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Resisting the Temptation of Moral Formation: Opening to Spiritual Formation in the Cross and the Spirit

There are many dedicated Christians who are in the grips of a great moral temptation, which attempts to deal with spiritual failure, guilt and shame by means of spiritual effort and disciplines in the power of the self. This article theologically-psychologically explores this moralism as a type of legalism similar to what Paul confronts in Galatians in order to address: (1) why we are tempted to be moralists on account of original sin and early parenting; (2) How to determine whether one is tempted by moralism in light of a theology of guilt and conscience; (3) How to avoid moralism by opening the heart to our Justification and the ministry of the Holy Spirit; and (4) What will happen to us if we fail to resist moralism. The goal is to clarify the implications of the Cross and the Spirit for daily Christian living in resisting moralism and moving from moral to spiritual formation.