Spirit, Soul, Body: The Law, The Cross, The Covenant of Grace lesson 5

Lesson 5 covers the soul and body of the born again man! God provided such a marvelous plan to bring us to walk in victory over every bondage of sin. His grace is truly great enough!

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We left off in the last lesson with the born again man’s spirit being perfected by the work of Christ.  We will now deal with man’s born again soul; Put on the new man renew your mind (soul); Purged conscience; being transformed

Hebrews 9:14  how much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself without spot to God, cleanse your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?

Adam and Eve lost innocence when they partook of the fruit of the garden.  Jesus, by His own blood, cleanses our conscience from dead works.  If the blood of goats, bulls, and lambs could do work of cleansing of the flesh for those under the law, how much the more shall the work of Christ cleanse our soul.  Innocence returns by the  blood of the Lamb.  It begins with faith in Jesus and as we renew our mind we can walk in wholeness.

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

Our mind (soul) needs renewed, transformed by the word of God.  We put off the old man, we are made new in the spirit of our mind, then we put on the new man!  Note the new man was created in true righteousness and holiness!  God has put everything you need for the issue of life in you by His divine power. 

Romans 12:2  And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.

Transformation for the soul comes exclusively by renewing your mind in the word of God.  Some who have not renewed their mind have tried getting victory by getting in a prayer line.  You cannot skip the process of transformation by the renewing of your mind.  When you are renewed in your mind you are able to partake of the divine inheritance.  Conversely if your mind remains un-renewed you can’t partake in the divine inheritance. The good, the acceptable, and the perfect will of God can be seen in progressive stages.  The greater the renewal of the mind the closer we walk in the perfect will of God.

1 Peter 2:2  as newborn babes, desire the pure milk of the word, that you may grow thereby,  3  if indeed you have tasted that the Lord is gracious.

When we are born again we have a perfected work done in our spirit.  However, if we are ever going to get out of the sand box of salvation we need to partake of the pure milk of the word of God so we may grow by our mind being renewed.

John 16:8  "And when He has come, He will convict the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment:  9  "of sin, because they do not believe in Me;  10  "of righteousness, because I go to My Father and you see Me no more;  11  "of judgment, because the ruler of this world is judged.

Here is the bible defined  definition of the work of the Holy Spirit.  He the Holy Spirit convicts unbelievers of their sin, convicts believers of their righteousness, and convinces all that the ruler of this world has been judged already.  Victory is assured!

Man’s born again body: freed from the sin nature; put off the old man; Groaning for perfection; waiting for that final redemption

Romans 12:1  I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service. 

In view of God’s mercy you can present your body as a living sacrifice unto God.  Without God’s mercy in view it is impossible to present your body as the living sacrifice.  This is your reasonable service; one translation says your spiritual worship.

Romans 6:6  knowing this, that our old man was crucified with Him, that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves of sin.  7  For he who has died has been freed from sin.

We are now dealing with the born again man’s body.  When you were born again you died to sin.  If you did not die to sin you did not get born again.  He who has died to the sin nature, the old man, has been freed from sin.  We are no longer indebted to the sin nature; our old man was crucified with Christ.  We are not slaves of sin because Jesus makes us sons.  Connected to God Spirit to spirit.

Romans 13:14  But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to fulfill its lusts.

We have been called to put on the new man; this is a faith issue.  Live out of the newly created being God has made you.  Make no provision for the flesh, to fulfill its lust

Romans 8:10  And if Christ is in you, the body is dead because of sin, but the Spirit is life because of righteousness.  11  But if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who dwells in you.

If Christ is in you the body is dead because of sin!  The Spirit of God will give life to your mortal body.

1 Corinthians 6:19  Or do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own?  20  For you were bought at a price; therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God's.

When we are born again we have surrendered to the purchase God made of us.  He owns us lock, stock, and barrel!   With the precious blood of Jesus we have been redeemed; there glorify God in our body and in our spirit, which are God’s.

Romans 8:23  Not only that, but we also who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, eagerly waiting for the adoption, the redemption of our body.

While the Spirit of God ministers to our body, it is our body that is awaiting our final redemption.  There will come a day when this mortal body with put on immortality!

What About The Believer’s Sin?

Romans 6:10  For the death that He died, He died to sin once for all; but the life that He lives, He lives to God.  11  Likewise you also, reckon yourselves to be dead indeed to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus our Lord. 

