As one caught up in the Spiritual Formation Movement for almost twenty years from the 1980’s it makes me sad how widespread this has grown. For me I was attracted to newness of the “old” being discovered. The desire was always to go deeper. To be closer to God. I bought books, I taught classes. But it wasn’t until I was drawn to really read the Bible diligently and as I began to Study the Old Protestant Reformed Confessions and Catechisms that laid out the Doctrines in the Bible, that I found I was really on the right path.
Matthew 7:13-14
13 Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat: 14 Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it.
Jeremiah 6:16-17
16 Thus saith the LORD, Stand ye in the ways, and see, and ask for the old paths, where is the good way, and walk therein, and ye shall find rest for your souls. But they said, We will not walk therein. 17 Also I set watchmen over you, saying, Hearken to the sound of the trumpet. But they said, We will not hearken.
Mike wrote about those who lead the church today..”Instead, they are actually doing the very things to bring about the famine of hearing the Word of God and, hence, spiritual darkness seems to be all around us right in the midst of the “Church.” Mysticism in the guise of Spiritual Formation is being flim-flamed off on the unsuspecting as if it is another form of Christian prayer.”
”Now do you see why it is so vital that we understand God’s good doctrines? Now do you see why we must stand up to these false teachers who are teaching heresy right from the pulpit, even leading their people into mysticism and calling it prayer?”
if we have time the next few weeks I will try to highlight any good analysis 🧐 and articles or talks that can explain what is wrong with the Spiritual Formation Movement.
One of the first areas I noticed was that it appealed to emotions, feelings and the heart.
Heart is one of the aspects of loving God. When I learned Spiritual Formation it petty much focused on just the heart, neglecting the other components. In truth it depends on God completely giving us a new heart. In our sinful nature we can not nor will not come to God. And if we rely on our own heart we will be decieved.
Jeremiah 17:9 The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?
My Westminster Larger Catechism study is just getting into the first table of the 10 Commandments
Deuteronomy 6:4-6
4 Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God is one LORD: 5 And thou shalt love the LORD thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might. 6 And these words, which I command thee this day, shall be in thine heart:
Mark 12:29-30
29 And Jesus answered him, The first of all the commandments is, Hear, O Israel; The Lord our God is one Lord: 30 And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength: this is the first commandment.
Old John Gill commented.
Mark 12:30
And thou shalt love the Lord thy God,…. Which is to be understood of the one God, Father, Son, and Spirit; for all the three divine persons are to be equally loved, being possessed of the same perfections and excellencies, and having done the same works, and having bestowed like benefits and favours upon men: and though there is now no principle of love to God in men; but, on the contrary, men are enemies to God in their minds, which appears by their wicked works; yet this commandment is still in force, and the obligation to it is the same; the fall of man, the corruption of nature, and the impotency, and even aversion in man to observe this command, do not make it null and void: and in regeneration, when God puts his laws into the heart, and writes them in the mind; love is produced in such persons, to God the Father, who has begotten them again, according to his abundant mercy; and to Christ, who has saved them from their sins; and to the blessed Spirit, who has quickened and comforted them: and this love is in some measure exercised as it should be, and as here directed to,
with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind; that is, with all the powers and faculties of the soul; or with the affections, as under the influence and guidance of the more noble faculties of the soul, the mind, the understanding, judgment, and will: it is added here, which is not in Matthew,
and with all thy strength; which answers to the phrase in Deu 6:5, “with all thy might”; that is, with the greatest vehemency of affection, in the strongest expressions of it, and with all the strength of grace a man has. This passage follows the former in Deu 6:5 and is what is only cited in Mat 22:37; see Gill on Mat 22:37.
Rainbow Trout 