Sanctification Formation
Analyze the biblical and theological bases for spiritual formation
Spiritual formation refers to the method grounded on theological and biblical concepts of relationship, restoration, and shalom. Spiritual formation might refer to either the practices or process by which a person may progress in one’s religious or spiritual life to a movement in Protestant Christianity that emphasize these process and practices. The process might include but not limited to particular techniques of mediation and prayer[1]. The vital foundational concepts include the association with triune God, restoring the imago Dei and Shalom, and God’s Kingdom. The thought of Perichoresis and imago Dei are the epistemological dimensions of spiritual formation. These ideas critically expand the spiritual formation understanding and include its means and process.
During creation, God created a perfect world that he declared as a good world in Genesis 1:1-2:1. In creating human beings, God created man and woman like him and with his image or the imago Dei. Currently, theologians have understood imago Dei in diverse ways. Some have interpreted imago Dei from an anthropological angle. However, some have interpreted imago Dei from an epistemological perspective from where he postulates that people receive a vast knowledge of God by restoring the divine image. From a functional point of view, both men and women were created from their relationship with God[2]. However, after some time of creation, they disobeyed God and fell out, disporting his perfect creation plan getting to what came to be known as Original Sin. Concurrently, rapture happened within the threefold association with God, nature, and others. This concept was presented by a scholar Bruce as a historical fact, but others argue that the FallFall of man from God was not historical but was a “saga.”
From a spiritual perspective, after the FallFall of man, God sent his son to redeem the following fallen man from sin. This objective was attained through the death of Jesus Christ on the cross. Those who receive his call are restored to the old union, restored and justified[3]. Additionally, God sends the Holy Spirit to empower them and act as a guide towards restoration to God’s image. After a restoration, human beings can be who God needed to be when he created him or her[4]. It means that the nature of Christian spiritual formation is the restoration of God’s image. Such restoration is not limited to one person but is open to almost everyone because all people believe that they were a part of the body of Christ or the Church. The imago Dei restoration has a corporate dimension also referred to as the religious aspect. Every person has an individual responsibility of restoring himself back to the old union.
The Relationship between Justification, Sanctification, and Grace
Each Christian is sanctified through grace from the moment of justification, through current sanctification towards the final form of glorification. However, Christian sanctification’s progress varies depending upon our faith, which accesses God’s grace and has made it available through Christ. Human being’s sanctification is God’s desires (Heb. 12:14; 1 Thes. 4:3; 1 Peter 1:14-15). However, it is not automatic, nor is it merely from Christ’s efforts. Justification refers to God’s declaration that the sinner is righteous through Jesus Christ’s work.
On the other hand, sanctification refers to God’s transformation of believer whole being that his will, mind, affections and will through the work of Holy Spirit. Sanctifying grace refers to the constant gift, a supernatural, and stable deposition that perfects the human soul itself to enable human beings to live with God, our creator, and act towards his love. The three terms have a healthy relationship within the biblical context[5]. Firstly, the Bible uses the term to sanctify (from sanctification) to imply set apart from sin to God and to remain holy. For Christians, sanctification has three meanings, the past, the present, and the future. The present means positional justification; the present is referred to as the progressive sanctification while the future is referred to as the perfect glorification. As Christians, when we have spiritual knowledge, sanctification and justification are through God’s grace and are attained by human beings through faith and not through their works.
For Christians, sanctification is through God’s grace because the Lord, who justified also provides everything which human need daily up to our final glorification (Rom 8:29-32). All the threefold of Godhead play the same active role for Christians sanctifications. The three Godheads include God the Father (John 17:17; 1 and 1 Thes. 5:23), God the Son (Eph. 5:26), and God the Spirit (Cor. 3:18). Additionally, God uses different means for Christian sanctification like His Spirit, His World, trails, the church, and other different human experiences. God’s power or the Holy Spirit, which he gives to human beings after birth at justification, is the same power he uses to sanctify us through life that Christ has risen. As earlier stated, human beings are sanctified through grace, justifying the relationship between the three terms since God supplies his sanctification by grace though not automatic.
