True Spirituality

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So God means us to have, as one of His gifts in this life, freedom from a false tyranny of conscience.Most, if not all, Christians find that the first step in the “substantial healing” that they can have in the present life is the substantial healing of the “separation from themselves” that is a result of the fall andof sin. Man is first of all separated from God. . . then from himself. . . and finally from his fellow man and from nature. The blood of Christ will give an absolute and perfect restoration of all these things when Jesus comes. But in the present life there is to be a substantial healing, including the results of the separation between a man and himself. This is the first step towards “freedom in the present life”from the results of the bonds of sin. Look in between each thought. Notice the gaps of silence, even if it is ever so small. That’s the level of consciousness you want to be noticing. It only needs to be witnessed for a split second, but it is enough. Ways to Increase Your Spirituality 1) Meditate Likewise, the Christian life (true spirituality) is not to be seen as “outward” at all, but as “inward.” The climax of the Ten Commandments is the Tenth Commandment – “Thou shat not covet” – this commandment is an entirely inward thing. Actually, we break this commandment before we break any of the others. Paul states very clearly in Romans that this was the commandment which gave him a “sense of being sinful” – “I would not have come to know sin except through the Law; for I would not have knownabout coveting if the Law had not said, ‘ You shall not covet.’ But sin, taking opportunity through the commandment, produced in me coveting of every kind” (Rom 7:7-8). What Paul is saying here is this:“I did not know I was a sinner; I thought I would come out all right, because I was keeping these outward things and was doing well in comparison with other people.” He had been measuring himself against the externalized form of the commandments which the Jews had in their tradition. But when he opened the Ten Commandments and read that the last commandment was not to covet, he saw he was a “sinner.” Perfectionism – This is the teaching that a Christian can be “perfect” in this life; this teaching is the result of something known as a “second blessing” that follows conversion – once received the individual never sins again. The early John Wesley taught this; not the later Wesley, for he began to see that this could not be consistently held. Obviously, perfectionism does not align with the teaching of Scripture. Schaeffer reflects: “The more the Holy Spirit puts His finger on my life and goes down deep into my life, the more I understand that there are deep wells to my nature – in a sense we are like the “iceberg,” one-tenth above the surface and nine-tenths below it; as such, it is a very, very simple thing to fool ourselves.” ( Jer 17:9; Jam 3:2; 1 Jn 3:10). Schaeffer continues, “As the Holy Spirit has wrestled with me down through the years, more and more I am aware of the depths of my own sinful nature, and the depths of the results of that awful fall in the Garden of Eden.” Man is actually separated from himself (more on this later).

Always turning inward and looking for answers is how you grow spiritually. Life will continue bringing you to your knees, but it’s your duty to keep your head up and continue moving forward. Knowing that this moment shall pass even when it feels that the light is so far ahead. The Bible makes a clear distinction between “temptation” and “sin.” Christ was tempted in every point like as we are, yet He never sinned (Heb 4:15); therefore, there is a difference between temptationand sin. Scripture goes on to tell us that the victory that overcomes the world is “our faith” (1 Jn 5:4). It is not we who overcome the world in our own strength – we do not have a power plant inside ourselves that can overcome the world. The overcoming is the work of the Lord Jesus Christ, as we have already seen. There can be a victory, a practical victory, if we raise the “empty hands of faith” moment by moment and accept the gift. God has promised a way of escape that we might not succumb to temptation (1 Cor 10:13). Second, Christian spirituality relies on the power of the Holy Spirit to live according to God's will. The Holy Spirit serves to lead us into all truth (John 16:13), gives joy (Ephesians 5:18), and convicts when we sin (Ephesians 4:30). For example, 1 John 1:5-8 teaches, "This is the message we have heard from him and proclaim to you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all. If we say we have fellowship with him while we walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth. But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin. If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us." True spirituality depends on the supernatural power God gives through the Holy Spirit rather than dependence on human strength.Sometimes believers “feel” that they have found something more. Often this sense of finding “something more” is nothing more than a series of “spiritual disciplines” or “service unto the Lord.” For awhile they feel like they have found that for which they are seeking. As a result their Christian lifestyle and ministry at the church may change. They may teach others their new passion while they are still searching. The Experience Johnson KA. Prayer: A helpful aid in recovery from depression. J Relig Health. 2018;57(6):2290-2300. doi:10.1007/s10943-018-0564-8 This is all so painless; it’s all so easy. Supposedly you can absorb Scripture without ever paying attention to it. You can get involved in spiritual development, spiritual growth, miracles and so forth without ever opening your Bible. Things like fervent prayer, and diligent holiness, and earnest devotion, and careful study, and conscientious meditation on the things of God are rendered unnecessary by this approach. It used to be that losing weight required self-control and some discipline; now we’re told a continuous-play tape can exorcise demons of fat and gluttony for you, and there’s absolutely nothing to it: pay the money and you’re delivered. Robert L. (Bob)Deffinbaugh graduated from Dallas Theological Seminary with his Th.M. in 1971. Bob is a pastor/teacher and elder at Community Bible Chapel in Richardson, Texas, and has contributed many of his Bible study series for use by the Foundation. Pointing” is a word that’s used often in spirituality. The best spiritual teachings are the ones that make you search for yourself. There are no spiritual teachers, only spiritual teachings.

