Who is Man? Changchun International Fellowship Church 8th March 2009 Bro Josphert josphert@yahoo.com www.josphert.org

The stability of man The most stable geometric figure is the triangle. As human beings we always understand and experience things in three dimensions. Gen 1:26  And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth.

The creation of man. Genesis 2:7 And the LORD God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul. The Lord Jesus tells us that "it is the Spirit who gives life" (John 6:63). "The Spirit Himself witnesses with our spirit that we are children of God." Rom 8:16

The soul and spirit are distinct It is very important to distinguish between the spirit from the soul, because it forms a fundamental part in a believers spiritual growth. There is a soulish life (which produces a carnal believer) and a spiritual life (which produces a spiritual believer). To be carnally minded is death. Roms 8:6

The Total man 1Thessalonians 5:23 And the very God of peace sanctify you wholly; and I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Man 1. Intuition 2. Communion 3. Conscience Bone Blood Flesh Mind Will Emotions Heart

The inner Faculties The Spirit (inner man): The Soul: Intuition: To make us to know spiritual reality Communion: To fellowship Conscience: To monitor good and evil The Soul: Mind: To think, choose Will: To decide Emotions: To feel, affection, desire.

Feeding the Total man The spirit: feeds on the word of God. (Matthew 4:4) The soul: feeds on mental food: nature The body: feeds on physical food. The law of genesis states: a thing need to remain in contact with the material of creation other wise it might die.

Praying for the total man daily Spirit: strengthen the inner man, (Eph1,3). Bless the Lord oh my soul and all that is within me bless His holy name. Soul: Take up your cross daily and follow Him (Luke 9:23). Not my will but your be done. Body: present your bodies as a living sacrifice (Rom 12:1-2). To be under the spirit.

The creation of man The implication is that when God breathed the breath of life it produced two lives, 1. A spiritual life (the life of David) 2. A soulish life (the life of Saul) The Spirit of God hath made me, and the breath of the Almighty hath given me life. Job 33:4

The expression of a character God in His creation characterizes man by his soul. Later God in many occasions only calls man “soul” Angels characteristics lie in their spirits.

Two materials This spirit of any man is eternal, but it does not have the "eternal life" which only believers receive at regeneration. Man was created using two independent materials—spirit and body. Without the spirit, the body is dead. (guarantee) James 2:26 For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also.

Two materials spirit body soul Old man soul New man Holy Spirit normal carnal

The man’s trinity Spirit Soul Body Zoe life Psuche life Bios life God-consciousness Soul self-consciousness Body World consciousness Zoe life Psuche life Bios life The soul looks to the spirit for the supply which the latter has received from the Holy Spirit and communicates to the body The function of the soul is to maintain the spirit and the body in their proper order.

Before the fall The spirit was king. Luke 1:46-47 And Mary said, My soul doth magnify the Lord, 47 And my spirit hath rejoiced in God my Saviour.

Man is God’s Temple 1 Corinthians 3:16  Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you? We know that the temple is divided into three parts. The outer, Holy place and Holy of holies.

Conscience "Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me. " (Psa. 51:10). "When Jesus had said these things, He became troubled in His spirit and said, Verily, verily, I say unto you, that one of you shall betray me.” (John 13:21). "I had no rest in my spirit" (2 Cor. 2:13). 1 Timothy 4:1 Speaking lies in hypocrisy; having their conscience seared with a hot iron

Intuition  And immediately when Jesus perceived in his spirit that they so reasoned within themselves, he said unto them, Why reason ye these things in your hearts? (Mark 2:8).  For what man knoweth the things of a man, save the spirit of man which is in him? even so the things of God knoweth no man, but the Spirit of God. (1 Cor. 2:11).

communion "The true worshippers will worship the Father in spirit and truthfulness" (John 4:23). "We serve in newness of spirit" (Rom. 7:6). "I will pray with the spirit" (1 Cor. 14:15).

The non believer Of course the unregenerated person has functional conscience, intuition, and communion faculties of the spirit. But has not received eternal life and the Holy Spirit does not dwell there. He can only worship evil devils. Even witches can have a spiritual life which is not connected to God but to devils.

The mixture of the non believer The soul-spirit-devil (ssd) complex Heb 4:12 For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any two edged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.

Expression of life In the next life In the present life, the soul of man is the only expression but in the next life the spirit shall be the ultimate expression. Just like as in angels now. (1 Cor. 15:44-45). It is sown in dishonour; it is raised in glory: it is sown in weakness; it is raised in power: It is sown a natural body; it is raised a spiritual body. There is a natural body, and there is a spiritual body. 45 And so it is written, The first man Adam was made a living soul; the last Adam was made a quickening spirit.

Thy Word!, Thy Word!, Thy Word! 2 Timothy 2:15 Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth. Hebrew 6:1

The spirit of man The word "spirit" is referred to as “ruach” in Hebrew in the Old Testament The word spirit is referred to as “pneuma” in Greek in the New Testament. Ruach and pneuma are used in the Bible about 700 times. About 50% refer to Holy Spirit and evil. About a 100 times refer to wind. In many of the other occasions its refers to the human spirit.

The Flesh or body In Hebrew the word “basar” is translated "flesh" in the Old Testament While in the Greek word sarx in the New Testament is used for the word flesh. About 400 times the word is used in the Bible.

The Heart The word "heart" in the Old Testament is translated from the Hebrew word “leb”, while the Greek word “kardia” is translated heart in the New Testament. We find the word heart in the Bible about 700 times. We get the word “cardiology” from here.

The SOUL The word "soul" in Hebrew is the word “nephesh” in the Old Testament While soul is translated “psuche” in Greek in the New Testament. From where we get the word “psychology” Collectively the words are used about 800 times in the Bible.