spiritual formation & "being spiritual"

This is part four of a series around the concept of spiritual formation. This series seeks to explore spiritual formation carefully and biblically—listening with empathy, asking thoughtful questions, and grounding our understanding firmly in Scripture. Here are the previous articles: PART ONE; PART TWO; PART THREE. Jeff Chacon also offers a good primer HERE.

What Does It Mean to Be Truly Spiritual?

“Be more spiritual.”

“If we could just help people be more spiritual, our church would grow.”

“The problem today is that Christians have a tangible lack of spirituality.”

These are a few examples of phrases I hear often. Determining what it means is not always an easy task, because it can be different, depending on who you’re speaking to.

In my opinion, it can mean something really sound and orthodox, and can also refer to a subtly unhealthy view of spiritual formation.

In many circles today, spirituality is too closely tied to experience. To be “spiritual” is to feel deeply, to sense God in powerful ways, to have moments that move us emotionally. The defire comes from something I’ve pointed out a few times now, and it’s understandable. Many Christians are weary of dry faith. They want something real, alive, and meaningful.

That desire is not wrong, but it can be misleading. Or, we can desire to change the nature of how Christians view a vibrant relationship with God. Again, not necessarily a terrible idea, but something we need to be very careful about.

Why? Because when we turn to Scripture, spirituality is not defined by what we feel, but by who we are and how we are transforming.

The word “spiritual” is used in the New Testament primarily by Paul. He uses some form of the word over 100 times, and in a variety of different ways.

What do the scriptures say?

It Speaks to who we are in Christ

The most important way Paul uses it is in reference to our standing in Christ. Here is what he says about that:

“What we have received is not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, so that we may understand what God has freely given us. This is what we speak, not in words taught us by human wisdom but in words taught by the Spirit, explaining spiritual realities with Spirit-taught words. The person without the Spirit does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God but considers them foolishness, and cannot understand them because they are discerned only through the Spirit. The person with the Spirit makes judgments about all things, but such a person is not subject to merely human judgments, for,

“Who has known the mind of the Lord so as to instruct him?”

But we have the mind of Christ.”

1 Corinthians 2:12-15

Who is a spiritual person in this passage? The person who has been saved, and is no longer operating according to the flesh. We are no longer spiritually dead, but are now alive (Eph. 2:1-5). As Christians, we are no longer living according to who we naturally are. Since we have received the Spirit of God, we approach things spiritually, not according to human wisdom. We understand things differently, assess them differently, see the world differently, understand spiritual warfare (Eph. 6:10-17), see people differently, and can actually discern things that an unsaved person cannot.

In a very simple way, this is why a person who has not made Jesus their Lord considers the Christian life “foolishness.” They don’t get it because they do not have the indwelling Spirit.

The important part of this scripture is that being a person that possesses the Holy Spirit is not something achieved by us, but it is a gift of God. Since it is an objective act/gift, the reality of a Spirit filled life is not something we gain by simply desiring to be deeper.

A Matter of Maturity

Having said that, Paul does seem to suggest that some Spirit-filled people are more mature than others, behaving as more spiritual people.

In 1 Corinthians 3, addressing Christians, Paul says this:

“Brothers and sisters, I could not address you as people who live by the Spirit but as people who are still worldly—mere infants in Christ. I gave you milk, not solid food, for you were not yet ready for it. Indeed, you are still not ready. You are still worldly.”

1 Corinthians 3:1-3

Paul’s admonishment is due to Christians not being mature. He wants to address them according to the reality of their salvation (those who live by the Spirit), but he can’t because they are acting worldly. They need to grow up and see things in a mature way, but are acting like mere infants in Christ.

He is not saying they are not Spirit-filled people, but is reminding them to live think and live according to their calling.

In Galatians 6, Paul, once again, seems to equate being spiritual with being mature:

“Brothers and sisters, if someone is caught in a sin, you who live by the Spirit should restore that person gently. But watch yourselves, or you also may be tempted.”

Galatians 6:1

Restoring someone from sin is no easy task, but is to be approached carefully. Can any Christian in your local church restore someone who caught in a sin? I believe any Christian can help someone, but it takes mature insight and discernment to do it right. Again, Paul is not suggesting those who cannot are not Spirit-filled, just not spiritually mature.

People Who Are Being Transformed

As Christians, we are Spirit-filled people who are increasingly being drawn to change more into the image of Christ (2 Cor. 3:18). Who we are in Christ is objective (settled), and who we are becoming is a response to that reality.

