Genuine Spirituality

“Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh.” Galatians 5:16

Genuine spirituality can only be when you access the Holy Spirit so that He is imparting to you the life of Jesus Christ. Is this possible? Not only is it possible, it’s the privilege of every believer—and anything else is counterfeit spirituality. Two vital thoughts will help our understanding.

First, true spirituality is a matter of being rightly related to the Spirit. The Bible speaks of “he that is spiritual” (1 Cor. 2:15). When you are saved, the Holy Spirit indwells you, but that does not automatically make you spiritual. The Spirit is the leader who must be followed, and He is the power source who must be depended on. When you trust His power to obey His leadership, He imparts to you the life of Christ. In these moments of walking in the Spirit, you are filled with the Spirit. The Spirit is filling you with the life of Jesus Christ. This is the Spirit-filled life—genuine spirituality.

Second, true spirituality is a matter of growing in grace. The Bible admonishes us to “grow in grace” (2 Pet. 3:18). Grace is the undeserved favor of Spirit-enablement, but grace is accessed by faith. We “have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand” (Rom. 5:2). As you walk by faith, you grow in grace. Spiritual growth is not automatic just because you’re saved. It is by faith—the faith steps of God-dependence or walking in the Spirit. Faith demands the humility to depend on God. A new convert can do this because faith is not a work but dependence on the Worker. Therefore, spirituality does not equal spiritual maturity. But wherever you are on your journey of spiritual maturity, when you walk by faith, you grow in grace. This is genuine spirituality.