The Centrality of Christ in Spiritual Formation

• The Centrality of Christ in Spiritual Formation

• Terminology of spiritual formation

• Biblical Theology of Spiritual Formation

• Discipleship For Spiritual Formation

• Questions for Personal Application

Introduction to Spiritual Formation Jesus is calling people to Himself. He approached twelve of his disciples and bid them to follow him. He declared, "come, follow me, and I will make you become fishers of men. Fishers of men" is a concept derived from Jesus. The Greek word for Jesus is, Iēsous. Jesus said to them, "I will make" this denotes the act of doing something which will render something to be produced. I will make [you] "to become" "fishers" a sailor as engaged on the saltwater" of men" Greek word anthrōpōn, which is all human individuals irrespective of race and order.[1] In essence, Jesus is seeking people to follow Him! Jesus is not seeking a particular sect, religion, or creed. His desire is for each one to know him individually and be conformed to His image (Romans 8:29).[2]

When an individual conforms to the image of Christ, they will become fishers of men, just as Christ came from heaven to earth to fish for men to establish the kingdom of God. However, to be a follower of Jesus, one needs to be transformed from the old nature or mindset by renewing the mind. When an individual identifies with Christ, the old nature has passed, and substitution occurs. The believer took on the nature of Christ and received His righteousness as Jesus became a sin for the believer. An exchange took place on the cross. The believer has become the righteousness of the holy God in Christ. Jesus was made sin for the believer, even though he was sinless (2 Corinthians 5:21). Consequently, the individual now identifies with the resurrection of Christ, his death, and his crucifixion (Romans 6, Galatians 2:20). The individual understands that through the grace of God, one identifies with Christ spiritually and not through good works or deeds. Howard Hendricks defined the spiritual life as "the life of Christ reproduced in the believer by the power of the Holy Spirit in obedient response to the Word of God."[3]

The Centrality of Christ in Spiritual Formation

Christian spirituality from the New Testament came from the Greek noun πνευματικός (pneumatikos), which means to be spiritual. It relates to how Christians develop spiritually. Christians are developed spiritually by the indwelling presence of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit dwelling on the inside transformed the life that flows from his presence (Romans 2:29; 8:1-17, 23-27; 1 Corinthians 2:10-13; Galatians 3:13-14; Ephesians 3:14-19;1 Thessalonians 4:8; 2 Timothy1:14; Titus 3:4-8.[4] Subsequently, all through spirituality has Jesus at the center of their life. As seen in the diagram below:

Diagram of a Spiritual Person

There can be no true Christian spirituality without the centrality of Christ at its very core. It is Jesus who is building His church! It is Jesus who asked people to follow him! Not a particular religion, sect, or denomination.

Jesus desires conformity to His image! (Romans 8:29).[5] Conformity to his image means to lay down life to follow the Lord. Jesus tells His disciples, "If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me" (Matthew 16:24-26). Christians are identified with the life, death, and resurrection of Christ. Consequently, they are called to service. Jesus says He wants to make believers fishers of men. Though salvation is a gift from God, Christians are called to do good works according to Romans 6 and Galatians 2:20. What constitutes a spiritual life? Howard Hendricks defined the spiritual life as "the life of Christ reproduced in the believer by the power of the Holy Spirit in obedient response to the Word of God."[6]God has created Believers to do good works for him (Ephesians 2:10).

As faith without works is dead! (James 2:26) The Christian faith is not just about hearing God's word and having knowledge of it but also putting them into practice and obeying them (Luke 11:28).

II. Biblical Theology of Spiritual Formation The Bible plays a critical role in the believer's life as they read and submit themselves to the teachings of the Word of God. It is the only way Christians can produce fruit or experience spiritual formation. The believer also introduces to other disciplines, such as prayer, worship, and practicing God's presence and many other disciplines. The believer develops the spiritual discipline to serve others. The gifts are not for themselves. For instance, Michael J. Gorman, in his book Cruciformity: Paul's Narrative Spirituality of the Cross, argued, "Paul's self-enslaving means self-sacrificial giving for the benefit of others. This concern for others is expressed in the series of six purposes (Greek Hina) clauses, or rationales for his activity, in 1 Corinthians 9:20–23."[7] Whitney argued: "Just as athletic, musical, or intellectual gifts are developed, similarly, spiritual gifts must be developed by spiritual discipline to bear spiritual fruit. Thus, the danger of neglecting Spiritual Disciplines is to bear little fruit for the kingdom of God."[8] According to Willard, Dallas, et al., the Bible illustrates spiritual disciplines as invitations to grace and to live well in the kingdom of God and the world (Joshua 1:18; Matthew 11:28-30).[9]

III. Discipleship For Spiritual Formation

Who is a disciple? Being a disciple is different than making a convert. Though conversion is necessary for discipleship, conversion is not making a disciple. A convert has been convicted of sin and changed his life by accepting the gift of salvation through faith. On the other hand, the definition of a disciple is to train people to become followers of Jesus according to the statement in Matthew 4:19. Jesus said to them, "Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men." The invitation was addressed to two brothers initially, Peter and Andrew, as they were casting a net by the Sea of Galilee. These men were first-century fishermen. However, this invitation extends to everyone, even within the twenty-first century. This verse of Matthew 4:19 reveals three essential attributes.

