The Godly Man

Hopefully this title caught your attention. It should have. The reason that it should have is that this subject affects every person on this planet. The measure of a godly man is in the leadership he provides. And the leadership he provides is measured by the quality of leadership he provides. And, the quality of leadership he provides is measured by its resemblance to the marks of the Holy Spirit producing likeness to Jesus Christ.

What needs to be said is that there are men who, naturally, are willing to fight the battle of leadership and they are equipped uniquely for that role. However, in the end, the resemblance of the leadership he provided was likeness to himself. That will not do.

A godly man does not want people to resemble himself. The godly man demands, expects, prays for, resemblance to Jesus Christ. The godly man does not think to himself, “I hope that people will follow me.” The godly man thinks to himself, “O, I wish that God would give them a heart to follow Jesus Christ!” The result and the methodology are very different.

The result of the second one is that Jesus is glorified in all His glory. His humanity is seen replicated in the godly man and in the leadership he provides. The direction that a godly leader takes those who know Christ is the direction of obedience to the Father by means of knowledge of the Word of God.

The methodology of the one who leads people towards Jesus Christ is that of hearing the Word of Christ in order that faith will be produced. It is the Word of Christ that produces faith in the heart of those who are His. The means, then, of glorifying Jesus Christ is to display Him through proper handling of His Word.

The overarching affect, then, is that Jesus is exalted in deed and in truth.

The effect of those who are not doing this, is a devastation of lives attempting to be dependent upon the man.

How Do We Help Young Christians In A Relationship?

Christians have always been a little odd to the world. God’s people are often identified by what they abstain from and their peculiar perspective on what life is about. One particular area that could use more peculiarity is that arena of “dating,” or as some might suggest, “courting.” Neither word really does this wonderful experience justice. So, I will try not to use either of them.

That time frame when a young(older) Christian man meets and becomes interested in a young(older) woman in the church is a wonderful time. How else is it supposed to happen? However, oftentimes, there is a bit of a confusion as to what should be the next step(s). As a father, I have a few suggestions. As a pastor, I have a few suggestions. As a somewhat older man in the church, I have a few suggestions. Here they are:

  1. Enjoy! There are few things as strong as the enjoyment of something. Shouldn’t you enjoy being around that other person you are hoping to establish your life with? Shouldn’t you find yourself willing to extend yourself for her/him unlike you would for others in your life? Of course, you should. Enjoy each other’s company, conversation. Share in experiences. Find out who they are.
  2. Refrain! You are not your own. Paul wrote:“Flee immorality. Every other sin that a man commits is outside the body, but the immoral man sins against his own body. Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and that you are not your own? For you have been bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body.” (1 Corinthians 6:18–20). This command is not because of Paul’s contemporary disdain for pleasure. It is because it is true. If the man and woman profess Jesus Christ, then follow Him in this relationship. On the basis of the holy nature of God, until you are joined in marriage, in the interest of being above reproach within the church and among the godly men and women in your life, you are not your own, nor are you each other’s. Your redemption by the love and sacrifice of Jesus Christ is far more valuable than the feelings you have about the other person. And, further, if that other person loves Christ, and really loves you, they will seek your sanctification and holiness leading to your eternal reward more than they will desire to defraud and use you. I wish I didn’t have to say this, however, I have learned that it is necessary.
  3. Submit! Find godly, mature, men and women you can go to for questions. Hopefully, this is the parents of each individual. They are in a unique position to see your life come to a point that they have wondered about, planned for, hoped for, prayed about, and now they need the privilege of being part of that season of your precious life. Don’t deprive your godly parents of this privilege of being part of that process. However, if you don’t have godly parents who will steer you towards Christ and away from selfish behavior, find another in your local church who can be that to you. Surely there is a godly man or woman who would jump at the chance to help you.
  4. Serve! Serve the church in your relationship. The command to love one another (John 13:34) does not stop all because you are in a relationship. Your relationship, in all honesty, is not about you. It is another component in the body of Christ meant to strengthen the other disciples. You will do more together in that way than you can individually. Serve the saints. Love the brethren. Obey the Lord. Find ways that you can publicly demonstrate the love of Christ towards the saints together and raise the standard of expectation for couples in a budding relationship. There are few things as ugly as a young couple off in a corner cuddling up to each other, whispering and giggling, while the church body is fighting its’ war, running its’ race, and plowing its’ field. You say, “But what about our time together?!” Well, see point 2-you are not your own. The call to follow Jesus Christ is a call to carry a cross, even during this wonderful phase of your life as the two of you get to know each other. Let everything be done for the edification of believers. Use your relationship to contribute to the body of Christ. Be an example to others. Be above reproach. Start your relationship being built on the principles and commands that the Lord expects from His people. A selfish relationship will only change into a sacrificial relationship through deep hardship. Why go through that? Start now by sacrificing yourself together for the good of the body. Jesus did.

