Lesson 1: Formed into the Image of Christ

By the end of this lesson, the student should:

(1) Be able to define spiritual formation.

(2) Be able to offer biblical support for spiritual formation.

(3) Understand and articulate the Christian mandate.

(4) Be able to discuss some of the challenges to spiritual formation.

Our neighbors have only recently come to know Jesus, and it's been thrilling to watch them grow in their faith. Neither of them was raised in a Christian home. Neither of them has had much experience at all with church. But Becky and I have been encouraged as we watch how the gospel has transformed and is transforming their home. I don't know that I've met more than a handful of people in my life with a deeper hunger for the Word of God than Danny and Kim have. 

We were in the middle of a Bible study through the gospel of John recently, giving special attention to two questions: “What does this passage say about Jesus?” and second, “How ought this understanding of Jesus to change our lives?” Suddenly, and with conviction in her voice, Kim exclaimed, “I just want to be like Jesus! In everything I do and say; and in every part of my life, I just want to be like him!” It was a very special, even sacred, moment because she did not grow up hearing that kind of language. It was a special moment because this testimony was the expression of a longing placed in the heart of Kim by the Holy Spirit through his Word. Kim, as well as Danny, have seen in Jesus a person so compelling and attractive that they long to be like him. This is the natural longing every believer should have.

God’s purpose for saving us is not just forgiveness, but to restore his image in us.

Spiritual Formation is a course designed for believers who want to change and be changed. It is written for men and women who have been born again, even those who love God from a pure heart, but who want to be formed in greater measure into the image of Jesus Christ.

Most of us aren’t completely satisfied with where we are spiritually. (This holy dissatisfaction should characterize the lives of all believers.) In every corner of the world believers yearn for a closer walk with God. This yearning is best expressed in the prayer of the psalmist, “As the deer pants for the water brooks, so pants my soul for you, O God.”[1]

Through spiritual formation our thirst for God will be satisfied in increasing measure, because it is the life of Jesus within which satisfies it.

True Christians want to grow. We want to grow in our faith. We want a closer walk with God – a greater awareness of God’s presence in life’s joys and sorrows. We want to become more disciplined and self-controlled. We want to become more trusting, more joyful, and more at peace.

Many of us desire a more consistent devotional life. We want freedom from fear and anxiety. We want to beat some stubborn habit. Some want to overcome a besetting sin. We all want to become more fruitful, more productive. We want our relationships to be blessed and fulfilling. We want to consistently manifest the life of Christ before others. Most Christians I know want to change, but many don’t know how to change.[3] Many feel stuck! Many secretly despair of ever being different than they are. Spiritual Formation offers a roadmap for the change we want and need.

The change we yearn for will take place through discipleship, or what we are calling in this course “spiritual formation.” Other related terms are “growth in holiness” and “progressive sanctification.” Spiritual formation involves the “renovation of the heart”[2] and is both a crisis and a process. It requires both “pivotal” change (or dramatic moments of change) and slower “incremental” change.

[1] Psalm 42:1

[2] A term used by Dallas Willard

[3]“A lot of people want to change... but many of them do not believe it is possible. After years of trying and failing, they lead a Christian life of quiet desperation.”
– James Bryan Smith

2 Corinthians 3:18, “But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory (little by little), just as by the Spirit of the Lord”[1]

Galatians 4:19, “My little children, for whom I labor in birth again until Christ is formed in you.”[2]

Colossians 1:28, “Him we preach, warning every man and teaching every man in all wisdom, that we may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus.”

Ephesians 4:13-14, “Till we all come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ; that we should no longer be children, tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, in the cunning craftiness of deceitful plotting.”

From these Scriptures, as well as many others, we draw the term “spiritual formation.”

► According to these passages, what is the ultimate purpose of the Christian life? What are some of the means of reaching this goal mentioned in these passages? According to the Ephesians passage, what are some of the results?   

[1] Emphasis and parenthetical text added.

[2] Emphasis added on all of the Scriptures in this section.

Spiritual formation is the gracious process of being conformed to the image of Jesus Christ for the sake of others.[1]

Let’s break down this definition into its three parts – the “gracious process,” the “image of Christ,” and “for the sake of others.”

Spiritual Formation is a Work of Grace

In a sense there is nothing we can do to transform ourselves into Jesus’ likeness. Yet there is much we must do to make ourselves completely available to God’s transforming grace. Grace is opposite to earning but is not opposite to effort.

