Know No One

A friend told me the other day, “The reason people say ‘You can’t judge a book by its cover’ is because people judge books by their covers.” The statement is made of books, but more commonly of how people judge other people. I don’t know how you know people, but let me tell you, looks are deceiving. I don’t want to know you on the outside. I want to know you on the inside.

Paul gives this instruction, “Therefore from now on we recognize no one according to the flesh …” (II Corinthians 5:16). Created in the image of God, we are tri-part beings. As God is a trinity of Father, Son and Spirit, so we are spirits that have souls and live in bodies. Of those three components, the body of flesh is temporal, but the soul and spirit live forever. I see and acknowledge you in the flesh, but I don’t know you until I know your soul and spirit. This is one of the ways that the gift of discerning spirits operates. Not merely to distinguish between good and evil spirits, but to understand what is in the spirit of a man.

Our society puts a lot of stock into the outward appearance. It is not un-important to take care of your physical body and care for your appearance, but that is not the eternal you. The world obsesses over body image. Cosmetic plastic surgery, diet & exercise equipment sales number in the billions of dollars, while we are raising a Biblically illiterate generation. It’s time to make a serious investment in the spirit man, born again by the Spirit of God. This is the hour for an extreme makeover, soul edition!

“For bodily discipline is only of little profit, but godliness is profitable for all things, since it holds promise for the present life and also for the life to come.” (I Timothy 4:8)

Read, study, memorize, meditate and apply the Word of God to your life! Pray to, praise, worship and serve the Living God! Train yourself to be godly! That is true self improvement.

From this time on, I want to know the real you – the eternal you. When you die your body will go to the grave – earth to earth, ashes to ashes, and dust to dust. On that great resurrection morning you will dawn a new body, “not made with hands, eternal in the heavenly.” When I see you there, I may not recognize your “new suite,” but I will know your eternal soul & spirit. So take some time get to know yourself and others in a brand new way!