Although the
bible very explicitly states; “So I say,
live by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the sinful nature.
For the sinful nature desires what is contrary to the Spirit and the Spirit
what is contrary to the sinful nature. They are in conflict with each other, so
that you do not do what you want.” And again; “Since we live
by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit: Let us not become
conceited, provoking and envying each other” (Galatians 5:16, 17, 25, 26).
Surprisingly,
many people know very little about this life in the spirit. Many are ignorant
of the fact that man in our new dispensation is the descendant of two Adams.
From the first Adam man inherited life in the flesh which is the breath of life
which is temporary and from the last Adam man inherited life in the spirit
which is spiritual and eternal.
For it is
written; “The first man Adam became
a living being,’ the last
Adam, a life-giving spirit…the first man
was of the dust of the earth, the second man from heaven. As was the earthly
man, so are those who are of the earth; and as is the man from heaven, so also
are those who are of heaven. And just as we have borne the likeness of the
earthly man, so shall we bear the likeness of the man from heaven” (1Corinthians 15:45, 47-49).
Man from
creation is composed of body, soul and spirit. The body is physical and temporary
and made from the dust of the ground and to dust it shall return. To the body,
God breathed the breath of life and man became a living soul, this we inherited
from the first Adam.
The soul is
the living being in whom there is life which is represented by the blood which
contains our DNA and it is unique from all other being. Even animals and other
living creatures in which there is life are called souls.
The spirit is
man’s immaterial nature which is subject to divine influence and has the prerogative
to be connected with either the Holy Spirit and becomes the child of God or be
connected to the spirit of the prince of the power of the air and becomes a
child of the devil. At death, the spirit returns to God who made it.
And so it is
written; “The God who made the
world and everything in it is the Lord of heaven and earth and does not live in
temples built by hands, and he is not served by human hands, as if he needed
anything, because he himself gives all men life and breath and everything else” (Acts 17:2425).
Every human
being (the soul) has the choice to use the members of his/her body as servants
to either the flesh or the spirit. The spirit, before the advent of Jesus
Christ the last Adam, the spirit man from heaven was dead (separated from God),
due to the transgression of the first Adam; it was alienated from the life of
God. But because of God’s great love
for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were
dead in transgressions.
There is now
daily a constant battle which takes place in the mind between the flesh and the
spirit, making it difficult for anyone to do the things that he/she wishes and
this struggle is so real that we have been duly admonished saying; “For though
we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh. For the weapons of
our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds, casting
down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of
God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ, and
being ready to punish all disobedience when your obedience is fulfilled” (2Corinthians
10:3-6).
To confirm
the reality and practicality of this life in the spirit we have been advised to
visualize the invisible stating; “Therefore we do not lose heart. Even though
our outward man is perishing, yet the inward man is being renewed day by day. For
our light affliction, which is but for a moment, is working for us a far more
exceeding and eternal weight of glory” (2Corinthians 4:16-17).
And so, the multi-million
dollar question is, how is the inward man being renewed day by day? Is there a
formula or a protocol by which the new man is being renewed day by day?
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With brotherly love
Lucius Joseph
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