Spiritual formation is the process of putting on the character of Christ. It is the process of spiritual change into Christlikeness. A key question is, how does spiritual change happen?
I) Spiritual Change Always Happens from the Inside-Out
A human life may be broken down into an inner life and an outer life that work together, inseparably to create the human being. The inner life consists of two main aspects
- The will (heart or spirit). This includes the will, decision-making, and attitude/character.
- The Mind (the thoughts and emotions). The thoughts include ideas, concepts, images, judgements, and inference/conclusions. The emotions are our feelings and sensations.
The outer life comprises three key aspects:
- The physical body (our physical body and its actions and interactions with the physical world).
- Social context (relationships to others and the world)
- Soul (the factor that unifies or integrates a person’s inner and outer life into one whole life.
Spiritual change happens from the inside out because the heart directs the human life. Note that this idea of inner and outer life isn’t just a biblical idea. Modern sciences also teach it. In medicine, it’s the biopsychosociospiritual model of the human being, where biopsychosociospiritual simply means biological, psychological, social, and spiritual.
There is a plethora of biblical texts supporting this that we won’t get into now. The significance of the truth that spiritual change—and all life change always happens from the inside-out is that with spiritual formation, our focus will be on inner heart transformation. That understanding impacts the resources or means we will use to bring about the change and the focus of the change. Thus, our focus is heart transformation or renovation of the heart. While actions and spiritual disciplines will be involved, those are the means, not the end. The end is transformed inner hearts that look like that of Christ. That’s why we always need the Holy Spirit to help bring about this change, even as we collaborate with him.
II) Spiritual Change Happens through Vision, Intention, and Means
The spiritual change process isn’t unique. All strategic change progresses the same and starts with vision. However, vision isn’t enough. There are many people who have visions and dreams but never go anywhere. In addition to vision, we need intention or determination to carry out what is envisioned. When vision and intention are in place, then we need means to get from where we are to where we want to go. These stages are how successful companies compete and win; they are how nations fight wars; they are how champion athletes win; they are how all intentional or strategic change happens. Spiritual change is no different because it is also intentional or strategic change. These stages are the same for all change. The difference comes in the specific details. For example, the vision, intension, and means for carrying out a secular endeavor by an atheist would be different from that of a believer.[1]
We can define these three stages further as follows:
1) Vision: The first step in spiritual formation is to have a clear vision of what life in the Kingdom of God looks like. This vision involves understanding and desiring the goodness and beauty of living as a disciple of Jesus Christ. It’s about seeing the possibility and desirability of living under the rule and reign of God, where one’s life is characterized by the qualities of Jesus.
2) Intention: Vision alone is not enough; one must also have the intention to pursue that vision. This involves a conscious decision and commitment to become a disciple of Jesus. Intention means deciding to live a life oriented around the vision of the Kingdom and putting it into practice. It requires the resolve to act, to let go of previous habits or mindsets, and to embrace a new way of living.
Means: The final component is the means—the people, practices, and resources that enable one to live out the vision and intention. The key means for all spiritual formation include 1) People (Community of faith), 2) Habits (Spiritual Disciplines), 3) Stories (which we believe and tell ourselves), 4) Agency (the Holy Spirit), and 5) Time and pain (It takes time and pain for growth to happen).
Spiritual disciplines include as prayer, meditation on Scripture, fasting, worship, fellowship, service, consuming God’s word (reading, hearing preaching, etc.), and confession. It’s important to note that the disciplines are not an end in themselves but tools that help one align their life with the character of Christ.
Together, the VIM model guides Christians in the transformative process of becoming more like Jesus by shaping their hearts, minds, and actions according to God’s will. This happens as they engage deeply with these spiritual disciplines while relying on God’s grace and the work of the Holy Spirit for true transformation.
For further reading on this subject, I recommend
- Renovation of the heart by Dallas Willard
- This resource from Antioch Community Church: lifegroupleaders.com/spiritual-formation/
[1] Dallas Willard coined the mnemonic VIM for these three stages
