Humanity - Spiritual Embodiment

Introduction

It has been a couple of weeks since I taught last

We are in our series through the Bible, looking at what it has to say about different topics

We’ve looked at the Bible itself, then God, and the next topic is what the Bible has to say about mankind.

Kory taught last week:

What were some of the highlights?

We are made in God’s image

We are made with purpose

Today we are going to be talking about our physical bodies

And this is a controversial topic today

People say all sorts of things about their bodies

People who are biologically one sex say they are another

People do all sorts of things to their bodies

People go through irreversible surgeries to control how others view their bodies

And were talking about this not because its a hot topic today

But it’s because the Bible talks about this

When we read that we were created in God’s image, the very next line tells us that God created us male and female

Our bodies are a gift from God

When we engage with culture and don’t know what the Bible actually says we can become confused

So hopefully today I can provide clarity and insight

Scripture Reading:

Genesis 1:26–31 (CSB)

Then God said, “Let us make man in our image, according to our likeness. They will rule the fish of the sea, the birds of the sky, the livestock, the whole earth, and the creatures that crawl on the earth.”

So God created man in his own image;

he created him in the image of God;

he created them male and female.

God blessed them, and God said to them, “Be fruitful, multiply, fill the earth, and subdue it. Rule the fish of the sea, the birds of the sky, and every creature that crawls on the earth.” God also said, “Look, I have given you every seed-bearing plant on the surface of the entire earth and every tree whose fruit contains seed. This will be food for you, for all the wildlife of the earth, for every bird of the sky, and for every creature that crawls on the earth—everything having the breath of life in it—I have given every green plant for food.” And it was so. God saw all that he had made, and it was very good indeed. Evening came and then morning: the sixth day.

Our Bodies

What we think of our bodies is extremely important

Our bodies are the primary way in which we engage with this world

We eat, we work, we rest

We see with our eyes, hear with our ears, smell with our noses, taste with our tongues

Our entire lives are bound by our bodies

However, the truth is that we are more than just our bodies

We are bound by our bodies and they are an extremely important aspect of who we are but there's more to us than just a physical body

We are not just a spiritual being that has a body like a shell

And we are also not just our physical bodies, like soulless robots or animal

But we are both physical and spiritual — we can’t choose one or the other

What the world thinks:

Even in my time in college I’ve heard both sides

1. We are only really spiritual

Matrix - Ghost in the Shell

This is not a new thought

Platonic Idealism

Buddhist Enlightenment/Transcendental Meditation

New Spirituality/Manifestation

Throughout all of these the thought is usually:

“The physical is bad… the spiritual is good”

“The physical is an illusion… the spiritual is real”

Even some Christians believe this

The body is dirty and defiled and the spiritual is pure and good

They might emphasize the importance of spiritual things and the supernatural but neglect the mundane, daily, early, life.

Their ideas of heaven are that of being freed from this body

Being a disembodied Spirit (like God) free from physical constraints

They might not care about the health and fitness of their bodies because “its not really who they are”

Do you see this at all?

I do all the time

Whether you’re Christian or not the results of this are:

Being disconnected from reality (the physical)

A great uncomfortabilty in our bodies

This isn’t who I really am

A judgmental spirit (pride) over those who only see things physically

A deeper and deeper curiosity of the spiritual realm

Which can be good but often is scary (My story vs Jake Sim story)

So while some people believe everything is really spiritual and the physical is bad, many people in this world believe that:

2. We are only really physical

We are basically no different from animals

We evolved over millions of years into what we are today

When we die, we cease to exist

There is no eternal (spiritual) aspect to humanity

There really is no meaning to life

We can make our own meaning but ultimately it amounts to nothing

And there’s a lot of problems with this view, because surely there is more than just physical

Close your eyes and imagine a dinosaur

Our mental activity seems to be something non-physical

Dualism - Brain-Body (Not Spiritual)

The source of the ‘spiritual stuff’ people encounter is actually just the brain

The brain is physical, measurable

We don’t understand it completely but we know that its not something spiritual

The results of this are:

Also: a great uncomfortablity in our bodies

This is all I am…

Body dysmorphia/Perfectionism

Hedonism

Hopelessness

What the Bible says

Genesis 2:7 (CSB)

Then the Lord God formed the man out of the dust from the ground and breathed the breath of life into his nostrils, and the man became a living being.

We are both physical and spiritual

We are brought up from the dust and have God’s spirit breathed into us

We aren’t any more physical than we are spiritual

And we aren’t any more spiritual than we are physical

If you take away our spirit—we cease to live

If you take away our bodies—we cease to live

Think about this: We are Gods Temple (1 Cor 3 16)

What is the temple?

It is a holy place where heaven and earth overlap

As God’s temple we are where heaven and earth meet

We are both physical and spiritual

The physical is good and the spiritual is good

But both have been tainted by sin

So hold this thought: We are both physical and spiritual beings… well talk about why this is significant to us in a bit

But I wanted to take some time to talk about the one of the details of our bodies that we cannot overlook: Our Sex/Gender

Gender

Genesis 1:27 (CSB)

So God created man in his own image;

he created him in the image of God;

he created them male and female.

After we learn that God created man in his image, the very next line we read that he created us male and female

And this seems pretty straightforward, but there is so much confusion around this in the world today

How many of you have heard some wild thoughts about this?

