A Call To Spirituality — And Its Incomparable Promises
In a theological class on 1 Corinthians I once took, we did a detailed study of the origin, authorship, destination, audience, occasion, and contents of the epistle, including an examination of some keywords in the original language. A notable part of the discussion was the occasion of the epistle, that is, the circumstances that had motivated its writing. We determined that the church and believers in Corinth had been extensively influenced and corrupted by the secularity, perversion, and idolatry that were prevalent in the cosmopolitan and highly cultured society in which they lived.
The general feeling of the class was one of bewilderment at how such corruption could have happened to believers. But I could not help pointing out, to the sober acknowledgment of the class, that the modern church of today was caught in precisely the same web as the Corinthians. We went on to discuss some parallels between the errors of the Corinthians and modern believers.
The apostle Paul, the founder of the church in Corinth and author of 1 Corinthians, obviously loved and cherished the Corinthian believers. He wrote, “If I am not an apostle to others, yet doubtless I am to you. For you are the seal of my apostleship in the Lord” (1 Corinthians 9:2). But the apostle also lamented their spiritual condition: “And I, brethren, could not speak to you as to spiritual people but as to carnal, as to babes in Christ” (1 Corinthians 3:1). The Greek word translated as “carnal” here is sarkinois, which means “worldly” or “fleshly,” indicating obsession or preoccupation with physical or material things and pleasures.
This is an apt description of the dominant culture of materialism in the world today. The materialism we are looking at here is not just the obsession with earthly possessions, though that is often part of it. It is more about philosophical materialism, the worldview that requires all things to be considered, understood, and experienced in purely material or physical terms and for such reasons. Spiritual considerations and realities are relegated or denied.
This materialist worldview is strongly opposed to the spiritual life that believers have been called to live. As Scripture teaches, “For to be carnally [or materially] minded is death, but to be spiritually minded is life and peace. Because the carnal [materialist] mind is enmity against God; for it is not subject to the law of God, nor indeed can be” (Romans 8:6–7; see also Romans 8:14; John 4:24; 1 Corinthians 2:13–16).
This does not mean that believers should not care about their material lives or make the best of material opportunities. Indeed, we have a responsibility to do these things, not only for personal benefit but also for the furtherance of God’s kingdom (see Deuteronomy 8:18). But we must be careful not to let these material concerns compromise our spiritual heritage, the promises of which far exceed anything materialism offers.
In his appeal for the Corinthians to flee the threat of spiritual death, which he says is the end of materialism (Romans 8:6–7), Paul reminded them of the incomparable promises of their spiritual heritage: “Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, Nor have entered into the heart of man The things which God has prepared for those who love Him. But God has revealed them to us through His Spirit” (1 Corinthians 2:9).
Like the Corinthians, so many things in the world around us today constantly attack our spirituality. They are the allures of the flesh that “war against the soul [our spiritual self]” (1 Peter 2:11). We must actively resist them to preserve our spirituality and safeguard our eternal inheritance.
To be spiritual is to be aware of realities beyond what our physical senses can experience and to make an effort to see the bigger picture. It is to be conscious that God is constantly speaking to us through diverse means and to be sensitive to hear and willing to understand and respond positively. It is to be heavenly minded and recognize that it is not just about our desires and comforts but more about the purpose and plan of God for us and the larger world. It is to know that we cannot just do anything we think is right but must actively look to the Scriptures for our values, directions, and objectives.
The truth is that we are human and have a strong subconscious part that tends to prioritize what we know to be more valuable. This is why biblical education is crucial to spiritual development, as implied earlier. We are more likely to respond to the call to spirituality if we know that its promises are greater than those of materialism. This can only be achieved by committed biblical study.
Peter once considered his condition and what Christ’s call had cost him. He could not help asking the Lord, “See, we have left all and followed You. Therefore what shall we have?” (Matthew 19:27). Talk about talking straight! But Jesus confidently replied, “Assuredly I say to you, that in the regeneration, when the Son of Man sits on the throne of His glory, you who have followed Me will also sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel. And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or wife or children or lands, for My name’s sake, shall receive a hundredfold, and inherit eternal life” (Matthew 19:28–29; see also Daniel 7:27).
Quite some promise! It’s more than we can unpack here. However, regardless of how we interpret it, it is unmistakable that Jesus promised his followers an inheritance that far surpassed anything that their call to spirituality might cost them, just as Paul reminded the Corinthians (1 Corinthians 2:9; see also Romans 8:18; 2 Corinthians 4:17–18, 1 Timothy 4:8). So, as we bear the cost of our high calling in Christ, we can draw strength from the encouragement of the apostle: “And let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart” (Galatians 6:9). Amen.
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