Spirituality is fashionable. Everyone, and not just Christians, is talking about it. For centuries we were belittled for believing that a supernatural realm or an afterlife or heaven or that some other world exists. We were taught from an early age to set aside such antiquated notions of spirituality and to get a grip on reality. We were taught to put stock in that which is seen and can be scientifically proven and tested under a microscope and calculated. We were taught that spirituality is anti-intellectual. That it's a crutch for the weak. That the world would be a better place if we would suppress our spirituality and not talk about it, and not teach it to our children, and not insist upon it.
So I think that as a culture, we tried that for a while. But we obviously didn't like it very much. As hard as we tried we couldn't deny this very real dimension of our humanity that we like to call spirituality. And so there has been this upsurge of spirituality as of late. We have reacted to the anti-spiritualism tide in our culture. The pendulum has shifted back.
Religion is out, but spirituality is in.
Perhaps you are someone who pays attention to trends. Here is a trend to watch. Religion is out and spirituality is in! But what is spirituality in our culture? It is relatively undefined. It isn't any one thing. You might say that it is anything and everything. It is subjective. It is defined on a person by person basis. It is fluid, ever changing, and dynamic. So today we hear fantastic spiritualized accounts about out-of-body experiences, life-after-death experiences, astrology, miraculous healings, transcendental meditation, paranormal happenings, psychic powers, reincarnation, numerology, the occult, and prayer. Environmentalists speak of a spiritual connection with mother nature. Virtually every bookstore now has a section devoted to religion and spirituality. And if you pay attention you will notice it is one of the most frequently browsed sections of most every bookstore. Spirituality is trendy. People are more curious than ever.
One thing I have noticed is that angels have become the icon of modern spirituality. Angels have become the focus of major magazine covers like Time and Newsweek. Angels have been popularized in series like "Highway to Heaven" and "Touched by an Angel" and in movies like "The Preacher's Wife" and "It's a Wonderful Life". Angels are placed in the center of our Christmas celebrations. Stores are littered with angel figurines, statutes, and a hundred other oddities exalting angels. We are infatuated with angels. They are the expression of new age spirituality.
In many respects we would all agree that our culture of spirituality is a welcome change. The dialogue is changing. The dialogue has shifted away from asking whether or not God exists. Now several other questions are being asked. "Which God(s) exist?" "What is God like?" "How can I connect with that which transcends my existence?" But with this welcome change, a note of caution must be sounded. The fact that a person believes in the supernatural, prays every day, is spiritual, and embraces angels, doesn't mean she is on the highway to heaven. Spirituality is not necessarily Christianity.
Spirituality is not necessarily Christianity.
This is the message of Hebrews 1. Spirituality is not necessarily Christianity. Hebrews offers a badly needed critique of the spirituality of our times. Our culture embraces what we might label as spirituality without substance. Our culture embraces a spirituality that is grounded in false notions of human goodness, vague sentimentalism, and feel-good emotionalism. There is no real anchor to our culture's spirituality. If anything, our culture's spirituality is anchored in the shifting sands of fallible human experience. There is no ultimate truth, but only a chasing after the wind, mirages, shadows, and rumors. And there is no ultimate satisfaction because there is no real substance.
The book of Hebrews was written to a culture caught up in spirituality without substance. This was a culture where people obsessed over peripheral spiritual forms while failing to embrace the person and work of Jesus Christ. The writer of Hebrews seeks to builds a compelling case for why Christ should be the focal point of any and all spirituality.
Let me say something about the alternate forms of spirituality in our culture. We know that angels are very real. We also know that guardian angels exist. But what about Satan? And his angels? And demons? And paranormal activity? And what about psychic power? The Bible shows these to be real also. We sometimes entertain ourselves with Harry Potter and Ghost Busters, but these movies represent some very dark and very terrifying realities. There are people who get entangled in these dark forms of spirituality, and there are many who lose their souls in the process.
The Bible teaches that Christ must become the substance of our spirituality and that Christ is superior to the angels and anything else we would trust in. The Bible teaches that Christ alone can save us from that which destroys the soul. Hebrews 1 is an affirmation of Christ-centered spirituality. Consider three reasons that your spirituality should evolve around Christ.
Reason number one: Christ's relationship to creation.
In the opening paragraph of Hebrews 1 we gain several insights about Christ. In Hebrews 1:2 (NIV) we learn that God, "...appointed (Jesus) heir of all things, and through whom he made the universe." Later we discover in Hebrews 1:10 (NIV) that he, "...laid the foundations of the earth, and the heavens are the work of your(God's) hands." We learn in Hebrews 1:3 (NIV) that Christ is actively, "...sustaining all things by his powerful word." In Hebrews 1:6we learn that Christ is the firstborn into the world.
Let me explain what these four ideas express about Christ's relationship to creation. First, God appointed Christ heir of all things. An heir is a rightful owner. Christ has been appointed by God to be the owner of all things, visible and invisible. Second, God made the world through Christ. Christ is the agent through which God made the world. Every good thing has its source or origin in Jesus Christ. Third, Christ is sustaining all things by his powerful word. The entire world is being held up and guided to accomplish the purposes Christ commands by his powerful word. Fourth, Christ is the firstborn into the world. This is a statement about Christ's superiority and preeminence over all created things. Christ is first. The application of this truth in Hebrews 1:6 (NIV) is, "Let all God's angels worship him."
