Thought War I

LESSON 2

IDENTIFYING THE SOUL:  PART TWO  

► OBJECTIVES   At the completion of the lesson, the student will be able to:  

1. Define “living soul”.

 

2. Explain what is meant by the breath of life

 

3. Identify the components and function of the soul

 

4. Discuss the difference between the two Adams according to 1 Corinthians 15:45-47.

 

5. Examine the effects of sin on the soul

 

► LESSON

 

Hebrews 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.  

According to this scripture, man is a triune being: body, soul, and spirit. The Word of God can separate the three. However, as we have titled this lesson, we want to allow the scriptures to identify the soul.

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.  

Man’s body was formed from the dust of the earth. The word dust is a Chaldean word meaning “red clay”. Thus, Adam was known as a “blood man”.  The body of clay did not become a living soul until God breathed the breath of life into it. There is an erroneous doctrine that teaches God put His Spirit in Adam when He blew the breath of life into him. However, as we have read, God breathed the breath of life into man’s nostrils. “The breath of life” is the oxygen that we breathe. You will discover that this is true if you hold your breath for about five minutes. God did not put Himself in Adam; Adam was not spiritual. If God had put His Spirit in Adam, he would have been begotten of God. However, the scripture declares that Jesus was the first begotten of God (Romans 8:29).

1 Corinthians 15:45-46 45 And so it is written, The first man Adam was made a living soul; the last Adam was made a quickening spirit. 46 Howbeit that was not first which is spiritual, but that which is natural; and afterward that which is spiritual.  

In this passage of scripture, we see the difference between the two Adams. The first man was not spiritual. The second was spiritual, because spiritual means to be of the Spirit. That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit (St. John 3:6). It stands to reason; the first Adam was not of the Holy Ghost. He was a living soul, not a quickening spirit; he was not of the spirit that gives life. Simply stated, he was not the offspring of God. Nevertheless, there is a verse of scripture that speaks of Adam being a son of God (Luke 3:38). However, this refers to him as being created by God; not as being born of God. He was a natural man; meaning he was of nature. The spiritual man came later.

I Corinthians 15:47 47 The first man is of the earth, earthy; the second man is the Lord from heaven.  

Natural, or of nature, means to be of the earth; this means Adam was earthy. Everything it took to create him came from the earth, even his hidden parts (the spirit of man). God took the breath of life (oxygen) and created the spiritual parts of man. Every creature breathes the breath of life.

Genesis 6:17 And, behold, I, even I, do bring a flood of waters upon the earth, to destroy all flesh, wherein is the breath of life, from under heaven; and every thing that is in the earth shall die.  

When the breath of life is taken out of an animal, it dies. All flesh has the breath of life (air or wind), which is an earthen element. God used this element to create the soul of man.  The words soul and spirit are used interchangeably in the scriptures, and their meanings are the same. Remember, only the Word of God can separate the soul and spirit.  The first definition given in Strong’s Concordance for both soul and spirit is wind or air.

Let’s take a closer look at the phrase “living soul”. When God created the body, it did not live until the breath of life was breathed into it. Therefore, the complete product was a living soul. Something, however, had to give life to the soul. The basic definition of living is to be alive. Adam was created a living soul; a soul that is alive. Since man is a living soul, he is a soul that can be expressed through the body. The soul expresses itself through the flesh (body). This proves that the flesh is not the reason why we sin. It is the soul that is going to hell because of sin; the body goes back to the dust. The soul that sinneth, it shall die (Ezekiel 18:20). In other words, the soul who sins will enter into eternal death, which is hell. With that being said, we can no longer blame the body for our sin.

Adam was given a body to experience the pleasures of God’s earth. He was the soul that lived in the body. Therefore, he was responsible for what he did in the body. He could not even blame the fleshy mind (brain); it was a member of the body. It is the spirit of the mind (the soul) that dictates its message to the fleshy mind.

I Corinthians 10:3-5 3For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war after the flesh: 4(For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds;) 5Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ;  

If we can bring every thought of the fleshy mind into captivity, this implies that we can control what we think. There’s a power in man that is greater than his mind. Adam and Eve had the same power. Even before salvation, we could choose not to remain in a particular train of thought. We were able to change our thought pattern about many things. We have the power to tell the brain what to think. Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things (Philippians 4:8). We can dictate to the brain what it should think, even without the Holy Ghost.

Another word for soul is heart. The scriptures always speak of having a pure heart. If the heart is not pure, it will dictate impure thoughts to the mind. For the saint, if his heart is not pure, Satan can suggest something to him; he can then take that suggestion into his spirit and initiate a thought pattern. However, this is not started by the fleshy mind; it begins in the heart (soul).

