Who are you becoming?
Humans are dynamic creatures, constantly in a state of change, development, and growth.
This dynamic change is effected by an amalgamation of influences.
Every human is in the process of becoming someone.
The question is who?
Christian Spiritual Formation
For the Christian, Jesus is the aim of our formation; to reconstruct our life from top to bottom in the pattern of Jesus.
To become like Jesus.
“Jesus went out and saw a tax collector by the name of Levi sitting at his tax booth. “Follow me,” Jesus said to him, and Levi got up, left everything and followed him.” –Luke 5:27–28.
Jesus uses the phrase “follow me” twenty times throughout the Gospels.
“You are my friends if you do what I command. I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master’s business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father, I have made known to you.” –John 15:14–15.
“For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son…” –Romans 8:29.
“Follow my example, as I follow the example of Christ.” –1 Corinthians 11:1.
“...just as we have borne the image of the earthly man, so shall we bear the image of the heavenly man.” –1 Corinthians 15:49.
“…if anyone obeys his word, love for God is truly made complete in them. This is how we know we are in him: Whoever claims to live in him must live as Jesus did.” –1 John 2:5-6
The aim of salvation is not simply to get to heaven when I die.
Salvation’s aim is to be made into a new type of human– “to be born again.” (John 3:5)
Becoming Like Jesus.
Paul in his writing to the Philippian Church, sees his life as a retelling of the Jesus story: suffering, imprisonment, conflict, divine intervention, and joy.
And his desires for the Philippians to see their lives the same way, that they may become like Jesus.
According to Paul, we become like Jesus by (1) intentional effort (2) with God, and (3) with others, (4) for the sake of the world.
Intentional effort
“Therefore, my dear friends, as you have always obeyed—not only in my presence, but now much more in my absence—continue to work out your salvation…” – Philippians 2:12-13
Paul is calling the Philippians to put intentional effort and work into the life of salvation.
Paul’s text isn’t about earning salvation; it is all about participating in salvation.
“Grace is not opposed to effort, it is opposed to earning. Earning is an attitude. Effort is an action.” – Dallas Willard
Working out our salvation is living in obedient response to what God has done for us in Christ.
“...continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling…” – Philippians 2:12b
Paul encourages the Philippians to approach their lives with God with great respect and intention.
Spiritual Practices
Spiritual practices are activities that repeatedly appear in the life of Jesus and seem to be practiced by his disciples.
Prayer
Scripture
Fasting
Solitude
Sabbath
Generosity
Service
Witness
Community
“acts of loving obedience we offer to God steadily and consistently, to be used for whatever work God purposes to do in and through our lives.” – Robert Mulholland
With God
“...continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling for it is God who works in you to will and to act in order to fulfill his good purpose.” – Philippians 2:12-13
As we put intention and effort into practicing the stuff of Jesus, God will be faithful to act in us.
“The English poet William Henley captured the spirit of our culture well when he wrote, “I am the master of my fate, I am the captain of my soul.” But spiritual formation as “being formed” will reveal that God is the initiator of our growth toward wholeness and we are to be pliable clay in God’s hand.” – M. Robert Mulholland Jr.
In theological terms, this is the process of sanctification.
It describes God’s ongoing work in our lives to form the character and conduct of Jesus.
With Others
One of the translation challenges of this passage is that we often overlook the fact that it is addressed communally.
Every pronoun in this passage is plural.
We are making an effort to practice the way of Jesus together.
We refer to these communal efforts to practice the way of Jesus as liturgy.
liturgy | “the work of the people”.
“The task of liturgy is to order the life of the holy community following the text of Holy Scripture.”– Eugene Peterson
This pattern of being together serves as scaffolding and support in our transformation into Christ-like individuals.
For the Sake of the World
“...for it is God who works in you to will and to act in order to fulfill his good purpose.” – Philippians 2:13
“Spiritual formation as a process of being formed in the image of Christ for the sake of others.” – M. Robert Mulholland Jr
If Jesus is the most genuine human who has ever lived, He has taught us the way to love, serve, and make the world a better place.
“The greatest issue facing the world today, with all its heartbreaking needs, is whether those who … are identified as “Christians” will become disciples—students, apprentices, practitioners—of Jesus Christ, steadily learning from him how to live the life of the Kingdom of the Heavens into every corner of human existence.” – Dallas Willard
Exercise Intentionality.