Jesus died to sin once and for all and the life He lives, He lives unto God.  Verse 11 begins with the word likewise.  In the same way Jesus Christ died to sin once for all and now live unto God, you also reckon yourself dead indeed to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus our Lord.  This is a faith issue!  It is time for the believer to reckon themselves dead indeed to sin.  You died to sin when you came to Jesus Christ.  It is time to remember you are dead to sin!

PARTIAL TRUTH

1 John 1:9  If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.10  If we say that we have not sinned, we make Him a liar, and His word is not in us.

Confessing our sins is apart of the gospel message.  However the Beloved John was teaching  on the believer and dealing with sin; it did not stop at the end of chapter 1 verse 10.  If we do not go on to chapter 2 we are not walking in the fullness of truth how the believer deals with sin.

THE REST OF THE STORY; What about the believer’s sin.

1 John 2:1  My little children, these things I write to you, so that you may not sin. And if anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous.  2  And He Himself is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the whole world.  3  Now by this we know that we know Him, if we keep His commandments.  4  He who says, "I know Him," and does not keep His commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him.

John wrote the truths of 1 John chapter one that we may not sin.  However, if anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous.  Jesus, Himself, is the propitiation for our sins, and for the sin of the whole world.  If you sin go to your Advocate Jesus Christ.  Get off the sin repent cycle and live in His Advocacy!

Hebrews 12:5  And you have forgotten the exhortation which speaks to you as to sons: "My son, do not despise the chastening of the LORD , Nor be discouraged when you are rebuked by Him;  6  For whom the LOR D loves He chastens, And scourges every son whom He receives.“  7  If you endure chastening, God deals with you as with sons; for what son is there whom a father does not chasten? 

If you can walk in comfort in your sin you are not a child of God.  God deals, corrects, scourges every son whom He receives!  Grace is greater that all our sin.  However, how can we who died to sin live any longer therein?  While there has been a perfected work in our spirit God will correct us to bring our soul and body in line with His holiness.

Hebrews 12:8  But if you are without chastening, of which all have become partakers, then you are illegitimate and not sons.  9  Furthermore, we have had human fathers who corrected us, and we paid them respect. Shall we not much more readily be in subjection to the Father of spirits and live?

Spirit to spirit connection to God our Father.  We should submit to the correction of His word until we become a reflection of His truth.

Hebrews 12:10  For they indeed for a few days chastened us as seemed best to them, but He for our profit, that we may be partakers of His holiness.  11  Now no chastening seems to be joyful for the present, but painful; nevertheless, afterward it yields the peaceable fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it. 

God’s correction is with our benefit in mind.  The Father’s will is for us to live the abundant life.  His correction will yield the peaceable fruit of righteousness if we will allow our soul and body to be trained by it!

1 Thessalonians 4:3  For this is the will of God, your sanctification: that you should abstain from sexual immorality;  :4  that each of you should know how to possess his own vessel in sanctification and honor, 5  not in passion of lust, like the Gentiles who do not know God;  :6  that no one should take advantage of and defraud his brother in this matter, because the Lord is the avenger of all such, as we also forewarned you and testified. 7  For God did not call us to uncleanness, but in holiness.  8  Therefore he who rejects this does not reject man, but God, who has also given us His Holy Spirit.

God’s will is that His children might know how to possess their vessels in sanctification.  Rightly dividing between spirit, soul, and body brings understanding to walk in this truth.  This grace message came to set us free from sin!  God did not call us to uncleanness, but to holiness.  He who rejects this  truth rejects God! 

Spirit, Soul, Body: The Law, The Cross, The Covenant of Grace lesson 4

In lesson 4 we are dealing with the spirit of the born again man, next week we will deal with the soul and body of the born again man.

We have covered the spirit, soul, and body of the 1^st and second Adam.  Lesson 2 and 3 covered the spirit, soul, and body of the fallen man.  Now we begin to share the spirit soul and body of the born again man.  In this chart we see life in the spirit of man; joining back Spirit to spirit with God.  The soul is renewed and begins the life time process of being renewed.  The man dies to the sin nature and waits for the final redemption when the mortal body will put on immortality.  This lesson will deal with the born again man spirit.  Note 2 Corinthians 5:18-19, the Father was in Christ Jesus not imputing men their trespasses!  The Father’s heart is for the believer to be completely set free from sin; His provision has made it possible.  The gospel is the word of reconciliation; repentance and remission of sins in fully complete in Christ Jesus.

