A Reformed Approach to Spiritual Formation

VIDEO TRANSCRIPT

Benjamin Kreps:

Hey everyone, and welcome to the Mark Prater podcast - where our aim is to connect our global family of Sovereign Grace churches with our executive director. Mark, last year at the Pastors Conference, you did something that would be a bit unusual because we are not in the habit of calling out names. But at times, it's appropriate—even necessary—to warn folks about Christian authors who are popular and producing content that is dangerous. And so last year, last fall, you talked about John Mark Comer's book, ‘Practicing the Way’. That caution, that warning, remains. In fact, concerns about John Mark Comer have deepened in the past couple of weeks. Talk to us a little bit about that.

Mark Prater:

Yeah, for those listening or reading the transcript of this podcast, I did that last year. John Mark Comer, ‘Practicing the Way’ is the title of the book. It's a book on spiritual formation, and it's been on the New York Times bestseller list for some time. And I just felt compelled in my role as executive director to protect our theological borders, to fulfill that responsibility by just mentioning that, because we could have members in our churches who are reading the book. We're finding it's actually younger members of our churches that are reading it.

Since the conference, I actually had several of the pastors contact me and ask for book reviews because they've had people reading the book. And the problem with the book—I mean, you know, you've got somebody writing on spiritual formation, that's a good thing—but the book has no gospel connections. And I think it's theologically weak. My concern heightened over the past couple of weeks because of what Comer actually posted on social media. It was very clear he was encouraging people to read a book entitled ‘Lamb of the Free’ by Andrew Remington Rillera. And he was endorsing this book and encouraging reading because, in his words—this is Comer’s words—"this book seems to be the final biblical/exegetical knockout blow for penal substitutionary atonement. Highly recommended."

So, obviously with that, it's clear that Comer has denied penal substitutionary atonement. And if you deny penal substitutionary atonement, you lose the gospel, because that is at the heart of the gospel. So, I mean, in one sense it was surprising to me, in one sense it wasn't surprising because his book didn’t have good gospel connections in ‘Practicing the Way’. So, just something for our pastors in particular to be aware of, or for members of our churches that are reading or listening to this podcast, and you might be familiar with Comer or Rillera‘s book. I would encourage you not to read it, because he is denying penal substitutionary atonement.

Benjamin Kreps:

You know, it seems like every, I don’t know, eight to ten years or so, there’s just a new crop of writers, teachers who are excellent at their craft and compelling and attractive, and they’re busy denying the heart of the gospel. They’re busy denying the reality of what sin is. They’re denying the reality of God’s wrath and judgment. And they’re denying the glory and the beauty of the Savior, the Prince of Glory, who died in our place—condemned He stood.

And so it is incumbent on us, just generally speaking, and I think as pastors, to be aware of that and to be prepared to address that issue when, it seems, inevitably it raises its ugly head again. Because these guys, there’s a reason why they’re popular—they’re good at what they do—and so there’s potential for folks to be drawn away from the cross.

You know, in a journal from some time ago, maybe last year, on books that shape Sovereign Grace, one of those books is ‘The Cross of Christ’ by John Stott. And if anybody checking out the podcast is interested in strengthening your grasp and the depth of your understanding and appreciation and worship before the substitutionary sacrifice of the Savior, that is an important book. And in fact, Stott wrote it to address the fact that, back whenever, fifty years ago, this was in play and needed to be opposed. And he says in his preface, something that we must keep in mind, and it is this: that the biblical doctrine of atonement is substitutionary from beginning to end. And that book is to aid us in seeing clearly that, in fact, that is a true statement and one that we bank our lives on as Christians.

So, hopefully guys are appropriately aware of the danger of this kind of teaching and are addressing it in ways that are appropriate in their context. But we don’t want to just call out people who aren’t doing it well. We also want to help by pointing toward resources that are helpful—actually good, healthy resources.

You have a solid and healthy, helpful book recommendation for us when it comes to something that is really important, which is spiritual formation. So, we want that in our lives. Talk about this book.

Mark Prater:

Yeah, it’s a book that I would say this is your go-to book for spiritual formation. And I became aware of it because CJ Mahaney mentioned it to me. So, shout out and thanks to CJ for that. But the book is entitled ‘A Heart of Flame for God: A Reformed Approach to Spiritual Formation’ by Matthew Bingham. Matthew Bingham is the vice president of academic affairs and also associate professor of church history at Phoenix Seminary.

