Man: Body, Soul and Spirit. Part Two.

 

Man: Body, Soul and Spirit. Part Two.

 

1.    The Natural and the Spiritual Man.

 

There is the natural man/woman, and there is a spiritual man/woman.

The natural man is incomplete with a dead spirit. But when he/she is “born again” and receives the Spirit of God his/her spiritual life is awakening.

But does the Holy Spirit have all of him/her? For he/she still has a fleshly nature, and it battles with the spiritual nature.

So, our TWO natures are quite different from one another, and are in a war. TWO natures beat within ONE life. 

One is cursed.

And one is blessed. 

One I love.

And one I hate. 

Paul says it this way: “For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh) nothing good dwells; for to will is present with me, but how to perform what is good I do not find” Romans 7:18. Simply we want to do good, but evil drags us down.

Within these TWO natures, the one I feed will dominate my life! Our flesh overshadows our soul, as the spirit overshadows our soul, so within us it is a battle ground.

Sometimes a new Christian experiences great joy and blessing in God, but soon realizes the fleshly feelings are not dead, and is led to believe that he/she was never converted, and becomes disheartened and discouraged, soon they will drift away from Christ and finally give way to the old ways.

Listen, our hope is in Christ Jesus! Jesus said to Nicodemus “You must be born again” John 3:5. Then Jesus gave the reason why we need to be born again. “That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit” John 3:6.

If we do not die to the flesh, we will die to God! It is that simple.

 

A.   The Natural Man/Woman.

 

Hear what the bible says about the Natural Man or Women:

“But the natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; nor can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned” 1 Corinthians 2:14.

“For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh) nothing good dwells; for to will is present with me, but how to perform what is good I do not find” Romans 7:18.

“Because the carnal mind is enmity against God; for it is not subject to the law of God, nor indeed can be. So then, those who are in the flesh cannot please God” Romans 8:7-8.

“The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked” Jeremiah 17:9.

But we have this hope in Christ through the “new birth” “And you He made alive, who were dead in trespasses and sins” Ephesians 2:1.

B.   The Spiritual Man/Woman.

 

The “New Birth” imparts a “New Nature.” This nature is “Spiritual.” “That which is born of the Spirit (Holy Spirit) is Spirit” John 3:6. This new spiritual nature cannot sin, but the natural nature of our old life, unless it dies, will drag us down into our old life of sin. “Whoever has been born of God does not sin, for His seed (Christ’s Life) remains in him; and he cannot sin, because he has been born of God” 1 John 3:9.

When the “New Man” is born in the heart of the believer the “Old Man” does not die. He is still there and very much alive.

For now, there are TWO natures living in the same dwelling, completely opposed, and fighting for the possession of the same body. Paul says it like this: “For the flesh (the old man) lusts against the Spirit, and the Spirit (the new man) against the flesh; and these are conflicting to one another, so that you do not do the things that you wish” Galatians 5:17.

It may not be until we have been “Born Again” that we awake to a knowledge of the depravity of our own heart and realize the power of sin had over us. No wonder we must die to the flesh.

I see the old life and the new life this way. Our old life is like a rose plant, which grows with all its thorns, but our new life is like the rose that grows among the thorns. Even within this moral flesh, God can dwell. But I must be born again.

 

C.   Winning the battle over the old nature.

 

Well, I have just written this best-selling book titled “10 simple steps to perfection in Christ Jesus.” Rubbish, it is like reading a diet book. Unless we act on the words written within its pages, nothing will change. I have not written a book, why? Because God has already written it, He has given us “His Word,” the Bible.

The simple way to overcome the flesh is to read the Word of God and act on its truth. The simple plan is to stave the desires of the flesh “But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to fulfil its lusts” Romans 13:14. And to feed on the milk of the Word. “As new-born babes, desire the pure milk of the word that you may grow thereby” 1 Peter 2:2.

