Have You Thought About Your Interior Life?

Ephesians 4:21-23 "if indeed you have heard Him and have been taught in Him, just as truth is in Jesus, 22 that, in reference to your former manner of life, you lay aside the old self, which is being corrupted in accordance with the lusts of deceit, 23 and that you be renewed in the spirit of your mind, 24 and put on the new self, which in the likeness of God has been created in righteousness and holiness of the truth."

Introduction:

How often do you think of your "interior-life". What do I mean by the term: "interior-life"? The interior life is simply one's mental and spiritual status of their soul. As a human being, you are composite by nature. You are a physical, biological being - having senses, blood, bone, muscle and organs. In addition, you are also immaterial - possessing a personality endowed with freedom of the will (what the Bible refers to as "the soul") and the capacity to know God (i.e "made in God's image" or one's human "spirit"). 

We all are very aware of what we could call "the outer-life" - i.e the life we lead through our interactions with the world and other people. We try to look right, act right and maintain the correct social skills needed to operate in society. People know how to act a certain way and talk a particular way when in specific settings (church, school, work). The exterior-life is the focal point of our culture. The Bible uses this language of "inner-life" and "outer-life" to describe human beings. 

The Bible's usage of the terms "inner-man" and "outward-man"

Concerning the outer-life first, we read for example in 2 Corinthians 4:16 "Therefore we do not lose heart, but though our outer man is decaying, yet our inner man is being renewed day by day." The outer life or "outer-man" is in a state of progressing decay. Even for the Christian, one's physical frame is awaiting that glorious final step in overall salvation - namely the resurrection of the body (see 1 John 3:1-3). We tend to find that our "external life" or "outer-life" dominates our thinking while being unbelievers. When we are converted at saving faith, the Spirit's cooperative work of developing our inward-life can seem awkward and frustrating. We do all we can to preserve our ties to this world and the outward life, but take little thought to our inward life.

So what about the "inward-life" - i.e the soul and spirit? This second area is so often neglected. The interior life covers how we as a living soul are being influenced by either what goes on the deepest part of us (the "spirit") or in our outer-life. 

Again, the soul is the seat of human personality. You are not some so-called "ghost in a machine". Rather, your are a soul that receives information from your exterior life and at the same time you interact with whatever is going on the innermost part of you (i.e your spirit). Your brain, a physical organ, is not identical with your immaterial personality (endowed with faculties or functions of willing, feeling and thinking). Both you as a soul and your physical exterior life interact on a continual basis. The soul of a person is that person. 

The inward life is spoken of quite often in the Old and New Testaments, with two quick examples serving as major samples:

Proverbs 20:27 "The spirit of man is the lamp of the Lord, searching all the innermost parts of his being."

Here we see reference to the "spirit of a man" functioning as a lamp or candle. This is where the Holy Spirit comes to live in New Testament salvation (see 1 Corinthians 2:10-13). Now note another reference to the "inner-man" in the New Testament:

Ephesians 3:14-17 "For this reason I bow my knees before the Father, 15 from whom every family in heaven and on earth derives its name, 16 that He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with power through His Spirit in the inner man, 17 so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; and that you, being rooted and grounded in love."

Paul prayed for the interior life of his readers. 

The goal of the Spirit's work in the Christian life is that our soul would be more dominated by our interior life than the exterior life

The interior life of a Christian that is sold-out to Jesus is characterized by their soul (i.e personality, consisting of mind, emotions and will) being more dominated by the Holy Spirit in the human spirit than their exterior life. The Spirit of God is He-in-me. When my interior life is daily in fellowship with the Holy Spirit in my human spirit, my mind, emotions and will respond and interact accordingly. God has given us His book - the Bible, prayer and the local church as resources to which we can exercise our souls (i.e ourselves in our mind, emotions and will) to conform to that interior life governed by the Holy Spirit (see 1 Corinthians 2:10-13; 1 Timothy 4:13-16; Jude 1:20-23).

Undoubtedly, there will be the continual tug-of-war that the soul of the Christian finds themselves between the interior life and exterior life. The personality of the Christian is in process. There remains that principle of of the former way of doing things before conversion that clings to the soul. As we ever remain in this world: interacting with other people who are themselves influenced by the course of this world; as well as experience the daily warfare of the kingdom of darkness, we find the left-overs of sin functioning like iron-filings. Whenever the world, the flesh or the Devil draws near, that left-over principle of sin-within-us is attracted and wants to respond (see Paul's full discussion of this in Romans 7:14-25). 

For the Christian who is growing in Christ-likeness, the need to cultivate one's interior life is a must. The goal of the Spirit's work of sanctification is for our soul to be more influenced by what He is doing on the inside than by those influences that wage war on the outside. 

The story of the two telephones

James 3:13 "Who among you is wise and understanding? Let him show by his good behavior his deeds in the gentleness of wisdom."

True Christians demonstrate their profession of faith by fruits of obedience
As you look at the opening verse of today's blog, you may wonder what point is James trying to make when he asks his question?  The short answer is that he is saying: "who among you is a Christian" or "who among you is saved"? With that question, James then exhorts his readers who are Christians to act like Christians. 1  What will follow in James 3:14-4:7 are encouragements and warnings to believers who are operating in one of two ways: those who are spiritual or operating out of their human spirit with the Holy Spirit dwelling therein and those who are carnal or compromising in their Christian walk.2  

Two telephones - an illustration
Years ago I heard an illustration of how the Christian's soul in communication with their spirit and the body is comparable to having two telephones.  With a little bit of upgrading to that illustration I want to help you to see the significance of what James is writing to us here in James 3:13-4:7.  

Your life before Christ - an empty room and one rusty old telephone called "the wisdom from below"
Picture for a moment your soul (mind, emotions, will and conscience) as being a room in which you live.  You are a soul, a living soul, with a spirit clothed in a body.  Your human spirit, prior to salvation, is an empty room upstairs with no lights and no windows.  All you know is the room of your soul that is enhoused in your physical body.  Now in the room of your soul there is a rusty old telephone that is connected to what James describes in James 3:15 as the "wisdom from below".  Whenever that phone rings, you pick up the receiver and have conversations with those that claim to be your friends.  On the other end are voices that comprise this "wisdom from below", influencing your soul before salvation to be influenced by the world, your natural bodily drives and the demonic realm that is working through this world system. (James 3:15) Furthermore, unknown to you, you are continually on the line, and are quite happy with your telephone.  It is in you to keep the rusty old phone.   

