Introduction
So, what’s “Spiritual Formation” all about? Is it biblical or unbiblical? Is it healthy or dangerous? Is it a passing fad, or is it a vital key to spiritual growth?
If you’ve wondered about these things, then this article is for you.
By now, most serious Christians have heard the term, “spiritual formation”, and have either positive, negative, or mixed feelings about it.
I’ve had mixed feelings myself, and through much research and practice over the last few years have come to deeply appreciate the benefits of this movement, while identifying the unbiblical extremes to avoid, and would like to pass on to you what I’ve learned about how to navigate these waters.
So, let’s dive in and explore the pros and cons of this popular phenomenon, and what guardrails can help us explore and enjoy it safely.
But, first, let’s define our terms…
What is Spiritual Formation?
The Christian concept of “spiritual formation” refers to the process of becoming more like Christ through the work of the Holy Spirit. It is the ongoing work of sanctification after the Holy Spirit’s initial work of justification at our conversion (Hebrews 10:14).
This process of transformation involves deep, inner changes that affect a person’s thoughts, attitudes, and actions. It’s not merely about behavior modification, but about a regular renewal of the heart and mind, leading to a life of greater Christlikeness.
Is this a new concept?
No, the concept itself is as old as the Bible, since God’s Word teaches this kind of inner transformation by the Holy Spirit, leading to greater Christlikeness: “And we all, who with unveiled faces contemplate the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into his image with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit (2 Corinthians 3:18, NIV).”
Throughout Christian history, particularly whenever the church became dry and dutiful, individuals and organizations who wanted a deeper experience of God would explore spiritual formation practices such as solitude, silence, meditation, contemplation, and fasting for spiritual rejuvenation.
These believers, who were hungry for more, were usually monks, mystics, and contemplatives like Julian of Norwich, (14th Century, “Revelations of Divine Love”), Thomas a Kempis, (15th Century, “The Imitation of Christ”), and Brother Lawrence, (17th Century, “The Practice of the Presence of God”).
In more recent times, broad interest into how to develop our spiritual lives from the inside out was renewed by popular books like “The Pursuit of God” (1948) by A.W. Tozer, “The Celebration of Discipline” (1978) by Richard Foster, and “The Spirit of the Disciplines” (1988) and “Renovation of the Heart” (2002) by Dallas Willard.
Today, the concept of spiritual formation is enjoying a resurgence in popularity as a new generation of Jesus followers look to make their Christian Walk more experiential, personal, and real to them.
That’s a good thing, because too many Christians today have stopped growing, become stagnant, and lost that zeal to become more like Jesus. This kind of settling is very dangerous to our spiritual lives, since God’s Word frequently and firmly warns us against lingering too long in such plateaus in the strongest of terms (Hebrews 5:11-14; 6:11-12; 2 Peter 1:5-11; Revelation 2:4-5; 3:1-3, 14-19).
Spiritual Formation can give us that spark we need to return to our first love.
But it also has some associated hazards to watch out for.
So, let’s explore the pros and cons of Spiritual Formation as it is commonly taught and practiced today…
The Pros
Those of us from a church culture where an analytical approach to Bible study is the norm must especially be careful that Jesus’ warning to the Pharisees and Teachers of the Law in his day doesn’t apply to us: “You study the Scriptures diligently because you think that in them you have eternal life. These are the very Scriptures that testify about me, 40 yet you refuse to come to me to have life (John 5:39-40).”
These Jewish leaders were devoted to the Word of God, but not to the God of the Word. They were devoted to the letter of the Law, but not the Author of the Law. Thus, they missed Jesus. And so can we, if we’re not careful.
Our relationship with God, through Jesus, is first and foremost a loving and intimate relationship. That’s why Paul earnestly prayed for the Ephesian Christians, “…I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, 18 may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, 19 and to know this love that surpasses knowledge (Ephesians 3:17b-19a).”
According to this passage, there’s a type of “knowing” about Jesus’ love for us “that surpasses knowledge” (vs. 19). At its best, that’s what Spiritual Formation is all about – a personal “knowing” and experiencing of Christ’s love that fills us with an overflowing sense of joy, peace, and gratitude that makes us want to love Him and others in return (Galatians 2:20; 1 John 4:7-12).
