Pneuma: What Does it Mean to be a Spiritual Person?

Are you spiritual, but not religious? Does religion feel like it could stifle your spirituality? If so, I can sympathize. We live in a spiritual realm, and religion often fails to communicate the truly Divine.

Yet while I sympathize with you, may I recommend a unique perspective? Religion often fails to communicate the truly Divine, but are you sure that religion must always fail? Is it possible that maybe, if used well, religion could help you be more spiritual? If you are willing to consider this possibility, I want to share with you about how spirituality can spring from religion.

What does it mean to be truly spiritual?

Our universe consists of physical objects, but it has a spiritual dimension. From the grass below our feet to the birds in the air, living creatures are more than molecules. Humans also have a spiritual dimension, and though we can’t see or touch spirits, we know that they are present. In this sense, spirits are like the wind: unseen, but obvious by their effects. In fact, the Greek word for ‘spirit’ is the same for ‘wind’ – pneuma (NEW-muh). We live in a spiritual, pneumatic, realm.

Beyond this, spiritual forces, both good and evil, are at work in this realm. Finally, is there not some great spiritual Being, some entity, who exists ‘out there?’ Many people can agree on this – from the isolated tribes in tropical jungles, to the first nations of the Americas, there was the sense of a great Being or a great Spirit.

So what does it mean to be truly spiritual? I think that a truly spiritual person would recognize these spiritual realities. They would have an awareness of their own unique spiritual capabilities, powers, and weaknesses. Further, they would have a positive connection, in some way, with this great Entity. Don’t you agree that a healthy spiritual person would have these characteristics?

How can we know about the spiritual realm?

Everything from magic to meditation and witchcraft to worship have been used to access the spiritual realm. Yet there are just two primary ways that people have tried to understand the spiritual realm.

1. Philosophy – Philosophy is the effort to understand the spiritual realm by what we already have access to. Philosophy takes human ideas to gain insight into the spiritual. Sometimes these human ideas come from logic or reason (like Western philosophy). Other times these human ideas come from emotions, feelings, or meditation (like eastern mysticism). Either way, humans are using their own resources to gain spiritual insights.
2. Revelation – Revelation refers to the spiritual realm ‘revealing’ itself. When someone uses revelation to understand the spiritual, they are admitting that they don’t have the personal insight to understand the big picture: they need some form of supernatural guidance.

Which approach do you use to understand the spiritual?

While both approaches can provide some useful insights, the great difficulty with philosophy is that humans have been using their own resources to understand the spiritual for generations, but they can’t seem to agree. If we had within us the ability to gain spiritual insight, we would not come to such contradictory views. For this reason, I believe that revelation is a preferable route.

You may disagree, especially when I mention the Bible as a revelation that could guide us to understand the spiritual. I understand your concerns. However, as a spiritual person myself, I have found the Bible to be very useful through my spiritual journey. I believe that if you give it a chance, you might find that it has some valuable insights. So, are you willing to consider the Bible’s insight into spirituality?

Who is the great Being?

As I mentioned, many spiritual people agree that there is a great Being. The Bible says the same. It says that this Great Being – God – is ‘spirit.’

The Bible goes further and describes God as personal. A person is not simply a force or power; a person has characteristics, thoughts, and intentions. As a person, God does specific things. God plans and intends and wills. God created the world and sustains the world. The planets keep spinning, the grass keeps growing, and you continue breathing because God sustains the world. God is not distant or uninterested in what happens in the world, but very much involved in the world.

I am now going to use another word to describe God: ‘He.’ I understand this may be controversial, but I ask you just to consider that this is how the Bible refers to God. God refers to Himself in the masculine. This does not mean that God never shows certain feminine qualities – He once likens Himself to a mother hen who kindly cares for her chicks. However, God is never called ‘her’ in the Bible. The Bibles makes it clear that there is nothing inherently better with the masculine than the feminine, but it is intentional in using the masculine to refer to God.

Again, the Bible describes God as everywhere, but not in everything. God does not identify with certain things: for example, God never identifies with evil. God is good, so we cannot attribute evil to Him. God controls evil and restrains evil. He even uses evil for good purposes, but He is not evil. Of course this is confusing, but if you are a spiritual person, I am sure you can see that the spiritual realm is sometimes mysterious. While it always makes sense, we don’t always have the insight to understand that sense.

