Dead in Spirit? Part 2.

From the Perspective of Salvation.

“The first man Adam became into a living soul; the last Adam into a life-giving spirit.” 1 Corinthians 15:45

In the first section we have shown how the spirit in Adam, was not dead from the perspective of the fall. Here we hope to demonstrate the state of the spirit in mankind from the perspective of salvation in Jesus Christ. 

The Nature of Jesus Christ.

“Out of you [Bethlehem], will come forth for Me One to be ruler over Israel — One whose origins are of old, from the days of eternity.” Micah 5:2 

John begins his gospel by setting the foundation in declaring who the Lord Jesus Christ is and writes, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things came into being through Him.” John 1:1-3 And continues to show, His manifestation into flesh and says, “And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us. And we beheld His glory, a glory as of an only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth. John 1:14 His point being Jesus Christ is God in the flesh.

Luke also records how God in human flesh [the Seed of the woman] came to be and declares, “[And] Mary said to the angel, “How will this be, since I do not know a man?” And the angel answering, said to her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore also the Holy One being born will be called the Son of God.” Luke 1:34-35

Two forms of existence are given for the same Person, The Word, who existed from everlasting in the form of God, through whom all things were made. [And] The Son, “And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us.” Paul also expresses this truth and writes, “[The Word] Who, existing in the form of God, did not consider to be equal with God something to be grasped, but emptied Himself, having taken the form of a servant, having been made in the likeness of men. And having been found in appearance as a man [Jesus Christ].” Philippians 2:6-8 The writer of Hebrews also says, “Since the children have partaken of blood and of flesh, He also likewise took part in the same things, so that through His death He might destroy the one holding the power of death, that is, the devil,” Hebrews 2:14

Though we speak of the same divine Person there is a moment in time when One took the form and attributes of the Other: the Word became, the Son. Therefore it says in Hebrews, “You are my Son; [TODAY] I have begotten You” And again: “I will be to Him for a Father, and He will be to Me for a Son” Hebrews 1:5 God the Son was begotten [Today] in Jesus Christ the Son of Man. And follows that with, “when He brings the Firstborn into the world,” that is none were ever born of God, Jesus Christ is the firstborn of God. Adam was not born of God, though he was called the son of God, nor the angles who are also called sons of God. Being born of God has a different meaning, it is to be born from above, it is to have His Spirit in us.

Therefore, the nature of Jesus Christ is Spirit. Jesus said, “God is Spirit” John 4:24 And Paul writing of the Lord says, “Now the Lord is the Spirit; and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom.” 2 Corinthians 3:17 Jesus is the first instance of such unity, between God and a body of clay. He is a template of the Spirit-mankind, for all those who are to be made in His likeness,  just as Adam was a template for flesh-mankind.

“But as many as received Him, He gave to them authority to be children of God—to those believing in His name, who were born not of blood, nor of will of flesh, nor of will of man, but of God. 1:12-13

Nature of Righteousness.

“How much more will those receiving the abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness reign in life through the one, Jesus Christ!” Romans 5:17

Righteousness is the very nature of God, which no flesh can ever work to achieve. “one born of the flesh is flesh and one born of the Spirit is spirit.” And perfect righteousness is the prerequisite for life eternal, and this life is in God. Jesus said, “For even as the Father raises up the dead and gives life, thus also the Son gives life to whom He will.” John 5:21 The breath of God that was in fallen mankind was cut short through sin. Now through Christ also comes, righteousness to life through the grace of the One who paid the price for our sins.

Now there is a difference between acts of righteousness and righteousness of nature. Acts of righteousness does not produce the nature of righteousness, “the leopard cannot change its spots.” Habakkuk asked God why He used people who were less righteous to punish those more righteous than themselves and says, “Your eyes are too pure to look upon evil, and You cannot tolerate wrongdoing. So why do You tolerate the faithless? Why are You silent while the wicked swallow up those more righteous than themselves? Habakkuk 1:13 The point being there are levels of righteousness even among sinners.

Abraham was declared righteous through faith in the sight of God, “I am Almighty God; walk before Me and be blameless.” Genesis 17:1 And David says, “And I have been blameless before Him and kept myself from iniquity. So the LORD has repaid me according to my righteousness, according to the cleanness of my hands in His sight.” Psalms 18:23-24 Even though they were declared blameless in sight of God, these great men of God did not obtain the promise, not until the nature of righteousness through the Spirit was given in Jesus Christ. So the writer of Hebrews says, “And these all, having been commended through the faith, did not receive the promise, God having planned something better for us, so that not apart from us, they should be made perfect.” Hebrews 11:39-40 That is righteousness is more than just deeds, it also must be the root and foundation so David in his Psalm says of the Christ;

“Your throne, O God, is to the age of the age, and the scepter of righteousness is the scepter of Your kingdom. You have loved righteousness and have hated wickedness; because of this, God, Your God, has anointed You with the oil of exultation above Your companions.” Psalm 45:6-7

Adam was once righteous not because of anything he has done, but because God had made him. As long as that stand was in him, he had life eternal but when he acted in disobedience he lost his ground to eternal life.  But Christ who is of the form of God, in obedience gave up His rightful place and became a Servant. “And having been found in appearance as a man He humbled Himself, having become obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.” Philippians 2:8 So through His obedience He obtained the promise of the Spirit may be freely given to us through faith. That we who were dead in the flesh through sin, may become spirits in Him through the justification of our souls. “So also through the obedience of the One, the many will be made righteous.” Romans 5:19

“After the anguish of His soul, He will see the light of life  and be satisfied. By His knowledge My righteous Servant will justify many, and He will bear their iniquities.” Isaiah 53:11

Righteousness is the nature and characteristics of our God and Saviour Jesus Christ, being brought froth through our spirit.