St. John 8:44 Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it.  

Here, Jesus is talking to the leaders of Judaism. They are of their father the devil; meaning they were begotten (born) of Satan. Because of Adam’s disobedience, the spirit of iniquity now lives in every man that has not been regenerated (refer to Ephesians 2:1-3). His soul is dark. And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil (St. John 3:19). When darkness entered into man, the lusts of Satan came with it. The soul then became captive. Jesus said, He came to set the captives free (St. Luke 4:18). He is the only one who can set the soul free of this captivity, because the spirit of iniquity is more powerful than man. This seed of darkness was passed down from Adam. Nevertheless death reigned from Adam to Moses, even over them that had not sinned after the similitude of Adam's transgression, who is the figure of him that was to come (Romans 5:14). Behold, I was shapen in iniquity; and in sin did my mother conceive me (Psalm 51:5). This is why we need Jesus Christ, because it is His blood that will deliver us from this captivity. He is the only one who can remove this seed of Satan from mankind.

The components of the soul are: will, appetite, desire, imagination and emotions; all of which became darkened when the spirit of iniquity entered into the soul. Jesus refers to this spirit as the “strong man”. Or else how can one enter into a strong man's house, and spoil his goods, except he first bind the strong man? and then he will spoil his house (Matthew 12:29). “Goods” refer to the components of the soul; the strong man took charge of our soul and perverted mankind. His ultimate perversion is homosexuality. His intent is to totally reverse what God created. Romans the first chapter speaks of how Satan can progressively pervert the fleshy mind and take a person into homosexuality. When you can cause a man or woman to become transgendered, you have taken him or her to the extreme. Satan is now using the body to do what God gave it to Adam to do: express himself.  In other words, Satan is using man’s body to express himself; he is using man’s body to live out his lust. However, once we are born again (regenerated), we don’t have that excuse, because the scripture declares every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed (James 1:14). Even a son of God can be taken to the extreme by wrong thinking.

  TAKE QUIZ: TW I: LESSON 2

LESSON 3

IDENTIFYING THE SOUL:  PART THREE  

► OBJECTIVES   At the completion of this lesson, the student will be able to:  

1. Using scriptural support, explain the difference in the first and second Adam

 

2. List the components of the soul

 

3. Explain the workings of the imagination

 

► LESSON

 

Returning to our base scripture, Hebrews 4:12, we find the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged 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. In our last lesson, we learned that this scripture verifies man as a triune being; just as the scripture also verifies God as a triune being: the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost (1 John 5:7). Man was created in the image of God (Genesis 1:26).

According to St. John 1:1, in the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. Moreover, the Word became flesh and dwelt among men (St. John 1:14); thus, for the sake of redemption, the Word said, “a body thou has prepared me” (Heb. 10:5).

In review, we learned that 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 (Genesis 2:7). Remember, before man became a living soul, he was already a body. The body is the instrument that gave the soul expression.

Viewing this from God’s perspective, if the Word is the only thing that can separate the body, soul, and spirit, this means they are one; and only God can separate them.   It is God’s intent that we see that oneness, as it pertains to our physical creation. The theme of oneness is carried throughout the Bible; from Genesis to Revelation. Oneness is in everything that pertains to us and God. Remember, Jesus prayed and asked God to make us one; the connotation of oneness is singleness. We must see the oneness in God. When we entertain the Holy Ghost, we have entertained God. The scripture declares that the Word is Spirit; therefore, when you entertain the Word, you have entertained the Holy Ghost. Thus, when you entertain the Father, you have entertained the Word and the Holy Ghost. You cannot entertain one without entertaining the other; when you have entertained one, you have entertained them all.

Now that we know the oneness, when we talk about the body, soul, and spirit, we should not separate them. There is a doctrine that allows man to separate the three; it’s called dual nature. This doctrine states that even after salvation the flesh (body) is still sinful. This is one of the greatest lies told to the Body of Christ. Satan devised this lie to keep us struggling with sin. If you believe that God designed the redemption plan in such a way that the flesh was left out of it, you will always believe that there’s a war going on between the flesh and the spirit. The body, soul, and spirit make the man. He’s not presently a soul without the body; and after he dies and is resurrected, he will be resurrected in a new body. The body cannot be affected without the spirit being affected; neither can the spirit be affected without the body being affected. They do not operate separate and apart from each other. Your body doesn’t do anything of itself; the soul tells it what to do. However, we have been conditioned to believe that our body is our enemy. Doctrines have made the body our enemy; such as, the soul and spirit really want to serve the Lord; but the body has its own mind. It is therefore concluded that if the body sees something in the world it wants, if necessary, it will lead the spirit into sin in order to attain it.

