Discipleship is life long

The formation of Christ in a follower is a lifelong process. Life contin- ues to amaze, challenge, and mostly surprise every person. One of the great surprises is how thin the veil between good and evil and that it remains thin all of our lives. The crux of spiritual formation is that it is not primarily about becoming a better person but actually a different person. The process of spiritual formation is how the Holy Spirit acts on our inner person and changes us. This is made possible not from moral advancement based on science, reason, behaviorally based religion, or any other self- achievement narrative but by choosing to submit to Christ’s leadership. This is commonly called discipleship. But even when we undergo spiritual formation, the “flesh,” that destructive part of the fallen nature, never improves. It continues to lurk just beneath the surface of even the most spiritually formed person. That is why our battle is not against “flesh and blood,” as the apostle Paul so aptly put it (see 1 Corinthians 15:50, niv). Moreover, ease alone can cause us to lose ground that already had been gained through disciplined living. Medical professionals point out that hospital patients lose 50 percent of body strength in the first forty-eight hours of admittance due to inactivity. The point is, we never lose our need for spiritual growth, attention, intention, discipline, and being accountable in community. We don’t reach a point where we can stop learning, trusting, and practicing the things that cause us to grow and develop into the image of Christ.