The very First Commandment set forth a call to say a “strong negative” towards wanting to be in the place of God. This is the key to the whole thing – wanting to be at the center of the universe. By choice “we are to die to running our own lives and doing our own thing.” The Last Commandment, “Thou shalt not covet,” shows us that these negatives are not related just to outward behavior, but to inward attitudes. In reality, here is our death. We are to say “no” – by choice – to self at that point in living when we are confronted with things that are wrong, and that we might very well find enjoyable. Thus, here in the midst of life, where there is battle and strife, there is to be a “strong negative” – by choice, and by the grace of God. It is not, for example, a matter of waiting until we no longer have strong sexual desires, but rather than in the midst of the movement of life, surrounded by a world that grabs everything in rebellion first against God and then against its fellow man, we are to understand what Jesus means when He talks about denying ourselves and renouncing ourselves in regard to that which is not rightfully ours. McMahon, BT, Biggs HC. Examining spirituality and intrinsic religious orientation as a means of coping with exam anxiety. Society, Health & Vulnerability. 2012;3(1). doi:10.3402/vgi.v3i0.14918More important, it used to be that faith and spiritual understanding and righteousness were pursued through disciplined lives of devotion and study and prayer. And now the proponents of subliminal therapy-promised holiness can happen to you even while you sleep. Subliminal sanctification and the Charismatic Movement seem to be good partners; they fit together perfectly. From the very beginning, Charismatic Movements – whichever of them – have promised primarily shortcuts to spiritual maturity. Now, to be spiritual simply means to be alive to God to possess the Holy Spirit. And all Christians are spiritual, and all nonbelievers are carnal and natural. But let me take it a step further; it is possible for a spiritual believer to act in a carnal way. In other words, it is possible for us to behave like our old self. We understand that, don’t we? We still have the remaining flesh that carnal reality is there, and it is very possible that that carnal reality, that unredeemed human flesh, can still exercise and exert its power. What is God's meaning of true spirituality? Our pastor has started a sermon series on spirituality. He is using the six basis of spirituality according to a book written by Richard Foster. I have severe reservations about the direction this series may take as it appears to be a topical sermon series. Also, he is not continuing his Wednesday Bible study on a book of the Bible but a topical supplement to the sermons preached on the prior Sunday, which apparently was at the determination of the group attending. Originally the Bible study was on a Tuesday and was recently changed to a praise, prayer, Bible meeting. The Bible study was cut to a half hour and not presented as an in depth study, but as an overview. I was determined to be open-minded and have an open-heart. Now it has changed again within a month and is now a topical supplement. I am having severe difficulty accepting this change. I feel the pastor is pushing his own needs and/or thinks this will promote growth in the congregation. I don't understand where he is going anymore and have lost my fervor to learn as it would not be possible anymore to find a qualified biblical teaching else where in the church. I feel completely let down by the church and the thought of attending another social function, meeting, or opportunity to feed myself instead of feasting on God's Word is just about ruining all hope I have in the Church. Bible Answer: The death and resurrection of Jesus Christ are not only historical facts and significant doctrines, but they are the personal experiences of every believer through “union with Christ.” As believers, we have each been “baptized into Christ” – spiritually speaking, that means “we died with Christ” and “we were raised with Christ,” that we might walk in newness of life (Rom 6:3-4). The essence of the myster-ious union we have with Christ is this – God’s Spirit spiritually placed us “in Christ” 2000 years ago at the cross, so that when He died, we died with Him. . . and when He was raised, we were raised with Him (Rom 6:5; Gal 2:20; Col 2:20; 3:1). That is the spirituality reality of every believer; they are all “in Christ;” that is their “position” if you will (Rom 6:3-4, 11; 1 Cor 1:30; Gal 3:27; Eph 2:6; 2:10; Col 3:3). Christ “died to sin” in the sense that He bore sin’s penalty (Rom 6:23); as a result sin has no more claim or demand upon us. . . because we died with Him. As Christians we are no longer “alive to sin” and “dead to God” – we are now brand new creations in Christ (2 Cor 5:17); therefore we are “dead to sin” and “alive to God.” We were “crucified with Christ” that our old self might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves to sin – that means we are freed from sin (Rom 6:6-7); we now have the capacity to walk in newness of life (Rom 6:4); we didn’t have that capacity as unbelievers. Because we died with Christ, we have been set free from the law of sin and death (Rom 8:2). And it was the only time that I can remember, in my ministry, that I was literally physically pulled out of the pulpit. A man grabbed my arm and pulled me out, and pulled me down in a chair before I was finished. And he got up, and he said, you know, “We’ve got to stop and have prayer for this brother because he’s deceived, and he’s confused.”

Verywell Mind articles are reviewed by mental health professionals. Reviewers confirm the content is thorough and accurate, reflecting the latest evidence-based research. Content is reviewed before publication and upon substantial updates. Learn more. Charismatics argue that unless you have the baptism of the Holy Spirit with tongues, you can’t function the way God really wants you to; you’re missing something. If, on the other hand, you do have the baptism of the Spirit with tongues, you’ve been elevated to a level of spirituality and sanctification. Dedication to God or a higher power translated into less stress reactivity, greater feelings of well-being, and ultimately even a decreased fear of death. Other Renew tapes promise to speak into being. They will speak into being in your life prosperity, weight loss, peace, healing, self-esteem, salvation, marital harmony, surrender to God, acceptance of God’s love, and a closer walk with God. And according to Renew – quote –“Bible-based subliminal messages hit controlling spirits where they live and command them to leave in Jesus’ name, and then the void is filled with the Word of God.” End quote. Stephen J. Nichols ,President, Reformation Bible College; Chief Academic Officer, Ligonier MinistriesWhitehead BR, Bergeman CS. Coping with daily stress: Differential role of spiritual experience on daily positive and negative affect. J Gerontol B Psychol Sci Soc Sci. 2012;67(4):456-459. doi:10.1093/geronb/gbr136