Are You A Spiritual Person?

Are You A Spiritual Person? 

Spiritual? By what standard, man or God?

Many people today say they are spiritual but what does that mean? Has the phrase become a meaningless platitude in this age of forced subjectivism? True spirituality is the quality of life generated and nourished by the Spirit of God, in which believers experience the power and presence of God in their lives. True spirituality comes from living under the guidance of the Holy Spirit and is evidenced by the fruit of the Spirit, spiritual maturity and growth in holiness. Take our test and see how many questions you can affirm to find out if you are a ‘spiritual’ person.

The foundations of spirituality

Do you have a need for spiritual renewal? 1Cor. 2:14 But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned. Ro 7:14; Jude 19

Believers have been renewed spiritually, have you? John 3:5 Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. ⁶ That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. ⁷ Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again. ⁸ The wind bloweth where it listeth, and thou hearest the sound thereof, but canst not tell whence it cometh, and whither it goeth: so is every one that is born of the Spirit. Ro 8:11; Tit 3:5; 1Pe 1:3-23

Do you have Faith? Heb. 11:6 But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him. Jn 6:53-58; 14:1; 20:31; Ac 16:31; Ro 10:9-10

Do you have a longing for God Psa. 27:8 When thou saidst, Seek ye my face; my heart said unto thee, Thy face, LORD, will I seek. Ps 119:2; 143:5-6; Php 3:10-14

The nature of spirituality

Enoch walks with the One True God.

Are you living under the Spirit’s control? Rom. 8:5 For they that are after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh; but they that are after the Spirit the things of the Spirit. ⁶ For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace. ⁷ Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be. ⁸ So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God. ⁹ But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his.  Ro 8:12-13; Gal 5:16-17; Eph 5:18

Are you reflecting Jesus Christ’s character?  2Cor. 3:18 But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord. Ro 8:29; 1Jn 3:2-3

Are you intimate  with God through the Spirit?  Rom. 8:14 For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God. ¹⁵ For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father. ¹⁶ The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God. See also Gal 4:6

Evidence of spirituality

Are you bearing spiritual fruit? Rom. 8:5 For they that are after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh; but they that are after the Spirit the things of the Spirit. ⁶ For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace. ⁷ Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be. ⁸ So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God. ⁹ But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his. Mt 7:17; Jn 15:5-8; Ro 14:17; Eph 5:8-9

Do you have love for one another? 1John 4:7   Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God; and every one that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God. Jn 13:34-35; 1Co 13:1-4; Col 3:12

Do you possess spiritual maturity? 1Cor. 3:1   And I, brethren, could not speak unto you as unto spiritual, but as unto carnal, even as unto babes in Christ. ² I have fed you with milk, and not with meat: for hitherto ye were not able to bear it, neither yet now are ye able. ³ For ye are yet carnal: for whereas there is among you envying, and strife, and divisions, are ye not carnal, and walk as men? 1Co 14:20; Heb 5:13-14

Do you show concern for weaker believers? Gal. 6:1   Brethren, if a man be overtaken in a fault, ye which are spiritual, restore such an one in the spirit of meekness; considering thyself, lest thou also be tempted. Ro 14:1, 3, 19-21; 1Co 8:9-13

What about your understanding of spiritual truths? (How are you doing so far?) 1Cor. 2:9 But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him. ¹⁰ But God hath revealed them unto us by his Spirit: for the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God. ¹¹ For what man knoweth the things of a man, save the spirit of man which is in him? even so the things of God knoweth no man, but the Spirit of God. ¹² Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the spirit which is of God; that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God. ¹³ Which things also we speak, not in the words which man’s wisdom teacheth, but which the Holy Ghost teacheth; comparing spiritual things with spiritual. Jn 14:17; 16:13-15; 1Co 2:15-16

Have you increased in holiness? Titus 2:12 Teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world; Ro 12:1-2; 1Co 6:19-20; Gal 5:24; Col 3:1-2

Have you increased in humble obedience? John 15:10 If ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my love; even as I have kept my Father’s commandments, and abide in his love. 1Jn 2:2-6; 5:2-3

Aids to spirituality

Are you cooperating with the Spirit? Gal. 5:25 If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit. Ac 7:51; Eph 4:30; 1Th 5:19

Are you in meditation on God’s Word? Josh. 1:8 This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein: for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success. Jn 17:7; 2Ti 3:15-17

Are you spending time with God? Luke 6:12  And it came to pass in those days, that he went out into a mountain to pray, and continued all night in prayer to God. Mk 1:35; Ac 4:13

Do you encourage others? Heb. 10:24 And let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works: Col 3:16; 1Th 2:11-12

Are you prepared for tests and trials? James 1:2 My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations; ³ Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience. ⁴ But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing. Ro 5:3-4; 1Pe 1:6-7

Examples of spirituality

Gen. 5:24 And Enoch walked with God: and he was not; for God took him.

Acts 6:5 And the saying pleased the whole multitude: and they chose Stephen, a man full of faith and of the Holy Ghost, and Philip, and Prochorus, and Nicanor, and Timon, and Parmenas, and Nicolas a proselyte of Antioch: ⁶ Whom they set before the apostles: and when they had prayed, they laid their hands on them. ⁷ And the word of God increased; and the number of the disciples multiplied in Jerusalem greatly; and a great company of the priests were obedient to the faith.

Acts 6:8   And Stephen, full of faith and power, did great wonders and miracles among the people.      

 Ge 6:9 Noah; Moses: Nu 12:3, 6, 8 David: 1Sa 13:14; Ac 13:22 Stephen: Ac 11:24 Barnabas

How did you do?  Did you find the answers difficult? Most of us do and we certainly are working to be able to affirm all these aspects of true spirituality.  Would you like to join in a community that seeks to perfect true spirituality?  Come and see.

