What Is True Spirituality? - Crosswalk the Devotional - September 1

Truths observed at the intersection of faith and life by Crosswalk.com editors [Crosswalk.com Logo]( Crosswalk: The Devotional [Devotionals]( [Newsletters]( [e-Cards]( What is True Spirituality? by Alex Crain "When the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was desirable to make one wise, she took from its fruit and ate; and she gave also to her husband with her, and he ate." - [Genesis 3:6]( NASB It seems clear to me that the root of all human sin is unbelief. Doubt. I've heard people argue that the most basic sin is pride, and well, I suppose that's somewhere lurking on the other side of the coin. But if we start at the beginning of the [Bible]( the [Genesis 3]( account shows that Eve first doubted God. That was her sin. After her unbelief came the outward act of disobedience. Francis Schaeffer, commenting on this, said: "By her doubting she called God a liar. Eve doubted… mankind in revolt doubts God" (chapter seven, True Spirituality). On the contrary, the person who is at peace with God does not doubt Him. Rather, he/she trusts God. Schaeffer says this is the simplest way to describe true spirituality: it is believing God. But it is more than just believing God at one isolated point in life. It is believing God and having ongoing belief in Him. There must be moment-by-moment personal [communion]( with Him. God created us to be relational, not mechanical. Healthy relationships depend on good communication. But communication is an always-in-flux, moment-by-moment kind of thing. That is why all our mechanical efforts at the Christian life fail. It's not about reading a set number of chapters of the Bible each day. It's not about praying for so long. No. What is needed first, and what inspires trust is, throughout the day, seeing before us the most basic teachings of the Bible: God exists and He is personal. God is holy and [sin]( will be judged, but Christ's atonement removes the guilt of sinners. We are saved from condemnation by the finished work of Christ, and we are brought into a proper relationship with God in a personal way. [CONTINUE READING →]( You May Also Like: [10 Signs You're a Titus 2 Woman]( John Barnett You've likely heard about what it means to be a Proverbs 31 woman. But what does it look like to live as a Titus 2 woman? [CONTINUE READING →]( [Why Is the Church Going Dark?]( Janet Thompson Lord, why are we singing about you being the Light in the darkness while standing here in almost complete darkness? This just doesn’t seem right. [CONTINUE READING →](                       Bible Trivia Question of the Day                                       To whom were the following words spoken?: `Thou art my beloved son; in thee I am well pleased.` A. Abraham B. Jesus C. Adam D. Isaac [ANSWER THE QUESTION →]( [Crosswalk.com Logo]( [Read about Salem Web Network]( | [Unsubscribe]( [Email Preference Center]( | [View in Browser]( © 2021 Salem Web Network. All rights reserved. 111 Virginia Street, Suite 200, Richmond, VA 23219. This email is never sent unsolicited. You are receiving this email because your email address, {EMAIL}, is signed up to receive newsletters, updates, and special offers from Crosswalk.com - The Devotional. [Link](