Discuss the application of justification and sanctification to issues of character formation in your own life and ministry leadership.
Genuine transformation of a whole person to power and goodness remains a goal for every human being. Character and proper life formation can only be achieved through only God’s grace and the Holy Spirit. Character and life formation go hand in hand with sanctification, and through that, God gives people the meaning of grace[6]. Because of the significance that Biermann places on the integration of theology and ethics, it is interesting to note Christian character formation largely depends on justification and sanctification. Earlier, people thought that the discussion on sanctification and justification was wrong. However, the discussion was subjective and systematic and well oriented around the relational character of self rather than the concrete and robust character of the Christian life as developed within the Church community. The discussion of justification and sanctification must take the back seat towards Christian life development. Christians should effectively reference the concept of constancy and singleness in the dedication of Christian life[7]. The application of justification and sanctification results in the persistent maturing of a Christian towards life development in the Holy Spirit fellowship with God. Such a journey can only be understood and learned through an example of other Christian lives[8]. It is a fact that the analysis of sanctification and justification association might be detrimental for they effectively rely on language stages.
They are stages of the misleading paradigm of the Christian life for the Christian life journey has many setbacks, and the rate of progression differs between individuals. The justification and sanctification application accomplish what many have termed as the demonstration of character ethics towards working righteous. All these events happen through God’s grace. Human character is shaped by life practices and narrative[9]. If a moral life is based on existential or law, freedom is an inadequate account of moral life, then to moral norms and principles, which are also inadequate for guiding it. The norms and principles do not fully get the single-mindedness and depth of virtuous character. Still, it is merely shorthand and reminders people of the necessity for good explanation and education.
Bibliography
Baker, Bruce D., and Donghun Don Lee. “Spiritual formation and workplace engagement: prosocial workplace behaviors.” Journal of Management, Spirituality & Religion 17, no. 2 (2020): 107-138.
Cooper, Aimee Stone. “Means of Grace as Formative Holiness: The Role and Significance of John Wesley’s Spiritual Formation Practices in The Pursuit of Christian Holiness for The Church of The Nazarene.” (2016).
Mulholland Jr, M. Robert. Invitation to a journey: A road map for spiritual formation. InterVarsity Press, 2016.
Toon, Peter. Justification and sanctification. Wipf and Stock Publishers, 2018.
[1] Mulholland Jr, M. Robert. Invitation to a journey: A road map for spiritual formation. InterVarsity Press, 2016.
[2] Toon, Peter. Justification and sanctification. Wipf and Stock Publishers, 2018.
[3] Mulholland Jr, M. Robert. Invitation to a journey: A road map for spiritual formation. InterVarsity Press, 2016.
[4], Baker, Bruce D., and Donghun Don Lee. “Spiritual formation and workplace engagement: prosocial workplace behaviors.” Journal of Management, Spirituality & Religion 17, no. 2 (2020): 107-138.
[5] Mulholland Jr, M. Robert. Invitation to a journey: A road map for spiritual formation. InterVarsity Press, 2016.
[6] Cooper, Aimee Stone. “Means of Grace as Formative Holiness: The Role and Significance of John Wesley’s Spiritual Formation Practices in The Pursuit of Christian Holiness for The Church of The Nazarene.” (2016).
[7] Cooper, Aimee Stone. “Means of Grace as Formative Holiness: The Role and Significance of John Wesley’s Spiritual Formation Practices in The Pursuit of Christian Holiness for The Church of The Nazarene.” (2016).
[8] Cooper, Aimee Stone. “Means of Grace as Formative Holiness: The Role and Significance of John Wesley’s Spiritual Formation Practices in The Pursuit of Christian Holiness for The Church of The Nazarene.” (2016).
[9] Cooper, Aimee Stone. “Means of Grace as Formative Holiness: The Role and Significance of John Wesley’s Spiritual Formation Practices in The Pursuit of Christian Holiness for The Church of The Nazarene.” (2016).