It’s a wonderful book. He just, in the introduction, talks about the main burden of the book, which is to retrieve a reformed approach to spiritual formation. He talks about spiritual formation in chapter one, just kind of really answering the question: what is spiritual formation? I love his title. You find that on page 35. He says, "Spiritual formation is the conscious process by which we seek to heighten and satisfy our spirit-given thirst for God"—Psalm 42:1-2—"through divinely appointed means, and with a view toward working out our salvation with fear and trembling"—that’s Philippians 2:12—"and becoming mature in Christ," which is a reference to Colossians 1:28.

So, it’s a wonderful definition of spiritual formation. And in that definition, you’re also hearing a biblical definition of sanctification as well. He talks a little bit more specifically about sanctification. And then he just goes on, and in chapter two, just really talks about—the title of chapter two, by the way, is "Spiritual Formation in a Reformation Key." It’s a great title; I like it.

So, what’s a reformed approach to spiritual formation mean? And he talks about three emphases that characterize a distinctively reformed approach to spiritual formation. These are the three emphases.

The first one is Word-centered. He says, "A foundational conviction at the heart of reformed spirituality, and consequently, at the heart of everything else we say in this book: God’s people are most profoundly shaped and formed by God’s Word." Amen. Really, really well-written sentence. Yes. Obviously, it is Word-centered.

The second emphasis is it’s marked by a biblical simplicity. And here’s what he says: "A reformed approach to spiritual formation is marked by a biblical simplicity. It is not 'simplistic' in the pejorative sense. Rather, it is simple insofar as it is a spirituality shorn of all established accretions. The appeal of such biblically bounded simplicity flows directly out of the previous emphasis on the centrality of God’s Word." So, it’s not hard: keep in the Word, and it has a biblical simplicity. And of course, that can go along with your understanding of Scripture—the clarity of Scripture, for example.

And then third, here’s the third emphasis: committed to engaging the heart via the mind. So, third and finally, the reformed authors on whom we draw in this book consistently affirm the ordinary God-ordained means for keeping the heart and cultivating God-honoring affections involves setting one’s mind on God’s truth. So, you hear in that some of Owen, right, and the doctrine of sin—the heart to mind, the affections that Owen unpacks so well in the doctrine of sin—and he draws on Owen in this chapter.

So, that’s kind of how he lays a foundation for the book. And then—let me just give you the titles from there. I just basically briefly hit chapters 1 and 2. And then he goes into—these are the chapter titles: Chapter 3 is "Scripture," subtitle "Hearing from God." Chapter 4 is "Meditation," reflecting on God as a subtitle. Fifth chapter, "Prayer," responding to God. And then chapter six, "Self-Examination," looking inward, which we all need to do without being introspective, right? Chapter seven, "The Natural World," looking outward. So many Psalms talk about—like Psalm 19—the heavens declare, right, the glory of God.

Number eight, "Christian Relationships," looking to one another. So, obviously we would, you know, that’s going to speak of fellowship. Number nine, "What About the Body?" as subtitle, connecting the spiritual and the physical—great, great chapter. And then chapter 10, "When Things Go Wrong," subtitle, wrestling with spiritual weakness.

So, you’ll see right in the early introduction, he’s a humble guy that’s got a great biblical, academic, exegetical mind. And I would say, if you want a book recommendation that you want to give your people, it is this book here: ‘A Heart of Flame’ by Matthew Bingham. Or if you’ve got someone that has read Comer or is reading Comer, tell them to put Comer down and read Bingham, because they’re going to be well-served with this book.

Benjamin Kreps:

Excellent. Well, thank you for the recommendation. I heard an interview with Matthew Bingham on Kevin DeYoung’s podcast earlier this year and loved what I heard, and so didn’t end up buying the book. And so now I will. So, thank you for reminding me so that I can go ahead and buy it on Amazon today, actually. And I look forward to reading it.

I love books like this because there is a misconception out there that reformed folks are "the frozen chosen," that sort of thing. And the reality is that a real, robust, biblically prescribed reformed theology that we hold to—in the context of that, there’s so much life because it’s centered in the Word and hovered over by the Spirit and all those things. So, I’m looking forward to reading the book, and thank you for recommending the book. And thank you all for checking out the podcast. We’ll see you here next week, Lord willing. Bye for now.