“[God] does not send the Spirit to empower a self-formed life. He sends his Spirit to unite us to himself so we can grow with a growth from God. He calls us to himself in the truth of our neediness so that we can be filled by his love.”- Kyle Strobel and John Coe
Kyle Strobel and John Coe conclude Chapter 9 of When God Seems Distant as they stress that spiritual formation stand on justification by grace through faith. In addition, the authors note, patience, peace, joy, kindness, and all other virtues take shape in us only as we make Christ our rest, peace, and refuge. Union with God spiritually forms us.
Yet, Kyle and John underscore, we find the path of love a hard one to navigate. Because maturation in love invites us into places in our hearts and lives that we’d rather ignore. However, the Lord calls us to His love as He leads us through places of our sin, shame, and brokenness. As a result, the Lord guides us into vistas of healing. The places where we truly need it.
Hence, to walk by the Spirit requires us to grapple with our:
- sinful deception.
- worldly desires.
- the ways our flesh longs to assert itself.
Certainly, the path of love humbles us. But we only find true life on that path. Therefore, the authors counsel:
“The only way to mature in love is through abiding honestly with him because the way of love calls us into the truth. This is obvious on paper, but it is entirely counterintuitive to our experiences and assumptions. Freedom in Christ is not often what we think until we discover it is deeper than we dared imagine.”
Today’s question: What Bible verses help you avoid an attempt ot empower a self-focused life? Please share.
Tomorrow’s blog: “Our intentions often blind us”
Proverbs 3:5-6