I can promise on the basis of Scripture, from which these guidelines are taken, if you obey these you will have no regrets and you will do more for your marriage than you can even imagine.

What Does It Mean To Be Happy?

I touched on this in a previous post, but I want to expand upon it here. To be happy is a very personal thing. It is somewhat relative to the person. For example, what makes me happy may not make my neighbor happy. What makes me happy may not make my wife happy, and vice versa.

But, I think there is a non-relative happiness that is the only true happiness that exists. To be happy is, in my opinion, being in a state of satisfaction about life. It is a superficial condition that, in this world, was not created to be permanent nor unbroken. I would not want to be happy all the time because there are times I need to cry, or feel anger, or remorse. But, I do enjoy being happy. It is a good, and refreshing emotion. But, by no means do I want to be happy all the time.

However, in the world to come, the kingdom of God, happiness is eternal, perpetual, and unbroken. That contentment that is produced from conditions around you, which is what happiness is and is different from joy in that manner, will be absolutely perfect and infinite.

Why?

Because, as Jesus taught, happiness is the desire of God for His people:

““Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

“Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.

“Blessed are the gentle, for they shall inherit the earth.

“Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.

“Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy.

“Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.

“Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God.

“Blessed are those who have been persecuted for the sake of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

“Blessed are you when people insult you and persecute you, and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of Me.”

Matthew 5:3–11

The teaching of Jesus here is that happiness is a condition of: being in the kingdom of heaven, comforted, inheriting the earth, satisfaction with righteousness, mercy, seeing God, being a son of God, being persecuted and then relieved of that persecution by means of entering the kingdom of God, and suffering in Jesus’ place.

The word for “blessed” means a condition of happiness. It is the effect that God has on those who are His. They are happy. Somewhat like my daughter is happiest with me by her side, so also is the Christian happiest when they are close to God. The strength, protection, security, affection, and mutual relationship, makes us happy.

Now, compare that with what makes the world happy: lawlessness, selfish indulgence, godlessness, career-chasing, sexual deviance, alcohol, drugs, etc… None of these things will follow them into eternal life, nor are they the product of eternal life. Further, they are not related to God in any way. None of these things produce likeness to, nor closeness to, the God who alone is blessed:

“…He who is the blessed and only Sovereign, the King of kings and Lord of lords, who alone possesses immortality and dwells in unapproachable light, whom no man has seen or can see. To Him be honor and eternal dominion! Amen.”

1 Timothy 6:15b–16

Beloved, those who believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, be happy! Be poor in spirit, mourn, be gentle, hunger and thirst for righteousness, be merciful, be pure in heart, be a peacemaker, be persecuted, and be insulted for Christ’s sake and His name’s sake. If you do this, or it is done to you, looking to the kingdom, you will be happy.

What Does It Mean To Be Holy?

We know that God is holy:

“And one called out to another and said, “Holy, Holy, Holy, is the Lord of hosts, The whole earth is full of His glory.””

Isaiah 6:3

And, we know that He expects us to be as holy in the same manner that He is holy:

“As obedient children, do not be conformed to the former lusts which were yours in your ignorance, but like the Holy One who called you, be holy yourselves also in all your behavior; because it is written, “You shall be holy, for I am holy.””

1 Peter 1:14–16

However, what does holiness look like? Many would say that holiness is sinning less. Others might say that holiness is speaking in tongues. Most would have to admit, however, that holiness is elusive and almost abstract as a concept. But that does not have to be so.

Come, let’s reason together. God is holy, right? Right. Therefore, God at His very nature is holy, right? Right. Therefore, whatever God does, He does in holiness, right? Right. Further, when He saves an individual, He saves them to share in His holiness, right? Right. So, then, it would seem to me that being holy is not a negative, “Don’t sin anymore,” but a postitive, “Walk and talk like God.” Here is a passage of Scripture that summarizes what I mean:

“The one who says, “I have come to know Him,” and does not keep His commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him; but whoever keeps His word, in him the love of God has truly been perfected. By this we know that we are in Him: the one who says he abides in Him ought himself to walk in the same manner as He walked.” (emphasis mine)

1 John 2:4–6

Did you notice that last sentence? The person who affirms their Christianity is obligated to “walk” in the same manner as He “walked.” In other words, the way Jesus lived, as recorded in Scripture, is the way that a Christian is supposed to live. And, since Jesus is God, my assumption, then, is that the result of walking as He walked is that you will walk in the holiness that God desires, loves, and expects.