The born again man’s spirit is made an alive spirit; the mind of Christ is given to the born again man.  Spirit to spirit connected to God. Perfected once for all in the spirit of man.  The will of man yielded to the Lordship of Jesus Christ.  The Holy Spirit takes residence in the spirit of man.

John 4:23  "But the hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for the Father is seeking such to worship Him.  24  "God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth."

Man is connected back to God the Father Spirit to spirit.  The Father Himself is seeking for those who will be reunited Spirit to spirit.  Until the second Adam came and bore the punishment for sin, Spirit to spirit connection was not possible.

1 Corinthians 2:16  For "who has known the mind of the LOR D that he may instruct Him?" But we have the mind of Christ.

The word of God divides between the spirit, soul and body of man.  When we are born again we are given the mind of Christ.  However, that is a work done in our spirit.  Our soul needs to be renewed by submitting to the word of God.  There is the perfected work in our spirit, there is the process that begins in our soul, and then the final redemption of our body.

2 Corinthians 5:17  Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.

Here is the bible definition is the new man in our spirit.  If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.  We have become a newly created being perfected in our spirit with a soul that needs retrained and renewed.  The perfection is with the Spirit to spirit connection!  However, much like a newborn babe coming into the world there is a process that brings that baby from crawling, to walking, to running.  The work done in our spirit is saved to the uttermost; however it does not negate the fact the soul must go through the process of maturity.

Hebrews 10:12  But this Man, after He had offered one sacrifice for sins forever, sat down at the right hand of God,  13  from that time waiting till His enemies are made His footstool.  14  For by one offering He has perfected forever those who are being sanctified.

Jesus Christ made a once and for all time sacrifice for sins; it is a finished work.  For by one offering He has perfected forever those who are being sanctified.  The one offering perfected forever the believer.  Tradition come down and let the word of God be exalted.

Hebrews 12:23  to the general assembly and church of the firstborn who are registered in heaven, to God the Judge of all, to the spirits of just men made perfect,

We have been brought to Mt. Zion where we are registered in heaven.  We have been seated in heavenly places in Christ Jesus.  It not a seating we are waiting for it is a done work of Calvary ’s cross.  Those who have been justified by faith in Jesus Christ have been given a spirit which has been made perfect by God the Father.  He is the Father of spirits!

Hebrews 10:9  then He said, "Behold, I have come to do Your will, O God." He takes away the first that He may establish the second.  10  By that will we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.  11  And every priest stands ministering daily and offering repeatedly the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins. 

Can you see the character of God in this passage and His desire toward you?  By the will of the Father, Jesus sanctified us by the offering of His body.  Sanctified once for all by His precious sacrifice.  May the object of your faith ever be in Jesus Christ!

1 John 3:8  He who sins is of the devil, for the devil has sinned from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that He might destroy the works of the devil.  3:9  Whoever has been born of God does not sin, for His seed remains in him; and he cannot sin, because he has been born of God.

Only with rightly dividing scripture between the spirit, soul, and body of man can we understand these verses.  Jesus came and destroyed the work of satan!  He did not fail, it is completed!  Those who are born of the imperishable seed cannot sin.  This is a truth only in our spirit.  The same writer in the same letter earlier 1 John 2:1-3 said when the believer sinned he was to come to His advocate Jesus Christ.  John was speaking to dealing with sin in the soul in chapter two and in chapter three speaking of the perfection of the work done in the believer’s spirit.

Romans 7:1  Or do you not know, brethren (for I speak to those who know the law), that the law has dominion over a man as long as he lives?  2  For the woman who has a husband is bound by the law to her husband as long as he lives. But if the husband dies, she is released from the law of her husband.  3  So then if, while her husband lives, she marries another man, she will be called an adulteress; but if her husband dies, she is free from that law, so that she is no adulteress, though she has married another man.

The law has dominion over a man as long as he lives.  Remember our class illustration of the law, the unbeliever/ believer, and Jesus Christ.  Like a husband and wife relationship if the woman marries another man while her husband lives she is called an adulteress.  If her husband dies she is free to marry another. 

Romans 7:4  Therefore, my brethren, you also have become dead to the law through the body of Christ, that you may be married to another; to Him who was raised from the dead, that we should bear fruit to God.  5  For when we were in the flesh, the sinful passions which were aroused by the law were at work in our members to bear fruit to death.  6  But now we have been delivered from the law, having died to what we were held by, so that we should serve in the newness of the Spirit and not in the oldness of the letter.

