Excerpts from a message by A. T. Griffin entitled “The Basic Elements of Spirituality” preached at the 58th Annual Assembly in 1963.
We could very well say, “The Foundation Elements of Spirituality.” Basic means fundamental. If you have spirituality in your heart and life it is the result of some basic element. You have obtained something that brought about spirituality. Spirituality is not based on a shout. But for that shout to amount to anything, it has to come from a basic source.
“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith” (Gal. 5:22). If we have the Spirit of God in our hearts and lives, we will have the love of God. You may say that you love your brother or sister, but the Spirit of God will manifest itself. We do not have to put on a program of love. It just works automatically. The love of God is a basic element of the Spirit of God. Love does not just go to this brother and stop. It goes everywhere. The love of God will go a long way in solving your problems. Jesus said that by this all men would know if we have love one to another. Not if we shout a little. Not if we talk about our neighbor a little. Without the Spirit of God you have no love. You may have friendship or buddyship, but no fellowship.
One of the basic elements is also joy. The Spirit of God will bring joy into your life. With joy we draw water out of the wells of salvation. Maybe joy is the bucket, but sometimes people love the bucket. Sometimes people determine spirituality by observation. They look at someone shouting and jumping benches and determine him to be spiritual. If you do not have the basic element in there, you will not walk right on the other side of the bench. Before I was saved, I repented. Then I went over and made things right with my brother. When I got everything fixed up I got sanctified. The old man Adam is gone when you get sanctified. When you get sanctified, it brings about this great joy. When you shout and praise the Lord with joy, you will know how to live the life the next day.