A New Bible Series
“Our
Position in Christ # 3”
“Death and
Crucifixion; Our Liberation”
Gal 5:19 Now the works of the flesh are plain: fornication, impurity, licentiousness,
22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace,
patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,
John 3:6That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.
Rom 8:5
For they that are after
the flesh do mind the things of the flesh; but they that are after the Spirit the things of the Spirit.
Gal
5:16 This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and
ye shall not fulfil the
lust of the flesh.
}
q
For many of
us who have been believers a good number of years it is real difficult to
imagine that we could carry out our lives in accordance to the flesh. The Lord has
already set us free from drugs, alcoholic consumption, swearing, pornography,
etc.
q
We neglect
however the other more gentler, seemingly honorable, and subtle part of the
“flesh” which is the work of our “soul,” when it has not submitted and yielded
itself totally to the voice of the Holy Spirit.
q
Many
Christians consider that the soul and the spirit are one in the same. This is a tremendously grave danger, as we
shall see. The Lord Jesus dwells in our spirit and not in our soul. Not knowing the difference between them
will hinder us from accurately distinguishing the voice of the Lord from that
of the flesh. It is crucial then, for
us to learn how to differentiate between our souls and our spirits.
q
In
the original Greek New Testament the distinction is radical.
q
Man’s
spirit, or God The Holy Spirit, is defined as a “pneuma.” Our word pneumatic originates from this, and has to do
with air or breath. The Meridian
Webster dictionary defines pneumatic as something that is “moved or worked by air
pressure”.
q Our spirit is the organ, which God has given us to embrace, discern, and manifest the pneumatic or windy movements of the Holy Spirit. Our souls were never equipped for this function!!
q The human spirit is the organ that gives residence, or is home to God’s Holy Spirit.
John
4:24 God is a Spirit(pneuma): and they that worship him must worship him
in spirit(pneuma) and in truth.
John 3:8
The wind(pneuma) bloweth where it
listeth, and thou hearest the sound thereof, but canst not tell whence it
cometh, and whither it goeth: so is every one that is born of the Spirit.(pneumatos).
q What is our soul then?
q The soul (pyche or psuche in the Greek) is the combination of faculties that consists of the
mind, intellect, will, and emotions. The soul performs rational and intellectual
functions. (The rational will
never capture the wind!) This is
why we are unable to discern God with our souls alone.
q God then, had to create an organ within us which is
not affected either by our emotions or intellect; mainly our human
spirits. Let us observe the distinction
between the soul and the spirit.
1
Thessalonians 5:23 And the very God of
peace sanctify you wholly; and I pray God your whole spirit(pneuma) and soul(psyche) and body(soma) be preserved blameless
unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Heb4:12
For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any
twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul (psyche) and spirit( pneumatos) , and of the joints
and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.
q The role of the human spirit is generally a passive
or inactive one. The soul on the
contrary is always active.
q Our spirit
works as a protective womb that houses the presence and the motions of the
Spirit of the Living God within us. It
is very much connected with our hearts, and our consciences. Through its
abilities, the human spirit discerns and reveals what the Lord Jesus does in
the Holy Spirit.
q
The
soul, as I said earlier, is the combination
of our mind, will, intellect, and emotions. Its
function contrary to the spirit is not to reveal, but to actively work and
choose. The soul is the mediator
between our bodies and our spirits. The
soul is constantly involved in a struggle to choose between the promptings of
the Holy Spirit and the promptings of our carnal flesh. The Spirit of the living God within us, must
become manifested enough within us, through the revelation of the Person of
Christ, to win the battle for the soul.
A soul that has been conquered by the Spirit of God will yield itself to
the Spirit’s voice and bring our physical bodies in line with it as well.
q The role of our spirit then is not to do, but to
give an eyewitness account. Our homes have no other function but to house
its dwellers. The building is really of
no importance. The activities that take
place within it are the ones of consequence.
q Our spirit is the “character witnesses who
observe, and give evidence to the reputation, conduct, and moral nature” of the
indwelling Christ to a dying world. (Meridian
Webster dictionary definition).
q
The
responsibility of the soul then is to submit itself continuously to the Holy
Spirit. When it does that, the soul
will take us in the ways of the Lord.
God must bring our will to a point where it has no more desire than to
submit itself to the wishes of the Holy Spirit.
q
Our
emotions must be healed and stilled before the Lord so that we can attend to
that “still small voice within”.
Immature believers, or believers that are still bound in the throes of
demonic oppression or past hurts, are unable to discern clearly the quiet voice
of the Lord within. Because the
emotions are still screaming out, they drown out the presence of the Lord. All
deliverance, inner healing, counseling, and therapy must be directed at setting
us free to hear and uncompromisingly obey the Holy Spirit. Healing is the means of becoming spiritual
or pneumatic Christians. Our mind and
intellect must be renewed by the word of God so that it can adequately
understand what the Holy Spirit wishes.
But Ye Are
Not In The Flesh
Romans 8:9 But ye are not in the flesh,
but in the Spirit,
if so be that the Spirit of
God dwell in you.
Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his.
q
Romans
eight and nine tells us that if we have been “born again” we are no longer in the flesh, but in the Spirit. Now let us look at what appears to be a scriptural
discrepancy but is not.
Romans
8:1 ¶ There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.
Romans
8:4in order that the just requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not according to the flesh
but according to the
Spirit.
q
If we quickly gloss over Romans eight and one
and eight and four, many of us, (I know
that I did), would be convinced that Paul here is talking about Christians and “lost
people”.
q
Let
us take one real good look at these scriptures. Romans eight and one is speaking to those “which are in Christ Jesus”!
