James Wilhoit's Analysis

Who shall inherit the earth? Since the beginning of time and early civilization, human beings have understood the existence of a higher power who is almighty and created the universe and the heavens, even before it was written. They knew of a God who deserves respect, admiration, and adoration. Human beings also knew evil and sin as external forces, which made the mind impure and the flesh weak, the spirit would suffer as a consequence. James Wilhoit’s (2016) position on the role spirituality plays in an ethical conception of the body focuses on becoming Christ-like and taking on His character however the least understood aspect of progress in Christlikeness is the role of the body in spiritual life (Willard, 2012). This process is misunderstood because not only do human beings have a connection with God through the body but also the mind. We are aware there is a
For example, training our tongue to “to bless and pray for anyone who does something in traffic that endangers or displeases us.” (Willard, 2012) We are very quickly infuriated when someone drives drunk and endangers everyone else’s life on the road. We want to scold (flesh: tongue) that individual for thinking irrational or acting foolish, instead we can pray for that individual (spirit). Nevertheless, our bodies feel angry and frustrated and long to shout at this irresponsible driver. According to Willard (2016), the more we practice discipline or self-control, the stronger and pleasing our minds and spirit become to please God. According to the Bible, “A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a bad tree bear good fruit.” (Matt 18-20 King James Version) If we do not practice self-control, the soul will always be conquered by evil and dishonors God. If we adopt Christ-like habits, God will live within us empowering our lives and