How you go from having one telephone as an unbeliever to having two telephones as a Christian
A neighbor of yours invites you to church one Sunday, and so you relunctantly go.  While sitting in the church service, a man gets up front and preaches the Gospel.  In your soul the rusty telephone suddenly rings - distracting you from focusing on the preacher.  The voice on the other end tells you to ignore the man and bide your time until the lunch hour. Suddenly on the inside of your soul you see a second, shiny red telephone appear, and on the receiver you find these words as described by James 3:17 "the wisdom from above".  At first you ignore it, you leave the church service and move on with your life.  About mid-way through the week the shiny red telephone in your soul begins to ring.  Again you ignore it, since you are on the rusty old telephone with your friends from the place called "wisdom from below".  However it begins to ring more and more.  Getting agitated, you say: "excuse me, I need to put you on hold, for I have another line trying to ring." 

The Shiny red telephone of the Gospel rings with the convicting work of the Holy Spirit who is moving into your human spirit
As you do so and proceed to pick up the shiny red telephone, the voice on the other line says: "hello, this is the Holy Spirit." As He begins to speak to your heart, your find your spirit coming alive.  As He continues, you find that what the Spirit of God says to you about your lost condition and Jesus Christ the Savior is pure, brings you peace, washes over you in gentleness, makes sense, is full of mercy and makes you want to live a live for Jesus without hypocrisy. (James 3:17)  The Holy Spirit persuades you to hang up the other phone and cut the cord, and to never pick up the old rusty phone of your old life ever again. As the Holy Spirit moves into the upstairs room of your human spirit, you surrender by faith to Jesus Christ.

The two telephones represent the daily battle you have between the wisdom from above versus the wisdom from below
Now even though the Holy Spirit has moved into the room upstairs (your human spirit), and even though your are on the line with Him, comparing spiritual thoughts with spiritual words in your Bible and prayer (1 Corinthians 2:12-13), at about noon everyday that old rusty telephone begins to ring.  According to James 4:1-4, as a Christian, you still have your dying body and the remnant of sin to contend with, tempting you to lust after what you do not have - meaning that there is a part of you (the self-life) that is tempted to re-connect with that old phone.  At first you declare war and cut the cord, saying to yourself: "I know that the power of sin was taken away when I got saved, but yet at about this time I find my self having to die to this old self-life." (compare Romans 7:14ff)  At anyrate you continue talking to the Spirit, enjoying sweet fellowship with Him, reading your Bible, praying and going to church. 

How the spiritual Christian can become carnally minded - talking on the wrong telephone
Then it happens -  a bad day.  The boss yells at you, the car breaks down and you get a bill that was more than you estimated.  Its about noon and you're hungry, frustrated and you are finding yourself not clearly hearing the Holy Spirit speaking from your human spirit on that shiny red telephone.  Suddenly that old rusty telephone rings and in desperation, you tell the Holy Spirit: "please hold!"  Now He is warning you with a loud voice to cut the cord of that rusty telephone, for as James notes in James 4:5, the Lord with His Spirit is Jealous or desirous for our undivided attention. 

As soon as you pick up that rusty telephone, an old song, a sweet voice of an old friend speaks words that you have not heard in a long time.  The red shiny telephone's light is blinking, but you ignore it.  As a Christian, you can only talk on one telephone at a time.  Soon you are spending more time with your old friends from your former way of life than you are with the Holy Spirit.  You stop reading your Bible and your prayer life goes to the wayside.  For a while all seems well - and yet you get the feeling that all is not right between you and God.  You're growing cold and mean.  Church is losing its draw, the Bible has become to you a wordless book and your prayer life is boring.  What happened? You became carnally minded. 

How God wins you back and rescues you from your carnal, backslidden state - reconnecting with the right telephone
Thankfully the Holy Spirit has not given up.  His silence has been deafening, however He and the Father and the Son have engineered some difficult circumstances to come your way to steer you back to repentance.  God the Father has ordained to permit the difficulties, since you are his child, and He only disciplines those whom He loves. (Hebrews 12:6) In tears you humble yourself and pray a prayer of repentance, knowing full well the promise of James 4:6 "But He gives a greater grace. Therefore it says, “GOD IS OPPOSED TO THE PROUD, BUT GIVES GRACE TO THE HUMBLE.” 

One night the old rusty telephone rings.  This time you snatch it up. Having repented and submitted yourself unto God, you say to that voice on the other line that you resist the devil and that he must flee in Jesus name.  And as you slam down the receiver, you cut the cord and resume your conversation with the Holy Spirit, in your human spirit, on the shiny red telephone.

End Notes:_________________

1. No doubt James, writing under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, was echoing such passages as Psalm 107:43 "Who is wise? Let him give heed to these things, And consider the lovingkindnesses of the LORD." Jesus too equated the term "wise", as so used by James, with the idea of somebody who was truly converted by grace through faith. We read in Matthew 7:24-25 “Therefore everyone who hears these words of Mine and acts on them, may be compared to a wise man who built his house on the rock. 25“And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and slammed against that house; and yet it did not fall, for it had been founded on the rock."

2. To truly grasp what James is speaking about in James 3:14-4;6, we can read his words in light of Paul's words about these two types of Christians in 1 Corinthians 2 and 3.  Out of the three men described in that text, two are Christians. Both are indwelt by the Holy Spirit and both are forgiven of their sins by grace through faith in Jesus Christ. However the one who is spiritual in 1 Corinthians 2:10-13, 16 is ordering his soulish realm (mind, emotions, will) and body under the subjection of his spirit that is indwelt by the Holy Spirit. The other type of Christian in 1 Corinthians 3:1-4 is called by Paul "fleshly" or "carnal", meaning that at some point he has grieved the Spirit and is ordering his spirit around the drives of his physical body as bound by his sinful self-life operating in his soul.The carnal Christian still has the new nature and like a bag of potatoes that contains one rotten one, the carnal believer has compromised in an area and that area, lest removed by repentance, will begin to affect other areas.

P2 The full story of man: spirit, soul and body

1 Thessalonians 5:23 "Now may the God of peace Himself sanctify you entirely; and may your spirit and soul and body be preserved complete, without blame at the coming of our Lord
Jesus Christ."

Today's post will conclude the complete saga of man we began to tell yesterday in terms of how man is a soul with a spirit clothed in a body.  We are doing this short series through five main points covered in scripture: creation, fall, redemption, death and resurrection. In yesterday's post we discovered:

1. Man as a soul, with a spirit clothed in a body at creation.

2. Man as a living soul, clothed in a body, died in his spirit at the fall

3. Saved man is a soul who has a resurrected spirit and lives in a body

Today's post will cover this idea of man's three-fold nature as viewed through the final two points of death and resurrection.

Saved people are souls, with living spirits who die and leave behind a dead human body and go to heaven.  Unsaved people are souls, with dead spirits who leave behind a dead human body and go to hell to await judgment
So what occurs at death?  For the Christian, the Bible states in 2 Corinthians 5:6 "Therefore, being always of good courage, and knowing that while we are at home in the body we are absent from the Lord"  The Christian as a soul with a spirit goes immediately into the hands of the Lord in Heaven, where he is welcomed with a glorious entrance. (2 Peter 1:11-12)  The body, called by Paul (2 Corinthians 5:1-5) and Peter (2 Peter 1:14) a tent, refers to the frail and temporary nature of our current physical body that eventually returns to the dust from whence it came.  Unbelievers, when they die, are souls with dead human spirits who immediately go to a place called Sheol, Hades or hell, as exampled by the Rich Man in Luke 16:29-31.  

