Renovations of the Heart by Dallas Willard
“There is no effectual response to our current situation except for the children of light to be who and what they were called to be by Christ their head”
Right now we could all use some renovation of the heart.
The United States Presidential Election has consumed our news cameras, advertisements, google searches, and personal conversations all this week.
This has been an extremely polarizing election. Most are left either exceedingly excited and optimistic or devastated and pessimistic about our country’s future, especially as it relates to Christian liberty.
I read this week’s book with somber contemplation. And I found it to be wonderfully insightful and spiritually energizing. One of Dallas Willard’s statements hit home for our present context.
“Invariably, such a [successful] society begins to believe it is responsible for its success and prosperity and begins to worship itself and rebel against the understandings and practices that allowed it, under God, to be successful in the first place.”
This is week 37 of 52 in the Tim Challies 2020 reading challenge, and I chose for this week Renovation of the Heart by Dallas Willard.
Dallas Willard passed away at the age of 77 on May 8th, 2013. Dr. Willard taught at multiple universities including Wisconsin and UCLA but spent most of his professorship as the director and professor at the University of Southern California's School of Philosophy. He was a prolific writer, author, teacher, and pastor.
After I wrote SOLD: Marks of a True Disciple, I was approached by multiple people asking if I had read any of Dallas’ books or articles. I hadn’t at the time, but I now see why they asked! He is a bold voice for the urgency of discipleship and holds a deep concern for the American church.
Let me first clarify, I do not agree with all of Dallas Willard’s theological positions. While some of Willard’s work and theology is certainly controversial, I found this particular book one worth putting on your read next list! Dr. Willard in Renovations of the Heart is both audacious and compelling. The following are just several highlights from my reading.
The Necessity and Reality of Spiritual Formation
“Spiritual formation in Christ is the process leading to that ideal end, and its result is love of God with all of the heart, soul, mind, and strength, and of the neighbor as oneself” (p. 31).
Dr. Willard does not believe in fire insurance Christianity. The acceptance of a belief in God to avoid hell, yet a rejection to conform one’s life to his reign and rule.
Salvation is a wholistic complete and utter surrender to the Lordship of Jesus Christ. While this is a necessity, he argues, many avoid the difficult realities of spiritual formation.
"One of the greatest obstacles to effective spiritual formation in Christ today is a simple failure to understand and acknowledge the reality of the human situation as it affects Christians and nonChristians alike. We must start as we really are” (p. 45).
The human heart is not generally good. It is corrupted by sin and stained by the inevitable consequence of sin which is death. Though physical death is not the only dimension, we are also living in spiritual death until Christ raises us to see and believe in him.
Dr. Willard argues that Western Christianity needs to rethink the reality behind the idea of lostness.
“We are not lost because we are going to wind up in the wrong place. We are going to wind up in the wrong place because we are lost” (p. 55).
This simple but profound distinction is crucial to the idea of spiritual formation and genuine salvation. For in the first case, a person believes that they know what they are doing, why they are living their life, and have some security of direction, regardless of what the future may hold. But this is exactly the lie Dr. Willard is trying to expose. The reality of spiritual death or being lost is that your current life is utterly void of true purpose and will perish separated from the love of God forever.
Dr. Willard calls this confusion in definitions the idolatry of self. He quotes Calvin, who said, “the surest source of destruction to men is to obey themselves” (p. 57).
VIM: The General Pattern
“If we are to be spiritually formed in Christ, we must have and must implement the appropriate vision, intention, and means” (p. 85).
This general principle of VIM helps keep the spiritual formation of the heart, mind, body, and soul on the correct path towards Christlikeness.
The greater half of Renovation of the Heart is Dr. Willard explaining how VIM is implemented. And yet, he is careful to articulate from the beginning that executing VIM in spiritual formation is not simply just a matter of self-will. It requires the activation of the Holy Spirit. But Dr. Willard clarifies that this isn't something we are waiting for, but rather something that has already been open extended to us.
Throughout all these chapters a common theme emerges when applying VIM. Personal responsibility is coupled with God's sovereignty.
The Christian cannot be formed like Christ on their own will, but certainly, it cannot be done without it. Sanctification involves both the complete surrender to God's power and maximal personal effort to walk as God has declared.
As he quotes one author saying, “sanctification is the Christianizing of the Christian” (p. 225).
A Disciple is a Christian and a Christian is a Disciple
“The New Testament does not recognize a category of Christians who are not apprentices of Jesus Christ in kingdom living now…” (p. 240).
For Willard, a disciple is an apprentice of Christ, and there is no such thing as a Christian who is not an apprentice of Christ.
Discipleship unfortunately has been thought of and taught in some churches as an optional position. Meaning that the strict high demands of followers of Christ only apply to the super saints, deacons, pastors, or overseas missionaries, but certainly not regular believers.
This dichotomy is dreadfully dangerous and not at all supported by scripture.
Dr. Willard provides the following antidote to highlight the situation:
“Here is a true story: A lady came to a pastor who has been emphasizing discipleship and said, “I just want to be a Christian. I don’t want to be a disciple. I like my life the way it is. I believe that Jesus died for my sins, and I will be with him when I die. Why do I have to be a disciple?” How would you answer that question? Would you say, “you don’t”?”
Re-read that again. Essentially, if you say you want to believe in Jesus without discipleship, then you are contradicting your own words. You do not actually believe.
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John Owen came from Welsh descent, was educated at Queens College, and became a renowned Puritan theologian, Oxford professor, and passionate pastor who lived from 1616 to 1683. In 1647, he wrote the exhaustive treatise The Death of Death defending Limited or Definite Atonement against the Arminian view of Universal Atonement or Unlimited Atonement.