So, study His life. Study His teaching. Believe Him. Submit to Him faithfully until He returns for you. He is our life in every way. And the fruit of that submission of faith will be what Paul recorded as the “fruit of the Spirit:”

“…love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.”

Galatians 5:22–23

THIS is holiness.

What Does It Mean To Be Humble?

It might seem strange to write about humility. But, if someone doesn’t, we will never entertain the idea because this is a part of righteousness that is as foreign to our nature as it can get. Humility is from God. Pride is from us. If we think that we have finally mastered humility, then we have lost it and must start all over. With such an ethereal consideration, almost metaphysical, we would think that humility is for the spiritual elite, the perfect saint, the Christian who has it all together. That is exactly what humility is NOT. In fact, the very essence of humility is not the well-ordered Christian who is better than the normal Christian. Not at all. It is very different.

Consider what Jesus is quoted as saying in Luke 18:14-

““I tell you, this man went to his house justified rather than the other; for everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but he who humbles himself will be exalted.””

Luke 18:14

This is in the context of the Pharisee and the tax collector. The Pharisee and the tax-collector simultaneously ascend up to the Temple in order to pray. It is the time of public prayer, a function begun at the time of the exile decades before Jesus’ time. That form of public prayer would, naturally, engender a kind of comparison of prayers. That is, true to human nature, one person would size up the other person based upon how he prays. That is what is going on here.

The Pharisee, a member of an insanely strict sect of Judaism known for their deep sense of self-righteousness, prays to God. Jesus tells us that he even stood before God and, assumedly, lifted his eyes to God in typical fashion of the day. His prayer was a prayer of gratitude that he was unique, superior to other men, especially the riff-raff of society.

When he rehearses his righteousness to God, praying within himself (v.11), he said,

“‘I fast twice a week; I pay tithes of all that I get.’”

Luke 18:12

“I,” “I.” His “religion” is whittled down to his fasting and payment of tithes; reliquishing food and money as tokens of his devotion. Of course, his sense of pride and self-satisfaction should be beaming, and it is. After all, what swindler, or unjust person, or adulterer, or even the tax collector near to him, could even come close to that? They can’t. Do you understand what I am saying?

The tax collector is different, however. Unlike the Pharisee, he is unwilling to lift up his eyes to heaven. He can’t conceive of even looking God’s way, because he knows his innate unrighteousness. And, unlike the Pharisee, the only rehearsel of righteousness before God and man is his unrighteousness. He knows that he is “the sinner.” His posture, unlike the Pharisee, is “far off” from the place to meet with God. Also, unlike the Pharisee, this man despised himself and is trapped within himself. He “beats his breast” as a sign of extreme self loathing. This tax collector’s prayer, in comparison to the Pharisee, was laughable. The inane way that this man has depreciated himself publicly is shameful, sad, and the epitome of self degredation.

And that is the point: the Pharisee, based upon his own achievments, albeit while using strains of God’s Law to do it, elevated himself above other men. In fact, it seems that he was elevating himself to the place of the righteousness of God Himself. He, in his own mind, was in a class all his own. That can only be said of God alone. But he, in his smug, blind, self pleasure, felt that he deserves the honor. He is an audience of one and an actor in his own theatre.

The tax collector was not even close to this kind of thinking. In Jesus’ parable, this man knows who he really is. This self knowledge is not in his own sight, but in God’s sight. That is, this man does not compare himself with man. That would be foolish.

“For we are not bold to class or compare ourselves with some of those who commend themselves; but when they measure themselves by themselves and compare themselves with themselves, they are without understanding.”

2 Corinthians 10:12

Rather, this man feels the stark difference between himself and the God with Whom he must have dealings with some day. This is humility.

Humility, then, is the lowering of yourself before God and man. Jesus said to “humble yourself” often in His preaching. How do we make ourselves humble? By pretending to be soft, gentle, kind, having an air of self mastery and no reputation for vice? No. That is pride and self exaltation. Self humility is knowing who you really are, in God’s eyes, and despising the applause and comparison fellow men. Humility is lowering yourself in man’s eyes because of your unrighteousness before God’s all-seeing eyes. In other words, who cares what another man, woman, organization, group of people, thinks. What God thinks is what matters in the final judgment, the place and time in which you “will be humbled,” or “you will be elevated.”

