Spiritual Formation and Discipleship
Dare Greg
DSMN 500: Discipleship Ministries (B05)
September 2022
Contents
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Introduction
Spiritual Formation
Spiritual formation is “the process of being changed to be like Jesus”1. Spiritual
formation involves primarily being transformed in our spirit, soul and mind. We are called into
the body of Christ, to partake of his redemptive work at the cross where he sacrificed himself so
that we may live. We only need to accept this call to be saved and become Christians. Accepting
the call to salvation means accepting the Lord Jesus as our personal lord and savior, believing in
our hearts that he is the son of God, and confessing with our mouths that we are saved through
him (Romans 10:10).
But this is not all there is to the Christian life. There is a struggle for the new Christian.
Although Apostle Paul said in 1Corinthians 5:17 that in a new Christian, “old things have passed
away and all things have become new” (King James Version), the flesh still struggles to retain its
command of the person’s life2. This is why it is important for the new believer to actively seek
the transformation promised. The new believer must actively spend time with the Lord, feeding
themselves on his word through the manifold process of reading, listening, meditating, and
teaching. The more time a believer spends with God, the more like God they become, and they
begin to take on the semblance of God. This view is also supported by science, as claimed in a
New York Times article3 that long-married couples tend to look alike over time. The same thing
is what we want to pursue in our Christian life; looking, and being, like God. We must, as
1 Early, Dave. The Principles of Spiritual Formation. In Dave Early and Rod Dempsey. Spiritual
Formation Is... How to Grow in Jesus with Passion and Confidence. Nashville, B&H Academic (2018). 6.
2 Early. Principles of Spiritual Formation, 10
3 Goldman, Daniel. Long Married Couples Do Look Alike, Study Finds. New York Times August 11, 1987.
Accessed August 03, 2022. http://www.nytimes.com/1987/08/11/science/long-married-couples-do-look-alike-study-
finds.html
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Christians to radiate the glory of our Lord, just like Peter and John in Acts 4:13, “Now when they
saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were unlearned and ignorant men,
they marveled, and they took knowledge of them, that they had been with Jesus.” (KJV).
As Jesus called us to him, to partake of the graciousness of God’s love, so has he
enjoined us to draw others too who are yet to have a taste of his sweetness and love. He wants us
to witness him to unbelievers or the believers who still need guidance and have not yet stood
firmly in their new Christian life. As Wilhoit4 said, “spiritual formation refers to the intentional
communal process of growing in our relationship with God and becoming conformed to Christ
through the power of the Holy Spirit”. In summary, Wilhoit continues, spiritual formation is the
church’s duty.
The task of helping other believers achieve spiritual formation is a task the church must
hold dearly. This is seen in a bigger light when we identify the three-fold step to spiritual
formation. That is, the three tenets of Christianity as laid down by Jesus Christ: Loving God
wholeheartedly, loving one another in the body of Christ, and loving our neighbors (who aren’t
in the body of Christ)5. This is a vital duty to us as members of Christ who realize that we
ourselves wouldn’t have come into the love of God if others hadn’t shown us the way. It is part
of our discipleship ministries where we make Christ-like individuals in all aspects of human
endeavor.
Just as much as the church has its role to play, each individual has a role to play in their
own spiritual formation, for instance, the intentionality of renewing their minds, loving God in
every circumstance, serving in the ministry of Christ, learning from good mentors, practicing
4 Jim Wilhoit, Spiritual Formation as if the Church Mattered (Grand Rapids: Baker Academic, 2008), 15
5 Stark, Rodney, The Triumph of Christianity: How the Jesus Movement Became the World’s Largest
Religion (New York: HarperCollins, 2012), 112. Kindle Edition.
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spiritual discipline, and so on6. The Council for Christian Colleges and Universities (CCCU)
defines spiritual formation as “the biblically guided process in which people are being
transformed into the likeness of Christ by the power of the Holy Spirit within the faith
community in order to love and serve God and others”7. This definition acutely encompasses the
duty of the church in spiritual formation, and the relationship between spiritual formation and
discipleship (loving and serving God and others).
The Three Areas Related to Spiritual Growth
As mentioned in the earlier section, there are three core tenets of the Christian life, as laid down
by the Lord Jesus in Mark 12:30-31 and John 15:12. These areas include love for God, love for
fellow believers, and love for all, including unbelievers.
Love for God: anyone who will partake of Christ’s goodness must be a lover of God, that is,
they must be eager to be in his presence, read and hear his words, learn his wills, and so on. in
effect, they must be willing to know God as much as he will reveal himself to them. This will
have a profound effect on the self as they will find themselves becoming more like Christ,
saintly, heaven-minded. This is the greatest commandment, as Christ said, and no one may call
themselves Christian without loving God wholeheartedly.
Love for fellow believers: love one another is another commandment that Jesus gave to the
church. The early church took this commandment really seriously, praying together, exhorting
one another in the word of faith, breaking bread (Acts 2:41-47). This is beneficial to each
Christian as well as to the whole church. The church will grow in numbers as the love shared
6 Early, Dave. Spiritual Formation is... Doing Your Part. In Dave Early and Rod Dempsey. Spiritual
Formation Is... How to Grow in Jesus with Passion and Confidence. Nashville, B&H Academic (2018). 30-35.