The great failure of modern spirituality is to subvert Christ's rightful place in creation. Modern spirituality is self-centered rather than Christ-centered. Modern spirituality exalts created things, like angels, rather than the creator. Modern spirituality seeks meaning apart from the purposes and word of Christ. Modern spirituality diminishes the superiority of Christ. Indeed, modern spirituality is the inverse of Christ-centered spirituality. This is precisely why it is so destructive. Modern spirituality puts us at odds with the created order, with God's purposes, and with God's ways. It disrupts the harmony and peace that we could have in Christ. This is why modern spirituality is so empty. It denies the greatest reality of all creation. This reality is that Christ is heir, creator, sustainer, and supreme in all things.
So the first reason our spirituality should be Christ-centered is because all of creation evolves around the person and work of Jesus Christ. To be truly spiritual is to be truly in sync with creation.
Reason number two: Christ's relationship to the Father.
If we rewind back to the beginning of Hebrews 1 we gain more insight about Christ. We learn in Hebrews 1:2 (NIV) that God, "..has spoken to us by his Son." We learn in Hebrews 1:3 (NIV) that Christ is, "...the radiance of God's glory and the exact representation of his being. "We learn in the same verse that Christ, "sat down at the right hand of the Majesty in heaven. "We learn in Hebrews 1:4 (NIV) that Christ inherited a name that is, "much superior to the angels." We learn in Hebrews 1:5that Christ is God's Son and that God is Christ's Father. Hebrews 1:6 tells us that Christ is the focus of worship in heaven. We learn in Hebrews 1:7 that Christ is the focus of service in heaven. We learn that Christ rules from a throne that will last for ever and ever in Hebrews 1:8. We learn that Christ is a lover of righteousness and vehemently hates evil in Hebrews 1:9. Later in that verse we learn that God has anointed Christ with the oil of joy, which can also be translated as exuberant joy in the Greek.
I thought that list might make a nice eleven point sermon, but decided against it! The point is that when it comes to spirituality, we don't have to chase shadows. God has spoken to us through his Son. He has broken the silence. He has opened the door for us to have spirituality with real substance, a spirituality in which we can anchor our souls for eternity.
I was taken back while studying Hebrews 1:3 (NIV)where it says that Christ is the, "radiance of God's glory and the exact representation of his being. "First, this verse is saying that Christ is the brilliant rays of light that are shining forth from God's glory. That light overwhelms the world and even pours out light in the shadows and dark places. But this verse is also saying that Christ is the character or substance of God. The Greek word for the phrase, "exact representation" is character. Christ is the reproduction, the very form, or the perfect copy of God. Jesus is God. From this truth flows all other affirmations about Christ's relationship to God. Christ, who is God, is the focus of the worship of service. He is the king of all the earth, who rules from his throne. He is a lover of righteousness and of all that is good. He is the source of exuberant joy, endless delight, and true satisfaction!
True spirituality isn't just in sync with all of creation. Christian spirituality is in sync with the very nature, character, and substance of God. Christian spirituality is in sync with the greater realities of God's character, his righteousness, his sovereignty, and his exuberant joy. The depth of our spirituality is measured by the depth of our relationship with Christ. Christ-less spirituality is substance-less spirituality. It is shallow spirituality.
Reasonnumber three: Christ's relationship to the future.
Before I say a word about our future, let me say a word about our past. In Hebrews 1:3 (NIV)we learn that Christ provided, "purification for sins." If there is one thing missing in modern spirituality, it is any mention of sin. You won't find books about sin in the religion and spirituality section of our local Barnes and Noble bookstore. Modern spirituality exalts the goodness of man while ignoring the ugly reality of sin. It rejects the notion of a fallen humanity, the need for redemption, the need for a savior, the need for purification from sin, the need for salvation, and the need for a substantive logical hope beyond the grave.
In Colossians 2:17-19 (NIV) we find a fitting description of modern spirituality. There Paul says, "These are a shadow of the things that were to come; the reality, however, is found in Christ. Do not let anyone who delights in false humility and the worship of angels disqualify you for the prize. Such a person goes into great detail about what he has seen, and his unspiritual mind puffs him up with idle notions. He has lost connection with the Head..."
Paul is describing someone who has a high view of himself based on substance-less spirituality. He is full of idle notions and grand illusions of his own goodness. Because he fails to deal with the reality of sin, with his need for a savior, and with his need for purification, he disqualifies himself for the prize.
Hebrews 1 reminds us that Christian spirituality is about preparing for the future by dealing with our past sin. Christian spirituality looks backward to Christ's work on the cross where Christ provided, "purification for sins." But Christian spirituality also looks forward to a day when Hebrews 1:10-12 tells us that the entire created order will perish, while Christ remains. And there will be a day when the world as we know it will wear out like a garment, and be rolled up like a robe that has lost its usefulness, and be cast aside and changed! A day when nothing will be left except the one who remains the same yesterday, today, and forever. The one whose years never come to an end and who will one day make all his enemies a footstool for his feet. A day in which those who are in Christ will inherit their salvation and live forever.
You see, modern spirituality doesn't really prepare us for the future at all. Modern spirituality is a servant only of this life. It seeks to exalt this life, the created order, angels, and the very things that were designed to serve God's purposes. Modern spirituality is but a shadow. The deepest reality and experience of spirituality is found only in Christ Jesus.
Is your spirituality in sync with the created order? With the character of God? With the future?