The law has dominion over the man as long as he lives.  However, if the man dies to the law he is now free to be married to Jesus Christ.  We become dead to the law through the body of Jesus Christ.  Our union with Jesus bring empowerment to live for God in the newness of the spirit.  Note carefully here, sinful passions are aroused by the law!   Bringing the believer back to serving the law after conversion is the sure way to give sin strength in the believers life.  Much more on this in future lessons.

Ephesians 5:25  Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself for her,  26  that He might sanctify and cleanse her with the washing of water by the word,  27  that He might present her to Himself a glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing, but that she should be holy and without blemish.  28  So husbands ought to love their own wives as their own bodies; he who loves his wife loves himself.  29  For no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, just as the Lord does the church.  30  For we are members of His body, of His flesh and of His bones.  31  "For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh.“  32  This is a great mystery, but I speak concerning Christ and the church.

Married to Jesus!  The mystery of Christ and the church is the truth we need to come away with.  Jesus loved the church gave Himself for her.  He is doing the sanctifying.  He is doing the cleansing of her.  He is doing the washing of the water by the word.  He is presenting her to Himself a glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing.  He is presenting her as holy and without blemish.  Jesus nourishes and cherishes His bride the church!  We are flesh of His flesh and bone of His bone.  This is the mystery Paul was preaching!  Next lesson the soul and body of the born again man.

Spirit, Soul, Body: The Law, The Cross, The Covenant of Grace lesson 3

This week is part 2 of the spirit soul and body of the fallen man. Adam's fall brought us all into an awareness of sin. The second Adam has come to restore the God awareness.

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Fallen Man part 2:

Genesis 3:8  And they heard the sound of the LORD God walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and Adam and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the LORD God among the trees of the garden.

In our last lesson we left Adam and Eve hiding from the presence of the Lord when He came to fellowship with them in the cool of the evening.  They realized the fig leaf covering was not working and still felt the need to hid in their naked condition from the Lord.  Last week we discussed the conversation between the devil and Eve.  This lesson is about the conversation between Adam, Eve, and God immediately following the fall of man.

Genesis 3:9  Then the LORD God called to Adam and said to him, "Where are you?"

Adam and Eve were afraid for the first time in there life.  They did not know what God’s reaction was going to be.  God’s first words to the fallen man was “Where are you?”  God sought out Adam and Eve before the fall and now in spite of the fall God is still seeking them out.

Genesis 3:10  So he said, "I heard Your voice in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked; and I hid myself."

Adam confesses his condition to God.  I was afraid because I was naked; and I hid myself.

Genesis 3:11  And He said, "Who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten from the tree of which I commanded you that you should not eat?"

WHO TOLD YOU THAT?  God faced Adam and Eve with the sin: “Have you eaten from the tree of which I commanded you that you should not eat?”  Man often try to approach God with I am naked and afraid; God still being God wants to know who told you that!  I speak specifically to brother and sisters in Christ today; who told you that you’re naked?

Romans 8:32  He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things?  33  Who shall bring a charge against God's elect? It is God who justifies.  34  Who is he who condemns? It is Christ who died, and furthermore is also risen, who is even at the right hand of God, who also makes intercession for us.

Jumping ahead to the redeemed man for just a moment, Romans has some great news for the believer.  God the Father did not spare His own Son; Jesus was delivered up for us all.  Jesus paid the ultimate price for our sin beginning with Adam and Eve forward.  Yes, Jesus paid for the sin of the world upon Calvary ’s tree.  Now that the ultimate price has been paid and you are in covenant with Him, how much the more…  Who shall bring a charge against God’s elect?  It is God who justifies!  Who is he who condemns?  It is Christ who died, and furthermore is also risen, who is even at the right hand of God, who also makes intercession for us.  Jesus stands on our side as our advocate ever crying out to the Father on our behalf;  Who told you that you are separated from God?

Genesis 3:12  Then the man said, "The woman whom You gave to be with me, she gave me of the tree, and I ate."

Back to the conversation between Adam and God.  Remember God’s last question was have you eaten from the forbidden tree.  Adam in a veiled way blames God.  The woman whom You gave to be with me, she gave me of the tree, and I ate.  Adam blames God and the woman.

