The Point of Spiritual Formation

Spiritual formation involves learning to live and grow in the abundant life that Jesus came to give (John 10:10). John says, “In Him was life” (John 1:4). Jesus said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life” (John 14:6). This abundant or eternal life comes through knowing Jesus (John 17:3; 3:16). Once our sins are forgiven in Jesus’ blood, we have new life in Jesus (Romans 6:5). We are placed in a new relationship with Christ, and we must learn to live our life in His kingdom. Much changes regarding the state of our spirits in relation to God, and we sometimes struggle in learning, developing, and maturing in this new relationship. The journey or process of growing in this relationship with Jesus is what is often referred to as spiritual formation. Coming from the world and having lived according to the world, we now learn how to live life to the fullest in Jesus Christ.

Life in God’s kingdom means living constantly in the presence and power of God. It means living a life of love. It means living for the spiritual good and well being of others. It involves treating others in the way that we would like to be treated. Living in God’s kingdom means that we are sensitive to His desires, purposes, and plans. We live in complete confidence in Him, trusting every aspect of our life to Him.

We bask in the joy, peace, and love of God. We enjoy His abiding presence and His wonderful ways. We find satisfaction and contentment in Him. He is our peace. He is our sufficiency in everything. He is our strength. He comforts us. We find our worth in Him. We reflect His glory by taking on His character. We are so affected by Him that we begin to be like Him. We are so enamored, intrigued, and amazed by Him, that we tell others about Him. We live to honor, praise, and worship Him. That is the essence and goal of spiritual formation. May we all be changed into His likeness to His glory and honor.

What are your thoughts regarding the purpose of spiritual formation?

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

New Topics?

Is there anything specific you would like to discuss? Please let me know by posting or emailing me. If you do not have anything in mind, I'll continue to post things I'm interested in. Thanks, Terry
Read more

Practical ways of developing and expressing community

After having discussed the biblical principles describing what a Jesus community looks like, we must ask, “How do we develop and express community/fellowship in our churches today?” Is the biblical model a pattern for all times? Not necessarily, otherwise we would all have to meet in private homes, share a common meal in our gatherings, and eat the Lord’s Supper in the context of that fellowship meal. Yet, it is important that we follow the principles discussed above. We must be careful not to make every action of the early church an authoritative precedent to be rigorously copied without regard to time and place. The New Testament is not a second Levitical Code. It is our responsibility, guided by ancient precedent and wisdom from above, to adapt to the current and future needs of our world. Whatever forms, projects, programs, or activities we use today, they must be guided by the fundamental truths that Jesus is Lord, the Holy Spirit is present, the gospel must be lived out, and...
Read more

God builds community through spiritual gifts

As the body of Christ, we must learn to understand each person’s giftedness from the Spirit of God. Each person in a community should understand the various roles, functions, and works of the body, and how every individual works within that framework, coordinated and networked within the body to accomplish the overall purposes of the community. We must remember that God has gifted His church for her own well being and growth. Sadly, many do not recognize their gifts in the body of Christ, nor do they know what their role is in the body. We might begin by studying together the purpose of the church in light of the gospel, and evaluating the various gifts of each body part within the realm of that purpose. In doing so, we learn to appreciate the unity that is inherent in the diversity of a community. After discovering one’s gifts, and identifying their role in the community, each one must be taught how and where to administer their gifts and carry out their role within the community...
Read more