Simply put: “We love because he first loved us (1 John 4:19).” That’s the transformative power of knowing and experiencing Christ’s love intimately, and that’s at the core of Spiritual Formation.
But what about all this meditation, contemplation and listening prayer stuff? Is it biblical?
The spiritual disciplines (or practices) associated with Spiritual Formation, like meditating on scripture (Psalm 1:2; 119:97), contemplating God’s loving presence (Psalm 27:4; 2 Corinthians 3:18), and listening to the Holy Spirit (Luke 12:12; Romans 8:16; 1 John 2:27) are thoroughly biblical and orthodox. (Read the passages I’ve cited in this paragraph for yourself.)
As I have personally delved more into these practices, I have found a deeper and more satisfying connection with my Lord than ever before. I have a new appreciation for what Jesus meant when he said, “Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with that person, and they with me (Revelation 3:20).”
To visualize the reality of Jesus coming into a deeper place in my heart to “eat” with me – to sit down and have a conversation, to fellowship as friends, and to enjoy each other’s company – has made me look forward to my quiet times so much more each day.
Too many Christians are missing out on this kind of genuine friendship with our Lord.
Instead, many Christians, especially from an action-oriented church culture, are tired, weary, and burdened by the erroneous thinking that they must keep “doing more” to be accepted or pleasing to God.
I’m reminded of the old bumper sticker: “Jesus is coming soon – look busy”.
We laugh at that, but is that how you feel sometimes?
The Spiritual Formation movement reminds us that the finished work of Christ on the cross makes us acceptable to God, and is the basis of our self-worth, so we can rest in his presence. I love how Jesus invites us into his rest:
“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For my yoke is easy and my burden is light (Matthew 11:28-30).”
Of course, the process of spiritual growth includes our obedience to God’s commands – but not because our actions earn us a better standing with him. Healthy obedience to God’s commands should come primarily from our heartfelt gratitude to Christ for the love he demonstrated on the cross and continues to lavish on us:
“For Christ’s love compels us, because we are convinced that one died for all,
and therefore all died. 15 And he died for all, that those who live should no
longer live for themselves but for him who died for them and was raised again (2
Corinthians 5:14-15).”
This kind of gratitude inwardly “compels us (vs. 14)” to live for God and become more like Christ. And that’s the power of Spiritual Formation – meditating on passages like these, contemplating our loving Lord, and just soaking it all in allows the Holy Spirit to fill our hearts with overflowing gratitude and motivation to “no longer live for (ourselves) but for him who died for (us) and was raised again (vs. 15)”.
This is just a taste of what so many of us love about Spiritual Formation. I can testify that it works, and it’s awesome!
So, what’s the problem?
The Cons
The problem is that anything good can be taken too far.
We live in a postmodern world where there is no longer any objective truth, and personal experience can be elevated above Scripture.
In such an atmosphere, meditation can become looking inside ourselves for answers; contemplation can descend into emotional drivel; and listening to the Holy Spirit can be confused with listening to ourselves, or worse, the voice of The Deceiver.
In a sincere effort to emotionally connect with God, we can inadvertently follow our feelings instead of God’s Word. As someone one said, “emotions make great servants, but poor masters”.
We should be focused on Jesus and guided by the Word of God, not focused on ourselves and guided by our feelings. The truth will often lead to feelings, but feelings don’t always lead to the truth.
Without a strong tether to the anchor of God’s Word, we can fall prey to the strong pull of the World to soften the hard truths of Scripture, weaken our view of a holy and righteous God, and lower his high standards for morality and righteousness.
This is the fatal flaw of Progressive Christianity – it seeks to please both God and the World, by giving in, or at least compromising with the latest societal orthodoxy. This leaves its adherents in the position of being pleasing to neither, since we cannot serve two Masters (Mathew 6:24), we cannot commit to two conflicting priorities, we cannot please both God and the World.
Some popular teachers in the broader Christian world today use the Christian language of Spiritual Formation (solitude, silence, meditation, contemplation, listening prayer, etc.) and blend them with the language of New Age mysticism and self-help ideology (“higher self”, “manifesting”, “law of attraction”, “Divine spark”, etc.).
