Worldly
and Divine Spirituality
Worldly and
Divine Spirituality
We live in an amazing world of
intellectual synthesis. For many in our world the ideal in life is to forget
about our differences and focus on living as one big, happy family. This
certainly sounds positive and healthy. But it is in the least naive. Looked at
fully this notion is very misleading. It is not only a lie but is rooted in the
"father of lies" and his desire to deceive. Differences do exist and
have since the day when a human being decided to listen to some one other than
God. Even among men and women who
actively search out spiritual truths there exist important distinctions. To
deny these distinctions in one's spiritual quest is dangerous. There is no such
thing as a spirituality that is both worldly and divine. But before I enter
into the particulars of these distinctions I would like to share with you an
account of my journey. There is no purpose in listening to my teaching if you
have no sense as to where I have been. The journey continues and God has
wonderful things yet to reveal while I travel through this world.
I have sought out
spiritual truths since I was old enough to ask the question, "Why?"
My mother once remarked that I was born with a question mark on my forehead.
From time to time religious folk would recognize this and direct me to "go
to church" or "read the Bible". At that time going to church
seemed like a meaningless activity. I did not understand much that the preacher
said and I never could understand why people felt so strongly about being
there. It was nice at times but it did not answer any of the nagging questions
in my heart. So I began to seek answers elsewhere. There were people who
appeared to be seeking the same thing that I was. Eventually we began to walk
together into a world that I now call "worldly spirituality". But
there was so much that was obviously self-delusion about this spirituality and
it did not satisfy my longing for truth. I realized that nature held one of the
keys to spiritual understanding but at the time I did not know exactly how. So
I spent many months observing creation. I opened myself to creation that it
might open the eyes of my spiritual understanding. I learned something but it
was elusive. I could never explain it or honestly say that I knew it myself. It
was like holding many pieces to a puzzle but not knowing how they fit together.
I suppose one
could call it "natural spirituality" but it was clear that such a
thing could not exist without a framework. It defied a framework of its own.
Native American spirituality, for instance, is based on nature but it could not
exist without the superimposition of their perception of the world. This too
was a form of worldly spirituality. It did not hold the truth that I sought. It
was satisfying in many ways but it would not stand by itself. It demanded the framework
of man's perception of the world. And I knew that man's perception of the world
was faulty. I recognized the imperfections of man at a young age. Some called
it sin. But I did not understand what was meant by the term. Nevertheless there
was something wrong with man. I knew that man would have destroyed himself eons
ago had it not been for God the Creator. But who is this God the Creator? Is
there a "divine spirituality"? If so, how does one learn of it?
I began looking
at the Bible and seeking out the medieval "spiritual divines". But I
could not understand what they were saying. It seemed like what they were
saying was very similar to the worldly spirituality that I had studied before
with a perception of the world that was foreign to me. The Bible fascinated me
but it was obvious that I knew no one personally that had much understanding of
its teaching. The preachers that I knew seemed to have a one-track mind. All
that they seemed interested in was for me to get involved with their religious
group. So I tried to blend what I had learned into the truths gleaned from the
Bible. But this only brought up some very dark things within me. I became
anxious and fearful. So I gave up my pursuit altogether. I lived in a perpetual
state of denial. I lived for the pleasure of the moment and tried to make my
own future.
I knew that there
is no such thing as success when the spiritual is denied. But I set off on my
rebellious way until my life began to fall apart. Soon I crashed to a hard,
uncaring ground. There was no pleasure in that moment and there was no future
in sight for me. It pained me to even open my eyes. For all that I saw, heard
and felt reminded me of the futility of life. So in one last rebellious and
arrogant lunge I decided to stop the pain through suicide. But before I did
that I had to ask God the Creator one question. "Is there any truth?"
Like a blind man born blind I asked for assurance of light. I had sought
spiritual truth and reality all of my life. Would my end prove what the
experience of the past few months had revealed? Was life an exercise in
futility?
In a moment the
answer came. God the Creator answered my question. Whether the voice was
audible is difficult to say since I was alone in my car. But there was no
question of its reality. I heard the words, "I am the way, the truth, and
the life". Words cannot adequately describe what happened within me when I
heard this response. Truth was not a collection of intellectual propositions
neatly sewn together. Truth is found in Jesus Christ. The way that I had sought
for thirty years is found in Jesus Christ. Life is found in Jesus Christ. I
collapsed under the weight of unworthiness. I began to confess my unworthiness
to God. The torrent of confession returned a flood of grace. For the first time
in my life I felt right. I did not have any great doctrine to share or
spiritual truth to utter. But I was experiencing life as if for the first time.
I experienced the cleansing of my soul and an infilling of new life. Neither
the past nor the future was of any concern to me on that glorious night. I left
there singing.
