Is your spiritual life private? My question is for Christians. And it arises from an article I just read titled, Fifty six percent of Christians Feel Their Spiritual Life Is Entirely Private. If you only read the title, and you have a private spiritual life, a reasonable conclusion is that it’s OK to be so private about your faith. But, is that really a good thing?
Does the adjacent image signify your walk with God? Lot’s of alone time with God, to be sure. There’s no one for miles around to disturb your prayer, meditation, whatever.
To be sure, Jesus was always sure to get His alone time with His Father.
And yet, is there more to being a Christian than this?
Believe me, I get it. When I was very young, I wanted to be a monk. Talk about alone time with God! Other than morning services, Benedictine monks don’t speak, even to each other, until after the noon mass every day. As the ultimate introvert, I thought that was awesome!
However, the question remains. A question I’d really rather not ask. But I must. Is there more to being a Christian than this?
Summary
This article explores the balance between private devotion and active participation in a Christian community. It challenges Christians to reflect on their spiritual life, the importance of community, the frequency of church attendance, and the concept of the Trinity as a model for community.
Private Spiritual Life: The article questions whether having a private spiritual life is beneficial for Christians, referencing a survey that suggests 56% of Christians view their spiritual life as entirely private.
Community and Transformation: It emphasizes the importance of community and spiritual transformation, citing Romans 12:1-2 about offering oneself as a living sacrifice and renewing the mind to align with God’s will.
Frequency of Church Attendance: The text discusses the implications of attending church services only on Easter and Christmas, challenging the depth of such sporadic engagement with one’s faith.
Trinity and Community: The concept of the Trinity is explored as a model for Christian community, highlighting the interconnectedness of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, and the call for believers to emulate this unity.
Reflecting on the discourse about the privacy of one’s spiritual life, it becomes evident that a balance between solitude and community is essential for Christian growth. The transformation process, as outlined in Romans 12, calls for a renewal of the mind and a life lived as a ‘living sacrifice,’ indicating that change and community engagement are integral to one’s faith journey. Ultimately, the concept of the Trinity itself underscores the importance of community, as it reflects a divine relationship model for believers to emulate. Therefore, while private spiritual practices are valuable, they must be complemented by active participation in the broader Christian community to truly reflect the transformative power of the Gospel.
Is your spiritual life private? 56% of American Christians say yes, entirely private.
As I said, at first glance, this sounds good for those of us who like to have a private spiritual life. And especially good when we want an entirely private life, spiritual or otherwise! And yet, …
Before we get into whether or not a private spiritual life is good, let’s look at how Americans answered the question – “Do you consider your spiritual life to be entirely private?” Here are the results in graph format.
As always with Barna surveys, we must acknowledge what “Christian” means. Survey respondents self-identify. As such, it’s up to each person to decide whether or not they are Christian. The only thing BARNA usually looks for is someone who attends church at least twice a year. That pretty much means Easter and Christmas. This raises the same question as the overall study does. Is attending a church service only on Easter and Christmas really a good thing? For more on that thought, please see Are we supposed to Believe God, Believe in God or Follow God?
Given that caveat, let’s see how people responded.
Privacy might seem like the natural habitat for faith formation in our increasingly individualized culture. Indeed, 56 percent of Christians feel their spiritual life is entirely private.
This majority of Christians is less likely to say it is very important to see progress in their spiritual life (30% say progress is important vs. 54% of those who don’t consider their faith private), less likely to say their faith is very important in their life today (45% vs. 66% agree strongly) and less likely to have weekly time with God (51% vs. 66%). In other words, the idea that faith should be kept private is one part of a bigger swirl of negative conditions that need to be addressed for people to see spiritual growth.
What does that mean in real-life terms?
Christian transformation – progress in our spiritual lives
Christians must go through a transformation process. Paul wrote about this in Romans.
Living Sacrifices
Ro 12:1 Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God—this is your spiritual act of worship. 2 Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.
Do you catch the part about do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind?
This simple statement demands change. Demands transformation.
Does the lack of desire to even try to make these changes have an impact on whether God sees us as Christians? I believe it does. In fact, I cannot see how it couldn’t. It should be a given that Christians should become more Christ-like. But if we don’t want to change, that’s just not going to happen. How can we be Christian if we have no desire to even want to be more like Christ?
