REALITY OF OUR SPIRIT
Our spirit is the most intelligent, most knowledgeable, most wise, most powerful and the most living organ of our human being after our Redemption. This fact is due to the Presence of the Spirit of God in our spirit. And we know that His Spirit is the Spirit of wisdom, understanding, counsel, might, knowledge and the Spirit of the fear of the Lord. (Is. 11:2)
It is written that “eye has not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart (SOUL) of man the things which God has prepared for them that LOVE Him. But God has revealed them unto us (to our SPIRIT) by His Spirit; for the Spirit searches all things, yea, the deep things of God.” (1Cor. 2:9,10)
This Word of God tells us that our SPIRIT knows things which our SOUL (heart and mind) may have no idea about! The intelligence and thus importance and uniqueness of our spirit are further shown in the following Word of God:
“For what man knows the things of man, save the spirit of man which is in him? Even so, the things of God knows no man, but the Spirit of God.” (1Cor. 2:11)
In other words, our spirit knows all things about us, even the things we (in our soul) do not know about ourselves! Let us realize the importance and the role of our spirit in our Salvation. The next two verses (12,13) tell us that “we have received not the spirit of the world (into our spirit), but the Spirit which is of God; that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God. Which things we also speak, not in the words which man’s wisdom (soul-mind) teaches, but which the Holy Spirit (from our spirit) teaches; comparing spiritual things with spiritual.”
The “worthlessness” of our natural soul is due to the fact that even after our Redemption, our soul is still ruled or guided or influenced by the spirits of the world and by the powers of darkness and evil through their deceptions; it is not ruled by the Spirit of God. This fact is also confirmed in the next two verses of the Word of God which tell us:
“But the natural man (natural soul) receives not the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness unto him, neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned. But he that is spiritual (draws his knowledge, wisdom, intelligence, power and life from his spirit) judges all things, yet he himself is judged of no man.” (1Cor. 2:14,15)
Going into deeper things and facts about the spirit, let us add to the above the following light from the Word: “It is the Spirit that quickens (brings to life), the flesh (including blood where our old life is – Lev. 17:14) profits nothing; the WORDS that I speak unto you they are SPIRIT and they are LIFE.” (Jn. 6:63).
This corresponds with the Word of God which testifies about Itself saying: “For the Word of God is quickening (living, life bringing)…” (Heb. 4:12)
The true spiritual believers are promised by the Word of God to be like Our Lord even to speak like Him, to speak Spirit and Life. The Lord says:
“He that believes on Me AS THE SCRIPTURE HAS SAID, out of his belly (where our spiritual, innermost being is located) shall flow rivers of LIVING WATER.” (Jn. 7:38)
The very next verse (39) indicates that the Lord spoke of His Spirit, Who is dwelling in us. “Living water” represents HIS WORD WHICH WE LIVE (Eph. 5:26) and which does not just sit in our memory. And “rivers” represent the true abundance of His Living Word within us. What now needs our true attention is the fact that the Lord had given us a condition for this to be true in us. We have to believe on Him AS THE SCRIPTURE HAS SAID! In multitudes of believers this is NOT true; therefore, there are no rivers of living water in them. This will be further discussed in Chapter 3.
When we now consider the above referenced Words of God, we must note the following. Our natural life is in our blood, (Lev. 17:14) therefore, our natural, soulish life profits NOTHING! The spirits that occupy, rule or otherwise direct or influence our soul after our Redemption are not of God, they form the “FLESH” OF OUR SOUL. The “flesh”, its origin, its character and activity within us will be discussed later on.
Our words that come out of our natural soul are neither Spirit nor Life, they are (spiritual) death! This fact has a tremendous significance in all our Christian life on earth. It determines the level of our spiritual life and thus the kind of earthly life that we live. It also determines our destiny and our way to it. If this is not THE MOST IMPORTANT ISSUE in our entire Christian life, then I truly do not know what is.
THE SPIRIT OF GOD IN OUR SPIRIT IS OUR GUARANTEE THAT WE HAVE EVERYTHING THAT WE NEED, BOTH NOW AND IN OUR FUTURE! GOD HAD ALREADY SUPPLIED ALL OUR NEEDS IN CHRIST JESUS (PHIL. 4:19) AND ALL HIS RICHES ARE AVAILABLE TO US IN HIMSELF, BUT NOT OUTSIDE OF HIMSELF.
THE ALL IMPORTANT QUESTION FOR US IS THIS: ARE WE ABLE TO DRAW FROM THESE VAST RICHES OF CHRIST, FROM THIS ENDLESS TREASURE OF GOD AND USE THEM IN OUR EARTHLY LIFE? USE THEM IN THE LIFE OF OUR SOUL AND ALSO OF OUR BODY? IF IT IS POSSIBLE, WHICH IT IS, THEN HOW CAN WE DO IT?