Contrary to pop culture today, when a person dies, it is a one way trip to the immediate presence of God for believers and Hell for sinners.  With those sober realities outlined, we must understand that scripture reveals one more point in its saga of believers/unbelievers in the body, souls and spirits....

There is to be a resurrection for the righteous and a resurrection of the unrighteous
Though a Christian in their souls and spirit go immediately into the presence of the Lord, the totality of His salvation for them is not yet complete.  Yes they are free from the penalty of sin in their spirit - thus in that respect they are instantly saved.  Concerning their souls, they are progressively saved by the Spirit's sanctifying work, making them more and more like Jesus while they excercise their mind, emotions and will in His Word - hence the removal of sin's power.  

And even when they get to Heaven, believers certainly enjoy a dimension of existence whereby they are set free from the presence of sin - i.e glorification.  However the Christian in that state is looking forward to the day they get a resurrected body like their Lord.  At His return, Christ will resurrect every believer, Old and New Testament, transforming their bones and decay into a glorified resurrected body - setting the body free from the putrification of sin. (Daniel 12:1-3; 1 Corinthians 15:51-57; 1 John 3:1-3)  The ressurrection represents the goal of redemption, a hope that was first revealed to men such as Job (Job 14:14; 19:25-28) and Abraham (Hebrews 11:19)

Sadly for unbelievers, they await the final judgment which will occur a thousand years after the resurrection of the righteous.  Though not spelled out in near the detail as that of believers, unbelievers evidently will have a resurrected body capable of withstanding eternal judgment. Daniel 12:2b tells us that the resurrection of the wicked will receive a body that is "disgraceful, existing in everlasting contempt".  Christ at that final judgment will cast them into the Lake of Fire, along with the Devil and his fallen angels. (Matthew 25:31-46; Revelation 20:11-15)

Conclusion: 
The past two posts attempted to tell the complete saga of man, a soul with a spirit clothed in a body, through five main points covered in scripture: creation, fall, redemption, death and resurrection.  My prayer is that this will aid you in your study of the scripture and perhaps shed light on both your own life and your dealings with others.  Remember, what is done on this earth will pass, what is done for Christ will last. 

P1 The full story of man: spirit, soul and body

1 Thessalonians 5:23 "Now may the God of peace Himself sanctify you entirely; and may your spirit and soul and body be preserved complete, without blame at the coming of our Lord
Jesus Christ."

Today and tomorrow's posts will attempt to tell the complete saga of man: a soul with a spirit clothed in a body.  We will do this through five main points covered in scripture: creation, fall, redemption, death and resurrection. Today's blog will focus on the first three of those areas.

Man as a soul, with a spirit clothed in a body at creation.
Man is a three-fold being who was created to know God and exercise authority in this world. Some Bible teachers advocate that man is essentially a two-fold being (also called di-chotomy): body and soul or body and spirit.  

It is the contention of this writer that tri-chotomy overall represents the Bible's testimony about man. With that said, we do not entirely dismiss that view out of hand.  Why?  The reason being is because from Genesis 1:26-27 and Genesis 2:7 we see God revealing the creation of man from two angles: a spiritual being in a physical body who was to walk with God and a soul clothed in a body who was to take dominion over his surroundings and be self-aware. 

In short, here is what we learn of mankind as originally created:

1. Humanity's body was perfect, capable of interracting and working the physical environment.  Being that the body of man was made from the earth, God endued the body with five senses and the capability to be aware of the world.

2. Humanity's soul is the life of the man.  The soul was breathed from the Spirit of God, resulting in physical life in the man.  Man was uniquely created with the ability to think, feel, choose and have conivictions or a conscience.  The soul is the man himself. We could say, with older Bible teachers of the past, that the soul is simply man's self awareness and the body is his center of world awareness.

3. Humanity's spirit was to be the aspect of man wherein he communed with God.  Being made in the image of God meant among other things that man alone could communicate and be communicated to by God in his spirit. 


Man as a living soul, clothed in a body, died in his spirit at the fall
When Adam and Eve heeded the voice of the serpent tempting them in the garden to partake of the tree, the scripture says that for Eve, the tree was pleasant to the eyes and desirable to eat.  She had already began to alter God's word in her mind and by her will she chose to abandon the grace of God on her life in preference to her soulish desires.  Adam willfully chose his wife over God and the two of them fell from the Grace that has been clothing their mortal bodies.  As souls they continued to live, however the curse of death through sin reaped its fruits. The result? Adam and his wife died in their spirit, affecting their soul totally to the point of where they could only live by their own desires.  

The bodies of the man and the woman would be subject to mortality or physical death.  The totality of how sin would affect the entirety of man's being is what Bible teachers call total depravity. Total depravity does not mean man is as bad as he could be. We see examples of unbelievers doing good things. Rather total depravity addresses the extent to which the fall affected Adam and his descendants - through and through and throughout their spirit, into their soul and upon their body. 

All of this of course ended up affecting every single person born into this world, with the sin and guilt of Adam passed down through the bloodline of the father's side. (1 Peter 1:17-18) In short:

1. Man died in his spirit
2. Is corrupted in his thinking, feeling and choosing in his soul.  Nothing he can do, apart from grace and saving faith can please God.
3. All people will die in their bodies, awaiting resurrection (believers in the resurrection of the righteous, unbelievers unto the resurrection of the wicked)

Saved man is a soul who has a resurrected spirit and lives in a body
When a man is born again by the Spirit of God and believes on Jesus Christ for the forgivness of sins, the Bible is clear on what takes place.  First, the Holy Spirit at saving faith has penetrated past my mind, emotions, will of my soul and through God Word, pierces the dividing wall between soul and spirit. (Hebrews 4:12) 

Then as He shows me the awfulness of my sin and the awesomeness of Jesus Christ, by the new birth I believe and am saved, born again, justified or declared righteous and adopted into God's family. (John 1:12-13; James 1:18; 1 Peter 1:3; Romans 8:16-17)  At salvation I am instantly saved in my spirit or "inner man" by the New Birth or regeneration. As I grow in grace through the process of sanctification, I am being saved in my soul as I conform my mind, emotions and will to God's Word.  Though sin indwells my soul, my new nature in my spirit is the working of the Spirit who desires to affect me in my soul.  The body of course is still decaying.  In short:

1. My spirit or inner man is made alive by the New Birth
2. My soul is being saved and I through Christ am urged daily by the Spirit in my human spirit to go to the scriptures and be led by Him
3. My body is still decaying.  I realize now as a Christian I am to look forward to resurrection. 

