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Pointers along the way #1151

The spirituality spectrum

- Jacob Ninan

You can listen to this on YouTube

Different people think they are 'spiritual' according to their own differing concepts of what it means. Then they stop thinking of becoming spiritual. Just as the Pharisees opposed and then attacked Jesus for suggesting that what they had was not spirituality, these nominal-spiritual people attack their genuine well-wishers as enemies. To be religious-minded is not spirituality, but religious practices give the impression of spirituality.

There are those who accept the idea of the existence of God, and assume that they are therefore spiritually minded, contrasting themselves from atheists. They participate to a minimal level in religious functions like festivals, and include religion in social functions such as birthdays, weddings and funerals. But otherwise they live their practical life like everyone else.

Some people are more religious minded. They have daily routines for reading the Bible or devotionals, family prayer, and their church attendance is important for them. But behind all this is still the religious goal of making themselves acceptable to God by special things they do.

As an extension of this group are people who take active part in different activities in the church. Yes, people can take part in choir, serving coffee, organising and taking part in picnics, pot-luck dinners, games, decorating for festivals, weddings, funerals, etc., without being spiritually minded.

Many times it is difficult to distinguish the tares from the wheat. As Jesus said, if we try to separate the two, we may even damage some wheat. But it is important that leaders know how to discern between the two, because it is their responsibility to feed each one according to their needs (Lk.12:42).

Salvation is meant to bring back people who are away from God and to transform them to become like Jesus in His character and service. When Adam and Eve sinned, their spirit which was in fellowship with God before got disconnected from Him. They 'died' in their spirit. This meant that they no longer had fellowship with God, they did not have the Holy Spirit to teach and guide them, they had their own idea of good and evil because of which they could find excuses for whatever sin they did, and they had to live their lives in their own strength. This is the condition we are in when we are born into this world, which the Bible refers to us as being 'dead in sin' (Ep.2:1).

Salvation begins by being born again, when the Holy Spirit comes into our spirit, gives us a living relationship with God as our Father, and a mind that hates to sin but wants to do the will of God in everything. Knowing that we cannot save ourselves, God has made this way of salvation for us, which we receive by faith in Jesus and repenting from our old sinful ways.

These are the spiritually-minded people, who subject their spirit to the Holy Spirit, and who no longer want to please themselves but only to be pleasing to the Lord in every aspect of their life (2Co.5:14,15).

Index
Pointers are available in YouTube video from #789.

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