7 Council for Christian Colleges & Universities (CCCU), Task Force on Spiritual Formation in Christian
Higher Education. CCCU report of the task force on spiritual formation in Christian higher education. (2011). 13.
http://www.cccu.org/professional_development/resource_library/2011/cccu_report_on_spiritual_formation
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among the members radiates outwards and draws in more people who would love to partake of
such love. It would also serve to give each individual confidence in belonging to a loving family,
with whom they are certain they will never be left out or behind in the journey of life unto the
glory of the Lord.
Love for all (including unbelievers): this indeed is a part of spiritual formation and discipleship
that can never be ignored. It is in our conduct with others, even those who would try our patience
and understanding, that we have the most chance to give God glory. The radiance of his beauty
which shines on us every time we fellowship with him should be made visible all the time,
especially whenever we are with other people who may be yet to enjoy the fullness of God. Our
love, joy and peace alone are enough to draw many to Christ and the church. This has the added
benefit of making the individual glad beyond proportions when they shine the light of God into
the life of others, knowing they are fulfilling the job their father sent them as the spirit gives
them leave.
Walking in and Under the Control of the Holy Spirit and Spiritual Formation
One vital aspect of spiritual formation is submission to the Holy Spirit. The Christian must leave
off all semblance of self and walk in total submission to the direction of the Holy Spirit. Thus
shall they fulfill the wish of the Father. In Jeremiah 18:5, God compared his children to clay in
the potter’s hand which the potter may mold whichever he wishes. This idea is also seen in Isaiah
45:9 “Woe unto him that striveth with his Maker! Let the potsherd strive with the potsherds of
the earth. Shall the clay say to him that fashioneth it, what makest thou?” (KJV).
Walking in and under the control of the Holy Spirit helps our spiritual development greatly, as
our ways will be perfect, being in line with God’s will and plans for us. And we will rest in the
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confidence that we aren’t the drivers of our reality, but God the Lord, who has power over all
things has the wheels and only directs us where we should go with every step8.
Personal Spiritual Growth Assessment
My personal spiritual growth assessment result is as follows:
Love for God = 85 (8.5)
Love for one another = 81 (8.1)
Love for our neighbors = 69 (6.9)
Overall score = 235 (78.3)
My strongest area is Love for God and my weakest area is Love for our neighbors.
I realize that while I daily read God’s word, I still lack in some areas of showing my love for
God. For instance, I hardly have a dated prayer request list, I don’t always record my progress in
my spiritual journey, I don’t disconnect from the world enough as I know I should, and I fall
short in memorizing God’s word too. This realization fills me with shame in myself, but I am
grateful for the opportunity to do this kind of reflection and realize these shortcomings. God is
wonderful and has used this as a call to order for me, and I must take it seriously. My
transformation must be whole.
Habits and Disciplines
Based on the personal spiritual growth assessment exercise, the following are the commitments I
shall make to improve my spiritual formation and development, with the help of God
8 Early, Dave. Spiritual Formation Is... 33.
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i. Systematically memorizing the word of God: I will get myself a pocket diary in which
I can note verses and chapters to memorize for each day. This will also double as my note
for meditation
ii. Building prayer request lists: I must have prayer request lists, not just for myself or my
needs, but also for the church, other believers around me, society, and unbelievers around
me. I seem to have been selfish with my service so far.
iii. Journaling my progress in my spiritual walk: I must make detailed notes of the Lord’s
work in my life and around me. It is my witness and testimony to his goodness.
iv. Taking more time in solitude: I must spend more time in solitude, being in the presence
of my God and away from distractions. I must radiate his glory all over me as he wants
me to.
v. Serving in the body of Christ: I can’t confidently say I have discovered my spiritual
gift, and that may be because I don’t yet serve fully in a group of believers. This is a
commitment I am making now; to join a group of believers near me and serve the body of
Christ as best I can, with the help of the Holy Spirit. I believe spending more time in
solitude with Jesus will hasten this process of discovering my spiritual gift.
vi. Avoiding temptation: I have largely overcome the lusts of the flesh, but sometimes, man
gets strongly enticed by the flesh. I thank God who has kept me strong so far. I must
make the job easier for myself and stay away from all sources of temptation from now
on.
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Bibliography
Council for Christian Colleges & Universities (CCCU), Task Force on Spiritual Formation in
Christian Higher Education. CCCU report of the task force on spiritual formation in
Christian higher education. (2011). 13.
http://www.cccu.org/professional_development/resource_library/2011/cccu_report_on_sp
iritual_formation
Early, Dave and Dempsey, Rod. Spiritual Formation Is... How to Grow in Jesus with Passion
and Confidence. Nashville, B&H Academic (2018)
Goldman, Daniel. Long Married Couples Do Look Alike, Study Finds. New York Times August
11, 1987. Accessed August 03, 2022. http://www.nytimes.com/1987/08/11/science/long-
married-couples-do-look-alike-study-finds.html
Jim Wilhoit, Spiritual Formation as if the Church Mattered (Grand Rapids: Baker Academic,
2008).
Stark, Rodney, The Triumph of Christianity: How the Jesus Movement Became the World’s
Largest Religion (New York: HarperCollins, 2012), 112. Kindle Edition.
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