Then, let’s consider attending church only a couple times a year. That doesn’t line up with therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God—this is your spiritual act of worship.
Why do I make a big deal of this? Let me ask you a question. Jesus died to pay the price for every sin we commit in our lives. And all we can give Him in return is two days a year? Isn’t that a whole lot closer to conforming to the pattern of the world than transforming ourselves into people who are more like Christ? Lots of non-Christians celebrate Easter and Christmas. I’ve even received Christmas presents from Muslims. But that doesn’t mean they literally believe what Christmas should mean to a Christian.
Finally, notice that this passage begins with the word “Therefore“. Whenever we read that word, we should always go back and see what came before it. After all, the immediately preceding text is the reason for what follows “therefore”. So, what came before this particular “therefore”?
Doxology – Romans
Ro 11:33 Oh, the depth of the riches of the wisdom and knowledge of God!
How unsearchable his judgments,
and his paths beyond tracing out!
Ro 11:34 “Who has known the mind of the Lord?
Or who has been his counselor?”
Ro 11:35 “Who has ever given to God,
that God should repay him?”
Ro 11:36 For from him and through him and to him are all things.
To him be the glory forever! Amen.
And what does that mean? Briefly, it’s this:
11:33–36 Paul presents a doxology about God’s wisdom using two quotations from the OT (Isa 40:13; Job 41:11). Both quotations celebrate God’s exalted status and wisdom over His creatures. The creatures must remain dependent on the Creator. They have no right to assume His role as Creator or judge; they do not even have anything to offer God that He might need. In light of His greatness, all humanity must recognize His mercy, which He demonstrated by offering Christ so that all who believe may be saved. 1Barry, J. D., Mangum, D., Brown, D. R., Heiser, M. S., Custis, M., Ritzema, E., Whitehead, M. M., Grigoni, M. R., & Bomar, D. (2012, 2016). Faithlife Study Bible (Ro 11:33–36). Lexham Press.
What I’ve written so far most likely seems rather negative. And if we’re trying to justify keeping our spiritual lives private, it is. However, when something in the Bible has a negative message, it always comes with a positive message telling us how to avoid negative consequences. After all, Jesus did come to save us, not to condemn us. Unless we make the choice to not allow Him to save us. Just in case you don’t remember, or aren’t aware, where that thought comes from, here it is. See the underlined portion below.
John 3:16
Jn 3:16 “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. 17 For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. 18 Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because he has not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son. 19 This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but men loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil. 20 Everyone who does evil hates the light, and will not come into the light for fear that his deeds will be exposed. 21 But whoever lives by the truth comes into the light, so that it may be seen plainly that what he has done has been done through God.”
So with that in mind, let’s check out the passage from Isaiah from which Paul quoted in the Romans Doxology. It’s a very long passage, so I only included the first thirteen verses. They more than make my point. I underlined verse 13, the one referenced in the earlier Romans passage.
But I include the others to give some context to the single verse. In Paul’s time, the people would have made this connection. Sadly, that kind of thing doesn’t happen very often anymore.
Comfort for God’s People
Isa 40:1 Comfort, comfort my people,
says your God.
Isa 40:2 Speak tenderly to Jerusalem,
and proclaim to her
that her hard service has been completed,
that her sin has been paid for,
that she has received from the LORD’S hand
double for all her sins.
Isa 40:3 A voice of one calling:
“In the desert prepare
the way for the LORD;
make straight in the wilderness
a highway for our God.
Isa 40:4 Every valley shall be raised up,
every mountain and hill made low;
the rough ground shall become level,
the rugged places a plain.
Isa 40:5 And the glory of the LORD will be revealed,
and all mankind together will see it.
For the mouth of the LORD has spoken.”
Isa 40:6 A voice says, “Cry out.”
And I said, “What shall I cry?”
“All men are like grass,
and all their glory is like the flowers of the field.
Isa 40:7 The grass withers and the flowers fall,
because the breath of the LORD blows on them.
Surely the people are grass.
Isa 40:8 The grass withers and the flowers fall,
but the word of our God stands forever.”
Isa 40:9 You who bring good tidings to Zion,
go up on a high mountain.
You who bring good tidings to Jerusalem,
lift up your voice with a shout,
lift it up, do not be afraid;
say to the towns of Judah,
“Here is your God!”