We know in our many life experiences that we may not be receiving many of the things we desire from God. May we ask, why not? But the question rather is: Are we IN Christ experientially, livingly or only doctrinally? If we understand and believe written doctrines, then we are IN Christ only doctrinally, potentially, but not in the life of our soul since such a mental understanding and belief have not given us any living experiences. It is like living on a Paradise Island OR reading about it OR “being there” with our finger on the map. Is there a difference?
WE CANNOT POSSIBLY HOPE THAT READING, HEARING AND EVEN BELIEVING ANY BIBLICAL DOCTRINE HAS MADE THE NECESSARY CHANGE IN THE LIFE OF OUR SPIRIT OR SOUL!
Equally, no amount of preaching alone will do any living change in our soul. It may make a change in our knowledge, understanding and may increase our faith, but no spiritual work in our soul is done just by reading, hearing, understanding or believing some words or letters from the Bible. (Jam. 1:22-24) Hence, we cannot draw from Christ His Life which contains all His riches just because we have drawn more knowledge from the Bible! THE WORK OF THE SPIRIT IN OUR SOUL is absolutely necessary that we may apprehend the Life hidden in the letters which we read or hear or intellectually understand. The necessary work is almost always done in our daily practical life and not necessarily in the places (ex. church auditoria) where we had received the new knowledge or even the new faith.
Let me present at this place a living example from the time of Christ’s Crucifixion and its significance with respect to this very question of gaining access to His Life Eternal and to His spiritual riches.
When Our Lord gave up His Spirit and died on the Cross of Calvary, the New Testament being in His Blood came into power. (Mt. 26:28// Mk. 14:24// Lk. 22:20// 1Cor. 11: 25) But another event took place at the same time – the veil which was in the Temple dividing the Holy Place from the Most Holy Place was RENT into two from the top to the bottom. (Mt. 27:50,51// Mk. 15:37,38)
The veil separated the Most Holy Place, the Presence of God, from the Holy Place where God was not present. When God rent it, He, through the Blood of Christ, opened our way to Himself, to His Living Presence for every true believer that overcomes!
This physical veil in the Old Testament Temple represents the spiritual veil in the New Testament Temple where WE ARE that Temple. (1Cor. 3:16,17) And the same veil is found between our SPIRIT where God is present and our SOUL where God is not present at the time of our Redemption. This OUR VEIL MUST ALSO BE RENT in order for us to gain access to the Presence of God in our spirit. OUR VEIL IS OUR FLESH, our sinful nature, our old man. It is a spiritual veil formed by the spirits of evil and darkness in our redeemed soul. It blinds our minds and covers our hearts (2Cor. 3:14-16) and it is also being RENT (PIERCED) AS WE DIE ON OUR CROSS. It is rent (pierced) chiefly by the Word of God. (Mt. 16:24// Heb. 4:12// Rev. 1:16, sword = Word of God)
The Lord says that we may obtain His Life and all the riches and treasures of His Life provided to us IN Himself THROUGH OUR VEIL. This veil, this divider, this barrier between our soul and spirit must be destroyed and it is destroyed by the process of the SALVATION OF OUR SOUL which process must follow our Redemption and our water baptism. It is defined and described in Chapter 3 and also in later Chapters. It is THE MOST IMPORTANT PART OF THE MOST IMPORTANT ISSUE in the life of all believers. Do we see that fact? And may we ask why it is the most important part?
THE GREATEST DECEPTION OF THE DEVIL INFLUENCING THE CHURCH FOR MANY CENTURIES IS ABOUT THE SALVATION OF OUR SOUL, NOT ABOUT THE SALVATION OF OUR SPIRIT, WHICH IS OUR REDEMPTION. IF WE IGNORE THIS MOST IMPORTANT ISSUE OF OUR LIFE AS REDEEMED BELIEVERS, WE COMMIT PERHAPS THE GREATEST BLUNDER OF OUR CHRISTIANITY WITH UNFORESEEN AND EXTREMELY GRAVE CONSEQUENCES WHEREBY MANY BELIEVERS MIGHT LOSE THEIR SALVATION AND ETERNAL LIFE DUE TO THIS DEEP DECEPTION OF THE DEVIL.
Since the Full Salvation of the believer’s SOUL is conditional also to his water baptism, we will first present the issue of water baptism and its true significance.
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To be continued next week in chapter 2 – part 3
brother Hanola
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