The Holy Spirit Makes us “Spiritual”

May 30, 2017

Sometimes, when I have told people that I am a pastor, they have made a comment like: “I don’t go to church much, but I am a very spiritual person.” If asked, they may go on to describe what they mean by that. They might identify a selection of beliefs and practices, possibly from different faiths, that they hold personally. Today many approach religion like a diner at a smorgasbord restaurant who fills his plate with his own choices of the food offered there. There certainly is a broad spectrum of religion in the world from which to choose; however, there is also something troubling about that approach to faith.

Jesus’ beloved disciple John got to heart of the problem in this statement from his first epistle: “Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, for many false prophets have gone out into the world. By this you know the Spirit of God: every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God, and every spirit that does not confess Jesus is not from God.” (1 John 4:1-3)

We are spiritual beings, by God’s design. We were created to live in fellowship and harmony with God our Creator. Our first parents fell from that wholeness when they believed a lying spirit who came to them as a serpent and twisted God’s truth to seduce them into rebellion against Him. All of humanity shares in this loss. Some claim that they don’t need God, yet our hearts all know the incessant urge for something more in life, a quiet witness to our need for God in life.

While there are many spirits in the world that offer us attractive threads for weaving together our own spiritual tapestries, there is only one Spirit of God through whom can we know the true God. The Holy Spirit, the third person of the Godhead, is the One whom God the Father and Jesus the Son sent to call, gather and enlighten us to believe that Jesus is the Lamb of God, who has taken away the world’s sin through His death and resurrection. The Spirit gave us new birth through baptism, and He guides us to live our lives in repentance from sin and with faith in God’s forgiveness. He empowers us to tell others who Jesus is and what He has done for us. He helps us to pray with confidence in God, guards us in temptation, and enables us to serve God by loving our neighbours. Through the Word we hear during the worship of our congregation, the Holy Spirit works to help us grow in faithful worship and loving service. The Spirit will raise our bodies from the dead on the Last Day, and give us the glory of our Lord. So through Him, we will live to praise God the Father, Son and Holy Spirit as one forever.

“DIY spirituality” may appeal to our desire to be in control of our lives, but it cannot give us the peace and joy that come from the Spirit’s gift of faith in Jesus. When someone tells you that they are spiritual but not part of a church, you might gently remark that you are spiritual because the Holy Spirit has made you part of the Church.