Romans 13:14 Rather, clothe yourselves with the Lord Jesus Christ, and do not think about how to gratify the desires of the flesh.

This is the exact opposite of what the world tells us. In my youth, the motto was, “If it feels good, do it.” I knew a lot of people who had personal tragedy because of that attitude. The Japanese turn of phrase here is interesting: “Don’t use your soul to satisfy your flesh.” That said, there are other religions, notably Buddhism, that teach this sort of thing. What is unique in Christianity is the alternative Paul gives us here: putting on the Lord Jesus Christ. That sounds awkward at best, if not downright impossible, not to mention weird, to our human intellect, but it is glorious reality in God’s economy. It takes us back to the Upper Room Discourse in John 13-17 (including Jesus’ Pastoral Prayer). Paul was not present, and indeed was far from faith, at that time, but he had experienced the reality of it by this point. Jesus repeatedly used words like “in,” and “remain” in what He said. Paul’s metaphor is a bit different, but the result is the same. The point is that our identity as children of God by faith (John 1:12) is more important than anything physical. This is not to say that we are to ignore our bodies, much less mistreat them. We are stewards, and accountable to our Creator for how we use what He has given us. However, at this point over half the people in the US have done harm to their bodies by over-indulging them. In the recent pandemic, the most common, and most dangerous, “existing condition contributing to a poor outcome,” was obesity. Like good mechanics, we are to be careful of fuel and maintenance, but we aren’t to be obsessed with our bodies in any way. Rather, we are to be focused on our Lord Jesus Christ, and what He wants us to do with these bodies He’s given us.

I have perhaps been more aware of this issue than most people, because my father’s doctoral dissertation was on the use of In Christ, and congruent Greek phrases, in the New Testament. However, he told me that, even having written that dissertation, he had no idea what it meant until he had a powerful encounter with the Holy Spirit as a new, single missionary in Japan. I had his example growing up, though it wasn’t the subject of conversation, so when I encountered the Charismatic Movement in 1973, it seemed very familiar and desirable. I can’t say that I have operated perfectly in this by any means, but I do know what it is, and I hope by God’s grace to live it out more and more fully for as long as He keeps me here.

Father, thank You for this reminder. Thank You for making it possible to “put on Christ,” to abide in Him and have You and Him in me by Your Spirit. May I walk in that glorious reality more and more each day, so that all of Your purposes for me may be fulfilled on Your schedule for Your glory. Thank You. Hallelujah!