Subscribe to Every Post:How’s your Spiritual Life?
The most common way church people answer the question, “how are you doing spiritually?” is by basing their answer on the evaluation of their “devotional life,” which is typically Bible study and prayer. If we are consistent in our Bible reading and prayer, we have a tendency to think we are doing well spiritually. If we are not consistent, however, in our Bible reading and prayer, we have a tendency to think our spiritual life is in the tank.
Somehow, particularly in the Western World, we have made our pursuit of reading, study or engagement with the Bible the marker of spirituality. The more we study and learn the Bible, the more we come under the illusion that this equals spiritual growth. What many do not realize is that this is deception.
What we often do not understand is that the Bible is a means and not an end. Reading it and learning it is simply a tool or channel that we should use to get to our goal or end.
What is the goal or end? To live out a Christ-like character and to be engaged in Christ’s mission of serving and reaching the world with the gospel.
James 1:22 says, “Do not merely listen to the word and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says.”
Why would James warn us against deception as we engage the Bible? The answer is because reading and studying the Bible as an end, and not a means, can lead us to a false sense of spirituality.
Jesus also rebuked the Pharisees in a similar way when he said, “You diligently study the Scriptures because you think that by them you possess eternal life. These are the Scriptures that testify about me.”
What was the problem? The Pharisees were great studiers of the Bible but were not transformed into the likeness of Jesus. They used the Scriptures as an end and not a means.
Jesus was the greatest example in the history of the world of what it means for a human to follow God.
Here is a list of some of his attributes or character traits: compassionate, humble, firm, loving, prayerful, submissive, truthful, approachable, persevering, patient, bold, gentle, giving, faithful, empathetic, merciful, flexible, Spirit-led, discerning, self controlled, sexually pure, joyful, forgiving, disciplined, caring, thankful, simple, self-denying, content, uncompromising, servant-oriented, gracious, etc.
If we want to evaluate our spiriutal life, Bible reading and prayer do not cut it. Don’t get me wrong, they are both very important, but if they don’t lead to transformation, they often lead to deception. Are we becoming more like Jesus by the way we live our lives and are we more engaged in his mission of reaching unbelievers with the gospel? There is the measuring stick of spirituality.
In our sermon this past Sunday I suggested that the church should spend more time and more energy on Bible living and not simply Bible reading and study. The church in America is one of the most theologically advanced churches in the world and yet one of the least transformed churches in the world.
Probably not one of my safest messages of the year, but one I think all of us, including mostly myself, need to hear.
As we move into this new year, this is a good time to set our sights more clearly on the goal.
More to come on some of this later …