Around the world, certain churches emphasize grace without human effort. We will emphasize grace in this course. We will make clear that every advance in the Christian life is a miracle of grace. But grace involves a cooperative effort between the Holy Spirit and the Christian.

As an example of this cooperative effort between grace and effort, consider the way the Scriptures were written. We know that “all Scripture is given by inspiration of God.” In other words, all Scripture is a miracle of grace. God inspired men to write, he empowered them to write, and he preserved their writing. And yet, our Bible was not a product of effortless grace. Without men putting forth much effort in meditation, gathering information, checking sources, organizing thoughts, and writing, we would have no Bible.[2] Our Scriptures came through inspiration with perspiration!

Paul said something similar about his ministry: “I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the growth.”[3]

Spiritual Formation is a Process

► In the four key spiritual formation passages above, underline the words “glory to glory,” “until,” and “till we all come.”

These passages speak to us of a process and ongoing activity. Paul speaks of the process of planting, watering, and growing.[4] He speaks of growing in love,[5] in faith,[6] and in knowledge.[7] Conformity to Christ’s image is a wonderful, though sometimes slow and erratic, journey punctuated by moments of profound leaps forward. We should not be discouraged when we fail but allow failure to humble us and train us.[8]

Spiritual formation happens at a different pace for every believer. The pace is affected by the intensity of the believer’s desire. The Scriptures teach, “Those who hunger and thirst after righteousness will be filled.”[9] Not every believer cultivates the same intensity of hunger and thirst.[46]

Spiritual formation is a process because it involves a change of mind.

God has not created us as robots or machines. We are complex human beings created with the capacity to think, feel, and choose. Spiritual formation begins with the progressive transformation of the mind,[10] leading to the transformation of our affections and natural transformation of our behavior.

My friend, Blake Jones, reminded me recently that when Paul talks about being transformed by the “renewing of the mind,” the word “renewing” carries the idea of renovation or remodeling. We could think of a home remodeling project. Many of us have clean spiritual homes and even theologically strong homes, but still there are rotten boards that need to be replaced, crooked places that need to be straightened, and unattractive places that need to be beautified. Most of us need some new pictures of God and ourselves hung on the walls too! “That kind of remodeling is a process,” Blake said. “It’s not like watching clips of a house make-over so that in ten minutes you see the old and the new. It is changing our mind in real time!”

Spiritual formation is a process which involves making better choices.

We will not bear the image of Christ in ever increasing “glory” automatically, but by persistent pursuit.[11] I often tell young people that the first step to a closer walk with God is to “get out of bed in the morning!” I have found that we will never find success by following the lazy currents of our nature but by swimming upstream by the grace of God. As the saying goes, “If you always do what you’ve always done, you’ll always be what you’ve always been!”

“But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to fulfill its lusts.”[12]

Spiritual formation is a process because we are shaped by life experiences.

Experience doesn’t come all at once but a little at a time.[47] Much of this experience is painful. A.W. Tozer reminds us that, “It is doubtful whether God can use a man greatly until first he wounds him deeply.” Everyone appreciates affirmation. But it is the seasons of difficulty, the harsh winds of trial and adversity, the unjust words of a foe, and the dark night of the soul which shape us most profoundly.

One of my daughters declared very dramatically the other day, “I just can’t wait to grow up!” We all know the feeling. But God is not in a hurry when it comes to our spiritual growth. Just as a father delights in his children at every stage of their maturity, so our heavenly Father delights in us today ‐ just as we are, not as we will someday be! This is probably one of the hardest truths for us to believe and accept.

One author states,

"The New Testament is full of the idea of growth.... Miracles, as the extraordinary speeding up of process, show that God is powerful enough to do whatever he wants however he wants. Growth, as the ordinary way things happen in the world, shows the way God has typically chosen to work in the world. If we insist that spiritual development occurs only in crisis events, we limit God and disregard his sovereign choice."[13]

Spiritual Formation: Being Conformed to the Image of Christ

► In the four key spiritual formation passages circle the words: “into the same image,” “Christ is formed,” “every man perfect in Christ Jesus,” and “measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ.”

