The Anatomy of a Christian

A STUDY ON SPIRITUAL HEALTH

A simple paper cut under the wrong circumstances and left untreated is enough to kill a person. For Ryan Taylor, it almost did in 2018. Ryan got a small paper cut at his office job and didn’t think anything of it until the next day when his hand became swollen. He developed necrotizing fasciitis, a rare bacterial infection. As he reported to the New York Post, “It had spread from my finger to my elbow in 12 hours. They rushed me into [surgery] straight away and told me there was a possibility they would have to amputate my arm if it kept spreading, or there could even be loss of life.” Luckily, Ryan sought medical help in time and fought the infection through ten surgeries and weeks in the hospital. 

The human body is truly fascinating. It is an incredibly complex system of highly specialized parts designed to work together. A person is healthy when each part is functioning correctly, doing its job, and cooperating with the rest of the body. However, accidents, injuries, viruses, infections, natural degeneration, improper diet, exercise, or simply a lack of sleep can all compromise your health. When things like these happen, we often seek help from medical professionals (or at least check the symptoms on WebMD) to be restored to proper health, but how do you know if you are spiritually healthy? 

Read through these twelve spiritual “body parts” to get an overall assessment. If you have further questions and want to dig in deeper, read the Bible references. You can also find an entire sermon by Pastor Justin Thomson of Believers Church – Duluth on each of these parts here: jfbduluth.com/PAST_NT_Sermons.html.

Head

The head is superior to the rest of the body. It is the control center, and if disconnected from the body, renders it useless immediately. Jesus is to be your head as the highest place in your life and have complete control of it. When He is in the proper place, your body will work efficiently, effectively, and you will experience abundant life. Without Jesus in this role, the rest of your body is useless. Who is in control of your life? (Eph. 1:22-23, Prov. 3:5-6)

Mind 

The mind is responsible for thoughts, emotions, reasoning abilities, and personality. The Bible tells us we are born with a mind that is greatly affected by sin, hostile toward God and leads us to death. Jesus came to this world and died so that you could have the opportunity to get a brain transplant from Him. If you accept His offer, you can start to think and live as He does, which will bring mental stability, joy, and life. Do your thoughts bring you closer to or further from God? (Rom. 12:1-2, Col. 3:2, Rom. 8:6-11)

Ears

The outer ear collects sound waves from the environment, and the inner ear is responsible for organizing and transmitting that data to the brain. Even if the ear looks good on the outside, it doesn’t guarantee auditory function. Jesus frequently spoke the phrase, “He who has ears, let Him hear,” during His ministry because He surrounded Himself with people who, on the outside, looked like they were able to hear from God. Their daily actions looked moral and religious, but they would not or could not hear Him when God was standing directly in front of them. Sure, they could listen to Him audibly, but what they heard did not affect their lives, so they might as well not have heard anything He said. Can you hear Him? (Mark 4:13-20, Gal. 3:2)

Eyes 

90% of data processed in the brain is visual. The eyes are responsible for seeing this information clearly, but they can only work if there is light. The Bible speaks of people living in either darkness (separated from God) or light (having a close relationship with God). Sometimes it is more comfortable to stay in the dark rather than turning on the blinding light of truth in our lives. Do you see the world around you clearly, or are you stumbling through the dark, fearful of someone flipping on the exposing light? (John 8:12, Eph. 5:8-14)

“We often seek help from medical professionals to be restored to proper health, but how do you know if you are spiritually healthy?”

