Spiritual Formation

Practical Theology

3/1/2023
Milkisha Dinka /pastor/

“Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus

Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with
every spiritual blessing in Christ.” (Eph. 1:3)
Introduction
This is the spiritual formation lecture note. It is mentions the definition of the terminology and
objectives of the course. It is mentioned the spiritual theology, purposes of spiritual maturity,
spiritual disciplines and practice of spirituality that helps the development of spiritual
transformation in the life of Christian.
Objectives
The objective of this course is to helps the students to know the meaning of spiritual formation its’
importance and the practices of spirituality according to the teaching of the Bible within Lutheran
denomination. Biblical Spirituality is not simply experiencing religious belief and begins with the
insight that human effort, but to understand what God does or accomplished in Christ for us. It is
the way that we may united with God and experiencing in our live situations.
Definitions;-
What is spiritual formation?
Spiritual formation in Latin language it refers to the word “renewal” which indicates the purpose
to work for the renewal of the church by focused on the spiritual formation of individual Christians.

1. Renewal;
✓ It is the state of being made new fresh, or strong again and renewing something to make
update.
2. Transformation;
✓ It is the operation of changing someone or something to be matured.
3. Formation;
✓ It is the other related word of forming or creating something new or renewing.
This spiritual formation involves following certain practices and traditions with the result that the
life of Christ is formed within the Christian.

Spiritual formation
It is refers to becoming Christ-like and developing the inner person should be the goal of every
Christian. Also spiritual formation is based on the basis that if we do certain practices, we can be
more like Jesus. Advocate God spiritual formations wrongly teach that anyone can practice these
mystical rituals and find God within themselves.
Spiritual transformation
True spiritual transformation, begins with the understanding that as we are sinners living apart
from God. Our sense has been corrupted by sin so that we cannot please God. True spiritual
transformation occurs as we give way ourselves to God so that he may transform us by the
guidance and power of the Holy Spirit.

At least half of every New Testament epistle is geared toward how to live life well pleasing to God
by obedience and submission to the Holy Spirit in all things. Scripture does not only call us the
redeemed, saved saints, sheep, soldiers, and servants, but teaches us that only through the power
of the names mean.

Spiritual theology
Theology is the study of God or God’s revelation to the world and the study of a system of religious
beliefs or ideas. Spiritual theology is a branch of theology that emphasizes living in the spirit
instead of in flesh. In other words, it is concerned with how a person grows and develops on
spirituality.

Spirituality is having similar values and ideas of supernatural beliefs. Spiritual theology is the
process of proceeding from the truths of divine revelation and the religious experience of
individual persons. It defines the nature of the supernatural life formulates directives for its growth
and development, and explains the process by which souls advance from the beginning of the
spiritual life to its full perfection through Christ.

True biblical spiritual formation or spiritual transformation is begins with the understanding that
we are sinners living apart from God. True spiritual formation occurs as we yield ourselves to God
so that He may transform us by the guidance and power of the Holy Spirit. Scriptures are geared
toward how to live a life well pleasing to God by obedience and submission to the Holy Spirit in
all things. It does not only calls us the redeemed, saved, being saints, sheep, soldiers and servants,
but also to united us with God in Christ through faith in order to be matured.

Spiritual maturity
Maturity is the state of being matured in the spiritual understanding of what God as be does in
Christ that indicates spirituality of someone. Spiritual maturity is a process that begin when a
person accept Jesus Christ as his/her savior. He or she is born again of the Holy Spirit and then
chooses to live in Christ. A Paul said that spiritual growth is an ongoing process (Phil. 3:12-14).
Christian maturity to develop in your life, you must make choice to learn God’s word, allows God
to renew your mind and then be obedient to what you learn (Rom. 12; 1-2).

Christian maturity helps to engage in developing in servant leaders who will passionate and
demonstrated purposeful mission and meaningful proclamation. Also Christian maturity is very
important to engage the process of vocation /work/ and to grow in understanding how we can
transform the followers of Christ.

Matured Christian encourages skillful use our spiritual giftedness, leadership skills, personal
talents and experiences to minister in the world and disciples others in the Christian community.
As matured Christian it needs to learn how to contextualize the gospel and to develop Christian
community.

Spiritual growth;
The word Growth refers to development that gradually brings progress or result into someone or
into something. Spiritual growth is the process of becoming more and more like Jesus Christ. When
place our faith in Jesus, the word of God through the Holy Spirit begins the process of making us
more like Him, conforming us to His image. His image means, in Latin;” imago dei” it refers to
the irrelevant part of humanity. Human beings are difference from others creation beings. This
image is a likeness mentally, morally, and socially.

