"What is true in spirit is more real and palpable than what we see. What is passing in our hearts and minds is more than we are in reality. More than what our bodies are occupied in".
The word spirit or the spiritual life has always been somewhat of a mystery to me. Sometimes I think I have it other times its a far off place. Why has God made this so and just what then is spirit? Can we analyze it, break it down, count on it as the firm corner stone of our faith in action? As Christians we really have only one place to seek the answer, the Word.
1 Cor. 2:9-14 gives us the place to start our search:"What no eye has seen, what no ear has heard and what no human mind has conceived The things God has revealed to us by His Spirit.
The Spirit searches all things, even the deep things of God. 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. 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. 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. 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".
The Bible teaches us that there are three spiritual classes of men: In the Greek we learn best the difference. First we are taught of the psuchikos, [see James 3:15, Jude 19] meaning of the senses, or the natural man, the Adam man un-renewed. A un-removed original man not having the new birth whose full trust is in the worlds systems and his own self behavior.
Second the pneumatikos or the spiritual man, that is the renewed man as Spirit-filled and walking in the Spirit in full communion with God [see Eph. 5 18-20]. This is the man who by faith is confident of his identification as one who is hid in Christ, a practical heavenly/spiritual position. Biblical spiritual truth is his motivation for life. His place in life here on earth is spiritual in his relationship with the Father. He does not consider himself justified by habit or works nor is he committed to be busy with the earthly kingdoms call. This man is occupied within himself, or identified knowingly, in God's personal perception of the believer, as seen in eternity in the image of the Son; first by knowledge of his spiritual/of the mind position in Christ then by faith; in the invisible and immaterial glory of a heavenly or spiritual reality to be fully enjoyed in the here and now as well as in future glory. This man a believer there by God's grace, shown him intelligently by personally studying the Word and thus awareness of spiritual reality. This believer is acutely aware by faith of being seen now by God within and manifest by Christ Jesus at His Own Right side.
Third is sarkikos, meaning the renewed man but who is still walking according to the flesh [see Rom. 8]. He is the Christian who has remained a babe in Christ spiritually, he is carnal or fleshly, of the world, And like the natural man is still struggling with feelings, not spiritually mature. A man who does not know his heavenly position. A man who is seeking to fight sin within himself, who has not realized his true freedom. Thus actually depending upon self-centeredness, or the remaking of the old and dead Adam man in resisting indwelling sin. Thus he is often occupied with service, works and morals, trusting his own observations senses and intellectualism, or simply following others examples. Seeking definition of his Christian life by actions, habit, ritual and emotions. "I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ" Phil. 3:8.
The Greek word for Spirit is pneuma which has a similar meaning to the word ruach in Hebrew. Pneuma; to breathe, or blow, primarily denotes the wind. Or breath; the Spirit which, like the wind, is invisible, immaterial, and powerful. In Hebrew, the original inspired language of the Old Testament, the word for Spirit 'Ruach' cannot be construed as a person. It is a force. It is invisible and like wind, because it can be felt or experienced, but not seen. It is the breath of God which disperses His life-force, His energy and His intentions, His mind. It is God's Spirit which is omnipresent, but also can be directed in specific ways for specific purposes. It is not His actual Person (which remains incorporeal and outside of the physical dimension) but His Spirit...His Mind, His thoughts that manifests itself in the world, or which comes to dwell in the hearts and lives of His people.
Unfortunately this concept has primarily been lost in what has become expected of the church on earth. Which has evolved into more or less a experiential carnal manifestation. Most in Christianity are urged to engage in activities which are almost entirely external to themselves in order to evoke feelings of belonging. Works, laws, disciplines, all to under gird a commitment to the group. Fashioned after a team like effort which is sarkikos or carnal in nature. In much of today's church teaching personal inward spiritual intelligence [mental awareness of the new creature we are by position in Christ heavenly as life] is a very rare thing. In other words few are taught to wait upon a inward mature thoughtful manifestation, wholly developed by the Spirit, first requiring knowledge of His Word for the Spirits full release as to identification, and then a restful patience for growth, often which also includes suffering in the flesh for God's preparation of the soul.
It is by the embracing of law [anything outside of grace and spirit] that a Christian is set apart from intimately knowing God's Spirit as defining his life. How so? Because the Church fails to teach freedom by death from the old nature and a new creation awareness by Spirit as a mental obligation for development. We might be encouraged to be obedient, to enjoy secular inspired activities/programs such as making the world a better place in the Church social processing. Substituting activities [good works] as indications of belonging to Him.
We may even be asked to follow the ten commandments as a guide for proper Christian living. The Church also teaches the walk of Christ Jesus while He was on the earth as a example of how we should carry on. But He was under the Law on earth as were those to whom He was addressing Himself. But unlike them a perfect Man, unlike any other before Him therefore qualified to keep the Law. We are not! Where does that leave the believer today, who is not seeking [needful of] a heavenly spiritual life? One who is continually under the entrenched indwelling sin nature of the condition we all remains in, in the flesh and having no other way? He has only his hope for a vague future in heaven [a completely mystical and unimaginable concept to a earth dweller] so in conscience he is remaining of the earth. Attempting to make his way here to prove himself. This is earthly religion under the Law. "Set your affections on things above, not on things of the earth" Eph 2:13.
The Law and the earth which we are so subject too was is and will always be [in the millennium] the place for the un-renewed Jew who is not a new creature [by Spirit] according to the bible, and never will be. God provided a visual fomentation for worship and justification in the temple in times of old by a disciplined behavior as He will on earth again someday upon His return. However the Christian is no longer under a earthly realm and the Law as Christ was while on earth. As we are now under grace which is heavenly, because Christ died unto the Adam man of sin and Ascended to heaven as a New Man and by God's Grace we are united with Him there. Not on the earth any longer as to any expectation ever by the Father. The Word says; "Through Him we both [born again Jew and gentile alike] have access by One Spirit unto the Father".
The end of all Jewish earthly things; dedications, consecrations, priesthood figures, sacrifice, pageantry, traditions, rules, discipline's were taken away by the Cross of Christ Jesus. But is still mistakenly widely practiced today as simply proper traditions. God is no longer dealing with men by a sensual and visible religion. Now it is the Holy Spirit that forms us and Himself in our thoughts by spirit. Outside of this position [in the physical] we remain simply carnal and will always seek the lower element of emotions, experience and self righteousness and Law. Leaving the reformed Adam man with only himself to reason out his place. "As is the earthly, such are they that are earthly; and as is the heavenly, such are they also that are heavenly 1 Cor. 15:48.
The Father has brought us, both Jew and gentile, to Himself as a family by Spirit. Scripture confines the Body of Christ to that which follows the death, resurrection and ascension of the Lord Jesus by Spirit not by sight. We are not complete however in the souls application of spiritual truth, we are in process. "In Whom you are built together for a habitation of God through Spirit "Eph. 2:21,22.
The flesh is in us to by sure, but as a foreign thing. We are not in it before God, and not identified with it in any way by Him. But we are wholly identified with Christ Jesus in whom sin was never found. We are in Him as He is where He is found, and that is in heaven. " The Spirit bears witness with our spirit, that we are children of God; and if children then heirs" Rom. 8:16,17. Why would we need more? Walk by Spirit not by sight!
P.S. I personally struggle deeply with these concepts but I trust God that as His Word declares He will reveal Himself through the effort. I simply have no other choice!
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