How many genders are there?

What does it mean to be a specific gender? — Do I just choose?

How do we relate to people who are confused about this?

What the world thinks

I’ve taken a Gender/Women studies course at one of the leading universities in this field

The world (in our culture) first and foremost believes that gender is something that is fluid

We all have labels and identities that change over time

My story: Raiders/Seahawks

This is also something more than just a preference, it’s who I am

So gender is largely defined by ‘roles’

Boys do these sorts of things

Girls do those sorts of things

A boy is someone who does/likes these things

A girl is someone who does/likes/ those things

So this is where some of the confusion comes from

What if I’m a boy but I like the color purple that is very emotional and caring?

What if I’m a girl but I like sports that isn’t caring or motherly?

Well maybe everyone just got my gender wrong?

According to a UCLA study from June 2022

1.6 million people ages 13+ identify as transgender

300,000 of those are 17 or younger

How many of you know people who snuggle with this?

As Christians we are called to love on these people and point them to Christ

Not to demonize them and condemn them

It doesn’t mean that we agree with their lifestyle and choices, but we see them as a beloved (yet confused) creation of God

But so we aren’t confused… we must know what the Bible says about this

What the Bible says:

The Bible is clear that we are created male or female

Genesis 1:27 (CSB)

So God created man in his own image;

he created him in the image of God;

he created them male and female.

There are only two genders because this was God’s design and intent in creation

We are equal in our image-bearing but different to each other in a complimentary way

What makes us male/female is our our biology

I’m a male because thats the way I was made

Now this is more freeing that culture wants us to think

Nothing can change the fact that I am a male

I can break all sorts of stereotypes and it still wont change

Elaborate

What are some stereotypes we assoicate with men?

What are some stereotypes we associate with women?

Sometimes we can focus to much on the differences and overlook the similarity

Adam with animals / Adam with Eve

Fix our eyes on Jesus

Where I am getting at with this, is the point that our bodies are a gift from God

Whether you are male or female—You reflect God in a unique way

Your body is not a prison for your soul

Your body is not a canvas for you to do whatever you want to it

Your body is a wonderful gift from God

The Gift of the Body

God gave us our bodies so that we might live in and delight in his created universe

God didn’t need to make rainbows or sunsets as pretty as they are to our eyes

God didn’t need to make food so delicious to our mouths

God didn’t need to create us with ears to listen to beautiful melodies and bring a chill to our spine

But he did

Our bodies are a gift that God has given us so that we might enjoy God and his world

But just like any of the gifts God gives us, how are we going to steward it?

Are we going to use it to glorify God and point others to Jesus?

Or are we going to corrupt it and spend it on our own desires?

As Paul says

1 Corinthians 6:12–20 (CSB)

“Everything is permissible for me,” but not everything is beneficial. “Everything is permissible for me,” but I will not be mastered by anything. “Food is for the stomach and the stomach for food,” and God will do away with both of them. However, the body is not for sexual immorality but for the Lord, and the Lord for the body. God raised up the Lord and will also raise us up by his power. Don’t you know that your bodies are a part of Christ’s body? So should I take a part of Christ’s body and make it part of a prostitute? Absolutely not! Don’t you know that anyone joined to a prostitute is one body with her? For Scripture says, The two will become one flesh. But anyone joined to the Lord is one spirit with him.

Flee sexual immorality! Every other sin a person commits is outside the body, but the person who is sexually immoral sins against his own body. Don’t you know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, for you were bought at a price. So glorify God with your body.

Are we caring for our bodies, not like it is our own to do whatever we want, but as a good steward?

Eating, exercising, sleeping, resting

Again, we don’t want to split the spiritual (good) from the physical (bad)

These are all good activities that glorify and honor God if done in the right way with moderation

If not done enough, we are neglecting our bodies and not appreciating the gift god has given us

If we do too much we indulge in sloth, gluttony, and pride

Seeking our own pleasure first

How we treat our bodies now matter

The Body is so important that God himself became a man and was born with a body

Jesus himself stewarded the gift of his body

As a carpenter he used his hands to create

As a teacher he used his mouth to speak

Conclusion - The Hope of The Resurrection

And the fact that we have bodies is a part of the great hope of Christianity

The Resurrection of the Dead

We don’t die to just shed our bodies and become spirits floating around in heaven

We have the hope that our bodies will be resurrected and glorified with Jesus

How many of you have or have had health problems?

Imagine those gone forever

How many of you have had serious sickness?

Imagine none of that for eternity

Imagine never growing tired or old over the years

Your body never failing you

Heaven isn’t just a spiritual realm we go when we die

Heaven is physical… its real

Revelation 21:1–4 (CSB)

Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth; for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more. I also saw the holy city, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared like a bride adorned for her husband.

Then I heard a loud voice from the throne: Look, God’s dwelling is with humanity, and he will live with them. They will be his peoples, and God himself will be with them and will be their God. He will wipe away every tear from their eyes. Death will be no more; grief, crying, and pain will be no more, because the previous things have passed away.

We will have new and glorious bodies without sin or sickness

Guys this is our hope as Christians

It’s not just the fact that our sins have been forgiven

We have an eternal hope of perfect life with God and others in heaven

So we can face any hardships life can throw at us with our eyes fixed on this hope

So we can freely invite others into the glorious hope