“You shall know the truth, and the truth shall set you free.” John 8:32
Most would probably assent to the fact that doctrinal assent alone does not save nor transform, but that holding true deep and abiding belief in the gospel does. For many there is a disconnect, however, between believing mentally and really believing, such that their lives are given over to this belief which is borne out in their every thought and action.
Development of such holistic belief is known as spiritual formation.” (Link to an excellent article by Dallas Willard.)
Everyone receives spiritual formation, just as everyone gets an education. The only question is whether it is a good one or a bad one. We need to take a conscious, intentional hand in the developmental process.
Certainly the Christian blogosphere aims to promote right thinking, but, though assumed, it seems that there is less emphasis put on the actual process of bringing Christ’s atonement to bear on each aspect of our lives, from simple daily tasks to the deep recesses of our psyches. (I can hear the protests now: “No, the blogosphere seeks to engage Christians and the culture with those very spellings-out!”)
This may be true. But people will not accept these spellings-out, or see that they are true, unless their hearts and minds are transformed. Nor will we be effective agents in this transformation unless the same is true of ourselves. Is right action something that we “put on,” so that we do what we know is right even if we don’t feel like it? Sometimes, but trying to live completely that way will burn a person out, and it won’t last. Right action, for the most part, must emanate from one’s being, from one’s deep convictions not that particular actions are right, but that God is Creator and Savior and is trustworthy and His precepts are perfect. When these things inform one’s attitudes, then right thought and action naturally follows.
Metamorpha is a new website dedicated to spiritual formation, created by Kyle Strobel and Jamin Goggin to help fill this need:
We want to bring Christians together on this site to become an interactive community of formation and growth...not just a place where people talk at, near, or even around one another. We hope that you will prayerfully consider taking part in the depths of our ministry – participating in prayer exercises, working through the disciplines in your own life, and sharing your story with fellow travelers on the journey.
Included are articles by Alister McGrath, Dallas Willard, Bruce Demarest, and others, as well as videos and discussion forums. I encourage you to flutter (or crawl) on over.
