Formational Theology
Due to the influence of Western culture and various controversies since the Reformation, our practical Christian theology has been impacted in some very significant ways. At first glance, some of the nuances may seem like mere differences in emphasis. But when we take a close look at the impact of these differences on individual lives, it becomes very clear that we have minimized some very important elements of the Way that Jesus taught. My hope is that this collection of articles will shed some light on the foundations we need for authentic Christian growth, recovery, and development.
Introduction to Christian Formation
Here we provide a basic definition of Christian Formation and how God actually changes lives. This page also describes some of the changes needed in our basic theology in order to learn how to engage with God for what we need.
Christian Formation as God intended, is as different from traditional discipleship models as rowing is different from sailing. This article makes great use of this metaphor to shed some light on these differences.
Vision, Intention, and Means (VIM)
VIM is an excellent model of Christian Formation developed by Dallas Willard. This article provides a brief overview of the VIM model and how it helps to encapsulate what we need in order to grow spiritually.
Nearly every important aspect of Christian growth and development gets impacted by how we understand and present the gospel. So it is important that Christians stop and take a look at what we mean by “the good news” and how it is that we present this gospel to the world around us.
Seeing the Cross from God’s Perspective
What God had in mind when He planned our redemption is far more grand than most of us realize. Rediscovering the wonder and radical nature of the cross is as heartwarming as it is a glimpse into the heart of God.
The Truth About Paul’s “Wretched Man”
Much of the Christian world is still confused about the identity of Paul’s wretched man in Romans 7. By identifying with the wretched man, many have assumed that Paul was describing his own spiritual bondage, and thus conclude that spiritual bondage in normal for Christians. The truth is that this confusion is comes from our performance-oriented approach to the Christian life and the way it distorts how we read the Bible. Romans 7 actually teaches the exact opposite! In Christ, we can become free!
Many Christians are convinced that the solution to the Christian life is to just be obedient. Unfortunately, such an understanding does not hold up under careful examination. This article explains why.
Christians who are unfamiliar with spiritual formation sometimes wonder why we do not say more about sin and repentance. The reason is that formation takes the sin problem far more seriously and has a far broader understanding of repentance than has been traditionally taught.
This issue has caused a lot of confusion for centuries. The New Testament speaks to both freedom from sin and the reality of needing sanctification. How these two aspects are related is very important.