Renovation of the Heart
The Heart in the System of Human Life (3|4)
Pages 31-34
A Brief Initial Survey of the Six Human Dimensions
• Social Context
• Soul
• The Whole Picture
TOGETHER read the devotional and the scripture.
INDIVIDUALLY take notes in your journal on what stands out.
Ephesians 6:10-18 (NIV) Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people.
Matthew 10:28 (NIV) ”Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather, be afraid of the One who can destroy both soul and body in hell.”
Matthew 16:24-26 (NIV) “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will find it. What good will it be for someone to gain the whole world, yet forfeit their soul? Or what can anyone give in exchange for their soul?”
TOGETHER pray for one another.
INDIVIDUALLY answer the questions in your journal - process your devotional notes and pray.
A Brief Initial Survey of the Six Human Dimensions • Social Context
”Because all are to be rooted in God - and really are, whether they want it or not - our ties to one another cannot be isolated from our shared relationship to Him, nor our relationship to Him from our ties to one another. Our relations to others cannot be right unless we see those in their relation to God. Through others, He comes to us and we only really find others when we see them in Him.”
Solitary confinement is used in torture tactics and as a form of punishment in correctional facilities. The Beauro of Justice Statistics reports that approximately 25% of people in prison and 35% of those in jail who had spent 30 days or longer in solitary confinement during the previous year had irreversible symptoms of serious psychological distress. The rates were similar for those who only spent 1 day in isolation. Humans require social contact. A phrase used in crisis and security management is “Isolation leads to victimization.” How would you describe the importance of relationships with others and God?
Have you ever felt isolated socially? Have you encountered someone who is isolated socially?
What does this mean in the context of loving our neighbor?
A Brief Initial Survey of the Six Human Dimensions • Soul
“The soul encompasses and ‘organizes’ the whole person, it is frequently taken to be the person. - It is the deepest part of the self in terms of overall operations; and like the body, it has capacity to operate (and does, largely, operate) without conscious supervision. - For all the soul’s vastness and independence, the tiny executive center of the person (that is, the spirit or will) can redirect and re-form the soul, with God’s cooperation. It mainly does this by redirecting the body in spiritual disciplines and toward various other types of experiences under God.”
What does this mean? How do you respond to this statement? Do you agree?
The Whole Picture
“The outer wall of the soul is perhaps like a permeable membrane in a biological organism, which is designed to allow passage of some but not all foreign objects. When that wall is broken, individuals are at the mercy of forces they cannot handle. The soul can be sustained intact and can function as it is supposed to only in the keeping of God. ”
What defense does our soul have? How do we keep our soul’s “permeable membrane” from allowing foreign, destructive (sinful) things through? What do we do if the “permeable membrane” has already been breached?
EXTRA READING:
“I cannot dance, Lord, unless you lead me. If you want me to leap with abandon, you must intone the song. Then I shall leap into love, from love into knowledge, from knowledge into enjoyment, and from enjoyment beyond all human sensations. There I want to remain, yet want also to circle higher still.”
- Mechthild of Magdeburg (1207 - 1282)