Dallas Willard’s work must be read. He is a thinker and philosopher who is willing to tackle difficult issues. He was a professor and the director of the school of Philosophy at the University of Southern California. He authored more than thirty books.
In Renovation of the Heart, Willard tackles one of the most important issues Christians face: how does God transform our character so it reflects Christ? On one level, the answer seems simple. We read our Bible, go to church, pray, and over time we become more mature and Christ-like. But we must acknowledge that everywhere we turn we find self-proclaimed Christians whose character does not resemble Christ. Then, if we are honest, we must also acknowledge that we are engaged in a life-long struggle to be transformed into Christ’s image.
Willard inserts many insightful nuggets throughout this book. It is the kind of work that demands a slow, careful reading. I won’t write a synopsis. Instead, I’ll note some of the comments that struck me.
Willard observes that the New Testament “. . . is a world that seems open to us and beckons us to enter. We feel its call” (9). Yet he also states, “Christians generally only find their way into this divine life slowly and with great difficulty, if at all” (10). He argues, however, that “No one need live in spiritual and personal defeat” (11).
This book is about spiritual formation. He notes, “I have a spirit and it has been formed. This is true of everyone” (13). Willard argues that our spirit can clearly be formed, because it has been. Therefore, it can be re-formed by our effort and the working of the Holy Spirit. He adds, “Disagreements have only to do with whatin our spirit needs to be changed and how that change can be brought about” (14). Interestingly, he states, “Terrorists as well as saints are the outcome of spiritual formation. Their spirits have been formed. Period” (19).
Willard writes, “Churches are not the kingdom of God, but are primary and inevitable expressions, outposts, and instrumentalities of the presence of the kingdom among us” (16). He then states, “The heart thus renovated and inhabited is the only real hope of humanity on earth” (18). Willard acknowledges, “True, some points in human history have shown more success in the elevation of the human spirit than others. But the low points far exceed the high points, and the average is discouragingly low. Societies the world around are currently in desperate straights trying to produce people who are merely capable of coping with their life on earth in a non destructive manner . . . In spiritual matters there really is no ‘Third World.’ It’s all Third World” (20).
Willard notes that there are 33,800 Christian denominations on earth (22). And though their theology differs, they all try to help form their people spiritually. He suggests that “. . . spiritual formation is no passive process. But Christlikeness of the inner being is not a human attainment. It is, finally, a gift of grace” (23). He adds, “The nature of the person is, today, a battlefield of conflicting academic, artistic, religious, legal, and political viewpoints” (28). In the midst of this conflict, Willard suggests that people have six basic aspects to who they are: thought, feeling, will, body, social context, and soul (30). Willard unpacks how each of these components must be developed in order to reflect Christ.
Willard also notes that people do not always link their actions to their identity. When people make a mistake, they tend to assume, “I just blew it!” When, in fact, they are the kind of person who blows it (40). This is Willard’s central point: “Spiritual transformation only happens as each essential dimension of the human being is transformed to Christlikeness under the direction of a regenerate will interacting with constant overtures of grace from God. Such transformation is not the result of mere human effort and cannot be accomplished by putting pressure on the will (heart, spirit) alone” (41).
Willard cites C.S. Lewis’ famous statement: “There are no ordinarypeople. You have never talked to a mere mortal . . . But it is immortals whom we joke with, marry, snub, and exploit—immortal horrors or everlasting splendor” (46). Willard upholds an exalted view of people’s potential, yet he acknowledges that many people never fulfil it. He notes that “the only solution we know to human problems is education” (46). Yet, the Church has not done a very good job of educating people in spiritual formation.
Willard bemoans the fact that “We are our own god, and our god doesn’t amount to much. Many a driver is lost long before he knows he is—though rarely before his wife knows it” (50). He suggests that “The ultimately lost person is the person who cannot want God. Wanting God is very different from wanting God to help me” (58). He adds, “One does not miss heaven by a hair, but by constant effort to avoid and escape God” (59).
Willard quotes Francis of Assisi, who advised, “Wear the world like a loose garment, which touches us in a few places and there lightly” (72).
Willard addresses the confusing issue of Christian leaders who eventually fail in their walk with Christ. He asks, “How is it, exactly, that a man or woman can respectfully serve Christ for many years and then morally disintegrate?” (78). He suggests that “What is sad is who these leaders have been all along. What their inner life had been like, and no doubt also how they have suffered during all these years before they ‘did it’ or were found out” (78). He notes that many Christians are just faking it. They give the outward appearance of following Christ while their inner life is in shambles.
Willard notes, “In the spiritual life one never rests on one’s laurels. It is a sure recipe for falling. Attainments are like the manna given to the Israelites in the desert, good only for the day (Ex. 16:4, 20)” (81). Interestingly, Willard notes, “The planet earth and its immediate surroundings seem to be the only place in creation where God permits His will notto be done” (86).
Willard suggests that “The means for spiritual formation are available” (91). He notes that “To ‘grow in grace’ means to utilize more and more grace, until everything we do is assisted by grace” (93). He adds, “The greatest saints are not those who need less grace, but those who consume the most grace . . .” (93).