Tongue 

This three-inch-long muscular structure in your mouth is essential for communicating clearly. For the Christian, the tongue wields a lot of power for either good or evil. Christians are to speak the truth, share the gospel, encourage one another, and worship God. Lies, slander, cursing, and gossip should not come out of the mouth of a Christian. Simply avoiding a list of certain words or topics isn’t what’s at stake here. What you say reveals the deeper issues of what is in your heart. The words you say indicate what you believe. What kinds of words come out of your mouth when you speak? (Eph. 4:29, James 3:5-12, Luke 6:45)

Heart

The average human heart pumps 100,000 times a day to deliver life-giving blood to the rest of the body. The Bible explains that everyone is born with a desperately wicked and deceitful heart. If left in this condition, it will prove to be eternally fatal. Similar to the mind, Jesus offers a heart transplant. We can love like He loves and have compassion on those He has compassion. Even after this transplant, though, these new hearts can still be prone to disease if we’re not careful. How’s your heart doing? Is it beating in time with Christ’s, or is it slowly succumbing to bitterness, pride, or rebellion? (Ezek. 36:26, Jeremiah 17:9)

Stomach

The stomach is full of acid and enzymes that help turn what we eat into the energy and nutrients the body needs to survive. It is also the only organ that God says people turn into an idol by giving in to whatever desire or appetite they please. A Christian’s diet should consist of nutrient-rich truth. But often, we tend to fill up on spiritual junk food by chasing after whatever we crave in the world. Doing so leaves no room for truth or godliness in our life. What does your diet look like today? (Phil. 3:19, Gal. 5:16-24)

Lungs

The lungs function automatically to keep vital air exchange going through our body. For the body to move, the lungs need to be working. The Christian life is a race full of twists, turns, and obstacles that will last the rest of your life. It is not a sprint or a short jog around the block. We need endurance. Jesus is the perfect example of how to finish this race well, so we should look to Him to understand how we can too. Do your lungs allow you to keep going through difficulty, or do you take a seat on the sidelines, gasping for air, with every hint of trouble that comes your way? (Heb. 12:1-3, 1 Corinth. 9:24-27)

Hands

The human hand’s brilliant design makes 58 distinct motions possible, rendering them one of the most complex tools we use daily. Having an opposable thumb makes us able to do much more than we could if we only had paws or hooves. With our hands, we can accomplish a lot of work. The work we do can either serve God and others or ourselves. God intended that we use our hands for the good of others by making our hands available for the tasks He wants us to do in the world. Who determines what your hands do? (1 Peter 4:9-10, Matt. 25: 35-40)

“It is hard to know if a person is a Christian just by looking at their physical appearance, but it should be evident if they are by the life they live.”

Feet

In addition to supporting the weight of our entire body, our feet are responsible for getting us everywhere we need to go. Jesus walked a lot while He was ministering to people. If you say you follow Jesus, you should constantly be on the move, allowing Him to lead you wherever He

wants, whether that be across the street to help a neighbor or across the world. Are your feet taking you anywhere? (Matt. 28:19-20, Micah 6:8, 1 Peter 2:21)

Spine

The spinal column is comprised of 33 vertebrae, which provide structure, flexibility, and strength to the body. For Christians to remain flexible and mobile, they must continue to obey God. The more a person says no to what God is asking of them, the more inflexible their spine becomes. Fear can also strike a blow to the spinal column, leaving a Christian paralyzed, unable to move forward in their life with God. Do you let God change you how He wants, or do you stiffen at the thought of doing what He asks? (John 14:15, Rom. 1:18-24, 2 Tim. 1:7)

Blood

Usually, we cannot see if people have blood in their bodies, but you can tell if a person is alive or not. Likewise, it is hard to know if a person is a Christian just by looking at their physical appearance, but it should be evident if they are by the life they live. Your physical blood flows to each part of your body, giving it life. If you are a Christian, each aspect of your life should have the mark of the blood of Jesus: your thoughts become like His thoughts, your feet become His feet, and your desires are His desires. Have you had this blood transfusion? (Rom. 5:6-11, Rom. 3:23-27, Isaiah 53:5)

When you go to a doctor, it does no good to pretend you’re not sick. The problem won’t just go away if you pretend it’s not there. If you’ve read through these aspects of the Christian life and find yourself less than healthy, turn to God and ask Him for help. Like physical ailments, your chances for spiritual recovery will increase the earlier you begin treatment, so don’t procrastinate on these matters. Remember, your body is temporary and will die one day, but your spiritual health has significance for eternity. 

“Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners, to repentance.” Mark 2:17