Humble yourself now before men and God and be elevated before men and God later.

Elevate yourself now before men and God and be humbled before men and God later.

You do have a say in your own humility and there it is.

Man of Sorrows

“He was despised and forsaken of men, A man of sorrows and acquainted with grief; And like one from whom men hide their face He was despised, and we did not esteem Him. Surely our griefs He Himself bore, And our sorrows He carried; Yet we ourselves esteemed Him stricken, Smitten of God, and afflicted. But He was pierced through for our transgressions, He was crushed for our iniquities; The chastening for our well-being fell upon Him, And by His scourging we are healed. All of us like sheep have gone astray, Each of us has turned to his own way; But the Lord has caused the iniquity of us all To fall on Him. He was oppressed and He was afflicted, Yet He did not open His mouth; Like a lamb that is led to slaughter, And like a sheep that is silent before its shearers, So He did not open His mouth.”

Isaiah 53:3–7

“Man of sorrows, what a name…” goes the hymn by Philip Bliss (1875). This name is not a fitting one for the Lord Jesus Christ, otherwise known in the Psalms as “The King of Glory” (Psalm 24). As I consider the kind of atmospher in which God exists, as detailed in Ezekiel 1, for example, I can only imagine that intense, immeasurable glory, power, and brilliance surrounding Him and are the only appropriate conditions in which God can exist.

However, Isaiah says that He is the Man of Sorrows and He is “acquainted with grief.” Was He depressed, unhappy, melancholy? Did He not understand the beauty of a sunset, or the enjoyment of luxury? What was to be so sad about all the time, even to the point that you are called by this title as if it was Who You were? Why not be happy and smile? Why couldn’t He have been called the “Man of Joy?” What was His problem?

I think I know the problem? I think the problem was that He cared. Notice that it says in v. 4 that He bore our griefs and carried our sorrows. Further, He was pierced through for our transgressions. The immensity of bearing the weight of the sins of others, even for the King of Glory, made for a heavy, sad, even depressed countenance. I don’t think, for a moment, that Jesus would have be diagnosed with clinical depression. He was looking forward to joy! (Hebrews 12:2). He anticipated the pleasure of God and loved Him infinitely. However, the reality is that sin is heavy. And, for Him who had to carry the sins and the weight of the transgressions of others, there was no way for Him to be giddy, silly, nor even jovial. It was not “all good” for Him.

Rather, our sins of faithlessness, unbelief, rebellion, and a lack of love for the true God was heavy. The sins of unbelief and the rejection and betrayal that shadowed Him His whole life was immensely concerning to Him. It was the reality of the weight of concern and concentration that made Him a Man of Sorrows.

In contrast to a “happy-go-lucky” Christianity, Jesus was a man acquainted with grief. In contrast to the self-styled, tagline depth approach to ministry, Jesus was a man of sorrows. In contrast to the vanity of selfish love for God, Jesus offered Himself as a Lamb that would die. The cross of the Man of Sorrows was always in front of Him.

Beloved, you who profess to know Him, your cross must always be in front of you as well. You must put up with and deal with and even confront the sins in yourself and in those who say they love Christ. Your cross must shadow you daily such that you can feel the weight of the concern for sin in others and what it is doing to the heart of God.

“And He was saying to them all, “If anyone wishes to come after Me, he must deny himself, and take up his cross daily and follow Me. “For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake, he is the one who will save it. “For what is a man profited if he gains the whole world, and loses or forfeits himself? “For whoever is ashamed of Me and My words, the Son of Man will be ashamed of him when He comes in His glory, and the glory of the Father and of the holy angels.”

Luke 9:23–26

Prayer

Prayer is a topic that generates a tremendous amount of guilt for most Christians. Admittedly, this is an admission. I love to pray. I am desperate for prayer. The act of prayer is satisfying and generally fulfilling. But, I want to do better.

I wonder how much of my praying is generated from faith? I have wondered, and have been convicted by, the fact that praying is an act of faith. I pray because I believe in the true God, as revealed in Scripture. I pray because I believe that that God is hearing me, loving me, and desiring to answer my requests at some level.

