Religiosity and Spirituality

Religion and spirituality are often mistakenly understood as synonymous terms. The former is human, the latter is divine. The traditions and rituals could make people religious, but not spiritual. Religiosity is taken up with the external, visible things. Spirituality is primarily a matter of the heart. Before we explore the difference between religion and spirituality, we must first define the two terms. Religion can be defined as “belief in God or gods to be worshipped, usually expressed in conduct and ritual” or “any specific system of belief, worship, etc., often involving a code of ethics.” Spirituality can be defined as “the quality or fact of being spiritual, Godly” or “predominantly spiritual character as shown in thoughts, words, deeds, life, etc.; spiritual tendency or tone.” To put it briefly, religion is a set of beliefs and rituals that claim to get a person in a right relationship with God, and spirituality is a focus on spiritual things.  It actually lifts man into the image of God.  

Many people have confused one against the other. Religiosity is an outward form of worship. It doesn’t affect the inward at all, while spirituality starts from within. If you are more interested in self gratification than self sacrifice you are religious, not spiritual. If you are more interested in impressing people with your eloquent words than reflecting godliness through daily life, you are religious, not spiritual. If you are more interested in activities and accomplishment than in personal walk with the Lord in Holiness, you are religious, not spiritual. Religious people justify their actions but Spiritual people however, never seek to justify themselves before men. Religious people are more interested in men's acceptance than in God's.

Religion is man’s attempt to discover God and find the solution to his own problem. Mankind has tried in so many ways to relieve the fear, pain, and suffering that characterize so much of human life on earth. One way is through religion. The danger of Religion is that it tends to substitute the heartless observance of rituals and tradition for a genuine relationship with God. At the same time, religion can be valuable in the sense that it points to the fact that there is a God and that we are somehow accountable to Him. The true value of religion is its ability to point out that we have fallen short and are in need of a Savior.

Among the Religious people, for example, a person is regarded as religious if he or she goes regularly visit worship place, performs the rituals and ceremonies as per the norms, makes contributions to the charity and religious activities, and gives alms to the poor. But on the other hand that person may discriminate people, treats the poor and weak people like slaves, cheats on his income tax and business deals, commit secrets sin in thoughts and deeds etc. However in the sight of people he or she is still considered a religious person and a respected member of his religion but not in the sight of God. Religiosity deals with externals, not with internals. It deals with the obvious and what can be seen, not with the unseen or the invisible. Religiosity is what one shows to others, or how others see what he does in connection with his beliefs and practices. It has nothing to do with what he does in secret or with his unseen relationship with the divine. Religiosity then consists of being a member of a group, of a religious community called a loyal member, and doing what is expected of him by that religion.  Being religious means following the beliefs, doctrines, practices, traditions and rituals of a particular organized religious institution that are external to the individual. Religion can exist separate and apart from the individual, not so for spirituality.

Spirituality is an internal process of seeking personal authenticity, genuineness, and wholeness as an aspect of identity with the creator. The true value of spirituality is that it points to the fact that there is something and someone beyond this physical world to which we need to connect. Spirituality is the process of continuous development of a greater connectedness to God -is the process of deriving meaning, purpose, and direction in one's life; and-involves an increasing openness to exploring a relationship with an intangible and pervasive power or essence or center of value that exists beyond human existence and rational human knowing. Spirituality begins and is perpetually an internal process, though there is the moving outward from oneself through connectedness to self and others, and relationship with that which lies beyond the known and knowable world. It need not be traditional to the practices, beliefs and rituals of a particular organized religion. To be spiritual is to have an intimacy with God.  It is very personal relationship. Your actions need not be sanctioned or approved by people but God.

According to the Bible, True Christianity is not a religion; rather, it is having a right relationship with God by receiving Jesus Christ as the Savior and Lord, by grace through faith. Paul said “My dear children, for whom I am again in the pains of childbirth until Christ is formed in you,” (Galatians 4:19) Paul’s words to the people, “until Christ is formed in you” (Galatians 4:19), should penetrate the hearts of men and women as they examine their own lives to see if Christ is really formed in them. Is Christ, in actuality, reproduced in your life? Since Jesus is the Savior of the world, it is imperative for each individual to allow Christ to envelop the whole of his or her life. An understanding of the Christ event should cause every believer to yearn for Christ to be formed in one’s life. The positive side to Christ’s formation in the believer consists of the “fruit of the Spirit” “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,  gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.”(Galatians 5:22-24)

The word “spiritual” occurs 30 times in the New Testament, and all of those in the Book of Romans or later. Every bible instance of the word “spiritual” occurs after the NEW BIRTH. Romans 12:1-2 Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God — this is your SPIRITUAL act of worship.  DO NOT CONFORM any longer to the pattern of THIS WORLD.