Using scripture, we will look at the two Adams. The scripture declares as we have borne the image of the earthy, we shall also bear the image of the heavenly (I Corinthians 15:49). As he is, so are we in this world (I John 4:17). Therefore, whatever Jesus Christ is, that’s what we are right now. Since this is the case, we have been made one with Him. This does not mean we imitate Him. In other words, we are not Christ-like; as Christianity has been defined. I submit that Christianity means ‘to be Christ’. Saul increased the more in strength, and confounded the Jews which dwelt at Damascus, proving that this is very Christ (Acts 9:22). Saul, who had then become Paul, was not very Christ-like; he was very Christ. In other words, he maintained a walk that demonstrated his oneness with Jesus Christ.

1 Corinthians 15:45-46 45 And so it is written, The first man Adam was made a living soul; the last Adam was made a quickening spirit. 46 Howbeit that was not first which is spiritual, but that which is natural; and afterward that which is spiritual.  

The first man was not spiritual.

Hebrews 12:9 9 Furthermore we have had fathers of our flesh which corrected us, and we gave them reverence: shall we not much rather be in subjection unto the Father of spirits, and live?  

Since God is our Father, He would have to be a Father of spirits. Since the scriptures declare that God is a Spirit, how can His children be anything other than spirits? So then, in actuality, we are spirits that temporarily live in earthen vessels called bodies.

Hebrews 12:10 10 For they verily for a few days chastened us after their own pleasure; but he for our profit, that we might be partakers of his holiness.  

It is beneficial for the Father to chastise us. It may be abrasive to the flesh; in fact, the scripture says chastening is grievous. If our Father does not chastise us, it will not be well with us at the end. He chastises us so that we might partake, or be examples, of His holiness.  Just as He is holy, we were made holy at salvation.

Let’s look at the difference between the two Adams; according to I Corinthians 15:45-47

THE FIRST ADAM

• Living Soul
• Natural
• Earthy

THE SECOND ADAM

• Quickening Spirit
• Spiritual
• Heavenly

In forming the first man, God took red clay and created the magnificent body.  He channeled air through Himself, breathed into man’s nostrils, and man became a living soul. Remember, the components of the soul are: the conscience, imagination, will, emotions, and appetites; all of which make up the heart or spirit (used interchangeably with soul). Conscience is also used interchangeably in scripture with “hidden man of the heart”. Spirit and conscience are sometimes identified as the “hidden man of the heart”. The soul and spirit are also known as the “inner man”. But though our outward man perish, yet the inward man is renewed day by day (II Corinthians 4:16). Everything we have discussed here pertains to the soul; we have not yet covered the body. It all starts in the soul, and the soul expresses itself through the body. In other words, what we see outwardly is actually the desire of the soul, not the desire of the body. Man looketh on the outward appearance, but the Lord looketh on the heart (1 Samuel 16:7). The appetite starts in the soul!! However, we have been taught that it starts in the body. The soul is the real man. The body is just the tabernacle that gives him the ability to experience things through taste, touch, smell, sight and hearing.

For example, you are in a restaurant; and someone tells you that a particular food tastes really good. It looks appealing and smells good; and you want to taste it. You, the soul, decides you want to taste it; but it is your body that gives you the ability to taste it. Therefore, you instruct your fleshy mind (brain) to buy the food so you can taste it. After tasting it, you then decide whether you like it or not. Your body doesn’t make the decision as to whether you like something or not. It is the soul that sets the parameters for what the body is to do.

If a woman looks upon man and decides she wants to experience fornication, she will begin to see men from that perspective. They used to be brothers in the Lord; now they are potential bed partners. She begins to see what she likes and dislikes about them. Remember, this is all taking place in the soul. The body has yet to do anything. She is instructing her body what to look at and her mind how to interpret what she sees. This would also be true if she wanted to experience lesbianism; she would begin to see women in that vein. Because she may have been watching too much television, she may have allowed this to feed her mind (the spirit of the mind or soul, not the fleshy mind or brain). Remember, the soul dictates to the fleshy mind. If we entertain something long enough, the soul will instruct the fleshy mind to begin to think on those things. Those things can be right or wrong, holy or unholy. We learned previously that wrong thinking is the root of all sin.

Watching enough ‘R’ and ‘X’ rated movies can have the same effect on us as the serpent had on Eve; she became curious. Curiosity for the things of the world opens a door for darkness to enter the soul. We then begin to think and create lust. Remember, God said Lucifer was created perfect until iniquity was found in him (the being); that’s why he was able to say that he would exalt his throne above that of the Most High. He was only speaking that which was in him. Out of the abundance of what is in a being (soul or angel) the mouth speaks.