Jesus Christ was
the Truth that I had sought all of my life. I had been given new life.
"Once I was blind but now I see". The rubble of my old life still lay
all around me. But it did not bother me. I had new life. I had been revealed
the truth - or, at least, the nature of truth. There was still much to be
learned but now a solid Rock rested beneath me. I could be content in not
knowing things because I knew the Truth. I could rest on Christ the Rock who is
"the way, the truth and the life." The same things applied when I
entered the religious community. Preachers still had a one-track mind and I
still wondered why people got so excited about church buildings and religious
paraphernalia. But I had something that I did not have before when I "went
to church". I knew why they made such a fuss over this person called Jesus
Christ. I knew what the Gospel was because I had experienced the freedom and
new life of Jesus Christ and His Kingdom. But it was years before a divine
spirituality actually began to form within my heart. It was only within the
last few years that I have come to understand the relationship between the
Kingdom and the world. And it is this knowledge that I would like to share with
you at this time.
1. One
morning while shopping with my wife
I met a man bubbling over with excitement. Though we were strangers he quickly
introduced himself as a "Christian". He spoke of Christian spirituality
in terms that I have heard very few churched people speak. But since he was an elderly man I presumed
that he was speaking from great depths of understanding. I was excited that I
had found a man that I might learn some things about Christian spirituality. So
I invited him to have lunch with us. Our brief encounter did not prepare me,
however, for the surprise that awaited me.
As our guest I asked if he would give thanks for the
food. He humbly declined with the statement, "I'd rather not." I did
not think much about it. I knew many people who did not like to pray aloud. He
opened the conversation immediately by telling stories about his life. I
enjoyed them for a while but there seemed to be something missing. So I began
to probe into his wealth of experience for some sense of what he believed. But
his responses were all evasive. So I asked if he would share how he had come to
know Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. He gave a sigh as though he had heard
that question before and simply stated that he did not need a savior. I am
certain that my jaw hit the dinner plate. Trying to regain a sense of composure
I asked him then what is the nature of his relationship with God. My heart sank
as he denied Jesus Christ as "the Son of God" and Savior. He denied
the existence of sin therefore he needed no Savior. How could I have been so
easily duped into thinking that this man was a Christian? As I listened to him
I thought how similar the terms were that he used but how different were their
meaning.
I found out from him later that he was raised in
Christian Science but his amazingly vast ego lead him into a cult that believed
God to be an almighty force that they could harness. But in his own words,
"he had advanced beyond anything that they could teach him." A
question, however, kept nagging at me, "How could I have thought that this
man was Christian?" What first caught my attention was his profuse use of
the term "Christ". I assumed that people who spoke so adoringly of Christ
were Christians. But I was supplying the name Jesus along with the term Christ.
Secondly, was his familiarity with the great teachers of spirituality in
Christian history. I knew very few
Christians who were familiar with Jacob Boehme, John Chrysostom and Meister
Eckhart. But what was the most
plausible explanation for my deception was the desire that I had for mature
Christian fellowship. I wanted this man to be a Christian so that I could share
and fellowship with him. Our relationship ended when I told him that the path he
was on was a very dangerous one. But I believe God had a purpose for our
meeting.
There
is no question that this man was involved in spirituality. He practiced and
studied spirituality. He even perceived himself to be on a spiritual journey.
But how different were the paths! I would like to explore
these differences. In giving it much thought I have recognized at least
three essential differences between this man's "worldly spirituality"
and the "divine spirituality" that I have sought all my life. The
first difference rests on one's perception of the
world. The second pertains to purpose.
And the third depends on who is glorified
(i.e. the central focus of one's spirituality). These three differences overlap
from time to time. But I believe that they might help us better understand a
glaring problem in today's trend for spirituality.
2a. Human beings perceive the world and their relation to it in various ways.
One's understanding of spirituality is based greatly on this perception. Native
American culture, for instance, understood that they shared the world with an
environment that was spiritually animated. Their sense of time was closely
linked with the circularity of nature. Native American spirituality rests on
their link to nature. Westerners, on the other hand, perceive the world as
something to be subdued and utilized for their specific purpose. In recent
decades many have recognized the danger in unrestrained exploitation of the
environment but their perception of the world remains the same. The world
exists for man's sake. This humanist perception of the world forms the basis of
Western spirituality. In brief, Western spirituality is concerned with the
world only as far as it affects human desires. Wicca, alchemy, astrology and
other New Age directions are rooted in human desires. Their conception of time
is linear. It is a consciousness of becoming. There is a New Age coming and its
perfection centers on the fulfillment of human desires. Western Christianity
often maintains the same perception of the world and linear concept of time.
