We live in what is probably the most “spiritual” age since man was placed on the earth. It was predicted in the late eighties that the decade of the 90’s and leading up to the 21st century would be a time of great spiritual revival and this has proven to be rue. But there is only one problem. This revival of spirituality has not and is not necessarily a revival of Christian spirituality.
The worldly brand of spirituality involves many things: séances…communicating with the dead or what is known as necromancy. There is the Wiccan religion or witchcraft. It involves the worship of nature, casting of spells, magic, fortune telling and related activities. The New Age religion which embraces reincarnation, crystals, pagan deities and many other facets of spiritual interest is perfectly suited for a self-centered generation which wants to craft its own religion. These are only a few mentioned to make the point that spiritual activity is not always Christian activity and should not be confused as such.
The spirituality of the world is further evidenced by people who confess Christianity but who blend different beliefs together in order to come to a personal conclusion as to what their own belief system is. It is as if a person can develop his own system and by remaining faithful to it, he has somehow satisfied God and is right with Him. Many people blend certain aspects of several world religions together with a grain of Christianity and think they are Christians. They have a “spiritual system” and by having such a thing, they feel that God should be satisfied with them simply because they are. In blending other “spiritual” thought with Christianity, people are trying to “cover all the bases” never realizing that Christianity blended with anything else is no longer Christianity. So, in an effort to “cover all the bases”, they actually cause themselves to “foul out.”
To the modern secular mind there is even such a thing as being spiritual without being religious. A recent survey of college students found that while 45% of them claimed to be Christian, a full 35% said they were “spiritual” but not “religious.” Twenty-five percent of American adults now say they are spiritual but not religious. The question is: how can one be spiritual without being religious? Apparently in this current environment it is very easy to so class oneself.
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What we need today is a genuine revival of true spirituality. God has always worked through revival in order to stir and change His People. True revival will lead us and enable us to see ourselves as we really are and then it leads people to submit to God and allow Him to change them into what He wants them to be. Genuine revival can only take place when we can truly evaluate ourselves, confess our sins and turn our hearts toward God and we can only see ourselves as we are when we see Him as He is. There is a great spiritual vacuum in the lives of people that can only be answered with a vital relationship with God. Most people are aware of the spiritual emptiness of their souls and they desire something to fill that void. The message of the Bible is so very important because it tells us how to have that void filled and it tells us God’s method of filling it: Salvation through His Son, Jesus Christ. There is no other way. Man has looked for another way for thousands of years and he is still just as frustrated as ever when he tries to do it on his own. It another way could be found; I think man would have found it by now. That is what all this worldly “spirituality” is really all about: trying to find a way to fill the void without using God’s plan which is faith in Jesus Christ. Remember this…being spiritual is not the same as being saved and being in a right relationship with God through His Son, Jesus Christ.
The end result of all this is that people find themselves even more frustrated as they try to make some sense out of the spiritual vacuum, they are living in. The vacuum is not going to be filled by climbing a high mountain to find a holy man who will tell you the secrets of life. The spiritual vacuum will be filled as close to you as your own heart when you trust in Christ for salvation and commit your life to Him.
Reverend William (Bill) Harrell has been in ministry 48 years. He served as the pastor of Abilene Baptist Church in Martinez, GA for over 30 of those years. He can be reached at wfh@williamfharrell.com. You can also check out his blog at www.williamfharrell.com.
