Spiritual or Spiritism

August 21, 2024

MerriamWebster.com has some interesting definitions, revealing subtle differences between the two, as I am intending to use them here.

“1: the view that spirit is a prime element of reality

2 a: a belief that spirits of the dead communicate with the living usually through a medium”

It’s Thesaurus provides many synonyms, but here are just a few that I am meaning to use: Spiritism, on the one hand, includes divination, sorcery, and witchcraft.

Note that the Bible regards “witchcraft” with the same root word from which we get our use of pharmaceuticals. Strong’s Concordance uses the words “pharmakeia: the use of medicine, drugs or spells.” So, I should think that drugs are used, not for healing, but for deception through hallucinations — those experiences that seem real, but are not; those experiences which are impressive to the impressionable, but turn out to have no real value in life and living. (I used to use hallucinogenic drugs, and so, I know that to be true — even what people call harmless drugs, like marijuana, in the end, only offered relief from severe Depression but only for a few years.)

On the other side of the spectrum is what the Bible considers spiritual. It is described in Paul’s letter to the Galatians, chapter 5, verses 16 through 26. The passage concludes with “Those who belong to Christ Jesus have nailed the passions and desires of their sinful nature to his cross and crucified them there. Since we are living by the Spirit, let us follow the Spirit’s leading in every part of our lives…My point is that as I have come to understand this dynamic is that it comes from a personal relationship and interaction with God through the grace provided by Jesus and the workings of the Holy Spirit in the inner person.

Even so, throughout the history of the Bible as many examples recorded in the Old Testament, guess what? Both practices are there.

As I have said before the Bible is all “meat and potatoes” and shows the “heroes” warts and all.

There is nothing hidden from God and He hides nothing from anyone who wants their eyes to be opened.

In the end, the question arises as to what God’s perspective is on the difference between the two.

Both of them are exposed with the resulting consequences and can be seen in the stories of King David and King Saul by exposing them to public view.

Basically David receives God’s mercies and favor because he calls on God most all of the time. Whereas Saul falls out of favor with God, because he stops calling on God and consults a witch ( a seer or spiritist who communicates with the dead).

The results turn out to be catastrophic for Saul, his family, and his compatriots. “Having previously driven out all necromancers and magicians from Israel, Saul searches for a witch anonymously and is told one is living in the village of Endor. Saul disguises himself and crosses through enemy lines to visit her, asking her to raise Samuel… …The following day, the Israelite army is defeated as prophesied: Saul is wounded by the Philistines, and commits suicide by falling on his sword” — Wikipedia.org. See, 1 Samuel, chapters 25–28.

In the end, these things are not a game to take lightly or to think of as innocent past times or harmless endeavors. In the end, consequences can be an ugly and destructive reality.