Engaging with the Spirit
Putting on Jesus (or spiritual transformation) begins with faithful acceptance of everyday problems followed by interacting with the Holy Spirit. This includes being aware of and expecting him to be active and working in our lives. These two aspects might be easy to agree with and even fairly easy to do. But the third side of the golden triangle could prove to be more difficult because it involves work and discipline – spiritual disciplines that is. We don’t seem to have a problem expecting professionals in other fields to be experts in their “disciplines” but when it comes to discipleship to Jesus, we shy away from it. Either it seems like too much work or we’re afraid it is or could become legalism.
Practicing the spiritual disciplines – solitude, silence, prayer, fasting, worship, service, fellowship for example – are activities “in our power, which we pursue in order to become able to do what we cannot do by direct effort” (Dallas Willard, The Great Omission). If these activities are practiced simply to change behavior or actions, they will lead to legalism, failure and even death (Matthew 5:20). As Willard says, grace is opposed to earning, but it is not opposed to effort. It’s not passive, rather grace inspires and enhances effort and in fact supports it, otherwise becoming like Christ would be impossible. “Becoming Christ-like never occurs without intense and well-informed action on our part.”
We won’t become like Jesus or even be disciples if we sit back and expect him to do it all for us. Grace doesn’t automatically make us more patient, kind and loving but it will, through our times of immersing ourselves in the Bible, spending time alone with God and getting into a rhythm of intimacy with the Holy Spirit, give us what we can’t have on our own – a changed heart.
It takes all three sides of this precious triangle to make us all we can be in Christ. It’s incumbent on us as Christians, we who profess to follow Christ, to give deep thought to growing in grace and knowledge of him, to delve deeper into what it means to be his apprentices and to ask God that his grace may inspire and enhance our efforts to be imitators of Christ.
Study by Tammy Tkach
First published on 13 June 2023, at www.gemsofgodsgrace.wordpress.com
Tammy Tkach is the Assistant Pastor of the Eugene, Oregon, USA congregation. She is a speaker and writer, and publishes a blog at www.gemsofgodsgrace.wordpress.com
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