Spiritual Johns and NSA Christianity

NSA Christianity is killing the church. NSA is an acronym that means No Strings Attached.  People use it when they want sleep to around.  It's creating a church full of Spiritual Johns---not the John the Baptist kind of John. A John is someone who pays a prostitute for intimacy. They give money, and they get intimacy. They have no commitment. They get their rush and  leave. Real intimacy is costly. It requires commitment and time. It only exists in true relationship.

Spiritual Johns thrive in NSA (No Strings Attached) Christianity, and by thrive I mean die. They go from church to church, meeting to meeting, and event to event looking for an intimate experience with God without relationship. They never find it so they are always seeking. They never become conformed to His image because they never live in community.  God is Trinity. He exists in community. If you don’t exist in community you are not like Him. In the Trinity, there is no “me”. There is only “us.” He says, "Let us create man in our image". The Trinity is not narcissistic, it looks outward. For God so loved the world, is at the heart of His essence.

Saul

Saul was a Spiritual John. He practiced NSA religion. He would encounter God’s Spirit, but he never had relationship. He never fully submitted himself to other Godly people.  In 1 Samuel 19 we read that he wanted to kill David. He was full of jealousy, envy, and hate. In verses 23-24 the Spirit of God comes  and he prophesied. He is so “moved” he even laid all day and night before the Lord. Spiritual Johns would rather get laid out than have their lives changed.. If he lived in relation with Samuel and even David, he may have been restored. But, that would have been humbling. It would have been costly.

He had no commitment to the Lord or Samuel. If he did, he may not have had the Kingdom taken from him. Saul was only committed to Himself. When it served his needs, he came into God’s presence. But, he never let that presence into him. He never re-committed himself to Samuel. He was an island to himself.

It’s easier to lay down on a church floor than it is to be committed. Saul's story has all the makings of a great testimony without the life change. It would have been a great service. Videos would be posted online, revival would be proclaimed, and everybody would think God was pleased. Still, NO LIFE CHANGE HAPPENED. Saul was “spiritual” as long as he was in God’s presence. As soon as he left, he was the regular murderous and envious Saul.

Intimacy has Strings

Spiritual Johns are at the center of their own spirituality. It’s not a spirituality focused on Jesus or others. It’s a pseudo spirituality focused on “me”. Many Charismatic/Pentecostal Christians refuse commitment and treat church like a prostitute. They come and seek God for their own happiness and fulfillment. They give to get. They sow seeds because they want some magic for their finances, not because they care for others. Spiritual Johns lack true anointing because anointing in birthed in intimacy. Intimacy is nurtured in commitment.  

Spiritual Johns are destroying our church. Lack of community is producing ungodly people. When you live in community, you can’t hide your ugliness. You can’t fake it with people who know you.  Intimacy is built on trust and honesty. There are no secrets in the Trinity. There is openness and honesty. There is self sacrifice and love. There is no self-seeking. Many of today’s ministries are built on the sand of self satisfaction.

Attach strings to your spiritual walk.