Genesis 3:13  And the LORD God said to the woman, "What is this you have done?" The woman said, "The serpent deceived me, and I ate."

God now speaks with Eve.  Eve gave the classic answer the devil made me do it!

Genesis 3:14  So the LOR D God said to the serpent: "Because you have done this, You are cursed more than all cattle, And more than every beast of the field; On your belly you shall go, And you shall eat dust All the days of your life.  15  And I will put enmity Between you and the woman, And between your seed and her Seed; He shall bruise your head, And you shall bruise His heel."

God speaks to the snake first and in His speaking to the snake bring the prophetic plan of redemption.  The snake is cursed, enmity between the snake and the woman is proclaimed.  Satan would bruise the heel of the woman seed; the woman’s seed would bruise the head of the devil.  This is the first picture of redemption after Adam’s and Eve’s fall.  God had redemption’s plan firmly in place before the fall of Adam an d Eve.  Jesus is called the Lamb of God slain before the foundation of the world.

Genesis 3:16  To the woman He said: "I will greatly multiply your sorrow and your conception; In pain you shall bring forth children; Your desire shall be for your husband, And he shall rule over you."  17  Then to Adam He said, "Because you have heeded the voice of your wife, and have eaten from the tree of which I commanded you, saying, 'You shall not eat of it': "Cursed is the ground for your sake; In toil you shall eat of it All the days of your life. 

The snake was cursed, the woman was cursed, and the man was cursed because of mankind’s fall into sin.  The second Adam was needed to break the curse for mankind.

Genesis 3:18  Both thorns and thistles it shall bring forth for you, And you shall eat the herb of the field.  19  In the sweat of your face you shall eat bread Till you return to the ground, For out of it you were taken; For dust you are, And to dust you shall return."  20  And Adam called his wife's name Eve, because she was the mother of all living.

Adam and Eve were separated from God Spirit from spirit.  The day they ate the fruit they died.  Now from dust they came and to dust they shall return.  God still fellowshipped with them however it was never again Spirit to spirit with perfect communion. 

Genesis 3:21  Also for Adam and his wife the LORD God made tunics of skin, and clothed them.  22  Then the LORD God said, "Behold, the man has become like one of Us, to know good and evil. And now, lest he put out his hand and take also of the tree of life, and eat, and live forever";  23  therefore the LORD God sent him out of the garden of Eden to till the ground from which he was taken.

Adam and Eve’s covering would not do.  God made tunics of skin, and clothed them.  The first animal sacrifice was made here on behalf of Adam and Eve made by God Himself.  Adam and Eve knew the knowledge of good and evil by partaking of the fruit.  The tree of Life remained in the garden.  God could not let Adam and Eve partake of the “Tree of Life” in the fallen state.  God sent Adam and Eve out for their own protection until redemption’s plan could be worked.  Jesus came to restore the life taken by their disobedience.

 Man’s Dominion yielded to the devil

1 John 5:19  We know that we are of God, and the whole world lies under the sway of the wicked one.

The scriptures clearly teach that the whole world lies under the sway of the wicked one! 

1 John 3:8  He who sins is of the devil, for the devil has sinned from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that He might destroy the works of the devil.  9  Whoever has been born of God does not sin, for His seed remains in him; and he cannot sin, because he has been born of God.

He who sins is of the devil; for this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that He might destroy the works of the devil.  Whoever has been born of God does not sin, for His seed remains in him, and he cannot sin, because he has been born of God.  This verse speaks to the spirit of man being connected to the Spirit of God.  Joined back Spirit to spirit.  This is only true of man’s spirit.  Earlier in this very book the beloved John wrote to the believer if they sin to turn to the Advocate Jesus Christ who died for the sin of the world.  There is no contradiction here when you rightly divided between spirit, soul, and body of man.  Much more to come on this truth…

John 1:29  The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him, and said, "Behold! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!

BEHOLD !  It is time for us to consider The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world.  Jesus has brought perfect salvation as second Adam He bore all the sin of the world.

Hebrews 9:24  For Christ has not entered the holy places made with hands, which are copies of the true, but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God for us;  25  not that He should offer Himself often, as the high priest enters the Most Holy Place every year with blood of another;  26  He then would have had to suffer often since the foundation of the world; but now, once at the end of the ages, He has appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of Himself

The truth of this passage is so sweet!  Jesus Himself entered into the presence of God on our behalf!  He entered heaven itself to put away sin by the sacrifice of Himself!