The Journey

Invitation to a Journey ~ A Road Map to Spiritual Formation
M. Robert Mulholland & Ruth Haley Barton
plus
Notes and writings on Spiritual Formation from the
Institute for Spiritual Formation, Biola University

Lesson 4
Opening Prayer—Chapter 2—Being Formed
pp. 33-34

1.  Thoughts from last time?
·      The Sanctification Gap
·      Making ourselves available to God so that He can transform our lives.

2.  I’d Rather Do It Myself!
·      Graspers
o   What is ‘grasping’?
o   How do you grasp things in the world?
o   How do we resist being ‘grasped’ by God?
·      Manipulators
o   What does it mean to manipulate the world?
o   How do we manipulate people? 
o   Is it intentional or unintentional? Conscious or unconscious?
·      Controllers
o   How do we control our world?
o   How much control do we really have over circumstances?  People? Ourselves?
o   What is the difference of being a steward and controlling?
·      Possessiveness
o   Why do we feel that what we possess gives us value?
o   Does possession of knowledge and technique perfect our souls?

3.  Flesh vs. Spirit:  Galatians and II Corinthians
·      Galatians 3: 3  “ Are you so foolish?  Having begun by the Spirit, are you now being perfected by the flesh?”
·      II Corinthians 3: 6b  “for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life.”
                                           

4.  Common Grace and Natural Law
·      Common Grace—The state under we now live after the fall
o   The rain falls on the just and the unjust (Matt. 5:45)
o   Fortitude—the “gift” of the Fall—enables us to do life ourselves without God
o   The ability to work and live in the world, even though “dead” in our sin.

·      Natural Law—How the universe is designed to work
o   Proverbs describes how the world works—working with it makes life easier.
o   Classical World View—Man has a purpose and the goal if for him to discover          and do well at it.
o   Natural Virtue

5.  “Moralism”
·      What is morality?
·      What makes us “moral”?
·      Bootstrap Theology
·      Trying and Striving to do it ourselves
·      Red Flags: Try more, work harder, use a different approach, “next time I’ll…”

6.  Flesh vs. Spirit Charts
Unbeliever (Death)—can build virtues or vices, good or bad, right or wrong, but they always come from spiritual Death—no relational connection to God, no opportunity for spiritual Life.  Their whole life is a defense against God, a defense against the deepest guilt and shame.  Anything that you use to keep away painful self-awareness is a “defense”.  Virtue in the state of Death is one of the most damning states—they have a pretty good life under “common grace” but still go to hell.

UNBELIEVER—DEAD IN SIN—Romans 5:12
VIRTUE/GOOD
VICE/EVIL
Loving
Kind
Faithful
Patient
Keeps temper
Sexually moral
Etc….
Hateful
Mean
Unfaithful
Impatient
Terrible Temper
Sexually permiscuous
Etc…


Believer (Spirit or Flesh)—can engage in acts of obedience, practice spiritual disciplines, acts of affection/devotion for God, BUT it can come from being in the Spirit, in Christ, in Faith, full forgiveness, full acceptance—or being in the Flesh (where you can’t come to the cross), using acts of obedience, discipline, devotion to cover guilt and shame (Gal 3:3)

BELIEVER/CHRISTIAN – Romans 6:11
SPIRIT—in Christ
FLESH—cover guilt/shame
Loving
Kind
Faithful
Patient
Keeps temper
Sexually moral
Loving
Kind
Faithful
Patient
Keeps temper
Sexually moral
Hateful
Mean
Unfaithful
Impatient
Terrible Temper
Sexually promiscuous


Philippians 2:12-13   “12 So then, my beloved, just as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your salvation with fear and trembling; 13 for it is God who is at work in you, both to will and to work for His good pleasure.” 
PRACTICE:  Make A List
Start with your 2 Prayers of Intention from last time. Then…
·      Spend some time with God prayerfully asking Him to show you places where you may grasp, manipulate, control and possess.  Make a list, and ask for His forgiveness.
·      Ask the Holy Spirit to show you where there are pockets of Moralism in your life—places where you are trying to do life yourself to cover up guilt and shame—things you don’t like about yourself that you try hard to hide and cover.
·      Ask the Holy Spirit to show you where He is already developing spiritual virtues in your heart.  They may not be complete, but you will be aware of how He is beginning to form them—places where you are beginning to truly look like Christ.
·      Do these exercises in a position of full pardon and full accectance, knowing that you are in Christ and already forgiven for all of these things--past present and future.

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