That can only mean Christians, can’t it? To our bewildered shock Paul undoubtedly tells us, that those
which are in Christ Jesus can order their Christian lives either in conformity
to the flesh or to the Spirit! Wow!
q
In
Romans eight and four, Paul uses the term “in us who walk.” Paul, whose is a Christian,
is obviously including himself in the class of people whom he calls “in us”. Once again he
admonishes, that we Christians have the potential to conduct our lives in
accordance to the flesh, or in accordance the Spirit.
Romans
8:9 But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any
man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his.
q
In Romans
eight and nine Paul tells us that we cannot be in the flesh,
while in verses one and four he tells us that we can walk according to,
or after the flesh.
q
On
the surface this seems to be really confusing!
We are not in the flesh, but we can conduct our lives in the flesh?
q
The
answer to our apparent dilemma can be found in the teachings that we put out
last week (Our Position in Christ #1
and #2) (Please refer back to them if need be; they are also posted on the web
site.)
q
As
to our accomplished spiritual
position in
Christ, our “reality” is Romans eight and nine. As of
two thousand years ago, we are no longer in the flesh but in the Spirit. Our
“old man” consisting of the body of sins of the flesh, was crucified and died
off together with Christ. Because we were brought back to life, raised up, and
made to sit down with Christ, we are permanently in the Spirit.
Romans
8:1 ¶ There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.
Romans
8:4in order that the just requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not according to the flesh
but according to the
Spirit.
q
As
to our daily “circumstantial”, or
“experiential” walk
with the Lord, our reality is Romans 8:1 and Romans
8:4.
q
Remember
that last week I said to you that our daily “circumstantial” or
“experiential” walk with the Lord must come into line and become one with our ‘accomplished spiritual position” in Christ.
q
Herein,
lies the great responsibility of our “soul life” as it must choose. As the mediator between the promptings of
the voice of God in our spirits, and the works of the flesh in our bodies, our
soul must uncompromisingly yield itself to the Holy Spirit and pull our
physical bodies along with it to line up to the Spirit’s desires as well. We
will then be pliable vessels in the hands of the Lord. This is what Paul defines as “walking after or according to the Spirit.”
q
Many
wonderful Christians either through a life of compromised obedience, ignorance to the work of the cross of Christ,
or not knowing the difference between the spirit and the soul, conduct a good
part of their lives independently of the voice of the Holy Spirit.
q
In
many of our churches we have resorted to psychology, self-help programs,
“seeker sensitive” methods to attract the unsaved, and a slew of “positive confessions” (for obtaining instant miracles,
prosperity, and blessings,), which have not been prompted by the rhema word of God.
q
All
of these things appear good in themselves but they are nothing else than the
subtle works of the flesh operating through a “soul life’ which has not yielded
itself to the voice of the Holy Spirit.
Hence the most noble and well-meaning Christian can “walk after the flesh, though none of them are in the
flesh.”
The
Spiritual Versus The Natural Christian
The
Bible informs us that there are three types of people in this world.
q
The carnal man (Greek; Sarkikos; the man of the flesh, or the fleshly man)
q
The natural man (Greek: Psychikos;
the man of the
soul, or the psychological man)
q
The spiritual man (Greek: Pneumatikos; the man of the wind, or the spiritual man)
q
We
have just learned that through “our accomplished position in Christ” we are ‘spiritual people”. It is impossible
for us to be carnal Christians since our sinful “fleshly” nature
was crucified and has died off with Christ.
q
The
“unsaved person” however, is a slave to sin and the flesh, and can be no more,
and no less, than “carnal” in nature.
q
Where
does this leave the “natural” or “soulish” man? Who is this “natural man”? Please observe the scriptures below.
1Cor 2:9
But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have
entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them
that love him.
10
But
God hath revealed them(
taking the lid off)
unto us by his Spirit: for the Spirit searcheth(sounds out) all things, yea, the deep things of God.
11
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 2:14 But the natural man(psychikos) ( receiveth (he does not welcome with open arms) not the things of the
Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them,
because they are spiritually discerned.
(to investigate, examine and determine
something so as to render a decision)
15
But
he that is spiritual(pneumatikos) judgeth all things, yet
he himself is judged of no man.
q 16
For who hath known the mind of the Lord, that he may instruct him? But
we have the mind of Christ.
q
In
verse nine of First Corinthians chapter two; the apostle Paul begins his
discourse on the natural versus the spiritual person by addressing his audience as “which God hath prepared
for them that love him.
q
Secondly,
the “unsaved” man or woman cannot be a ‘man of the soul’ when he or she are
still carnal in nature.
q
The “natural man ” then, is the
class of Christian, which I described above.
He or she are believers who “walk
after” or in “accordance to the flesh”.
They are natural, psychological, or “soulish”
believers because they have opted to live their Christian lives independent of
the voice of the Holy Spirit. Instead
they conduct their Christian affairs in accordance to the voice of their
intellect, will, and emotions, and are self-sufficient of the desires of the
Holy Spirit. You can see the results of
what happens to the natural believer, by studying the scriptural
excerpt above.
q
We
must realize that whether we engage in the blatant works of the flesh, or the
subtle fleshly works of the natural
Christian we very
much still operate in the flesh.
q
Watchman
Nee said, and I paraphrase him, that humanity wastes trillions and trillions of
dollars to perfume and beautify our flesh.
The Lord Jesus, on the other hand, only had one verdict and sentence for
the flesh, even in our most noble of Christian efforts. He crucified it and killed it. His verdict
was that “nothing good dwells in our flesh.”
Romans
7:18 For I know that nothing good dwells within me,
that is, in my flesh.
I can will what is right, but I cannot do it.
God Bless You,
Jose Alvarez
The Complete Greek New Testament Library
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