Spirituality
	What does it mean to be spiritual? What is spirituality? The words spiritual & spirituality are used 30 times in 25 verses in the NT. Spiritual occurs only once in the OT, Hosea 9:7, where “spiritual man” refers to a prophet.
	Spiritual & spiritually are often set in contrast to other things. For example, Paul said in Romans 7:14, “the Law is spiritual, but I am carnal, sold under sin.” So spiritual is contrasted with carnal, or fleshly. But aren’t we all fleshly? Of course we are all creatures of flesh. That’s the way God made us, and there is nothing sinful about being flesh. So what is Paul talking about? We gain more understanding by looking at Romans 8:6 – “For to be carnally-minded is death, but to be spiritually-minded is life and peace.” We see, then, that the primary concern in this context is mind-set. Are you primarily concerned with the things of the flesh, or with the things of the spirit? All of us deal with things of the flesh – we have to, and we should. We need to eat, we need to drink, we need to sleep, etc. But the question is, where is our main focus. Is it on taking care of the flesh, or looking out for our spiritual well-being? In addition to this, there is a sense in which being carnal/fleshly is outright sinful. There are, within us, fleshly appetites God put within us. They are not wrong in and of themselves, but we sometimes choose to satisfy those appetites in ways that are evil. The appetite for food & drink may be satisfied through gluttony & drunkenness. The appetite for sex may be satisfied through fornication. The appetite for power and control may be satisfied through abusing other people. This sometimes happens even in people who have obeyed the gospel, especially when they don’t mature spiritually. Paul was disappointed with the brethren in Corinth due to their focus on carnal things. They were divided over who had baptized them (status); they were suing each other over trivial matters (power, control, getting my way); they were tolerating immorality; they were in competition over miraculous gifts (status, power); they were making a circus of the assembly. No wonder Paul wrote to them, “And I, brethren, could not speak to you as to spiritual people, but as to carnal, as to babes in Christ . . . For you are still carnal. For where there are envy, strife, and divisions among you, are you not carnal, and behaving like mere men? (1 Corinthians 3:1, 3). We see, then, that a spiritual person is identified at least in part by his behavior and his attitude. Is he envious, always arguing about something, and divisive? Paul contrasts the works of the flesh with the fruit of the spirit in Galatians 5:19-23.
	There is much more that needs to be said about spirituality. I encourage you to take your concordance and study every passage that mentions being spiritual. Look at its context. You will read about spiritual gifts, spiritual songs, spiritual blessings, spiritual wickedness, a spiritual house, and others. It’s a rich study, and you will be blessed if you undertake it.
	--Joe Slater (Justin, TX)