The image of God: God’s purpose for the Christian

Man was created in the image of God: “So God created man in his own image; in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them.”[14] Man was created as a reflection of God’s character and as his beloved representatives in the world he had made. Theirs was a “blessed” and “fruitful” life.[15] Theirs was a life of selfless, intimate, joyful, and uninhibited fellowship with their Creator and with one another.[16]

When Adam and Eve fell through sin, the image of God was marred (though not destroyed). They became self-conscious, self-centered, and separated from God’s fellowship. But, from that very hopeless moment, God began to implement his gracious plan to restore the people he loved back into his image.[17]

God’s purpose, though, is not just forgiveness but full restoration of the image of God. Forgiveness – restoration of fellowship – is instantaneous, while the restoration of the image of God is a process.

God’s purpose for every believer is to be who we were created to be – people who bear the image of Christ, who is the image of God; people who manifest his beautiful character and who live moment by moment as his representatives in the world. But how do we get there? This course has been designed as a roadmap for your journey.

Jesus Christ: the image of the invisible God

“The Son is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation.”[18]

“The god of this age has blinded the minds of unbelievers, so that they cannot see the light of the gospel that displays the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.”[19]

“The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of his being, sustaining all things by his powerful word.”[20]

These verses remind us that Jesus is the image of the invisible God. In Jesus we see perfectly the kind of people God created us to be. Jesus is the perfect example of spiritual maturity.

The image of Christ is spiritual maturity.

The image of Christ is what the Bible means by spiritual maturity. Spiritual maturity, or spiritual perfection, is simply “the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ.”[21]

Paul encouraged believers in Rome to think differently about their sufferings, because all things are working together to conform us to the image of Christ.[22] “All things” includes ministry, family life, sickness, poverty, prosperity, conflict, persecution, calamity, success, grief, and loneliness. God’s purpose for everything is to make us like Jesus.

Jesus is the perfect man and our great example. The New Testament is full of beautiful portraits of Jesus. We see him fasting and praying in the desert, reclining at a table with sinners, holding children on his lap, squatting on a sandy beach baking fish for his disciples, snapping a whip and standing up for the spiritually oppressed, witnessing to a thirsty woman at a well, feeding the hungry, walking down the road to Emmaus with two discouraged disciples and expounding the Scriptures, and surrendering to the cross. These portraits and many more give us insight into the kind of Christians we are to become.

Christian discipleship is being conformed to Jesus’ humility,[23] his humble love of immature disciples,[24] his redeeming love for sinners,[25] his meekness,[26] his perfect balance of grace and truth,[27] and his joyful endurance in suffering,[28] his obedience unto death,[29] his fullness of the Spirit,[30] his victory over evil,[31] and much more.

Christian discipleship is being conformed to Jesus’ priorities as well – his preaching of the gospel,[32] his making of disciples,[33] his defense of the oppressed, [34] his ministry to society’s forgotten poor,[35] and much more.

The image of Christ is seen in his virtues.

In Ephesians, Paul commands Christians to follow the example of Jesus by being “imitators of God as dear children.”[36] Let’s think for a few moments about the virtues of Jesus Christ we must imitate (examples: love, kindness, gentleness, self-control, etc.).

► Look up the following references and see if you can list at least eight virtues of Jesus which God wants to form in us.

Click here to download a PDF containing the following table.

► Discuss these virtues as a group. Why do we tend to emphasize some Christian virtues and not others?[37]

What the image of Christ looks like in believers

There is a powerful portrait of the image of Christ in Colossians 3:10-17. In this passage Paul describes the “image of God,” which has been “created” in us, but which must also be “put on.”

► Read Colossians 3:10-17 together and try to discover the characteristics of the “new man.” Write down these characteristics.

This life of the Lord Jesus is the only life which will satisfy God’s holy requirements for his children. Neither our righteousness nor our best efforts will ever satisfy God’s righteous demands or merit his blessing.[38]

Spiritual Formation is for the Sake of Others

Sharing in the beautiful life of Jesus Christ brings us to an ever-increasing enjoyment of God. It is not an enjoyment we arrive at alone, nor is it one we enjoy alone. “We are being conformed to the image of Christ for the sake of others within the body of Christ and for the sake of others outside the body of Christ.”[39] Believers who bear the image of Jesus Christ are always seeking to bring broken people into this same joy because that’s what Jesus did. True spirituality is not found in isolation from a broken world but in giving our lives to heal the broken.[40] This is where his glory will shine through us. This is where his fragrance will emanate from us.[41] This is what the life of Jesus reveals to us.[42]

