Becoming Spiritual

Becoming Spiritual is a matter of growth: Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded. Be wretched and mourn and weep. Let your laughter be turned to mourning and your joy to gloom. Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will exalt you. James 4:7-10.  It does not happen suddenly, miraculously or by some overwhelming change of being possessed by the Spirit or experiencing Spirit baptism. Pet wrote" But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To him be the glory both now and to the day of eternity. Amen." 2 Peter 3:18

 

Spiritual growth is not achieved by one process, then another and another in sequence. It is achieved by an intermingling of several factors simultaneously.

 

First, to grow spiritually one must have a desire to be spiritual. Jesus said "If anyone's will is to do God's will, he will know whether the teaching is from God or whether I am speaking on my own authority." John 7:17

 

One must have a strong desire to achieve a goal before he will put forth the necessary effort to do so. One must draw close to the Spirit to become spiritual. A spiritual being separated from God but constantly attached to the flesh will languish and die. A spiritual being constantly drawing near to God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit can receive spiritual nourishment and grow.

 

Second, a strong, deep, and obedient faith is essential to become spiritual. "… without faith it is impossible to please him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him." Hebrews 11:6 But Paul teaches that "… faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ." Romans 10:17. Abraham became spiritual because he believed God, and it was reckoned to him for righteousness. Paul became spiritual because he believed, trusted and obeyed God.

 

Third, the preacher must study the Bible extensively, systematically and thoroughly in order to become spiritual. The Bible is the source of our faith. Through revelation we know God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit.

 

Study must be done in many settings, privately and personally. Christians must know God's will, memorize it, lay it up in the heart, meditate upon it and apply it in life. Ezra set the correct example. "… Ezra had set his heart to study the Law of the LORD, and to do it and to teach his statutes and rules in Israel." Ezra 7:10.

 

Fourth, Christians can grow more spiritual by thinking, reflecting and meditating on spiritual things. Paul wrote: "… whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things." Philippians 4:8.

 

Fifth, as one must protect the physical body against disease to grow strong, one must protect his own spirit against sinful things. Christians must stress ethereal things not physical; eternal things not temporal; godly things not devilish; spiritual things not carnal or fleshly. Many Christians spend too much time in the sinful world with sinful world activities and people. They spend too little time with spiritual people and in spiritual activities. To be spiritual a Christian must read spiritual books, attend spiritual activities, and look up to spiritual people.

 

Sixth, to become spiritual Christians must communicate with God through prayer. The truly spiritual Christian will pray often, fervently and in faith. To do this effectively requires much study of prayer.

 

Paul urges us to pray that we might become spiritual. "For this reason I bow my knees before the Father, from whom every family in heaven and on earth is named, that according to the riches of his glory he may grant you to be strengthened with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith—that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may have strength to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God." Ephesians 3:14-19

 

Spiritual people in the Bible were people who prayers. David's prayers are numerous in the book of Psalms. Nearly every one of Paul's letters reflect that he was praying for all of the members of all of the churches to whom he wrote.

 

Seventh, the fruit of the Spirit not only gives evidence of spiritual growth and development but also as practiced become sources of even greater and stronger spirituality. Paul lists this fruit in opposition to the works of the flesh. "… walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. For the desires of the flesh are against the Spirit, and the desires of the Spirit are against the flesh, for these are opposed to each other, to keep you from doing the things you want to do. But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law. Now the works of the flesh are evident: sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions, divisions, envy, drunkenness, orgies, and things like these. I warn you, as I warned you before, that those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. if we live by the Spirit, let us also walk by the Spirit." Galatians 5:16-25. The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, meekness and self-control. Such is the result of listening to and obeying the Spirit. However, as Christians bear fruit and exhibit it, they become more spiritual and stronger spiritually, thus being more able to overcome the flesh.