IS SPIRITUALITY CHRISTIANITY? PART 2

In part 1 of this series, I closed by stating some spiritual and scriptural facts about the word of God that I will repeat here before I continue on this subject. I concluded by saying that God is (spirit) and not man; I showed that God (spirit) came in the world taking on the form of man; I showed that the new covenant requires a oneness union between two spirits (God the son and the church); I explained that the church is a spiritual people of believes; I distinguished the major difference between a believer (lives spiritually) and unbelievers (lives carnally); I showed that one required to be born of the spirit to enter the kingdom of God and I finished by calling to remembrance that true worship requires worshiping in spirit and in truth. This of course was not an exhaustive list but was adequate to reveal the truth of the word of God. Everything on the list was pointing to spirituality and not physicality.

Part 1 was enough to show that God has called us to be spiritual (live spiritually) and not carnal (live physically). However, since this series resulted from an issue someone raised about spirituality of believers – in particular me. I am inclined to conclude that the same sentiments may be shared by other believers on the subject of spirituality despite God being so clear on the subject. I believe that this too is evidence enough to show that God does not interfere with our freewill. He has given us his word and of our own freewill we choose to believe it, believe otherwise or ignore God’s interpretation of his word. We instead coin our own interpretations that suit our beliefs. It is from this backdrop that I have continued with this second part to bring out more basic truths on this subject. God will say live by faith and not by sight and yet someone will choose to believe that God is not saying live in the spirit or totally ignore such scripture because it does not sit well with their self-belief.

 In my last series I spoke more about scriptural facts that deal with the relationships and our position in God’s spiritual family. I know I did not say anything about God’s family but do take note that He has a spiritual family and you are a part of it if you are born of the spirit (born again). God’s word says that you need to believe in the son Jesus, and that God sent him. He died and was raised from the dead for the salvation of the world (sinners). This process is a way to the ultimate goal that guarantees eternal life. This ultimate goal is being born again in the spirit. When you believe and whenever the word (Jesus) says believe in me it is actually calling you to become born again. Where you die to carnality and become reborn spiritually therefore being translated from darkness to light.

However, today I do not want to dwell much on this subject affecting our being. I want to focus on created things. This is because I believe that God created the earth and all in it after a model of a spiritual place (heaven). Why do I believe so? Simply because He says there is nothing new under the sun. Meaning what he created was a likeness after something that already existed. In the same manner he created man as an image and likeness after Himself so did he create all other things. However, my beliefs don’t count for much but what the word of God says. Therefore, what evidence is there validating that earthly things or some early things either God created or manmade are modeled after spiritual heavenly things?

Jos 10:1 Now it came to pass, when Adonizedec king of Jerusalem had heard how Joshua had taken Ai, and had utterly destroyed it; as he had done to Jericho and her king, so he had done to Ai and her king; and how the inhabitants of Gibeon had made peace with Israel, and were among them.

Heb 12:22 But ye are come unto mount Sion, and unto the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to an innumerable company of angels

Rev 15:3 And they sing the song of Moses the servant of God, and the song of the Lamb, saying, Great and marvelous are thy works, Lord God Almighty; just and true are thy ways, thou King of saints.

The first verse above is talking about a physical place called Jerusalem which is ruled by a named king and suggests that this place on earth was a kingdom. The next two verses are showing that there are spiritual things in heaven that exist in a like manner. Hebrews 12:22 is validating that there is a place in heaven called Jerusalem. Revelations 15:3 is showing that kingship is equally in a heavenly place and God is the king.

Somethings are so clear such that they do not require much evidence. This is one of those things. God is spirit and has created both spiritual and natural things. The natural things are modelled after spiritual things because spiritual things predate all natural things. Man is a spirit being in a natural body modelled after a spirit God. However, the ignorance of man and lack of understanding breeds contempt of certain things due to labels that men have created. My Christian believer called me a spiritualist because in his mind he likened the word to dark arts. However, he forgot that everything of the devil is a perversion of the truth of the word of God.

Satan takes the truth and creates a lie, he takes light and creates an illusion of it, he takes righteousness and creates sin. Every evil thing is a twist of the truth. It is said that midnight and/ or the twelfth hour is a critical time in the kingdom of darkness and so believers have deceived themselves in not utilizing these times because they believe that they are evil. Believers forget that these are gates and Satan is maximizing on them to make spiritual exchange while believers shun away. A study of scripture will show you that God did certain things at certain times such as midnight hour, twelfth hour, full month and so forth. Is it not a wonder that scripture mentions that the children of darkness are much wiser than the children of light. I am using this uncomfortable illustration to drive a point and not teach on it. I will therefore leave it here but just re-emphasize that true spirituality belongs to believers. They ought to be spiritualists. A word which the world has demonized to imply something unholy. Here is a dictionary definition of spirituality from Dectionary.com

noun, plural spir·it·u·al·i·ties.

1.     the quality or fact of being spiritual.

2.     incorporeal or immaterial nature.

3.     predominantly spiritual character as shown in thought, life, etc.; spiritual tendency or tone.

The above definition concludes this matter; not that I encourage to use dictionary definitions to interpret the word of God. You ought to be careful when you do this because there is usually a difference in meaning between dictionary definitions and the original language meaning in which scripture was written (Hebrew and Greek). I encourage you to use the concordance definitions instead.

Reflect on the table below and see if you can add more verses as you ponder on this question, is spirituality everything?

Evidence of spiritual existence

Man – created as a natural god of the earth after the likeness of a spirt God of heaven and earth.

Gen 1:26, Psa 82:6

Natural animals on earth - Record of spiritual animals exists otherwise there would be no face of an eagle or lion if they did not predate natural animals.

Eze 1:10, Rev 2:6

A physical city called Jerusalem – Heaven has a place called Jerusalem which is depicted as the city of God.

Heb 12:22

A physical altar and tabernacle – Also found in heaven.

Rev 15:15; 9:13

God vowed that when you see a rainbow it will remind him and be as a sign that he will never destroy the world in judgement as he did in the days of Noah – Record exists of a rainbow in heaven, clothing, Gold and sits and books

Rev 4:3-5; 5:2

Husband and wife marry on earth – there is record of spiritual marriage

Jas 5:7, Rev 21:2

However, it is worth noting that there are certain things that are not modeled after heavenly spiritual things because they do not carry the attribute of God. Critical examples of such things include death and sin for they are not a creation of God. God bless. Therefore, choose how you want to live and believe as a Christian but the truth stands. In that to have a part in eternal life you need to be spiritual. If this does not translate in spirituality being everything for a believer, then we deceive ourselves. But, if we acknowledge that spirituality is everything to a believer then I would be in the right to confidently conclude that spirituality is Christianity.

References:

?Dictionary.com [online] Available at: https://www.dictionary.com [Accessed 14 Aug. 2018].