The outcome of spiritual formation will be a life totally governed by divine love. Conformity to Christ is conformity to Christ-like behavior, not just his inner character. Conformity to Christ is loving God with all our heart, soul, strength, and mind, and our neighbor as ourselves.[43] There is no greater measure of spiritual formation than sacrificial love![44] Jesus’ relationship with his Father always led to serving those in need – the outcasts, the unloved, the sick, the hungry, the spiritually oppressed. He said that this kind of love would characterize those who inherit his kingdom too.[45]

Superficial spirituality leads to devotion without concern. But if worship doesn’t lead us to obedience or make us more generous to those in need, then it’s not true worship. If prayer doesn’t make us more patient, tender, and compassionate toward others, then perhaps our prayer life is not being patterned after the prayer life of Jesus.

[1] Adapted from M. Robert Mulholland Jr., Invitation to a Journey (Downers Grove: InterVarsity Press, 1993), 12

[2] Luke 1:1-4

[3] 1 Corinthians 3:6

[4] 1 Corinthians 3:6-7

[5] Ephesians 4:16

[6] 2 Corinthians 10:15

[7] Colossians 1:10

[8] Psalm 103:8-11; Hebrews 12:5-6

[9] Matthew 5:6

[10] Romans 12:1-2

[11] Jeremiah 29:13

[12] Romans 13:14, emphasis added.

[13] Mel Lawrenz, The Dynamics of Spiritual Formation (Grand Rapids: Baker Books, 2000), 31

[14] Genesis 1:27

[15] Genesis 1:28

[16] Genesis 2:25; 3:8

[17] Colossians 3:10; Ephesians 2:10; 4:24

[18] Colossians 1:15, New International Version, emphasis added.

[19] 2 Corinthians 4:4, New International Version, emphasis added.

[20] Hebrews 1:3, New International Version, emphasis added.

[21] Ephesians 4:13

[22] Romans 8:28-29

[23] Philippians 2:5-11

[24] John 13:34-35

[25] 1 John 4:10-11

[26] Matthew 11:29

[27] John 1:17

[28] 1 Peter 2:21

[29] Philippians 2:8

[30] John 14:16

[31] 1 John 3:8-9

[32] Mark 1:38; Luke 4:18

[33] Mark 3:13-19

[34] Matthew 21:12-14; Luke 4:18

[35] Mark 3:10-11; 6:36-44; Matthew 25:34-40

[36] Ephesians 5:1

[37] Virtues of Jesus from the Scripture study in this lesson: Gentleness, meekness, gladness (joy), patience, kindness, tender-heartedness, humility, love, sinlessness, being forgiving, being without deceit.

[38] Luke 17:10; Romans 3:12

[39] M. Robert Mulholland Jr., Invitation to a Journey (Downers Grove: InterVarsity Press, 1993), 168

[40] John 17:15; 2 Corinthians 4:11

[41] 2 Corinthians 2:15

[42] Matthew 11:19

[43] Luke 10:27

[44] Romans 5:8

[45] Matthew 25:34-36

[46]“In the final analysis, there is nothing we can do to transform ourselves into persons who love and serve Jesus except make ourselves available to God to do that work of transforming grace in our lives. Our part is to offer ourselves to God in ways that enable God to do that transforming work of grace.”
– Robert Mulholland Jr.

[47]Christian growth can be likened to the growth of Chinese bamboo. The seeds of this plant get watered for five years with little growth, but in the fifth year Chinese bamboo grows 90 feet in 6 weeks!

The following verse is fundamental to being formed into the image of Jesus:

“But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord.”[1]

To “behold” means to fix one’s spiritual eyes upon or to earnestly contemplate. But what are we to earnestly contemplate? The “glory of the Lord.” This is clearly the person and redeeming work of Jesus Christ in the gospel.[2] All our hope for change is in looking to Jesus.

As we look unto Jesus, the Holy Spirit transforms us into the image of Jesus with “ever increasing glory.”[3]

As we look with faith to the incarnation, the same Spirit of humility begins to work in us. When we kneel by faith with Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane, the same Spirit of surrender and relinquishment to the will of the Father keeps removing parts of us we have not surrendered.

