THE
IMPERATIVE OF SPIRITUAL GROWTH
II Peter 1:8-11
If
anything is commonly misunderstood today it is the subject of spirituality. It
seems that everybody is spiritual, if you listen to the commonly voiced
opinions of our day. The Bible, as we might expect, tells a different story
about the nature of spirituality. Let us have a look.
SPIRITUALITY—WHERE THE EMOTIONS
ARE EXPRESSED, BUT DO NOT RULE, WHERE OUR FLESHLY NATURE FINDS EXPRESSION IN
SUBMISSION TO OUR SPIRITUAL NATURE, WHERE ETERNAL CONCERNS TAKE PRECEDENCE OVER
TEMPORARY REALITIES (ACTS 2:36-37).
1. Spirituality has to do much more
with the way we rationally think things out than with the way we feel
(Rom. 12:1-2).
2. I Corinthians 2:10-16 tells us that spirituality is possible only through
revelation. We cannot know
the things of God unless He tells us. But that is not the whole of it, unless
we are receptive to such revelation, we miss the teaching. If we are content to
find our answers in the natural (temporal) world, the things concerning the
spiritual sphere will seem foolish to us. The Father’s great investment in
communication with humanity will only be received by those who see more to life
than what they can see (II Cor. 5:7).
3. The key to understanding spirituality, therefore, rests in being able to
look beyond those things perceived by the five senses.
A classic text that points out to us this basic contrast between flesh and
spirit is I Corinthians 3:1-3. Paul was frustrated because he could not
communicate with the Corinthian brethren the way he wanted to communicate. They
were “fleshly” or “carnal” rather than spiritual. They were full of strife and
division, they did not live by spiritual values. Life dominated by the flesh is
the very opposite of spirituality. The flesh is the problem, but not because
the flesh is evil.
4. God
made us of flesh and of spirit. He did not make us bad by nature (Gen. 1:31). The problem
is not that the flesh is evil; the problem is that the flesh is not to control
life. Let’s put some Scriptures together to see the Big Picture:
a. The flesh of a person and the spirit of a person can look in different
directions (Matt. 26:41).
b. The flesh is the seen part of us, the spirit cannot be seen
(Lk. 24:39; II Cor. 4:16; Jn. 8:15).
c. There are two different births
and two different kinds of service that result from the fact that we have two
different natures (Jn. 3:6; Rom. 2:28-29).
d. When we try to live as though we
can “in
the flesh” present ourselves to God as being worthy, we are
miserable ((Rom. 4:1-2; 7:5, 14, 18, 24).
e. We triumph only when we find God’s grace
in Christ and live Spirit-directed lives (Rom. 8:1-14).
f. Most of the world is enamored with carnal, fleshly thinking,
especially those who are at the top of society. They think they are responsible
for their success, thus they are not interested in the call of Christ (I Cor.
1:26).
g. Sometimes even drastic measures must be enacted to defeat the flesh
and give place to the spirit (I Cor. 5:5).
h. Even
though we live in the flesh, we are not to conduct God’s business as led by the
flesh (II Cor. 10:2-5).
i. When the flesh is left to itself, its indulgences go beyond the
acceptable expressions assigned our
carnal self. It is only when we are governed by spiritual values that we live
honorably before God and man (Gal. 5:13-24).
5. Now,
lets put it all together. We have a carnal side with legitimate appetites.
However, when these appetites rule, they cross over boundaries that prevent us
from being spiritual. For instance, sexuality is an acceptable part
of human existence, however, adultery and fornication go beyond lawful
expressions of sexuality. There is no such thing as adultery among animals, but
humans, unlike animals, have a spiritual side that is to govern physical
actions.
6. Left to ourselves, we do not have the strength to win the struggle
between spirit and flesh. Jesus has died
that we can serve through faith rather than under the impossible burden of
sinless perfection. With this release from our sins, we are now able to heed
the Spirit’s revelation and walk in the light with confidence in the blood of
Christ (I Jn. 1:7).
7. Part of what we are in the
completeness of our being will return to dust. Part of what we are in the
completeness of our being will return to God. Spirituality is found
when our spirits listen to God’s revelation in the Scriptures and then govern
the flesh. Eternal rather than temporal concerns must be of first importance
before the temporal can be rightly enjoyed (Matt. 6:33). Spirituality is a matter
of what we choose as the basis for life. We are much more than mere animals
(Matt. 6:26). We are to answer a much different call (Matt. 11:28-30).
SPIRITUALITY—A CONTRAST WITH
MODERN RELIGIOUS WAYS.
1. One
denominational editor recently commented, “Sunday evening church attendance has
collapsed, Sunday school is a total meltdown. Even our latest discipleship
effort—home groups—is now in a tailspin. But morning worship is still doing
quite well, especially in big churches, thanks to the facelift we’ve given in
the last ten years. People like the lively music, neat sound equipment, cool
spotlights, quality drama, … and magnificent musicals. Moral is up. Attendance
is up. Excitement is up. But is godliness up? What about Christlikeness and
commitment? Or do we have bigger and
bigger audiences that come to watch the performance without getting serious
about real Christian commitment?
2. This
prevalent problem prompted it to be said of this growing class of churchgoers,
“They come for the show, but refuse to grow.”
3. One
minister in a fast-growing denominational church remarked tongue in cheek, “Our
people are converted in every way except their mindset, lifestyle, and values.”
4. Among
us we have also seen “showtime” trends in recent years. Many gatherings of our
people have come to be know more for their: production values, mood lighting,
dramatic performances, elaborate orchestration, Hollywood-like choreography,
and emotional story telling, than for biblical substance. In short, the show
must go on!
We
must view the modern distortions of spirituality with alarm. God’s imperative
to be a people of true spirituality must be embraced. Truth must be the
controlling factor our emotional expressions. The local church with its
God-given agenda is to be chosen over
“the show” of contemporary para-church expressions. Daily implementation
of the practical, humble, serving agenda of Christianity is to be elevated over
the emotionally based “highs” of a primarily carnal understanding of
spirituality.
Edwin
8/13/00
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