The imagination acts as an incubator; it keeps scenarios alive until it is expedient for them to be performed in the real world. I Peter 5:8, admonishes us to Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour. As in the lesbian scenario, because there is darkness in the heart, weakness is sought out in a target soul. Any sign of weakness is a door to allow this suggestion to take root. This can be done so subliminally that the target will not know what’s going on until she is made aware of it. It can also be done so skillfully that the target becomes curious. All of this happens in the soul. The soul has constructed, or maybe even reconstructed, an environment. You can be in this type of situation before you even realize you’re in it, or realize how you got in it; because people can manipulate you with the workings of their inner man.

So, to walk after the flesh, means the soul pursues an experience with the things that will satisfy the flesh, not the Spirit. The Spirit wants nothing from the world. Remember, it is not the body that will stand before God in judgment; it is the soul that will stand before God in judgment. It is the soul that has to be saved; not the body. The body goes back to the dust.

When the scripture says in Him we live, move and have our being, our soul is our being. The soul and spirit make up our inner man or the spirit of our mind, not the fleshy mind (brain). The scripture also calls it the “hidden man of the heart” or conscience. The imagination is another component of the soul; it is not a component of the brain.

A young lady sees a young man; and she decides he is going to be her husband. In her imagination, he is madly in love with her; however, in the real world, he may not even know her name. All he did was shake her hand and say, “Praise the Lord, Sister”; but during the hand shake and ‘Praise the Lord, Sister’, in her imagination he said, “I sure do love you; and I want to be with you”. If she’s living in her imagination, it will not allow her brain to interpret what the man really said to her. Because of what’s in her imagination, she won’t accept it. She is blind to reality. When there is iniquity in your heart, you are blind. When you are blind, there is the potential not to deal with reality. In this case, the imagination becomes  so powerful that it will not allow the brain to interpret what is really happening. In other words, the soul simply refuses to accept what the brain said really happened. He may even tell her that he likes her, but he does not mean ‘like’ in the way she has interpreted it. Because of what’s in her imagination, she won’t accept it.  She is blind to reality.

We will give an account for every idle word that is spoken in this body; but the body will not be there. This means the soul is in charge. Adam was given the responsibility to keep his body righteous.

TAKE QUIZ: TW 1: LESSON 3

THE POSITIONAL CHANGE  

► OBJECTIVES  

After completing this lesson, the student will be able to:

 

1. Explain, using scriptural support, what is meant when we say natural occurrences in the Old Covenant give a picture of what was to happen in the Spirit in the New

 

2. Explain how man is a triune being

 

3. Discuss what we mean in the lesson by a positional change?

 

► LESSON

 

The Old Covenant of the Bible uses natural occurrences to give a picture of what would happen in the Spirit under the New Covenant. The natural events, as well as some of the prophets, were only shadows and types of what was to come in the New Covenant. For the law having a shadow of good things to come, and not the very image of the things, can never with those sacrifices which they offered year by year continually make the comers thereunto perfect (Hebrews 10:1).

  For example, the story of Joseph foreshadows him as a type of Christ. There is a rule we must remember about shadows and types: they are only copies of the spiritual; and not the very image of the spiritual.

  Another example of a type would be the tabernacle God instructed Moses to build. It foreshadows what God was going to do in man at salvation. A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you (Ezekiel 36:26). The tabernacle was built to be fashioned as a man: the outer court was typed as the body; the holy place was typed as the soul; and the holy of holies was typed as the spirit/conscience. This is a very good type of the salvation that was to come; that’s why God gave Moses the pattern for building it.

      The holy of holies is where God came once a year; the only person who could enter that area was the high priest. After sprinkling himself with the blood, he offered the sacrifice for himself and the people. If God accepted the sacrifice, he was then able to enter and commune with God. Man was to be the tabernacle that God would dwell in under the New Covenant; His Spirit would be the new spirit put in man.

  Hebrews 4:12 shows that man is a triune being: body, soul and spirit. I John 5:7 verifies that God is a triune being as well: Father, Word and Holy Ghost. Thusly, the tabernacle was built as triune. To be a triune being means that there are three persons in one with no divisions among them. There is no division in God. In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God (St. John 1:1). The Holy Ghost is the Spirit of God. When we entertain any person who is begotten of God, we have entertained the entire Godhead (Father, Son, and Holy Ghost). Jesus said that He was going back to the Father; however, He and the Father would return and sup (commune) with us by way of the Holy Ghost. Receiving the Holy Ghost gave us the fullness of the Godhead bodily; which means everything that God is, dwells in us.

