The Spirit World
The Spirit was taught by Dr. James Modlish

Lesson Three

Man’s Relationship to The Spirit World

 

I. MAN, THE CROWN OF CREATION, ROYALLY APPOINTED BY GOD:

Gen. 1:26 - "in our image, after our likeness;" what is meant by this "image" and "likeness" (Col. 1:15)?

Man is a trinity (body, soul and spirit - I Thess 5:23), but the meaning is more than man is a trinity:

[1]. Not physical (bodily, visible); since God is Spirit (John 4:24; Luke 24:39; John 17:5; Phil. 2:6; Rom. 8:29; I Cor. 15:49; II Cor. 3:18). This image was something lost at the fall, and regained in redemption (Phil. 3:21; Col. 3:10; Eph. 4:23,24).

[2]. It is that man was created to be a spiritual being, a moral person (Gen. 3:1-6, Rom. 5:12,14), with intellect (Gen. 1:28,29), and will, conscience, self-conscious. (From an ape???)
 

II. THE THREE PARTS OF MAN (Three-fold Consciousness):

See Diagram

 

Illustration: the peach is a trinity (fruit, stone, seed).

The body touches the physical (material) world through five senses and there are five corresponding gates to the soul:

See Diagram

 

The spirit of man can only receive impressions from the physical world through the soul (see diagram). the five sense faculties of the spirit are: FAITH, HOPE, REVERENCE, PRAYER, WORSHIP - all contacts and communications with God.

 

III. THE CLOSING (Death) and OPENING (Life) OF THE SPIRIT OF MAN:

"Will" stands at the door of natural man to prevent the Holy Spirit entrance. It is not until man's "will" surrenders through the power of the "SWORD OF THE SPIRIT" (the WORD, Heb. 4:12) that the Holy Spirit can enter and take up abode in the "spirit of man" - this is at regeneration, new birth. (John 3)

In his unfallen state (Eden) the spirit of man was in fellowship with God (walked, Gen. 3:8), but when man fell in Adam's sin, sin closed the window of the Spirit (Adam willed, chose to sin), and the chamber of the Spirit became a death chamber, and remains so in every unregenerated heart until life comes by the Holy Spirit giving power of the new life in Christ Jesus (born again). The natural man cannot understand spiritual things (I Cor. 2:14) until the spiritual nature has been renewed.
 

IV. THE BATTLEFIELD OF "GOOD AND EVIL":

It is not enough for the Holy Spirit to take up residence in the spirit of man (new birth); He must have access to the soul and body of man (see diagram). The battlefield of "good" and "evil" is then in the soul and body of man (Matt. 26:41).

The flesh (body) wars against the spirit (Gal. 5:17). The fruits of the flesh (Gal. 5:22,23) when the Spirit controls the soul and body.
 

V. WHEN SOUL AND SPIRIT LEAVE THE BODY:

When a man dies (physically) his soul and spirit separate from the body (which is laid in a grave); but the spirit is not "bodiless"; it is clothed in the soul. (Lazarus in Luke 16:19-31 still had the faculties of the soul - no soul sleep!)

THE SPIRIT IS WILLING, BUT THE FLESH IS WEAK (Matt. 26:41).

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