The Problem.

Why does not Jesus simply give us of His nature? 

Because the devil had a right to us, that is why we are called captives. “the devil who had the power of death.” Hebrews 2:14 whose spirit of sin was at work in us, had us in bondage. The accuser, held all the record of our sinful deeds, and made his demand against us, for his right to possess our souls. And as long as he had that right, God could not judge him, lest He in the process loses us with him. From Adam to Moses, throughout all the kings of Israel until the redemption through the crucifixion of Jesus Christ, all were possessed by death and had entered into the hold of Sheol, “for all have sinned and fallen short” Romans 3:23 The only exception are Enoch and Elijah. 

The picture that best demonstrate this is the account of Zechariah’s vision; “Then the angel showed me Joshua the high priest standing before the angel a of the LORD, with Satan standing at his right hand to accuse him. And the LORD said to Satan: “The LORD rebukes you, Satan! Indeed, the LORD, who has chosen Jerusalem, rebukes you! Is not this man a firebrand  snatched from the fire?” Zechariah 3:1-2  And the end of the struggle is revealed to John by the Lord how the devil and his angles were cast out haven because there was no place found for them any more. “And I heard a great voice in heaven, saying: “Now the salvation, and the power, and the kingdom of our God, and the authority of His Christ have come, because the accuser of our brothers has been thrown down, the one accusing them before our God day and night. And they have overcome him by reason of the blood of the Lamb, and by reason of the word of their testimony; and they have not loved their life unto death. Revelation 12:10-11

And that is what achieved through Christ, the right of rule of the devil is removed and judgment pronounced on him, “the ruler of this world has been judged.” John 16:11 There is no more ransom hold on God, in which was the safety net of the enemies of God and of our souls.  Paul in Colossians writes, “And you being dead in the trespasses and in the un-circumcision of your flesh, He made alive together with Him, having forgiven us all our trespasses, having blotted out the handwriting in the decrees against us, which was adverse to us. And He has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross. Having disarmed the rulers and the authorities, He made a show of them in public, having triumphed over them in it.” Colossians 2:13-15 Having disarmed principalities, He nailed the decree “the soul that sins shall die,” which was exacted through the record of our sins, which they held against us to the cross. So He may turn and say to us, “Where are those accusers of yours, has no one condemned you?… Neither I do condemn you. Go and sin no more from now on.” John 8:10-11 

Jesus took away the barrier that were the deeds of the flesh, that stood between God and the soul of mankind. To nullify the covenant of death and Sheol and set the captives free from its hold. So no demand of the enemy may ever be heard in the court of Haven. That God may freely give of the Spirit of righteousness to life in Christ Jesus to all who believe and call on Him. God has not sought to punish mankind but has searched out a means to rescue us.

“He made the One not having known sin to be sin for us, so that in Him we might become the righteousness of God.” 2 Corinthians 5:21

Salvation of Souls.

Therefore, having put aside all filthiness and abounding of wickedness, receive in humility the implanted word, being able to save your souls.” James 1:21

In the explanation of the fall of Adam, we have shown how the soul of mankind became captive to the flesh and to the spirit of sin that dwelt in it. Hebrews records, “through His death He might destroy the one holding the power of death, that is, the devil, and might set free those who all their time to live were subject to slavery through fear of death.” Hebrews 2:15 Salvation is God’s plan to re-establish relationship with His creation, by delivering us from our captivity. “God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not reckoning their trespasses to them, and having put into us the word of reconciliation.” 2 Corinthians  5:19 There are two basic concept the Lord addresses to bring us to Himself. The first is to put away the barrier that is between us and Him that is our sinful deeds of the flesh we committed in ignorance. The second is to give us of His Spirit, that we might share His nature through dwelling in us. 

Salvation is the redemption of the Soul. It is the soul of mankind that is judged, it is the soul that is won or lost. Therefore either the Soul is guided by the flesh to death or guided by the Spirit to life. The head of the flesh is the devil and the head of the spirit is Christ to all who believe. “For the mind of the flesh is death; but the mind of the Spirit, life and peace.” Romans 8:6 Our soul is not standalone unit, it is either joined to the flesh and subject to the power of sin and death [and of judgment] or it is joined to the spirit through Christ and therefore life as spirits. To those who are in the flesh the spirit [breath of God] in them benefit them little, because it is not awoke to righteousness to life [through Christ] as their flesh is awoken to sin & death through the spirit of the air. “If Christ is in you, the body is indeed dead on account of sin, but the Spirit is life on account of righteousness.” Romans 8:10

Now in saying, “the Spirit is life on account of righteousness,” it does not mean the spirit was once dead. Just that our covenant was under [sin and death] by which the spirit in us had a time limit set. The Lord said, “My Spirit will not strive with mankind, for his flesh, his days shall be 120 years.” Genesis 6:3 But through Christ we have a new covenant of righteousness to life, through whom we have life eternal. “Just as sin reigned in death, so also grace might reign through righteousness, unto eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.” Romans 5:21 So he says the spirit is life on the account of righteousness.