Isa 40:10 See, the Sovereign LORD comes with power,
and his arm rules for him.
See, his reward is with him,
and his recompense accompanies him.
Isa 40:11 He tends his flock like a shepherd:
He gathers the lambs in his arms
and carries them close to his heart;
he gently leads those that have young.
Isa 40:12 Who has measured the waters in the hollow of his hand,
or with the breadth of his hand marked off the heavens?
Who has held the dust of the earth in a basket,
or weighed the mountains on the scales
and the hills in a balance?
Isa 40:13 Who has understood the mind of the LORD,
or instructed him as his counselor?
The point is, God is more than great enough to fulfill his Promise of salvation for us. No person or thing can prevent Him from doing this. Except, of course, us – when we refuse the offer.
So, what we learn is that because of God’s greatness, Paul wrote:
Ro 12:1 Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God—this is your spiritual act of worship. 2 Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.
And then Paul closes with some thoughts on transforming ourselves.
Ro 12:3 For by the grace given me I say to every one of you: Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the measure of faith God has given you. 4 Just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function, 5 so in Christ we who are many form one body, and each member belongs to all the others. 6 We have different gifts, according to the grace given us. If a man’s gift is prophesying, let him use it in proportion to his faith. 7 If it is serving, let him serve; if it is teaching, let him teach; 8 if it is encouraging, let him encourage; if it is contributing to the needs of others, let him give generously; if it is leadership, let him govern diligently; if it is showing mercy, let him do it cheerfully.
Summary – Christian transformation
So, is Christian transformation important? It’s vitally important.
C. S. Lewis wrote in his book, The Great Divorce:
“If we insist on keeping Hell (or even Earth) we shall not see Heaven: if we accept Heaven we shall not be able to retain even the smallest and most intimate souvenirs of Hell.”
I wrote about that line in What’s most important to you? I urge you to check it out. Also, the book. It really makes us think about ourselves. What we like and don’t like. And how our choices can prevent us from even wanting to go to Heaven in the next life.
Christian transformation and our choices are so important. It’s something we really don’t want to be on the wrong side of. If we keep our spiritual life entirely private and yet want to see spiritual growth, I feel there’s a disconnect. The Bible tells us the importance of community. I can tell you from experience, there’s no Christian community with a private spiritual life.
Grown again Christian – my faith is important in my life
If our faith is important, obviously Christian transformation is a must-do item. Without it, we’re stuck in our faith.
We often hear about born-again Christians. But what about grown-again Christians? Being born again is just the beginning. We don’t get baptized and then say we’re done. Well, OK, some do. But that’s not what the Bible tells us.
In a section that might seem oddly named, Paul wrote about that. He used milk and solid food as analogies for beginning and more mature Christians.
On Divisions in the Church
1Co 3:1 Brothers, I could not address you as spiritual but as worldly—mere infants in Christ. 2 I gave you milk, not solid food, for you were not yet ready for it. Indeed, you are still not ready. 3 You are still worldly. For since there is jealousy and quarreling among you, are you not worldly? Are you not acting like mere men? 4 For when one says, “I follow Paul,” and another, “I follow Apollos,” are you not mere men?
When we get baptized, we’re what Paul refers to as infants. There’s nothing magic that makes us full-blown/full-grown Christians. Please check out Pop Tart Christians for more on that.
1Co 3:5 What, after all, is Apollos? And what is Paul? Only servants, through whom you came to believe—as the Lord has assigned to each his task. 6 I planted the seed, Apollos watered it, but God made it grow. 7 So neither he who plants nor he who waters is anything, but only God, who makes things grow. 8 The man who plants and the man who waters have one purpose, and each will be rewarded according to his own labor. 9 For we are God’s fellow workers; you are God’s field, God’s building.
Paul makes his point even stronger, by bringing in seeds and plants that grow. For Christians. our growth is the transformation.
1Co 3:10 By the grace God has given me, I laid a foundation as an expert builder, and someone else is building on it. But each one should be careful how he builds. 11 For no one can lay any foundation other than the one already laid, which is Jesus Christ. 12 If any man builds on this foundation using gold, silver, costly stones, wood, hay or straw, 13 his work will be shown for what it is, because the Day will bring it to light. It will be revealed with fire, and the fire will test the quality of each man’s work. 14 If what he has built survives, he will receive his reward. 15 If it is burned up, he will suffer loss; he himself will be saved, but only as one escaping through the flames.
