The Heaton File

And He said to them, “Take heed and beware of covetousness, for one’s life does not consist in the abundance of the things he possesses.” (Luke 12:15)

Life Has Problems

Everyone experiences problems. Norman Vincent Peale tells of a time he was walking down the street in New York City when he ran into an old friend, George. “Norman, I’m fed up,” George announced. “I have nothing but problems, problems, problems. I’d give you $5,000 right now if you could get rid of all my problems.” Norman ruminated for a minute and then replied, “Just yesterday, I was in a place where there were a lot of people with no problems. Would you like to go?” George pounced on the offer. “Good,” Peale answered. “Tomorrow afternoon, I’ll take you to the Westchester cemetery. The only people who don’t have problems are dead.”

Life can be challenging because it is filled with problems. There are bills to pay and never enough money. Things constantly break down or fail to function as they are designed. People disappoint. Promises made are not kept. Age and health make it hard to enjoy life. If it’s not one thing, it will be something else. Murphy seems to be in charge of running the world, as Murphy’s Law is everywhere. Sometimes, it feels as if the only people without problems are the ones in the cemetery. That’s not quite the answer, but it raises an interesting question.

Job opined, “Man who is born of woman is of few days and full of trouble” (Job 14:1). How true. Life can be a lot of trouble and problems. For those who are of the living, life is a challenge with all the problems that rule the day, but God has not left His creation without hope. It must be understood that the source of problems inherently comes from the consequence of sin. A woman enduring pain in childbirth can go back to the Garden of Eden for the cause. God cursed the ground on behalf of the man and stated that he would work by the sweat of his brow. Disease, natural disasters, and death came as a result of man losing the Garden of Eden. Life has problems because man disobeyed God.

The hope in life is not to remove the problems but to understand how to cope with life’s challenges. God has never promised life to be a bed of roses and comfort. Through the knowledge of God’s word, life’s problems can be understood in the light of God’s grace. Pain and suffering fill the world, but God helps the grieving heart live. Many of life’s problems (debt, for example) come from mistakes made by covetous hearts drowning them in the crushing burden of financial worries.

Jesus told the disciples in the mountain sermon to put God first and not worry so much about food and clothing. Those things should not be primary in life. They are a part of life, but God must be the greater part in finding joy and happiness. So much of our unhappiness is self-induced. Life may have problems, but the answer to our problems is what God has given us in His Word. He made us, and He knows what we need. If we trust Him for our answers, our problems may not disappear, but we can endure the trials of life with a better spirit. God has promised to give us all we need. We need to believe He is able and willing to fulfill His promise. Live for Jesus. Trust in God.

Remember how short my time is; for what futility have You created all the children of men? What man can live and not see death? Can he deliver his life from the power of the grave? (Psalm 89:47-48)

Death Is Reversible?

In a recent news article from Gray News (April 1, 2025), Amanda Alvarado reports death appears to be “reversible” with proper treatment, according to Dr. Sam Parnia, an associate professor at New York University’s Langone Medical Center. Parnia said that the idea that death is final is “simply a social convention that does not conform with scientific realities.” Science has now discovered a way to circumvent the natural order of what God has established in creation. The Tree of Life was in the Garden of Eden and taken away from man when he rebelled against the word of the Lord. Now science has rediscovered the Tree of Life, suggesting death is no longer a viable reality. This discovery goes along with the science showing that men can give birth to children, and there is no biological difference between men and women.

The psalmist pined that the fool had said in his heart that there was no God. There continues to be a plethora of fools who take the beauty of science given by God to show His glory to conclude the most outlandish and foolish doctrines in the history of the world. In a perverse generation, the world struggles to define what a woman is. Transgenderism is viewed as a normal aggregation of natural processes towards determining the true meaning of a person’s identity. Sexual immorality fuels the discussions that it is normal for men to be with men and women to be with women. The conclusions of the homosexual agenda come from individuals who were born from heterosexual couples who are capable of conceiving and giving birth to children. A woman cannot conceive in another woman, and a man cannot conceive in another man because God has designed the bodies of each to function in one way.

Believing that science has found a way to make death irrelevant is the highest form of how man’s wisdom has become the greater folly of human foolishness. Death is certain, and everyone will certainly die. Science cannot change the will of God. Human foolishness continues to compound itself against the habitations established by God. The apostle Paul told the Athenian scholars that human wisdom and reasoning is a fool’s errand. Only the one true God has established the order of the world and the sanctity of life. God made the world and everything in it because He is Lord of heaven and earth. It is appointed for all men to die, no matter what science does. Science proves that death is necessary, not the other way around. The Lord God has created all men of every nation and determined their preappointed times and the boundaries of their dwellings.

Death is the consequence of sin. If death can be reversed, man believes he can reverse sin. Where does the wisdom of men begin to believe it has the power to reverse sin? The conclusion is the foolish attempt of man to become his own god. What a fool man continues to be. The dust has become its own god of dust. God told Adam he would return to the ground from whence he came. He was created from the dust; he is dust, and to dust, he would return. Apparently, the intellectuals of today have not gotten that memo. Can a man deliver his life from the power of the grave? The answer is found in God’s word.

