Philosophy

How the Bible's Spiritual Kindness Comforts

Scripture offers key promises that invite deep reflection. Luke 2:14 declares, "...and on earth peace, good will toward men," suggesting a peculiar cosmic intent for harmony and benevolence toward humanity.

Jeremiah 29:11 further emphasizes this: "For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the LORD, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end." This passage highlights a purposeful cosmic plan centered on inward tranquility.

Isaiah 66:13 evokes a nurturing image: "As one whom his mother comforteth, so will I comfort you."

Together, these verses portray a compassionate living Mind over the individual and extending solace when needed.

The Challenge of Understanding Spiritual Fulfillment

While many who study the Bible know these passages, their deeper meaning can be elusive. John 4:24 states that "God is a Spirit," and Luke 24:39 clarifies that "a spirit hath not flesh and bones." This non-physical nature of “God” raises questions: How can an incorporeal Being provide tangible comfort, peace, or good will in a realistic way?

Consider these questions: How does a spirit, without a body, offer consistent human-like comfort? What kind of good will comes from an entity outside of humanity? Can peace stem from a source that doesn’t ultimately experience it physically? What thoughts can a non-physical being have for those bound by flesh?  

Often, interpretations lean on inherited teachings or cultural assumptions rather than the Bible’s own logic. Without grounding in its context, one might drift into speculation, forming beliefs that stray from its intent. This risks misrepresenting the "peace" and "good will" a spiritual (no-flesh-having) “God” provides.

How Does Such a God Provide Comfort?

This leads to a central question: If God is Spirit, and if a spirit does not have flesh and bones, how can or does a spirit comfort? Without a physical form, this Being’s comfort cannot rely on physical means. While traditional theology offers various answers drawn from various ecclesiastical perspectives, the Bible itself points to one solution.

 The answer is "righteousness"; not ritualistic practice, but a certain type of kindness. Titus 3:4 describes this as "the kindness and love of God our Saviour toward man." Titus 3:5 elaborates: "Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost."

It is through the regenerating of what is within, or the cleansing of what is within, that this living Mind comforts. In other words, that comfort is manifested as one executes the saying, “Acquaint now thyself with him, and be at peace...Receive...from his mouth, and lay up his words in thine heart” (Job 22:21,22).

Two Forms of Righteousness in Scripture

The Bible presents "righteousness" in two contrasting ways, each with significant implications for spiritual or devotional freedom.

The first is a rigid adherence to handwritten religious rules. This form of righteousness binds individuals to external dictates, suppressing genuine devotion and personal freedom. We learn about this from how it says, “That except your righteousness shall exceed the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, ye shall in no case enter into the kingdom of heaven” (Matthew 5:20). Beauty from religious law is the first form of “righteousness,” and this form is false.

In contrast, the manner of righteousness within the Hebrew Scriptures restores freedom. It liberates the conversation’s inner dialogue from external constraints, granting autonomy in thought, emotion, action, and behavior. This aligns with Isaiah 61:1: "To proclaim liberty to the captives." Here, “righteousness” is not obligation but emancipating grace, in that one says, “Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me” (Psalm 51:10).

The Gospel: Liberty Through Kindness

The gospel, or "good news," is often misunderstood as a call to emulate, whether by ritual or by religious law, a divine literary figure’s nature. Instead, Scriptures frames it as a "good will,” a kindness aimed not really at individuals, but at their inner devotional culture. This liberation from false devotion is the essence of the Bible’s philosophy, which consistently states, “...through knowledge shall the just be delivered” (Proverbs 11:9).

By viewing the Bible in its cultural and philosophical context, one can pursue its intended peace, comfort, and good will. Our experiences extend beyond traditional teachings or assumed knowledge. Religious systems often shape our spiritual lens, obscuring the deeper reality. The "expected end" promised in Jeremiah 29:11 is freedom from these doctrinal constraints to personally know the character of the Bible’s Mind, encouraging a devotion reflecting its kind will for our personal and devotional self. When studying Scripture, this pursuit of authentic “righteousness” should guide our focus, leading to true spiritual fulfillment.

Are You On The Wrong Spiritual Path?

What if you uncovered a secret so life-changing it forced you to rethink who you are? Picture it shifting the energy that drives you, like a storm clearing to reveal a new sky. What if you realized the path you thought was yours wasn’t meant for you at all? How would you respond? Would you hold tight to what’s familiar, or step boldly into the unknown?

The Bible holds truths that sometimes require effort to uncover—verses to study, translate, and reflect on deeply. But other truths sit right in front of us, missed not because they’re hidden, but because we’re not paying attention. In those cases, the “secret” isn’t a secret at all; it’s our own failure to see what’s clear.

Take two verses that reveal something profound about how people chase knowledge, especially in religious circles. Ecclesiastes 3:10-11 says: “I have seen the travail, which God hath given to the sons of men to be exercised in it. He hath made every thing beautiful in his time: also he hath set the world in their heart, so that no man can find out the work that God maketh from the beginning to the end.” The writer of Ecclesiastes dove into the ways of the world (religious world), lived like those (priests) around him, and wrote about it. He saw that many people (priests) are given a heavy task by God: a restless drive to understand life, but only within the limits of what’s earthly, never grasping the full scope of the living God’s work.