“Your covenant with death will be dissolved, and your agreement with Sheol will not stand.” Isaiah 28:18

The Good News of Righteousness: The gospel is the good news, the message of our salvation. That we by believing the truth of the testimony God bears of His Son, we may receive justification [righteousness] to life. “The righteousness of God is through faith from Jesus Christ toward all those believing. For there is no distinction, for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, being justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom God set forth as a propitiation through faith in His blood,” Romans 3:23-25 The message of our salvation, is having faith in who He is and what He has done for us;

• “Now it was not written on account of him alone that “it [righteousness] was credited to him,” but also on account of us, to whom it [righteousness] is about to be credited, to those believing on the One having raised Jesus our Lord out from the dead, who was delivered over for our trespasses, and was raised for our justification.” Romans 4:24-25
• “Now I make known to you, brothers, the gospel that I proclaimed to you, which also you received, in which you also stand, by which you are also being saved, if you hold fast to the word I proclaimed to you; otherwise you have believed in vain. For I delivered to you in the foremost what also I received: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, and that He was buried, and that He was raised the third day according to the Scriptures.” 1 Corinthians 15:1-4 

Our faith in what Jesus Christ has done for us, [His death and resurrection], purifies our soul from all the sinful deeds we have committed in the flesh and Christ comes in to dwell in us, and becomes Lord over our spirit. “In whom you also, having heard the word of truth, the gospel your of salvation, in whom also having believed you were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise, who is the guarantee of our inheritance to the redemption of the acquired possession, to the praise of His glory.” Ephesians 1:13-14

The point is the kingdom of darkness and the kingdom of light are not some great far away places, but are present in us in our very flesh and spirit. Paul concluding on the struggle of the one who knows the law of God yet being in the nature of the flesh, writes, “O wretched man I am! Who will deliver me out of this body of death?” Romans 7:24 [Our Soul] which was born in bondage to the flesh, needs to be liberated to the freedom of Spirit through Christ. And says, “Now you are not in flesh but in Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God dwells in you;” Romans 8:9

“[God the Father] Who has delivered us from the dominion of darkness and transferred us into the kingdom of His beloved Son, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.” Colossians 1:13-14

Born of the Spirit: The Lord speaking of the new birth says, “Truly, truly, I say to you, [except anyone be born from above], he is not able to see the kingdom of God.” John 3:3 [AND] “Truly, truly, I say to you, [unless anyone be born of water and of the Spirit], he is not able to enter into the kingdom of God.” John 3:5 These two statements are identical, the second giving more insight to what He meant in the first.

The term “born from above” is normally translated as, “born again.” However, both translations work in conjunction with one another. The one who is “born from above” is the one “who is born again.” Here the Lord uses water as a symbol for the word. [F.P] Because of the cleansing effect of the word. “Already you are clean by reason of the word that I have spoken to you.” John 15:3 And Peter speaking of the new birth says, “Having purified your souls in obedience to the truth unto sincere brotherly love, love one another fervently, out of a pure heart, having been born again, not of corruptible seed but incorruptible, through the word of God which lives and abides forever… and this is the word which by the gospel was preached to you.” 1 Peter 1:22-23,25 That is the new birth consist of the word [the gospel of righteousness] thorough which we are purified and the entrance of the Spirit of Christ in us [by the Holy Spirit]; born of water and Spirit. 

“And the heart-knowing God bore witness to them, having given them the Holy Spirit, as also to us. And He made no distinction between both us and them, having purified their hearts by the faith.” Acts 15:8-9

And the Lord continues to express what is meant by, “being born from above” and says, “That having been born of the flesh is flesh, and that having been born of the Spirit is spirit.” John 3:6 thereby differentiating between two natures. The concept being a change of nature, “Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation.” 2 Corinthians 5:17 Born again by definition speaks of the same person, that is the [soul] is reborn. It is not the recreation of the old, but a new nature. If our [presumed] dead spirit is reborn then it is not new. But if we who were once flesh are reborn to be spirits, not that our spirit is recreated but our soul has changed root, being united to be one in Spirit with Lord, then it is a new creation. One that has never been before, not even in the angles of God, since not only do we become spirits, but what makes us one is the unity with the Spirit of God.

Paul in Romans 8, expresses this point and says, “you are not in the flesh but in the spirit.” He says [“you”] as in your soul is no longer anchored into the flesh but now through Christ it is anchored to the spirit. Salvation is a literal exodus of our soul from our flesh to the Spirit led by Jesus Christ. Being set free from the bondage of sinful flesh to the liberty of the Spirit in Christ, from darkness to light, from the kingdom of the devil to the kingdom of God, [All done within us.] 

Just as Adam was born into his flesh, into bondage of sin through the spirit that deceived him, so he became the seed of the serpent.  We are also born into our spirit, into liberty through Christ who saves us, as to gain His Spirit in us, and we become children of God.

