Spirituality: Becoming A Spiritual Person - Part 2

"A friend of God seeks to hear God's truth for the purpose that as soon as he or she knows that it is God's truth, the person realizes that God is speaking directly to him/her and abandons everything and everyone else to follow with God." Reference John 4:23-25, John 15:14-16











The opening caption for this Spirituality Blog is new in 2008. This year the stakes are raised and so are the costs. We have moved beyond basic principles of spirituality established in 2007 and are focusing on the nuts and bolts, the meat versus milk, for mature hearts serious about becoming a spiritual person. We continue from Part One written January 17, 2008.

My Spirit vs His Truth

We left off saying that friends walk together. That is why the new caption at the beginning of the Spiritualiy Blog mentions to "follow with" God.

Most of today's relationships, even in the churches, are superficial, hypocritical, cheap or self-glorying. How we are with people is directly caused by how we are with God. The proof of this lies in a profound statement that transcends all earthly things:

1 Corinthians 2:10-12 (in Context)

"11 For what man knoweth the things of a man, save the spirit of man which is in him? even so the things of God knoweth no man, but the Spirit of God. "


All scriptures taken from www.biblegateway.com

Every human relationship sources from my spirit's relationship with God. If I am honest with God, I will be honest with every person. If I am a liar with God, I will lie to any person. If I reverence God, I will automatically respect every human being, for they are created in the very image of God. If I lightly regard and disrespect God, I will routinely disrespect, humiliate, belittle or despise people -- even my friends.

My spirit (which only God knows and those to whom He might reveal it) tells it all. What is the real me cannot help but express itself. It cannot hide, but is naked before my Creator. This is why the "Spirit of God" wrote through his Apostle, Paul, about the spiritual powers latent in the Bible:

Hebrews 4:12

For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.

Hebrews 4:11-13 (in Context) Hebrews 4 (Whole Chapter)

I will now combine God's truth about the human spirit with God's truth about his "friends".

Heaven's Definition of a Friend of God

John 15:14-16 (King James Version

14 "Ye are my friends, if ye do whatsoever I command you.

15 Henceforth I call you not servants; for the servant knoweth not what his lord doeth: but I have called you friends; for all things that I have heard of my Father I have made known unto you.

16 Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you, and ordained you, that ye should go and bring forth fruit, and that your fruit should remain: that whatsoever ye shall ask of the Father in my name, he may give it you."

"... but I have called you friends; for all things that I have heard of my Father I have made known unto you."


Perhaps now, you can understand why the Lord is telling us that most relationships with God, even in the churches, are superficial, hypocritical, cheap and self-glorying.

If a friend tells you his/her innermost secrets and feelings about something, does it change you? Do you continue on with your life just as if you never knew what they said?

Am I Superficial With God and People?

From the above scripture, observe that a "friend" of God is easily revealed, exposed and cannot be hidden, because his/her spirit responds instantly to a message from God.

A superficial relationship with God, which spills over into your relationships with people -- even friends -- is one in which you hear a message from God but take no action on it. You are all talk.

You talk about the messages from God, enjoy the messages from God, maybe even tell someone else how great a message you have heard from God or about God -- but you pay no price!

We all pass through this phase of superficiality and ingenuineness as a spiritual person. We like being thought of as spiritual, but have not gotten to know God enough to realize that when He speaks, it is not hot air. He expects, even demands, corresponding action:

"When God speaks, it is not just hot air!"




Hebrews 3:14-16 (Amplified Bible)

Copyright © 1954, 1958, 1962, 1964, 1965, 1987 by The Lockman Foundation


14 For we [a]have become fellows with Christ (the Messiah) and share in all He has for us, if only we hold our first newborn confidence and original assured expectation [in virtue of which we are believers] firm and unshaken to the end.

15 Then while it is [still] called Today, if you would hear His voice and when you hear it, do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion [in the desert, when the people provoked and irritated and embittered God against them].



Many of us make the mistake of thinking that relationships are a one time thing that we achieve and there it is forever. Wrong! With God, each time you hear a message from him, he is expecting you to respond, alter the course of your life accordingly.

Altering the course of your entire future (which you cannot know) to correspond to what you hear from God "today" (which you do know) is where "paying the price" for the relationship comes into focus.

It is what Christ Jesus calls "faith". In that process of what you are willing to lay down, forsake, give up, abandon to be loyal to God's revealed will to you is where you learn if you are superficial or genuine, spiritual or just talk.

It is what Christ Jesus calls "taking up your cross and follow me." It is where you learn if you are a friend of God or just hanging around. God is not cheap. Don't think that you are going to ask things of Him and it is not going to mean a major change is required of you.

Luke 9:22-24 (King James Version)

22 ... Saying, The Son of man must suffer many things, and be rejected of the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be slain, and be raised the third day.

23 And he said to them all, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me.

24 For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: but whosoever will lose his life for my sake, the same shall save it.




Pause and think about His message to us through this Spirituality Blog, today. We will continue, God willing, tomorrow in hopes that you are becoming a truly spiritual person in 2008.

Taken From Truth Seekers Statement of Faith ...

I BELIEVE JESUS CHRIST IS THE TRUTH.
BEING GOD, JESUS KNOWS THE TRUTH ABOUT EVERYTHING!

Anything Jesus confirms as true according to the eye-witness testimonies of His original New Testament Apostles -- I believe, live and teach. Anything the Lord Jesus Christ does not verify as truth according to the eye-witness testimonies of His original New Testament Apostles -- I do NOT believe it, do not live it and do not teach it.(1 John 4:6, Ephesians 2:20 and All, Galatians 1:8 and All)