The 4th item on my list of Spiritual Formation ingredients that truly lead to transformation is Experience/competence. I believe putting our ideas to practice is essential in becoming like Christ. Just as the act of the Resurrection proved that Christ was who He claimed to be, the acts of obedience prove that our faith is more than fantasies. This is what James communicates with his teaching about faith and works.
One of the earliest heresies that was denounced by the early church was Gnosticism. The Hellenistic culture contributed to a worldview that attempted to separate belief from body or spiritual from physical. The gnostics found it preferable to cultivate ideas and concepts that were totally void of real world experiences. This was exactly opposite to the purpose of the incarnation. Christ pre-existed as spirit, but in order to be a manifestation of God among men He took on flesh. Even after the resurrection Jesus continued to demonstrate the visible expressions of what is real (Luke 24:39).
In Luke 10:27 Jesus is setting up the parable of the Good Samaritan. The expert in the law knew that it could be summarized with loving God completely and loving others. Notice that the love of God included the use of one's body and the love of neighbors was more than a theoretical concept.
In the physical we come to terms with and grasp spiritual realities. Jesus sent the 70 out to do ministry (Luke 10:1-12); Jesus sent the disciples to the other side of the lake in a boat because a real storm would prove their faith (Mt 14:22); Jesus told the disciples to feed the 5000 because their realization that they didn't have enough food would impress upon them His ability to meet their needs (MT 14:16); Lazarus was really dead (Jn 10:38); and Jesus cast the demons into a herd of pigs to show that they were real and not just the figment of somebody's imagination (Mark 5:1-20). These incidents plus all the miracles involving the physical world show that the spiritual is not opposed to the physical.
(Yes, our earthly tent is temporary and fading now (2 Cor 5:1), but it will be transformed and made eternal in the last resurrection (2 Cor 5:2-3).)
With Joseph and Daniel, when dreams were lived out in real life people's faith increased. When the children of Israel acted in obedience they possessed the Promised Land. When the disciples acted upon the teaching of Jesus their faith increased. On the Day of Pentecost the arrival of the Holy Spirit was accompanied by physical manifestations. The Hall of Faith in Hebrews 11 list many whose experiences testified of their faith.
One author whom I met recently promotes that the church where he pastors is build upon a lecture/lab structure. Through preaching and teaching the concepts are delivered in a "lecture" and through the week they are put into practice in the "laboratory" of life. His premise is that that true learning doesn't happen if either the lecture or the lab is ignored. I think he may be on to something.
What about your small group or class? Do you only do lecture within community and expect the lab to be done by individuals or do you intentionally do the labs as a community also?
This July our small group is taking part in the walking event to raise money for the American Cancer soctiety relay for life. Doing this event was not my suggestion, rather it came as the suggestion of someone in our small group. As small group leader - I am extremely excited that we are doing this together!
ReplyDeleteSkills and talents that others have in our small group are coming to the surface as we get together to plan what we are going to sell at the table we will have at the event and how it will be decorated.
Participating in this event will not only serve to help raise funds for a very worthy cause - but it will also be a healthy team building event for our small group.
God has already pricked our hearts to consider how we can be a witness for Christ to others we will come in contact with while we participate.
As James exhorts us.....we need to put FEET to our FAITH. What better way to do it than - together. :0)