Paul, pardon the pun, strengthens his case even more with the concept of the foundation of a building. Anything built on a weak foundation is unsafe. The best building on a weak foundation is still a weak building.
Being baptized is important. However, it’s just the beginning of laying the foundation for our faith. The foundation must be added to. We must know what it is that we’re to transform into. And then the building of our faith is the transformation. Both are necessary.
Yes. At the moment of baptism, we become God’s temple. His Holy Spirit resides in us. But, if we do nothing after that, to what end is God’s Spirit in us? God won’t force us to do anything. We must make the choice to do things for Him on our own. Then, as His temple and with His Holy Spirit, we can accomplish things for God’s Kingdom.
And why is this important? Here are Paul’s words in this passage.
1Co 3:16 Don’t you know that you yourselves are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit lives in you? 17 If anyone destroys God’s temple, God will destroy him; for God’s temple is sacred, and you are that temple.
And lest any of this passage make us proud, Paul finishes with:
1Co 3:18 Do not deceive yourselves. If any one of you thinks he is wise by the standards of this age, he should become a “fool” so that he may become wise. 19 For the wisdom of this world is foolishness in God’s sight. As it is written: “He catches the wise in their craftiness”; 20 and again, “The Lord knows that the thoughts of the wise are futile.” 21 So then, no more boasting about men! All things are yours, 22 whether Paul or Apollos or Cephas or the world or life or death or the present or the future—all are yours, 23 and you are of Christ, and Christ is of God.
Summary – Grown again Christian – my faith is important in my life
So we have more on transformation. And we have community. Spiritual growth. All these things show our commitment to God. But make no mistake. These things do not make God love us any more than He already does. Rather, they show our love for God.
For a deeper look at these ideas, please see the article Grown-again Christian.
Alone time with God – I have weekly time with God
Weekly time with God. Well, that’s better than twice a year having time for God. No doubt about that. And yet, once a week? Is that like go to service on Sunday and my obligation has been met?
I did a series on The Lord’s Prayer. Here’s an excerpt from it, going over when we should pray. After all, prayer is a two-way conversation with God. Yes, there are times of community prayer, such as during a church service. However, prayer, at its core, is alone time with God.
Some religions/people tell us when we should pray. Some say at night is best. Some say first thing in the morning is best. Some believe Sunday (or Saturday, or Friday) at service is good. On and on – so many choices.
Let’s look at some examples from the New Testament on the topic of when. (only relevant portions of each passage are included below).
Matthias Chosen to Replace Judas
Ac 1:12 Then they returned to Jerusalem from the hill called the Mount of Olives, a Sabbath day’s walk from the city. 13 When they arrived, they went upstairs to the room where they were staying. Those present were Peter, John, James and Andrew; Philip and Thomas, Bartholomew and Matthew; James son of Alphaeus and Simon the Zealot, and Judas son of James. 14 They all joined together constantly in prayer, along with the women and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with his brothers.
Paul’s Longing to Visit Rome
Ro 1:8 First, I thank my God through Jesus Christ for all of you, because your faith is being reported all over the world. 9 God, whom I serve with my whole heart in preaching the gospel of his Son, is my witness how constantly I remember you 10 in my prayers at all times; and I pray that now at last by God’s will the way may be opened for me to come to you.
Thanksgiving and Prayer
2Th 1:11 With this in mind, we constantly pray for you, that our God may count you worthy of his calling, and that by his power he may fulfill every good purpose of yours and every act prompted by your faith.
Encouragement to Be Faithful
2Ti 1:3 I thank God, whom I serve, as my forefathers did, with a clear conscience, as night and day I constantly remember you in my prayers.
(emphasis added)
Interesting. Constantly. And really – how could anything less be expected? Which part of our lives do we not live for God? Which part of our lives do we think we can do better without Him? Or maybe – which part of our lives do we not want God to know about? No matter – constantly is really the only choice if we really love God and believe our lives are truly for Him and in His hands.
