“Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, so now, not only as in my presence but much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure.” – Philppians 2:12–14.
How do we mature as Christians? Is it our work or the Lord’s? It often seems that we (or I) mature so slowly that it must be all my effort. But in Matthew Bingham’s book, A Heart Aflame for God, we see that it is actually both God’s work and our own effort that brings the growth.
Matthew Bingham is vice president of academic affairs and associate professor of church history at Phoenix Seminary in Arizona.
Part One covers the foundation for and the theology of spiritual formation.
In chapter one, Bingham works “to understand what spiritual formation sounds like when set in a distinctly Reformed-evangelical key” (22). He emphasizes that the Christian life is a growing life that is both God’s work through the Spirit (2 Cor. 3:18) and our responsibility (2 Cor. 7:1; cf. Phil 2:12–14). The term “spiritual formation” is often associated with Roman Catholic and Eastern Orthodox practices. However, as with many terms, context is key. Bingham grounds the term in Scripture viewed through Reformation theology.
Spiritual formation, our growth and maturity, is rooted in our union with Christ. The Reformers insisted that growth was the Spirit’s work through the Word, prayer, and other means of grace. Bingham focuses largely on the Puritans because they devoted an incredible amount of time to spiritual formation and the inner workings of our hearts. Bingham writes, “Puritan authors wrote at length on what it means to live and grow as a Christian” (14).
Chapter 2 then shows how Reformation theology (justification, sanctification, and union with Christ) allows for and demands spiritual formation. The Reformers proclaimed that justification was final, and it is also pertinent that Christians pursue sanctification.
Part Two covers the “Reformation triangle” of Scripture, meditation, and prayer.
The Puritans saw the Bible (ch 3) as God’s primary tool for shaping his people. Bingham (in line with the Puritans) advocates for a disciplined, ordered, and consistent study of the Word. This is active reading, meant to maximize spiritual benefit and application. God’s Word reveals sin, assures grace, and directs growth.
Meditation (ch 4) shows how truth moves from head to heart, from information to transformation. Meditation is deliberate, prayerful reflection on God’s Word until it warms the heart. The goal here was spiritual application, requiring the reader to slow down, linger over the texts, and press them into their soul. Because what we focus on shapes who we become, meditation is vital for our Christian identity.
Prayer (ch 5) is, according to John Owen, “the life and exercise of all religion.” For the Reformers and Puritans, prayer was the very lifeblood of piety. Prayer is real communication, expressing dependence, gratitude, repentance, and longing for communion with the Trinitarian God who listens.
In Part Three, Bingham moves on to three additional means of grace.
Chapter six focuses on self-examination, showing how Puritans used Scripture to assess the heart. This was not a self-obsessed introspection of despair, but one that discerned sin and relied on God.
Chapter seven focuses on God’s creation as a complementary witness to Scripture (Ps 19:1). When rightly “read,” creation should not be worshiped but should instead point believers to the Creator Lord. Bingham offers a good discussion on stewardship because we, as God’s imagers, ought to care for the things God creates.
Chapter eight emphasizes growth in community with other Christians (Heb 10:24–25; Eph 4:15–16), fueled by one’s private devotion. Relationships with fellow believers are a means of grace, for here we find and give encouragement, correction, confession, and prayer.
Part Four, the final section, covers obstacles to spiritual formation.
Chapter nine focuses on rituals (kneeling while praying, corporate singing, partaking in the Lord’s Supper) grounded in Scripture, and Bingham answers the critiques (from, for example, James K.A. Smith) that Reformed spirituality is overly intellectual and doesn’t focus enough on the body.
Chapter ten deals with spiritual dry seasons. Bingham writes that a few causes of spiritual struggle would be indwelling sin, Satanic attack, trials, and God’s hiddenness. These seasons can feel like spiritual regression, but they are often God’s way of refining our faith (see the Psalms).
Both the epilogue and the appendix work in tandem. The former offers the reason Bingham did not write about the role of the church. He wanted to focus on individual practices. The church is the context in which the disciplines are lived. The latter warns against individualism and lone-wolf Christianity.
The Chocolate Milks
Bingham integrates the writings of the Puritans, Dutch Reformation thinkers, and Old Princeton theologians, and lets them guide us into further reaches of spiritual maturity. If you have not read any of these old authors, but you are tired of the fluff that is coming out today, this will be a good introduction for you. He makes their theology accessible to us without dumbing it down. While others are reaching for Roman Catholic or Eastern Orthodox traditions, Bingham roots these practices in the doctrines of grace. He shows clearly how justification and sanctification work together as gifts from our union with Christ, and he avoids the ditches of legalism and antinomianism.
Bingham makes connections from the whole Bible to your personal piety. His book isn’t a survey of both testaments, but he is constantly drawing from both. But whether he is highlighting the centrality of the heart (Prov 4:23) or drawing from the Ten Commandments, he reminds you that the Old Testament is foundational to the Christian life. What he offers to you is both assurance of your salvation and the motivation to grow. And his chapters on creation and relationships help stretch us outside of ourselves in private pietism. We reflect inwardly to kill (or mortify) our sin so that we can bless those brothers and sisters we meet with on Sundays and throughout the week.
The Spoiled Milks
From what I have read about John Comer’s Practicing the Way, Bingham’s book gives a much better grounding for spiritual formation. Following the Reformers, the Puritans, and the Bible itself, Bingham emphasizes keeping Scripture as the center of our lives, something that Comer, from what I’ve read, seriously downplays in his book. However, compared to Comer’s book, Bingham’s writing here is more academic, and so it may not have as wide a reach as Comer’s did. As well, more practical guidance, such as how to meditate over Scripture or how to be good stewards, would be very rewarding.
Recommended?
The Reformed tradition is not a dry dust-bed of theology, but it is a vibrant source for spiritual life. Bingham didn’t write this book only to show us the vibrancy of the Reformed tradition. He wrote it so that you would be encouraged in your growth in Christ (from within the Reformed tradition)! And in that, I believe he succeeds. Whether or not you pursue your own growth is a different matter. Highly recommended.
Buy it from Amazon or Crossway!
Lagniappe
- Author: Matthew C. Bingham
- Hardcover: 368 pages
- Publisher: Crossway (April 2025)
- Read the Introduction and Chapter 1
Review Disclosure: I received this book free from Crossway. The opinions I have expressed are my own, and I was not required to write a positive review. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 http://www.access.gpo.gov/nara/cfr/waisidx_03/16cfr255_03.html.
Amazon Affiliate Disclosure: As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
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