But, how often is my praying done while my mind is elsewhere? Sometimes, I admit. I will also admit that I stop and work hard, in faith, to get my mind back to God at those times.

But, from Luke 18:1-8 it is evident that prayer, while an act in itself that is commendable, not accompanied by desperate faith, is condemnable. The question Jesus asks at the end of this section is, “Will (I) find faith on the earth?” (Luke 18:8). What Jesus Christ is asking is, will He, when He returns, which is the context of much of chapter 17, find a group of people faithfully praying because they believe in Him and have no love of possessions in this world (also a major portion of chapter 17)?

Well, that IS a real question, isn’t it? Doesn’t this revolutionize our thinking about prayer? I mean, how often are our prayers dealing with possessions? We ask for health, we ask for wealth, we ask for open doors into promotions, relationships, and favor from man. None of these things, essentially, join us in heaven. What if we prayed about the things in heaven? It seems to me that Jesus said something about this.

9 “Pray, then, in this way:
‘Our Father who is in heaven,
Hallowed be Your name.
10 ‘Your kingdom come.
Your will be done,
On earth as it is in heaven.
11 ‘Give us this day our daily bread.
12 ‘And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors.
13 ‘And do not lead us into temptation, but deliver us from evil.

Do you see a difference? Prayer about God’s holy name, His kingdom, will to be done (on earth even!), our daily bread (which, being asked of God, is an act of looking to heaven for help with our food needs), forgiveness, and temptation. Nothing about a new car, job promotion, nor even a spouse. Whether or not those things are part of God’s eternal will is absolutely up to God, not us.

Pray, folks. Pray desperately. But, stop praying for your own will. Pray for and about those things that are a concern to God and He will establish your faith.

Should Women Wear Jewelry?

Yes.

I could end the post there, and we would be good to go. However, I would like to take some time to explain why I said “Yes.”

In 1 Timothy 2:9-15 Paul wrote concerning the work and role of women. His goal was to explain to women their proper presence in the church, both in the worship times and out of the worship times. Just as for men, a woman’s godliness is not a display only for the times the church meets. In fact, the daily display of a woman is exactly what Paul is concerned about and is the topic he is dealing with directly

It would seem that in the church in Ephesus there were women who had weaseled their way in to leadership, which is why Paul brings up the issue of teaching (v.12). Women in the church of Ephesus were teaching the church collectively and were teaching men. In that capacity, they were acting in the place of men as well. That is a transgression of what the Lord has created women for in creation and in the church.

However, he begins the section with a consideration of how a woman should dress. Again, this is not simply how to dress up for church. Rather, Paul meant it to give a woman instruction, guidelines, principles, for her understanding of how she should see herself and what godliness looks like in reference to this matter. In other words, these are direct instructions meant to be obeyed, but the instructions are also meant to direct her mind and heart so that she would agree with the instructions and become wise concerning her apparel.

Paul clearly wrote that he desires a woman to “adorn” herself (v.9). This word, “adorn,” is the word that we get “cosmetics” from. It is the word “cosmos” in verb form (actually it is an infinitive of purpose). He is encouraging, indeed commanding, the women to take the time necessary to look beautiful as the word indicates an orderly arrangement of dress and clothing. The assumption is that it is an orderly arrangement that enhances beauty and appearance. It cannot refer to something that is bland, or a command for women to do what they can to avoid beauty. The natural beauty of a woman, enhanced by proper arrangement of clothing and apparel, including jewelry, is absolutely appropriate. The instruction is to be sure to arrange your appearance properly.

In addition to that command, instruction, Paul gives to Timothy what “proper” looks likely. The first word the Spirit of God wrote here is the word “modestly.” This Greek word has the idea of reverence, dignity, and is the demeanor of one who is in the presence of God. The level of dignity that should accompany a woman’s arrangement of herself is in view where. For a woman to be sloppy, disarranged, dirty, disheveled, or improper, is a lack of dignity and, therefore, beauty. To spend time finding the right attire, and the right necklace, earring set, etc… is the idea here. It takes effort. It requires attention. You should not over do it, which is obvious in this section. But, you should not “under-do it” either. It is altogether appropriate for the church to appreciate beauty (Philippians 1:9-11; 4:8) and that would include how a woman dresses. The church should also appreciate the handsomeness of a man, but that is a difference blog post.