Sadly not everyone will by grace through faith believe on Jesus Christ.  It is God's grace, His Spirit and His word which prevail upon people to choose and believe on the Lord Jesus Christ.  It is man who choosing to reject Christ apart from grace deems himself unworthy of eternal life. (Acts 13:46) 

Unless the Spirit of God moves, and unless a person believes and repents of his sins, they will still be a soul with a dead human spirit living in a decaying body.  An unbeliever functions in their body, soul and dead spirit much like those who evidence never having been truly saved as seen in 1 Timothy 5:6 "she who gives herself to wanton pleasure is dead even while she lives."

More tomorrow...

The Christian's Two Telephones

James 3:13 "Who among you is wise and understanding? Let him show by his good behavior his deeds in the gentleness of wisdom."

True Christians are the wise people of God who demonstrate their profession of faith by fruits of obedience
As you look at the opening verse of today's blog, you may wonder what point is James trying to make when he asks his question?  The short answer is that he is saying: "who among you is a Christian" or "who among you is saved"? With that question, James then exhorts his readers who are Christians to act like Christians. 1  What will follow in James 3:14-4:7 are encouragements and warnings to believers who are operating in one of two ways: those who are spiritual or operating out of their human spirit with the Holy Spirit dwelling therein and those who are carnal or compromising in their Christian walk.2  

Two telephones - an illustration
Years ago I heard an illustration of how the Christian's soul in communication with their spirit and the body is comparable to having two telephones.  With a little bit of upgrading to that illustration I want to help you the reader to see the significance of what James is writing to us here in James 3:13-4:7.  

Your life before Christ - an empty room and one rusty old telephone called "the wisdom from below"
Picture for a moment your soul (mind, emotions, will and conscience) as being a room in which you live.  You are a soul, a living soul, with a spirit clothed in a body.  Your human spirit, prior to salvation, is an empty room upstairs with no lights and no windows.  All you know is the room of your soul that is enhoused in your physical body.  Now in the room of your soul there is a rusty old telephone that is connected to what James describes in James 3:15 as the "wisdom from below".  Whenever that phone rings, you pick up the receiver and have conversations with those that claim to be your friends.  On the other end are voices that comprise this "wisdom from below", influencing your soul before salvation to be influenced by the world, your natural bodily drives and the demonic realm that is working through this world system. (James 3:15) Furthermore, unknown to you, you are continually on the line, and are quite happy with your telephone.  It is in you to keep the rusty old phone.   

How you go from having one telephone as an unbeliever to having two telephones as a Christian
A neighbor of yours invites you to church one Sunday, and so you relunctantly go.  While sitting in the church service, a man gets up front and preaches the Gospel.  In your soul the rusty telephone suddenly rings - distracting you from focusing on the preacher.  The voice on the other end tells you to ignore the man and bide your time until the lunch hour. Suddenly on the inside of your soul you see a second, shiny red telephone appear, and on the receiver you find these words as described by James 3:17 "the wisdom from above".  At first you ignore it, you leave the church service and move on with your life.  About mid-way through the week the shiny red telephone in your soul begins to ring.  Again you ignore it, since you are on the rusty old telephone with your friends from the place called "wisdom from below".  However it begins to ring more and more.  Getting agitated, you say: "excuse me, I need to put you on hold, for I have another line trying to ring." 

The Shiny red telephone of the Gospel rings with the convicting work of the Holy Spirit who is moving into your human spirit
As you do so and proceed to pick up the shiny red telephone, the voice on the other line says: "hello, this is the Holy Spirit." As He begins to speak to your heart, your find your spirit coming alive.  As He continues, you find that what the Spirit of God says to you about your lost condition and Jesus Christ the Savior is pure, brings you peace, washes over you in gentleness, makes sense, is full of mercy and makes you want to live a live for Jesus without hypocrisy. (James 3:17)  The Holy Spirit persuades you to hang up the other phone and cut the cord, and to never pick up the old rusty phone of your old life ever again. As the Holy Spirit moves into the upstairs room of your human spirit, you surrender by faith to Jesus Christ.

The two telephone represent the daily battle you have between the wisdom from above versus the wisdom from below
Now even though the Holy Spirit has moved into the room upstairs(your human spirit), and even though your are on the line with Him, comparing spiritual thoughts with spiritual words in your Bible and prayer (1 Corinthians 2:12-13), at about noon everyday that old rusty telephone begins to ring.  According to James 4:1-4, as a Christian, you still have your dying body and the remnant of sin to contend with, tempting you to lust  after what you do not have - meaning that there is a part of you (the self-life) that is tempted to re-connect with that old phone.  At first you declare war and cut the cord, saying to yourself: "I know that the power of sin was taken away when I got saved, but yet at about this time I find my self having to die to this old self-life."  At anyrate you continue talking to the Spirit, enjoying sweet fellowship with Him, reading your Bible, praying and going to church. 


How the spiritual Christian can become carnally minded - talking on the wrong telephone
Then it happens -  a bad day.  The boss yells at you, the car breaks down and you get a bill that was more than you estimated.  Its about noon and you're hungry, frustrated and you are finding yourself not clearly hearing the Holy Spirit speaking from your human spirit on that shiny red telephone.  Suddenly that old rusty telephone rings and in desperation, you tell the Holy Spirit: "please hold!"  Now He is warning you with a loud voice to cut the cord of that rusty telephone, for as James notes in James 4:5, the Lord with His Spirit is Jealous or desirous for our undivided attention. 

As soon as you pick up that rusty telephone, an old song, a sweet voice of an old friend speaks words that you have not heard in a long time.  The red shiny telephone's light is blinking, but you ignore it.  As a Christian, you can only talk on one telephone at a time.  Soon you are spending more time with your old friends from your former way of life than you are with the Holy Spirit.  You stop reading your Bible and your prayer life goes to the wayside.  For a while all seems well - and yet you get the feeling that all is not right between you and God.  You're growing cold and mean.  Church is losing its draw, the Bible has become to you a wordless book and your prayer life is boring.  What happened? You became carnally minded. 


How God wins you back and rescues you from your carnal, backslidden state - reconnecting with the right telephone
Thankfully the Holy Spirit has not given up.  His silence has been deafening, however He and the Father and the Son have engineered some difficult circumstances to come your way to steer you back to repentance.  God the Father has ordained to permit the difficulties, since you are his child, and He only disciplines those whom He loves. (Hebrews 12:6) In tears you humble yourself and pray a prayer of repentance, knowing full well the promise of James 4:6 "But He gives a greater grace. Therefore it says, “GOD IS OPPOSED TO THE PROUD, BUT GIVES GRACE TO THE HUMBLE.” One night the old rusty telephone rings.  This time you snatch it up.  "Having repented and submitted yourself unto God, you say to that voice on the other line that you resist the devil and that he must flee in Jesus name."  And as you slam down the receiver, you cut the cord and resume your conversation with the Holy Spirit, in your human spirit, on the shiny red telephone. 

