DSMN Spiritual Formation and Discipleship Written Assignment 1
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LIBERTY UNIVERSITY SCHOOL OF DIVINITY Spiritual Formation and Discipleship Submitted to Dr. Jonathan Geukgeuzian in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the completion of DSMN 500-D03
Discipleship Ministries by Daniel Haller
March 31, 2020
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Contents
Introduction………………………………………………………………………………………..3
Three Areas of Spiritual Growth………………………………………………………….……….4
Personal Growth Assessment…………………………………………………………….………..8
Bibliography………………………………………………………………………………..……10
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Introduction
When God draws a person to the place that they are able to understand grace, forgiveness
and salvation offered to all men through faith in Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior, the new believer embarks on the life-long journey of spiritual formation, upon accepting this free gift of grace. Spiritual formation is done by the Holy Spirit which God places inside each believer. Spiritual formation is the manifestation of the Holy Spirit, as God slowly changes a man from being the idolatrous sinner they were before Christ, into being more and more like Jesus, as Paul states, “For those God foreknew
he also predestined
to be conformed to the image of his Son,
that he might be the firstborn
among many brothers and sisters” (Romans 8:29 NIV). Rob Dempsey writes that spiritual formation is “an ongoing, gradual process of glorious transformation into the image of Jesus by the Spirit of God that is available to every believer as a
result of honestly and intentionally seeking the face of God.”
1 This transformation is done by God’s glory acting through the Holy Spirit, and it is to God’s glory that we are being continually transformed into the image of Jesus. Spiritual formation is a process of dying to the old self and becoming a new creation in Christ as Bonhoeffer states, “
When Christ calls a man, He bids him come and die. It may be a death like that of the first disciples who had to leave home and work to
follow Him, or it may be a death like Luther’s, who had to leave the monastery and go out into the world. But it is the same death every time—death in Jesus Christ, the death of the old man at his call.”
2 As Paul states, “
Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation
has come; The old has gone, the new is here” (2 Corinthians 5:17 NIV). [1] Dave Early and Rod Dempsey, Spiritual Formation Is….
(Nashville: B&H Publishing Group, 2018), 4.
[2] Dietrich Bonhoeffer,
The Cost of Discipleship
(New York: Macmillan Publishing Company, 1963)
, 99.
[3] Unless otherwise noted, All Scripture references have been taken out of the
New International Version
unless otherwise stated.
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Spiritual formation is often called discipleship, and all Christ-following Christians are called to be Jesus’ disciple as they become more and more like Him. As Jim Putman puts it “a disciple is a person who is following Christ (head); is being changed by Christ (heart); is committed to the mission of Christ (hands),” showing that there is a mental, spiritual and a physical response that occurs in a person when they encounter grace.
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This transformation is only
possible by God’s Spirit as a person abides and devotes their time, attention and affections to our
Savior as stated by Jesus, “I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit;
apart from me you can do nothing” (John 15:5 NIV). A disciple is completely incapable of any spiritual formation if they rely on their own ability. Only by abiding
in and relying on Jesus, are we able to be transformed into the image of our Lord and Savior, as God works in us and through us as a vessel for His Spirit to impact and change us and the world around us. Apart from Jesus, we can do NOTHING!!!
Three Areas of Spiritual Growth
Rob Dempsey posits that the three main areas of spiritual formation and discipleship are, “Loving God (relating to God), loving one another (nurturing relationships), and loving our neighbors (apostolic mission) is the DNA of a follower of Jesus.”
5 All three of these main areas are physical outpourings of love as God works through His Holy Spirit in and through the disciple. “In fact, the first fruit of walking in and being controlled by the Spirit of God is love. As
we become more loving, our influence and impact on the world around us become tangible.”