Included in many cultural perceptions of the world is
what may be termed "dualism". Dualism is a simplistic notion of the
world as struggling between two opposing forces. Whether we call these forces
good and evil or positive and negative the concept remains the same. There will
ultimately be a final battle in this consciousness of becoming that results in
one side defeating the other. The resulting New Age will find man still at its
center. The teaching of Jesus Christ and His Apostles defines a world (i.e. kosmos)
that is humanistic dualism within a linear concept of time. But they also
strongly note that they are not of the world. This "not of the world"
perspective is fundamental for spirituality that is truly Christian. Such a
statement looks at Christian Spirituality negatively. But this spirituality is
not negative. It is only negative when one's outlook is dualistic (i.e.
worldly).
It is difficult to define a specifically Eastern
perception of the world. There are many different perceptions of the world
found within those cultures we call Eastern. Generally speaking we might
perceive it as idealistic. The material world is related to the divine. But the
material can only be truly known through contact with the divine. Therefore the
spiritual emphasis is on attaining an eternal consciousness. The ethical effect
of this eternal consciousness, however, is seldom clarified. In some Eastern
traditions spirituality is essentially negative as a result of this perception
of the world. But the richness of diversity within Eastern philosophy makes it
difficult to discern a particular worldview.
Let us look for a moment at a perception of the world
that is truly Christian. A preacher once told me, "If you cannot believe
the first five words of the Bible then there is little point in reading
further." God created the earth and its inhabitants. Needless to say,
Christian spirituality insists on certain theological presuppositions. The
existence of Almighty God and the gift of His Son, Jesus Christ, for instance,
are necessary elements of Christian thought. The man who called himself
"Christian" in the illustration that is given above failed on this
most basic point. God created man perfectly and placed him in Paradise to live
eternally in the image of God. Neither linear temporality nor the present order
of things (i.e. the world) was a part of Edenic man's existence. This is man as
God created him. Man was created to live on earth but not in the world. God
made the earth for man to dwell. He was created to live in relationship with
God in Paradise. Man was not designed to be God but to live in the image of God
in fellowship with God. But all this changed with the advent of sin.
Sin, simply stated, is failing to be what God had designed
him to be. When sin entered the life of man he entered a different order. The
effect of sin was seen not only in the life of man but also in creation and
man's perception of time. To deny the existence of sin, therefore, is a grave
error. Sin is foundational to a right perception of the world. Without sin
there would be no "world" in the Biblical sense of the word. But sin
and this temporal world are realities that define our present circumstance.
God, who is gracious, just, merciful and loving in all that He does has made a
way for man and creation to be restored from the effects of sin. That Way is
Jesus Christ. This is the Good News (i.e. the Gospel) of Christ and His
Kingdom. It is in this sense that Jesus taught that His disciples would be in
the world but not of it. They, by necessity, lived in this present order of
things. But they were to recognize that they were not of this present order of
things. They were spiritual creatures living as strangers and sojourners in
this foreign place called the world. It must be understood that it is not the
earth or the material environment that is spoken of but rather the order in
which we now dwell.
2b. What is the purpose of spirituality? The answer to this question requires
one to be honest. For the man used in the illustration above the purpose was to
bolster an out-of-control ego. His life revolved around who he was. He was
already a legend in his own mind and it was his desire for the rest of the
world to catch on. Worldly spirituality permits this egocentric purpose but a
divine spirituality calls for a denial of self. It breaks my heart to see well
meaning Christians who share the same purpose as this man. They are willing to
trade a divinely appointed spiritual journey for an ego trip. Psychologically speaking,
it's a game. A noted psychologist refers to this game as "I've Got a
Secret". Many involved in worldly spirituality play this same game. It is
another attempt to control the world around them for their own purpose.
It is obvious that the purpose of worldly spirituality is
primarily to control one's environment. The alchemist seeks to get a handle on
the way things work that he might help the evolutionary process along. He works
toward a New Age of his own making (i.e. a perfection defined by himself).
Again we find this humanistic consciousness of becoming. Psychics (this term is
used here in its popular sense), astrologers and witches seek to control their
environment for less lofty purposes but with the same humanistic consciousness.
Ethical considerations are generally seen from a specifically egocentric
perspective. This may also be said of much that is called Christian
spirituality. The so-called "prosperity gospel" that was popular in
Christian circles a decade ago has a lot in common with astrologers and
witches. The purpose was to control the world for one's own selfish purpose.
Another popular form of Christian spirituality is also very worldly. A doctrine
popularized by Kenneth Copeland that I will call "Just Say the Word"
also has much in common with those mentioned above. Supposedly all one has to
do to control the world around him is to say the word and it will be done. God,
it is argued, has given him the authority to command whatever he desires. There
certainly is an element of truth in this doctrine. But it becomes an illusion
when seen from a worldly perspective. Unfortunately, most perceive it from a
worldly perspective.