• “For you have not received a spirit of bondage again to fear, but you have received the Spirit of divine adoption as sons, by whom we cry, “Abba! Father!” The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God.” Romans 8:15-16
• “And because you are sons, God sent forth the Spirit of His Son into our hearts, crying out, “Abba, Father!” So you are no longer a slave but a son;” Galatians 4:6-7

When God breathed, “the breath of life into Adam,” He gave to him the spirit of life. But when Christ breathed into His disciples, He said “Receive the Holy Spirit.” John 20:22 The breath He gave to them is of His Spirit, the Spirit of Christ, the Spirit of Adoption, the Spirit of the Son, the Spirit of God. He gave to them the divine person Himself. It is through the Holy Spirit, God the Father dwelt in Jesus Christ, and now Christ also dwells in us. All aspects that illustrate being born of the Spirit, is not the recreation of the human spirit but the receiving of the Spirit of God. That is to say to be of the same type as “the Firstborn who came into the world.” Hebrews 1:6 in that God and mankind are presented as one in one body. 

Adam did not have the Holy Spirit, but had the spirit of life that animates the body covenanted in the righteousness of life through obedience. It was meant to give him life, not righteousness, not sanctification, just life. But the promise is the Holy Spirit, and He is only given in the righteousness of faith through Jesus Christ.

“He saved us, not by works in righteousness that we did, but according to His mercy, through the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit, whom He poured out on us richly through Jesus Christ our Saviour, so that, having been justified by that grace, we should become heirs according to the hope of eternal life.” Titus 3:5-7

The Body of Spirit-Mankind:

“In whom also you were circumcised with the circumcision made without hands in the removal of the body of the flesh, in the circumcision of Christ, having been buried with Him in baptism, in which also you were raised with Him through the faith of the working of God, the One having raised Him out from the dead.” Colossians 2:11-12

Salvation is the redemption of the soul from the bondage of the flesh to the freedom of the spirit in Jesus Christ. This changing of masters requires us to deal with the spirit of sin that dwelt in our body. So there are two states we need to consider in this process, “the body of sin” and “the mortal body.”

The Body of Sin: “But if Christ is in you, the body is indeed dead on account of sin, but the Spirit is life on account of righteousness.” Romans 8:10

In the above verse, Paul gives a glimpse of a state that exists  in us as we are being saved, the moment we accept Christ to be our saviour. He says “the body is indeed dead on account of sin” even while the Spirit of Christ has come to dwell in us. That is our hearts are purified from sin, and our spirit is united with His Spirit, yet our body remains dead in sin, [a body in which sin still dwells]. And it can not be otherwise, we do not deal with sin in the flesh before we receive Christ, that will be works. But we receive righteousness through faith that we might deal with the presence of sin in the flesh.

Baptism in Water:  “Therefore we were buried with Him through baptism into death, so that, just as Christ was raised up out from the dead by the glory of the Father, so we also should walk in newness of life.” Romans 6:4

Adam through wilful physical act of disobedience allowed the the spirit of the devil [sin] access to his flesh. [Now] Christ now also gives us an opportunity to act in obedience to Him, having made us righteous through faith, the obedience of baptism in water. That we through [wilful physical act of obedience to Christ in faith] may causes death to our flesh, to cut out [expel] the influence of the spirit of the wicked one [sin] from our bodies, that we might live for righteousness. [Note]: It is not the water that drives sin out of our flesh, but our obedience to Christ, which allows Him to do for us what we could not do ourselves.

Faith is doing something that we have no power to do ourselves. If we could do it ourselves we would not need faith. And we by our own effort, can never put out sin from our flesh [the law is proof of that]. But we can die to it in faith through baptism with Christ, that what we are not able to do Christ will do for us. “Our old man was crucified with Him, so that the body of sin might be annulled, that we are no longer enslaved to sin. For the one having died has been freed from sin.” Romans 6:6-7 We step into the water [making the death of Christ our own] and be raised out of the water [making His resurrected life to be our own.]  That the agreement between the body and sin may be broken.

Water Baptism is the killing of sinful flesh with “a circumcision made without hands.” meaning God will do, “through the faith of the working of God.” When Christ gets a hold of us, the first thing He wants to do is get this spirit of sin out of us through death [through our own obedience to His command]. And the very reason why the devil fights baptism, so that he may not lose his foothold in us.  

The Mortal Body: “So also you, consider yourselves to be dead indeed to sin, but living to Godin Christ Jesus. Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body, in order to obey its desires” Romans 6:11-12

The distinction between a body of sin and a mortal body is the former has sin dwelling in it the latter is free from sin, though being natural [made with hands, a product of Adam and Eve] it is still subject to death. Therefore through baptism in water, our body of sin is raised a mortal body free from sin.

Spiritual Body: “It is sown a natural body; it is raised a spiritual body. If there is a natural body, there is also a spiritual.” 1 Corinthians 15:44

We who were once natural beings are now in the spirit through Christ to be spiritual beings. And we being spirits can not remain in a natural body forever. The natural has got an end but the spiritual is eternal. “We ourselves, even having the firstfruit of the Spirit, also groan ourselves in ourselves, awaiting divine adoption as sons, the redemption of our body.” Romans 8:23 That just as we were in the likeness of Adam we also must be in the likeness of Christ. “And as we have borne the image of the earthly, we shall also bear the image of the heavenly.” 1 Corinthians 15:49

“For we know that if the tent of our earthly house should be destroyed, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens. And indeed, in this we groan, longing to be clothed with our dwelling which is from heaven.” 2 Corinthians 5:1-2

That we being separated from what is mortal and corruptible are clothed in what is incorruptible and immortal, to be heavenly beings . “Now when this the perishable shall have put on the imperishable, and this, the mortal, shall have put on immortality, then the word having been written will come to pass: “Death has been swallowed up in victory.” 1 Corinthians 15:54

The spirit which is from God possesses, the soul through the Spirit of Christ to be put in body that is from God.

