A metaphor : Spiritual Fitness

Here is a metaphor for understanding spiritual state and spiritual growth:

Death is Junk food, inactivity, etc.
Sin is Fat - beer-belly, unhealthy, ugly fat.
Holiness/Godliness is Muscle.
Trials/Tribulation is Exercise

God made man to be spiritually healthy, to have spiritual muscle. But man rejected what God had for him, and thus accepted that which unhealthy, Death. By choosing a lifestyle of Death. man became sinful, and spiritually fat.

Christ came into the world. In his life, he lived a completely spiritually healthy life, building spiritual muscle through endurance through Trials, tribulation. His life acts as an example for the rest of us. In his death, he entered death and overcame it. And in his resurrection, he frees up the Fat ones to become healthy and muscular again.

So, how do fat people get healthy and strong again?
- by recognizing that they are fat and acknowledging that this is bad. (repentance, metanoia)
- by accepting Christ
- as the perfect example of spiritual healthiness (in his life)
- as the one who overcame Fat and unhealthiness (in his death)
- as the one who enables us to become spiritually healthy (in his resurrection)
- by following Christ's 'diet and training regiment' - his commands

One is heavy when one is both fat or when one is very muscular. For example, think of obese people and of football players - both are heavy.

Some people are heavy with Fat:
"Alas, sinful nation, people weighed down with iniquity,..." (Isaiah 1:4)

Some people are heavy with muscle:
"For momentary, light affliction is producing for us an eternal weight of glory far beyond all comparison,"(2 Cor 4:17)

Christ calls us to leave a urden of sin/fat and to take on a burden of muscle:
"Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and YOU WILL FIND REST FOR YOUR SOULS. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light." (Matthew 11:28-30)

How can it be that two people weigh, say, 300 pounds and yet one finds it easy and one finds it hard?
-> One has the weight in fat and lacks muscle and is thus weak, while the other has the weight in muscle and thus easily bears his weight.
-> In addition, the fat one can do very little due to his weight, while the strong one can do much despite his weight and at the same time because of his weight.

We develop muscle by exercising. -> we develop godliness by enduring trials.
"Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance. And let endurance have its perfect result, so that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing." James 1:2-4
"And not only this, but we also exult in our tribulations, knowing that tribulation brings about perseverance; and perseverance, proven character; and proven character, hope;" (Romans 5:3-4)

=> <<<<< "NO PAIN, NO GAIN." >>>>>

* Thought up while listening to a sermon by Dr. Greg Mazak on James 1:1-4.
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I am both spiritually AND physically fat.

Lord have mercy.