Saint Athanasius is a member of the Diocese of the Eastern United States in the Anglican Province of America.

Source: Alister McGrath

An Apologetic Challenge to Aigner's "Rascally Millennials".

I'd like to take opportunity to answer a wonderfully honest article by Jonathan Aigner entitled "An open letter from one of those millennials you can't figure out." Please click and read it. It's worth your time and it certainly is worth an answer from one who agrees. What's a little reading if it means gaining eternity?

Entertainmentanity

Aigner cites a litany of their marketing gimmicks and his generation's apathy toward the effort. His experience with "cool, hip, youth-group-glorifying, theology-eschewing McCongregation" fell short of authentic conciliar Christianity and left him unfulfilled and disconnected.

Aigner sums up his  love / hate relationship with contemporary religion:

I love the theology, but I hate the expectations of pseudo piety.
Love the gospel, hate the patriotic moralism.
Love the Bible, hate the way it’s used.
Love Jesus, but hate what we’ve done with him.
Love worship, but hate Jesusy entertainment.

 Further, he asks 'if this all worked would there be any real Church left?'  "Would we see a Cross?"  Good question.

This is the very stuff we traditional Anglicans also reject and at have done so at great cost. Please read on and allow me to elaborate.

"DON'T GIVE US ENTERTAINMENT,  GIVE US LITURGY"

Tacky Wars

If your standard of entertainment gives you no need of "pathetic" theatrics, neither does ours.  If, as Aigner also says, you aren't concerned about "busy-program" and want a natural, gritty, authentic setting with both old and new faces, ethnicities, races" drawn together by God rather than marketing ploys- so do we.  We are ethnically and racially divergent yet commune in one Lord, one faith, one baptism. Antiquity, consensus, and universality- the early undivided Church is our standard and yes, you will most definitely see the Cross.

If "Big Box" buildings and arrays of amplification are a distraction we don't have it. We worship in truth in a house, displaced by the very objections listed in Jonathan's article. The first Christians worshipped in houses as well. They didn't do theatrics with big screens and 'lock-ins' generally meant martyrdom. They broke bread and prayed together and so do we.

WE HAVE LITURGY.
Liturgy literally means 'the work of the people' revering God in an order. No "pseudo piety, patriotic moralism, misuse of the Bible, retail Jesus, and syrupy entertainment" here.  We never traded away the Liturgy faithfully preserved for us by the same saints that also handed on the Scriptures "generation to generation."

Liturgy is true worship passed down through the centuries as God desires and uses to sanctify his people, bringing us into remembrance.  Liturgy doesn't indulge the self-help self-centered culture, but focuses right worship Godward and grace returns manward. God created us in good order, and likewise, in the same manner,  prepares us for the coming of our Savior. This is the function of liturgy- so that we may grow in holiness and ultimately approach Him.

The story of the preparation of Israel for salvation is the story of our preparation as well, just as an athlete or musician increase in skill through repetition so the Liturgy prepares you for your eternal state.  It is this heritage we preserve for you.  Unlike Esau, we didn't trade it away for a bowl of lentils.

WE HAVE THE SACRAMENTAL LIFE- THE BODY AND THE BLOOD.
The sacraments are channels of grace given by Jesus Christ to sustain us and prepare us for what awaits us all in the greater life.  The sacraments cannot be explained away by the philosophies of men that seek to box God into mundane formulas rather than magnify Him in the fullness of faith. We preserve it from the very earliest Christians to ensure it is offered to you.

OUR CHAPEL

WE HAVE THE TOUGH ANSWERS TO TOUGH QUESTIONS.
Can you ask tough questions?  Good, that's biblical.  Can you accept tough answers? Many cannot. If you demand a church where no question is out of bounds you should also appreciate a church where answers will stretch and challenge and make you uncomfortable- often contradicting coveted presuppositions.  You'll get it straight up here.

A CHALLENGE FOR YOU.
Jonathan raises valid questions, has eagerness to dispense with superficialities and "Jesusy cliches" but what good is it if one doesn't act to rectify these problems?  If you agree with him you should be ready for real spiritual food he seeks and we have a challenge: spend a year abiding with us on a demanding path of prayer and spiritual formation/catechism - just as the early Christians, that is "uncool, radical, and different."  Come run the race, put on the new self, and be transformed by the renewal of your mind.  You can do it.

Heavy Lifting For The Soul

Live in the fullness of the 'faith once delivered', be the prodigal son,  come home and reclaim your heritage.  We await you in love and joy.

THE FAITH WE STRIVE TO DELIVER:

'We have the Word of God, the Faith of the Apostles, 

the Creeds of the Primitive Church, 

the Articles of the general Councils, 

a holy Liturgy, excellent Prayers, 

perfect Sacraments, 

Faith and Repentance, 

the Ten Commandments, 

and the Sermons of Christ, 

the precepts and counsels of the Gospel; 

the necessity of good works, 

a holy life,

obedience to God, 

and are ready to die for him, 

do as He requires us so to do; 

We speak honourably of his most holy Name, 

we worship him at the mention of his Name, 

we confess his Attributes, we love his Servants, 

we pray for all Men, 

we love all Christians, even our most erring Brethren, 

we confess our sins to God and to our Brethren and to God's Ministers,

and we communicate (Eucharist) often.

Our Priests absolve the penitent, our Bishops ordain Priests, 

and confirm baptized persons,

 and bless their people and intercede for them; 

and what could here be wanting to Salvation?"

 - Jeremy Taylor 1613 – 67