Research Paper Part 1:
My Emerging Model of Spiritual Formation
Brittany L. Thompson
Liberty University – CLED 715
Dr. Michael Pardue
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My Emerging Model of Spiritual Formation
Part 1
From dial-up to wireless internet connection, technology has been advancing at a rapid
pace. Connecting individuals together from across the globe. This discovery has made it easier
to conduct business, return to school, and quickly check up on a friend or family member who is
at a geographical distance. The internet has shown its proven capabilities to connect and create
online communities at the click of a button. Universities and colleges have implemented the use
of online education and thus has seen a tremendous enrollment spike. So, exactly how does this
impact faith-based institutions? As we know, God is a God of “relationship”. It is his desire and
longing to have a pure relationship with mankind as metaphorically spoken in Revelation 3:20.
“In God’s ecology, individual things and people do not grow alone. They grow when they
connect to and interact with the ultimate Source of Life and other growing people” (Lowe, 2018,
p.4). Faith and the internet both require a connection, but one presents an obstacle to the other.
Spiritual formation is detrimental to every believers’ life. The meaning of the term
spiritual formation and a biblical understanding of what it is and how it works is best taken from
passages in the Bible that refer to the Holy Spirit in the context of forming, transforming, or
conforming a person’s life toward Christlikeness ("until Christ is formed in you," Gal. 4:19b)”
(Petit, 2018, p. 52). If one is not growing in the ways and statues of Jesus Christ, then they are
simply being stagnated and pose a greater risk at becoming a lukewarm Christian as referenced
in Revelation 3:16. Each person is responsible for developing their relationship with Christ
Jesus. James 4:8 tells us, “Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you.” This is an indicator
that if one is willing to accept Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior and initiate a relationship with
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God, He is willing to come closer to and began a good work within that individual. We must
interact with each other to build relationship.
Issues and Concepts Development of Spiritual Growth for Christians
With the knowledge of ecologies of spiritual formation, it is negligence to not address the
issues that can possibly threaten spiritual formation through the internet. The Bible is the
foundational resource to draw from when embarking upon a relationship with God. It is the only
way to get to know Him intimately and began to develop a relationship.
“The fact of the matter is that in spiritual formation we do not provide the driving force.
Only God can provide the wind. And he does it through his Holy Spirit, his own divine
wind. That is one of the main biblical reasons for calling it spiritual formation” (Petit,
2018, p.62).
However, the internet has made it so easy and prevalent today for others to rashly post their
opinions and perspectives of the bible without it being surveyed as creditable or not. This can be
harmful to the individual who is seeking a relationship with Christ and decides that the first point
of contact will be through the internet. Most of society just “google” and call it research without
researching the topic. This can lead to one receiving erroneous teachings and being led astray.
To examine this further, let’s examine relationships and the internet and later trace the topic
through the Bible.
Relationships in a Digital World
As mentioned previously, the internet has made reaching out to others so convenient and
easy. With a username and password, you can literally connect to thousands, even millions of
individuals in a day. This takes the thrill of meeting someone in person away. There is no body
language or seeing the person in his or her natural personality away. Behind the screen and
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keyboard, one can form the personality of whomever they would like to portray. However, in-
person interactions are a bit harder to façade who you really are.
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References
KJV Word Study Bible. (2017). Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson
Lowe, S. D., & Lowe, M. E. (2018). Ecologies of faith in a digital age: Spiritual growth through
online education. Downers Grove, IL, IVP Academic.
Pettit, P. (2008). Foundations of spiritual formation: A community approach to becoming like
Christ. Grand Rapids, MI: Kregel Publications.
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