It is no easy task to let the Spirit form and transform you. Even though we are saved, our flesh desires the things of this world:

“Those who live according to the flesh have their minds set on what the flesh desires; but those who live in accordance with the Spirit have their minds set on what the Spirit desires. The mind governed by the flesh is death, but the mind governed by the Spirit is life and peace. The mind governed by the flesh is hostile to God; it does not submit to God’s law, nor can it do so. Those who are in the realm of the flesh cannot please God. You, however, are not in the realm of the flesh but are in the realm of the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God lives in you.”

Romans 8:5-9

Spiritual transformation (what theologians refer to as sanctification) is the process of retraining our hearts to and minds to desire the things of God. Our flesh wants the things of this world, but as Spirit-filled people, we seek to live by the Spirit, putting to death things that contradict or resisting things that are contrary to God’s ways.

We are told this is not an easy thing, but something we must consciously desire (Gal. 5:17).

When we decide, each day, to submit our lives to Scripture and live in a way that pleases God, we walk in step with the Spirit, and the result is change and transformation. We’re told we can resist or grieve the Spirit when we fail to approach life in a spiritual way (Acts 7:51, Eph. 4:30, 1 Thess. 5:19).

The bottom line is, as Spirit-filled people, we don’t necessarily always act very spiritually.

Being spiritual is more practical than we think

One of my main concerns in this entire conversation is that much of contemporary spiritual formation sees “being spiritual” as adherence to modern practices and exercises. Practicing biblical spiritual disciplines (prayer, Bible study, meditating on Scripture) certainly leads to a posture of greater spiritual growth and a deeper spirituality, but there is no evidence in the Bible that spiritual experiences make us more spiritual, especially if they not prescribed in Scripture (breath exercises, meditation, centering, silence).

The reality is far more practical than that – it involves dying to self every day, and consistently living into our calling as new creations.

In Galatians 5, the apostle Paul gives one of the clearest pictures of a Spirit-filled life. He does not point us to heightened experiences, but to visible fruit:

“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit. Let us not become conceited, provoking and envying each other.”

Galatians 5:22-26

This is the evidence of true spirituality. A life that is being shaped and transformed by the Holy Spirit. A life where character is changing, relationships are deepening, and obedience is leading to direct fruit.

Look at what Paul says here. A Spirit-filled Christian exhibits all kinds of wonderful fruit, all pointing back to a meaningful relationship with Jesus. Qualities like goodness, joy, peace, all of them are evidence of a life focused on becoming more like Christ.

But Paul doesn’t stop there. He immediately explains that those who have the Spirit inside of them are actively crucifying the flesh, which is driven by unrighteous passions and evil desires. He also points out that a Spirit-filled person tries their best to “keep in step with the Spirit,” and instead of pointing us to spiritual disciplines and exercises, admonishes us against becoming conceited, provoking other people, or becoming envious of what we don’t have.

In other words, the Spirit-filled life is a life of practical self-denial and discipleship, the BULK of which is not done on personal or experiential spiritual retreats, but in the boring grind of daily life.

That is a very different picture than one centered on chasing emotional highs.

In Ephesians, Paul again gives us another honest and refreshing picture of what it means to be spiritual:

“For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Live as children of light (for the fruit of the light consists in all goodness, righteousness and truth) and find out what pleases the Lord. Have nothing to do with the fruitless deeds of darkness, but rather expose them. It is shameful even to mention what the disobedient do in secret. But everything exposed by the light becomes visible—and everything that is illuminated becomes a light.”

Ephesians 5:8-9

In this passage Paul reminds Christians that as saved people, they are no longer in darkness, but now are “children of light.” So live like that! Pursue things that speak to a Spirit-filled life. Find out what pleases God, and do those things! Expose practices, ideas and habits that are fruitless and wrong. In other words, live a life of consistently shining the gospel light on unrighteousness and dragging them into the presence of Jesus.

Later in that chapter, Paul gives them unbelievably practical advice like being careful how they live (5:15), making the most of opportunities to be righteous (5:16), and avoid getting drunk, resisting debauchery (5:18). He ends that section by instructing them to be filled with the Holy Spirit.

It is interesting that no spiritual exercises, disciplines, or retreats were mentioned, just plain and boring self-denial and obedience. I’m not suggesting the Christian life is a grind, but I am suggesting that the pursuit of spiritual experiences can (if we let them) distract us unnecessarily.

Even Jesus, someone Christian mystics (the subject of my next article) have used for inspiration, calls us to a very practical life of obedience and lordship. In the greatest sermon ever preached, the sermon on the mount, Jesus calls us to love those who hate us, stop judging other people, build our lives wisely, resist worrying, take lust seriously, be full of mercy, and have lives that bear good fruit – just to name a few!

