Evangelicals and spirituality

It is one thing to know about God, it is quite another to know God personally.

All true Christians know the Lord, but there are depths of intimacy, and degrees of richness of any relationship Psalm 27.4; Philippians 3.10. We will define spirituality quite loosely as 'the experience of knowing God'.

The vitality of Christian faith will not be restored in our day simply by turning away from the deadening values of consumerism. Our hearts must be filled with God himself. Evangelical spirituality centres on knowing Christ through the Scriptures, and is a spirituality of grace, marked by continual wonderment at the free mercy of God.

Religion and spirituality

But what are the guidelines concerning spiritual experience? Over the last 20 or 30 years the popular mind has begun to make a distinction between what it sees as 'religion' and 'spirituality'. Generally speaking, religion gets the thumbs down, while spirituality is seen in a much more positive light. Some of the perceived differences are shown in the box below.

The mega-influence in our culture is that of materialism which draws people away from both religion and spirituality. But if the world is attracted towards anything (perhaps finding out the emptiness of materialism), it is towards spirituality and away from religion. It is clear from our high street bookshops that one of the successes of the 1990s was New Age publishing. Books like A Course in Miracles have sold in thousands. Why?

Pluralism and materialism

Spirituality, being more open and less doctrinal, harmonises more easily with a pluralistic society. Spirituality fills the spiritual vacuum materialism cannot fill. Spirituality reintroduces mystery into life, of which we have been robbed by naturalistic 'scientism'.

But, though I may be generalising, at the same time there has been a tendency for conservative evangelicals to move in the opposite direction, away from spiritual experience and towards religion. Why is this?

We have seen many disasters in experience-centred Christian faith. We have misused the truth of justification to validate spiritual laziness. Work pressures on people have squeezed the personal quiet time to a minimum for many.

Having mooted this situation of the dividing of religion and spirituality, obviously what we are called to do is hold religion and spirituality together in a lively and helpful way. In Psalm 27 it is in the house of the Lord, the place of religious ritual, that David desires to dwell and gaze on God.

So I suggest putting down three markers concerning healthy, biblical spirituality.

Test of spiritual experience

The Bible tells us that there are spiritual experiences, but not all spiritual experiences are valid. We must test the spirits. So how do we know what is good and what isn't?

C. S. Lewis reflects biblical ideas when he comments on this in his Letters to Malcolm. He writes, 'I do not at all regard mystical experience as an illusion. I think it shows that there is a way to go, before death, out of what may be called 'this world'- out of the stage set. Out of this, but into what? That's like asking an Englishman, 'Where does the sea lead to? 'He will reply, 'To everywhere on earth, including Davy Jones' locker, except England.' The lawfulness, safety and utility of the mystical voyage depends not at all on its being mystical - that is, on its being a departure - but on the motives, skill and constancy of the voyager, and on the grace of God. 'Departures are all alike; it is the landfall that crowns the voyage. The saint, by being a saint, proves that his mysticism led him aright; the fact that he has practised mysticism could never prove his sanctity.'

Lewis is basically saying that whether or not a spiritual experience is valid is really told by its outcome. Countering the heresy at Colossae, Paul says the same thing. 'All their esoteric practices are of no use in restraining sensual indulgence' (2.23). John applies similar doctrinal and moral tests in assessing spiritual experience (1 John 4.1,2,6). A true contemplation of the glory of Christ will transform us into his likeness (2 Corinthians 3.18).

Nature of spiritual experience

Christians are saved, but they are not yet in heaven. The well used phrase 'already but not yet' is writ large over our lives on earth.

This means that all genuine biblical, spiritual experience is of the nature of a continuing journey while we are here. We are pilgrims who are on their way but have not yet arrived. We have the Holy Spirit in us and with us as our helper, but our present experience here is always a partial experience. Our experience of God is always but a glimpse, a scent of heaven, which leaves us longing for more. That is why Paul tells us, 'Now we see in a glass darkly, but then face to face. Now I know in part, then I shall know fully' (1 Corinthians 13.12).

This is a very important point to grasp, because often well-meaning Christians have been led astray. Our legitimate desire for more of God can be played on by false teachers who tell us in effect: 'Why are you living this second-rate Christian life, you can have it all now!' Then they will set out their stall as to the 'extra' with which they assure us they can supply. This seems to have been the scenario at Colossae. The buzzword among the heretics was 'fullness.' There is no need to wait until heaven. They could give what Christians long for now. Paul's reply is that we do have fullness in Christ (2.10), but at present 'your life is now hidden with Christ in God.' We must wait a while. 'When Christ, who is your life appears, then you also will appear with him in glory,' 3.3,4.

So true spiritual experience is a glimpse of glory which causes us to persevere and pursue our pilgrim road with a more determined tread.

Goal of spiritual experience

In some of his books which consider spiritual experience, Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones wisely warns that it is not experiences we should be looking for, but God himself. The psalmist was not so concerned about the thrill as about actually gazing on the beauty of the Lord. Again, we can easily be led astray if we are more concerned with pursuing it, rather than pursuing him. There are many sources of ecstatic experiences, from drugs to Eastern style meditation. 'As the deer pants for streams of water, so my soul pants for you, O God.'

It is interesting that in the meeting with God which the great 18th-century missionary David Brainerd had at his conversion, he confesses that for a time he was so taken up with God, he forgot about himself completely. The relevant passage from his diary reads: 'Having been thus endeavouring to pray - though, as I thought, very stupid and senseless - for near half an hour; then, as I was walking in a dark thick grove, unspeakable glory seemed to open to the view and apprehension of my soul. I do not mean any external brightness - but it was a new inward apprehension or view that I had of God, such as I never had before - I stood still, wondered and admired! I knew I had never seen before anything comparable to it for excellency and beauty; it was widely different from all the conceptions that I ever had of God or things divine. I had no particular apprehension of any one Person in the Trinity, either the Father, the Son, or the Holy Ghost; it appeared to be Divine Glory. My soul rejoiced with joy unspeakable, to see such a God, such a glorious Divine Being; and I was inwardly pleased and satisfied that he should be God over all for ever and ever. My soul was so captivated and delighted with the excellency, loveliness, greatness and other perfections of God, that I was even swallowed up in him; at least to the degree that I had no thought, (as I remember) at first, about my own salvation, and scarce reflected that there was such a creature as myself' (July 12 1739).

Evangelicals and spirituality

Do you really know God - or do you only know about him?

Religion and spirituality

Pluralism and materialism

Test of spiritual experience

Nature of spiritual experience

Goal of spiritual experience

JEB

John Benton

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