3: INGREDIENTS FOR CHRIST-FORMATION

IN 2010, I WAS STANDING AT the finish line of the Los Angeles Marathon, waiting to cheer for my oldest daughter as she completed her race. I remember watching the runners and thinking how normal they all looked (well, at least most of them looked normal—there was the occasional runner wearing a gorilla mask or tutu or dribbling a basketball while running barefoot). For the most part, the runners I saw were not eccentrics, nor were they elite athletes: They were normal people like me.

I remember thinking, I could do this. It can’t be that hard. I decided right then and there that I was going to run the LA Marathon the following year. And I did! I actually ran 26.2 miles, all the way from Dodger Stadium to the Santa Monica Pier—in the pouring rain and freezing cold, no less.

The reason I finished the race was not because I tried really hard but because I trained really smart. There is a huge difference between trying and training.[1]

I knew if I was going to succeed at the marathon, I would need help, so I found a trainer. She mapped out the number of miles I needed to run each week (on average, I ran thirty-eight miles per week for twenty weeks), and she also advised me on what to eat and how much rest I needed between runs. She even helped me buy the right type of shoes and running gear. I learned a lot about running, and I trained hard during the months before the marathon.

You can imagine how good it felt when I crossed the finish line on race day. Actually, I burst out crying, I was so glad it was over. Those last few miles of the marathon had been absolute agony—I was in so much pain I just wanted to run into oncoming traffic and get it over with. But I pushed through the pain and the mental anguish, and because I had trained smart, I had developed the mental and physical ability to run 26.2 miles.

Now, imagine the outcome if one day I had said to my wife, Susan, “You know what, honey? I’m going to run the LA Marathon tomorrow. I know I’ve never run that far before, and I haven’t done any training. But I’m going to try really, really hard.” If that’s all I did to prepare, how far do you think I could have run on race day? Not very far, right? Why? Because I hadn’t trained myself to run 26.2 miles. The truth is, no amount of willpower would have made any difference—without proper training, I would have failed to finish the race.

My training routine wasn’t complicated, but it did involve an intentional process composed of three ingredients: information, relationships, and direct interaction. These same three ingredients facilitate the Christ-formation process.

Three Ingredients for Christ-Formation

In order to finish the marathon, I needed the right information. I needed to learn how to run 26.2 miles. I needed to know what clothing and shoes to buy and which supplements to take. This information was essential to my goal.

I also needed the right relationships. I needed a trainer who had marathon experience and knew how to train me. I needed the support of my wife and family—training for a marathon would take a lot of time away from them. Additionally, I needed the help of a chiropractor: You can’t imagine the pounding that your body takes when running close to forty miles a week. These relationships were essential to my goal.

Finally, I needed to exert personal effort. Nobody else could train for me. Nobody else could eat the right food and rest my body between runs. These are things that only I could do. My own participation in this process was essential to my goal.

None of these three ingredients alone—information, relationships, direct participation—would have been sufficient to accomplish my goal. But when they were combined, I had everything I needed to finish the race. The process of Christ-formation is different from running a marathon, but the same three ingredients apply to both. Let me show you what I mean.

Ingredient #1: Information

Divine revelation provides the information essential to Christ-formation. God’s revelation comes to us in two forms: special and general. Special revelation refers to what is revealed in Scripture. Paul writes,

All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives. It corrects us when we are wrong and teaches us to do what is right. God uses it to prepare and equip his people to do every good work.

2 TIMOTHY 3:16-17, NLT

The Bible is God’s special revelation because it contains the very words of God, directed by the Holy Spirt and written down by the prophets and apostles. Peter writes,

No prophecy of Scripture is a matter of private opinion. And why? Because it’s not something concocted in the human heart. Prophecy resulted when the Holy Spirit prompted men and women to speak God’s Word.

2 PETER 1:20-21, MSG

The essential information about Christ-formation found in the Bible cannot be found anywhere else. How can you learn that God is loving and personal (Revelation 3:20) without the Bible? How can you know that you need a Savior (John 3:16-17) or that Jesus Christ is that Savior, the only one who could pay the price for your sin (Hebrews 9:12-14), without the Bible?

Without the Bible, you can’t know that God is three equal yet distinct divine persons—Father, Son, and Holy Spirit (1 Peter 1:1-2). You cannot learn about your identity in Christ.[2] The volume of information for Christ-formation that is unique to the Bible is immense. And yet, the Bible isn’t the only source of such essential information.

