Over the next few weeks, we’re going to walk through a four-part article series written by Dr. Steve Porter called “The Transformational Love of Jesus.” Steve is a professor of theology and philosophy, and he’s written one of the clearest explanations we’ve seen of how spiritual transformation actually works—and more importantly, why most of our attempts at growth fail.
If you’ve ever felt stuck in cycles of trying harder, failing, and feeling discouraged about your spiritual life, this series will help you understand why. Steve names the distorted models most of us have been operating from and points to a better way forward.
This week, Steve identifies three models of spiritual growth that don’t work:
The Magic Model:
We wait for God to sovereignly change us without understanding our role. We think God will just flip a switch and make us more joyful or less anxious. When that doesn’t happen, we wonder why God isn’t showing up.
The Earning Model:
We believe our good works obligate God to bless us. Read the Bible, pray daily, go to church, don’t sin—then God rewards us with transformation. But if we fail, he withholds his favor. This makes growth dependent on performance, which contradicts grace.
The Willpower Model:
We just try really hard not to sin. When we fail, we confess and promise to try harder tomorrow. Steve shares about a pastor who confessed he’d been doing this for decades, feeling increasingly discouraged that he couldn’t generate enough willpower to live a godly life.
None of these work.
Steve points to the biblical alternative: a relational model.
1 John 4:19 says, “We love because he first loved us.”
This isn’t a one-time past event. We draw life daily from God’s ongoing loving presence. Steve uses Jeremiah’s image: “They shall be like a tree planted by water, sending out its roots by the stream” (Jer 17:7-8).
Just as a tree draws nutrients from soil through its roots, we draw transformation from God’s love through ongoing relationship with him.
As Steve writes: “God’s love is not magic, nor do we earn it, nor does it leave growth up to our unaided human will.”
Transformation happens through receiving God’s love and learning to abide in it.
Grateful to walk alongside you,
The Eden Project Team
Read Steve’s full article here:
