Grace to Grow Up
Spiritual formation at Trinity simply means the process of becoming more like Jesus. To be a disciple of Jesus is the whole life of the Christian believer. That’s why the biblical writers describe it as growing up in Christ. As we intentionally practice the ways of Jesus, we grow in faith and character by the grace and power of the Holy Spirit in us.
As a follower of Jesus, you are set free by grace to live a new way of life in Christ. Grace finds you where you’re trying to hide, challenges the false self-talk in your head, and meets you in your deepest longings. “Why,” you might ask, “should I see this as becoming more like Jesus when it sounds like a self-improvement project?” Because Jesus isn’t content to leave you in your old habits and ways of living when you’ve been raised to new life in him.
“As we intentionally practice the ways of Jesus, we grow in faith and character by the grace and power of the Holy Spirit in us.”
This growth is what Paul describes as putting off the old self and putting on the new in his letter to the young Christians at the church in Ephesus. The process of putting off and putting on is spiritual formation. It’s re-forming your habits of mind and heart, and it happens over time, not in one transformative moment. Let’s look at five things Paul says about the process of spiritual formation based on Ephesians chapter 4.
1. FOR A PURPOSE
Paul says this growth is no less than the central purpose of your life as a follower of Jesus: I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received. Your calling is to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead (1 Peter 1:3). By the Holy Spirit’s grace and power, you are alive in Christ and growing into abundant life in him. This is your new self, being renewed as God created you to be.
2. GROW UP
You are somewhere between an infant and a mature adult in your new life in Christ. As with your physical body, growing from infant to adult is an active, not a passive, process. Your spiritual, moral, and character development may or may not match your physical age. This is where it gets real with the internal growth process of spiritual formation.
3. WITH HEAD AND HEART
As you grow up in Christ, your thoughts and desires become more oriented around him. Engaging your mind, you study, learn, and grow in knowledge of him and his word. Engaging your heart, you pray, meditate on his word, and grow in relationship with Jesus. Along the way, you identify and discard old patterns of thinking and reject desires of your heart that deceive you.
4. IN COMMUNITY
You and I are not islands of spiritual formation. We are part of the church, the unified body of Christ in the world. In the church community you learn that your formation is for the worship of God and for the sake of others. When each of us is growing up in Christ, we are building a stronger church and joining in his renewing work in the world.
5. EVERY DAY
Spiritual formation as a process of becoming more like Jesus is not only a spiritual pursuit; it involves the counter-formation of habits, desires, and behavior. Paul talks about specifics of a new self, not an abstract idea. Stop lying and speak truthfully; get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger; be kind and compassionate. This new self will be formed in the messy daily-ness of life, with regular practices and intentional commitment, as you learn to live a life worthy of the calling you have received.
“Jesus isn’t content to leave you in your old habits and ways of living when you’ve been raised to new life in him. ”
The spiritual formation ministry at Trinity provides direction, support, and resources for the formation of our people. We hope you’re curious to learn more about what’s ahead for this ministry and how you can get involved. We’ll be providing more information throughout the summer in preparation for our ministry launch in the fall.