         

A.   The “Natural Man” brings forth the fruit of the flesh: “Idolatry (hero worship), witchcraft, hatred, arguments, jealousies, outbursts of wrath, selfish ambitions, rebellions, heresies, envy, murders, drunkenness, wild partying, and the like; of which I tell you beforehand, just as I also told you in time past, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God” Galatians 5:20-21.

 

B.   The “Spiritual Man” brings forth the fruit of the Spirit: “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law” Galatians 5:22-23.

If we walk in the Spirit, we will show forth the fruit of the spirit.

 

Conclusion:

 

          “That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.”

 

          God has given us His Holy Spirit to awaken our spirit within.

 

Man: Body, Soul and Spirit. Part One.

 

Man: Body, Soul and Spirit. Part One.

 

Bible Reading: 1 Thessalonians 5:23.        

“Now may the God of peace Himself sanctify you completely; and may your whole spirit, soul, and body be preserved blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ” 1 Thessalonians 5:23.

 

According to the Bible, man (mankind) is made in the image of God. As God is tripartite, of Father, Son and Holy Spirit. So, man is a three-fold being of body, soul and spirit. 

Today I want to look at the threefold nature of man. I want to speak about these three areas of our lives and the battle within, between the flesh and the spirit:

a.     Man is made up of physical material. The body that can be seen and touched. It has been said that the body is the outer court of reaching the presence of God in a man/woman.

b.    But man is also made up of two non-material parts. It could be said that the soul is the inner court of a man/woman, where the eternal meets with the eternal God.

c.     And the spirit of man. Is the Holy of Holies. That leads to glory! Where the heart of man is awakening to the spiritual things of God.

The body is the physical container/shell that holds all three together on this earth.

 

1.    Man is a three-fold being.

         

1.    Body: The body is vital to being human, made up of organs, blood, muscles, flesh, and bones.

Having five senses of sight, smell, hearing, taste, and touch. These five human senses are likes gates into our inner soul and spirit.

a.     The eye gate what we see and look upon, be it good or evil.

b.    The nose gate.

c.     The ear gate all that we hear, be it good or evil.

d.    The mouth gate, what comes out of our mouths is often what has come into our hearts.

e.     And finally, the feel gate. What we touch is often what we have looked upon.

All that we see, smell, hear, taste and feel will affect our lives. Many things will lead us into sin, but if we follow God, it will lead unto holiness.

          Because of sin all men will die, the body is but the shell of man, after this life, this body dies; and the body goes to the grave.

 

2.    Soul: The soul is the eternal or the immortal part of a human being, an incorruptible core.

They say having five senses of imagination, conscience, memory, reason, and affections.

God breathed into man and woman the breath of life; bones and flesh became empowered with spirit. Creation tells us that God made us from the dust of the ground, and God breathed life into our very bones: “God breathed in the nostrils the breath of life, and the human became a living soul” Genesis 2:7.

The passage does not say that the human body was supplied with a soul as some other attachment to the body, but that by the breath of God, the man became a living body-soul, a living soul. The soul of man is eternal.

Within the soul of man, every man, woman and child have a choice and a will, to awaking our souls to God, or to follow the flesh.

The rich farmer that Jesus spoke about said “And I will say to my soul, “Soul, you have many goods laid up for many years; take your ease; eat, drink, and be merry” Luke 12:19. The very part of a man that could reach UP to God, was brought DOWN to the level of the flesh, of being merry. Like the old saying: “Living for wine, women and song, for tomorrow we die.”

And death indeed came to this farmer in the very next verse, “But God said to him, 'Fool! This night your soul will be required of you; then who’s will those things be which you have provided?” Luke 12:20.

God said call no man a “fool.” But here it is a plea of repentance, “Oh! Foolish man.” You are not only losing this world goods tonight, but you will be lost for all eternity!

Within our soul comes our thoughts, ideas, drive, ambitions, and desires in life. Where our feelings, and passions give us our personality and character.

The question is sometimes asked “What happens to our soul at death? For the soul is eternal? The simple answer, it returns to God, awaiting the resurrection of the body. We have a soulish body, for it can see, hear and feel. Have you notice in the passage about the “Richman and Lazarus”? See Luke 16:19-31. Both bodies are in the grave at death. BUT the rich man could see, feel, thirst, talk, remember etc.