General revelation is what is revealed in creation about God and his desires for the world: “His invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made” (Romans 1:20). David refers to God’s general revelation in Psalm 19:1-2: “The heavens declare the glory of God, and the sky above proclaims his handiwork. Day to day pours out speech, and night to night reveals knowledge.”

A great deal can be learned about God and Christ-formation by observing creation. For example, we can learn things about God from animals, birds, and even fish: “Just ask the animals, and they will teach you. Ask the birds of the sky, and they will tell you. Speak to the earth, and it will instruct you. Let the fish in the sea speak to you” (Job 12:7-8, NLT). King Solomon said that we can even learn life lessons by observing the ant: “Go to the ant, you sluggard; consider its ways and be wise! It has no commander, no overseer or ruler, yet it stores its provisions in summer and gathers its food at harvest” (Proverbs 6:6-8, NIV). Jesus suggested that we can resist worry and trust in the Father’s provision by observing how he cares for the birds and flowers (Matthew 6:26-31).

General revelation can also be found by using the scientific method.[3] Careful study of psychology, neurology, biology, philosophy, sociology, and anthropology, to name a few, uncovers important truths about us and our world that can inform and clarify the Christ-formation process. For example, we learn from psychology how denied trauma and emotional pain can lead to spiritual/emotional conflicts that hinder growth and change. Additionally, we learn from neuroscience how to rewire our own brain, replacing negative and distorted thoughts about God, self, and others with truth derived from Scripture. Such insights help us identify things that hinder our growth and things that support the change God desires for every believer.

As important as God’s revelation is, information is only the first ingredient in Christ-formation. The second is relationships.

Ingredient #2: Relationships

God is relational. He has existed for all eternity in the triune community of Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. According to the Bible, God created human beings in his image (Genesis 1:26-27). This means, among other things, that people are also relational beings: We are created for a relationship with God through Jesus Christ and with other human beings—especially other believers. Christ-formation is dependent on these relationships.

At the moment of salvation, one of the many changes that takes place in your life is that the Holy Spirit takes up residence in your heart, beginning the process of Christ-formation. Your relationship with God, through Christ, is the catalyst for growth and for changing into the likeness of God.

Yet God created people to need each other, too. In Genesis 2:18, God said it was not good that man was alone. When you think about it, you’ll realize that Adam wasn’t alone: He enjoyed a relationship with God and the animals he named (Genesis 2:19-20). It might seem odd to include animals as a viable means to meet human relational needs, but they make great companions—it’s hard, for example, for me to imagine my life without a dog in it. And yet, even with all this company, God referred to Adam as being alone. Why? Because Adam was the only human being on the planet, and God created people to need people.

It is especially true that Christians need to keep company with other Christians (Ecclesiastes 4:12; Matthew 18:20). Believers, indwelt with the Holy Spirit (Ephesians 1:13), are an important source through which the love of God flows. I will discuss the significance of love in the Christ-formation process in a later chapter; for now, note that the love of God that is expressed from one believer to another is essential to Christ-formation.

Relationships with other believers are so important that they are tied to over fifty “one another” commands in the New Testament.[4] For example, the writer to the Hebrews said, “Let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together” (Hebrews 10:24-25). New Testament scholar Joseph Hellerman writes about the essential role relationships play in the lives of believers:

The New Testament church was decidedly strong-group in its social orientation, but this was no accident of cultural accommodation. Jesus unequivocally affirmed such an approach to interpersonal relationships when He chose “family” as the defining metaphor to describe His followers.[5]

God has placed a deep need in the human heart to belong and to be known by others, and he created the church—the family of God—in part to meet these needs. Richard Plass and James Cofield affirm the essential role human relationships play in our personal well-being:

Relationships are not just important priorities. They are essential for our physical, psychological, emotional and spiritual well-being. We cannot live fully alive apart from loving connection with others.[6]

The family of God should be the safest people on Earth to share your deepest, darkest secrets without fear of being judged, criticized, rejected, or abandoned. In fact, believers are commanded to love and accept each other unconditionally in the same way they are loved and accepted by God (Romans 15:7).

As I write this chapter, I am “sheltering in place” due to the COVID-19 global pandemic. For five weeks—and for the foreseeable future—we have been ordered by federal and state authorities to practice social distancing, staying at least six feet away from others while in public. We are allowed to leave our homes only to run essential errands for food, medicine, and medical attention. This whole ordeal has been a profound reminder to me of how much I need human connection. Human touch is essential to human thriving, and I miss connecting with others through a handshake or a hug.