Let me repeat the conclusion:
Constantly. And really – how could anything less be expected? Which part of our lives do we not live for God? Which part of our lives do we think we can do better without Him? Or maybe – which part of our lives do we not want God to know about? No matter – constantly is really the only choice if we really love God and believe our lives are truly for Him and in His hands.
No matter what we’re doing, there’s always at least a moment to speak with God. Not “to” God. “With” God. Remember, prayer is a two-way conversation with God.
Before I retired, even in a meeting I was leading with a couple dozen people, I could find a few quick moments here and there for God. If everything we do is for God’s glory, how can we not do this?
However, having said that, it’s not an easy thing as I probably made it sound. It’s something that comes with our transformation. Transformation to allow us to realize the most important thing isn’t the meeting itself. Rather, it’s how we conduct the meeting. The objectives of the meeting. How we treat people. And so much more. Things God’s Holy Spirit will prompt us about as we grow and transform.
Maybe you wonder, what does this have to do with private spiritual lives? Well, one really good way to learn about this is to talk with other Christians who are already doing this. Even speaking with other Christians at our level and behind us is a good thing. Ideas come up, whether they be solutions to problems we have, or problems that we haven’t even thought of yet.
Summary – Alone time with God – I have weekly time with God
Is weekly time with God “good enough”? There was a time when I thought the answer was yes. But then, there was also a time when I thought once a week was too much! Somewhere along the line, I came to realize once a week isn’t even the bare minimum to becoming what I referred to as a grown-again Christian.
Summary so far – Is your spiritual life private?
Why not? The answer lies in something I write about a lot. It’s s section in the Bible that I refer to more than any other in both what I write and what I talk about. Here it is.
The Great Commission
Mt 28:16 Then the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain where Jesus had told them to go. 17 When they saw him, they worshiped him; but some doubted. 18 Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19 Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”
The transformation and growth issues continue. Did you notice the word “Therefore”? Because Jesus was given All authority in heaven and on earth, we are to make disciples of all nations. And that’s not a one-step process. It’s not a case of baptize the person, say congratulations, and walk away. No. Rather, its a process. baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. It’s a process of making grown-again Christians.
This is not something we can do if our spiritual life is private.
Remember, regarding having a private spiritual life, I wrote:
Believe me, I get it. When I was very young, I wanted to be a monk. Talk about alone time with God! Other than morning services, Benedictine monks don’t speak, even to each other, until after the noon mass every day. As the ultimate introvert, I thought that was awesome!
However, the question remains. A question I’d really rather not ask. But I must. Is there more to being a Christian than this?
There’s a huge part of me that still wants a private life, let alone spiritual life, to be what God wants for us. However, if I’m honest, it’s not what God wants for us or from us. Community is what God wants both for us and from us. Community, patterned after His own Community, The Trinity of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
What is the Trinity and what does it mean for my spiritual life?
What is the Trinity?
I wish it was easy to explain what the Trinity is. But, of course, it’s not. How could it be? It’s an explanation of none other than God. So, I’m going to take some stuff from other people who have studied it much more than me.
Trinity. The Christian understanding of God as triune. Trinity means that the one divine nature is a unity of three persons and that God is revealed as three distinct persons: Father, Son and Holy Spirit. The ultimate basis for the Christian doctrine of the Trinity lies in the divine self-disclosure in Jesus, who as the Son revealed the Father and poured out the Holy Spirit. 2Grenz, S., Guretzki, D., & Nordling, C. F. (1999). Pocket dictionary of theological terms (p. 116). InterVarsity Press.
one divine nature is a unity of three persons and that God is revealed as three distinct persons: Father, Son and Holy Spirit. We see a concept of three-in-one there. While we don’t understand exactly how that works, it is there. It started way back in Genesis and runs throughout the Bible.
Here’s a bit more on that, explaining the church-speak” concept of immanent Trinity.
immanent Trinity. The term used to explore and, to an inadequate degree, explain the internal workings and relationships among the three persons of the Trinity. Statements about the immanent Trinity seek to give language to the inexpressible mystery of what God is like apart from reference to God’s dealings with creation. Thus the immanent Trinity is God-as-God-is throughout eternity. The Scriptures suggest that Jesus and the Father are one (Jn 10:30) and that the Holy Spirit is the Spirit of God and of Christ (1 Cor 2:10; 3:17–18). The Scriptures also suggest that love is the essence of the immanent Trinity (see Jn 17:23–26; 1 Jn 4:8, 16). See also economic trinity. 3Grenz, S., Guretzki, D., & Nordling, C. F. (1999). Pocket dictionary of theological terms (p. 63). InterVarsity Press.