For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren (Romans 8:29).

Conformed To His Image

What do people see when they look at my life? One of the distinctions of the Christian is the need to reflect the image of Jesus Christ. What the world needs to see in the lives of God’s people is not the same image as what they see in the world. If the Christian looks no different than the world around him, he has become like the world. The challenge of walking a righteous life is paving a path through an unrighteous world. The Christian must conform to the image of Jesus Christ.

Edward Payson said, “Paint Jesus Christ upon your canvas, and then hold Him up to the people; but hold Him up so that not even your little finger can be seen.” As the Christian grows in knowledge of the character of God, he begins to reflect the image of the Son of God. A transformation takes place where the old man of the world becomes the new man of the spirit. The goal is to change the image of our lives to that of Jesus Christ. God wants His children to look like His Son because His Son reflects the image of the Father. A transformation occurs as the spirit grows in the heart of the child of God. The more time spent in fellowship with a godly character, the less the world sees the image of man and sees more the image of God.

Reflecting the image of God is conforming life to the principles of godliness. Truth is the foundation of everything a Christian does in life. Their speech is godly, their mannerisms are reflective of Christ, and the mind dwells on the things above. God desires His children to continue to grow in the grace and knowledge of His Son so that they will become more and more like Him. That perfection shows that when people see our lives in Christ, they see the canvas of God’s love and nothing else.

Living godly in an ungodly world is difficult. Jesus told His disciples in the mountain sermon to be lights in the world. Sometimes, that light is all the world can see. The more lights in the world, the more people can see Christ. I may not be a beacon of light changing the world from darkness, but I can be a glowing light for Christ where I am. When I go to work, I can let my light shine. As a spouse or parent, my light must show the glory of God. What I want the world to see is God. Hopefully, the more I grow in Christ, the less people see of me (including my fingers holding the canvas). Let’s reflect on the image of God.

And those who passed by blasphemed Him, wagging their heads and saying, “You who destroy the temple and build it in three days, save Yourself! If You are the Son of God, come down from the cross.” (Matthew 27:39-40)

He Could Have Come Down From The Cross

Crucifixion was the final step before death. When a man was crucified, he remained on the cross until he died. Death would come through time (some could last three or four days), or death would be hastened by crurifragium or breaking the legs of the victim. At the crucifixion of Jesus, two men were crucified next to Him, one to His right and the other to the left. The men crucified with Jesus were criminals and robbers found guilty by the Romans and sentenced to death. One of the criminals admitted guilt on the part they shared with one another for the crimes committed.

When a crucifixion took place, crowds would gather to gawk and ridicule the victims. A crowd of onlookers, including the chief priests, scribes, and elders of the Jewish council, watched Jesus as He died on the cross. A small group of faithful disciples gathered before Jesus, including His mother and the apostle John. As the people ridiculed the condemned, they shouted out for Jesus to save Himself. They blasphemed Jesus, wagging their heads at the pitiful sight of the one who claimed to be the Son of God. The crowd jeered at Jesus with contempt, shooting out the lip at Him, speaking evil things of Him. As the Son of God hung on a cross, stripped of dignity and treated with great contempt, the people made fun of Him, suggesting He could save others but could not save Himself.

The people taunted Jesus if He was truly the Son of God to come down from the cross. No man could wiggle his way out of crucifixion. The hands were spread and nailed to the cross, and the feet were also nailed. It was an impossibility for anyone to release themselves from the nails. There was no escape. Crucifixion was the final act before death. Jesus had performed many miracles during His ministry. He healed diseases, walked on the water, and raised the dead. The chief priests mocked Jesus to save Himself like He saved others, saying if Jesus would descend from the cross, they would see it and believe in Him. Also, the two men crucified reviled Jesus in the same manner.

The chief priests did not fully realize that Jesus of Nazareth was the Son of God, and He had the power to come down from the cross with the authority of twelve legions of angels. No man has ever had the power to come down from the cross until that day outside Jerusalem. Thank God Jesus did not come down off the cross. The people mocked Jesus to come down, and if He did, they would have been filled not with awe and wonder but with horror and fear. That moment would have changed their lives. But God’s grace and the love of Christ kept the divine sacrifice nailed to a cross, suffering for the sins of those who blasphemed Him.

The death of Jesus took place two thousand years ago, but people still blaspheme and mock Jesus to come down from the cross. They do not believe He is the Son of God and blame God for the misery of the world. When the people mocked Jesus, they failed to understand Jesus was the answer to their eternal destiny. He was dying for them. Jesus begged the Father to forgive those who mocked Him and derided Him. His words fell on deaf ears of those who mocked Him. Jesus will not come down from Heaven to show some special sign to get people to believe in Him. The revelation of God contained in the Bible is all man will have to save themselves. If they do not believe the words of Jesus, neither will they be persuaded though one rise from the dead (or come down from Heaven).

