This page contains sections that will help you understand spiritual formation, which is discipleship but with an emphasis on actually forming someone into the image of Christ.
SECTION 1 – BRIEF EXPLANATION OF SPIRITUAL FORMATION
What is the definition of spiritual formation? Spiritual formation is the process of becoming what God intended us to be, in Christ. Dallas Willard defined spiritual formation as “the Spirit-driven process of forming the inner world of the human self in such a way that it becomes like the inner being of Christ himself.” (Renovation of the Heart: Putting On the Character of Christ, NavPress, 2002, p. 22.) In other words it is recovering the fullness of the broken image of God inside us, as well as reunion with God in Christ.
Since Christ is the perfect example of what a completely restored human looks like, spiritual formation is focused on being “Christformed”. Biblical spiritual formation focuses on what the Bible teaches about spiritual formation and on ideas about spiritual formation founded on scripture.
Spiritual formation often focuses on practices compatible with scripture and proven to be Christforming over the centuries. Those who are knowledgeable about spiritual formation often read great writers from history such as the Desert Fathers, Augustine, Benedict, Patrick, Bernard of Clairvaux, Francis of Assisi, Brethren of the Common Life, Luther, Teresa of Avila, John of the Cross, John Wesley and many others.
SECTION 2 – THE CHRISTLIKE CREED
What is a disciple? When we pursue spiritual formation it is important to know what we are aiming for, and we are aiming to make disciples of Jesus. We created The Christlike Creed so believers could have a short description of what a disciple of Jesus looks like. This is a one page creed that states the essentials of following Jesus. It helps us to know how to grow. It focuses on the practice of the Christian life. The Christlike Creed is a companion to doctrinal creeds such as The Apostle’s Creed, which does not describe the practice of the Christian life. The Christlike Creed can be used in many situations from a congregation reciting it on Sunday morning to using it as a foundation for ministries. It would also be excellent as a source for determining a church’s vision and strategies.
Here is the link to the post with the Christlike Creed.
Download PDF of Christlike Creed here.
SECTION 3 – WHAT ARE WE SUPPOSED TO BE DOING?
This is an explanation of what we are supposed to be doing in our Christian life. It explains the growth process. Read the post here.
SECTION 4 – VIDEO OF INTERVIEW
In early July 2017 I was interviewed for a Sunday morning service on the topic of spiritual formation. Below is the video of that interview from YouTube (I am on the left). The main topic was an explanation of what spiritual formation is along with some discussion of stages of growth. Pastor Dr. Rich Brown of Trinity Alliance Church near Redding, CA did an excellent job of preparing the questions and of conducting the interview, which was the substitute for his sermon that morning. We think it turned out well so I hope you enjoy it.
It begins with some questions about my background. Then we talk about the biblical definition of spiritual growth, the causes of growth, stages of growth, the human role in spiritual growth, and a few other brief topics. Below this video is an approximate transcript of some of highlights of the discussion so you can get an idea of it.
RICH: How would you describe what is meant when we say we are studying spiritual formation?
PHIL: It comes from the verses we just looked at. In a nutshell it means becoming like Christ in his virtues, so I call this Christformation, in other words growing from an infant to a mature Christian who is able to love God and love people in deeper and deeper ways. So we look at the what causes spiritual growth and how to apply that to our lives.
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RICH: There are some real good reasons we talk about stages of growth. What are some of those?
PHIL: …learning about stages of growth helps us to be honest about where we are spiritually and where we need to go. It helps us to realize it’s okay to be where we are…To know which experiences, thoughts and feelings are normal for the stage you are in…
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RICH: You’ve found the five-fold way helpful to understanding spiritual growth, can you explain it?
PHIL: … [Summary: …it begins with grace, then purification, then filling, then Christformation, then union of love]…[discussion of four stages of watering.]
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RICH: What do you say to someone who says I don’t really want to grow, I’m content where I am?
PHIL: …I think the most important thing in this area for motivating us is to have a vision of the blessing of being close to God…
We think this discussion will both clarify spiritual formation and inspire you to pursue spiritual growth and your union of love with God!