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1 Thessalonians 4:4
4 That every one [hekastos] of you [humon] should know [eido] how to possess [ktaomai] his [heautou] vessel [skeuos] in [en] sanctification [hagiasmos] and [kai] honour; [time] KJV-Interlinear
4 that each of you know how to possess his own vessel in sanctification and honor, NASB
The word for vessel, ‘skeuos,’ refers to a container which is weaker, but holding something within it, that is extremely valuable.
The wife is said to be the vessel belonging to her husband. The body is the vessel holding biological life, but also the vessel which houses the soul. And the soul is the vessel of human life.
In each case, the vessel (the container), is the weaker of the two – the container and its contents.
The vessel is expendable or rather, easily damaged, but its contents are of a higher value, and in order to preserve the contents, the container needs to be cared for.
The person within is more valuable than the outer vessel, but the outer vessel or body needs to be looked after as part of ones responsibility to ones self.
Viewing the body as an example then, the use of drugs or things harmful to the body are a disrespect of ones self.
Likewise, the use of non-doctrinal viewpoint (untruths or lies), is harmful to the soul. As we saw yesterday, the non-doctrinal viewpoint is a harmful addictive habit, which is difficult to break away from.
The term for possess, ‘ktaomai,’ means to know and understand how to come to obtain or acquire, for ones own ownership, to the benefit of ones own use.
When you own something it is yours to use and derive the benefit from.
The wife is the vessel of the husband. He derives the benefit from her use. He owns or possesses her, so to speak (symbolically of course). Don’t get all wigged out over the example, but learn the principle. But likewise the husband owes her special care and respect.
The body is the vessel of the soul. The soul resides in the body, so taking care of the body is a part of ones responsibility.
However, these things are all temporal concepts, of things of the physical life.
Your real life is in your soul, and that is the key vessel of your spiritual life.
What you think is what you are, therefore if you possess doctrine, then your thinking is doctrinal or truth. Your viewpoints of life, your orientation to life, is one from the perspective of truth.
Avoiding the untruths, the lusts, the sin patterns of life, is the desire of God for your life. It is His will that you grow up in grace and in the knowledge of the Lord. That is Bible doctrine.
The ultimate respect and honoring of life, of ones self, of other people, is to live within, and function within, the sphere of your very own personal and owned spiritual life.
Note one important thing. Of all the things in this world, you can own only one thing, and keep it forever, and that is your spiritual life, its makeup, its content, its production and its results.
This is your most valuable possession, because when eternity comes along, and it will, your spiritual status will determine the degree of reward and blessing which you will receive and possess also, for all of eternity. That value is potentially infinite.
No one has ever amassed that amount of wealth in all of the history of the world. But you can amass that wealth for yourself, within the space of your very own lifespan, if, and only if, you pursue your spirtitual life with a genuine and legitimate desire (not skewed by lusts or improper ambitions, etc.).
What is Gods will?
For you to grow up in your spiritual life to the point of spiritual maturity, establishing you for the rewards and blessings and life of eternity.
You are a compilation of many pieces of a puzzle, which we call, you. Your puzzle in life is not complete unless you advance to spiritual maturity (completing the soul), acquire your resurrection body (completing the body), stand before the Lord and receive your full complement of blessings for eternity (completing the reward), and then move into eternity and possess them (life finished, completed, ready to enjoy to beyond imaginable happiness and contentment).
That then is, or should be, your story, your song, your destiny forever.
And minstrels will sing:
There once was one named you
Who endured life, boohoo
But sucked it all up
Looked to God and not luck
And raced to the finish, yahoo!
Perhaps you can come up with a better personal song!! In doctrine, I am certain that you will.
