Originally posted by FreakyKBHFreaky, I don't agree completely that the unregenerated person does not have a human spirit. The unregenerated person does have a human spirit. But it is in a comatose condition. It is deadened. It is damaged and smothered by the overpowering soul.
Freedom in Christ refers to a few things. One who is born of the Spirit is now in possession of a human spirit, whereas previously, they were simply dichotomous--- just body and soul.
Every person born of the seed of man since Adam's fall has been born in such a manner: spiritually dead. However, as part of a package deal, we have also received what i ...[text shortened]... re.
That brings the greatest of the freedoms, the freedom to freely choose to love Him.
The human spirit is in every human being, born again or not. But in the unbeliever it is in a comatose state. You could not say perhaps that it is completely dead. But it is very deadened and damaged.
The conscience of man is in the human spirit. So as long as the conscience is functioning, even in the athiest, we know biblically that he has a human spirit.
The spirit needs to be born of the Holy Spirit. This is a of resurrection of the damaged, deadened, and comatose human spirit by receiving Jesus Christ within.
I'm getting more and more confused. Whenever I start a thread on the soul (or it comes up in other threads), everyone goes quiet and wont talk about it except lucifershammer who says it is your 'essence'.
Now you say we also have something else called a spirit.
So we have a body, a mind, a soul, a spirit. Which ones go to heaven? Which are really me? All I really care about are my mind and body so if my soul and spirit go to hell who cares, I don't seem to know what they are anyway.
Originally posted by twhiteheadWhat modern psychological models interest you if any?
So we have a body, a mind, a soul, a spirit. Which ones go to heaven? Which are really me? All I really care about are my mind and body so if my soul and spirit go to hell who cares, I don't seem to know what they are anyway.
Originally posted by twhiteheadFirst Thessalonians 5:23 is one verse which establishes that man is made up of three parts - spirit and soul and body.
I'm getting more and more confused. Whenever I start a thread on the soul (or it comes up in other threads), everyone goes quiet and wont talk about it except lucifershammer who says it is your 'essence'.
Now you say we also have something else called a spirit.
So we have a body, a mind, a soul, a spirit. Which ones go to heaven? Which are really me? Al ...[text shortened]... dy so if my soul and spirit go to hell who cares, I don't seem to know what they are anyway.
"And the God of peace Himself sanctify you wholly, and may your spirit and soul and body be preserved complete, without blame, at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ" (1 Thess 5:23)
This passage seperates the spirit and the soul and the body with a conjunction the same way Matthew separates Father and Son and Holy Spirit with a conjunction.
Man is of three parts - "spirit and soul and body"
The body is the organ that substantiates the physical world. The soul is the organ that substantiates the pschycological world. And the human spirit is the organ that substantiates the spiritual realm.
Hebrews 4:12 is a verse which establised that there can be a division between the human soul and the human spirit:
"For the word of God is living and operative and sharper than any two edged sword, and piercing even to the dividing of soul and spirit and of joints and marrow, and able to discern the thoughts and intents of the heart" (Heb. 4:12)
This passage shows that the human soul and the human spirit can be divided by the living and operating word of God. So soul and spirit are distinct parts of man.
As for the "going to heaven" fallacy. It is not biblical that man's eternal destiny is to dwell forever in heaven. That is not to say that there is no heaven. That is also not to say that a man cannot visit heaven temporarily. But the emphasis in Christianity about people going to heaven forever is not supported by Scripture. It is in fact a destraction and a perverted teaching.
God's salvation is exceedingly practical. It does not just include the soul. It includes the body, the soul, and the spirit. But it also includes the environment and even the entire univese.
So you should not think of departed souls floating in a bright heavenly afterlife. You should think that transformed and glorified human beings are saturated with the divine nature and life of God in a new heaven and new earth - a entire universe made new.
This is the saved man's eternal destiny.
Consider a couple of verses on freedom in Christ:
1.) "Then Jesus said to those Jews who believed Him, If you abide in My word, you are truly My disciples; And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free (John 8:31,32)
Man is in bondage because of the deception that is taking place in his mind. His soul is led by his mind. And his mind is deceived into following lies. Jesus teaches that the truth shall make us free. This is the fredom which comes from releasing man from deception to know the real reality of things. Jesus is Lord and salvation. You shall know the truth and the truth shall make you free.
2.) "For the law of the Spirit of life has freed me in Christ Jesus from the law of sin and of death" (Rom. 8:2)
There is something called "the law of the Spirit of life". This means that Jesus, the truth, the resurrected living Person, has a way to enter into our very being subjectively. He brings with Him the spontaneous outworking of His life as a principle, and as law. As His life grows within man reacts differently in a spontaneous way.
Just as every life has its law. The cat life has the cat law. The cat law is to catch mice. The peach tree has the peach tree law. The peach tree law is to bear peaches. You don't have to teach it or instruct it. Spontaneously peaches are produced by the law of the peach tree life.
The indwelling Christ brings into man "the law of the Spirit of life". And in the realm of Christ Jesus this law frees man from the law of sin and of death which in the previous chapter has Paul moaning in self condemnation. Though he wants to please God and do good according to the ten commandments, he sees another law of sin working in the member of his body. This is the law of sin and death.
The only thing more powerful than the Satanic law of sin and death is the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus. And its spontaneous working can free us from the law of sin and death.
The remainder of the chapter 8 of Romans deals much with learning to release the power of this spontaneous law of the Spirit of life by walking in the SPirit and setting the mind on the regenerated spirit. That is learning a different way to live. That is by setting the mind on the regenerated human spirit where Christ is. And the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus then flows out spontaneously to free us from the law of sin and death.
3.) "And the Lord is the Spirit; and where the Spirit of the Lord is there is freedom" (2 Cor. 3:18)
The Lord Jesus Christ is the Spirit. Christ is the Holy Spirit. Or the Holy Spirit is Jesus Christ in His pneumatic form. He is in a form in which He can enter into man's being and live in man. As this Spirit takes possession of more and more of man's being freedom is the result. Where the Spirit of the Lord is there is freedom.
Christ became the life giving Holy Spirit - "the last Adam became a life giving Spirit" (1 Cotr .15:45)
This does not mean that the Holy Spirit did not have an eternal pre-existence as God. It means that after the resurrection of Christ the Holy Spirit contained not only the divinity of God but the human man Jesus. The resurrection brought the man Jesus into the eternal Spirit. And He became a life giving Spirit. Whereever we allow Him to impart His life within us - there is freedom. Where the Spirit of the Lord is there is freedom.