End Notes:_________________

1. No doubt James, writing under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, was echoing such passages as Psalm 107:43 "Who is wise? Let him give heed to these things, And consider the lovingkindnesses of the LORD." Jesus too equated the term "wise", as so used by James, with the idea of somebody who was truly converted by grace through faith. We read in Matthew 7:24-25 “Therefore everyone who hears these words of Mine and acts on them, may be compared to a wise man who built his house on the rock. 25“And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and slammed against that house; and yet it did not fall, for it had been founded on the rock."

2. To truly grasp what James is speaking about in James 3:14-4;6, we can read his words in light of Paul's words about these two types of Christians in 1 Corinthians 2 and 3.  Over the past couple of days I have been writing blogs based upon Paul's letter to the Corinthians in 1 Corinthians 2:1-3:4. Out of the three men described in that text, two are Christians. Both are indwelt by the Holy Spirit and both are forgiven of their sins by grace through faith in Jesus Christ. However the one who is spiritual in 1 Corinthians 2:10-13, 16 is ordering his soulish realm (mind, emotions, will) and body under the subjection of his spirit that is indwelt by the Holy Spirit. The other type of Christian in 1 Corinthians 3:1-4 is called by Paul "fleshly" or "carnal", meaning that at some point he has grieved the Spirit and is ordering his spirit around the drives of his physical body as bound by his sinful self-life operating in his soul.The carnal Christian still has the new nature and like a bag of potatoes that contains one rotten one, the carnal believer has compromised in an area and that area, lest removed by repentance, will begin to affect other areas.

The Carnal-minded Christian, the Spirit & scripture

1 Corinthians 3:1-3 And I, brethren, could not speak to you as to spiritual men, but as to men of flesh, as to infants in Christ. 2 I gave you milk to drink, not solid food; for you were not yet able to receive it. Indeed, even now you are not yet able, 3 for you are still fleshly. For since there is jealousy and strife among you, are you not fleshly, and are you not walking like mere men?

Review of what we have studied over the past couple of days
In this amazing passage of 1 Corinthians 2:1-3:4, Paul is writing about how three types of people treat the Holy Spirit and the scriptures.  In summary form we have observed two of those types of men thus far:

1. The spiritual Christian digests the Spirit's words. 1 Cor 2:1-7, 10-13, 15-16
2. The natural non-Christian dismisses the Spirit's words. 1 Cor 2:8-9, 14

The "spiritual" Christian is called "spiritual" due to the fact that when we look at him as a soul, with a spirit, clothed in a body, this individual has his body and soul in subjection to whatever the Holy Spirit in his human spirit is saying.  Thus he is able to compare spiritual things with spiritual and to discern what the Holy Spirit is saying to him from the Word of God.  He has taken his soul, made up of his mind, emotions, will and conscience and along with his physical bodily drives placed them in order with the scripture and whatever the Holy Spirit is saying in his human spirit. 

The "natural" non-Christian or unbeliever is termed "natural" due to the fact that though he too has a human spirit, it is dead.  He only operates out of his soul, darkened and dominated by sin and the natural drives of his physical body.  The natural unbelieving man may very well be creative, intelligent, religious and morally upstanding in the community and still be lost.  Without the Holy Spirit setting up home in the human spirit, all that an unbeliever can go on is his reason, emotions, will and conscience.  He is natural, soulish and sinful in his bent and orientation.  The unbelieving person has no time for the things of God, since to him, this world is all that matters. 

In today's blog we are going to consider a Christian who for whatever reason has decided to operate out of his soul more than his spirit.  This Christian still has the indwelling Holy Spirit, however the Spirit of God has been "quenched" (1Thess 5:19) or "grieved" (Ephesians 4:300 due to the Christian holding onto unconfessed sin. (Ephesians 4:31) 

The Carnal-minded Christian dilutes the Spirit's words 1Cor 3:1-4
So what is a "carnal Christian"?  We must be careful not to view carnality as reason for condoning or giving excuse for compromise in a Christian life. If we describe a hypocrite as somebody who is acting opposite of what they are, then a carnally-minded Christian is a hypocrite in reverse, acting like something that they are not.  Carnally minded Christians still have the indwelling Spirit, however in a certain area they have compromised, given ground to the enemy and to the world. (1 John 2:15-17) Paul told these Corinthians that he could not speak to them as "spiritual", that is, as to Christians who are in fellowship with the Spirit in their human spirit.  To be "carnal" through and through is what an unbeliever is - that is - fleshly, operating completely out of the physical body and soulish realm.  What Paul is saying here is that these people are "like" or as "mere men".  They are not lost, however they are not acting saved either. 

Illustration: Three bags of potatoes
Lets say I gave you three bags of potatoes.  The first bag is full of good, robust potatoes. The second bag is full of rotton, moldy potatoes.  The third bag is full of good, robust potatoes, with one potato being mold and rotten? What would you do?  I'm sure the first bag would be no issue, the second bag would be tossed out, since it cannot be used.  But what about the third? Would you not say that those good potatoes are still useful and that the bad one needs to be tossed?  Its not that the third bag is lost, rather it just needs to be rid of the bad potato.  So it is with the carnally minded Christian.  He or she needs to deal with the compromising area so that functionally and experientially they can live like they truly are - a forgiven and saved individual who is called to grow progressively in sanctification. 

Illustration: Who owns the fence?
The story is told of a large white fence and several people grouped together at the one end.  They were debating as to who owned the fence.  One proud individual said with a loud voice: "well I know one thing, I'm going to sit on the fence.  I'm pretty certain that Jesus owns this fence, since its is beautiful, white, high and long.  Soon Jesus came along and said to the crowd: "come and follow me, for narrow is the gate, and few will find it.  However broad is the gate and wide is the road that leads to destruction."  It wasn't too long that the devil came along up behind the crowd and slithered in and among the people until he got right up next to the proud man sitting on the fence.  As Jesus began to walk off, some of the people followed him, leaving the fence behind.  The remaining ones looked on the other side of the fence and saw a beautiful wide road running parallel to the fence, and so they decided to go on that road alone.  However the proud man remained, deciding that he was satisifed in sitting on the fence.  As the Devil got closer to him, he whispered in the man's ear and said: don't you know, not only do I own the road running along the fence, I own the fence as well!  Needless to say, the man leaped off the fence and ran after His Lord, repenting and saying to Jesus: I forsake the fence and I follow you.  

