True & False Spirituality

In yesterday’s reading, Paul reminded us just how much has changed for us, now that we are included ‘in’ Christ – in fact our whole being and purpose have been transformed by Jesus. So it’s a complete waste of time to measure our maturity on any other basis.

Before Jesus, God’s people had strict dietary guidelines, they observed special religious festivals and seasonal rituals, and even Sabbath days were important. But all of these have been superseded by the cross – fulfilled in Jesus. So Paul makes it clear that we should feel free to have personal convictions on each of these ‘old covenant’ requirements, but none of them should be seen as a higher form of spirituality. Eat pork, don’t eat pork. Have a Saturday Sabbath, or don’t. There isn’t a specific set of rituals or traditions that we need to practise to experience a superior relationship with God.

You see there is a certain attractiveness to the idea that we can level up in our faith – that through our own effort or devotion, we can unlock something more of God’s plan for our lives. But it’s a subtle pull back into a false Gospel where my efforts and my own capacity can earn some kind of favour with God.

And it’s the same when it comes to mystical experiences. Having visions and experiencing the supernatural can be encouraging. But Paul warns us that the pursuit of spiritual experiences can also become an ego-driven distortion of our faith. It’s easy to think that the more spiritual we are, the more profound our testimonies about the supernatural will be. As if there are ‘super-Christians’ who somehow are closer to God and experience more of His presence than others. But we’re reminded to keep our sense of self-worth and purpose firmly grounded in the finished work of Jesus because the reality of God’s presence is equally available to every believer who is saved in Jesus.

The picture Paul paints here is quite vivid. Christians who have wandered from complete dependence on Jesus are like headless zombies who have forgotten the core of the Gospel – people who’ve been seduced by the principles of this world. A strict observance of religious traditions looks devout, and stories of mystical experiences sound so impressive, but the test is the kind of life we’re living.

The Gospel of Jesus transforms our desires and our behaviours. Religious legalism and ego-driven mysticism have an appearance of godliness, but they don’t produce self-control and love. So we’re warned about the seductive nature of worldly status sneaking into the community of faith. And of course, it starts by seducing us first – it’s a lie of the enemy that there must be something more than this foundation of faith in Jesus, that somehow stricter rules or more ecstatic experiences will propel us to a higher state of being.

So if I sense a conviction around a specific habit or practice, or if God is revealing Himself to me in a more mystical way – well if it’s truly God speaking, He will always draw us into a deeper appreciation of who Jesus is and what He has done. And that’s the measure of it. As we pursue God we never move beyond the cross of Jesus, we are simply invited into a deeper and deeper understanding of everything we have already been given in Him.

RESPOND

The more we understand the finished work of the Cross, the more thankful we’ll become. Because the reality of what we’ve been given is more than we can comprehend, a treasure that we will keep discovering more and more of as we follow our Saviour each day. If you didn’t get to it yesterday, why don’t you make some space to cultivate a deeper gratitude and thankfulness?