Finally, the Bible explains that God is both loving and hateful. By ‘hateful,’ I don’t mean evil. Instead, I refer to two sides of the same coin. Love and hatred are compatible. If I told you that I love Jewish people, then what response must I have to Nazis or the Holocaust? I must hate them. Similarly, God is good. This requires God to love what is good, but to be angry – even to hate – what is the opposite of good.

What is the human spirit like?

We agree that human beings are spiritual beings who can access the great, the mysterious, and the transcendental. But what are our own spirits like? Again, the Bible is a spiritual book with great insight.

The human being is fundamentally imbalanced, the Bible says. The word ‘imbalanced’ is a very imprecise word, but it hints at what I mean – that something is ‘off,’ not right, within the human spirit. I am sure that you can agree, even if we disagree on other things. Perhaps you believe that we need to be in touch with ourselves and aware of who we are. This does not come naturally. Naturally, we are distracted: certainly that is an imbalance. However, the Bible explains this as only the symptom, rather than the cause, of our imbalance.

The Bible tells the story of Jesus being confronted by religious leaders about what they see as a serious imbalance in the lives of his followers. Jesus and his followers had just sat down to eat a meal, but they did not wash their hands before eating. Religious people were horrified because they believed that defilement – a sort of ritual imbalance – occurred when people ate food without washing their hands – it was as if they were spreading ‘cooties’ all over the food that they touched!

Jesus disagreed. He said, “it is not what goes into the mouth that defiles a person, but what comes out of the mouth; this defiles a person.” In other words, Jesus taught that the fundamental problem, the imbalance of the human spirit, comes from inside, not outside.

I mentioned that the term ‘imbalance’ is a very imprecise term. The Bible has a much more specific word for this sense of irregularity: the word ‘sin.’

At this point, you might seriously disagree with Jesus. Isn’t the goal of being spiritual to reconnect with the human spirit? You probably believe that the human spirit is ultimately pure and good, while it is the social influences around us that make us do things that we regret.

Before you dismiss what Jesus said, you might think about Sigmund Freud’s discoveries. Freud was certainly not a religious person, and I am sure that he would have disagreed with Jesus on many issues. However, if you have ever taken a psychology class, you probably know that Freud identified three parts to the human ‘psyche’ – the id, the ego, and the superego. According to Freud, the ‘id’ represents the repressed part of our psyche, which is rarely seen. The ‘superego’ functions as our conscience, a voice ‘out there’ telling us how we ought to behave and chiding us when we do wrong. The ‘ego’ acts as a sort of bridge between the two, sometimes acting based on the impulses of the id, and sometimes acting based on the compelling of the superego.

Surprisingly, Freud agrees with Jesus: the inner, repressed self – the ‘id’ – is not a beautiful, lovely thing. It is bestial, characterized by violence and irrationality. The ‘superego,’ while it makes us act in appropriate ways, is external, rather than part of our natural being.

You can think of Jesus Christ and Sigmund Freud picturing the human spirit as an onion. It is multi-layered. On the outside, we all appear to be decent, nice people. Peel away a layer, and you find that we all have flaws (I am sure that you have observed this as you got to know different people). If you peel another layer, you begin to understand that sometimes even apparently ‘good’ deeds spring from embarrassing motives. Each time you take another layer off the onion, you find that the human spirit is worse, not better, until you get to the final layer, the core of the human, which is entirely corrupted.

Here again you probably object. You and I have each done bad things that we are ashamed of, things that we don’t want others to know. But you probably felt that those things did not represent the ‘real you.’ While Jesus was a very spiritual person, he would disagree vigorously with you. Those actions that you took were actually the true you, rearing its head – even if normally that inner being is so repressed that you don’t recognize it as your own.

At this point I want to define this word ‘sin’ a little better. Sin is an imbalance, something that is ‘off,’ because it is the spiritual opposite of God. If God is ultimately good, sin is what is opposed to God. Further, this sin has an effect. Just as an imbalance on a dump truck can make it tip over, so the problem of sin leads to spiritual destruction. It ruins things that are otherwise wonderful. Again, the Bible says this plainly: “The wages of sin is death.” Hence, sin leads to ruin, to spiritual destruction. It clouds our eyes and makes it difficult, sometimes impossible, to be aware of the spiritual realm that we are in. It distorts our understanding of this spiritual realm. In fact, it so powerfully affects our spirits that the Bible describes us as spiritually ‘dead’ because of sin.

