Everyone is “spiritual” today. A USA Today survey indicated that even most atheists consider themselves “spiritual.” But whenever spirituality is written about publicly or discussed privately, whether in the culture at large or within the Church, it seems the focus is always on individual spirituality. Cultural spirituality—whether the emphasis is on meditation, mindfulness, yoga, or any of an infinite number of expressions—usually implies, You have your spirituality, and I have mine. You do what works for you, and I’ll do what works for me. Moreover, in cultural spirituality there is no widely accepted standard of what spirituality is, beyond the assumption that your spirituality should improve your life and make you a better person.
By contrast, key distinctives of true, biblically based, Christian spirituality include (1) the final authority is God’s Word (the Bible), (2) the standard is Christ, and (3) the power comes from the Holy Spirit, not merely self-effort. But even where these things are fervently believed, spirituality still tends to be considered primarily as an individual matter. “How’s your prayer life? Tell me about your quiet time.”
True Spirituality
The focal point of worldly spirituality is primarily the self. In general, it teaches that your greatest problems are outside you and that the solution is within you. Change your thinking and your habits, and you can overcome your problems. Biblical spirituality declares that your biggest problems are within you—sin against God and separation from God—and that the only solution is outside you: Jesus Christ.
Thus, at the center of Christian spirituality is Jesus. The gospel, that is, the good news about Jesus, is that His sinless life and His substitutionary death on the cross can erase all our sins and make us right with God forever. And by His resurrection, Jesus provided incontrovertible evidence that all He claimed to be and to do for us is true.
The only response Jesus requires for us to enjoy these incomparable realities is to turn from the self-centeredness of our sin and to trust in what He’s done for us. This means forsaking reliance upon ourselves and our spirituality and believing that the person and work of Jesus alone is sufficient to bring us to God and to experience the spiritually “abundant life” (John 10:10) that God offers to us.
The Spiritual Life Begins with the Holy Spirit
The Bible says that all who trust in Christ and His righteousness (instead of their own) are “born again” (John 3:3) and indwelled by the third member of the Triune God, the Holy Spirit. This is when a person truly becomes “spiritual.” Until then, a person “does not receive the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him” (1 Cor. 2:14).
So, until a person turns to Christ and receives the gift of the Holy Spirit, all his or her “spiritual” searching and striving is ultimately in vain. Despite any perceived temporal benefits from worldly spirituality, they are useless for knowing God and produce no eternal value. Real spiritual life begins when a person looks in faith to Jesus and receives the Holy Spirit.
Spiritual Growth
The presence of the Holy Spirit causes a person to have new holy hungers, holy longings, and holy affinities for the holy things of God. Among them is a desire to know Jesus better and to become more like Him. The Bible uses terms like holiness, sanctification, Christlikeness, and godliness to describe the process of growing in one’s relationship with Jesus and increasing in conformity of life to Him.
In the Bible, God has given us means or practices by which we may experience Him and grow to become more like Jesus. These have come to be known as the “spiritual disciplines.” By engaging in them, we obey the command to “Discipline yourself for the purpose of godliness” (1 Tim. 4:7, NASB). The Spirit gives us the desire and power to practice the spiritual disciplines, but it is our responsibility to live them out.
The Spiritual Disciplines
Broadly speaking, these biblical activities may be divided into personal spiritual disciplines and interpersonal ones. The personal disciplines are those we practice alone, such as meditating on Scripture, praying alone, worshiping God in private, and more.[i] These are essential for spiritual growth and godliness. But they are also the ones we hear about most often in any discussion of Christian spirituality.
However, equally important for growth in the knowledge of God and in Christlikeness—though emphasized less frequently—are the interpersonal spiritual disciplines. These are the practices found in Scripture which we do with other believers. Among them are hearing the Word of God read, taught, and preached, praying with others, worshiping God with His people, serving others, and fellowship (which includes not merely socializing with other Christians, but also talking with them about God and the things of God).[ii]
Most believers seem to be inclined a little more toward either the personal or the interpersonal disciplines, but we all need both. The Bible teaches both. Jesus practiced both. And without a proper proportion of both, our spiritual growth will be stunted.
There are experiences with God and blessings from God which He gives only when we are alone with Him. But the same is true when we practice the interpersonal spiritual disciplines. And it is to these that I want to direct your attention now.
Unique Blessings to Ourselves
God blesses His people in ways unique to the assembly. Others in the body of Christ have gifts, insights, and experiences that you do not possess, but the Lord intends for them to be a blessing to you. The apostle Paul expressed this in 1 Corinthians 12:14–31 in his analogy comparing the body of Christ to a human body. God made both in such a way that each part has a unique role and yet all the parts are interdependent. The eye can see that food looks tasty, but the health of the eye is dependent on the mouth and the digestive system. In the same way, your spiritual health is strengthened by your interaction with the abilities, wisdom, and examples of others in your church.
When you participate in the interpersonal disciplines, others can teach you important biblical truths you do not know. They can pray for you. Your church can help meet physical or financial needs, provide counsel, share encouraging testimonies, offer comfort in your struggles, and use the talents of others to enable you to worship God in ways you can never experience in private. Yes, you can worship God in the shower or alone in the woods, but there are unique blessings in being among a forest of voices singing “Holy, Holy, Holy.”
Unique Blessings to Others
In the same way, you can share your gifts, insights, and experiences to bless others in ways you never can when alone. The Lord put you in the body of Christ and gifted you for a purpose. God never intended for you, like some spiritual miser, to selfishly squander all He’s given you. The Bible says God “comforts us in all our affliction, so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God” (2 Cor. 1:4). What’s true about the purpose of His comforts is true for all He’s given us.
There are people in your church who you can comfort in ways that perhaps no one else can. You have helpful Scriptural insights that some do not have, but need. You can put your arm around someone and pray for them when few, if any, know of the situation. God can use an experience of yours to encourage others. Your mere presence in the assembly encourages your pastor, and your voice strengthens the praise God hears from His people.
I once heard someone ask a pastor, “Is your church growing?”
The pastor thought for a moment, then said, “You know, I think we are more like Jesus today than we used to be.”
Your participation in the interpersonal spiritual disciplines can help make that true for your church.
