In God’s Word, you have a blueprint for you are—both body and soul.
I have heard it said that you live life forward, but you learn life backward. Increasingly each year, I’m finding this to be true.
Last summer I learned a surprising backward life lesson: I had never developed a whole body theology. By whole body theology, I mean a biblical belief of God’s creation of us as an entire person, body and soul. It covers our entire personhood — from creation to glorified body — including design, function, and purpose that determines our decision-making in the day to day. Without this biblical understanding to help me make decisions for my body and soul, I misunderstood my body and struggled with it for most of my life.
Suddenly, I began to see this as the key to my questions: Why did I only have temporary success with eating right? Why did I typically think of my body with shame or judgment? Why did I think of my body as less than or not enough in comparison with others’ physical appearance? Why did I not see myself as an image bearer of God, including my physical body?
While I was grateful to have discovered this core missing element, I also faced some personal lament. How could I have gone my whole life not understanding a true biblical view of my body? I grew up in church and knew so much about the Bible.
But just because we know verses about our bodies does not mean we
operate in the freedom God intends.
The truth is many of us have not had the full picture of our whole personhood as the image bearers God created us to be. And now we are faced with a choice: Continue on as we have or learn a proper whole body theology.
Here’s why gaining a biblical understanding about your body and soul as an image bearer of God can be so beneficial, even now:
Whole body theology helps you remember your worth.
This is crucial anytime, but especially as we age. Losing things we once had —status, health, energy, ability, people we love — is difficult, and it can be lonely and isolating. We can, at times, feel invisible and forgotten. But we have God’s truth from Genesis 1:27 that tells us we — unlike anything else in creation — were created “in the image of God; he created them male and female.” Because image bearing is our identity as humans, we cannot lose it. It does not age out. Being rooted in this foundational truth reminds us that all human beings hold intrinsic value, even when we grow old. There is no losing relevance in the kingdom of God.
Whole body theology helps you accept your holy call to dependence.
The radical incarnation of Christ and His holy crucifixion were lifesaving, lavish acts of our Savior: His life, His body, for ours. (See John 1:14; 3:16.) In light of eternity, we may have missed what that means for us in the day to day. While whole body theology reminds us that the ultimate purpose in Christ’s act of love was salvation and redemption, it also reminds us that the daily gift is our dependence on Him in our weakness and weariness. We need to find a true place of rest in Christ. But we must come weak. Dependence is a difficult task as we age, and yet, it is a holy call for which our bodies — mind, soul, and spirit — were designed, as we place our very lives in the hands of our Creator.
Whole body theology helps you know your place in the body of Christ
The world may not esteem maturity, but the spiritual gifts God has given us have no age limit. Whole body theology teaches that the body of Christ is an integral part of our individual body health. Therefore, in order to best function until we meet the Lord, we are meant to function in community, using our spiritual gifts. The apostle Paul explains that “just as the body is one and has many parts, and all the parts of that body, though many, are one body — so also is Christ” (1 Cor. 12:12). Even when we are hindered by our mobility, there are ways to use our gifts to function as a unit within the body of Christ. Knowing your spiritual gifts is vital, and using them until you have no more breath helps you fulfill your earthly purpose to advance God’s kingdom, function within the body of Christ, and live with joy.
The Lord wants mature saints to keep learning, growing, and reflecting His image even in bodies that have been well lived in and physically aren’t what they once were. Even while you walk this earth and long for heaven, never forget that while the world has a short-sighted idea of body and soul, God created an eternally-minded one.
First Thessalonians 5:23 is my prayer for you: “May your whole spirit, soul, and body be kept sound and blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.”
This article by Lisa Whittle originally appeared in the August 2025 edition of Mature Living Magazine. Best-selling author and beloved Bible teacher Lisa Whittle is the author of multiple books and Bible studies. Host of Jesus Over Everything podcast and founder of Ministry Strong, Lisa is a wife, mom, lover of laughter, good food, and the Bible. For more, go to lisawhittle.com.
Body & Soul Bible Study
In this 6-session Bible study from author and speaker Lisa Whittle, discover how Scripture talks about our bodies, from creation to Revelation. Learn to reconcile your body with the rest of who you are, growing in a deeper understanding of your true identity as a whole person created in the image of God.
Over 6 weeks, we’ll get real about Scripture and we’ll get real about living out our faith in the bodies we have. Join Lisa and uncover the truth about our bodies, exploring how every curve, every scar, every wrinkle is a testament to how God is shaping us. Body and Soul is an invitation to step into a journey of self-discovery, faith, and radical reconciliation.
