Spring 1986
The Meaning of Spirituality
Wade E Taylor

"For to be carnally minded is death: but to be spiritually minded is life and peace" Rom 8:6. "Brethren, if a man is overtaken in a trespass, you who are spiritual restore such a one in a spirit of gentleness, considering yourself lest you also be tempted" Gal 6:1 NKJ.

It is very difficult to express the idea of true "Spirituality" in a verse or sentence, but it can be narrowed to a principle. "God is Spirit, they that worship Him must worship in Spirit and in Truth" John 4:24. Thus, in order to relate to spirituality, one must be "Spiritually minded" or be "in the Spirit".

To be spiritual indicates that we have come into a degree of spiritual balance and maturity wherein we are living and walking in an ongoing personal relationship with our creator. It also implies that we have been set into the Body of Christ and have a balanced relationship with the Church and have a testimony in the world about us.

Apart from this, some are presenting their "revelation" from the Spirit or from the Word of God as an end in itself, feeling that having some new revelation is the mark of spirituality.

This revelation may be genuine and true to the Word of God, but it must first be personalized within the lives of the body of believers through whom it was received. Unless it brings a greater revelation and love of the Lord Jesus Christ, it is in the words of 1 Corinthians 13:1 but "sounding brass and a tinkling cymbal."

The Word tells us in John 1:14 that "the Word was made flesh and dwelt among us." The eternal creative Word, this greatest revelation that God could give to man, His Son the Lord Jesus Christ was made flesh, and dwelt among us as Jesus of Nazareth.

That is, in Jesus the WORD and the LIFE were one. Through His life, as He walked among the people of His day, the World saw the truth and power of the Word. John said in 1 John 1:1 "That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled, of the Word of life".

Our consecration to the Lord, our walk with Him, our fellowship with the body of believers of which we are a part, our relationship to the world in which we live must be of such a quality that the "Revelation" we hear and receive finds expression and fulfillment through our lives: the Word becoming flesh, to be seen and handled by all these.

In Acts 1:8 Jesus said, "Ye shall BE witnesses". Our growth to maturity is not determined by the amount of nor by the greatness of our Revelation. Rather, it is established by the application of spiritual laws and truths to our lives. Israel saw the deeds of God, but Moses walked in the ways of God, and through his life, Israel saw the results of God's revelation.

If we will begin to practice and live what we know, this nation would be shaken and brought to God. Objective truth must be personalized in our lives and experienced before it is really ours. The Word must become "flesh" within our lives as the World "handles" us, so they can see His life manifested through us. Then they will again marvel and say "never man spake as this man, for he speaks as one having authority."

The Lord is looking for lives that will conform to the truth and revelation that is coming forth in this hour. The truth which He is speaking today must find its fulfillment in and through the lives of those whose hearts hunger to know Him better.

This is the mark and witness of true Spirituality.