Be renewed in the spirit of your mind, and that you put on the new man which was created according to God, in true righteousness and holiness. (Ephesians 4:23-24)

Put On The New Man

Learning about Christ will change the heart of a man who is seeking the grace of God. There are many things that will be removed from the old man of sin to renew the spirit into the image of Jesus Christ. The transition from the old man to the new is where the character of the world is left behind as the soul embraces the new character of a Christian. There is a needful change, and there will be a responsive change. Learning from the word of God helps to identify the things that need to be removed, such as lying, cursing, stealing, sexual immorality, and all those things that corrupt the mind in ungodliness.

The new man must be put on in the renewal of the spirit of the mind. A transformation takes place when the babe in Christ feeds on the milk of the word, maturing over time to take on the solid food of the Spirit to grow thereby. The new man is renewed from a spirit of righteousness that speaks the truth in love instead of lying. There is no longer a desire to steal but to work diligently with the hands to care for family and others. Speech patterns change from corrupt words to things necessary for edification.

A Christian is a role model of kindness, tenderness, and forgiveness. They walk in love toward others. Jesus is the light of the world, and the new man of Christ walks in the light with goodness, righteousness, and truth. Wisdom is on the lips of the new man of Christ as they are filled with the Spirit of God. There is a clear difference between the life of the Christian and those of the world. The new man is molded into the image of God and His Son according to the words of the Holy Spirit. Time is spent meditating on the word of God to learn how to form the new man. Prayer is the means of transforming the heart to be a new man in Christ. Fellowship in the body of Christ encourages the new man to grow in the grace and knowledge of Jesus Christ.

God wants His children to grow to maturity. By the grace of God, the saved have been transformed from the old man of sin to the new man of God’s love. Everyone must strive to be a new person in Christ to enjoy the blessings of God’s love. The fruits of the Holy Spirit change the heart with love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. Living in the Spirit is the new man. Learning in the Spirit is the new man. This is how the old man is done away with, and the new man is entrenched in the hearts of God’s people.

Changing the old man to the new man takes time and effort. God created the new man to conform to the lives of His children. Each day should be an awakening to a new part of the new man created in Christ Jesus. Through a study of the word and devotion to prayer, the heart will change, becoming more like Jesus. The goal should always be to become more of the new man each day rather than remaining in the spirit of the old man. There is no hope and glory in the old man. Put off the old deeds of the flesh and put on the new man of the armor of God.

But you have not so learned Christ, if indeed you have heard Him and have been taught by Him, as the truth is in Jesus: that you put off, concerning your former conduct, the old man which grows corrupt according to the deceitful lusts. (Ephesians 4:20-22)

Get Rid Of The Old Man

There are two kinds of people in the life of the Christian. The “old man” is the life past, and the “new man” is the life present. One of the key elements of a child of God is the translation from a life outside of Christ to a life in Christ. Through this translation, the individual’s heart, soul, and mind are changed dramatically. When asked what to do to be saved, the apostle Peter first told the Jerusalem crowd they needed to repent. The first word of the gospel has always been repentance or change of life. No one can come to God without emptying themselves of their previous life.

Using the image of old and new, Paul shows that life before one obeys the gospel is an old life that must be replaced with a new one. When the heart learns about the love of God and the sacrifice of Jesus Christ, a change occurs where the habits of a corrupt and wicked life are replaced with the habits of a good and righteous life. The change comes from knowing God’s word or learning about Jesus Christ. When the gospel is preached, one hears the message of truth learning the truths of God’s grace to forgive sins through the blood of His Son. All truth resides in Jesus Christ. Coming to the blood of Christ demands a change take place.

The old man must be removed from the life of the Christian. Paul describes the old man as one who lies, steals, curses and is filled with bitterness, rage, anger, harsh words, slander, and all types of evil behavior. These qualities are not to be found in the heart of the child of God and must be removed. The old man engages in fornication, uncleanness or covetousness, filthiness, and drunkenness. These things should not be named among those who profess a love for God. The old man walked according to the pattern of the world, fulfilling the lusts and desires of the flesh and mind. Christians cannot live with these things.

Paul calls the previous life of the Christian an old man because it needs to die. The need to put to death the deeds of the body is paramount to the character of those washed in the blood of Jesus Christ. In the waters of baptism, sins are washed away. The challenge of sin will always tempt men to disobey God, but the old man must be continually put away to purify the heart. If the old man is not put away, the Christian begins a spiritual death.

When a person is baptized into Christ, they have been united in the likeness of the death of Jesus. In the waters of baptism, the old man is crucified with Christ so that the body of sin might be done away with. The old man needs to remain dead. Too often, the old man is resurrected and the Christian lives in the image of the old man rather than being renewed in the spirit of the new man. Learning about Jesus is where the knowledge of removing the old man comes from. The daily work of the Christian is to remove the old man, not allowing his presence to be a part of the new life. Put to death the old man so the new man can live.