And yet, as important as relationships are to the Christ-formation process, there is a third ingredient we can’t leave out: our own direct participation.

Ingredient #3: Direct Participation

Paul alludes to our direct participation in Philippians 2:12: “Work out your own salvation with fear and trembling.” Notice that Paul says to “work out” your salvation, not to “work for” your salvation: There’s a big difference between the two!

Throughout the New Testament, we find substantial evidence that a believer must participate in his or her own process of growth and change.

This list is important because it reveals that direct participation is valid and essential to Christ-formation. But let me be clear: I’m not advocating a works-based salvation nor any form of legalism. Christ-formation is a grace-sustained partnership between the believer and the Holy Spirit that Paul refers to in Philippians 2:13: “It is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure.”

Let’s look more closely at how God’s grace is both a gift from God and the power that energizes Christ-formation.

Grace Is a Gift

What was the best Christmas present you received as a kid? Was it a new bike or skateboard? Maybe a Barbie doll and her boyfriend, Ken. If you were really lucky, maybe even a Barbie playhouse. When I was ten years old, I wanted a slot-car racing set: two little electric cars that you race around a track. In my mind, that was the best Christmas gift I could ever receive. I wanted this toy in the worst way, and I let my mom know for months before Christmas that if I got that toy, I would never ask for another toy again: I would finally be content.

On Christmas Eve, I accidently walked into my mom’s bedroom while she was wrapping last-minute gifts to put under the tree. I quickly turned around, but as I did, I thought I caught a glimpse of a big box that looked a lot like a slot-car set. Oh man, was I excited. I didn’t let on to what I had seen, but for the rest of the night before going to bed, I was bouncing around with excitement.

When Christmas morning came, I tore through the presents, but to my surprise, I found no slot-car set. And even though I had received some very nice gifts, I was disappointed. I couldn’t figure it out. I was sure I saw it on Christmas Eve; were my eyes playing tricks on me? It didn’t make any sense.

After all the presents were opened, my mom asked me to please go get a trash bag from the laundry room—way on the other side of the house—and start cleaning up the mess of opened boxes and shredded wrapping paper. When I got back to the living room and started cleaning up, my mom said, “Oh, honey, I think you missed a present.” I was sure she was mistaken; I was very thorough about such things. She pointed out a large, unopened box hiding under a bunch of wrapping paper.

My mom is a tricky one. She knew that I had seen the slot-car set on the bed, but she wanted it to be a surprise. So when I went to get a trash bag, she ran to her room, grabbed the toy, and brought it back to the living room undetected. Once she pointed out the box, I ran over, tore it open, and there is was—in all its glory—the best Christmas gift ever!

How do you think my mom would have felt if, after opening the slot-car set, I had said, “How many months of my allowance is this going to cost me?” Or what about, “You know, Mom, after thinking about it, I don’t deserve this gift. I acted like a spoiled little brat when I didn’t find it under the tree.” Neither of those remarks would have made her feel very good because the toy was a gift. Gifts are given out of love, not obligation.

In a similar way, our salvation is God’s gift of love to whomever will receive it, no strings attached. Salvation is not something you can earn or deserve; God is love, and he wants everyone to be saved (1 Timothy 2:4) and to live with him in heaven for all eternity (John 14:2-3). And yet, God’s grace is even more extravagant than going to heaven when you die.

The Unmerited Favor of God: The Gifts of Salvation

Grace is the gift that keeps on giving. Grace is the gift of eternal life: “The wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 6:23). Grace is the gift of hope: “Now may our Lord Jesus Christ himself, and God our Father, who loved us and gave us eternal comfort and good hope through grace, comfort your hearts and establish them in every good work and word” (2 Thessalonians 2:16-17). Grace is a gift God decided to give you before you were born: “He who had set me apart before I was born, and who called me by his grace, was pleased to reveal his Son to me” (Galatians 1:15-16).

Grace is the gift of justification—a legal declaration that you are righteous before God in Christ: “Out of sheer generosity he put us in right standing with himself. A pure gift. He got us out of the mess we’re in and restored us to where he always wanted us to be. And he did it by means of Jesus Christ” (Romans 3:24, MSG). The Holy Spirit is a gift of grace: “We know how dearly God loves us, because he has given us the Holy Spirit to fill our hearts with his love” (Romans 5:5, NLT). Grace is the gift of life and freedom: “Sin can’t tell you how to live. After all, you’re not living under that old tyranny any longer. You’re living in the freedom of God” (Romans 6:14, MSG). Grace is God’s gift of abundance: “Since he did not spare even his own Son but gave him up for us all, won’t he also give us everything else?” (Romans 8:32, NLT).