 

3.    Spirit: The spiritual side of man, is dead before conversion (in many it never awakes to the presence of God).

They say having five senses of faith, hope, reverence, prayer, and worship. These spiritual gates lead to worship, and hope, that leads to every lasting life.

Man is made up of the temporal and earthly (the body) and eternal (the soul and spirit). The earthly and spiritual united.

Man’s spiritual nature is dead, until it is regenerated by the Holy Spirit that is why Jesus said, “you MUST be born again.” Change comes only about by a “new birth.”

 

“Jesus answered and said to him, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.” Nicodemus said to Him, “How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter a second time into his mother's womb and be born?” Jesus answered, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. Do not marvel that I said to you, 'You must be born again” John 3:3-7.

a.     Water = natural birth.

b.    Spirit = supernatural birth.

 

End of part one, part two will follow.

 

 

Psalm 8. What is Man?

 

Walking through the Book of Psalms.

 

I would like to invite you on a walk through the Book of Psalms. A study of any portion of God’s Word is profitable, for, it is breathed upon by the Holy Spirit, and it is designed to communicate the love, and instructions of God to mankind.

 

Psalm 8. What is Man?

 

^“What is man that You are mindful of him, and the son of man that You visit him?” Psalm 8:4.

 

I want to answer some old questions that every man and woman have asked at times:

“Who am I?” “

“Why am I here?”

“What is the meaning of my life anyway?”

 

Rick Warren, author of “The Purpose Driven Life,” begins the first chapter of his book with these words: “It is not about you.”

The purpose of your life is far greater than your own personal fulfilment, your peace of mind, or even your wildest dreams and ambitions. Focusing on ourselves will never reveal our life’s purpose. The Bible says, “It is God who directs the life of His creatures; everyone’s life is in His power” Job 12:10.

          Constantly people ask these questions:

What am I?

Where did I come from?

What am I doing here?

But often there are many conflicting answers given to the question “what is man?”

Some would say that man is but an animal, nothing more than the result of evolution, no wonder men act like animals in morals, values, and selfishness. Men will have lots to account for in the teachings of evolution given to so many.

Others say men are no more than a group of atoms, cells, and water. When men go on to try to build their own men, in test tubes. Life to them is worthless, only for tests and experiments.

Politically, some see men, nothing more than servants of the state, without human rights or value, businesses often see men only as the customer, the dope.

But the Christian concept of man, is that they are special! A study of history reveals that as people respond to the biblical concept of man, that civilization is uplifted. To utterly understand the nature of man, some questions must be asked.

There are many beautiful and insightful Psalms, and today we are going to turn our attention to the words of a Psalm written by David a long, long time ago. It is the 8th Psalm, and as I read it, I can just picture young David sitting on a hillside outside of Bethlehem, gazing up at the moon and stars, his heart filled with the wonder of it all. Then taking out his harp, David begins to sing, and here are some of the words of his song:

¹ O LORD, our Lord, how excellent is Your name in all the earth, who have set Your glory above the heavens!
² Out of the mouth of babes and nursing infants You have ordained strength, because of Your enemies, that You may silence the enemy and the avenger.
³ When I consider Your heavens, the work of Your fingers, the moon and the stars, which You have ordained,
⁴ What is man that You are mindful of him, and the son of man that You visit him?
⁵ For You have made him a little lower than the angels, and You have crowned him with glory and honour.
⁶ You have made him to have dominion over the works of Your hands; You have put all things under his feet,
⁷ All sheep and oxen-- even the beasts of the field,
⁸ The birds of the air, and the fish of the sea that pass through the paths of the seas.
⁹ O LORD, our Lord, how excellent is Your name in all the earth!”

As David looked up at the vastness of God’s universe, he felt his own smallness. So, he asks God, “What is man that you are mindful of him… that You care about him?” So, before it is eternally too late, it is important to find an answer to David’s question, “What is mankind that God is so concerned about us?” What are we, and where are we going?

