top of page

Tripartite of Humanity

Tripartite of man2

Tripartite – three parts that functions dependently on the other
No hierarchy, cannot function separately

Body = Physical
Soul = Immeasurable, Unique consciousness that connects psyche to physical
Spirit = Essence of life from God, connection to Him

The Spirit can live without the Body, but the Body cannot live without the Spirit.

The person in three states:

  • Genesis 2:7 "And the Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground [body], and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life [spirit]; and man became a living being [nephesh – soul]."

  • 1 Thessalonians 5:23 "Now may the God of peace Himself sanctify you completely, and may your whole spirit, soul and body be preserved blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ."

 

The body of a person

Michaelangelo fingers

Body – Connection to world, earthly body

  • The earthly body is perishable:

    • 1 Corinthians 15:42-44 “42 So will it be with the resurrection of the dead. The body that is sown is perishable, it is raised imperishable; 43 it is sown in dishonor, it is raised in glory; it is sown in weakness, it is raised in power; 44 it is sown a natural body, it is raised a spiritual body.”

    • Romans 7:24 “What a wretched man I am!  Who will save me from this body of death?”

  • First body was formed without life:

    • Genesis 2:7 “Then the Lord God formed a man from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living being.”

  • Greek “soma” meaning physical flesh that is finite and must be sustained by external sources (i.e. food and water or the “Tree of Life”):

    • Genesis 3:17-22 “To Adam he said, “Because you listened to your wife and ate fruit from the tree about which I commanded you, ‘You must not eat from it,’ “Cursed is the ground because of you; through painful toil you will eat food from it all the days of your life. 18 It will produce thorns and thistles for you, and you will eat the plants of the field. 19 By the sweat of your brow you will eat your food until you return to the ground, since from it you were taken; for dust you are and to dust you will return.” 20 Adam named his wife Eve, because she would become the mother of all the living. 21 The LORD God made garments of skin for Adam and his wife and clothed them. 22 And the LORD God said, “The man has now become like one of us, knowing good and evil. He must not be allowed to reach out his hand and take also from the tree of life and eat, and live forever.”

    • John 4:13 "13 Jesus answered, “Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again, ..."

  • Apparatus by which we move in the world. It does not change genetically or in its functions:

    • 2 Corinthians 5:1-4 “1 For we know that if the earthly tent we live in is destroyed, we have a building from God, an eternal house in heaven, not built by human hands. 2 Meanwhile we groan, longing to be clothed instead with our heavenly dwelling, 3 because when we are clothed, we will not be found naked. 4 For while we are in this tent, we groan and are burdened, because we do not wish to be unclothed but to be clothed instead with our heavenly dwelling, so that what is mortal may be swallowed up by life.”

    • Characteristic of a tent?

      • On earth, temporary, flimsy, exposed, built by man, groan/burdened

      • John 1:14 “The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us."

      • Dwelling from “skénoó meaning “to pitch a tent” similar to the Hebrew word for tent/tabernacle

    • Characteristics of the house:

      • In Heaven, eternal, solid, protection, built by God, satisfied/complete

    •  

    • 1 Corinthians 3:16-17 “16 Don’t you know that you yourselves are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit dwells in your midst? 17 If anyone destroys God’s temple, God will destroy that person; for God’s temple is sacred, and you together are that temple.”

    • 1 Corinthians 6:19-20 “19 Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; 20 you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your bodies.”

  • Living Sacrifice:

    • Romans 12:1 “Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship.”

    • Hebrews 13:15-16 “15 Through Jesus, therefore, let us continually offer to God a sacrifice of praise—the fruit of lips that openly profess his name. 16 And do not forget to do good and to share with others, for with such sacrifices God is pleased.”

    • 1 Peter 2:4-5 “4 As you come to him, the living Stone—rejected by humans but chosen by God and precious to him— 5 you also, like living stones, are being built into a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.”

    • Matthew 6:22-23, “22 The eye is the lamp of the body. If your eyes are healthy, your whole body will be full of light. 23 But if your eyes are unhealthy, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light within you is darkness, how great is that darkness!”

  • One resurrection body upon the second coming of Jesus Christ:

    • Who gets a resurrection body?

      • Pharisees believed only the righteous “shall have the power to revive and live again"

      • Sadducees denied the resurrection of the body outright

      • Christians?

        • John 5:28-29 “28 “Do not be amazed at this, for a time is coming when all who are in their graves will hear his voice 29 and come out—those who have done what is good will rise to live, and those who have done what is evil will rise to be condemned.”