The Spirit in Spirit-Mankind:

“The one being joined to the Lord is one spirit.” 1 Corinthians 6:17

The spirit in saved mankind is a spirit that is united as one with the Spirit of the Lord. Christ the source of eternal life comes to dwell in us. “Because I live, you also will live. In that day you will know that I am in My Father, and you in Me, and I in you.” John 14:19-20 We are united with Him and by His life we are sustained.

The Spirit of Christ.

“But if Christ is in you, the body is indeed dead on account of sin, but the Spirit is life on account of righteousness.” Romans 8:10

The Spirit of Christ is unique in the part of salvation because, in order to impart life and of His nature to us, He had to account for the sins that demanded our death. Which He paid making His own life a sacrifice for sins to all who accept Him. And His Spirit unity with ours, brings life, desire for righteousness and spiritual understanding. Jesus said, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father, if not by Me.” John 14:6

The Spirit is Life: “For the Law of the Spirit of life has set you free in Christ Jesus from the Law of sin and death.” Romans 8:2

Adam once had righteousness to life [in the natural] in the absence of sin. But when he breached the contract of the spirit of life, through disobedience [sin entered] and it resulted in him being put under the law of sin and death. So the spirit in him could not sustain him to life indefinitely on the account of sin, and we along with him. But the Spirit we receive from Christ, is the Spirit of justification to life through the righteousness of faith. “the spirit is life because of righteousness.”

He does not say, “the spirit is alive, [which we ourselves read into to mean] but “the spirit is life.” But when speaking of us, he says “He has made you alive with Him,” we who were once dead in sins. The point being the spirit is not dead, but our spirit is put under a new covenant in Jesus Christ to give us life. From the law of sin & death, to the law of Spirit of life in Christ Jesus. “I have been crucified with Christ, and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. And that which I now live in the flesh, I live through faith from the Son of God, the One having loved me and having given up Himself for me.” Galatians 2:20

Paul in Galatians writes, “For if a law had been given being able to impart life, then righteousness indeed would have emerged from out of the Law. But the Scripture imprisoned all things under sin, so that by faith from Jesus Christ, the promise might be given to those believing.” Gal 3:21-22 Here Paul makes it clear, the law is not a means  to obtain the promise of the Spirit [life]. And he presents righteousness and life to be complementary, “if a law had been given being able to impart life, then righteousness indeed would have emerged from out of the Law,” that is the prerequisite for eternal life is righteousness. “And the righteousness of God is through faith from Jesus Christ toward all those believing.” Romans 3:22

Christ kept all the law, that He might present Himself as a blameless sacrifice for sins committed under the law. That He might freely give us of the righteousness of His Spirit to life. Through this unity of His Spirit with our spirit, we become partakes of the His divine nature, and we are rescued from the flesh to be spirits. “the last Adam became a life-giving Spirit.”

The Spirit is Sanctification: “To open their eyes, that they may turn from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan to God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins and an inheritance among those [having been sanctified] by faith in Me.” Acts 26:18

When Adam and Eve fell, the bible records their eyes were opened to sin [evil] to know their flesh, and were condemned to death. Now the eyes of our spirits are also opened to righteousness to life through Christ, to know truth. So the Lord says to Paul, “to open their eyes, that they may turn from darkness to light.

“Through the knowledge of evil in disobedience Adam and Eve knew the good that was present in them. Now we also through the knowledge of righteousness in Christ Jesus, recognise the evil that was in our flesh. That is the magnitude of our sins were not known to us, but when we turn to the Lord we can look back at the fruits of our flesh and we are ashamed. “For when you were slaves of sin, you were free from righteousness. What fruit, therefore, did you have then in the things of which you are now ashamed?” Romans 6:20-21 That is, we once lived our life thinking we are justified and were blinded by our flesh unaware of the evil that was at work in us.

In the first section we have shown how the spirit of sin was working through sinful-flesh to produce death in us, ” —  in which once you walked according to the age of this world, according to the ruler of the authority of the air, the spirit now working in the sons of disobedience.” Ephesians 2:1-2 By the same measure, now also the Spirit of God is at work in us to produces righteousness to life through grace. “For God is the One working in you both to will and to work according to His good pleasure.” Philippians 2:13 That is the Spirit of Christ comes in to be the head of our spirit, to move us to desire righteousness and shun evil. “For in that He Himself has suffered, having been tempted, He is able to help those being tempted.” Hebrews 2:18

“But thanks be to God that you who were slaves of sin have now become obedient from the heart to the pattern of teaching to which you were committed. And having been set free from sin, you have become slaves to righteousness.” Romans 6:17-18

Paul when teaching on the purposes of the law writes, “I have not known sin, if not by Law. And indeed, I had not been conscious of covetousness if the Law had not said, “You shall not covet.” Romans 7:7 that is Israel through the law where taught the the things of God though they had no power to uphold it due to the weakness of the flesh. But what the law could not do Christ has done, and what He has done He bestowed on us through His Spirit. [Romans 8:3-4] That is the righteousness of the law is fulfilled in us by the Spirit, through love for God and love for the brethren. “For the entire Law is fulfilled in in this one word: “You shall love your neighbour as yourself.” Galatians 5:14 Because He is in us, we turn from darkness to light. The Spirit works by changing our desire, as we yield to Him and we are able to recognise the errors of our ways.