The only place we can find an accurate answer is in the Word of God. And the first answer that it gives to the question, “What am I?” is this, “You are a special person created in the image of God.”

 

1. Man in Creation, Man created in the image of God.

 

In Genesis 1, God reaches down and takes the dust of the ground. He forms it into a human body and breathes into its nostrils the breath of life. Adam then begins to breathe and becomes a living human being, a living soul!

Soon, God realizes that it is not good for man to be alone, even though surrounded by the beauty of paradise. So, God puts Adam to sleep and takes a rib and forms woman. God causes her to live and breathe and become a part of Adam’s life.

We have no way of knowing how long, Adam and Eve live in God’s created paradise, walking and talking with Him in the cool of the evening, enjoying the purpose for which they were created, to have fellowship with the Lord God Almighty.

And we are also told that they were created in His image. Not that they look like Him, but that they would think like Him. They can make decisions like He makes decisions, and they are responsible for their decisions. They can love in the same way that God loves. They can hate the things that God hates. They are mirrors of God Himself because God created them in His own image. He created them to be the objects of His love.

 

A. Man/Mankind was the crown and climax of God’s creative activities we see this in Genesis 1:27-28. After everything else had been created and the world was perfectly prepared for the advert on man, he was created by God.

The dignity of man is seen in creation. Man is the apex (highest point) of God’s creation. To say so is not an ego trip but is the truth. Both science and the Bible agree that mankind represents the highest form of life. The Bible teaches that we should not think too highly of ourselves, but it makes equal clear that we should not demean ourselves either.

B. Man was created in the image and likeness of God. This is a reference to man’s spiritual nature rather than the physical likeness of God. Man was made possessing an intelligent, emotions, and a will. He has the power to choose. He has the unique capacity for worship and fellowship with God. He is a worshipping creature. He was commissioned to have dominion over all of God’s creation.

“Made in the image of God.” To say this means we have been created with freedom of moral choice. This is a high compliment. God trusts us, He will not force us to do what is right. We are free to make the wrong choices as well as the correct ones.

The fact that there will be made in God’s image means that mankind is responsible. We cannot blame the stars, the system or the devil follow for our actions. The buck stops with us. We have been given stewardship of life and creation. We must answer to God because we are accountable to Him.

 

C. Man was made for God. Only man has the capacity for worship. Of all the creatures, man is the only one who can offer prayers and bows down to worship. He alone can give himself or herself freely to serve God.

Man was made for relationship with God, and others of his own kind. God does not intend that we should live in isolation from God or from one another. Men are not loners but created for fellowship.

 

D. Man was made innocent and free. He was not created a robot that must obey all orders. He was made and unstained by sin and was given freedom to believe and surrender in service or to disbelieve and rebel against God.

 

2. What is man/mankind today?

 

Man lost much in the fall when he sinned, but in Christ Jesus, all that he lost can be regained an even more in Christ Jesus.

 

A.   Man is now a being limited by time and space.

 

B.   Man is now a Sinner:

One. Man has missed the mark of God’s calling.

Two. Man has fallen short of God’s glory.

Three. Man’s pride finds expression in rebellion and unbelief.

Four. Man has become self-centred and self-destructive.

 

C.   Man is a moral fool:

One. He is no longer sensitive to spiritual values.

Two. He has a distorted vision of spiritual realities.

Three. He can be fooled by the devil. His intelligence has been corrupted, his emotions have been warped, and his will has been twisted.

 

D. man is in a hopeless condition: Ephesians 2:12.

One. He is under the sentence of spiritual death: Roman 6:23.

Two. He is under the wrath of God: John 3:36.

 

D.   But man is the primary object of God’s redemptive purposes.

One. God loves us: John 3:16.

Two. Man, in God’s sight, was worth dying for.

Three. God loved enough to redeem man from sin by sending His only begotten Son to die upon the cross of Calvary.

 

Conclusion:

 

What can Man/Mankind become?

