Angelic Conflict part 168: Human history (soul and spirit) – Heb 4:12; 1Co 15:35-44; 6:12-20; Phi 3:20-21; Gal 5:16-17; Rom 8:18-25.

Title: Angelic Conflict part 168: Human history (soul and spirit) - HEB 4:12; 1CO 15:35-44; 6:12-20; PHI 3:20-21; GAL 5:16-17; ROM 8:18-25.  

 

HEB 4:12 For the word of God is living and active and sharper than any two-edged sword, and piercing as far as the division of soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow, and able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart.

 

God's word pierces through the lies, excuses, deceptions etc. and critiques or is a critic of this. The division is necessary to know so that excuses aren't made, like, "This is how I am, I cannot change,  I will always be this way." These are convenient lies from the old dead spirit or old sin nature. The soul is neutral and it will be influenced by what we choose to be the spirit of us. By neutral I mean that it is influenced, however, once it is influenced it isn't neutral any more, yet it can sway from natural to spiritual and spiritual to natural in time, so it is highly influenced.

 

spirit - the influence of the soul, which can be the divine new spirit which is witnessed to by God the HS or it can be the spirit of error, slavery, jealousy, fear, or slumber.

 

soul - conscience, self-consciousness, emotion, volition, mentality: each of which can be good or bad.

 

This conundrum of spirit influence is what led Gnostics astray through a misunderstanding of the nature of man. Body and spirit cannot and will not be separate or isolated. They are different for sure, but one cannot exist without the other. The body at death will be transformed. We must always have a body, the body of our transformation will be as perfect as Christ's body in eternity, and so we are the first to be resurrected.

 

Neither the soul or the spirit are material, but they must be in material bodies. It is the spirit of a man that will influence the soul of man and God the HS has been given to supernaturally influence our human spirit. Yet in the Bible we find both these terms being used almost interchangeably and at other times distinguished as they are here. Thus, I think we can safely say that the spirit influences the soul and the soul in turn influences the spirit with a desire for its influence through choice or volition. The flesh, the body, the heart, the soul, the spirit, and the mind are all players in making you who you are.

 

1CO 15:35 But someone will say, "How are the dead raised? And with what kind of body do they come?"

 

How? It is folly to deny a fact of revelation because we do not know the "how." Some measure God's power by their intelligence, and won't admit, even on His assurance, what they cannot explain. Ezekiel answer of faith to the question is the truly wise one.

 

EZE 37:3

And He said to me, "Son of man, can these bones live?" And I answered, "O Lord God, Thou knowest."

 

So Jesus argued with the religious crowd not on principles of philosophy, but wholly from 'the power of God,' declared by His word.

 

After stating that it would be easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to be saved, the question is asked:

 

MAT 19:25-26

"Then who can be saved?" And looking upon them Jesus said to them, "With men this is impossible, but with God all things are possible."

 

1CO 15:36 You fool! That which you sow does not come to life unless it dies;

 

The seed does not sprout unless its previous organization is dissolved - death.

 

JOH 12:24

 "Truly, truly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains by itself alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit.

 

Because of this reason, Christ's victory over death and therefore the believer's deliverance from judgment after death, no believer should fear death. It is necessary so that your soul and new spirit can dwell in the house that suitable to it. Would you like your new divine spirit to dwell in this house of corruption forever? [frozen bodies]

 

1CO 15:37 and that which you sow [present body], you do not sow the body which is to be [spiritual body], but a bare grain, perhaps of wheat or of something else.

 

The present body will not change itself and all it can do is produce other bodies like itself, akin to another grain or germ. Without the work of Christ and the power now given through Him, no man can be transformed. No man can produce the resurrection body.

 

1CO 15:38 But God gives it a body just as He wished, and to each of the seeds a body of its own.

 

Each body is given after its own kind in Gen 1 and as was considered good by God. So it is with the spiritual body. It is from God and as He wills it to be and as seems good to Him.

 

1CO 15:39 All flesh is not the same flesh, but there is one flesh of men, and another flesh of beasts, and another flesh of birds, and another of fish.

 

1CO 15:40 There are also heavenly bodies and earthly bodies, but the glory of the heavenly is one, and the glory of the earthly is another [why are you anxious about needs].

 

1CO 15:41 There is one glory of the sun, and another glory of the moon, and another glory of the stars; for star differs from star in glory.

 

The resurrection body is the resurrection of the flesh. Christ's resurrection body was flesh and bone and we will bear the same. The point is that our resurrection bodies will differ much from our present bodies.

 

LUK 24:39

"See My hands and My feet, that it is I Myself; touch Me and see, for a spirit does not have flesh and bones as you see that I have."

 

The resurrected humanity of Christ is not just spirit, as angels are described, but body, soul, and spirit.

 

PHI 3:20-21

For our citizenship is in heaven, from which also we eagerly wait for a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ; who will transform the body of our humble state into conformity with the body of His glory, by the exertion of the power that He has even to subject all things to Himself.

 

Because of His victory nothing or no one is going to stop our transformation through resurrection. O death where is your victory, O death where is your sting [vs. 55-56]?

 

1CO 15:42 So also is the resurrection of the dead. It is sown [much nicer than buried] a perishable body, it is raised an imperishable body;

 

1CO 15:43 it is sown in dishonor [state of humiliation subject to disease, injury, and decay], it is raised in glory; it is sown in weakness, it is raised in power;

 

1CO 15:44 it is sown a natural body, it is raised a spiritual body. If there is a natural body, there is also a spiritual body.

 

 "natural body" - swma yuciko,n[soma psuchikon] = natural or animal body that is suited for our natural or animal soul.

 

It's like a tulip bulb - ugly but upon death from being sown in the ground it springs up beautiful.

 

We were made in the image of God in our personality, we were born again into the image of Christ in our new spiritual species, but in the same bodies that are the image of the first, fallen Adam. But at physical death and resurrection we will be in the spiritual body that will never decay and will be in perfect harmony with the new creature. We will finally be complete forever. This is all done for us by means of grace.

 

Yet through regeneration, the reception of the new spirit and the indwelling God the Holy Spirit, even these animal or earthly bodies can be used to glorify God. It truly is miraculous what God has done to the immaterial part of us at salvation. He did not change our bodies but imputed to us 40 things that completely renew the life.

 

ROM 8:11

But if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal [subject to death] bodies through His Spirit who indwells you.

 

This thoroughly explains the war or conflict that every believer has within himself. His mortal body now houses a brand new spiritual creature that is witnessed to by the power of God the Holy Spirit. The body, or flesh with its inherent OSN wars against the Spirit and the Spirit against the flesh.

 

GAL 5:16-17

But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not carry out the desire of the flesh. For the flesh sets its desire against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; for these are in opposition to one another, so that you may not do the things that you please.