        • Mark 9:43-48 “43 If your hand causes you to stumble, cut it off. It is better for you to enter life maimed than with two hands to go into hell, where the fire never goes out. [44] 45 And if your foot causes you to stumble, cut it off. It is better for you to enter life crippled than to have two feet and be thrown into hell. [46] 47 And if your eye causes you to stumble, pluck it out. It is better for you to enter the kingdom of God with one eye than to have two eyes and be thrown into hell, 48 where “‘the worms that eat them do not die, and the fire is not quenched.’ “

        • Acts 24:14-15 “14 However, I admit that I worship the God of our ancestors as a follower of the Way, which they call a sect. I believe everything that is in accordance with the Law and that is written in the Prophets, 15 and I have the same hope in God as these men themselves have, that there will be a resurrection of both the righteous and the wicked.”

        • 1 Corinthians 15:52-53 “52 in a flash, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed. 53 For the perishable must clothe itself with the imperishable and the mortal with immortality.”

    • Does this mean our new body will be on the inside and our spiritual body on the outside? The reverse of current state?

    • Will the new body be sustained by external means?

      • Rev. 22:2 – “down the middle of the great street of the city. On each side of the river stood the tree of life, bearing twelve crops of fruit, yielding its fruit every month. And the leaves of the tree are for the healing of the nations.”

The spirit of a person

lamp lit

Spirit – Connection to God, power to function

  • Connection:

    • Proverbs 20:27 "The human spirit is the lamp of the Lord that sheds light on one’s inmost being."

  • One from birth:

    • Genesis 2:7: "And the Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground [body], and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life [spirit]; and man became a living being [nephesh – soul]."

    • Numbers 16:22, “But Moses and Aaron fell facedown and cried out, “O God, the God who gives breath to all living things, will you be angry with the entire assembly when only one man sins?”

  • Definition:

    • English: Spirit from Latin “Spirare”(spee-rah-ra) meaning to breathe

      • Inspiration “to infuse by breathing”

      • Aspire – rough breathing

      • Conspire – breath together

      • Perspire – through breathing

      • Expire – without breath

    • Hebrew: “Ruach” meaning breath (wu-ah-s)

      • Ruach haKodesh of YAHWEH “The Holy Spirit of the Mighty One who created the heavens and earth.

        • Prophecy and wisdom

        • Divine force, influence of the Most High God

        • Ezekiel 37:1-10 "1 The hand of the Lord was on me, and he brought me out by the Spirit of the Lord and set me in the middle of a valley; it was full of bones. 2 He led me back and forth among them, and I saw a great many bones on the floor of the valley, bones that were very dry. 3 He asked me, “Son of man, can these bones live?” I said, “Sovereign Lord, you alone know.” 4 Then he said to me, “Prophesy to these bones and say to them, ‘Dry bones, hear the word of the Lord! 5 This is what the Sovereign Lord says to these bones: I will make breath enter you, and you will come to life. 6 I will attach tendons to you and make flesh come upon you and cover you with skin; I will put breath in you, and you will come to life. Then you will know that I am the Lord.’ ”
          7 So I prophesied as I was commanded. And as I was prophesying, there was a noise, a rattling sound, and the bones came together, bone to bone. 8 I looked, and tendons and flesh appeared on them and skin covered them, but there was no breath in them. 9 Then he said to me, “Prophesy to the breath; prophesy, son of man, and say to it, ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: Come, breath, from the four winds and breathe into these slain, that they may live.’ ” 10 So I prophesied as he commanded me, and breath entered them; they came to life and stood up on their feet—a vast army."

    • Greek: “Pneuma” meaning an invisible quality like wind or breath

      • Pneumatic – pertaining to air, wind or gas

      • Pneumonia – a disease of the lungs

      • Romans 8:11,16 "11 And if the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you, he who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies because of his Spirit who lives in you. ... 16 The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God’s children."

  • Source of power or animation within the body.

  • Upon death, our spirit returns to it’s source (infinite):

    • Ecclesiastes 12:7 “and the dust returns to the ground it came from, and the spirit returns to God who gave it.”

    • Luke 23:46, “Jesus called out with a loud voice, “Father, into your hands I commit my spirit.” When he had said this, he breathed his last.”

