The idea of being just like Christ is a great idea. I think the reason it is not discussed in much depth is that all of us have such varied ideas of what Christ is like that it's hard to bring them together to form one unified picture of what we are talking about.
For instance, I can't picture Christ walking around in a war zone shooting people, yet, the Lords of the church seem to think that it is appropriate for Christians to participate in war....I'd sure like to think that Christ gets things done through prayer, etc. but not at all through war weapons, and this is vital to my picture of Christ and the person I emulate in my spiritual walk through life.
Any one agree?
Sincerely,
Bill

Bill, setting aside your pacifism argument, I think you make a good point in that so many people see Jesus differently. Part of my job as a pastor is not to get them to see Him the way I do, but to go to the Bible and see Him the way He is presented. Hopefully when it's all said and done, we all agree. But it's the laziness (or maybe stubbornness) factor which keeps people from going to the Book in the first place.

Perhaps it's not just a matter of becoming like Christ, but first finding out who Christ really is -- grow in the grace and knowledge of Christ -- then becoming conformed to His image.

Welcome to the blogging world, Bishop!

Isn't it the job of the Holy Spirit to transform us into the image of Christ? Since the Holy Spirit is also equal with God and Christ, then He must know about the image of Christ that he is using as the model for what we are to become. I think we have to be careful that we don't build some scaffold of our own theological construct around this and allow it to be more important than what Scripture says. I can trust the Holy Spirit to transform me as He desires. I just need to have a cooperative spirit about the process and let Him do it!

Oswald Chambers, in his devotional My Utmost for His Highest for February 8, says, "The resounding evidence of the Holy Spirit in a person's life is the unmistakable family likeness to Jesus Christ, and the freedom from everything which is not like Him."

"Family likeness to Jesus Christ"...Wow! When people see us do they say, "You know you look just like your father" and they mean our Heavenly Father...isn't that the essence of Spiritual Formation/Transformation?

Have I discovered the freedom to reject anything that is not like Him?

Speaking of definitions of Spiritual Formation...how about this:

"Everything that happens is either soap to cleanse me, fire to purify me, or a chisel to fashion in me the likeness of Christ."
Jean DeCaussade

Don't really know anything about the person that said this, but isn't it a great definition of Spiritual Transformation?

To the Bisop's comments on Spiritual Formation I would give a rousing Amen! I would also hope and pray that Spiritual Formation never does become a "Buzzword." I pray that it is not looked at as a fad, but rather a life of going from glory into glory into the image of Christ

Ron,

Dallas Willard, to paraphrase, describes spiritual formation as living under the rule of God.

Time will tell who has been formed through the power of the Holy Spirit. For those that use spiritual formation as a buzz word, they'll be found out.

If we are not closet universalists, than we should not be surprised that so few are actually being conformed to the image of Christ. In our great desire to see many conformed to his image, have we lowered the standards for what that conformation looks like?

I hope not.

Spiritual formation is a buzz word because when spiritual formation happens, it is the most liberating of experiences. And therefore lots of people want spiritual formation because they want liberation. In their efforts to gain liberation, they never realize that one enters into spiritual formation because one wants to be ruled by God. Our liberation comes from being ruled by God. A paradox that is lost on many. Hopefully it is not ever lost on me.