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[4] Jim Putman et al,
Disciple Shift: Five Steps That Help Church to Make Disciples Who Make Disciples,
(Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2013) 51, accessed March 18, 2020,
https://app.wordsearchbible.com
[5] Dave Early and Rod Dempsey, Spiritual Formation Is…
(Nashville: B&H Publishing Group, 2018), 100
[6] Ibid., 99
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The first area of spiritual formation as listed by Rob Dempsey is loving God. This is at the core of all spiritual disciplines and all other spiritual disciplines flow from this. As stated by Jesus, “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’
This is the first and greatest commandment” (Matthew 22:37-38 NIV) this command encompasses all other aspects of discipleship and spiritual formation. It is from love for God and our affection for Him that we are motivated and strengthened to pursue God and righteousness. God places the Holy Spirit within a disciple and as the disciple learns to read and apply the Bible, a love and devotion to God and righteousness grows within the disciple through the power
of the Holy Spirit. “
The sign of a genuine work of God in the heart is that you began to hate the sin you once loved and to love the righteousness you once ignored,” states Paul Washer as he describes the power of God’s Word and the transformation of a disciple as they grow in love for God in response to the Greatest Commandment.
7 This love for God teaches a disciple to say no to sin and the flesh, and yes to God by obeying the truths found in the Bible. Obedience is the ultimate act of worship in loving God, and this is accomplished as the Holy Spirit transforms the disciple into the image of Jesus as John Piper states, “Being a Christian and living the Christian life are supernatural. God’s Spirit, the Spirit of Christ, lives in us and brings about changes that could never and would never be made without him so that Jesus Christ is glorified in what we do.”
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The second main area of spiritual formation according to Dempsey is loving one another within the Christian family of fellow believers. This flows from our love for God and is brought [7] Paul Washer, “Do You Desire God?” Sermon given July 29, 2009 at Grace Community Church, San Antonio, Accessed March 31, 2020
[8] John Piper, “Why and How We Walk According to the Spirit” Sermon given December 2, 2001 at Bethlehem Baptist Church, Minneapolis, Accessed March 31, 2020.
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bout by the Holy Spirit. Paul writes of the Spirit transforming disciples into loving one another and being united with each other in service and affection for each other out of reverence for God in his letter to the church in Philippi as seen, “Therefore if you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any common sharing in the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion,
then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and of one mind” (Philippians 2:1-2 NIV). As we are transformed into the image of Christ, we are given the mind of Christ and a mutual love for other Christians. Jesus told his disciples that this was not an option, rather “A new command I give you: Love one
another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another.
By this everyone will know that you
are my disciples, if you love one another” (John 13:34-35 NIV). Sanctification and spiritual transformation come through our interpersonal relationships and conflicts with other brethren within the church. We are called to forgive, love and be united with other believers, no matter how difficult this may be. As Paul states, “
For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for
us long ago” (Ephesians 2:10 NLT), showing that we are God’s masterpieces meaning we are a work in progress. God uses irritating and annoying people and situations like a chisel to shape us by revealing to us the areas of our character that need to be changed and transformed. We learn to give grace to those undeserving of grace, instead of just worshipping God for the grace He has
given us. We learn to love the unlovable and forgive others, “
just as in Christ God forgave you” (Ephesians 4:32 NIV). We learn to become more like Christ as our interactions force us to repent
and ask God to change us by the power of His Spirit. Jesus knew this would be such an incredible challenge and impossible apart from the power of the indwelling Holy Spirit as seen when Jesus prayed to His Father, “
My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will
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believe in me through their message,
that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me.
I have given them the glory that you gave me, that they may be one as we are one—
I in them and you in me—so that they may be brought to complete unity” (John 17:20-23 NIV). As we learn to
love other believers we are filled with the beautiful characteristics and mind of God as we are being transformed more and more into the image of Jesus. As Rob Dempsey points out “The others-oriented service and ministry to members in the body of Christ is different from the world’s self-interest and self-absorption,” so that Christians are so beautifully different and appealing due to God’s grace that others are drawn to the hope and salvation found in Jesus Christ.
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The third area of spiritual formation according to Rob Dempsey is loving our neighbors which includes non-Christians and even people who claim to be enemies of God. After giving the First Greatest Commandment, Jesus sums up the importance of loving our neighbors when He teaches, “And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’
All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments” (Matthew 22:39-40 NIV). Rob Dempsey explains, “As we love God and as we love one another, we begin to show that God is living among us, and
the visible presence of Christ begins to be seen and felt in our community. Our love for God and for one another should be a major apologetic to the unbelieving world.”
