A Layperson’s Guide to Genuine Spiritual Living
If you’ve ever sat in church and wondered, “Is this all there is to faith?” or felt like sometimes church feels more like a performance than a true encounter with God, you’re not alone. Many of us long for something deeper, something more real—a life that’s truly alive in the Spirit.
But what does it mean to be “Alive in the Spirit”? Let’s break it down in plain, everyday language.
Setting the Stage: Not Just Going Through the Motions
A lot of times, church leaders—whether local pastors or even big denomination heads—try to guide the congregation by giving us a formula: follow these steps, sing these songs, do these things, and you’ll be a good Christian. But faith isn’t a math problem to be solved or a checklist to be completed.
It’s easy to fall into routines and traditions, but being alive in the Spirit is about so much more than that. It means our faith is not just something we do out of habit, but something that breathes life into us and flows out into everything we do.
Letting Go of Our Prejudices and Opinions
We all have our own ideas, experiences, and even prejudices. But to really experience the Holy Spirit, it’s important to let go of these and check everything—not just what we hear from others, but even what we feel ourselves—against God’s Word. The Bible is our anchor, and it’s critical that we don’t just take a verse here or there and twist it to fit our own opinions. Instead, we need to read it in context, looking at the big picture of what God is saying throughout the entire Bible.
Beware of Exalting One Person or Gift
Sometimes, you’ll see a church put one person or one special gift on a pedestal, as if everything depends on them. But if someone or something becomes the main focus, instead of Jesus and the Holy Spirit, that’s a red flag. The true work of the Spirit is about lifting up Christ and encouraging everyone, not just making a superstar out of one person.
Correcting Errors Without Attacking People
It’s important to point out when teachings or practices don’t line up with the Bible, but that doesn’t mean we attack people or even entire denominations. It’s about correcting ideas, not tearing down individuals. Even the Apostle Paul, as passionate as he was, encouraged people to look into Scripture for themselves—not just take his word for it.
The Danger of Entertainment Replacing the Spirit
Let’s be honest—entertainment is everywhere in our world, and it’s easy for it to sneak into our churches. Sometimes our worship services can become more about putting on a good show than truly connecting with God. We might not even realize it’s happening. But when the main goal becomes impressing people instead of worshiping God, we’ve missed the point.
The True Focus: Worship
At its core, being alive in the Spirit means being a worshiper. Worship isn’t just singing a song on Sunday—it’s making God the main focus of our lives. The Holy Spirit’s role is to draw our hearts to Jesus, to help us love Him, honor Him, and let Him transform us.
Jesus Himself taught that worship isn’t about being in a certain place or doing things a certain way—it’s about connecting with God personally. When He spoke to the Samaritan woman in John 4, He told her that real worship is about spirit and truth, not rituals or locations.
What Real Worship Looks Like
Real worship starts with the Holy Spirit. If it doesn’t, it’s just empty routine. When we worship in Spirit and truth, it’s not about what we can get from God, but about giving Him our attention, our gratitude, and our hearts.
Too often, our churches and our lives become focused on activity—doing things, volunteering, staying busy—and we lose sight of the most important thing: becoming true worshipers. As Chuck Swindoll said, “When we substitute the urgent for the important in the church of Jesus Christ, we emphasize work, activity, involvement, doing, producing, impressing, and accomplishing.”
Good Works vs. God’s Work
There’s nothing wrong with doing good things. But not every good work is a “God work.” True spiritual fruit comes from being connected to the Holy Spirit, not just from being busy or productive.
Making Faith Personal
Spiritual truth isn’t just something to be learned or believed; it’s meant to reshape our lives from the inside out. It’s possible to know a lot about the Holy Spirit without actually knowing Him personally. What matters most is having a real, living relationship with God.
The Bible says, “If anyone is in Christ, they are a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come” (2 Corinthians 5:17). This isn’t just about following rules—it’s about letting God change us from the inside out.
The Journey of Knowing God
No matter how much we know about God, there’s always more to learn. The journey of faith is about pursuing God, wanting to know Him more deeply, and allowing Him to reveal Himself to us each day.
But as we learn and grow, our opinions need to be grounded in what the Holy Spirit reveals through Scripture. Paul encouraged early Christians to check everything he said against the Scriptures, to make sure it was true. That applies to us today, too.
Giving Testimony, Living Transparently
Everyone has the right to share what God has done in their life, but personal stories should always align with biblical truth. Being “alive in the Spirit” isn’t just a theory or something reserved for “spiritual superstars”—it’s an everyday reality available to all believers. Sharing honestly about our spiritual journeys can encourage others, as long as we’re transparent and humble.
Authentic Encounter vs. Secular Distraction
People are hungry for the real thing—a true encounter with God, not just church programs or social events. Many walk away from faith communities because what they find is empty or worldly, rather than life-changing.
We have to remember what makes church unique: true worship. When everything else distracts us from this central focus, we lose what matters most.
Keeping the Main Thing the Main Thing
So what are the important things? God’s Word, God’s will, God’s plan, and God’s people. Our goal should be to create a church community where worship is at the center—where we seek to know Jesus, love Him, and let His Spirit move freely.
God Desires Our Worship
At the heart of it all, God wants a relationship with us. He seeks our authentic worship—not because He needs it, but because He loves it when we connect with Him in truth and sincerity.
Living Out the Truth
Biblical truth isn’t just for our heads; it’s for our lives. We’re called not just to believe, but to let that belief shape who we are and how we live. The Holy Spirit is there to help us, from the very beginning of our spiritual journey to every step along the way.
Conclusion: Becoming Alive in the Spirit
In the end, being alive in the Spirit is about more than attending church or following traditions. It’s about a vibrant, personal relationship with God—a life of worship, guided by the Holy Spirit, rooted in biblical truth, and lived out every day. When we make this our focus, church becomes more than an event; it becomes a place where lives are changed, hope is restored, and God is truly honored.
So let’s seek to be a people who are alive in the Spirit—not just in word, but in truth, in worship, and in the way we love God and one another.
afrancinegreen.com 