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Body and Soul | Healthy to the Core | Week 3
CJ Ward
Healthy to the Core – Week 3: Body and Soul
Pastor CJ Ward opens week three of Healthy to the Core by tackling a misconception many believers carry: the belief that the body is secondary to the soul. This common idea—popularized by culture, philosophy, and even religious tradition—suggests that our physical existence is disposable while our spiritual side is what truly matters.
But that belief isn’t biblical. According to Genesis 2:7,
“Then the Lord God formed the man from the dust of the ground. He breathed the breath of life into the man's nostrils, and the man became a living person.”
Pastor CJ reminds us that this verse doesn’t depict God inserting a soul into a useless husk; rather, it reveals that humans are both body and spirit—a fully integrated whole. We are not souls inhabiting a shell—we are unified beings created in the image of God, body and soul.
A Misguided View: Plato vs. Scripture
A major source of the body/soul divide comes from Neoplatonic dualism—an ancient Greek philosophy from Plato, not the Bible. Plato’s dualism argued that our bodies are temporary and mostly irrelevant, while our souls are all that matter. Over time, this philosophy filtered into Christian thought, subtly shaping how people understand what it means to be human.
CJ challenges this worldview by emphasizing that Scripture never says the soul is more important than the body. In fact, 2 Corinthians 5 points toward a future hope not of escaping our bodies, but of receiving resurrected, renewed bodies. Our Christian hope is not floating around in a disembodied afterlife; it’s the full restoration of our humanity—body and soul.
A Better Metaphor: Not a Water Bottle, But a Bicycle
To illustrate this biblical view of identity, CJ uses two metaphors. The first—a water bottle—represents how most people view the body: just a container for something more important. But a better metaphor, he says, is a bicycle. Every part of the bicycle—handlebars, pedals, wheels—works together to define what it is. Remove one component and it’s no longer a bike. In the same way, our identity as humans can’t be separated into “spiritual” and “physical” compartments. We are whole beings.
What You Do with Your Body Matters to God
Throughout the message, Pastor CJ emphasizes that what we do with our bodies has spiritual significance. He quotes Matthew 12:34, where Jesus says,
Out of the overflow of the heart, the mouth speaks.”
In other words, our actions are never neutral. Our bodies and souls are constantly communicating and influencing each other.
Too often, people excuse their behavior by saying, “My heart’s in the right place,” even while living in ways that contradict God’s will. Whether it’s harmful habits, unrepented sin, or dismissing the physical as unimportant, we reveal our theology by how we live.
Rejecting Shame: What God Says About You
Pastor CJ is careful to address the shame that can sneak into conversations about health. In a world dominated by social media comparisons, it’s easy to feel “not enough.” But God’s standard isn’t Instagram-worthy physiques or athletic accomplishments.
God says that we are created very good (Genesis 1:31). And that goodness includes our physical bodies. Pastor CJ challenges listeners to reject cultural standards and embrace what God declares over them: you are made in His image, body and soul.
"The world gives us shame by telling us what we’re not. God gives us confidence by telling us what we are."
A New Goal for Health
Rather than pursuing worldly perfection, CJ introduces a more holistic and grace-filled aim:
“Our goal should be to be as healthy as reasonably possible within our current circumstances.”
This vision acknowledges physical limitations, mental health challenges, and emotional trauma—all realities in a fallen world. It also affirms that both action and intention matter.
Whether it’s choosing to go to therapy, seeing a doctor, exercising, or simply choosing rest—these are spiritual practices as much as physical ones.
Three Steps to Body & Soul Health
1. Pursue Healing for What Is in Your Control
We have a responsibility to steward our health. That includes seeking therapy, confessing sin, eating well, exercising, and engaging in spiritual disciplines. These actions are not just physical or mental—they’re spiritual practices that care for the whole person.
2. Pray for Healing for What Is Beyond Your Control
CJ boldly proclaims his belief in miracles. He encourages the church to pray for healing—physical, mental, and emotional. James 5:14-15 tells us to bring our sickness to the elders and pray in faith, believing that God is our healer.
“We don’t pray for healing enough because we’re afraid of what happens if He says no.”
3. Trust God When He Doesn’t Heal
Even when healing doesn’t come, joy and hope are still possible. This is the peace that “passes understanding” (Philippians 4:7). We may not be able to control every circumstance, but we can trust in a God who is forming us through our pain.
The Resurrection Hope
CJ closes with a vision of eternity rooted in Scripture. Our hope is not escape—it’s resurrection. The Christian life acknowledges that we are both broken and beloved, and it directs us toward the promise that God will make all things new.
Did you like Healthy to the Core – Week 3 – Body and Soul? If so, check out more of our Sunday teachings here.
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