One. Man can become a son of God: John 1:12; Galatians 3:26.

Two. Man can become a servant of God: Ephesians 2:10.

Three: Man can become a steward of God.

If you would like to find life in its richest quality and if you would like to live life on its highest level. Then do not forget who you are and whose you are. You belong to God, you are made in His image, He has a priority claim on you, even if you have not yet acknowledged His lordship in your life.

What is man? He is the creation of God!

 

 

Psalm 1. God’s good man or woman.

 

Walking through the Book of Psalms.

 

For those that are still home, I would like to invite you on a walk through the Book of Psalms. A study of any portion of God’s Word is profitable, for, it is breathed upon by the Holy Spirit, and it is designed to communicate the love, and instructions of God to mankind.

 

Psalm 1. God’s good man or woman.

 

Psalm 1:3 says ^“He shall be like a tree Planted by the rivers of water, that brings forth its fruit in its season, whose leaf also shall not wither; and whatever he (she) does shall prosper.”

 

The Bible almost begins and ends with trees. Someone has suggested that the heart of the Gospel may be found in the TREE.

One. Adam is found hiding behind a tree in the Garden of Eden, Because of sin.

Two. Jesus is found upon a tree. The cost of Salvation from sin.

Three. The redeemed are found living under the tree. Eternity with God.

This psalm tells about the character, the influence, the conduct, and the destiny of the good and the bad life.

 

1.    Characteristics of the good man or woman, verses one to two.

¹ Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor stands in the path of sinners, nor sits in the seat of the scornful;
² But his delight is in the law of the LORD, and in His law he meditates day and night.”

 

A.   God’s man or woman does not get his/her advice from evil men, he/she walks not in the council of the ungodly. The guiding influences of his/her life are not from the enemies of God. He/she does not adjust his/her conduct to their patterns.

B.   God’s man or woman does not hang out with the wrong crowd. He/she does not be idle with the unrighteous. He/she is not too good to associate with sinners, but he/she does not so adopt their habits that he/she feels entirely at home with them.

C.   God’s man or woman does not become a scoffer in spiritual things. He/she holds God’s way and God’s Word in high extreme. “Nor stands in the path of sinners, not sits in the seat of the scornful.”

This is the negative part in verse one. But what is the positive part also found in verse 2.

A. God’s man or woman enjoys doing what God wants done. The delight he or she has is not mere one of adoration; but is one of participation. “Not just hearers of the Word, his/her delight is the law of the Lord.”

B.  God’s man or woman follows a daily devotional programme of self-improvement. “He meditates both day and night.” The real follower of God studies, prays, works, and seeks to improve himself in the Lord.

 

2. The comparison of the Good man/woman, verse 3.

³ He shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that brings forth its fruit in its season, whose leaf also shall not wither; and whatever he/she does shall prosper.”

A Christian should be like a tree.

A.   Both are planted.

It is not by accident the tree is by the water. For it is planted in a certain place for a certain purpose. The good are not here by accident. There is purpose in your location and in your life.

 

 

B. Both are provided.

The tree is planted by the River; otherwise it would die for lack of sustaining moisture. The Good man/woman is not planted in the desert to die, but by the river to supply his/her need.

 

C.Both are productive.

The tree brings forth fruit, and the good man/woman brings forth good fruit. Jesus came upon a certain fruit tree and found, “Nothing but leaves.” Matthew 7 says “You shall know them by their fruit.” And verse 20 says “Therefore by their fruits you shall know them.”

 

D. Both are permanent.

The tree is an evergreen, “Whose leaves shall not wither.” The Good man/woman does not come and go, but by the Holy Spirit, God provides a spring of life that flows continually.

 

E.   Both are prosperous.

This does not mean they have no lean years. But it does mean that a good tree and a good man/woman are planted to succeed, as God provides for them.

 

Conclusion:

 

God’s good men/woman verse 6. God watches over the plans of the good man/woman, and God permits God to do it. And God watches over his/her path, and in his life, God is with His man or woman.