A WELL-ORDERED SOUL

III John 1:2 - “Beloved, I pray that you may prosper in all things and be in health, just as your soul prospers.

1. A quote from Dallas Willard: “God designed us so that our choices, thoughts, and desires, and behavior would be in perfect harmony with each other and would be powered by an unbroken connection with God. That is a well-ordered soul.”

2. The word prospers translated from the Greek gives the meaning to help on the road and to succeed in reaching for whatever - in business, relationship, journey, etc.

3. Health is what we all want and need - sound health - in every way, including being healthy in our physical being, our mental being, and the belief of heart.

4. Prosperity (success) is a result of the quality of life, commitment, dedication, and action that aligns with God’s word.

5. Instructions from Scripture on how to have a well-ordered soul:

   Psa. 51:6 - truth in the inward parts; in the hidden part to know wisdom - we should seek to be wise in mind, word, and action.

   Psa. 103:1-2 - Bless the Lord, O my soul, and all that is within me, bless His Holy name…forget not His benefits - His goodness and acts.

   The soul connects our innermost parts together bringing them into alignment with God. He then brings us into harmony (agreement) in every area of life.

6. III John 1:3-4 says we should walk in truth - to walk as a proof of our ability to make good use of the opportunities to imitate the character of Christ Jesus.

   Psa. 19:1-6 - tells us that the heavens declare the Good News (gospel) of Jesus in nature.

   In verses 7-11 we discover that the soul needs restoration - a bringing back to the condition of relationship with God it was first created to be.

   In verses 7 and 12 we learn that the heart needs to be cleansed, to be morally purified to enable us to life in a way that pleases our Creator.

   In verses 8 and 14 we discover that the mind needs to be renewed by the Truth of God’s Word

   II Cor. 3:7 helps with these needs by the power of Jesus’ sacrifice and the power of Holy Spirit who brings our souls into liberty or freedom from faults and sins.

   Psa. 51:7 says Purge me with hyssop and I will be clean. - Hyssop was used in the OT to sprinkle lepers to pronounce them clean or free from the disease ravishing the body. Hyssop in the natural has antiseptic properties, thus giving us a natural picture of the cleansing done through Jesus’ sacrifice and truth.

7. Our soul is then able to overcome the unbeneficial desires and propensities we lean towards.

8. Since we are also called temples of God, II Chron. 29:16 encourages us to clean out the ‘rubbish’ that has collected inside of our inner being, the rooms of our temple or soul before God.

   III John 1:5-8 encourages us to get into alignment with Truth; to conduct ourselves in a way that pleases the Lord and brings about a good testimony.

   III John 1:9-12 gives contrasting examples of two men:

   1) Diotrephes who loves attention, is ambitious of distinction, is resistant to other ministers, discontent, and wrongly influences others.

   2) Demetrius carries a good testimony from all who know him and is backed up by the Truth of God’s Word, honors and receives others, speaks the Truth, is content, and is a godly influence on others. - Which would you want to pattern your life after?

9. Earthly (worldly) thinking and desires will divert our souls towards selfishness and greed.

10. Godliness, His truth and love radiating from our lives, will protect the soul from noticing hurts and offenses as we respond in forgiveness and prayers of mercy.

11. Our responsibility to maintain a well-ordered soul is found in the following scriptures:

    Psa. 19:12 - We ask God to cleanse me from secret faults.

    Psa. 119:9 - We take heed to God’s Word of Truth.

    II Cor. 7:1 - We practice the fear of the Lord - meaning we give ourselves to worshipful awe of Him.

    Col. 3:8-10, 12-17 - We put off things of the flesh (unredeemed conduct) and put on the things that Jesus gives to us in word, thought, and deed.

    Psa. 19:14 - Let the words of my mouth and the meditation [resounding music] of my heart be acceptable [delightful] in Your sight, O Lord, my strength.

    A Well-Ordered soul is a life that is aligned with God’s truth, that is experiencing the peace of Christ, is at rest, and receiving the blessings of God in every area of our lives - even in difficult settings. We trust completely in the Lord our God.