10 As we are filled with God’s love and changed by grace, we begin to act as a vessel or a conduit that exudes God’s love
to all around us. God works through his disciples to enact His love and compassion to this lost world. Others are drawn to God through this gospel reenactment. [9] Dave Early and Rod Dempsey, Spiritual Formation Is…
(Nashville: B&H Publishing Group, 2018), 104
[10] Ibid., 104
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As we are transformed into having the mind of Christ, we learn to love the lost and our hearts begin to break for what breaks God’s heart. When we are truly changed by grace we serve out of gratitude and want to see God’s Kingdom advanced as J.D. Greear puts it, “When we realize how great a debt we owe to God, we become willing servants, eager to be poured out for God and His Kingdom.”
11 We begin to hunger as Christ did and desire as Jesus claims “My food,”
said Jesus,
“is to do the will of him who sent me and to finish his work” (John 4:34 NIV). We hunger to do the work that Jesus did, which is bringing the lost to repentance and right standing with God through the gift of grace given by Jesus’ sacrifice. We love others through serving their physical needs, but also by developing relationships with them so that we can share how God has changed us and set us free. As we are transformed by God, we care deeply for our lost neighbors and we strive to find ways to help bring the lost sheep to God. Personal Spiritual Growth Assessment
After taking the Personal Spiritual Growth Assessment, I found that I am strongest in my “Outward” love for my neighbors and the unbelievers in my life. I have always known this as I have a burning desire to see others set free by God’s grace. I was radically saved and set free by God from addiction to pills and alcohol. I have sworn my life in service to the Lord and I am still
trying to figure out to respond to grace. The only thing I know to do is to use my testimony to try
to help others find freedom through God’s grace in the gift given by Jesus’ sacrifice. I find it easy to relate to non-believers as I remember the despair and hopelessness that ensnare people who are lost and slaves to their flesh. I find a natural sympathy and love for my neighbors and a desire to see them come to Jesus.
_______________________
[11] J.D. Greear
“Jesus, Continued...: Why the Spirit Inside You is Better than Jesus Beside You” Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2014), 58
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I scored fairly high in my “Inward” love for fellow believers, as I am a pastor and it comes naturally to form accountability relationships and to regularly meet with fellow Christians. I find it easy to get along with like-minded brethren and to embark with them in advancing God’s Kingdom. I found from this assignment that I need to work at getting along and being united with Christians that have hurt me. I will be working on showing more grace and love and forgiving others as Jesus forgave me. I need to take great care in this as King Solomon states “Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it” (Proverbs 4:23 NIV). I need to remember that I am called to be united with every believer, even the ones who have hurt me. I am hurting the gospel message and interfering with my own walk with God when I hold a grudge and avoid other believers. The area that I scored lowest in was my “Upward” love for God. I am ashamed of this but
have been feeling God calling me to draw closer to Him. I spend plenty of time in God’s Word and in prayer as my job is a vocational pastor, but I find that I have fallen into the trap of thinking time with God for the benefit of others will not suffice or feed my own soul. I need to spend more time with God pouring out my heart before Him and seeking His face. I will be spending more time journaling and systematically studying God’s Word with the only purpose being to learn more from God and to be in His presence. I trick myself into thinking that sermon prep or leading devotionals counts as time with God. I will spend more time journaling what I learn from the Bible and journaling more Biblical prayers. I have heard it said that it is possible to drift out of relationship with God, but impossible to accidentally drift back in. I will be seeking to be intentional and to practice more of what I preach, by studying God with the same intensity and curiosity that I had when I was drastically changed by grace. I will spend more time
abiding in Him because after all, apart from Him I can do NOTHING!!!
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Bibliography
Bonhoeffer, Dietrich. The Cost of Discipleship
. New York: Macmillan Publishing Company, 1963.
Early, Dave, and Rod Dempsey. Spiritual Formation Is
....
Nashville: B&H Publishing Group, 2018.
Greear, J.D.
“Jesus, Continued...: Why the Spirit Inside You is Better than Jesus Beside You” Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2014.
Piper, John. “Why and How We Walk According to the Spirit” Sermon given December 2, 2001 at Bethlehem Baptist Church, Minneapolis.
Putman Jim et al,
Disciple Shift: Five Steps That Help Church to Make Disciples Who Make Disciples,
Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2013.
Washer, Paul “Do You Desire God?” Sermon given July 29, 2009 at Grace Community Church, San Antonio.