I leave it for you to check out the verses if you’d like. My goal for today is to just show that there are examples of God, three persons in one, acting in community.
You can read more, and it’s less technical, in Messed up American Theology: Is The Trinity One Christian God?
What does the Trinity mean for my spiritual life?
Everything above gives us at least a glimpse of the “community” between the members of the Trinity – the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Now that we have even that little bit of understanding, it brings much more meaning to something Jesus said while He was praying about us.
The first verse contains what we’re looking for. The rest of it explains it a little bit and shows us the significance of community among the believers. Among us.
However, before we get started, let’s take care of some other important business first. Notice the opening of the passage.
Jesus Prays for All Believers
Jn 17:20 “My prayer is not for them alone.
So, if Jesus’ prayer isn’t for “them alone“, who did He mean by “them alone“? The heading tells us it’s for all believers. But “them alone“, whoever they were, must have been prayed for just before this.
Well, “them alone” was Jesus’ disciples. By the way, just prior to praying for the disciples, Jesus also prayed for Himself. So what we see is an extension of who is prayed for as well as what is prayed for.
As far as our topic today, the Trinity of God, community, and the privacy of our spiritual life, let’s see what Jesus said – to us.
I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, 21 that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you.
Side note – their message referred to the disciples. Of course, now, as followers of Jesus we should also be disciples. For a look at this, please see Is the Great Commission for Everybody, Somebody, Anybody or Nobody?
The key for today is this:
that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you
When Jesus said, just as you are in me and I am in you, that was a reference to the Trinity. I know, it seems that one is missing. Where’s the Holy Spirit?
Keep in mind, this is a prayer between Jesus and the Father. As such, they know something inherent in what Jesus said that we must recognize. I wrote about this in Is the Holy Spirit the Spirit of the Father or the Spirit of the Son? It started off with:
Who is the Holy Spirit? Is He the Spirit of the Father? Or maybe the Spirit of the Son? Does it matter? And is it “who” or “what”? So many questions! And it’s tempting to just ignore them. Or assume they don’t really matter. Just call it/him the Spirit of God and be done with it. And yet, the Holy Spirit is one of the three “persons” of God. And so, it is important to know what we can about Him.
And it ended with:
Ultimately, I guess the best answer is a simple “Yes”. Any attempt to try to go any deeper runs into at least two problems.
… Sorry – you’ll have to read it to see the problems.
But then, if we still try to go deeper anyway, are we getting lost in the weeds? Trying to ascertain things that lead us away from the truths that we need to know and understand as best as we can?
Somehow, in some way, the Holy Spirit is one of the three persons of God. We’ve been told about the role He will play in our lives. What else do we honestly need to know? Shouldn’t we be not only satisfied, but actually thrilled that God provides the Holy Spirit for us? And then, with the appropriate joy at His presence, take every opportunity to allow the Holy Spirit to help us?
I believe the answer to that last question is yes. I’m satisfied, thrilled, and overjoyed with that answer, and with the Holy Spirit in my life.
The bottom line here is that Jesus was talking about the community He, the Father, and the Holy Spirit shared as members of the Trinity.
Then, when Jesus said that all of them may be one, Jesus prayed that all of us, those who believe in Him and follow Him, may have the same kind of community.
And don’t forget our first definition of Trinity: The Christian understanding of God as triune. Trinity means that the one divine nature is a unity of three persons and that God is revealed as three distinct persons: Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
Sadly, we don’t have anything even close to that kind of unity among fellow Christians. For more on the idea of Jesus praying for us, and things not working out that way, please see Do you make Jesus pray in vain? But still, it doesn’t mean we shouldn’t try. One thing to gain from the referenced article is how we can maybe go about not making Jesus pray in vain.
Next, Jesus takes the idea of community to another level.
May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me. 22 I have given them the glory that you gave me, that they may be one as we are one: 23 I in them and you in me. May they be brought to complete unity to let the world know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me.