How does one solve the inner imbalance?

Many people, spiritual or otherwise, understand that there is a great imbalance, and they take steps to correct it. Religious people often do this by going through ceremonies or rituals, such as sacrifices or prayers, to seek to offset this imbalance. Non-religious people also try to fix this imbalance by trying to live good lives, or through meditation or other practices.

The problem is that these observances or practices are external to us, and they do not reach to the core of who we are. It is precisely here that the Bible can help us.

If you are a spiritual person, it is quite possible that you are aware of the death/renewal theme. We see it in the ancient myth of the Phoenix, a bird which, dying by fire, renews itself and arises from its own ashes. This concept has been popularized as well by Hinduism, which teaches that every living being, after death, is reincarnated into another form. It is a common theme in many belief systems.

The Bible teaches a form of this theme, but in a much more practical way. Remember, the Bible presents sin as the great problem of the human spirit: the inner core of the human is completely sinful. If this is so, then surely the death and renewal of the human spirit is the most important need that we have. The Bible claims that this is not only necessary, but possible.

You are probably already familiar with the story of Jesus in the Bible. He claimed to come from God, and the Bible describes him as the ‘exact representation’ of his heavenly Father. He acts as a sort of mirror, by which one can look at Jesus and see God. Of course, there is great mystery in these words. The concept of a single God, yet a God who is called ‘Father’ while also existing as a Divine ‘Son’ is quite confusing, especially if there is also a Divine ‘Spirit’: but again, if you are a spiritual person, I know that you will understand that the spiritual realm is a realm of mystery, where our own inabilities often hinder our understanding of the ultimate reality.

Jesus, as you know, was crucified and buried. The Bible also states that Jesus was then resurrected (here you see this theme of death and renewal) and returned to heaven. Beyond this, the Bible teaches that Jesus will return to earth a second time, to bring about the end of the world. But here is the unique thing: according to the Bible, such a death/renewal theme is available for all people. Let me explain.

The Bible teaches that humans who fully personalize the reality about Jesus are united with Him in a spiritual way. This may sound odd, but remember that many people believe in a similar concept. The Buddhist understands the concept of Nirvana as a place where the human soul, like a single drop of liquid, is dissolved in the great ocean of being. The Christian concept of this spiritual union is, of course, very distinct in many ways; but it is, nonetheless, a union of the human with the divine.

This theme is so important in the Bible that it is almost impossible to understand the Bible without it. For example, the Bible uses the phrase ‘in Christ’ many times to describe those who have accepted and personalized the message of Jesus. Such people are ‘in Christ;’ they are spiritually united with Him.

This spiritual union between the believer and Jesus is intimate and unique. The Bible has many illustrations to describe it. It is symbolized by the union of marriage, or the union between a vine and the branches on it. No picture does full justice, but clearly the spiritual union is so deep that even many Christians fail to comprehend it.

What is astonishing is that the Bible explains believers to be so connected to Jesus that they share in his death and renewal. That is, Jesus’ crucifixion on the cross, and his resurrection from the grave, become the personal actions of the Christian. They also died, spiritually, and they also resurrect, spiritually.

That is why the Bible says, “if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.” It says further “those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.”

If this seems theoretical to you, allow me to mention my own life. Many years ago I was profoundly moved by the words of the Bible. I suddenly believed them in a unique, personal, and powerful way. What I saw unfold in my life was beyond description. In one evening, quite literally, I saw my own personal desires, interests, hopes, and expectations change radically. I woke up interested in myself and my little world; I went to bed profoundly desiring God. Spiritual thoughts, which were once a drudgery to me, were suddenly my greatest interest.

Nor was this a passing phenomenon. Ever since that time, it has remained true of me. This is not to say that I am a perfect person (far from it). But this is to say that my deepest, inner being changed dramatically. The old me ‘died;’ the new me ‘resurrected.’ This is exactly what the Bible teaches. It is what happens to the one who is ‘in Christ.’