  • One regenerated upon belief in Jesus Christ – reborn (baptized) of the Spirit to live by the Spirit:

    • Titus 3:3-6 “3 At one time we too were foolish, disobedient, deceived and enslaved by all kinds of passions and pleasures. We lived in malice and envy, being hated and hating one another. 4 But when the kindness and love of God our Savior appeared, 5 he saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit, 6 whom he poured out on us generously through Jesus Christ our Savior,”

    • Psalms 51:10 “Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me.”

    • Romans 8:9-11 “ 9 You, however, are not in the realm of the flesh but are in the realm of the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God lives in you. And if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, they do not belong to Christ. 10 But if Christ is in you, then even though your body is subject to death because of sin, the Spirit gives life because of righteousness. 11 And if the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you, he who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies because of his Spirit who lives in you.”

  • Heavenly body:

    • 1 Corinthians 15:40-44 “40 There are also heavenly bodies and there are earthly bodies; but the splendor of the heavenly bodies is one kind, and the splendor of the earthly bodies is another. 41 The sun has one kind of splendor, the moon another and the stars another; and star differs from star in splendor. “42 So will it be with the resurrection of the dead. The body that is sown is perishable, it is raised imperishable; 43 it is sown in dishonor, it is raised in glory; it is sown in weakness, it is raised in power; 44 it is sown a natural body, it is raised a spiritual body. If there is a natural body, there is also a spiritual body. “

    • Philippians 3:20-21 “20 But our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ, 21 who, by the power that enables him to bring everything under his control, will transform our lowly bodies so that they will be like his glorious body.”

  • How can a sinful body walk in the Spirit if we are not a spirit?

    • James MacDonald “A glove cannot pickup a bible without a hand”

      • Man’s spirit is not the Spirit:

        • Mark 14:38 “Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation.  The spirit is willing, but the body is weak.”

        • Luke 1:46-47 “ 46 And Mary said: “My soul glorifies the Lord 47 and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior,”

        • Romans 8:16, “The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God’s children.”

        • Galatians 6:18, “18 The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit, …”

      • A body cannot live without a spirit:

        • James 2:26 “For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also.”

      • Spirit with Christ is alive:

        • Ephesians 2:1-10 “1 As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins, 2 in which you used to live when you followed the ways of this world and of the ruler of the kingdom of the air, the spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient. 3 All of us also lived among them at one time, gratifying the cravings of our flesh and following its desires and thoughts. Like the rest, we were by nature deserving of wrath. 4 But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, 5 made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved. 6 And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus, 7 in order that in the coming ages he might show the incomparable riches of his grace, expressed in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus. 8 For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— 9 not by works, so that no one can boast. 10 For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.”

      • Filled with / overcome / controlled:

        • Ephesians 5:15-21 “15 Be very careful, then, how you live—not as unwise but as wise, 16 making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil. 17 Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord’s will is. 18 Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery. Instead, be filled with the Spirit, 19 speaking to one another with psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit. Sing and make music from your heart to the Lord, 20 always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ."

        • Luke 9:1-2 “1 Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, left the Jordan and was led by the Spirit into the wilderness, 2 where for forty days he was tempted by the devil. He ate nothing during those days, and at the end of them he was hungry.”

      • Weakness of body can influence decisions:

        • Mark 14:38 “Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation.  The spirit is willing, but the body is weak.”

        • Romans 8:26-27 “26 In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us through wordless groans. 27 And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for God’s people in accordance with the will of God.”

The soul of a person

fingerprint

Soul – Connection to spirit and body

  • personality, self-awareness, consciousness, personal “I am”, cognition of life and sin; natural feelings; unique identity"

    • Psalm 119:20-21, 28 “20 My soul is consumed with longing for your laws at all times. 21 You rebuke the arrogant, who are accursed, those who stray from your commands. ... 28 My soul is weary with sorrow; strengthen me according to your word.”

    • 1 Timothy 4:1-3, “1 The Spirit clearly says that in later times some will abandon the faith and follow deceiving spirits and things taught by demons. 2 Such teachings come through hypocritical liars, whose consciences have been seared as with a hot iron. 3 They forbid people to marry and order them to abstain from certain foods, which God created to be received with thanksgiving by those who believe and who know the truth.”

  • Greek “psuche” means unique and individual personality given by God, the life of a person.

  • Hebrew “nephesh” means soul, living being, life, person; from “naphash” meaning to be breathed upon or refreshed. Assigned to living and dead.