What is the
purpose of divine spirituality? Simply stated the purpose rests in God's
purpose for man and creation. God created the earth for man to live. But it was
an earth unaltered by the effects of sin. He made man to live harmoniously with
God in Paradise. Death was never part of God's plan for creation. True
Christian spirituality must begin with this understanding of God's purpose for
creation. But this is not the reality that man experiences in this world. The
reality of God's purpose we hold by faith as we journey as pilgrims in this
world. Jesus summed up this purpose in the prayer that He taught the disciples.
"Thy Kingdom come, Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven."
Note the word, "earth". Earth and the world may be synonymous in most
of our thinking but there is a crucial difference in the teaching of our Lord.
Jesus does not teach "Thy will be done in this world as it is in
heaven". As followers of Jesus Christ, His Kingdom is within us. But we
are not of this world even as He is not of this world. We are pilgrims
traveling through this world on this sin-altered earth. We journey and sojourn
here by faith in hope of the restoration of all things (i.e. creation) through
Jesus Christ. That is the purpose of Christian Spirituality.
2c. Lastly, I would like to look at the difference in focus between worldly
and divine spirituality. Who is glorified by worldly spirituality? This
question may be answered honestly in one of two ways. We may say that man is
glorified. But from the perspective of the Holy Scriptures that is not entirely
true. Ultimately, the one who is glorified by worldly spirituality is Satan.
Worldliness by definition is sinful. Sin is a reality whether one denies it or
not. And the sinner is a "servant of sin". Therefore, whenever one
sins he glorifies his master who, in the case of the world, is Satan. Though
worldly spirituality appears to honor man, in truth, it honors only Satan. It
actually dishonors mankind. When we consider the awesome and noble purpose of
God and the heinous nature of sin we see that there is no real honor for man in
the world. For man's honor to be genuine it would have to come from God. For,
as the Scriptures state plainly, "the friendship of the world is enmity
with God". Jesus asked the religious leaders of Israel, "How can ye
believe, which receive honour one of another, and seek not the honour that
cometh from God only?" Jesus understood that receiving honor from men is a
snare. We may conclude then that if man is glorified in worldly spirituality
then, in truth, he is deceived. Man is only truly glorified when it is God who
honors him.
Divine spirituality, in a Christian sense, glorifies God.
Jesus is the Master of true spirituality. He leads us in this pilgrim journey.
By trusting in the blood of the Lamb we are permitted to walk untouched by sin
in the power of the Holy Spirit. We must walk even as He walked. And His
journey was pleasing to God because He continually gave
God the glory in all things. He continually trusted
God, His Father, in all things. And His journey was one of selfless service to others. Selflessly loving
others is a reflection of the love of God in our lives. It is not to bring
honor to our self but service to others and glory to God. Be wary of the praise
of men for two reasons. First, all the glory belongs to God. And secondly, the
praise of men holds a deadly snare for our spiritual life. Greatness, according
to the teaching of our Lord, may be found in humble and selfless service to all
men.
It is clear then that there may exist a worldly
spirituality that calls itself Christian as well as a divine spirituality that
is not Christian. It is not my purpose in this writing to serve as judge
regarding such matters but only to share what I understand of spirituality.
There are persons in this world whose perception of the world is very similar
to the divine perspective given above but with theological differences. These
same persons may experience a spirituality that is noble in purpose and is
essentially selfless in service to others. I therefore must use the term
Christian Spirituality for spirituality that is not only divine but also
Christian. In all fairness I must admit that it is possible to hold to a divine
spirituality without being Christian. God is the judge of such matters. But it
is not possible to be saved from one's sinfulness and the wrath to come apart
from faith in Jesus Christ, the Blessed Son of God. One's understanding of the
world, noble purpose and selfless philosophy will not be sufficient ground for
an eternity with God.
3. Christian Spirituality is the foundation of Christian life. We live in
relationship with God as Christians. We live in hope of the restoration of all
things. We know that this restoration comes about only through the redemption
of Jesus Christ our Lord. We live as strangers and sojourners in this world but
our spirits are firmly planted on holy ground. By faith we seek "a city
which hath foundations, whose builder and maker is God". We must resist
that which is worldly especially in our spirituality. "Many are called but
few are chosen". That applies particularly to Christians. Divine spirituality
may certainly define the distinction between being just called and chosen. We
walk an appointed way. It is a way revealed by our Master, the Lord Jesus
Christ. No one should feel secure on any other path. May God be glorified on
your spiritual journey. Amen