Yes, Jesus often retreated for rest, prayer and time with God, but he doesn’t call us to contemporary spiritual disciplines or exercises. He calls us to a life of obedience and reliance on God.

To us another example from my every day life…if my love for my wife is waning, would she wish I would retreat to think deeply about how to be closer to her (that may help), or would she desire for me to put all the Scriptures into practice that point to humbling myself and elevating her needs above my own? I think we all know the answer to that!

A turn inward?

I am not against practicing biblical spiritual disciplines, but we have to ask an honest question: when spirituality becomes primarily about experience—about what we feel in a given moment—are we being shaped more by Scripture, or by the influence of a culture that elevates feeling above truth?

Philosophically, this way of thinking has deep roots. The Danish philosopher Søren Kierkegaard, often considered the father of existentialism, famously wrote, “Subjectivity is truth.” In other words, what is most real and meaningful is what is personally experienced.

One of Kierkegaard’s highest values was the emphasis on the inward nature of locating truth. Keep in mind that his context, especially later in his life, was disillusionment with the established Danish church. It doesn’t necessarily invalidate what he taught, but he was reacting to a culture of abuse and corruption, and we’d be lying if we didn’t admit those things, even today, create an atmosphere where people resist institutional church and turn inward for truth and meaning.

Similarly, the German theologian and philosopher Friedrich Schleiermacher described religion as “a feeling of absolute dependence.” I appreciate his call to depending on God, but while he was writing as a theologian, his influence helped move the understanding of faith toward inward experience as its defining feature.

Those ideas did not stay in college philosophy classrooms. Over time, they filtered into the broader culture—and, in subtle ways, into the modern church.

We can even hear echoes of this emphasis in some strands of historical mysticism. The German mystic and monk Meister Eckhart wrote, “The eye with which I see God is the same eye with which God sees me,” emphasizing an inward, experiential union. This is especially tricky and dangerous, because historically a spiritual “union with God” has caused many to blur the line between the created and the Creator. Make no mistake, we are not God. We belong to him, but need to be careful about seeking a mystical “union” with him. As a good friend of mine likes to say, “we would be wise to stay in our lane!’

Likewise, Teresa of Ávila described the spiritual life as an inward journey through the “interior castle,” where the deepest realities of God are encountered within the soul. What does that actually mean? Good question, but what she consistently taught is that through subjective inward encounters with God we can progress in our level of spirituality. There is so much in that idea we should be extremely careful about.

Look, there is something earnest and even beautiful in these expressions—a desire for closeness with God. But they also illustrate a slow but subtle shift: spirituality becoming centered on inner experience rather than outward transformation.

I am not suggesting we focus on our outward actions. What I am saying is that too many people, with a desire to achieve spirituality, seems to feel like biblical discipleship is outdated and harmful. That’s just not a scriptural idea.

A good and healthy balance

The Bible presents a fuller, more grounded vision.

To be spiritual is not to abandon reason for feeling, nor to reduce faith to emotional moments. It is to live in a real, growing relationship with God—one that engages the mind, shapes the will, and includes the heart.

Jesus said we are to love God with all our heart, soul, and mind. Biblical spirituality is not less than emotional, but it is far more than emotional.

It is a life lived under the influence of the Holy Spirit.

It is walking in truth, even when emotions fluctuate.

It is choosing obedience, even when feelings are not powerful.

It is being steadily transformed into the likeness of Christ.

Emotions will come and at times, they will be deep and powerful. But they are not the measure of our spirituality.

The true measure is fruit.

Let’s ask ourselves these questions: Are we becoming more loving? More patient? More faithful? More self-controlled? More in love with our local church? More eager to fulfill the mission of Christ? More earnest about loving others and sharing our faith?

These are not the byproducts of chasing experiences, but are the result of walking daily with the Spirit.

In the end, being spiritual is not about reaching for something undefined or purely internal. It is about abiding in Christ, being shaped by His Word, and allowing His Spirit to transform every part of our lives.

That kind of spirituality may not always feel dramatic, but it is real, lasting and deeply biblical.

In the next article I will begin a discussion about mysticism, and how I believe it is overly influencing the modern spiritual formation movement.

Daren

Daren Overstreet

Daren is a Senior Leader at Anchor Point Church in Tampa, Florida.  He has been in ministry for nearly 30 years, and holds a Master’s Degree in Missional Theology

You can contact him at

daren@anchorpointtampa.org