Carnally-minded Christians cannot truly remain in their mindset
Paul's whole point in addressing those in the Corinthian church who tried to "sit on the fence" was not to create an excuse for their actions, but rather to call them to repentance.  He warned them that with such compromise, failure to grow significantly in their Christian life (3:1-3); arguing over who is the better teacher (3:4) and squabble over minor issues had to stop.  They were positionally still saved, however in experience and function they were in their soul thinking, feeling or choosing to act like lost people.  Paul warned them that if they did not change their course, God the Father would excercise Fatherly discipline and turn them back to Himself in repentance. (1 Cor 3:19-21; 2 Timothy 2:24-26)

Closing Thoughts
As we close out today's blog, let us understand that in this world, we only have two types of people: lost and saved.  Among those who are truly born-again are those Christians who are "spiritual", that is, they are subjecting their soul and body in line with what the Holy Spirit is saying in their human spirit.  Practically speaking, they are getting in order with God's words and digesting everything they hear and living it out.  The carnally minded Christian has compromised in a certain area or areas.  They are those who though still saved and still having the indwelling Spirit of God, are those who have grieved Him. We need to gently and humbly approach such fellow-saints and urge them to repent and forsake the pattern of sin they have become involved, praying of course that we won't fall into such disrepair. (Galatians 6:1-2) Natural-minded unbelievers are those who are souls with dead human spirits clothed in a body.  These need to be evangelized, urged upon to believe and repent and be reconciled to God. (2 Corinthians 5:15-21)

The Natural-minded non-Christian, the Holy Spirit & the Bible

1 Corinthians 2:15 But a natural man does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually appraised.

Review from yesterday
In the wider context of 1 Corinthians 2:1-3:4, Paul is concerned with helping the Corinthians understand why it is they are dealing with so many divisions. In his discussion, Paul lays out three types of spiritual conditions: two of which characterize Christians (spiritual Christians - i.e Spirit-led Christians and compromising or carnally minded Christians) and one of which describes the unbelieving man (termed "natural man"). With that brief summary, we will now briefly outline the Holy Spirit's ministry of illuminating (making clear) the scriptures and how such ministry is rejected by the natural minded unbeliever who doesn't believe.  I would refer the reader to yesterday's post regarding the spiritual Christian in relationship to the Spirit and the scriptures. Since there are three men described in these two chapters, we will cover the carnally minded Christian in tomorrow's post.

The natural-minded unbeliever is a darkened soul, with a dead human spirit clothed in a dying body
As you look at 1 Corinthians 2:8-9 and 14, you get a completely different but illuminating picture as to why unbelievers unaided by grace regard the Gospel as foolishness.  Unlike the description of the spiritual Christian in yesterday's post, we see nothing said of the natural unbeliever's human spirit in this passage.  Why? Simply put, he is dead in his human spirit.  Ephesians 2:1-3 lays out the true spiritual and moral condition of natural, unbelieving man:

1. Dead human spirit. (Ephesians 2:1)
2. Darkened soul in mind, emotions, will & conscience. (Eph 2:2)
3. Dying human body.  The natural man is led totally by his soul and natural bodily drives.  He aims only to please himself and not God.  (Ephesians 2:3)

According to Paul, the unbelieving rulers of Jesus' day did what they did to Jesus due to the fact that they were spiritually dead.  If they  would had been operating with the illuminating work of the Holy Spirit in their human spirit, they would not had crucified our Lord. (1 Corinthians 2:9)  In 1 Corinthians 2:10, unbelieving natural man, operating as he does by his natural abilities from birth, cannot apart from saving grace understand nor grasp the Gospel with his mind, emotions, will and conscience (i.e his soul).  Think of some of the philosophies and world religions in our world today - none of them communicate the Gospel's main points: God the creator, man the sinner, God coming to earth as man, giving himself through death to be received by those who by His grace through faith believe. 

With the inability of natural man to receive the truth of scripture and the Holy Spirit (1 Corinthians 2:9-10) we see the inability of natural man to appreciate the things of God.  According to 1 Corinthians 2:14, natural unbelieving man cannot nor will not accept the Gospel on his own, since such things are "spiritually appraised". 

Appraising the value of jewelery - an illustration truth and relationship
Why is it that the natural-minded unbeliever sees the Gospel as a waste of time?  Quite frankly, they have never had a relationship with the Gospel's main subject - Jesus Christ.  A couple one time went to a jeweler with some old rings and two small diamonds.  They had hoped to receive a handsome sum, since gold and diamonds were valued quite highly.  When the couple walked into that jeweler, they confidently laid their "treasures" out on the counter.  The Jeweler put each one under her microscope and studied them.  The value she placed upon them was significantly less than the couple thought.  Her "appraisal" was by the appearance and substance only. Her life experience and reasoning made her conclude that the gems and gold were worth only pennies on the dollar.  As she told the couple about one diamond having a crack and another one being of poor quality, the couple politely thanked the jeweler and left.  It mattered not to them what was said, they saw the jewels differently. 

To the saddened couple, those gems  meant something, since each had a story and had been acquired through the years of the couple's marriage.  They had a relationship with those objects of their affections. As the scriptures says in 1 Peter 2:7 "This precious value, then, is for you who believe; but for those who disbelieve, “THE STONE WHICH THE BUILDERS REJECTED, THIS BECAME THE VERY CORNER stone.”  The Holy Spirit functions this way for the unbeliever, convicting them of sin, righteousness and judgment (John 16:8-11).  The only way an unbeliever can believe on God through Jesus Christ is by the convincing work of the Holy Spirit working in their human spirit. (Romans 8:1-11; Ephesians 2:5-6)  Only by the Spirit's working can the unbeliever be brought into relationship with the Supreme object of faith's affection - Jesus Christ.  Unlike the gemstones of our earlier illustration, Jesus Christ is inherently most precious, being that He is the radiance of God's glory and the exact representation of His being. (Hebrews 1:1-3)

Natural man only operates from his natural soul and bodily understandings
Natural man is called "natural", since his reasons for living are rooted in this "natural world" and in his "natural, sinful soul and body".  Natural man is a sinful soul, with a dead human spirit living in a dying human body.  The problem with unbelievers' lack of appreciation for the Gospel is not an intellectual one.  Many intelligent unbelievers with Ph.D's flat-out ignore the cross and the scriptures. Furthermore, there are some unbeliever's who live morally good lives, however they will not surrender to the Gospel, since they prefer there own human effort.  What gives? The Holy Spirit must accompany the preaching of the Gospel if anyone is to believe and be saved. (John 16:8-11)  Only He can convince them of the thrill of knowing the One who desires to make a home in their hearts.  Unless the Holy Spirit makes alive their human spirits, as so explained in Ephesians 2:5-6, the unbeliever will willfully, mentally, emotionally and morally continue in a course opposite of God and the Gospel. 

