Spiritual But Not Religious

Happy Sunday. I'm often called upon to do funerals of people that I don't know. When I get in touch with the family, I become a bit of a detective. I find out when and where unto whom they were born. I ask about their family and their career and all sorts of things.

The most important question I ask is if they believed in Jesus. That's the only one that really matters. Over the years, I have heard this phrase many times. People say of their loved ones, they were spiritual but not religious. Spiritual but not religious.

Today I want to tell you how I interpret that phrase. To me, another way to say spiritual but not religious is disobedient yet hopeful. Disobedient yet hopeful. Spiritual but not religious is a language of Hope and an admission of guilt. Spiritual sounds good, but not religious usually means that there's no church involvement whatsoever.

In scripture, the church is described as the bride of Christ. In Hebrews 10:25 we read, "Let us not neglect our meeting together, as some people do." If you're able, you should be active in a church. Another matter is also obvious. In the Book of Malachi, we're told to bring our tithes and offerings to God's storehouse. If we're not there, we are robbing God, according to Malachi.

You know, if all the people who were spiritual but not religious would get right with God and become obedient, our churches would be overflowing with enough money to make a difference in this world. I've heard over time people say that they're disgruntled with organized religion, and I understand that. People get hurt, and I'm sorry. I'm sorry for that. But the alternative is usually no religion at all.

Organized religion has its problems. I'll be the first to admit that. Yet organize religion in my lifetime has built hospitals and built orphanages and educated scores of people and fed the hungry and responded to disasters and sent missionaries all around the world.

One of the problems with spiritual but not religious people is it allows them to do exactly what they want to do. If I'm a member of a church, I have people in authority over me, teaching and encouraging and challenging me. If I'm in complete control of that for myself, I can follow my own inclinations. People might say, well, I find God the most in nature, so I can be in the woods every Sabbath day. Why not the bowling alley or the mall or Bass Pro Shop?

If I act that way, I have no concern whatsoever with what God wants for me. It's all about what I want for me. Spiritual but not religious is really another form of idolatry, and that setting my God Is Me. I become the one who decides this is what's right for me, instead of asking God, what does he want of me? Proverbs 16:25 warns us, "There is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way of death."

Let's look at an Old Testament story where a family had their own rules. It's found in Judges chapter 17. There we find that a man named Micah had stolen 1100 shekels, which was a great deal of money, from his mother. She was very spiritual but way outside of being religious. She'd put a curse on whoever took her money. Not very Godly, but that's what she did.

Micah, her son, was scared of what might happen to him because of the curse, so he returned the loot. She was so happy that he he came clean that she rewarded him. She gave him two Idols made out of some of the shekels. That's against the Ten Commandments, by the way. Again, do you see the danger of your own system here?

Let me read to you verses five and six from Judges 17. "The man Micah had a shrine, and made an ephed and household idols, and he put his investment for a priest, and he consecrated one of his own sons, who became his priest." Verse 6 says, "In those days there was no king in Israel, and everyone did what was right in their own eyes."

Although I did not watch the show, I think Jerry Springer would love this family. Oprah might encourage you to read their book. Micah started his own church and used idols and made his son the priest, and, well, only Levites were supposed to be priests, by the way. This was a different family, way far from God. There was no connection to God here at all. They just made a bunch of stuff up.

Verse 6 was so true: "everyone did what was right in their own eyes." That sounds like our times, doesn't it? For those today who want to be spiritual and not religious, there are many dangers. No absolute truth, no demands of scripture, No guidance by the Holy Spirit. No, thank you, I don't want it.

Proverbs 3:5 tells us, "Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not, lean not on your own understanding." The spiritual but religious trust in themselves, not God. I would rather trust God and listen to his words. Proverbs 28:26 says, "He who trusts in his own heart is a fool, but whoever walks wisely will be delivered." May God bless you as you walk wisely and as you are delivered.

Join me in prayer. Father, help us to be obedient to your word from day to day, from minute to minute. Father, let us be people that want to please you. Help us to put ourselves in submission to you and to what you tell us to do. Help us to rededicate our lives to your kingdom. In Jesus name, amen.

God bless. Thanks for being with me today.