Post by TomLine on Jan 22, 2018 8:03:09 GMT -5
My topic here is, "Spiritual Responsibility."
In James 2.26 he wrote that the body without the spirit is dead. He said that to bolster his teaching that faith without works is dead. But I want to focus on the first part that the body without the spirit is dead.
It's not difficult to understand that a physical body is only able to live as long as we are able to breathe. When the breathing stops, the body dies.
A Greek word, "pneuma" is translated in the New Testament as either "spirit," or "breath." So, we can say the body without breath is dead, and it means the same thing.
When Adam was made, he was not alive until Jehovah breathed into his nostrils the breath of life. In other words, God inspired Adam, and became a living being. Inspire means "to breathe in." Just as expire means "to breathe out." So, breath and spirit are basically the same thing.
The word is also translated, "wind." What commonality does wind, breath and spirit have? Neither can be seen. We can see the results in a physical world of the unseen world. We as human beings have a physical and a spiritual nature. We see the results of the spiritual through the physical. Without the spirit, the physical can do nothing. Therefore, what we do physically is controlled by the spirit. After all, a dead person can do nothing. Therefore it is the spirit that is responsible for what we do. Hence, spiritual responsibility.
A thought or an attitude cannot be seen, but they are responsible for what we do. Whatever we do, we think about it first. Sometimes it doesn't seem that way, but we do. Even in the case of a quick reaction. Thinking time is quicker than reaction time. Therefore, thought and attitude are part of our spiritual makeup.
Our thinking and attitude can be controlled by what we feed them with.
Philippians 4.8 states, "Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honorable, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things." ASV.
The phrase, "think on these things," indicates continually focusing on these things. The more we think on what is true, honorable, just, pure, lovely, of good report, virtuous, or praiseworthy, the more they will become part of our thought patterns. Our attitudes will be shaped by these things.
The same is true for anything else. If we focus our minds on money, war, evil; our attitudes will be shaped by those things.
So, whenever we act or react it will be based on our attitudes which are shaped by what we focus our thinking on. That's why it's important to think on good things. But, sometimes this is out of our control. This is why Proverbs 22.6 says, "Train up a child in the way he should go, And even when he is old he will not depart from it." It's why Paul wrote, "Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger, but bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord." Ephesians 6.4, MEV.
Our first educators are our parents. What parents expose children to will shape there thoughts. If parents expose their children to negative things, their mental makeup will be negative, and the results will be seen how the child acts. If a child acts badly, most of the time it's because the child had been taught badly. And this could last well into adulthood. I know this is true because of what my parents exposed me too. They are still a part of me. I was exposed to religion, the daily news. But the most important thing I was exposed to is the Bible, as my parents gave me one on my 7th birthday.
My parents fought a lot. Yep, that's still a part of me. For most of my life I enjoyed a good debate, even when it got heated. Now that I'm older, I'm mellowing out a bit.
My parents were compassionate to others to the point of being generous. Yep, that's part of me too.
I was taught things in Sunday School too. Of course my mother took me there, as my dad didn't go to church. One thing I was taught was, "Jesus loves the little children, all the children of the world. Red and yellow, black and white, they are precious in his sight." That thought is still part of me today.
Needless to say, it's important how children are raised. Their raising will shape their thoughts and attitudes even into adulthood.
Everything we are exposed to in life shapes our thoughts and attitudes, and governs the type of people we are. The non-physical ultimately controls the physical. It is our spiritual makeup that determines the type of people we are.