In terms of our thinking, Willard suggests that “The ultimate freedom we have as human beings is the power to select what we will allow or require our minds to dwell upon” (95). He adds, “The prospering of God’s cause on earth depends upon His people thinking well” (105). He also states, “We too easily forget it is the great thinkers who have given direction to the people of Christ in their greatest moments: Paul, John, Augustine, Luther, Calvin, and Wesley, to name a few” (105). “Bluntly, to serve God well we must think straight; and crooked thinking, unintentional or not, always favors evil” (106). Willard surmises, “To think of God as He is, one cannot but lapse into worship” (107).
Willard warns, “For nothing enters the mind without it having an effect for good or evil” (111). He suggests that “The mind . . . has laws just as rigorous as gravity” (111). He concludes, “If God’s eyes are too pure to behold evil (Hab. 1:13), we had better think it might be wise for us to look away as much as is feasible—even if it is called ‘entertainment’” (111).
Willard writes a great deal about our feelings and how they must be subjugated to Christ. He notes that “Feelings live on the front row of our lives like unruly children clamoring for attention” (117). He claims that “Feelings are, with a few exceptions, good servants. But they are disastrous masters” (122). He concludes, “This explains why it is so hard to reason with some people. Their very mind has been taken over by one or more feeling and is made to defend and serve those feelings at all costs” (124).
Willard offers some interesting observations concerning the body. He notes, “I might desire a chocolate ice cream cone, for example. But I do not wish it well; I wish to eat it. This is the difference between lust (mere desire) and love . . .” (131). He notes that, unlike joy, “Pleasure or pain are always specific to some particular object or condition” (133).
Willard believes that character can be changed (142). He claims that “Character is revealed most of all in what we feel and do without thinking” (144). He soberly suggests that “What we call ‘civilization’ is a smoldering heap of violence constantly on the verge of bursting into flame. That is the true picture of the fallen human will” (145).
Willard exclaims at one point, “Irredeemable harm does not befall those who willingly live in the hand of God. What an astonishing reality!” (151). He also states, “The person who intends to will what God wills—to identify his or her will with God’s—begins with what God has said He wills” (154). Interestingly, he notes, “To have no will is impossible. It would be to not even be a person. Rather, it is for the first time to have a will that is fully functional” (156).
Willard makes many interesting comments throughout these pages. He purports that “God never gives us too much to do” (174). He also notes that “Strictly speaking there is nothing ‘just between me and God’” (182). Willard argues that our relationship with God always affects those around us.
Willard makes a few statements I would question or at least like him to explain further. He claims, “There is no subordination within the Trinity” (184). While the godhead certainly relates to each other in perfect love and unity, it appears that the Son submitted to the Father, and the Spirit’s role is to exalt the Son. Willard also claims that God has a soul (205). This statement strikes me as odd. Perhaps I need a further explanation. He also states, “So we do not, in general, control our beliefs or those of others. We never choose to believe, and we must not try and get ourselves or others to choose to believe. That’s God’s work. . . We can choose to turn our minds toward these truths” (248). I am not sure I agree with this statement. While the work of the Holy Spirit enables us to believe, it seems a bit much to assume that we cannot choose to believe something. Again, this statement would invite further explanation.
Willard makes another eyebrow-raising assertion: “It is, I gently suggest, a serious error to make ‘outreach’ a primary goal of a local congregation, and especially so when those who are already ‘with us’ have not become clear-headed or devoted apprentices of Jesus, and are not, for the most part, solidly progressing along the path” (244). He claims, “Anyone who thinks God only blesses what is ‘right’ has had a very narrow experience and probably does not really understand what God has done for them” (240). He also argues that conservative Christians aim “. . . to get people into heaven rather than to get heaven into people” (238).
Finally, he concludes that “We must flatly say that one of the greatest contemporary barriers to meaningful spiritual formation in Christlikeness is our overconfidence in the spiritual efficacy of ‘regular church services,’ of whatever kind they may be. Though they are vital, they are not enough. It is that simple” (249).
Reading a Dallas Willard book is challenging, thought-provoking, troubling, and inspiring, often in the same sentence! He is a great thinker who strives to make the reader think as well. At times, he makes startling statements in order to grab the reader’s attention. He is clearly well-read and brings a vast array of thinkers, theologians, and philosophers to his side as he writes. This particular book takes a thorough look at why our character is not more radically changed despite attending church and reading our Bible for years. This book is helpful in enabling us to focus on particular areas of our person that need to be brought into submission to the working of the Holy Spirit. I believe you will find this book immensely useful to you as you strive to be more like Jesus.
Willard is a university professor, and an unusually bright one at that. There are times you will need to read carefully to stay with him in his argument. He also breaks matters down into numerous categories which, though helpful, can cause the reader to struggle to keep the various issues and categories in proper perspective. Finally, he makes a few statements I might question. Nevertheless, this is a weighty book on a most important topic and well worth reading.
Rating: 4
