LESSON 5
HOW TO DEVELOPTHE HUMAN BODY PART 1
TEXT: ROMAN 12 :1 ROMAN 6:6, GALATIANS :20, 1 PETER 2 :5 & 11 ACTS 10 : 35
INTRODUCTION : This is the last of the series in the study of human total being : Spirit, Soul and Body.
As we have been discussing on the spirit and soul in the past weeks, we found that the spirit is the (inner man) inward man, who is capable of knowing God, as God is also is a Spirit. But in the soul is part of the human emotions: feelings, the mind that reasons, and thinks.
Therefore, the body is the outward man, the physical, the house in which the real man lives.
“I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living Sacrifice, holy ,acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service Rm. 12 :1.
Aposle Paul was talking to the Brethren at rome,not unbeliever, for he said I beseech you therefore ,brethren- beloved of God called to be saints- Rom.1 :7 He said there should be need for us to do something with our bodies, to present our bodies a living sacrifice, Apostle paul is saying that we have to do something with our bodies by ourselves and not God but as a caretaker of the house.
We ourselves must present our bodies “a living sacrifice , holy acceptable unto God, which is our reasonable service”. Another bible translation said that “which is our Spiritual service”
There are those who say “Well, it doesn't make any defference about the body or what it does. This old body isn't going to heaven anyhow” .But it does make difference to God what we do with our bodies. He wants transfigured bodies, He wants us to present our bodies as aliving sacrifice which is our reasonable service'. Apostle Paul said therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature : old things are passed away : Behold, all things are become new ( IICor. 5:17 ). This new man we have become in Christ Jesus should dominate our thinking processes and should cominate our body.
Yet many who are born again filled with the Holy Spirit are still a baby Christians and have not developed spiritually. The corintians were born again. They had received the Holy Spirit and the gift of the Spirit were manifested among them, yet Apostle Paul reproved them for being baby Christians: he said of them “Ye come behind in no gift” ( 1 Cor. 1: 7 ). But still they were canal. They were baby Christian. However, baby christians can have the gift as well as mature Christian s , as paul stated here.Spiritual gift don't make one a fully developed Christians. We have to grow. Baby Christians are the result of the fact that their salvation experience and their experience of being baptised in the holy ghost has not yet affected their bodies and mind. As we mentioned earlier. The bible tells that we ourselves must do something with our mind. “ Present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God which is your reasonable service – see Rom.12:1
When we are born of God and have the life of God in us, then the holy Ghost comes in to fill us and to help us. He is our helper .he will help us to present our Bodies to God as a living sacrifice .But God expects us to do something with our bodies ,to present them “ a living sacrifice…”He expects us to have control over our bodies and not let them dominate us. He does not want us to be canal christians or body ruled” Chritians –God expected us to do as Apostle said in ( 1 Cor.9:27).The choice is ours.We can let our body continue to dominate us if want ,the body , if we let it , will want to go on doing the things it has always done, or we can choose to keep our body under control .our inward man can dominate it and present it to god , a living sacrifice.
Finally, let us see what Apostle Paul said, Having therefore, these promise, dearly beloved, let us cleanse ourselves fromall filthiness of the flesh and spirit ,perfecting holiness in the fear of God –Receive us, we have wronged no man, we have corrupted no man, we have defrauded no man – I speak not this to condemn you for I have said before, that ye are in our hearts to die and live with you. Back to Top
SEVEN STEPS TO DEVELOPING THE HUMAN BODY.
• Meditate on the word of god – Joshua 1:8 Mathew 4:4, Psm 119:92, 93, 97-100.
• Practice the word of God- James 1:21-24,John 13 :34 ,Matt 6:25 , 32, Philippians 4:6 Joshua 1:8 James 1: 1-3, 1 peter5:7.
• Give first place to the word of God.Jeremiah 1 :12 Matt.4 :4. John 6: 63, 1 Peter 1:24-25
• Obey the voice of your Spirit. Prov. 20:20-27, John14:16,17 John 16 :13 ,IIKings 20 :1-6
• Worshipping and Praising : Ps.95:6-7 Acts. 24:14, Philipians 3:3 Revelation 14:7, 1 Chron29:13,2Chron20:21-22