The next word is “discreetly.” This word means “self control, sound thinking,” or “having your ideas of right and wrong unaffected by passion or sensual, emotional, desire.” The last is a bit of an implication to this context, but is certainly appropriate. A godly woman does not arrange herself in order to be noticed, certainly sensually, by a man, or by the church in general. She is not governed in her dress by the flashy, prominent, nor the expensive. She is wanting to be beautiful for the display of the glory of God (Exodus 28:2, 40). She is not illicit, sensual, nor is she simply foolish and unaware of how her dress affects men, and women, around her. She is alert to the dangers of immodesty and carefully crafts her attire in such a way as to put effort and thought into her arrangement. She is smart, thoughtful, and seeks to hide herself behind God’s glory in appropriate beauty. She also dresses in such a way as to be able to perform good works (v.10).

Her jewelry must follows these guidelines. She needs to think this way. A woman’s beauty is a powerful tool, or weapon, needs to be handled carefully. It is an asset to the church as much as beautiful tapestry and woven gold in the Tabernacle. She must not be overly bland and drab, as that is not pleasing to the eye. However, neither should she be loud, outrageous, and provocative such that people are allured, or disgusted. The arrangement of a man or woman in the church creates a wonderful atmosphere in which God can be praised and given glory so that beauty is appreciated and maintained in the church.

Faithful

In reading the teaching of the Lord in Matthew 25 there is a very striking and serious portion that catches our attention. It is the parable of the talents in vv. 14-30. In this parable, Jesus is teaching concerning His next coming and He is instructing the men who will be left to instruct the church concerning remaining faithful until He returns.

The portion that is the desire of every true Christian is the following:

Matthew 25:19–21 (NAS): 19 “Now after a long time the master of those slaves came and settled accounts with them.
20 “The one who had received the five talents came up and brought five more talents, saying, ‘Master, you entrusted five talents to me. See, I have gained five more talents.’
21 “His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful slave. You were faithful with a few things, I will put you in charge of many things; enter into the joy of your master.’

That moment, that time, when each child of God is commended by Jesus Christ for being faithful as He was faithful when faced with responsibility is to live for and to die for. There is tremendous hope in the fact that even though many around us simply don’t understand why we believe in Jesus Christ and why we live our lives under His lordship, we are reminded that He understands. Indeed, He is the Author of that faith and hope (Hebrews 2:10; 12:2).

The sense that we would abandon that hope, the hope of the praise that Christ gives His faithful servants, is not in the mind of the faithful servant. That surely does not mean that he is perfectly faithful and is never distracted. However, his habit and behavior consistently is that of remaining faithful to his Master Who entrusted His resources, and His will, to him.

Neither Your “bios” Nor Your “psuche” Are Worth Striving After.

Both of the above words are used for “life” in the Bible. The first one you will recognize as the root of the word “biology.” The second one you might recognize as “psyche.” The first word would refer to the life outside the body, the second would refer to life inside the body. We see this distinction in Luke 17:15 and 22-23.

Luke 12:15 (NAS): 15 Then He said to them, “Beware, and be on your guard against every form of greed; for not even when one has an abundance does his life (“bios”) consist of his possessions.”

Luke 12:22–23 (NAS): 22 And He said to His disciples, “For this reason I say to you, do not worry about your life (“psuche”) as to what you will eat; nor for your body, as to what you will put on. 23 “For life (“psuche”) is more than food, and the body more than clothing.”

The point Jesus is making is that your life inside your body, often referred to as “soul,” is not to be worried about. The food that goes into your body must not be your preoccupation. Life is more than your own soul. The possessions that prop up your life outside your body is also not worthy of your preoccupation. Your life is more than your possessions.

Your soul and body are both meant to be used for the kingdom of God. This is why Jesus says, “Don’t seek to keep your soul, but strive for the kingdom of God” (a conflation of Luke 17:33; Matthew 10:39; Matthew 6:33).

There is nothing that food or clothing, or any temporal, earthly material, can contribute to a soul or even a body. The most expensive dress cannot improve the body. The most exquisite dinner cannot improve the soul. The soul and body are improved by faith in Jesus Christ and the timing of their advancement is when He rewards you at His coming.

A good test to see if you are attempting to improve your soul and body is to look around you and see if you will find yourself missing something at the Rapture. For example, do you think that you will miss your car, or your house, or your bank account, or your hunting equipment? Do you think you will wish you could take it with you to heaven? If so, you are covetous and are not ready for His return.

It is better to spend your life improving your soul by abandoning its improvement and simply working for the kingdom of God; being preoccupied with the kingdom of God., which, I I the end, advances the soul and body into glory!

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