Three characteristics of the spiritual man or woman:

(1) Lives life as a living sacrifice, not self-centeredly

(2) Lives a holy life

(3) Live in such a way as to please God

Also, spiritual people are LOVING people. Galatians 6:1 says Brothers, if someone is caught in a SIN, you who are spiritual should restore him gently. But WATCH YOURSELF or you also may be TEMPTED. A mark of biblical spirituality is taking a realistic and watchful approach to our ever-present temptations. To be deemed “spiritual” by God, “do NOT CONFORM ... to the pattern of this WORLD.”  Christians grieve the Holy Spirit when they do not allow Christ to be formed in their “newness of life.”  “For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking but of righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.” (Romans 14:17) “For to set the mind on the flesh is death, but to set the mind on the Spirit is life and peace.”(Romans 8:6)

Again, Paul said in Ephesians: “Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice.  Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you” (Ephesians 4:31-32). Paul desires that the inner life of every believer come to life in the Lord Jesus. In other words, Christ has been given to believers in order that a transformation may come about in their lives. This new life in Christ is not intended to be just internal, but rather it is to be external. Christ, in His Sermon on the Mount, addresses the “outer” manners: Christianity does have “ordinance” to observe (e.g., baptism and communion). Yes, Christianity does have “rules” to follow (e.g., do not murder, love your enemies, etc.). However, these rituals and rules are not the essence of Christianity. The rituals and rules of Christianity are the result of salvation. When we receive salvation through Jesus Christ, we are baptized as a proclamation of that faith. We observe communion in remembrance of Christ’s sacrifice. We follow a list of do’s and don’ts out of love for God and gratitude for what He has done.

The most common misconception about spirituality is that there are many forms of spirituality, and all are equally valid. Meditating in unusual physical positions, communing with nature, seeking conversation with the spirit world, etc., may seem to be “spiritual,” but they are in fact false spirituality. True spirituality is empowerment of the Holy Spirit as a result of receiving salvation through Jesus Christ. True spirituality is the fruit that the Holy Spirit produces in a person’s life: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control (Galatians 5:22-23). Spirituality is all about becoming more like God, who is spirit (John 4:24) and having our character conformed to His image (Romans 12:1-2).

This is why God did not send us a religious council. Instead, He sent us His Son Jesus Christ, who was herald of His spiritual kingdom as well as its gateway. Christ did not come to Earth to start a religion. Jesus preached about the Kingdom of God where people can experience his very presence under his Lordship. Jesus’ overarching mission on earth was to reintroduce the spiritual Kingdom of God on Earth to mankind. When we say that Jesus came to reintroduce the spiritual Kingdom of God on Earth, this implies that at one time it was here before. Christ did not bring a new Kingdom to Earth, but an old, original Kingdom that had been lost. At one time, Adam and Eve were in perfect relationship and intimacy with God on Earth, ruling from the Garden of Eden. In other words they were spiritual. When they rebelled against God and fell into sin, the very presence of God departed and consequently they become religious.


Jesus Christ is the fulfillment of both religion and spirituality. Jesus is the One to whom we are accountable and to whom true religion points. Jesus is the One to whom we need to connect and the One to whom true spirituality points. Are you interested in discovering true religion and true spirituality? The only way to true spirituality is by offering oneself to God daily. Every other way is a counterfeit.

Spirituality is a relationship in Jesus Christ in which the individual is being transformed into an ever-expanding likeness of Christ Himself.   A holy person is not seeking after holiness, but after Jesus Christ, because there is no other source of Holiness.  Holy living demands determination (Rom. 12:1). We are responsible for our inner life and outward walk. All areas of our life should be in the process of being conformed to the likeness of Jesus Christ. Sin is abnormal and unnatural for the believer. We does not experience the absence of sinless life perfectly on this earth (1 John 1:8, 10), however we do overcome sin through the power of the Holy Spirit (Gal. 5:16-21).Holiness or sanctification can be perfected, i.e., completed or matured (Phi. 3:8-16). A maturing, or growing holiness, is an increased Christ-likeness (2 Cor. 3:18). It is a progressive sanctification, not glorification. We will receive glorification when we see Jesus in heaven. Until then, we are to grow in His likeness (1 John 3:3).

Our responsibility is to yield ourselves to the inner working of the Holy Spirit and keep on growing in His likeness (James 4:8).Righteousness is what happens in our body, soul, and spirit when we begin to experience holiness. Righteousness is the work of Holiness. Righteousness is the joy of obedience to God’s ways that results from the inner work of holiness. When a person understands the truth about spirituality, it becomes the most desirable possibility in all of human experiences.  There is nothing so beautiful, so satisfying and so natural in all of human life than manifesting the holiness and glory of God through our daily life.  The very reason for your creation, the purpose for which God made you and the most complete life, is found in Biblical spirituality.  It is not just a standard someone is trying to live.  It certainly is not legalism or narrow-mindedness.  Spirituality is the work of the Holy Spirit by the Word and by the sacrificial death and resurrection of Jesus.  It actually lifts man into the image of God.  In spirituality, we become God-like and God-filled.