The result is that instead of building an onramp to greater spiritual growth in Christ, they are building an offramp to a secular self-improvement program with little distinction between themselves and the World or its many man-made religions.
Soon, core biblical doctrines like salvation through Jesus alone, repentance, and eternal Judgement (Hebrews 6:1-2) are replaced by the less offensive and more appealing doctrines of the world: Universalism (everyone is going to Heaven), Gnosticism (secret, esoteric knowledge leading to self-realization), and non-judgementalism (there is no Hell).
These are serious false doctrines that must be identified and avoided. Any spiritual formation that is not firmly grounded in the gospel may improve our lives to some degree, but it’s not biblical spiritual formation, and can therefore lead us astray.
So, what are some of the guardrails that can help us enjoy the many benefits of biblical Spiritual Formation, while avoiding the pitfalls it can inadvertently lead to?
Guardrails
Here’s some red flags to watch out for, and three trustworthy filters to use.
Red Flags
Let’s start with some red flags to look for.
A red flag should come up in your mind if a book or speaker:
· Downplays Scripture (emphasizing personal experience over God’s Word)
· Apologizes for the God of the Old Testament (finding God’s judgements and ways too harsh and indefensible)
· Denies any of the key doctrines of Scripture (like repentance, Eternal Judgement, and Hell)
· Waters down the biblical sexual ethic (on sexual immorality, homosexuality, or any other kind of impurity)
· Redefines Jesus. (making him a mere teacher, an energy force, or universal spirit)
· Teaches Universalism. (everyone is saved regardless of faith in Christ)
· Teaches Pantheism (God is in everything)
· Gives the practices of Christian Spiritual Formation an Eastern Religious twist. (where meditation becomes emptying the mind instead of meditating on Scripture, and contemplation means searching your own heart for answers instead of looking to God through Jesus)
· Encourages drug use (by suggesting that mind altering substances can open our minds to a greater consciousness of the Divine)
· Focusses on self-improvement over Christlikeness. (the goal becomes personal success rather than sanctification)
· Overemphasizes Psychology. (be careful when Psychology is used as more than a resource to corroborate spiritual truth, but appears to be a more trusted authority than the inspired Word of God)
· Practices Syncretism (any other mixing of Orthodox Christianity with either the World’s religions or incompatible cultural ideas and practices)
So, these are some of the red flags to watch out for.
But what do we do if we’re not sure if something is of God or not?
Three of the filters God gives us to discern if something is of God or not is: Scripture, the fruit test, and advice.
The Filter of God’s Word
Taken together, the passages below tell us to “test” what we hear by “examining the Scriptures” to see what’s “true” and whether it’s from “God” or “false prophets”.
“Now the Berean Jews were of more noble character than those in Thessalonica, for they received the message with great eagerness and examined the Scriptures every day to see if what Paul said was true (Acts 17:11).”
“Dear friends, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world (1 John 4:1).”
“Do not quench the Spirit. 20 Do not treat prophecies with contempt 21 but test them all; hold on to what is good, 22 reject every kind of evil (1 Thessalonians 5:19-20).”
The Spirit of Jesus will not say something today that conflicts with what he’s already said in Scripture.
“Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever (Hebrews 13:8).”
“Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away
(Matthew 24:35).”
But what about topics that are not specifically covered in God’s Word?
The more we immerse ourselves in Scripture and strive to obey it, the more we will grow in our understanding of the character and nature of God, enabling us to more accurately discern his will.
“I have more insight than all my teachers,
for I meditate on your statutes.
100 I have more understanding than the elders,
for I obey your precepts (Psalm 119:99-100)”
“Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will (Romans 12:2).”
Not every issue is directly addressed in Scripture, but with an understanding of the underlying principles of God’s Word, and the character and nature of God himself, we can usually have a pretty good idea of how we should view it.
And Paul prayed that the Holy Spirit would help God’s people in this.
“I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you
the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know him better (Ephesians 1:17).”
“And this is my prayer: that your love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight, 10 so that you may be able to discern what is best and may be pure and blameless for the day of Christ, 11 filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ—to the glory and praise of God (Philippians 1:9-11).”