Being that the Holy Spirit is not indwelling the natural unbeliever's spirit, all they can go on is what they understand in their soul with their minds, emotions, will and conscience.  Furthermore, the drives and information gained from the five senses is interpreted by them to be the only thing worth living for - hence leading them to disregard the Gospel as foolishness. (1 Corinthians 2:15)

More tomorrow.....

Spiritual Christians, the Holy Spirit & the Bible

1 Corinthians 2:12 Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, so that we may know the things freely given to us by God,

As the title of today's blog suggests, we are going to look at the Person of the Holy Spirit, the Bible and how He and the Bible are received by Spirit-led Christians or what 1 Corinthians 2:15 & 3:1 terms "spiritual".  As you consider 1 Corinthians 2:12 above, you will notice that Paul is concerned about reception of the truths of God, from the Spirit of God by those whom he wrote to at Corinth.  In the wider context of 1 Corinthians 2:1-3:4, Paul is concerned with helping the Corinthians understand why it is they are dealing with so many divisions.  In his discussion, Paul lays out three types of spiritual conditions: two of which characterize Christians (spiritual Christians - i.e Spirit-led Christians and compromising or carnally minded Christians) and one of which describes the unbelieving man (termed "natural man").  With that brief summary, we will now briefly outline the Holy Spirit's ministry of illuminating (making clear) the scriptures and how such ministry is received by those Christians who are submitting regularly to the Spirit's leading through the Word.  Due to the importance of these two chapters in 1 Corinthians and the sake of brevity, we will today cover the Holy Spirit's work of illuminating the scriptures to what is termed "the spiritual Christian" or what is elsewhere called "The Spirit-led Christian". (Romans 8:1-5; 16-17)

The Spirit-led Christian receives the Spirit's teaching
1 Corinthians 2:1-6 has Paul describing what it is he is communicating to us and the church at Corinth, namely "the testimony of God" (2:1); "Jesus Christ and Him crucified" (2:2); "message and preaching in the Spirit and power" (2:3); "the power of God" (2:4) and God's wisdom (2:5-6).  All of these various descriptive terms define the nature and content of the scriptures.  The Holy Spirit of course is the One who makes their beauty and power known and understood to the Christian who is in fellowship with Him.  We must hasten to add that the term "spiritual Christian" is not referring to a higher class of Christians.  Rather the term "spiritual" is speaking of the main source of the spiritual Christian's attitudes and behavior - namely the Holy Spirit in his human spirit.  1 Corinthians 2:10-13 outlines for us how the Spirit-led Christian receives the things of God from the scriptures.

The Holy Spirit makes clear the things of God. 1 Cor 2:10,12
The Holy Spirit, the third Person of the Trinity, indwells the Christian's human spirit at salvation, making a permanent home. For the unsaved natural man the Spirit's work is required to lead him to salvation and spiritual understanding, since human reason and will power alone cannot produce a saving response. (1 Corinthians 2:9) In the remaining two men of our passage: the Spirit-led Christian and Compromising Christian of 1 Corinthians 3:1-4, the Spirit's working is necessary.  The Spirit alone knows the depths of God's mind, since He is One with the Father in nature and life. Jesus told His disciples in John 16:13 that the Holy Spirit would guide them into all truth, disclosing everything He hears from the Father and the Son.  Furthermore this ministry of the Holy Spirit to Christians, called "illumination", can be likened unto a little light bulb that lights up when you finally "get it" in terms of scripture's meaning and application for your life.  Passages such as Romans 8:16-17; Ephesians 1:16-18 and 1 John 2:20,27 explain how the Holy Spirit brings understanding to the Christian about the scriptures and the things of God. 

The Spiritual Christian's human spirit interracts with the soul and body to produce obedience. 1 Corinthians 2:1-7; 10-13; 15-16
1 Corinthians 2:10-13 could be summarized as describing the Spirit-led Christian as an illuminated soul, with the Holy Spirit actively communicating in their human spirit, clothed in a body surrendered to His leading.  When we speak of the soul of a man - that refers to the man himself -  thinking (mind), feeling (emotions), choosing (will) and making moral decisions (conscience).  Thus we see the remarkable order of how the Holy Spirit and the scriptures are received by the Spirit led Christian.  The scriptures in our text define such a Christian as "spiritual" since his life and efforts derive from the Holy Spirit's work in his human spirit (i.e spiritual). (1 Corinthians 2:15)  Thankfully Paul explains in three parts how the spiritual Christian digests spiritual truth.

First we see the human spirit, the center of God awareness in the Christian and the home of the Holy Spirit. (Proverbs 20:27).  The Holy Spirit speaks in my human spirit, equipping me to discern and to know with certainty what I cannot see nor hear with physical eyes and ears. (1 Corinthians 2:11; Hebrews 11:1)  Jesus for example in his humanity perceived the impending level of betrayal by Judas in his human spirit, even though the plot had not been told to him or the others.  How did he know? As much as Jesus Christ was God in human flesh, the text's emphasis is that as man, his spirit was in tune with God's plan and purposes. 

Next we see the soul of the Spirit-led Christian. (1 Corinthians 2:11-12)  The soul is the true me who thinks, feels, chooses and makes moral decisions.  The soul, being the area of my self awareness, interracts with the Holy Spirit in my human spirit.  As a Christian, I must hear and memorize scripture if I ever expect to know the will and leading of the Spirit.  The thinker of my soul, the mind, takes in the scriptures, positioning me to communicate with the Holy Spirit in my human spirit.  Being that He speaks through scripture, He sends guidance, warning or whatever the case may be.  As a Spirit-led Christian, you can sense the Spirit's call and movement as He engages you through the level you give yourself to His word.  1 Corinthians 14:15 reminds us of the crucial link between the thinker of the soul - the mind - and the Holy Spirit speaking forth in my human spirit.   

Then thirdly, as I engage the rest of my soul: (emotions, will and conscience) - I soon am comparing "spiritual things with spiritual". (1 Corinthians 2:11-12) As the Spirit-led Christian uses his mind to take in the scriptures, his ability to bring his body to act and obey leads to a more effective Christian walk. (Joshua 1:8; Psalm 119:130)  

More tomorrow.............

Body, soul, spirit, Life, Salvation, Death, Resurrection

1 Thessalonians 5:23 "Now may the God of peace Himself sanctify you entirely; and may your spirit and soul and body be preserved complete, without blame at the coming of our Lord
Jesus Christ."

Today's blog will attempt to tell the complete saga of man, a soul with a spirit clothed in a body, through five main points covered in scripture: creation, fall, redemption, death and resurrection.