  • C.H. Spurgeon, 1856:

    • Intrinsic Value of the soul:

      • Made in the likeness of God

      • Eternal

      • God seeks to save them and Satan seeks to destroy them

      • The price or cost is the same as what Christ paid on the cross

    • Capable of seeing heaven

  • separation between soul and spirit:

    • Luke 1:46-47 “ 46 And Mary said: “My soul glorifies the Lord 47 and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior,”

    • Hebrews 4:12 “For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart."

  • Bible Research Institute:

    • Expresses two main ideas:

      • Humans are by nature creatures of desires and longings.

      • Humans are living beings who eagerly seek to live but are unable to acquire or preserve life by themselves.

      • “Soul” refers to the whole person in need of God, who is the only one who can preserve a human being or extinguish the self forever:

        • Matt. 10:28 “Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather, be afraid of the One who can destroy both soul and body in hell.”

        • Matt 16:26 “What good will it be for someone to gain the whole world, yet forfeit their soul? Or what can anyone give in exchange for their soul?”

      • refers to the totality of the person as a center of life, emotions, feelings, and longings that can be fully realized only in union with God. Basically walking around half dead.

  • Salvation severs the link between the physical body and soul. In other words, Body and Soul separate at death, but if not a Christian then both will die eternally in hell:

    • Matt. 10:28 “Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather, be afraid of the One who can destroy both soul and body in hell.”

    • John 3:3-5 “3 Jesus replied, “Very truly I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God unless they are born again.” 4 “How can someone be born when they are old?” Nicodemus asked. “Surely they cannot enter a second time into their mother’s womb to be born!” 5 Jesus answered, “Very truly I tell you, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless they are born of water and the Spirit."

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

  • What does this have to do with loving the Lord with all your heart, soul, mind and strength? This is from a spiritual perspective, not physical. For Jews, the application of the Shema (Deuteronomy 6:5 / Matthew 22:37) is that loving God with your mind is about actions, not a mental state of being so mind and strength must be combined.

    • Heart, Soul, Strength:

      • Deuteronomy 6:1-5 “1 These are the commands, decrees and laws the LORD your God directed me to teach you to observe in the land that you are crossing the Jordan to possess, 2 so that you, your children and their children after them may fear the LORD your God as long as you live by keeping all his decrees and commands that I give you, and so that you may enjoy long life. 3 Hear, Israel, and be careful to obey so that it may go well with you and that you may increase greatly in a land flowing with milk and honey, just as the LORD, the God of your ancestors, promised you. 4 Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one. 5 Love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength."

    • Heart, Soul, Mind, and Strength:

      • Matthew 22:37 “35 One of them, an expert in the law, tested him with this question: 36 “Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?” 37 Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ 38 This is the first and greatest commandment. 39 And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ 40 All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.”

      • Mark 12:30 “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength."

      • Luke 10:27 “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength."

​

Heart of a person

  • Heart: Greek “kardia” means affective center of our being and capacity of moral preference or choice. Hebrew “Lebab”; Wisdom, choice, belief, judgment, free-will, reason:

    • Mark 2:8 "Immediately Jesus knew in his spirit that this was what they were thinking in their hearts, and he said to them, “Why are you thinking these things?"

    • 1 Samuel 16:7 "But the LORD said to Samuel, “Do not consider his appearance or his height, for I have rejected him. The LORD does not look at the things people look at. People look at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart.”

    • Jeremiah 17:9-10 "9 The heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure. Who can understand it? 10 “I the LORD search the heart and examine the mind, to reward each person according to their conduct, according to what their deeds deserve.”

    • 2 Chronicles 16:9 “For the eyes of the LORD range throughout the earth to strengthen those whose hearts are fully committed to him. You have done a foolish thing, and from now on you will be at war.”

    • Hebrews 3:12 “See to it, brothers and sisters, that none of you has a sinful, unbelieving heart that turns away from the living God.”

    • Romans 10:9-10 “9 If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. 10 For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you profess your faith and are saved.”

    • Proverbs 4:23 “Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it.”

    • Proverbs 16:9 “In their hearts humans plan their course, but the Lord establishes their steps.”

    • Joel 2:12-13 “12 “Even now,” declares the Lord, “return to me with all your heart, with fasting and weeping and mourning.” 13 Rend your heart and not your garments. Return to the Lord your God, for he is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and abounding in love, and he relents from sending calamity.”

    • Psalms 51:10 “Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me.”

    • Psalms 62:4 “Surely they intend to topple me from my lofty place; they take delight in lies. With their mouths they bless, but in their hearts they curse.”