“For this reason, since the day we heard about you, we have not stopped praying for you. We continually ask God to fill you with the knowledge of his will through all the wisdom and understanding that the Spirit gives, 10 so that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and please him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God… (Colossians 1:9-10).”
So, pray for wisdom (James 1:5) and discernment (Philippians 1:9-11). Wisdom and discernment are gifts from God, but they are also spiritual skills that can be developed
with practice, over time.
In fact, one biblical measure of Christian maturity is our ability to distinguish good from evil: “But solid food is for the mature, who by constant use have trained themselves to distinguish good from evil (Hebrews 5:14).”
The Fruit Test
Jesus taught that the fruit (results) of someone’s life and teachings tell us much about them:
“Watch out for false prophets. They come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ferocious wolves. 16 By their fruit you will recognize them. Do people pick grapes from thornbushes, or figs from thistles? 17 Likewise, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. 18 A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, and a bad tree cannot bear good fruit. 19 Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. 20 Thus, by their fruit you will recognize them (Matthew 7:15-20).”
So, when evaluating a spiritual practice, ask yourself these questions:
· Does this practice align with Scripture? (Acts 17:11)
· Does it lead me to loving God and my neighbor more? (John 15:1-17)
· Does it help me walk with God in greater obedience and holiness? (1 John 3:4-6)
· Does it fill me with the fruit of the Spirit: “love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,23 gentleness and self-control (Galatians 5:22-23)”?
· Does it lead to “the peace that passes understanding (Philippians 4:4-7)”?
· Does it lead to a spirit of humility and unity with others? (James 3:13-18)
· Does it lead me to a more positive and faithful place regarding my faith and church community? (1 Thessalonians 5:12-13)
You get the idea. Godly practices will lead to godliness. Ungodly practices will lead to ungodliness.
Seek Advice
Like most things in the Christian life, if you’re not sure about something, consult trustworthy and reliable sources for advice and guidance.
“For lack of guidance a nation falls,
but victory is won through many advisers (Proverbs 11:14)
“Plans fail for lack of counsel,
but with many advisers they succeed (Proverbs 15:22).”
“Surely you need guidance to wage war,
and victory is won through many advisers (Proverbs 24:6).”
Of course, the wrong advisors can lead you astray, so make sure to seek out Christian advisors who are “known to be full of the Spirit and wisdom (Acts 6:3).”
Seeing clearly in the fog can be tricky, but by using the three filters of Scripture, the fruit test, and advice, you can navigate even the murkiest of waters safely and productively.
Conclusion
So, what’s the verdict on Spiritual Formation?
At its best, Spiritual Formation, as taught and modeled in Scripture, can revitalize your prayer life, rekindle your love for God, and reward you with greater peace, joy, and love than you can possibly imagine. I’ve personally seen this to be true in my life, and seen the amazing fruit it’s born in the lives of others as well.
But Satan is the master of spoiling good things and twisting them for his diabolical purposes. So, be careful. We live in perilous times, and without the anchor of God’s Word we can easily drift into Worldly thinking and behavior, and ultimately false doctrine and apostasy.
Yet the answer is not to retreat in fear and hide behind traditionalism (doing things the same way we’ve always done them to play it safe), since to not be open to new understandings and practices in our faith is to become stale, old, and die.
So, we must guard against the twin traps of traditionalism and progressivism. They are both ditches on either side of the path to spiritual growth.
That’s why I recommend we proceed with caution – but proceed, using the guardrails we’ve discussed in this article.
As the saying goes: “Eat the fish and spit out the bones.” That’s what’s worked for me, and I believe it can work for you as well.
Jeff Chacon
Jeff Chacon served in the full-time ministry as an Evangelist for over 30 years before retiring in 2022, and now serves as an Elder on the leadership team of the Anchor Point Church in Tampa, Florida, as well as the leadership team of the Florida Region of Churches, as well as being one of our designated Florida Peacemakers to help with conflict resolution around the state. He just finished a book called "A Fool's Journey," a biography of Jeff's experience with the transformative gospel of Jesus. You can order it HERE. He also wrote the book “Dare to Dream Again,” an excellent resource for helping Christians overcome disappointment and setbacks. You can order it HERE.