Previous Challenge Entry (Level 1 – Beginner)
Topic: Soul (07/13/06)
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TITLE: Soul Maturation | Previous Challenge Entry
By E Lopez
07/20/06 -
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We may have grown accustomed to hearing Matthew 6:21; nevertheless, it still stirs our hearts. Jesus made known—sometimes emphatically—that the heart needs treasures and the minds needs renewed thoughts. We can safely conclude from Scripture that both our hearts and minds make up the inner-person that needs maturation.
Throughout Scripture many references are made about the inner-person (heart and mind). It is safe to suggest that the heart and mind Christ refers to is not always physical. Christ does suggest that the inner and outer-person are uniquely interconnected. For example, Christ states that the food a person eats is naturally expelled from the body. Furthermore, a person’s outward action is a reflection of their inner-person Jesus states, “[A]n evil man out of the evil treasure bringeth forth evil things” (KJV, Matthew 12:35). In other words, food in moderation doesn’t corrupt the inner-person; however, it may cause physical harm, but the soul is not affected. The soul’s connection and condition to our bodies becomes evident by our positive or negative actions. For example, any sinful thought allowed to foment will produce the end result: sin. Some could argue that the body has needs that are sinful; however, Christ suggest otherwise. Christ’s words and actions strongly suggest that everything we desire is manageable or that we can abstain from which Christ exemplified throughout His life.
By not managing or abstaining from our desires, our inner-person remains immature. For example, in the heart a desire develops, and it is acted upon. Because we did not resist, we can not experience maturation in Christ, so a person becomes taunted and haunted by their weakness.
Christ teaches to mature the inner person is by a process of renewing our minds and filling our hearts with His treasures: His Word and Service. Christ states that His Word renews our thoughts and it becomes the treasures for our hearts. In other words, devotion to Him will mature the inner-man.
He further suggests that we can manage our inner-person. We can measure the growth of our inner-person by our conduct with others and things we enjoy to do. Maturing the inner-person is our personal daily challenge. One could ask why bother struggling with our thoughts and deeds of maturing in Christ if we are already saved. True. However, Scripture illuminates that when we grow we experience a much deeper life and relationship with our God. Indeed, as believers it’s our daily struggle, but when compared to Christ’s cross our wants become manageable and negligible.
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