Human mentality was created as a rational and volitional agent, which means human beings can
reason and choose. This is a reflection of God’s intellect and freedom. Human morality was created
in righteousness and perfect innocence, a reflection of God’s holiness. Our conscience or moral
compass is a vestige of that original sate. Human Sociality was created for fellowship of God.

This reflects God’s triune nature and His love. In the beginning, humanity’s primary it refers to
the relationship or fellowship was with God (Gen. 3:8), and made relationship among human
beings with family’s members (Gen. 2:18). Spiritual growth is perhaps best described in (2nd Peter
1:3-8), which leis us that by God’s power we have “everything we need to live lives of
righteousness (goodness), which is the goal of spiritual growth.

What we need comes through our knowledge of Him, which is the key to obtaining everything we
need. Our knowledge of Him comes from the word, given to us for our edification and growth.
According to Galatians 5:19-23 there are two lists that show a gradual spiritual growth, which is
acts of the flesh, that was identifies our lives before we came to Christ for salvation.

1. The First, the acts of the flesh are the activities we are to confess, repent of, and, with God’s
help, overcome.
2. The second list is the fruit of the Spirit; these are what should characterize our lives now
that we have experience salvation in Jesus Christ.

Spiritual growth is identified by the fruit of the Spirit becoming increasingly evident in a believer’s
life. When the transformation of salvation takes place, spiritual growth begins, because the Holy
Spirit indwells in us (John 14:16-17). Spiritual growth is lifelong process that depends on our study
and application of God’s word (2nd Timothy 3:16-17), and our walk in the Spirit (Galatians 5:16-
26).

As we seek spiritual growth, we should pray to God and ask God to increase our faith and
knowledge of Him. God desires for us to grow spiritually, and He has given us all what we need
to experience spiritual growth. With the Holy Spirit’s help, we can overcome more like our Savior,
the Lord Jesus Christ.

Purpose of the spiritual formation

Spiritual formation is the continuing response to the reality of God’s grace shaping us into the
likeness of Jesus Christ, through the work of the Holy Spirit, in the community of faith for the sake
of the world. Spiritual formation is understood as an ongoing process for Christians. Spiritual
formation is not a program or project or course that is completed in a few weeks, but rather is a
lifelong process of transformation. While there can be decisive steps forward or dramatic spiritual
insights in a moment.

Spiritual formation is not the product of human effort or personal willpower, but a matter of God’s
own initiatives and God’s decisive action. Christian spiritual formation is the process of being
conformation to the image of Christ for the glory of God and for the sake of others (1 st Cor. 3:17-
18). The focus of Christian spiritual formation is the Holy Spirit, who guides the ongoing journey.
The response is submission; formation is an organic, life-long, and holistic process involving right
thinking, right behaviors, and right feelings of individual and communities.
Spiritual formation focuses on the ordinary maturing of one’s relationship with God. Spiritual
disciplines are the tools of spiritual formation. Practices such as jumble walking or contemplative
prayer are good, but they do not necessarily result in formation. Only the Spirit can bring out
spiritual formation.

According to the word of God, the importance of spiritual formation or transformation is to make
us new born again and to be like Christ spiritually. By the kindness and love of God our savior
appeared, he saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. He
saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by us generously through Jesus Christ our
savior, so that, having been justified by his grace, we might become heirs having the hope of
eternal life (Titus 3:3-7).

Spiritual disciplines
Discipline is a way of behaving that shows a willingness to obey rules someone’s. Discipline is
training expected to produce a specific character or pattern of behavior, which is a natural
component of the Christian life. Spiritual disciplines can be described as those behaviors that
argument our spiritual growth and enable us to grow to spiritual maturity. This process of spiritual
growth and development begins to take place the moment a person encounters the risen Christ and
comes to Him for salvation.

Some said spiritual formation have expressed it as the practice of spiritual discipline a strong
emphasis on prayer, meditation, and contemplation on God’s word derived from the Bible.
Although these practices are rooted in past church tradition, many current authoritative writers on
spiritual formation consider such as spiritual disciplines as part of the greater constitution of
spiritual formation. It is called spiritual disciplines as a spiritual renouncement rather than spiritual
formation.