    • Psalms 119:10-11 “10 I seek you with all my heart; do not let me stray from your commands. 11 I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you.”

    • 1 Peter 1:22 “Now that you have purified yourselves by obeying the truth so that you have sincere love for each other, love one another deeply, from the heart.”

    • James 1:5-8 “ 5 If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you. 6 But when you ask, you must believe and not doubt, because the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. 7 That person should not expect to receive anything from the Lord. 8 Such a person is double-minded and unstable in all they do.”

  • Regeneration:

    • Ezekiel 18:31 “Rid yourselves of all the offenses you have committed, and get a new heart and a new spirit. Why will you die, people of Israel?”

    • Ezekiel 36:26-27 “26 I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh. 27 And I will put my Spirit in you and move you to follow my decrees and be careful to keep my laws.”

    • 2 Corinthians 5:17 “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!”

  • Speech comes from the heart:

    • Proverbs 16:23 “The hearts of the wise make their mouths prudent, and their lips promote instruction.”

    • Proverbs 20:27 “The human spirit is the lamp of the Lord that sheds light on one’s inmost being.”

    • Matthew 12:34-37 “34 You brood of vipers, how can you who are evil say anything good? For the mouth speaks what the heart is full of. 35 A good man brings good things out of the good stored up in him, and an evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in him. 36 But I tell you that everyone will have to give account on the day of judgment for every empty word they have spoken. 37 For by your words you will be acquitted, and by your words you will be condemned.”

    • Luke 6:45 “A good man brings good things out of the good stored up in his heart, and an evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in his heart. For the mouth speaks what the heart is full of.”

  • The heart reflects what you treasure most:

    • Matthew 6:21 “For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.”

    • Luke 6:45 “A good man brings good things out of the good stored up in his heart, and an evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in his heart. For the mouth speaks what the heart is full of.”

  • God will test the heart"

    • Deuteronomy 8:2, “Remember how the Lord your God led you all the way in the wilderness these forty years, to humble and test you in order to know what was in your heart, whether or not you would keep his commands.”

    • Exodus 9: 7, 12 "7 Pharaoh investigated and found that not even one of the animals of the Israelites had died. Yet his heart was unyielding and he would not let the people go [Pharaoh's last chance to change his heart] ... 11The magicians could not stand before Moses because of the boils that were on them and on all the Egyptians. 12 But the Lord hardened Pharaoh’s heart [God gave Pharaoh over to his hardened heart] and he would not listen to Moses and Aaron, just as the Lord had said to Moses."

 

Mind of a person

  • Mind: Greek “dianoia” means critical thinking and reasoning, intelligence, knowledge, understanding, attitude.

  • Mind v. Brain: The mind is not the brain.The human brain can enable the mind. It is an organ suitable for connecting the mind to the rest of the universe. For example, in order to have an Olympic swimming event (mind), you need an Olympic swimming pool (brain). The pool does not create the Olympic event; it makes them feasible at a given location. Consciousness uses the brain; it is not the activity of the brain. (“The Spiritual Brain: A neuroscientist’s case for the existence of the soul” by Mario Beauregard, Ph.D and  Denyse O’Leary, 2007.)

  • The Natural Mind:

    • The Natural Mind and the Physical World is the perspective of Ecclesiastes by the phrase “Under the Sun"; Shows a lack of satisfaction.

    • “The Natural Mind is prone to reason when we ought to believe.” C.H. Spurgeon

    • Proverbs 23:7 “… for as he thinks within himself, so he is.”

  • Renew your mind:

    • Ephesians 4:22-24 “22 You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires; 23 to be made new in the attitude of your minds; 24 and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness."

    • Romans 12:2 “Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.”

    • Philippians 4:6-8 6 "Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. 7 And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. 8 Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things."

  • Like-minded with Christ:

    • Philippians 2:1-5 "1 Therefore if you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any common sharing in the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion, 2 then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and of one mind. 3 Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, 4 not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others. 5 In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus:"

    • 2 Corinthians 10:3-5, “3 For though we live in the world, we do not wage war as the world does. 4 The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds. 5 We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we to make it obedient to Christ.”

  • Regarding salvation:

    • The mind is not used in salvation:

      • Proverbs 14:12 “There is a way that appears to be right, but in the end it leads to death.”

    • The heart is used in salvation:

      • Romans 10:8-10 “8 But what does it say? “The word is near you; it is in your mouth and in your heart,” that is, the message concerning faith that we proclaim: 9 If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. 10 For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you profess your faith and are saved.”