When we stand by faith with Jesus before the Sanhedrin, Pilate, and Herod, then the Spirit of poise, self-control, and confidence keeps changing us. When we carry the cross with Jesus and stumble under its weight, the same Spirit of patience and perseverance matures in us.

When we identify with Jesus on the cross and hear him speak words of forgiveness, mercy, and love, that same Spirit of grace becomes more developed in us. When we die daily with Jesus by faith and hear him say, “It is finished,” the same Spirit of perseverance enables us to finish the work God has given us to do! When we rise with Jesus by faith, we know that the same victorious power that raised Jesus from the dead and seated him in heavenly places far above all principalities and powers is at work in and through us.

If our eyes are fixed on the cross, we cannot be ruled by pride, self-gratification, or worldly pleasure. If our eyes are on Jesus, we cannot hate, cannot harbor bitterness or resentment, cannot forsake sacrifice, cannot murmur or complain, cannot let sin reign, nor live in spiritual defeat.

If our eyes are fixed on Jesus, we cannot turn back, cannot despair, cannot fall, cannot be defeated, and cannot be separated from the love of God. As I look to the gospel, its power becomes increasingly powerful in me. What a treasure we have in Jesus and in the gospel!

Church tradition, as good as it may be, has no power to change us. Godly men have no power to change us. When you consider a godly man or woman who has impacted their generation, you notice that they are Christ-centered, not man-centered. Martin Luther wasn’t Lutheran, but a Christian. John Calvin wasn’t Calvinistic, but a Christian. John Wesley wasn’t Wesleyan, but a Christian. It is treasuring Christ and his gospel that makes people great! 

We Become What We Behold

We are often too distracted. This often limits the Holy Spirit from bringing about the changes he wants to make in our lives. Pastor John Piper says it very well:

"The Spirit is not working this transformation in us without reference to Jesus. Not while we watch endless hours of empty, trifling TV; not while we dribble our hours away aimlessly exploring the World Wide Web; not while we set our minds on things that ignore Christ. No. The Spirit moves and works and frees in a very definite atmosphere, namely, where we are 'beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord Jesus' (verse 18). The Spirit exalts Christ. The Spirit opens the eyes to Christ. The Spirit applies the image of Christ to our soul. If we choose not to focus on Christ, if we go our own way and preoccupy ourselves with other focuses in life, then let us not say, 'Where is God?' when we bear the painful fruit of our bondage to sin and experience the law of God as a burden rather than a joy. He has told us the path of freedom. If we spend our days and evenings looking elsewhere, we will probably stay bound up in all our enslavements."[4]

When we push away worldly distractions, stop looking too much at ourselves, stop comparing ourselves with one another, the Holy Spirit will have a chance to work.

► Discuss the John Piper quote above: How could we get distracted from allowing the Spirit to work in our lives? How should your habits change?   

[1] 2 Corinthians 3:18

[2] Compare 2 Corinthians 3:19 with 2 Corinthians 4:7, as well as John 1:14, “And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.”

[3] 2 Corinthians 3:18, New International Version

[4] Sermon by John Piper on 2 Corinthians 3:18

(1) Spiritual formation is both inward and outward transformation.

As we will see in the following lessons, spiritual formation involves our physical bodies. God wants to be glorified in our body, which is the temple.[1] But spiritual formation begins in the heart. Spiritual formation is far more than behavior modification. Rather, we know that spiritual formation is happening when, not just our outward deeds change, but our inner disposition changes as well – when we naturally do what Christ would do in our situation.

Dallas Willard reminds us that,

"Spiritual formation is not behavior modification… [but rather] the process of reshaping or redeveloping the inner [man] until it has, to a substantial degree, the character of the inner dimensions of Jesus himself – his mind, his heart, his peace, his joy.[11] In spiritual formation you actually come to have these."[2]

(2) Spiritual formation takes place by the means of grace.

In this course, we will talk about some of the means God uses to form us into the image of Christ. These means are many and will be discussed much more in the following lessons.

► Try to list together some of the means God has used, or is currently using, to bring about spiritual maturity in your Christian life.

Just as a tree can grow into a healthy, productive one only by means of rain, sunlight, tribulation (causes the roots to deepen), and nutrient rich soil, so we will become healthy, productive Christians by employing every means God has provided. Many believers are stunted in their spiritual growth simply because they ignored some of the vital means of that growth. For example, a Christian who is faithful in public worship but untrained in private prayer is not going to experience the fullest joys of the Christian life. We will discuss this in greater depth in a later lesson.

