Transformed by the Treasure

“In this book I have tried to clearly present the path of spiritual formation, the authentic formation of the human person, as seen in the people of Jesus Christ through the ages. I have tried to gently ignore the many vessels of spiritual formation that litter the historical and contemporary landscapes and concentrate on the treasure: Jesus Christ himself, living with increasing fullness in every essential dimension of the personality of the individual devoted to him as Savior and Teacher.” - Dallas Willard, excerpted from Renovation of the Heart

As our Becoming Christlike study concludes, we mirror the conclusion of Renovation of the Heart with a reminder of the primacy of Christ to the path of renovation. It is to him alone that we must look for true transformation. It is his example we follow, his character which we seek to develop, and his timing that we trust, because we know that we truly have received from him every spiritual blessing.

Those familiar with Dallas Willard’s teaching know it is not uncommon to hear him reference a stanza of a hymn or song to illustrate a set of ideas and simplify them for his audience. There is an old hymn written in 1910 that resounds with Dallas’s closing reflections on Christ entitled, “He Keeps me Singing.” The chorus is so simple, yet so profound:

Jesus, Jesus, Jesus,

sweetest name I know,

fills my every longing,

keeps me singing as I go.

As you walk the path of formation as Christ’s apprentices, may you look to him to fill your every longing and sustain you along the path.

Reflection

Psalm 16:8 reminds us to set the Lord always before us. As you go about your day today, try to call the Lord to mind in all that you do.

Prayer

Lord God, you are the way, the truth, and the life exclusively. This day and every day, help me look to you alone to renovate and transform my heart and mind into your image.

We are honored that you chose to join us on this journey of Christlikeness. If you’d like to study this topic further, we offer a companion plan: Becoming Christlike - Loving Christ with All You Are. This plan digs deeper into Dallas Willard’s teaching about each of the aspects of our human nature (based on Mark 12:29-31) and the practical ways we can bring each aspect into the process of Christian spiritual formation.

We invite you to visit us at www.dwillard.org/books/renovation-of-the-heart , where we have links to more free resources related to Renovation of the Heart, including two video series taught by Dallas. While you’re there, be sure to explore the rest of the website and the many study tools available to help and encourage you as you seek to become more like Jesus.