  • Mind=can I do it? Heart=should I do it?

  • Knowledge helps to identify (changes over time):

    • Job 28:28 “And he said to the human race, “The fear of the Lord—that is wisdom, and to shun evil is understanding.”

  • Wisdom gives direction to apply knowledge (does not change over time):

    • 1 Corinthians 2:6-16 “6 We do, however, speak a message of wisdom among the mature, but not the wisdom of this age or of the rulers of this age, who are coming to nothing. 7 No, we declare God’s wisdom, a mystery that has been hidden and that God destined for our glory before time began. 8None of the rulers of this age understood it, for if they had, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory. 9 However, as it is written: “What no eye has seen, what no ear has heard, and what no human mind has conceived” — the things God has prepared for those who love him — 10 these are the things God has revealed to us by his Spirit. The Spirit searches all things, even the deep things of God. 11 For who knows a person’s thoughts except their own spirit within them? In the same way no one knows the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God. 12 What we have received is not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, so that we may understand what God has freely given us. 13 This is what we speak, not in words taught us by human wisdom but in words taught by the Spirit, explaining spiritual realities with Spirit-taught words. 14 The person without the Spirit does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God but considers them foolishness, and cannot understand them because they are discerned only through the Spirit. 15 The person with the Spirit makes judgments about all things, but such a person is not subject to merely human judgments, 16 for, “Who has known the mind of the Lord so as to instruct him?” But we have the mind of Christ."

  • The eyes and mind can be deceived:

    • Matthew 6:22-23 “22 “The eye is the lamp of the body. If your eyes are healthy, your whole body will be full of light. 23 But if your eyes are unhealthy, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light within you is darkness, how great is that darkness!”

    • Genesis 3:6 “6 When the woman saw that the fruit of the tree was good for food and pleasing to the eye, and also desirable for gaining wisdom, she took some and ate it. She also gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate it.”

    • Isaiah 29:13 “The Lord says: “These people come near to me with their mouth and honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. Their worship of me is based on merely human rules they have been taught.”

    • Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil

      • Genesis 2:9,16-17 “9 The Lord God made all kinds of trees grow out of the ground—trees that were pleasing to the eye and good for food. In the middle of the garden were the tree of life and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil … 16 And the Lord God commanded the man, “You are free to eat from any tree in the garden; 17 but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat from it you will certainly die.”

  • The depraved mind:

    • Romans 1:28 “28 Furthermore, just as they did not think it worthwhile to retain the knowledge of God, so God gave them over to a depraved mind, so that they do what ought not to be done.”

 

Strength of a person

  • Strength: Greek “ischus” means force to overcome immediate resistance or ability to resist.  Hebrew “choach” – to be firm, means or capacity (Daniel 11:6, Ephesians 6) or “nachovn” – to be firm, steadfast spirit (Psalms 51:10)

    • Exodus 15:2 "The LORD is my strength and my song, and he has become my salvation; this is my God, and I will praise him, my father’s God, and I will exalt him."

    • Deuteronomy 31:6 "Be strong and courageous. Do not fear or be in dread of them, for it is the LORD your God who goes with you. He will not leave you or forsake you.”

    • 1 Samuel 30:6 "And David was greatly distressed, for the people spoke of stoning him, because all the people were bitter in soul, each for his sons and daughters. But David strengthened himself in the LORD his God."

    • Psalm 18:32-34 "the God who equipped me with strength and made my way blameless. He made my feet like the feet of a deer and set me secure on the heights. He trains my hands for war, so that my arms can bend a bow of bronze."

    • Isaiah 40:28-31 "Have you not known? Have you not heard? The LORD is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He does not faint or grow weary; his understanding is unsearchable. He gives power to the faint, and to him who has no might he increases strength. Even youths shall faint and be weary,and young men shall fall exhausted; but they who wait for the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint."

    • Matthew 21:21 "And Jesus answered them, “Truly, I say to you, if you have faith and do not doubt, you will not only do what has been done to the fig tree, but even if you say to this mountain, ‘Be taken up and thrown into the sea,’ it will happen."

    • Philippians 4:13 "I can do all things through him who strengthens me."

    • 1 Corinthians 10:13 No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it."

    • 1 Peter 4:11 "whoever speaks, as one who speaks oracles of God; whoever serves, as one who serves by the strength that God supplies—in order that in everything God may be glorified through Jesus Christ. To him belong glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen."

praying man
The heart
The mind
Our strength
bottom of page