(3) The motivation of spiritual formation is the enjoyment of God.

For all eternity the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit have been in intimate, joyful fellowship. The purpose of creation was to form mankind in God’s image and bring us into fellowship with the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. The earliest sound directly referred to in the Bible is “the sound of the Lord God walking in the garden in the cool of the day.”[3] I love that. Why was he walking in the garden? He had come to commune – to fellowship – with the man and woman he had created. The earliest expression of faith and godliness in the Bible was simply “he walked with God.”[4]

• Enoch walked with God.
• Noah walked with God.
• Abraham walked with God.
• Israel was to walk with God.

This thought carries over into the New Testament as well.[5] John reminds us that the purpose of God in redemption is to bring us back into “fellowship” with believers, with “the Father, and with his Son Jesus Christ.”[6]

“Walking with God.” “Fellowship with God.” What beautiful and meaningful expressions which remind us that the life that pleases God is not one that is complicated but one of grace-filled fellowship—a life of simple relationship. God’s objective and priority is to form us into the kind of people who routinely and easily obey him because he is Lord, because we treasure him, and because he is our teacher and friend.[7] Any teaching which takes away this simplicity is not the teaching of the Bible: “But I fear, lest somehow, as the serpent deceived Eve by his craftiness, so your minds may be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ.”[8]

Over the last several years, my father has had a lot of physical challenges, including a heart attack and two strokes. Because of these setbacks I have become the caretaker of my parent’s property – mowing, trimming, etc. Sometimes I’m in a hurry to get the work done, but Dad just wants me to sit awhile and talk with him. He’ll bring me a glass of water and say, “Son, can you sit and talk awhile?” I can’t resist, especially when I recall that this opportunity may not exist for many more years. Dad doesn’t care nearly as much about my work for him as my fellowship with him. I believe this is how God feels about us. He wants to bring us into his inexpressibly joyful communion.[12]

“Oh taste and see that the Lord is good”[9] must be our motivation in every “religious” discipline and activity. Spiritual formation isn’t just an intellectual pursuit but an experiential one. In lessons that follow, we’ll be discussing things like prayer, fasting, meditation, service, and so on. It’s vital to keep our eyes on the goal – the enjoyment of God. Our goal isn’t simply more knowledge and information but intimate fellowship. Over 200 years ago, Jonathan Edwards said:

"The difference between believing that God is gracious and tasting that God is gracious is as different as having a rational belief that honey is sweet and having the actual sense of its sweetness."[10]

[1] Romans 8:11; 1 Corinthians 6:19-20

[2] From notes taken from a message Dallas Willard preached at Wheaton College.

[3] Genesis 3:8

[4] Genesis 5:22; 6:9; 17:1; 1 Samuel 2:30; 1 Kings 2:4; 8:25; 9:4; 2 Chronicles 7:17

[5] Luke 24:15; 1 Peter 2:21; 1 John 2:6

[6] 1 John 1:3

[7] Dallas Willard, “Dallas Willard | Spiritual Formation as a Natural Part of Salvation.” At https://www.youtube.com/.  Accessed January 18, 2021.

[8] 2 Corinthians 11:3

[9] Psalm 34:8

[10] As quoted in Timothy Keller, The Prodigal God (New York: Dutton, 2008), 108

[11]“God’s objective and priority is to form us into the kind of people who routinely and easily obey him because he is Lord, because we treasure him, and because he is our teacher and friend.”
– Dallas Willard

[12]The life that pleases God is not one that is complicated but one of grace-filled fellowship—a life of simple relationship.

Spiritual formation is made more challenging because we’ve already been formed by various influences. There are many forces that have shaped us into the people we are today. We’ve been shaped in profound ways by the home we were raised in. Our culture, church tradition, life experiences, and our own choices have all had an enormous influence on what we believe, what we value, how we feel, how we communicate, and how we behave.

Because we live in a broken world, my guess is that you’ve had both good and bad experiences with all of these formative influences. Many of us are damaged. The most important question we will attempt to answer in Spiritual Formation is: Starting today, what are the most important forces, influences, and choices which will form me into the person God wants me to be? I believe this course will help us answer this question.

► It’s very important that as we go through these lessons you become aware of the negative and positive influences that have shaped your life. Take a few minutes to list some of the most important things that have shaped your understanding of God and the Christian life. Be very honest. Share one or two of these with your group if you can.

