Transforming Into Christ: The Journey of Spiritual Formation

Here's the truth that we don't always say aloud in church: many people can attend worship week after week, serve in the church, lift their hands during praise, and still not be formed into the likeness of Christ. You and I can attend church every single week and still be formed into his image. The discipleship process is us being transformed and changed so that we are reflective of him, not just that we know about him. The real issue isn't if we're growing in church activity; it's whether we're growing in Christ-likeness. It's not enough to ask, "Do I believe in Jesus?" We need to ask, "Are we becoming like him?" [00:38:02]

Romans 8:29 tells us God's intention has always been formation. We can't stop with just simply saying, "I confess Jesus." There has to be a change. Amen. There has to be a change in us. It has always been his intention that we would be formed, not just to save us but to shape us. This is God's long-game strategy: to conform us into the image of his son. And the word "conform" is not passive, but it is something that continues. It implies pressure, molding, surrender, and yes, sometimes pain. Formation is not a painless process. [00:40:31]

Here's the problem, and I want you to hear this clear: in our Christian culture today, we have made formation optional. You can know Jesus, but becoming like him is optional. It has never been optional that we should be formed into his image. You and I need to examine our lives today. Are we looking and acting like Christ? We think we can believe without becoming, follow without changing, worship without surrendering. And what's resulted is a church filled with people who know the name of Jesus but who look more like the world than like him. [00:40:49]

The Greek word Paul uses for "conformed" here is "simorphus," and it isn't about external imitation; it's about internal transformation. Imagine metal being melted and poured into a mold or clay being pressed and reshaped by the potter's hand. This is what Paul is describing. So what does it really mean to be formed in his image? It means your reactions start to look like his responses. So if you reacted to something this week in a manner that which your conscience began to say, "I probably shouldn't have done that," that is the Holy Spirit speaking to you. [00:42:08]

Our thoughts start aligning with his truth. Hey, over the years, my thoughts have changed on a lot of things because I have learned the grace of God. I've learned his mercy. I've learned his love. I've learned to not just ignore some things but to understand. One of the greatest things I'd learned years ago was that hurting people hurt people. If you look at somebody who's recently hurt you, why don't you examine their life and just see what's hurting in their lives? It wasn't them that was trying to hurt you and destroy you; it was the pain that was coming through in their own lives. [00:44:38]

But let's be clear, this is not behavior modification. It's not you trying to act more holy. Are you hearing me? This is not behavior modification. It's not you trying to act more holy. You can put on a suit, you can fix your hair, you can give big offerings, you can do all the things that look like Christ, but if you haven't taken on his image, then all those things are meaningless and worthless. They are just an act that has no depth and no meaning. It's not behavior modification. It's not you trying to act more holy. This is the Holy Spirit working. [00:45:46]

God is not polishing your old self. God isn't looking at you and saying, "I'm going to clean him up." No, he's saying, "I need him to die so that I can create something new and something fresh." So everything you used to like, everything you used to say, the way in which you used to act, it doesn't exist anymore because that old man isn't being cleaned up to look better. He gave me a new man. I'm a new creation in Christ. God is not polishing your old self; he's crucifying it and raising something entirely new. [00:46:40]

Why are not many being formed if this is God's purpose? Why do so many believers plateau in their spiritual life? You see, what happens is we have these moments of crisis. So the crisis happens in our life, we give our heart to Jesus Christ, and then we feel good. We'll walk into church on one Sunday, and we'll get that conviction off of us so we don't have to come back for a while. Did I say that out loud? I think I did. I did my duty this morning. The conviction's gone, so I feel better about myself. [00:48:57]

The altar was created so that you could lay yourself on it and sacrifice yourself daily so that you could be more like him. This altar ain't just about salvation; this altar is about formation and a relationship with Jesus Christ. So if it's God's purpose, why do so many plateau in their spiritual life? Because we've settled for a faith that informs but doesn't transform. We've confused church attendance with discipleship and spiritual activity with spiritual maturity. [00:49:49]

In the world, we look to achieve greater success and climb the mountain so that we can lead and so that we can be great. But in the kingdom of God, the ladder goes the other way so that the greatest among us are those who serve among us. The greatest in this church should be the ones who are willing to give their time, give their service to his church and to his body so that we can serve one another. Those are the greatest in the church, not the guy standing back here. Whoever exalts himself shall be humbled, and whoever humbles himself shall be exalted. [00:54:22]

Formation often happens when no one's watching. It's what you do when you're not holding a mic and when there is no applause, when it's just you and God in the quiet. How many of you read your Bible in secret this week? How many of you spent time with the Lord in private this week that ain't nobody knows anything about? How many of you made that time to do those things? We'll pick up the phone, we'll call friends, we'll call family, we'll call anybody, we'll talk, we'll do, we'll text, we'll get on Facebook and all those things to be relational in people's lives. [00:58:32]

It happens in testing. Deuteronomy 8:2 tells us that God led Israel into the wilderness to humble you, to test you, and to know what was in your heart. Hey, sometimes God leads you into a wilderness so that he can test you, so that he can humble you, and so that he can know your heart. Are you really in love with the Lord? Because when the hard times come, our humanistic side of ourselves says, "Well, he didn't do nothing for me, so I'm just gonna stay home. It's pointless to go to church, it's pointless to worship, it's pointless to pray." [01:00:56]