I have been reading the book "Invitation to a Journey" by the late M. Robert Mulholland Jr. I found out about Dr. Mulholland through a training site called biblicaltraining.com. He teaches a class on Revelations there that was taped before his death in 2015. I was so impressed by this man's knowledge that I looked him up and found out he was the author of several books. A few days late, I happen to find one of those books on sale at the library for 10 cents.
There are a lot of good points in this book about spiritual formation. I think those of us who are Baptist and many others in the church should consider spiritual formation and where we are in our walk with Christ. So many people say that they are saved, but have little evidence of that in their lifestyle. Dr. Mulholland talks about the stages of the classical christian pilgrimage as being first awakening, then purgation, illumination and then union which includes an abandonment to grace. I noticed that while this last stage is the goal "union" also includes the dark night of the senses and the dark night of the spirit.
One of the things that the book also emphasizes is that the christian life is not something you do, but something that you are. You are incapable in fact of doing enough good works to please God even for a moment. Our role as it says in John 15:1-5 is to abide in Christ and allow God to do his work in us. The fruit of the Spirit is mentioned in Galatians 5:22-23 which the Spirit grows within us. We don't do this by our own efforts. Dr. Mulholland says about this "These come not by our effort or attempts to inculcate them in our actions, but are gifts that emerge as we release control of our lives and come to entrust ourselves to God." (Mulholland, page 111).
We get into trouble when we act as though we are doing something for God and not with God. Like children learning to walk we want to show off what we can do while it is God's hands that are holding us up the whole way. The apple tree doesn't brag about bearing apples. It is just something the tree does as a result of what it is. If we are "in Christ" as Paul described in detail in places like the letter to Ephesus then we will bear fruit based on whose we are. It isn't though that there is no will or work on our part however because we have to do the tough thing of surrender control over to Him.
This may be the real area where the battle in the christian life occurs. Because our sinful nature always wants to be in control. Our flesh wants self reliance and independence and it hurts our pride to think we actually must be dependent and humble and trusting in another. But, true victory comes not in self reliance, but complete and utter surrender understanding that I am helpless to save myself.
One of the other good points that Dr. Mulholland makes in this book is on page 50 when he says, "If you want a good litmus test of your spiritual growth, simply examine the nature and quality of your relationships with others. Are you more loving, more compassionate, more patient, more understanding, more caring, more giving, more forgiving than you were a year ago?" In other words, you cannot separate your relationship with God from your relationship with others. Mulholland goes on to say, "Our relationships with others are not only the testing grounds of our spiritual life but also the places where our growth toward wholeness in Christ happens." We may be tempted to think about spiritual growth as something that happens privately within us, but in reality, growth cannot occur apart from my relationships. Something to think about. I highly recommend the book "Invitation to a Journey: A Road Map for Spiritual Formation" by M. Robert Mulholland Jr.,
For a look at the class on Revelations that Dr. Mulholland taught and is offered for free online go to:
https://www.biblicaltraining.org/revelation/robert-mulholland