“For just as you yielded your members in bondage to impurity and to lawlessness unto lawlessness, so now yield your members in bondage to righteousness unto sanctification.” Romans 6:19

Then our reaction to our past become the very evidence of His nature is working in us. We by abiding in Him, His love is working in us and we are motivated to works of righteousness. “Because the love of God has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, the One having been given to us.” Romans 5:5 Love is the evidence, it is the source of desire, it is motivation and obedience born out of love, is not burdensome. “You have loved righteousness and hated wickedness,” Psalm 45:7 is the nature of Christ. Therefore if Christ dwells in us, His nature will be made manifest.

“Anyone having been born of God does not practice sin, because His seed abides in him, and he is not able to continue sinning, because he has been born of God.” 1 John 3:9

The Spirit is Understanding: “Now we have not received the spirit of the world, but the Spirit from God, that we may know the things having been granted to us by God, which also we speak, not in words taught of human wisdom, [but in those taught of the Spirit], communicating spiritual things by spiritual means.” 1 Corinthians 2:12-13

When Christ comes in to be the Lord of our spirit, our understanding to spiritual matters is opened. The Lord said to His disciples, “To you has been given the mystery of the kingdom of God, but to those who are outside, everything is done in parables,” Mark 4:11 The Lord said this to them on the account that He was present with them to make known to them the meanings of His sayings. And in the gospel of John, the Lord says, “The Spirit of truth, whom the world is not able to receive, because it does not see Him nor know. But you know Him, for He abides with you and He will be in you.” John 14:17 It is through Jesus the Holy Spirit dwelt among them. Time and time again they ask for the meaning to be given to them; the Lord’s parables were as perplexing to them as it is to the crowd, but the difference was He was with them to teach them the meaning. Mark records, “He would not speak to them without parables; but privately He would explain all things to His own disciples.” Mark 4:34

The Lord was doing the works the Holy Spirit would later do in us, in letting us know truth as we seek Him. “But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things and will bring to your remembrance all things that I have said to you.” John 14:26 But to those outside the truth is hidden, it is in parable. Paul speaking of the law writes, “But whenever one shall have turned to the Lord, the veil is taken away.” 2 Corinthians 3:16 The veil of thinking through the mind of the flesh [the natural mind], is removed as to be made able to understand truth. We turn away from the spirit of the world, from the spirit of deception to the Lord.

The Lord uses the prophecy of Isaiah to illustrate why He spoke in parables; “Seeing, they might see and not perceive; and hearing, they might hear and not understand; lest ever they should turn, and they should be forgiven.” Isaiah 6:9-10 He does not say this, to mean that He imparts great wisdom in parables to purposely hide the truth from them. But just that in order for them to perceive the truth they first need to turn away from [spirit of sin] and their sins to be forgiven them. It is sin that blinds us from seeing and hearing the truth of God. But when one turns to the Lord, he receives forgiveness; the veil of seeing through flesh [sin] is removed and is made able to see and hear.

• “But if indeed our gospel is concealed, it is concealed to those who are perishing, in whom the god of this age has blinded the minds of the unbelieving, so as for not to beam forth the illumination of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.” 2 Corinthians 4:3-4
• “You are no longer to walk as also the Gentiles are walking, in the futility of their mind, being darkened in the understanding, being alienated from the life of God because of the ignorance being in them on account of the hardness of their heart. Ephesians 4:17-18

The spirit and flesh are at enmity, they do not agree, so to the natural fallen man the things of the Spirit of God are foolishness. Therefore if through the flesh, a person is unable to know the things of God because of sin, then the spirit through Christ is awakened that he might discern, the things of God. “Now we have not received the spirit of the world, but the Spirit from God, that we may know the things having been granted to us by God. 1 Corinthians 2:12

“The [natural man] does not accept the things of the Spirit of God; for they are foolishness to him, and he is not able to understand them, because spiritually they are discerned. But he who is spiritual judges all things, but he himself is judged by no one. “For who has known the mind of the Lord? Who will instruct Him?” But we have the mind of Christ.” 1 Corinthians 2:14-16

Here Paul is saying “the natural man,” that is flesh-mankind is not able to comprehend, and the only way we can understand the things of God is, when we become spirit-mankind through Jesus Christ. That is Christ dealt with sin that we may be spirits in Him, so the eyes that were blinded may see, the mind that was deceived may understand, that is we may see beyond the veil of deception of the evil one. Therefore the spirit is understanding through the Spirit of Christ.

“But out of Him, you are in Christ Jesus, who has been made unto us wisdom from God, and righteousness and sanctification and redemption.” 1 Corinthians 1:30

The Baptism of the Holy Spirit.

