According to a 2023 Pew Research Center poll, 22% of Americans say they are spiritual but not religious. 88% of them believe there is a spiritual realm beyond this world. 58% of Americans say they are religious. A religious person is someone who belongs to a religious group and (perhaps) practices what it teaches. More than 80% of Americans say that they have a soul or spirit and that there’s something spiritual beyond this natural world. Being spiritual and being religious have value, but one can be both spiritual and religious, yet not be righteous. Being righteous means being right with God; it means one has been saved by grace through faith. It means that what we believe matters. It means we’ve left sin behind and that we’re practicing our faith, denying ourselves, and taking up our crosses to follow Jesus.
In Acts 17 we find Paul in Athens conversing with what seems to be spiritual people. A spiritual person knows there’s something beyond this world, but he or she may not be settled on what they believe. They may acknowledge God, but they’re often open to whatever comes along. For them, spirituality means they can choose what they like and determine for themselves what the truth is. In Colossians 2:8, Paul warned the church about listening to whatever came along: “Beware lest anyone cheat you through philosophy and empty deceit, according to the tradition of men, according to the basic principles of the world, and not according to Christ.” There are many ideas in this world, but not every spiritual one is true. As in every age, people deceive and are being deceived.
Some say they are more than spiritual; they are religious. Sadly, just being religious doesn’t make a person righteous. In Romans 10:1-3, Paul noted some religious people had rejected Christ and had established their own way. He said “they have a zeal for God, but not according to knowledge. For they being ignorant of God’s righteousness, and seeking to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted to the righteousness of God.” Paul had to rebuke some Christians for twisting the gospel, writing in Galatians 1:6-9, “I marvel that you are turning away so soon from Him who called you in the grace of Christ, to a different gospel, which is not another; but there are some who trouble you and want to pervert the gospel of Christ. But even if we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel to you than what we have preached to you, let him be accursed.” We are not permitted to change the gospel of Christ or the rules found in the teachings of Jesus. Yes, Jesus had rules! It’s amazing to me to hear people say Jesus had no rules. In John 14:15, Jesus said, “If you love Me, you will keep My commandments.” Jesus too had to deal with religious people who would not follow His commandments, identifying them as living lawless lives. Jesus said in Matthew 7:21-23 that, “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father who is in heaven will enter. Many will say to Me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, in Your name did we not prophesy, and in Your name cast out demons, and in Your name do many miracles?’ And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from me, you who practice lawlessness.’” These folks were spiritual and religious, but they weren’t following the teaching of the Lord. Jesus expects His followers to keep His commandments - not make up their own. Many today call themselves religious but follow the commandments of men, following human traditions or the ruling of church councils, while setting aside the clear teaching of Scripture. Jesus said to the Jews who followed oral traditions in Matthew 15:7, “in vain do they worship Me, teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.” We need to ask ourselves, “Am I worshipping where there is an expectation or requirement to observe human traditions not found in the New Testament?”
Fortunately for me and you, because of God’s grace, being righteous does notmean we have to be perfect. None of us are sinless. John wrote in 1 John 1:7 that “if we walk in the Light as He Himself is in the Light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus His Son cleanses us from all sin.” But being righteous does require commitment.
Are you committed to the Lord? The Lord said in Matthew 10:37-39 that, “He who loves father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me; and he who loves son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me. And he who does not take his cross and follow after Me is not worthy of Me.” We must not let anything or anyone come before our commitment to the Lord.
There is going to be a reckoning at Judgment Day. In addition to those that are totally unspiritual or irreligious, many who call themselves Christians will sadly hear the words “depart from me, you who practice lawlessness.” We must not be found to be merely spiritual or religious. To enter heaven we must be righteous, having been committed to Christ. To be committed to the Lord one must believe Jesus is the Son of God. One must repent of sin and follow the Lord. With love, faith, and repentance, one must be baptized into Christ so that one’s sins may be forgiven (Acts 2:38).
Please feel free to contact me at 830-554-0701 or www.blancohillschurch.com with any questions about this article or any other spiritual matter. The members of the Blanco Hills Church of Christ strive to follow the Lord’s teaching and are committed to helping each other be righteous so we can confidently stand on the Lord’s right hand on Judgment Day.
Buz Turk