“And I say to you, My friends, do not be afraid of those who kill the body, and after that have no more that they can do. But I will show you whom you should fear: Fear Him who, after He has killed, has power to cast into hell; yes, I say to you, fear Him!" Luke 12:4-5 (NKJV)
This physical body that we might be tempted to invest so much in toward its pleasure, lusts and vanity ... has no value ... ... other than as a temporary vehicle to provide a temporary opportunity for the eternal soul within it to be propelled by its right choice- toward the God that created it.
Our physical bodies are merely a vehicle for our eternal soul as it passes through this temporary place and time of decision. You could liken it to a car in that it's a form of transportation intended to take the true us- the soul within us, from one place of testing and sanctification, to another eternal place that God intended for those who truly love and submit to Him.
Stripped down to it's core, this body is nothing more than a temporary form of transportation intended to enable our movement toward the God that created us and any vanity that we might burden it with only poses the opportunity for more problems. Other than providing a temporary opportunity to make a right decision to love God and to submit to Him completely- thereby honoring the purpose that He gave life to our souls, both this place and these bodies have no meaningful value in God's big picture plan. In fact, at the appointed time, after both have served their purpose to try the soul within us to determine our use of the choice that God so graciously has given us- to submit to Him in relationship as He requires, or be cast out of His presence forever, both these bodies and this world will be destroyed and replaced by new.
"For many walk, of whom I have told you often, and now tell you even weeping, that they are the enemies of the cross of Christ: whose end is destruction, whose god is their belly, and whose glory is in their shame—who set their mind on earthly things. For our citizenship is in heaven, from which we also eagerly wait for the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, who will transform our lowly body that it may be conformed to His glorious body, according to the working by which He is able even to subdue all things to Himself." Philippians 3:18-21 (NKJV)
The souls within these bodies (the actual living us!) weren't created for this "life" here, but for an eternal existence. These bodies weren't created for our pleasure, but for temporarily housing those souls that have the potential to bring pleasure to our God. It's by His grace that we have any occasion to enjoy what God's created for us out of His love for us. And our choosing to truly love Him, if we will, will be the key to our finding the completion of our joy and everything that our soul hungers for as we go forward in His plan. Our God is in fact the very thing that our souls were created intentionally to desire. All of the other trappings of this temporary life have the opportunity to test our will to hold out for the only thing that will truly make us whole - true, intentional, love relationship with our Creator.
So, if you think about it, anything outside of honoring God's purpose for us- all of the hurry, hubbub, stress, causes, vanity, lust, acquisition of "stuff" and gain of earthly stature, ... are likely all completely worthless and wasted time. In fact, they may be worse than that! They may only serve to actually drive us away from Him and send us off of His path for us, if we're not very careful.
"For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we shall always be with the Lord. Therefore comfort one another with these words."
1 Thessalonians 4:16-18 (NKJV)
Having the will to obtain and keep control over a true and proper perspective of what it is that we're currently inhabiting and walking through on this journey, will be a key to reaching our intended, most perfect, and final destination. If we then, having reached our destination, are then even able to reflect on what took place prior, it will be something so fleeting and objectionable to our minds, save what God did for us, that we dare not give it any place in our thoughts as we revel in the presence of the Lord God that we treasure, while offering continual gratitude for His grace.
"He has shown you, O man, what is good; And what does the LORD require of you But to do justly, To love mercy, And to walk humbly with your God?" Micah 6:8 (NKJ)
“And now, Israel, what does the Lord your God require of you, but to fear the Lord your God, to walk in all His ways and to love Him, to serve the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul, and to keep the commandments of the Lord and His statutes which I command you today for your good? Indeed heaven and the highest heavens belong to the Lord your God, also the earth with all that is in it." Deuteronomy 10:12-14 (NKJ)
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