What Does it Mean to be Spiritual?
A. What God has done for us
6 So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live in him,
7 rooted and built up in him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness.
8 See to it that no one takes you captive through hollow and deceptive philosophy, which depends on human tradition and the basic principles of this world rather than on Christ.
9 For in Christ all the fullness of the Deity lives in bodily form,
10 and you have been given fullness in Christ, who is the head over every power and authority.
1) Who is Jesus Christ? (9,10)
2) What God has done for us in Jesus Christ (11-15)
11 In him you were also circumcised, in the putting off of the sinful nature, not with a circumcision done by the hands of men but with the circumcision done by Christ,
12 having been buried with him in baptism and raised with him through your faith in the power of God, who raised him from the dead.
13 When you were dead in your sins and in the uncircumcision of your sinful nature, God made you alive with Christ. He forgave us all our sins,
14 having canceled the written code, with its regulations, that was against us and that stood opposed to us; he took it away, nailing it to the cross.
15 And having disarmed the powers and authorities, he made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by the cross.
B. Living spiritually
1) Not all spirits are good (8,16-19a)
8 See to it that no one takes you captive through hollow and deceptive philosophy, which depends on human tradition and the basic principles of this world rather than on Christ.
16 Therefore do not let anyone judge you by what you eat or drink, or with regard to a religious festival, a New Moon celebration or a Sabbath day.
17 These are a shadow of the things that were to come; the reality, however, is found in Christ.
18 Do not let anyone who delights in false humility and the worship of angels disqualify you for the prize. Such a person goes into great detail about what he has seen, and his unspiritual mind puffs him up with idle notions.
19a He has lost connection with the Head,
2) Living in true spirituality (6,7,19b)
6 So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live in him,
7 rooted and built up in him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness.
19b from whom the whole body, supported and held together by its ligaments and sinews, grows as God causes it to grow.
Summary
The Bible's definition of spirituality is different than the more general understanding that people may have in mind. There are times when teachings about spirituality, contrary to the Bible's teachings, cause confusion within the church. True spirituality means being committed to follow the triune God, not being swayed by other things that people deem to be "spiritual."
For Discussion
1) What is Christ like?
2) How is the Bible's understanding of spirituality different than that of this world?