The Path to Authentic Spirituality

Authentic spirituality is the result of the Spirit's work in our lives, growing us up spiritually. Spiritual growth is the path to authentic spirituality. But the Spirit's transforming work requires our active involvement - our participation. We see this reality in Peter's experience, recorded in Acts 10 and 11.

The Spirit initiates the growth process by teaching us the ways of God, therein confronting our old ways of thinking and functioning. This teaching and confrontation in Peter's experience is reflected in Acts 10:9-23. His way of thinking about eating food that was considered unclean, i.e., unacceptable, was challenged. Don't miss the fact that Peter's thinking was based upon the teachings of his religious heritage and supported by scripture. This confrontation stirred resistance and created confusion in Peter's mind. But the Spirit wasn't through. As Peter attempted to make sense of what had been told him in his vision, three Gentiles, including a Roman soldier, arrived and asked for him. These three people were, from Peter's perspective (again, based on his religious training), unclean people. Peter had been taught to have nothing to do with such people.

Peter's role in this experience was to follow the Spirit's lead. He was being called to respond - just as the Spirit's work in our life calls for a response from us. Generally that response includes the willingness to struggle rather than automatically reject a different way of thinking.

The "coincidence" of the vision and the arrival of the three Gentiles was more than Peter could ignore. He did not immediately set aside his beliefs and embrace this new way of thinking, but he did begin to explore it. He greeted the men and inquired about the reason for their search, 10:21. That conversation led to the next step: giving them lodging for the night - an unheard of act. The next day, Peter went with them to the home of Cornelius, a Roman officer, 10:23 - again, unheard of! At Cornelius' home, Peter acknowledged that God was teaching him a new way of thinking: "but God has shown me I should not call anyone profane or unclean," 10:28.

Peter's experience was far from over. He could state the new truth, but that did not mean he understood it or its implications or embraced those implications. So the Spirit continued to work. The Spirit confirmed this new way of thinking and relating in an undeniable way. The openness and hunger of the Gentiles convinced Peter, 10:34-35. So he began to share the gospel with them. As Peter preached, 10:34, the Spirit was poured out on the Gentiles just as the Spirit had been poured out on the Jewish disciples at Pentecost, 10:44-46. The truth that God was teaching Peter was now undeniable.

The Spirit's confirmation of this new way of thinking called for another response from Peter: he had to incorporate it into the way he thought and functioned. He had to act on it. He gave permission for the Gentiles to be baptized as followers of Jesus, 10:47-48. (I find it interesting that Peter did not do the baptizing!) The experience of spiritual growth calls us to embrace God's ways of thinking and begin to live them.

Accepting and acting on the new way of thinking would appear to be the end of the experience.  But it was not. Chapter 11 records that Peter was "called on the carpet" for his actions,11:2-3. In the face of complaint from leaders in the church at Jerusalem, Peter bore witness to his experience and became an advocate for this new way of thinking and relating, 11:4-18. The experience of spiritual growth is not complete until we become witnesses of and advocates for God's ways of thinking and relating.

But old ways of thinking and acting take a long time to die. Galatians 2:11-12 record an incident in which Peter reverted back to his old ways. Paul confronted him and called him back to the truth God had taught him. Spiritual growth does not involve steady, unbroken progress. It involves struggle, lapses, and renewed beginnings.

The relationship with God always follows a set pattern: God's initiative, our response. We call this pattern grace and faith. Throughout this experience, the Spirit was initiating, guiding Peter each step of the way - grace. But Peter's response was vital. His response allowed the process to continue - faith. At any point, Peter could have short circuited the experience by resisting the Spirit's work.

The Spirit transforms our lives by helping us grow spiritually. Our contribution is to respond to the Spirit's work, to follow the Spirit's lead. We cannot make ourselves grow spiritually any more than we can make ourselves grow physically. But we can put ourselves in a position to be open and receptive to the Spirit. That's what Peter did. This experience began as Peter went aside to pray, 10:9.

Such is the role of spiritual practices: to help us be open to God and sensitive to the movement of the Spirit in our lives. Such is the reason for involvement in the life of a church. Did you notice how spiritual friends were a part of Peter's experience? Peter was staying at Simon's house, 10:17. Simon, by the way, was a tanner - a Jew who was considered ritually unclean.  Yet Peter was staying with him. When Peter went to Cornelius' house, six other believers went with him, 10:23, 11:12. When Peter could no longer deny the truth that God was teaching him, he invited his spiritual friends to confirm his understanding and to act on it, 10:44-48. Spiritual growth takes place in spiritual community. We can't walk this journey alone!