Who are these “sons of men”? The phrase isn’t about literal sons. Hebrews 5:1 explains: “For every high priest taken from among men is ordained for men in things pertaining to God.” This points to a spiritual lineage, not a family tree. In Titus 1:4, Paul calls Titus “mine own son after the common faith,” and in 1 Timothy 1:2, he refers to Timothy as “my own son in the faith.” Here, “son” means someone shaped by another’s teachings, like a mentor passing down beliefs. Proverbs 29:21 adds: “He that delicately bringeth up his servant from a child shall have him become his son at the length.” The “sons of men” are priests or ministers trained by human institutions; think seminaries or universities; carrying ideas rooted in human thought, not in the Bible’s actual fact.

The writer of Ecclesiastes lived among them, adopted their ways, and recorded his findings in the book. He discovered they carry a kind of curse, as Ecclesiastes 1:13 puts it: “I gave my heart to seek and search out by wisdom concerning all things that are done under heaven: this sore travail hath God given to the sons of men to be exercised therewith.” Their curse is a fixation on understanding only what fits within their religious or intellectual world, unable to see beyond it. Their minds stay trapped, chasing answers that never reach the bigger picture. This, according to the Bible, is their gift.

Why does the Bible call this out? It’s not just criticism; it’s a response. These “sons of men” turn away from the Bible’s true message, choosing instead to lean on and lead by human-made doctrines. They claim to speak from Scripture while twisting its meaning. This matters because their path isn’t ours to follow. After living their way, the writer of Ecclesiastes saw it was empty and concluded in Ecclesiastes 3:18: “I said in mine heart concerning the estate of the sons of men, that God might manifest them, and that they might see that they themselves are beasts.” Like animals driven by instinct, they stay stuck in their narrow ways, missing the wider truth.

We too can get caught up in their world, spending our time and energy on their ideas, repeating their patterns, letting their mindset shape our own. But real freedom comes from stepping away, rising above their limits. This isn’t about judgment; it’s about opportunity. By seeing what the Bible reveals, we can leave behind the “sons of men” and pursue an experience that’s more meaningful, one that connects us to the beauty within the scriptures,

So, what will you do with this truth now that you see it?

The Kingdom of God

What Is the Kingdom of God? Understanding Its True Meaning

The phrase "Kingdom of God" resonates deeply with us, but what does it truly mean? According to Luke 17:21, Jesus declares, “The kingdom of God is within you.” This powerful statement shifts the perspective from a physical realm to an internal, spiritual experience. The illustration continues in Luke 13:21, comparing the Kingdom to “leaven, which a woman took and hid in three measures of meal, till the whole was leavened.” But what is this "leaven"? In Matthew 16:12, the reader is warned against “the leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees,” identifying it as their doctrine. Simply put, the Kingdom of God is a transformative understanding of wisdom rising within us.

The Original Teachings: Parables and Sayings Before the Gospels

Before the Gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John) were written, no narrative of miracles, resurrection, or ascension existed. Instead, the earliest records of Jesus’ teachings were most likely collections of parables and wise sayings. These sayings, often centered on the Kingdom of God, formed the foundation of early Christian philosophy. Written after the destruction of Jerusalem, the Gospels wove these sayings into narratives to support traditional beliefs, but their core rested on philosophical wisdom.

This original wisdom, free from later narrative additions, focused on an inward spiritual journey. For example, the concept of resurrection wasn’t about a physical rising but a spiritual awakening—a “rising up” of understanding within the heart, as promised in Jeremiah 31:33: “I will put my law in their inward parts, and write it in their hearts.”

Redefining Death: A Spiritual, Not Literal, Concept

The promise in John 8:51, “If a man keep my saying, he shall never taste of death,” challenges traditional religious understanding. If the Kingdom of God is an internal experience, then the “death” referenced here isn’t physical but spiritual. This spiritual death is tied to the “righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees” (Matthew 5:20), which the Jesus character critiques as insufficient. In Mark 7:9, he condemns their adherence to “your own tradition” over their Deity’s commandments, equating traditional religious law with spiritual stagnation.

The Hebrew Scriptures philosophically define sin and death as the philosophy of rigid religious law. This definition can be found in the New Testament, wherein 1 Corinthians 15:56 states, “The sting of death is sin; and the strength of sin is the law.” By embracing the Kingdom of God’s understanding, one can avoid this spiritual death and experience a resurrection of thought, or a renewal of heart and mind, fulfilling the saying, “Create in me a clean heart...and renew a right spirit within me (Psalm 51:10).

The True Message: Liberation from the Curse of the Law

The narrative of a demigod dying and rising for humanity’s sins is a later addition, not the Hebrew Bible’s core teaching. Yet Galatians 3:13 declares, “Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law.” The crucifixion, in this context, symbolizes liberation from the traditional religious law; the true “sin” and “death.” By focusing on the Kingdom of God experience, one can reject outdated religious traditions/ideals/supposition/ and embrace wisdom sparking spiritual awakening.

This message is revolutionary: adhering to Jesus’ sayings prevents spiritual death by fostering a living, transformative faith. As the doctrine of the Kingdom rises within, it reshapes devotional thought and ignites a resurrection of the soul.

Why This Matters for Your Spiritual Journey

Understanding the Kingdom of God as an internal, transformative experience empowers one to move beyond rigid and useless traditions. We are supposed to be cultivating a belief that is alive, intellectual, and dynamic. The Bible’s original concern of spiritual or inward resurrection; free from the “curse of the law”; offers a path to deeper connection with the intended will and journey of at the core of the scriptures.

Let the Kingdom of God rise within you, transforming your heart and mind.