Spirit Formed...
Jesus told His disciples that when He left this earth He would not leave them as orphans. He said that He would send a promise from the Father. This promise He described as a comforter, one who would come along side of us and guide us. The way Jesus said it was, "When the Comforter comes, He will convict you of sin, of righteousness, and of judgment..." (John 16:8)
At Living Way United Methodist we believe spiritual formation is primarily a work of the Holy Spirit. Holy Spirit is the ultimate teacher and through the use of scripture God's Spirit will lead us on a righteous path toward Heaven. The church uses the means of grace to enable this process before God. The means of grace are such things as... the reading of scripture, prayer, fasting, meditation, worship, the sacraments (Lord's Supper & Baptism). The means of grace themselves are quite useless and is only vain religion unless coupled with the touch of the Spirit.
Living Way Church invites into discipleship all who enter these doors. Our understanding is that no one can come to the Father unless the Spirit draws them (John 6:44). Once the initial transformation from darkness to light is made, Holy Spirit moves us from glory to glory in a process called sanctification. In salvation's free gift of grace action the law of exchange is at work, whereby Jesus became sin so that we might become righteous before God. All our debts have been cancelled before God in Christ Jesus and we have been given righteousness. This gift is described in the Bible the imputing of Righteousness(Romans 5:21f). in the moment of transformation the Spirit regenerates our dead spirit. To be Spirit Formed is to surrender to the work of God's Spirit in moving us beyond an imputed state into the impartation of righteousness in our words and deeds. A holiness not based upon works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy (Titus 3:5)