Purpose of the spiritual disciplines

The purpose of spiritual discipline is the development of our inner being, that which has been
transformed by Christ at salvation (2nd Cor. 5:17). According to Paul redeemed believers have
experienced the total renewal of the whole person from within, involving differences in thought,
feeling and character that may be slower to be evident in our outward behavior. Spiritual
disciplines helps us to avoid error in the understanding of spiritual disciplines is to stick with clear
scriptural mandates given to all Christians to immerse ourselves in the word of God wherein God
speaks to us, and in prayer, whereby we speak to Him.

Holy Scripture; The result of inspired word of God;

The foremost of the disciplines is that involving the word of God and constitutes the reading,
study, memorization, and meditation of scripture. We must begin any effort at spiritual discipline
with the only source of power, the word of God, because the word of God is the essential.

Inspiration is a divine influence or action on a person belief to be quality him or her to receive and
communicate sacred revelation of God. The Holy Spirit applies the truths of God to minds of men
to convince them by fair and sufficient arguments that they are sinners. Responding to that
conviction brings men to salvation. Once we are saved and belong to God, the Holy Spirit takes
up residence in our heart forever, sealing us with the confirming, certifying, and assuring pledge
of our eternal state as His children. The Holy Spirit takes up permanent residence in the hearts of
believers (1Cor. 6:19-20).

Prayer;
The other discipline is that of prayer. Prayer is a spiritual communion with God through means of
thanksgiving, adoration, petition and confession. The wonderful thing about prayer is that God
meets us where we are and comes alongside us to lead us into a deeper, more real relationship with
Him, not motivated by guilt, but driven by His love. Jesus himself charges himself always in
prayer by getting in close fellowship with God his father.

Therefore, prayer is the way we building our relationship with God of receiving message from
God. It is a communication with God our father in ever day activities as our Lord Jesus Christ did
it. Payer is not simply saying by word, but God is looking for heartfelt relationship. We are told
by Jesus not to make meaningless repetition of words when we pray (Matt. 6:7).

General taking together the spiritual disciplines of prayer and the word will proved us with a
rewarding program which will lead to godly living, praise, submission, service and celebration of
our salvation and the God who provided it. With good human and spiritual formation, you can
combat any tendency to laziness or spiritual depression. By developing a personal relationship
with Christ, through a strong prayer life, you find the motivation you need to get beyond a
comfortable spiritual life.
Developing a deep interior life is crucial, without strong spiritual formation, you can become
superficial, lack preservation, and become easily driven by your emotions. Without self-discipline
you may neglect mental praying or meditation. Commitment to daily prayer will bring you to an
intimate relationship with Christ, the true friend of your soul.

Through these disciplines, we are enabled to obey God’s command to work out your salvation
with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you to will and to act according to his good
purpose (Phil. 2:12-13). Meditating on the gospel will encourage a deep and intimate love with
Christ, helping you overcame self-pity, avoid discourage, and gain joy. Our goal is not
perfectionism, but the perfection of love,

Baptism of Holy Spirit;

This Holy Spirit baptism is an act and experience of purifying or sanctifying someone’s or
something to be changed to new creation or born-again. The baptism of the Holy Spirit may be
defined as that work whereby the Spirit of God places the believer into union with Christ and into
union with other believers in the body of Christ at the moment of salvation.

The baptism of the Holy Spirit was predicated by John the Baptism and by Jesus before He
ascended to heaven (Mark 1:8).The Spirit baptism established the basis for our separation from
the power of indwelling sin and our walk in newness of life (Romans 6:-10 and Colossians 2:12).
Therefore, the Bible present the transformation life in Christ demonstrated through our “bearing
fruit in every good work and growing in the knowledge of God” (Colo. 1:10).

The Holy Spirit also functions as fruit-producer in our lives. When He indwells us, He begins the
work of harvesting His fruit in our lives “love, Joy, peace, patience, kindness and self-control (Gal.
5:22-23). Transformation involves those who were once far from God being “tired near” to Him
through the blood of Christ (Ephesians 2:13). Transformation within us is seen in the way we
increasingly reflect the likeness and glory of Christ (2Cor. 3:18).

Function of the Holy Spirit;-

One of the functions of the Holy Spirit is presenting within us and enables us to understand and
interpret God’s word. “When the Spirit of truth, comes, He will guide you into all truth” (John
16:13). He reveals to our minds the whole counsel of God as it reveals to worship, doctrine, and
Christian living. Also the Spirit convinces us of Christ’s;-
• His Deity and incarnation,
• His being the Messiah,
• His suffering and death,
• His resurrection and ascension,
• His exaltation at the judge of all.
• Holy Spirit gives glory to Christ in all things (John 16:14).