Christians talk about a personal relationship with Jesus. A one-on-one thing. And that’s a good thing. However, is it the only thing Jesus prayed for? I don’t believe it is. And once again, I wish it was. I’d love to keep my life private. But that’s just plain not what Jesus asks of us!
Jesus just extended this community to Him, the Father, the Holy Spirit, and to every other person that follows Him. Not in the Twitter or Instagram or other social media follower sense. No – follower in the sense that we choose to live our lives the way Jesus did, the way He taught, the way He commanded for His followers.
All I can say here is I’m very grateful for God’s grace. Why? Because we fail here as well. And yet, He still loves us and still forgives us. Still wants us to love Him.
And Jesus still prayed:
Jn 17:24 “Father, I want those you have given me to be with me where I am, and to see my glory, the glory you have given me because you loved me before the creation of the world.
Jn 17:25 “Righteous Father, though the world does not know you, I know you, and they know that you have sent me. 26 I have made you known to them, and will continue to make you known in order that the love you have for me may be in them and that I myself may be in them.”
Summary – What is the Trinity and what does it mean for my spiritual life?
What does it all mean? One heck of a lot. It means major changes to the way of life for every single one of us who claims to be a Christian. And they are hard changes. Very hard.
It means community – not forgetting it contains the word unity – with God, of course. But it means that same community for every believer. How can that ever happen in this fallen world?
Conclusion – Is your spiritual life private?
One thing’s for sure. If we keep our spiritual lives private, the kind of community we just looked at isn’t going to happen. It’s impossible. There must be sharing. Communication. Love, as Jesus spoke of it. All hard stuff.
The fact that it’s so hard, impossible even, is exactly why community with the Trinity is also key. It’s critical. Without it, we can’t do the impossible. And when we talk about community with God, we must remember all three persons. No Christian would argue against the Father or Jesus.
But how many of us are willing to embrace the Holy Spirit? And yet, we must. None other than Jesus told us this.
Jesus Promises The Holy Spirit
Jn 14:15 “If you love me, you will obey what I command. 16 And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Counselor to be with you forever— 17 the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will be in you. 18 I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you. 19 Before long, the world will not see me anymore, but you will see me. Because I live, you also will live. 20 On that day you will realize that I am in my Father, and you are in me, and I am in you. 21 Whoever has my commands and obeys them, he is the one who loves me. He who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I too will love him and show myself to him.”
Jn 14:22 Then Judas (not Judas Iscariot) said, “But, Lord, why do you intend to show yourself to us and not to the world?”
Jn 14:23 Jesus replied, “If anyone loves me, he will obey my teaching. My Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him. 24 He who does not love me will not obey my teaching. These words you hear are not my own; they belong to the Father who sent me.
Jn 14:25 “All this I have spoken while still with you. 26 But the Counselor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you. 27 Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.
Jn 14:28 “You heard me say, ‘I am going away and I am coming back to you.’ If you loved me, you would be glad that I am going to the Father, for the Father is greater than I. 29 I have told you now before it happens, so that when it does happen you will believe. 30 I will not speak with you much longer, for the prince of this world is coming. He has no hold on me, 31 but the world must learn that I love the Father and that I do exactly what my Father has commanded me.
“Come now; let us leave.”
Did you notice? Jesus spoke of the Holy Spirit and of community. These are words we must live by.
For a bit of a different look at the importance of the Holy Spirit, please check out Why do you stand here looking into the sky? Do something!
And when you’re done, I invite you to stand in front of a mirror or use the mirror app on your cell phone – and read that title to yourself.
Image by rottonara from Pixabay
Footnotes
- 1Barry, J. D., Mangum, D., Brown, D. R., Heiser, M. S., Custis, M., Ritzema, E., Whitehead, M. M., Grigoni, M. R., & Bomar, D. (2012, 2016). Faithlife Study Bible (Ro 11:33–36). Lexham Press.
- 2Grenz, S., Guretzki, D., & Nordling, C. F. (1999). Pocket dictionary of theological terms (p. 116). InterVarsity Press.
- 3Grenz, S., Guretzki, D., & Nordling, C. F. (1999). Pocket dictionary of theological terms (p. 63). InterVarsity Press.
- 4Geisler, N. L. (1999). Trinity. In Baker encyclopedia of Christian apologetics (pp. 730–732). Baker Books.