1. "Follow me. "The first two words are an invitation from Jesus. The invitation extends to accepting who He is, such as his authority and truth. A disciple must recognize Jesus to be the head. To understand that Jesus is the one that leads and He follows. Jesus is the one that initiates and guides us, and so we follow His lead.[10] A disciple needs to connect His heart and affections to the obedience of Christ. Believers need to understand that it is not about seeking Christ to fulfill all their wishes and desires but instead having their will subjected to the teachings of Christ. As Jesus says, "If anyone loves me, will obey my teachings, and my Father will love them (John 14:23-24). 2. "And I Will Make You." The second attribute of the invitation is, "And I will make you," which speaks of a process of transformation. This transformation process tells us that Jesus wants to shape us and mold our hearts so that we become more like Him. Jesus says that He will make us become fishers of men. Therefore, a disciple of Jesus goes through a transformation of change where work takes place in our hearts.[11]3.

"Fishers of Men." There is a response for action in the final three verses. It refers to what we live for and do. When we accept Jesus with our heads, it extends to our hearts, then leads to change in what we do with our hands. What does that mean? It means that a disciple is saved to spread the love of Jesus to a world that is dying. A disciple of Jesus is saved for a purpose: To follow Jesus on his mission to seek and save the lost (Luke 19:10). As Boa says, 'Only two things on earth will go into eternity; God's word and people."[12] Only when we get to know God as a person will we grow in our love for him for a growing relationship"[13] God posits in Christ that we have been accepted as we are and have received the forgiveness of sins. He knows us thoroughly. Therefore we come before Him with openness with our thoughts and feelings.[14]'To know God is to love Him, and to love Him is to respond to his desires for our lives. Faith in God trusts him as a person, and trust manifests in action."[15

IV. Practical Plan for Discipleship

Where do I begin discipleship? Ask yourself the question, what areas do a disciple need to grow? Is it possible to come up with a plan for discipleship? The first place to start is with the center sphere. How do you walk with Jesus? The first area is: (a) Teach the person how to walk with Jesus. This process can be seeking the Lord together. It is essential to confess sins and read the scriptures with the person. Explain what you are doing and why. (b) Share how you know God's will by sharing the scriptures with the person. (c) Encourage the person to seek the will of God for their lives through the scriptures the same way you do. Try to be transparent and humble. (d) For the next step, say something like, "As we seek to understand the truth of the gospel and who we are in Christ, let's start to look at the other three spheres of your life (mine too) and ask the question: What would Jesus have me do in my family or the church?"[16] You can ask yourself or the person you disciple one of the following questions:

V. Questions for Personal Application

·

Do I need to resolve a conflict or encourage someone?

1. Do I need to serve somewhere or be more involved in my church?

2. Do I need to take the initiative and lead my family to Jesus?

3. What does holistic spirituality means to me?

4. To what degree is Christ the center of my life?

5. Has the false pursuit of happiness enticed me?

6. How do I define wisdom?

It is essential to come back to the center that shows that a person's relationship with God cannot be separated from the center sphere. If something is wrong in other areas of your life or other spheres, it shows that the core issue needs to be addressed first.[17] Bibliography

Boa, Kenneth. Conformed to His Image: Biblical, Practical Approaches to Spiritual Formation, Revised Edition. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Academic, 2020. Gorman, J. Michael. Cruciformity: Paul's Narrative Spirituality of the Cross. Grand Rapids, MI; Cambridge, U.K.: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 2001. "G444 - anthrōpos - Strong's Greek Lexicon (KJV)." Blue Letter Bible. Accessed November 22, 2021. McClendon, P. Adam. Paul's Spirituality in Galatians: A Critique of Contemporary Christian Spirituality, forwarded by Donald S. Whitney. Eugene OR: Wipf & Stock, 2015. Whitney, S. Donald. Spiritual Disciplines for Christian Life.Revised and Updated. NavPress, 2014. Willard, Dallas, et al. The Kingdom Life: A Practical Theology of Discipleship and Spiritual Formation. NavPress Publishing Group, 2010. [1] "G444 - anthrōpos - Strong's Greek Lexicon (KJV)." Blue Letter Bible. Accessed November 22, 2021. [2] Unless otherwise noted, all biblical passages referenced are in the New King James Version (Nashville,TN: Thomas Nelson, 2017). [3]Kenneth Boa, Conformed to His Image: Biblical, Practical Approaches to Spiritual Formation, Revised Edition (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Academic, 2020), 102.

[4]P. Adam McClendon, Paul’s Spirituality in Galatians: A Critique of Contemporary Christian Spirituality, forwarded by Donald S. Whitney (Eugene OR: Wipf & Stock, 2015), 2. [5] Unless otherwise noted, all biblical passages referenced are in the New King James Version (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson, 2017). [6]Boa, Conformed to His Image, 102. [7] Michael J. Gorman, Cruciformity: Paul’s Narrative Spirituality of the Cross (Grand Rapids, MI; Cambridge, U.K.: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 2001), 184. [8]Willard, Dallas, et al. The Kingdom Life: A Practical Theology of Discipleship and Spiritual Formation (NavPress Publishing Group, 2010), 198.

[9] Ibid. [10]Jim Putnam, Bobby Harrington, and Robert E. Coleman, DiscipleShift (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2013), 46.

[11] Putnum, DiscipleShift, 48. [12] Boa, Conformed to His Image, 210. [13] Ibid., 11. [14] Ibid. [15] Ibid.

[16] Putnum, DiscipleShift, 89. [17]Ibid., 90.