As Christ Would Have it Done

Galatians 4:19b “until Christ is formed in you.”

Discipleship is a planned process and action towards our spiritual formation into the likeness of Jesus Christ in our innermost being of the heart, mind and soul of His student and follower, powered by the regenerated spirit to drive our life and living in the here and now as Christ would have it done. We must be transformed people living out a life reflective of Jesus himself. This is achieved by the supernatural guidance and omnipotent hand of the Holy Spirit in the active and progressive process of sanctification in the life of born again Christian Believers. Sanctification is defined as: The act of making holy. The act of consecrating or of setting apart for a sacred purpose – the work of redemption and the advancement of the kingdom of Jesus Christ. In an evangelical sense, the act of God's grace by which the affections of men are purified or alienated from sin and the world, and exalted to a supreme love to God. The word “saint” comes from the same root word, so a saint is converted and transformed, who has been consecrated and sanctified, holy and living for Christ in total dedication, devotion and desire to do what is right in the eyes of the Lord and to use our own lives to demonstrate Jesus’ message. But this side of eternity, in a fallen sinful world, in our fallen God-rejecting culture, and in our fallen self-centered flesh, it takes a godly plan, a Spirit-driven process and whole-hearted effort and undivided attention.

 Colossians 3:16-17 “Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom, teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord. And whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him.”

Dallas Willard writes that the spiritual side of the human being, Christian or non-Christian alike, develops into the reality that it becomes, for good or ill. You may have heard that we are a product of our environment. Everyone receives spiritual formation, just as everyone gets an education from the school of life experiences and hard knocks. The only question is whether it is a good one or a bad one. We must a conscious, intentional hand in the development process. We need to understand what the formation of the human spirit is, and how it can best be done as Christ would have it done.

In Christ, Brian