Another Biblical description of this death and renewal says, “I will put my laws into their minds, and write them on their hearts, and I will be their God, and they shall be my people.” In other words, the old, sinful spirit dies, and in its place, a new heart, a spiritual being, is birthed. It is in this way that the great inner imbalance is solved: by union with Jesus Christ.

I have already mentioned that God is good, but his goodness manifests itself through both love and hatred. God’s goodness is so pure and profound that it cannot endure what is evil. That is why God is sometimes described as a ‘judge’ in the Bible. His justice is often described as the most pure, strict justice that can be comprehended. Such a judge, of course, cannot ignore evil.

The Bible, we see, has answered this important question: how do we resolve the internal evil of the human spirit? The answer is, ‘through union with Jesus Christ, in his death and renewal.’

There is, however, an even more serious problem that the Bible presents and answers. It is important for the human soul to be purified, but still, the purity and justice of God demand that every sin be punished. Hence, even our previous sins must be punished by God – there can be no union with the divine if His hatred is directed toward us.

The Bible does not hesitate to describe the punishment which every human spirit is in danger of. The Bible uses the word ‘hell.’ It is unpleasant to think about, but it makes sense. What is hell, but eternal separation from God? In other words, there is no personal relationship with God in hell. It is the place where God’s good ‘hatred’ is manifested, just as God’s good ‘love’ is manifested in heaven.

The Bible describes the solution in this way: “For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.” These words make no sense until you understand that again, the Bible is speaking about those who are ‘in Christ.’ For such people, he (God the Father) made him (Jesus) to be sin who knew no sin (Jesus had never sinned) so that in him (in Jesus) we might become the righteousness of God.

In other words, the union between Jesus and his people is so intimate and real that Jesus takes on the sins of his people. Similarly, this union is so powerful that we ‘become’ the righteousness of God – that is, the very righteousness which Jesus has, is ours!

This means that God, the just judge, must punish every sin with death. Jesus never sinned, but He still died, because He was so united with His people that their sins brought about His death. Hence, Jesus is a substitute for us. Similarly, God is pleased with Jesus because He has a divine righteousness. Our union with Jesus is so powerful that God is pleased with us, since we are united to Jesus’ divine righteousness.

How does one take advantage of the death and renewal of Jesus?

I hope that you can see that the Bible is nothing like a list of ‘dos’ and ‘don’ts.’ It contains directions for how to live a life in harmony with God, but the central message of the Bible is not about how to gain God’s favor. Instead, the Bible presents a picture of spirituality that is powerful and unique. It confronts us with our ideas about who we are, challenging us, but providing hope. If we are united with Jesus, His death and renewal can transform our lives.

Because of this, Christians have certainty about what happens to them. Many religious people are trying to do good works to gain God’s favor. But how can they ever know if they did enough good works? They cannot know. Hence, when they die, they die with uncertainty – did they do enough? Nonreligious people are often confident that when they die, they will be reincarnated, or go to some good place. This is called hope – but it is not the same as certainty. I may be hopeful that good things will happen to me. I may even be confident that they will happen to me. But that is very different from having certainty.

The Christian has certainty because Jesus has divine righteousness – if I am in Christ, this righteousness is mine. I am certain that it is sufficient. My sins and crimes have already been paid for. I am certain of these things. Whatever happens to me, I have certainty that God is for me. God cannot be more ‘on my side’ than He already is. Because I am united to His Son, He is entirely ‘for me.’

I would like to personally ask you to consider what I am saying. The Bible’s picture of spirituality is unique because it provides answers to all the great problems of the human spirit. It is not a medicine to be left on the shelf. That is why the Bible challenges us to do something with it. May I challenge you?

The Bible asks us to repent. This does not mean to ‘say sorry.’ It means to have a change of mind – a radical, transforming change of mind. It means to abandon everything of the past – past dreams, past hopes, past truths, past attitudes. It calls us to believe – to fully accept the truth about Jesus and all its implications. This is not something that happens easily. It is a lifelong commitment. It is a turn from how we understand life, to how the Bible understands life. It is a sacrifice of all our personal dreams, hopes, desires, and premises, in exchange for God’s. It is, in other words, a spiritual surrender – rather than opposing God or his message in the Bible, we are called to raise a white flag, an unconditional surrender, accepting Jesus and all that He says. May I challenge you to consider this? May I even challenge you to do it?