Eat, Drink and Be Merry

Jesus, being his profound self, says, "It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh (sarx) profits nothing; the words that I have spoken to you are spirit and are life." (John 6:63)  Let the words "profits nothing" sink in. Vain. Meaningless. Worthless. No Point. For Nothing. Pointless. Useless. What's the Use? Doesn't Matter. Forget It. So What? Life can become "so going nowhere" it seems. Why should any of us care? What difference does it make? "The flesh profits nothing." Compare this with what Paul writes in 1 Corinthians 15:32, "If from human motives (Literally "according to man") I fought with wild beasts at Ephesus, what does it profit me? If the dead are not raised, 'Let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we die.'" Put yourself in Paul's shoes. He has to ask himself the question as a lion is charging him, "Tell me again. Why am I doing this?"  If there were no resurrection, no next life, no point, then he would be crazy to be lion fighting. He might as well eat, drink, and be merry now because it makes no difference what we do.

The man who was doing well in the market said, "And I will say to my soul, 'Soul, you have many goods laid up for many years to come; take your ease, eat, drink, and be merry.'" (Luke 12:19) If this life is all there is then why not kick back and just enjoy life. Keep reading the story. "But God said to him, 'You fool! This very night your soul is required of you; and now who will own what you have prepared?' So is the man who lays up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God.'" (Luke 12:20-21)  The word for flesh in John 6:63 is sarx. It is the part of man that wars against the Spirit (Romans 8). Flesh is the seat of earthly desire. It is the appetite of man. It wants. It graves. It envies. It lusts. It is what corrupts body and soul and causes the spirit of man to shrink. It has to be killed just like a cancer. However, it will never totally die. It can only be shrunk down to size, and be controlled by a man's spirit, which is being controlled by the Spirit of God.

If flesh is allowed to dominate one's life, the outcome will be without profit. The flesh counts for nothing. We must learn to make choices based on spirit since Jesus' words are spirit and life, instead of flesh, since "the mind set on the flesh is death." (Rom.8:6) If we really valued life and peace as we should, we would go to war against lions and against flesh. Both will consume us. But, eternal life is worth going to war over. If we are unwilling to do that, then we might as well order up another batch of pizza and wings, pop a top of brew, and party down every day, for all that is left to do is die. I prefer to be drawn along in the stream of the spirit that causes me to really live!