“And there appeared to them dividing tongues as of fire and sat upon each one of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit was giving to them to utter forth.”  Acts 2:3-4

Every born again believer, has the Holy Spirit in them. “He [the Lord] breathed on them and He says to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit.” John 20:22  However, having said this we need to take note that, Christ who was born of the Holy Spirit was later baptised by the Holy Spirit to face the temptation of the devil and to do the work of His ministry. And Hebrews record how Christ offered Himself to God without spot through the eternal Spirit. “How much more will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself unblemished to God, purify our conscience from dead works, in order to serve the living God!” Hebrews 9:14

Jesus is our example; He was baptised in water yet, He had no sin nor did His flesh need to die since He was not a Son of Adam but of GOD. However, we need to be baptised in water in order to die to the flesh and be set free from sin. Therefore, if the  Lord served God and offered Himself spotless through the baptism of the Holy Spirit, we also ought to offer ourselves free from sin through the Holy Spirit to God, “I exhort you, brothers, through the compassions of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy to God, well-pleasing, which is your reasonable service.” Romans 12:1

Power to Live Right: “And if the Spirit of the One having raised up Jesus out from the dead dwells in you, the One having raised up Christ Jesus out from the dead also will give life to your mortal bodies, on account of His Spirit dwelling in you.” Romans 8:11

Paul here makes distinction between the Spirit of Christ, whom we receive in righteousness of faith and the Spirit that raised Christ from the dead. And he asks the question, “But if [the Spirit of God] that raised Christ from the dead dwells in you?” In doing so Paul gives two distinct functionalities, to the Spirit of Christ and the Holy Spirit. He has already stated that the presence of the Spirit of Christ gives life to our spirit in righteousness, though the body is dead because of sin. [Romans 8:10] [Now] he adds, [God] will also give life to your mortal bodies through the indwelling of the Holy Spirit, giving a new dimension, to the function of the Holy Spirit.

And we can compare our mortal body to the state our spirit was prior to receiving the Spirit of Christ, though it was pure it was unable to give us strength to do what is righteous. Our mortal body is of the same state, the spirit of sin that dwelt in it is driven out through baptism in Christ, but our body does not have life [strength] for holiness in a fallen world which the baptism in the Holy Spirit provides. Life we said is interchangeable with righteousness. Through the Spirit of Christ, our spirit receives life to direct the desires of our hearts onto righteousness. By the very same measure our body which once enticed us to harmful and sinful practices due to the presence of sins, is also now given desires for holiness and honour by the Holy Spirit indwelling in us.

Our body is given back to us, we are no longer captives to sin, therefore are made responsible. “Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body, in order to obey its desires.” Romans 6:12Then we can either strive by our own strength battling against the habits of our old life, or through the baptism in the Holy Spirit we can rule over our body. “If by His Spirit you have put to death the deeds of the body.” Romans 8:13

Power for Ministry: “But you will receive power, the Holy Spirit having come upon you, and you will be witnesses for Me, both in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the uttermost part of the earth.” Acts 1:8

The Lord had trained His disciples for over three years, and has seen them do great works in His name. But now He instructs them to wait on the baptism of the Holy Spirit that they may do the same work in the power of God. These men who were fearful, even were spooked into betrayal were now empowered by the Spirit of God to proclaim the gospel with all boldness. “Now seeing the boldness of Peter and of John, and having understood that they are unschooled and ordinary men, they were astonished. And they recognized them, that they had been with Jesus.” Acts 4:13 There is a clear indication of power being manifested in them, in confronting the of powers [and the people] they were fearful of and shunned away from.

We can also examine the ministry of Apollos and Paul. Apollos as one who served God without the baptism of the Holy Spirit. “Being an eloquent man, mighty in the Scriptures. He was instructed in the way of the Lord. And being fervent in spirit, he was speaking and was teaching earnestly the things concerning Jesus, knowing only the baptism of John.” Acts 18:24-25 And Paul, though he was skilled in the law and knowledge, yet his manner of presence was perceived to be weak and unskilled in speech. [1 Corinthians 10:10, 2 Corinthians 6:11] But he served God in the power of the baptism of the Holy Spirit. “By the grace of God I am what I am, and His grace toward me has not been void. Rather, I toiled more abundantly than all of them, yet not I, but the grace of God that was with me.” 1 Corinthians 15:10

Though the comparison may be unfair somewhat, it demonstrates the weakness of one [Paul] was matched by the power of God. The word of God says, our labour in the Lord is not in vain, and God brought fruit from Apollos’ labour, yet He yielded a great harvest from the labour of Paul. 

“For I will not dare to speak of anything except what Christ has accomplished through me unto the obedience of the Gentiles by word and deed, in the power of signs and wonders, in the power of the Spirit of God.” Romans 15:18-19

Paul also exhorted people to live right to master their own bodies, which is their reasonable service to God. But he also recognised in himself the gift of God that enabled him mastery over his body. The baptism in the Holy Spirit is the demonstration of the power of God, both in service to God and a sacrificial life to the glory and honour of His name.

The Lord said to His disciples, “You will receive power, the Holy Spirit having come upon you.” Acts 1:8 This power is not only for the purpose of ministry but also has benefits to the individual believer by which we gain strength to live right for God. Paul writing to Corinthians explains how one of the primary signs of the baptism of the Holy Spirit, serves to build up the believer. “The one speaking in a tongue edifies himself, but the one prophesying edifies the church.” 1 Corinthians 14:4 that is through the gift of the Holy Spirit in baptism we are equipped with a supernatural means to be strengthened.

