Is Everyone Spiritual?

 October 11, 2024

Friday

As I have said before, we all communicate by what we know. Therefore, when a Christian says "spiritual" the non-Christian relates that to something he or she knows. Thus, everyone becomes spiritual with a different definition. We are thought of a spiritual and religious and they think of themselves as spiritual and non-religious.

A Christian is spiritual because the Holy Spirit dwells inside him. He is not necessarily spiritual because he dreams dreams or sees visions. I actually believe that a lot of non-Christians have dreams that can only be described as spiritual in a secular sense. It will not be the same as the Christian's experience. The Christian will understand the dream by the interpretation of the Holy Spirit. The non-Christian comes up with his own interpretation.

Sometimes non-Christians will admit that there is a God. They will even state that He does miracles. They think that people try to get on His good side by being religious. They have no idea that they could have a personal relationship. They have know idea that they could actually experience God. This is why they might believe that there are many paths to God. They might believe that God lets all people into His heaven. They might believe that they came into this world innocent and any sin that was committed was because the world influenced them to commit it. Through all this, they think of themselves as spiritual.

Today, I heard a man say that we are all spiritual beings. He is somewhat right. We all possess a spirit but our spirits are dead to the Holy Spirit until we become Christians. Our spirits receive communication from the Holy Spirit. Our spirits can grow if we obey and remain almost dormant if we quench or grieve the Spirit. It bothers me when a person who claims to be a Christian has no communication with the Spirit. We must possess the Spirit to be Christians.

I am also distressed when I see a Christian being controlled by their sinful nature. That means that they are not full of the Spirit. That means they are grieving the Spirit. That means they are far from God even if they are so "religious" that they go to church every week. The Holy Spirit should be more than a name we banter around on Sundays. He must be active in our lives. We must let Him become active. The non-Christian sees that backslidden Christian as normal. 

Lastly, I am bothered by those who are self-righteous. They believe they know more than everyone else. They evidently know that God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble. They would know this if they were full of the Holy Spirit. Those who think they are close to God but are actually far away often can't see the distance. Those who are full of the Spirit are grieved over the distance that exists between them and God. The non-Christian despises the self-righteous.

There should be such a difference between our interaction with the Holy Spirit that the non-Christian would immediately know that there is a difference. Then, maybe they would say, "I am not spiritual like you." Then, we could have an honest conversation to tell them how they could be.

Romans 8:9 (ESV)

⁹ You, however, are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if in fact the Spirit of God dwells in you. Anyone who does not have the Spirit of Christ does not belong to him.