Spiritual gifts are a gift of grace from God; they are given generously to believers to serve others and build up the body of Christ: “God’s various gifts are handed out everywhere; but they all originate in God’s Spirit. God’s various ministries are carried out everywhere; but they all originate in God’s Spirit” (1 Corinthians 12:4-6, MSG). Our life and every breath are gifts of grace: “He himself gives everyone life and breath and everything else” (Acts 17:25, NIV). All these and more are God’s gifts of grace; they are given unconditionally and with love to every believer at the moment of salvation.

Philip Yancey recounts a story of when C. S. Lewis addressed a British conference on comparative religion. The participants were arguing about what made Christianity unique compared to all the other world religions. Lewis responded, “Oh, that’s easy. It’s grace.” Yancy continues, “Only Christianity dares to make God’s love unconditional.”[7] And yet God’s grace provides even more than these gifts of salvation.

The Unmerited Power of God: The Gifts of Christ-formation

Grace is the power of God that energizes our direct participation in Christ-formation. In other words, God’s grace provides the will and ability to exert the effort that facilitates growth and change: “God is working in you, giving you the desire and the power to do what pleases him” (Philippians 2:13, NLT, emphasis added). Don’t miss the fact that it is God who brings your will (the desire) and your ability to act (the power) into alignment with his good purpose. Peter makes a similar point: “By his divine power, God has given us everything we need for living a godly life” (2 Peter 1:3, NLT). There is no conflict between God’s grace and our direct participation in Christ-formation.

Therefore, God’s grace is more than the gift of eternal life; it is also the source of all desire and ability to participate in our own Christ-formation. Author and philosopher Dallas Willard rightly pointed out that “grace is opposed to earning, but not to effort.”[8] It is right to think about Christ-formation as an active—not passive—process energized by God’s grace.

Consider the following biblical examples. God’s grace provides the power of the Holy Spirit unto Christ-formation: “The Lord—who is the Spirit—makes us more and more like him as we are changed into his glorious image” (2 Corinthians 3:18, NLT). Grace provides the power to “do all things through him who strengthens [us]” (Philippians 4:13). Grace provides the power to control our thoughts:

We use our powerful God-tools for smashing warped philosophies, tearing down barriers erected against the truth of God, fitting every loose thought and emotion and impulse into the structure of life shaped by Christ. Our tools are ready at hand for clearing the ground of every obstruction and building lives of obedience into maturity.

2 CORINTHIANS 10:5-6, MSG

Grace provides the power to stand against Satan’s schemes: “Be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might” (Ephesians 6:10). Grace provides the power to endure hardships. God’s grace gave Paul the power to endure his thorn in the flesh: “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness” (2 Corinthians 12:9). Spiritual gifts are both given and energized by grace: “Grace was given to each one of us according to the measure of Christ’s gift” (Ephesians 4:7). God’s grace comes to every believer in a diverse set of gifts that could never be deserved. Grace is both the power of God unto salvation and Christ-formation.

In this chapter, we have looked at three ingredients for Christ-formation: information (God’s special and general revelation), relationships (with God and others), and direct participation energized by grace. The Holy Spirit energizes these ingredients with grace, and the result is a process for Christ-formation and a greater experience of the abundant life.

Restoring My Soul with God

  1. Read and reflect on how God reveals himself through creation.

    His invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made.

    ROMANS 1:20

    The heavens declare the glory of God,

    and the sky above proclaims his handiwork.

    Day to day pours out speech,

    and night to night reveals knowledge.

    PSALM 19:1-2

  2. Go for a walk in your neighborhood, at a park, at the beach, or in the mountains and make a list below of the things you see, hear, and smell that reveal aspects of God’s character and divine nature.

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    In his book on spiritual exercises, Journey with Jesus, Larry Warner asks, “How do these things you are seeing speak without words to you about God and God’s love and care”?[9] Apply Warner’s question to the list you compiled on the previous page.

Restoring My Soul with Others

  1. Of the three ingredients for Christ-formation (information, relationships, and direct participation), which one is easiest for you to engage with? Why do you think so?
  2. What do you learn about the Christ-formation process through special and general revelation?
  3. What do you learn about the Christ-formation process through relationships with God and others?
  4. What do you learn about the Christ-formation process through direct participation?
  5. How is God’s grace the source of Christ-formation?
  6. Has this chapter changed your understanding about God’s grace? How?