives He created us to live. We’re imaging Him to the world. The question then becomes: How do we help others fulfill their purpose in life? How do we walk with others through this process of formation? That will be the topic of our study next week.

20Starting Point: Week 2

Discuss:

1. When’s the last time you tried to change something about yourself you knew was displeasing to God? How did you become aware of the sinful action? What did you do to try to change? How did it go?

2. What do you think most of your non-believing friends, neighbors, or co-workers think of when they think of a Christian? How are Christians typically portrayed in the world? How do our actions shape this perception? What might change if people said, “I don’t necessarily agree with what they believe but it is clear that they live their lives reflect their beliefs.”?

3. Talk through the charts you created this week. Walk someone else through an entire progression of sinful action, heart condition, gospel truth and changed action. Talk about how this process plays out in your own life by using an example from your spiritual formation.

4. Why is it important to connect spiritual formation and mission? What happens if these are separated? What examples do you see in your life for the need for spiritual formation in order to enhance your effectiveness in mission?

#2 Spiritual Formation...

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