“But if we hope for what we do not see, we await in patience. Now likewise also, the Spirit joins to help us in weakness; for we do not know the things which we should pray for as it behooves, but the Spirit Himself makes intercession with inexpressible groanings.” Romans 8:25-26

Paul puts seeing and knowing in the same category, so he makes the point that the things we do not understand in prayer, we are able to wait for in perseverance. 

There are many promises of God that we try to appropriate with our understanding and are moved from one moment to another and we fail, [which is part of our weakness]. When we pray in the Spirit, we pray in words He gives in a manner to petition God that we may receive what is needed. The only faith that is needed is the faith to pray in tongues; the faith it is His words we utter and He will act on our behalf according to our need. And because He helps us, we are able to wait for the petition He makes on our behalf with patience [though we do not know it]. Therefore we are able to obtain what is needed, and the power of God is manifested in our lives.

“For the kingdom of God is not in word, but in power.” 1 Corinthians 4:20

New Creation: In Christ. 

“Therefore from now, we regard no one according to the flesh. Even though we have regarded Christ according to flesh, yet now we regard Him thus no longer. Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old things have passed away; behold, the new has come into being.” 2 Corinthians 5:16-17

Mankind becomes a spiritual being in Christ Jesus and is No longer considered flesh. Our inner-man is being renewed, the spirit and soul in unity is the inner man, as our soul was once united to the flesh. Our mind is being renewed in the knowledge of the Son of God. We are learning what we are in Him, our souls are being acclimatised to our new nature in the Spirit, just as we have learned the things of the natural world through our flesh. It is not our spirit which is a babe, but our souls, because we do not know the things of Spirit as we did of the flesh. So we desire the pure milk of the word as we grow to be spiritual, our soul is being changed and not our spirit which is already complete in Christ. [Colossians 2:10]

A new creation: If God was in Adam through His Spirit as Christ is in us then we would not be new creations. 

Paul says, “we regard no one according to the flesh,” and “Even though we have regarded Christ according to flesh, yet now we regard Him thus no longer.” If we do not regard Christ according to the flesh, then we regard Him according to the Spirit, “The Lord is the Spirit,” and if we are in Christ we are no longer in the flesh but in the Spirit. Therefore Not being regarded flesh but being in the spirit is the new creation, and if new, we were never spirits.

Heart: Soul or Spirit?

“The heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure. Who can understand it? I, the LORD, search the heart; I examine the mind to reward a man according to his way, by what his deeds deserve.” Jeremiah 17:9-10

We have applied the heart to mean the spirit. Therefore all aspects of terms used to expresses the state of the heart, to be hardened or deceitful are perceived as a consequence of the spirit being dead. However as detailed above, the spirit is of God, it is the breath of life and a means by which the content of the soul is searched out. Therefore it is neither dead nor corrupt. The heart and mind apply to aspects of the soul, which is the essence of mankind. In which it is desires, motives, deeds and thoughts are measured.

When our body touch’s something hot, our mind recognises the pain, and when we do something against the truth of God our spirit [which is the breath of God] convicts our conscience and we know our error. Our spirit knows spiritual matters as our body does of natural matters. People using their hands in repeated tasks that cuts and burns, eventually their hands become calluses and would not feel the pain. By the same measure our conscience is hardened by sin, and the conviction of the spirit in us means nothing. Our hearts have been hardened. The point to make is the hearts may be used to expresses the vast make up of a person’s soul, but in general does not speak of the spirit.

“Today if you should hear His voice, do not harden your hearts, as in the rebellion, in the day of testing in the wilderness.” Psalm 95:7-8

A harden hearts, is a heart made unresponsive. Ezekiel says, “the heart of stone,” he says this in respect to  the unwillingness of the heart to abide to the law of God. Paul writes in Romans, the law of God failed to fulfil its purpose in us  because of the weakness of the flesh. The flesh in which the spirit of sin dwelt. Then our soul [conscience] is hardened through disobedience, as we give heed to the spirit of sin that is at work in our flesh becoming callous and unresponsive.

The Lord said, “The things going forth out of the mouth come forth out of the heart, and these defile the man. For out of the heart come forth evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, sexual immorality, thefts, false testimonies, slanders. These are the things defiling the man.” Matthew 15:18-20 Jesus in speaking of the heart is not speaking of the spirit of man, but of his soul whose root is in the flesh. Of sin Paul writes, mankind conceives wickedness in a debased mind to the satisfaction of his flesh.  But the Lord discerns the thought and intent of the heart by the spirit that is in mankind, “The spirit of a man is the lamp of the LORD, searching out his inmost being.” Proverbs 20:27

Therefore the heart speaks of, aspects of the Soul. It is the soul that bares the guilt of our sin, it is the soul that is condemned to death and it is the soul that is purified, forgiven and saved. We receive justification for our souls through Jesus Christ, having washed away the guilt of our sins, and of evil conscience, we are sealed by the Holy Spirit until the redemption of our purchased possession.

“The Love of God, the Grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, and the Communion of the Holy Spirit.”

2 Corinthians 13:14

This is the true expression of our relationship with God. Because God so Loved us, He gave us His Son, that through the grace He has made available to us by the sacrifice of Himself, we are able to have communion with the Spirit of God. We are born from above we have His Spirit dwelling in us, and are a made a new creation, God dwelling in mankind.

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