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Intimacy with God  /  Chapter 20: Cleansing the Soul  /  Discussion Questions
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Question 10
The chapter asks what it means to “abandon the alien possessions that are in your soul” and says “sell them,” not by merely converting assets into cash, but by disposing of them “in accordance with the commandment of God” so as to gain “spiritual wealth.” What specific kinds of selling or disposing would count as real obedience here (and what would be a fake version), and what would you have to change this month for that to be true?
Another way to ask: What would “selling” the possessions in your soul look like in real actions, not just turning things into cash? What would be a fake version of that, and what would you need to change this month to obey for real?

Direct Answer Real obedience, according to the transcript, is disposing of possessions in a way that follows God’s command and transfers your “riches” into spiritual treasure—especially by giving to the materially poor and using resources to serve others—rather than merely changing the form of wealth. A fake version is selling items but keeping the same attachment by simply turning belongings into cash and still “carrying” riches in the soul.

Support from Transcript:

  • Command: “Abandon the alien possessions that are in your soul.”
  • “How do you abandon those possessions? By selling them.”
  • Fake version named: “Should you exchange your personal effects for money, simply changing your riches from one form into another? Not at all.”
  • True disposal: “dispose of it in accordance with the commandment of God.”
  • Exchange principle: “bring into your soul the kind of riches that…minister everlasting life.”
  • Practical direction: “Let those who are poor in a carnal sense have your possessions…you…will now have treasure in the heavens.”
Discussion Follow-ups What would it look like for you to “exchange” rather than just liquidate—what would change in your giving and in your goals? Which possessions (or spending patterns) most clearly function as “alien possessions” in your soul right now?

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