The spiritual person

The spiritual person

It is very important at first, to emphasize that man is a "triple creature" (composed of three parts: the materialistic part, the intellectual-mental part, and the spiritual part). Unfortunately, in today's modern world there is confusion about this and the "mind/soul" is considered one with the "spirit" and these two words alternate as if talking about the same thing. Unlike humans, other animals probably only have two components, the body and the mind/soul, but they do not have the spirit that God breathes exclusively on man.

So, how then, can we define the spiritual person? A spiritual person is one who is governed by the Spirit (God’s Spirit). This does not mean that his character and actions are perfect, but that all his/her actions are guided mainly by the spirit, not by his/her material and mental elements (intellect and emotions). Spiritual people are the opposite of the "fleshly /carnal" people. Carnal people live their lives (whether good or bad) using and based on their abilities and powers, alone. Spiritual people are the ones who depend primarily on the power and spirit of God, instead of their abilities alone.

"Carnal" individuals are those governed only by physical senses: what they see, taste, hear, smell and feel, or what can be measured experimentally (in the lab..). Spiritual people are more guided by God's Word and Spirit than their emotions. They see the world with a completely different eye.

There is a constant internal "war" within us between the "matter" and the spirit. As it is written: "The" natural/carnal "person does not accept the Spirit of God. The psychic-material part of humans, is characterized by our emotions and inteligence. Unlike other beings that operate by their intelligence and emotion only, human decisions and actions are also controlled and directed by the spirit, which sometimes contradict the "logic" (for example, there is no "reason to pray or fast”, etc.).

It is wrong to equate spirituality with religion and to judge one's spirituality by external religious patterns(what someone wears, what he eats, whether he/she goes to a synagogue or to church, etc.). True spirituality affects every aspect of our lives.

It is also wrong to define "spirituality" according to the criteria of the "secular" world, that defines "spirituality" as engagement with arts (theater, classical music, exhibitions, etc). All these activities are "mainly" feeding the soul of man and very little (if at all), the spirit. Most of these "spiritual" activities are merely substitutes for the "true oxygen" of the spirit, which is the communication with the Creator.

There are two main criteria for examining true spirituality: a. The ability of people to distinguish between "world" truth, which is based on logical thinking and what we can see or experience, and the spiritual truth, which involves a deeper understanding of what is going on in the world, why things are happening, and where are directing, and what is the meaning and purpose of our lives (seeing the "big picture"). b. The application of spirituality into everyday acts, as reflected by our relationships with those around us, our behavior, our control of the events of our lives, and our way of believing.

When the Spirit of God, the Holy Spirit dwells within us, it is expressed in the "fruits of the Spirit" which include "love, joy, peace, kindness, grace, faith,…."

In order to be spiritual, one does not necessarily have to enter a rigid path of religion, nor does one need to develop a huge amount of "holiness" (we are all to some extent "sinners") and of faith. We just need to renew our conscience, to renew ourselves internally with God's Word and to nurse the spirit that sleeps and is "buried" under our daily worries.

How can we develop our spirit and establish a close relationship with the spirit of the Creator, the Spirit of God? The only way is the way of prayer (not necessarily in a classic religious form), which is the language of the Spirit, the language of God. Even if we do not know how to pray, the Spirit that is within us can show us. It is sometimes enough just to silence our senses for a few minutes and reduce all other stimuli, to isolate and eliminate other thoughts and to seek communication with the Creator. "... because we do not know how to pray, but the Spirit itself cries inside us and leads us to God." Just as every person knows fervently (and not greedily) how to eat and how to drink, so naturally every person knows how to pray. Prayer is also our weapon, a mighty power! Whoever prays controls what happens. Whoever prays determines and changes things, affects the environment and the world at large. Intersessors, people who pray, are the real rulers of the world. The human history, especially the history of the Jews, shows that a minority of people (or even individual ones) are the ones who have changed world history. Through faith one can even change the laws of nature and heal illnesses or prevent disasters.

Prayer helps also seeing the others in the eyes of God as beloved children of the same Father. Prayer is the energy of the Spirit. Without prayer and without the Spirit of God, there is no chance for a unification of a world, no chance for a new world, or the "kingdom of godly love."

How does God's spirit work within us?

The spirit illuminates us, inspires us and gives us insight: for example: We read a certain passage from the Bible and we think we understood it. And another time suddenly we discover a different or deeper meaning of the Scripture, through enlightenment from the Spirit. This is certainly something we cannot study at the university. "Because God was revealed to us by the Spirit. Only the Spirit of God can recognize God. An experienced theologian, even though he may be vastly knowledgeable, without the Holy Spirit, cannot reach understanding and enlightenment solely on the basis of knowledge. Human inteligence is very limited and without this connection with the spirit, there is no ability to understand godly love.

The Spirit leads us into the depths of God’s mysteries and the secrets of His love. And that's why when we study the Bible, we always need the help of God's spirit. Without it, reading the Bible is like reading an article in a newspaper, or a religious book, and there is no insight into its true content and depth.

In ancient Greek, "spirit" means breath/wind (ΠΝΕΥΜΑ), and so also in Hebrew "רוח". The wind blows, you hear its voice, but you don't know where it’s coming from, and where it's going. So it is who is born of the spirit."

As the Holy spirit is nurtured within us, it begins to act and increase the love within us and gives us its gifts: wisdom, knowledge, faith, the gift of healing, prophecy, the discernment of spirits, tongues and interpretation, the gift of service and teaching and many others.

"And afterward, I pour out my spirit on all flesh. Your sons and your daughters will prophesy, your old meanwill dream dreams, and your young men will see visions. Even on my servants, both men and women, I will pour out my spirit in those days. " (Book of Joel).

The Spirit of God speaks to everyone, and appeals to everyone without any tribal, nationalist, political, cultural, or religious discrimination. It activates within us, the godly love, which is the "mother tongue" of us all.

How do we maintain such a "spiritual" state continuously, and how do we "stabilize" this spirit of God within us? When we "make room for it," when we let it guide our lives, giving up total control over our human logic. Only then does the spirit take root, and begin to flower and nurse the "seed" that is planted within us, since our birth in the world. Every person born has the seed of the Spirit of God. Even if he declares himself to be an absolute atheist, there is within him "something" that knows the Creator.

In conclusion:

A. Each person is born with a seed of divine spirit within him/her and therefore with spiritual potential.

B. A true spiritual person is one whose life is governed primarily by this spirit and not only by inteligence and emotion (mind)

C. The way / language of communication with the spirit within us is through prayer

D. Only through the enlightenment and blessing of the Spirit can the Holy Scriptures and God be understood. Through logic, alone, we cannot understand the mystery of God and His plans.

E. Throughout human history, there has always been the presence of the Spirit of God, the Holy Spirit but was only above the people, or only in the Temple, and not dwelling within man.

F. Only when the Spirit dwells in man and only when we are “born again” by the Spirit, will we feel in our lives the expression and gifts that include true godly love, peace and miraculous powers (Healing, Speaking of Tongues, Spiritual discernment, Prophecy, etc.).

G. The purification of man and his/her preparation for a new world of love is accomplished only by the action of the Spirit of God within us which comes as a free  gift from God and not on the basis of our actions and righteousness.