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GROWING
EDGES
 Let
us consider together how Christians are
transformed into the image of Christ. That’s
our destiny as believers according to Romans
8:29. How does this happen in our life?
What role does the local church have?
The
Process
I see the process of being conformed to
the image of Christ as an invitation to
participate with the Triune God in making
us like Jesus.
2
Peter 1:3 says that his divine power “has
given everything needed for life and godliness.”
But even though everything is available
for our transformation, we must cooperate
with God in that process. Let me suggest
that there are four dimensions to this transforming
process—intentionality, the spiritual
disciplines, a plan or structure,
and follow-through.
Revelation
3:20 tell us Jesus wants to come into our
lives, but he waits for us to invite him
in. That invitation is intentionality.
There
are the spiritual disciplines, tools
to help us cooperate with God in our spiritual
formation—prayer, fasting, worship, and
so on. These tools have been passed down
to us through Scripture, the Church’s ancient
traditions, and the saints, who exemplified
their use and value.
Then,
just as we need routines to help us accomplish
our daily duties, so we need a structure
to help us implement the disciplines.
Finally,
once the structure is in place we need follow-through.
This is the hard part. Asking God into our
lives is not so hard. Even setting up a
plan to implement the disciplines can be
fun. But carrying out a long-term plan by
ourselves is something else.
Becoming
Like Christ
The good news is that Jesus did not call
us to a do-it-yourself Christianity. He
gave us each other. Enter the local church
parish. Ideally every Christian is involved
in a local church where worship, the sacraments,
and godly relationships help them “keep
the faith.” However, in a large church people
can get lost in the shuffle. Meetings and
responsibilities can divert attention from
the real work of the church—making us like
Christ.
I
have discovered that being part of a small
group deepens the effects of corporate worship,
helps establish me in Christ, and holds
me to my commitments. A recent book published
by Upper Room Books, Companions in Christ:
A Small-Group Experience in Spiritual Formation,
provides an excellent structure for small
groups which any parish could implement.
In
his new book, Renovation of the Heart
(to be published by NavPress this month),
Dallas Willard outlines three basic goals
of the local parish and its small groups:
- Making
disciples that are apprentices of Jesus
Christ.
- Immersing
apprentices at all levels of growth in
God’s presence.
- Transforming
disciples inwardly in such a way that
doing the words and deeds of Christ are
not the focus, but the natural outcome
or side effects.
By
this definition, becoming like Christ is
the number one priority of Christians and
their local church. Everything else is a
result. And we are in it together, praise
God.
In
Christ,
Glandion Carney, RENOVARÉ Team Member
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