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Many people seek a personal, subjective experience with God of some kind, perhaps by seeing a vision or hearing a revelation of some kind. It may be that someone has encouraged you to seek a similar experience. Does the Bible encourage Christians to do this?
What is the difference between pietism and piety?
The apostle Paul didn’t want the believers of Colossae to be deceived by those who would attempt to take them “captive by philosophy and empty deceit, according to human tradition, according to the elemental spirits of the world, and not according to Christ” (Col. 2:8). He urged the Colossians to focus on Christ and their new life in him (Col. 9-17), not in practices and traditions that would lead them astray:
Let no one disqualify you, insisting on asceticism and worship of angels, going on in detail about visions, puffed up without reason by his sensuous mind. (Col. 2:18)
So what is the difference between pietism and piety? According to historical theologian R. Scott Clark,
Pietism is not to be confused with piety, which describes the Christian life and worship; pietism describes a retreat into the subjective experience of God. (Recovering the Reformed Confession: Our Theology, Piety, and Practice, p. 74)
The practice of pietism, either seeking personal encounters with God or practicing asceticism (another form of pietism that involves denying oneself of physical pleasures for the sake of spiritual advancement), can be appealing to people because they feel like they are being more religious and, thus, closer to God. Yet, Paul specifically states that such pursuits puff up one’s “sensuous mind” (Col. 2:18).
Christians should be known for their piety.
Instead of seeking mystical religious experiences and a lofty spiritual status, Christians can take comfort in knowing that the Holy Spirit actually dwells in them (1 Cor. 6:19; Rom. 8:9). Believers should be known for their piety, as they seek to know God’s word (1 Pet. 3:15), attend a faithful local church (1 Tim. 3:14-17; 2 Tim. 2:15; 1 Pet. 5:2; Heb. 10:24-25), and “walk in a manner worthy of God, who calls you into his own kingdom and glory” (1 Thess. 2:12).
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