Asceticism

One of the definitions Mr. Webster gives for the word “ascetic” is: “one who leads a simple, non-materialistic life.” A non-materialistic life? Neither Jesus nor His followers practiced this kind of life-style. Though many professing Christians adhere to this type of teaching today, it is foreign to the Scriptures. God made matter, and that matters. He made the world; He created all the physical, materialistic things in it, and He tells us we are to enjoy them. We’re told the first Tabernacle was “worldly.”

C.S. Lewis says, “There is no good trying to be more spiritual than God. God never meant man to be a purely spiritual creature. We may think this rather crude and unscriptural. God does not; He likes matter. He invented it.” Need I remind you that in Jesus’ spiritual, resurrected body, He enjoyed eating? We will still retain flesh and bone throughout eternity. God does not separate the physical and spiritual in the Christian’s life; only we do that. If it is not sin, then we can enjoy it (1Tim.6:17b).

If the things Jesus and John said about Heaven be literal, then Heaven is a very physical, materialistic place.