Spirit, Soul & Body Part 2نموونە

As He is so are we

Introduction

In the first Spirit, Soul & Body reading plan, the attention is placed firmly on grasping the three components of our being and how each makes up the whole and gives expression to the new life we receive in Jesus Christ through his finished work.

In this plan, we address the issues that many people struggle with and most certainly face at some point in their growth journey surrounding a need to strive towards being righteous when the truth is that they are already as righteous as they will ever be in their spirits because of Jesus.

Let’s consider how righteousness is not a virtue to be earned but a gift to receive. Life is an expression of what we already have in our spirits.

There are characteristics, personalities, and natural and visual differences that make each person unique, and yet, the fundamentals of every person are the same:

You and I have a Body - in which we are physically present and feel physically;

You and I have a Soul - which is not visible to sight but in which is our perception, intellect, and faculties of conscience and emotion;

You and I have a Spirit - our innermost being, the deepest depth of the person - the very life in us.

You don’t need to have completed part 1. However, it does inform the direction of the subsequent Spirit, Soul & Body reading plans.

Reflection

Quiet your thoughts - not by emptying your mind but by filling it with the word. Reread these scriptures until you are content that they have settled in your heart. Give the Holy Spirit room to speak and minister to you.

Introspection

It is possible to go through every day as though we are some out-of-date version of ourselves that will never amount to the person of Jesus until one day we die, and that will be that on planet earth. Jesus’ closest disciple, John, says to relocate your mind to the place of confidently knowing that ‘as he is in the world, so are we,’ too! Wow! - the Old is now over with, and we are as he is.

It is possible to go through every day as though we are experiencing the absence of Jesus, until one day we see his return, or we die, and that will be that on planet earth. One of Jesus’ most formidable leaders in the early church, Paul, tells with total confidence that we are One with him in being joined to Jesus the Lord. Not united to a cause. In a union where borders are indistinguishable. Wow! - the distance is over with.

This is a “now!” not “one day!” matter. This means we are a today person with today purpose because we are as he is and in union with him. What does this mean for my engagement in the places and spaces where God has put me?

Your Next Step

For the next few minutes, go and stand in front of a mirror and look intently at yourself. Do not look around at other things you see in the mirror, and don’t rush this exercise. Gaze into your own eyes.

Some find this exercise strange, some find it easy, and others find it difficult or emotional. There’s no ‘right or wrong’ experience but concentrate on your physical appearance, expressions, and emotions; look at how your body is home to your soul (consciousness) and your spirit (life source).

Thank Father God for what he has done for you, sending Jesus first and giving you his spirit that dwells in you. Consider, as you look into the mirror, who it is that others see as you represent the King of kings.