  With that being said, let’s define “positional change”. Adam was created a living soul who resided in a body that was used to express himself. When we entertain a person, the only thing we see is the body; however, inside the body is a personage or personality  called  the  soul.  So  whatever goes  on  in  the  soul  is  reflected outwardly through the body. When a person physically appears melancholy or sad, the body is only manifesting what is actually happening in the soul. Depression is when the soul is going through a period of darkness and it sees itself as unworthy; which means it doesn’t do anything to satisfy itself; it may not even give the body personal hygiene. There are some things the soul can experience that could result in harm to the body. The principle here is that the body only follows the dictates of the soul. In other words, the soul is in charge of this being.

  The spirit is the conscience of man; it is also known as the “knower” or co- preceptor (able to perceive both good and evil). The conscience was given divine intellect for the purpose of judging between good and evil. It was the conscience that understood when God told Adam not to eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil (Gen. 2:17). Because of his conscience, he understood the laws of God.

  Before Adam and Eve sinned in the sight of God, they were “in the flesh”. This term  must  be  really  understood,  because  throughout  the  Bible  it  is  used interchangeably, and in certain verses it may mean something totally different. Here, it means that the soul (the actual man), who has a spirit, lives in a body (the soul does not live in the Holy Ghost). The spirit of man is the candle of the Lord (Proverbs 20:27). The spirit is the candle of the Lord, because it has divine intellect; it is the judge.

  1 Corinthians 2:9-10

9But 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. 10But  God  hath  revealed  them  unto  us  by  his  Spirit:  for  the  Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God.  

It is the Holy Ghost who searches all things that pertain to God; He searches out the Word of God, as well as the mind of God. He knows what’s in the mind of the Father toward us. The Holy Ghost searches and knows the things that God has prepared for us: such as salvation from the beginning of the ‘Mystery of Godliness’ to its end and also the Faith and its boundaries. The Spirit knows the Word of God, because the scripture declares that the Word is Spirit (John 6:63); they are one. There is nothing pertaining to God that the Spirit does not know.

  1 Corinthians 2:11

11For 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.  

Just as the Holy Ghost searches for the things that pertain to God, our spirit searches for the things that pertain to our soul and body. It knows everything that pertains to us and will not lie. This is one of the attributes that show we were created in the image of God. Our spirit knows everything about us; he identifies the deeds of our flesh as righteous or unrighteous, because he’s the knower. It would have been unlawful for Adam and Eve to be penalized, if they did not know what sin was. They knew that their initial death would be separation from God if they disobeyed Him.

  The soul and spirit are also known in scripture as the “inward parts”. Again, the soul is the man who has a spirit and lives in a body. For the most part, people live in houses; however those houses do not tell people what to do. A house does not dictate to you. If you want to soundproof a room so that no one can hear you when you enter that room, the room won’t soundproof itself; you have to do it.  In this case, we can liken soundproofing a room to pride. Pride will not allow you to hear. It will cause you to decide you don’t want to ever hear God again or that you don’t want to hear Him regarding a matter that is contrary to your desire. Remember, it is the soul, not the body that will stand before God and account for the deeds done in the body.

  We have learned that the term “in the flesh” means the spiritual parts are in a body. In the tabernacle of the Old Covenant, God only entered into the holy of holies once a year. He did not enter into the holy place or the outer court. However, when Jesus was on the cross, the veil that separated the holy place from the holy of holies was torn in half, allowing the mercy seat to be exposed to the holy place. This was a type of what God was going to do in the New Covenant; He was not only going to impact the spirit; but the soul as well. We have this treasure in earthen vessels… (2 Corinthians 4:7). The light of the Holy Ghost shines in our hearts. That which was once filled with darkness, is now filled with light.

  The positional change involves the body, the Holy Ghost, the soul and spirit: the soul and spirit now live in the Holy Ghost, and the Holy Ghost is in the flesh (body). If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit (Galatians 5:25).  For in him we live, and move, and have our being (Acts 17:28). Salvation has taken us out of the flesh; and placed us in the Spirit (the positional change). This is God’s grace in our lives. Now grace can be defined as God’s influence in the heart that is reflected in the life.  In other words, the Holy Ghost has influence in our inward parts; and it is His life that is now manifested in the flesh. The life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God (Galatians 2:20). This is living “in the Spirit”.

  Note that in this lesson we only discussed Adam as being in the flesh before the fall; and we fast forwarded to being in the Spirit after salvation. We will discuss the fall of man; and the need for salvation at a later time.