christian counseling today
Vol. 20 no. 4
63
matter of our hearing what Christ said
long ago and ‘trying to carry it out.’
Rather, ‘the real Son of God is at your
side. He is beginning to turn you into
the same kind of thing as Himself. He
is beginning, so to speak, to ‘inject’ His
kind of life and thought, His
Zoe
[life],
into you; beginning to turn the tin
soldier into a live man. The part of you
that does not like it is the part that is
still tin.’”
3
So, instead of a confession, mak-
ing a mess of one’s life and the plea for
a transfusion of Zoe life and char-
acter, it is often more typical to find
one of three false approaches to real
change: 1) Attempting to change one’s
outer behavior without attention to
the process of inner transformation; 2)
Regarding the low level of spiritual liv-
ing among professing Christians as only
natural—“miserable sinner” Christian-
ity—and then putting minimal effort
into the process of transformation; or
3) Believing that one is somehow good
apart from God and therefore capable of
being saved by effort and merit.
4
According to Willard, Christian
spiritual formation will avoid each of
these three false paths and, like AA,
start with radical surrender and the
application of VIM. There will be a
vision
for life in God’s kingdom—the
realm where His will and the will of
His subjects are becoming one. The
vision must be followed by an
intention
to do whatever it takes to live in the
kingdom as Jesus did and, finally, the
application of
means
for spiritual forma-
tion. Among many things, means may
include: resources found in Scripture;
specific teaching and examples from the
life of Jesus; life stories from those who
have experienced authentic transforma-
tion; the practice of spiritual disciplines;
and other resources or activities that
help us to either identify the thoughts,
feelings, habits of will, bodily inclina-
tion, and social relations that prevent
us from being like Jesus or develop new
responses that are like those of Jesus.
Yet, where is the grace? Everywhere.
Grace is unmerited favor, yes, but
that is not a definition that tells you
specifically what grace is. Grace is
God acting in a life to enable a person
to accomplish what could never be
accomplished by one’s own strength.
The entire life of a Christian is upheld
by grace. Grace is the availability
for participation in an ongoing and
transforming friendship with the Trinity,
knowing
the Trinity (see John 17:3, the
only place Jesus defines eternal living).
There is much to learn from those
on the road of recovery about how to
live right. Participation in the eternal
living of John 17:3 will require, at
minimum, the first two steps of AA—
confession of brokenness and radical
submission—and avoiding common
paths to nowhere.
✠
Gary W. Moon,
M.Div., Ph.D.,
is the
Executive Director of the
Martin Family Institute for
Christianity and Culture and
the Dallas Willard Center
for Christian Spiritual Formation at Westmont
College. He founded, with David G. Benner
and Larry Crabb,
Conversations Journal
;
directs the Renovaré Institute for Christian
Spiritual Formation; and has authored several
books. Gary still teaches at Richmont Graduate
University when they let him.
Endnotes
1
Renovation of the Heart
, (p. 85).
2
Ibid. (p. 91).
3
Lewis, C.S. (1952; Harper Collins: 2001).
Mere Christianity
. 189.
4
Renovation of the Heart
, (p. 77-82).
EXERCISE: “12 Steps to Christian Formation”
Please take a few moments to consider the following “steps.” They closely resemble
the 12 steps of AA, but have been modified slightly to become even more appropriate
to the journey of becoming more like Jesus. Make each a confession to Christ. Pause
after saying each. Be honest with yourself about whether or not you have actually
made this step.
1. I admit that I am powerless over sin and that my life has become unmanageable.
2. I believe that God—through His actions and those of His son, Jesus, and the
Holy Spirit—can restore me to sanity.
3. I will turn my will and my entire life over to the care of God.
4. I will make a searching and fearless inventory of my life to discover all the ways I
have engaged in self-worship (by being in control instead of living surrendered to
the will of God).
5. I will admit to God, to myself, and to another human being the exact nature of my
wrongs.
6. I am entirely ready to have God remove all the defects in my character and
replace them—through His presence—with the thoughts, emotions, will, behavior
and relationship patterns of Christ.
7. I humbly ask God to help me become willing to deny myself—and the desire to
live life on my terms—and to remove my shortcomings.
8. I will make a list of all the people I have harmed and become willing to make amends.
9. I will make direct amends to all I have injured.
10. I will continue to take personal inventory, and when I wrong someone, I will
promptly admit it.
11. I will, through prayer, meditation, and the practice of other Christian disciplines,
attempt to improve my conscious contact with God.
12. Having experienced some measure of authentic transformation as a result of
surrendering all aspects of myself to the power and presence of Christ, I will
carry this message to others and continue to practice these principles in all my
affairs.