There are several reasons many Christians struggle to be formed into the image of Christ. Let’s look at just some of them:

(1) We must guard against legalism.

Legalism attempts to earn acceptance with God by keeping the rules. But legalistic people are also self-reliant – seeking righteousness, not by grace, but by strict devotion and discipline. Legalism relies on will power. The Bible tells us that “will-worship” is of “no value against the indulgence of the flesh.”[1]

Remember, prayer, Bible study, meditation, fasting, or anything we do in spiritual formation is only effective because of the gracious work which has been, and is being, done for and in me through the gospel. The great danger in any spiritual discipline is the danger of placing confidence in those disciplines, rather than in the grace of God that is being poured into my heart and life by the Holy Spirit because of the finished work of Jesus Christ.

(2) We must guard against cheap grace.

Spiritual carelessness, or “cheap grace,” turns God’s grace into a license to sin.[2] Many Christians today misunderstand the relationship between God’s grace and human effort. To them, any teaching on works is legalistic. But the New Testament is filled with teaching which emphasizes effort rooted in faith.[3] In the Christian life, we work out our “salvation with fear and trembling; for it is God who works in you both to will and to do his good pleasure.” We work out, and God works in. We don’t work for our salvation, but we must work it out in daily life.

Spiritual formation into the image of Christ is by grace, but it requires a lot of hard work as well. The hard work is in “holding our lives in God’s environment” where God’s grace does its effective work.[4]

(3) We must guard against sensationalism.

There are certain churches that emphasize sensational, highly subjective, and emotional experiences with an almost complete disregard for a thoughtful, ordered, prayerful, Scripture-oriented Christian life. Believers caught up in these movements are not likely to grow to maturity because they have been trained to expect only quick and easy solutions to any spiritual need. To believe in spiritual maturity through process is not to limit the power of God but simply to acknowledge the normal spiritual processes God has established.

(4) We must guard against perfectionism.

Christians struggle with transformation when they confuse the perfection of the heart – perfect love – with absolute perfection. While Jesus calls us to Christian perfection[5] and a decisive mortification of willful sin,[6] the Scriptures make it clear that conforming to the character and disposition of Jesus is a lifelong process. Godliness must be understood more as a journey than a destination.[7]

► Discuss these hindrances as a group. How have you seen these in the lives of Christians? How have they been manifest in your own life?

[1] Colossians 2:23

[2] Romans 6:1; Jude 1:4

[3] Philippians 2:12-13; 2 Peter 4:3-11

[4] M. Robert Mulholland Jr., Invitation to a Journey (Downers Grove: InterVarsity Press, 1993), 105

[5] Matthew 5:48

[6] Colossians 3:5

[7] Philippians 3:12-14

Perhaps we should pause for a moment of reflection. Is your spiritual life progressing? Is the life of Jesus operating in and through you in increasing measure? Are you conscious of thinking, loving, and serving more like him today than in past months?

We are being formed spiritually when the beautiful life of Jesus is operating in us in increasing measure. This formation is by the Holy Spirit – through faith, a renewed mind, and vigorous effort – resulting in fruitful Christian service.

(1) Memorize the definition of spiritual formation presented in this course.

(2) Memorize 2 Corinthians 3:18 and Galatians 4:19.

(3) Take a test based on the material from this lesson.  (The memorization assigned above is included in the test.)

(4) Spend at least thirty minutes this week reviewing this lesson, including the Scripture references, asking the Holy Spirit for insight.

(5) Record in your journal any specific changes that ought to be made in your life, as the Lord reveals them to you.

(6) Meditate on at least one Psalm in your daily devotional time, and record in your journal what the psalmist says about the nature and character of God.

(7) Record in your journal a personal prayer for spiritual transformation and growth based on this lesson.

(8) Practice using Dr. Brown’s Daily Prayer Guide in your daily private prayer.

(1) What is the definition of spiritual formation, as taught in Lesson 1?

(2) Give some scriptural foundation for this definition.

(3) Finish this statement: Grace is not opposite to __________, but opposite to __________. Explain.

(4) The outcome of spiritual formation will be a life governed by what?

(5) What does it mean to “behold the glory of the Lord”?

(6) Why is spiritual formation a process?

(7) What are four hindrances to avoid in spiritual formation?