Read Romans 6:1-14; 12:1-2; 1 Corinthians 10:16-17
When people see a Christian, they should see someone who has been formed to be like Jesus. Of course, that has to do with our hearts and souls, but we can’t forget our bodies. Paul exhorts us that to believe in Jesus is to be united to Him, and to be united to Him is to be shaped, molded, and changed into His likeness. This call to formation is for everyone, whether it is our young people who have just been confirmed (praise be to God!), those who have been walking with Jesus for a while, or even those who don’t know Jesus but desire to know something of His likeness. Wherever you are, what might it look like to offer your life to be formed and shaped by Jesus?
1. Formation Isn’t Optional
The apostle Paul never intends to describe formation in Christ without an essential contextual point echoed in other biblical authors. We are all already being formed in some way or another. As we see in Romans 12:2, we are either being conformed or transformed. The question we are faced with is not, am I being formed, but who or what am I being formed into? We like to think of ourselves as making our own choices or becoming our own people. But way more than we might like to admit, for us and our families, we are formed by things other than us. We are constantly being shaped, molded, and changed by things other than us and things outside of us. Stories and narratives, rhythms and patterns of our communities, technology use, and even the people we spend time with regularly are all examples of these external influences that guide our formation and the formation of our kids.
2. Formation Isn’t (just) Invisible
We often think of our spiritual formation (forming of the whole person in Christ) as an invisible thing. It’s what we think about, desire, or feel inside. It’s our invisible prayer life with God or how our theology is changing over time. Certainly, these are valuable, but is that it? When Paul describes formation in Romans 6 and 12, he does not say to guard only the inner parts of ourselves, as if it can be detached from our whole body. What he says is not to offer any part of your body to sin (Rom 6:13), and also to offer your whole body as a living sacrifice (Rom 12:1). Both are visible because we are embodied. We see this also when Paul describes sin by using terms like “lips”, “mouth”, “feet”, and “eyes” (Rom 3). If you have become a Christian, the very parts of your body are powerful “instruments” (also trans. “weapons”) used either to harm that which is good or to attack that which is evil. Being formed as a Christian means offering yourself to God and all the parts of yourself to God as “weapons” for righteousness.
Such an embodied significance to formation is evident in the sacraments. Baptism is a physical sign for us to look back on when we feel lost or weary along the way. Even more real than the water is our forgiveness, the power of the Holy Spirit within us, and the end of the reign of sin over us. The Lord’s Supper also invites us into the very special and spiritual presence of Christ through the physical ingestion of bread and wine. Our life in the body is our whole offering to God (visible and invisible) for everything he has done for us in Jesus.
3. Formation Isn’t Accidental
No one accidentally becomes a doctor, runs a 5-minute mile, or plays a musical instrument like an expert. These take years of bodily formation: learning, watching, practicing, and struggling. In the same way, no one accidentally becomes like Jesus. We intentionally present and offer our whole selves to Him to be transformed more like Him. How is that possible? Paul “urges” us, not by our strength, or God’s judgment, but by the “mercies of God” (12:1). Our God delights in giving love, grace, and power to those who don’t deserve it. The gospel is not just good news about the beginning of our formation but the whole process of formation. It is mercy that propels us forward, from beginning to end.
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
What about the sermon most impacted you or left you with questions?
What are some examples you have seen or experienced that reveal formation isn’t optional? Which are the most powerful? What examples of this can you identify in yourself?
How would you define “spiritual formation,” and what is its relation to the whole body? Do you tend to think about it as something more inward or outward? Why or Why not?
Read Romans 6:12-13. What does it mean to present the members of our bodies as “instruments” or “weapons” for righteousness rather than unrighteousness? How does your choice in this matter impact the world beyond your own spiritual life?
What connection do you see between the visible and the invisible in the sacraments? How does this reality shape and mold our formation in Christ from day to day, week to week, and year to year?
What is a skill or ability in your life that could not possibly be attained by accident? How long did it take for you to develop this ability or skill, and what did you have to change to make this possible? What are some analogies that emerge that relate to your formation in Christ?
How do we keep the “mercies of God” in view in our formation so that we don’t gravitate toward something fear-based or works-based? Do you need to confess or share your struggle in this with another?