The roles of Holy Spirit

The roles of Holy Spirit is to give spiritual gifts to the believers in order that we may function as
the body of Christ on earth (1Cor. 12). God gave spiritual gifts to edify His church. Paul instructed
the church at Corinth to seek to edify and build up Christ church, telling them that since they were
“eager” to have spiritual gifts, they should “try to excel in gifts that build up the church” (1Cor.
14:12). The church is edified through use of the gift of teaching as people listen to the word of
God and hear what it means and how to apply it to their own lives.

God has risen up in their faith and enable them to grow in all wised and knowledge (2 nd Peter
3:18). Spiritual formation takes place by the direct work of the Holy Spirit regenerating and
transforming us to the image of Jesus Christ as the Spirit indwells, fills, guides gifts, and empowers
people for life in the community of faith and in the world. Holy Spirit involved in the lives of
believing convicting them before salvation, transforming into the image of Christ the salvation,
and empowering them to proclaiming God’s love to the world.

The Holy Spirit convicts, nurtures, and affirms the relational dimension as children of God
(Romans 8:15-161), before and after the conviction. The Holy Spirit continue with the
transforming work through sanctifying, by confirming believers to the image of Christ through the
scripture, the faith community and many others life-changing events. Holy Spirit will use these
transformed lives to proclaim God’s glory to the world through their vacation.
Therefore, we can see that the Holy Spirit plays a vital role in the formation of believers to become
like Christ. Therefore, we believe that we engage in developing Christ followers who have a basic
thoughtful understanding of their belief and lifestyle choice. It is important that they understand
how God is reveled through scripture, tradition and faith communities.

Spiritual Formation should include efforts to connect vocation and academic discipline with faith.
Those involved information need to understand and appreciate the world-wide body of Jesus Christ
our connectedness to it. We should also strive to understand the context and implication of our
faith journey and faith community.

Love for others

In the second greatest commandment, that it is requirement for believers to love their neighbors as
themselves. Believers can only express healthy love to their neighbors when they truly know how
to love themselves as God’s chosen people formed by the Holy Spirit. Therefore, spiritual
formation is ongoing process where believers learn and develop right relationship with God, self,
and others as they are formed spiritually to act and beehive in Chris-likeness.

When believers live in Christ-likeness, they will attain the goals of spiritual formation as the
natural parts of their godly and transformed lifestyle. Some goals of spiritual formations are such
as, first believers acquiring Christ-likeness at the personal level, second believers become a people
of God at the community level and the third believers established the kingdom of God at the
mission level.

The outcomes of spiritual formation

It is for the spiritual identity that is a maturing sense of self in relationship with God. It helps to
understand the biblical beliefs and theological application. To reconcile people with God, their
selves and with others that a maturing appreciation and understanding of diversity of God’s
kingdom. The Community of faith may show their commitment to the society. It is to be Servants
leaders of commitment to the servant leadership. The Life of worship is a maturing understanding
of worship through all spiritual aspects.

Aspects of Christian formation and it is process;-

It should learning to discern the voice of God and developing the conventional prayer life. It helps
to building genuine relationship with God through interacting with him. Learning to engage with
the spirit of God as personal mentor and allowing him to reveals our flaws as well as our new
identity and his way of seeing us and our lives.
 Summary
Spiritual formation is becoming Christ like and developing the inner person should be the goal of
every Christian. Christian has responded to the kindness and love of God shown to us by the death
of Christ for our sins, repented of our sins, and now responds to the Spirit’s continual prompting
and empowerment to live differently as God’s children.

The result of spiritual formation is to be transformed by the rebirth and renewal by the power of
the Holy Spirit. This is true spiritual formation that the reforming of our spirit by His Spirit into
the image of Christ. Spiritual maturity is achieved through becoming more like Jesus Christ. After
salvation, every Christian begins the process of spiritual growth; with the intent to become spiritual
mature. Spiritual maturity is an ongoing process that will never end in this life (phil. 3:12-14).

As we submit more and more to the spirit and the word of God, the Spirit of God control, we will
also see an increase in the fruit of the spirit in our lives (Gala.5:22-23). Our characters shows that
our spiritual maturity. Therefore, being effective and fruitful in the knowledge of the Lord Jesus
Christ is the essence of spiritual maturity.