1. Man as a soul, with a spirit clothed in a body at creation.
Man is a three-fold being who was created to know God and excercise authority in this world. As we noted yesterday we defined man as a soul with a spirit clothed in a body.  After working our way through many scriptures and several observations, we concluded that man is essentially a three-fold being: body, soul and spirit.  Second, though a second viewpoint (dichotomy) terms man a two-fold being, immaterial/material, we did not entirely dismiss that view out of hand.  The reason being is because from Genesis 1:26-27 and Genesis 2:7 we see God revealing the creation of man from two angles: a spiritual being in a physical body who was to walk with God and a soul clothed in a body who was to take dominion over his surroundings and be self-aware. 

In short, here is what we learn of mankind as originally created:

1. Humanity's body was perfect, capable of interracting and working the physical environment.  Being that the body of man was made from the earth, God embdued the body with five senses and the capability to be aware of the world.

2. Humanity's soul is the life of the man.  The soul was breathed from the Spirit of God embduing physical life into the man.  Man was uniquely created with the ability to think, feel, choose and have conivictions or a conscience.  The soul is the man himself. We could say, with older Bible teachers of the past, that the soul is simply man's self awareness and the body is his center of world awareness.

3. Humanity's spirit was to be the aspect of man wherein he communed with God.  Being made in the image of God meant among other things that man alone could communicate and be communicated to by God in his spirit. 


2. Man as a living soul, clothed in a body, died in his spirit at the fall
When Adam and Eve heeded the voice of the serpent tempting them in the garden to partake of the tree, the scripture says that for Eve, the tree was pleasant to the eyes and desireable to eat.  She had already began to alter God's word in her mind and by her will she chose to abnadon the grace of God on her life in preference to her soulish desires.  Adam willfully chose his wife over God and the two of them fell from the Grace that has been clothing their mortal bodies.  As souls they continued to live, however the curse of death and decay began to set in, killing their spirit, affecting their soul totally to the point of where they could only live by their own desires.  The bodies of the both of them would be subject to physical death.  All of this of course ended up affecting every single person born into this world, with the sin and guilt of Adam passed down through the bloodline of the father's side. (1 Peter 1:17-18) In short:

1. Man died in his spirit
2. Is corrupted in his thinking, feeling and choosing in his soul.  Nothing he can do, apart from grace and saving faith can please God.
3. Will die in his body.

3. Saved man is a soul who has a resurrected spirit and lives in a body
When a man is born again by the Spirit of God and believes on Jesus Christ for the forgivness of sins, the Bible is clear on what takes place.  First, the Holy Spirit at saving faith has pentetrated past my mind, emotions, will of my soul and through God Word, pierces the dividing wall between soul and spirit. (Hebrews 4:12) As He shows me the awfulness of my sin and the awesomeness of Jesus Christ, by the New Birth I believe and am saved, born again, justified or decllared righteous and adopted into God's family. (John 1:12-13; James 1:18; 1 Peter 1:3; Romans 8:16-17)  At salvation I am instantly saved in my spirit or "inner man" by the New Birth or Regeneration. As I grow in grace through the process of sanctification, I am being saved in my soul as I conform my mind, emotions and will to God's Word.  Though sin indwells my soul, my new nature in my spirit is the working of the Spirit who desires to affect me in my soul.  The body of course is still decaying.  In short:

1. My spirit or inner man is made alive by the New Birth
2. My soul is being saved and I through Christ am urged daily by the Spirit in my human spirit to go to the scriptures and be led by Him
3. My body is still decaying.  I realize now as a Christian I am to look forward to resurrection. 

Sadly not everyone will by grace through faith believe on Jesus Christ.  It is God's grace, His Spirit and His word which prevail upon people to choose and believe on the Lord Jesus Christ.  It is man who choosing to reject Christ apart from grace deems himself unworthy of eternal life. (Acts 13:46) Unless the Spirit of God moves, and unless a person believes and repents of his sins, they will still be a soul with a dead human spirit living in a decaying body.  An unbeliever functions in their body, soul and dead spirit much like those who evidence never having been truly saved as seen in 1 Timothy 5:6 "she who gives herself to wanton pleasure is dead even while she lives."

4. Saved people are souls, with living spirits who die and leave behind a dead human body and go to heaven.  Unsaved people are souls, with dead spirits who leave behind a dead human body and go to hell to await judgment
So what occurs at death?  For the Christian, the Bible states in 2 Corinthians 5:6 "Therefore, being always of good courage, and knowing that while we are at home in the body we are absent from the Lord"  The Christian as a soul with a spirit goes immediately into the hands of the Lord in Heaven, where he is welcomed with a glorious entrance. (2 Peter 1:11-12)  The body, called by Paul (2 Corinthians 5:1-5) and Peter (2 Peter 1:14) a tent, refers to the frail and temporary nature of our current physical body that eventually returns to the dust from when it came.  Unbelievers, when they die, are souls with dead human spirit who immediately go to a place called Sheol, Hades or hell, as exampled by the Rich Man in Luke 16:29-31.  Contrary to pop culture today, when a person dies, it is a one way trip to the immediate presence of God for believers and Hell for sinners.  With those sober realities outlined, we must understand that scripture reveals one more point in its saga of believers/unbelievers in the body, souls and spirits....

5. There is to be a resurrection for the righteous and a resurrection of the unrighteous
Though a Christian in their souls and spirit go immediately into the presence of the Lord, the totality of His salvation for them is not yet complete.  Yes they are free from the penalty of sin in their spirit - thus in that respect they are instantly saved.  Concerning their souls, they are progressively saved by the Spirit's sanctifying work, making them more and more like Jesus while they excercise their mind, emotions and will in His Word - hence the removal of sin's power.  And even when they get to Heaven, believers certainly enjoy a dimension of existence whereby they are set free from the presence of sin - i.e glorification.  However the Christian in that state is looking forward to the day they get a resurrected body like their Lord.  At His return, Christ will resurrect every believer, Old and New Testament, transforming their bones and decay into a glorified resurrected body - setting the body free from the putrification of sin. (Daniel 12:1-3; 1 Corinthians 15:51-57; 1 John 3:1-3)  The ressurrection represents the goal of redemption, a hope that was first revealed to men such as Job (Job 14:14; 19:25-28) and Abraham (Hebrews 11:19)

Sadly for unbelievers, they await the final judgment which will occur a thousand years after the resurrection of the righteous.  Though not spelled out in near the detail as that of believers, unbelievers evidently will have a ressurected body capable of withstanding eternal judgment. Daniel 12:2b tells us that the resurrection of the wicked will receive a body that is "disgraceful, existing in everlasting contempt".  Christ at that final judgment will cast them into the Lake of Fire, along with the Devil and his fallen angels. (Matthew 25:31-46; Revelation 20:11-15)

Conclusion: Today's blog attempted to tell the complete saga of man, a soul with a spirit clothed in a body, through five main points covered in scripture: creation, fall, redemption, death and resurrection.  My prayer is that this will aid you in your study of the scripture and perhaps shed light on both your own life and your dealings with others.  Remember, what is done on this earth will pass, what is done for Christ will last.