Bible Study Outline - Three Parts of Man - Life in the Bible Club, Maple Woods College

Life in the Bible Club
Maple Woods College

September 15, 2005

This year we have seen that God sent his Son to give us "Life", which is the uncreated and eternal life of God. The Greek word used in the New Testament is "zoe". Jesus was both conceived and lived this divine life while still being a human being. Through death and resurrection He returned to His disciples and breathed into them the Holy Spirit or "breath". We now receive this Spirit by being "born again". Our destiny now is that Christ will make His home in our hearts until we are "filled" unto "all the fullness of God"! Isn't that fantastic!
- John 3:16 - For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that every one who believes into Him would not perish, but would have eternal life.
- John 20:22 - And when He had said this, He breathed into them and said to them, Receive the Holy Spirit.
- Romans 5:10 - For if we, being enemies, were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more we will be saved in His life, having been reconciled.
- John 3:6 - That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.
Ephesians 3: 16-17 - 16 That He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with power through His Spirit into the inner man, 17 That Christ may make His home in your hearts through faith
- Ephesians 3:19b - that you may be filled unto all the fullness of God.

Man is of Three Parts - The spirit and soul and body.
Again in the original language (Greek) the parts of man mentioned in the following verses are separated by the conjunction translated "AND".
- 1 Thessalonians 5:23 And the God of peace Himself sanctify you wholly, and may your spirit and soul and body be preserved complete, without blame, at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.
- Hebrews 4:12 For the word of God is living and operative and sharper than any two-edged sword, and piercing even to the dividing of soul and spirit and of joints and marrow, and able to discern the thoughts and intentions of the heart.

The spirit - In God's creation our spirit is the most important part of our being! It is our inner man or regenerated spirit and deals with the spiritual world.
- Zechariah 12:1 The burden of the word of Jehovah concerning Israel. Thus declares Jehovah, who stretches forth the heavens and lays the foundations of the earth and forms the spirit of man within him.

It is the part of our being that God comes INTO and the part of us in which we are JOINED to Him.
- 2 Timothy 4:22 - The Lord be with your spirit. Grace be with you.
- Ephesians 2:22 - In whom you also are being built together into a dwelling place of God in spirit.
The conscience, fellowship, and intuition are three parts of the spirit.
- Romans 9:1 - I speak the truth in Christ, I do not lie, my conscience bearing witness with me in the Holy Spirit,
- 1 Corinthians 1:9 - God is faithful, through whom you were called into the fellowship of His Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.
- Mark 2:8 - And immediately Jesus, knowing fully in His spirit that they were reasoning this way within themselves, said to them, Why are you reasoning about these things in your hearts?

The soul - The soul is not in the physical or spiritual world but rather in the psychological. The soul is our person or personality and determines both how we evaluate and experience the physical world and the organ by which we receive the feelings and communication from the Lord in our inner man.

The mind - This part of our being is the thinking, considering (Psalm 13:2), knowing (Psalm 139:14), and remembering (Lamentations 3:20) part of our being by which we evaluate and decide things.
The emotions - This is the feeling part of our being by which we love (1 Samuel 18:1; Song of Songs. 1:7), hate (2 Samuel 5:8), like, dislike, be joyful (Isaiah 61:10; Psalm 86:4) or grieved (1 Samuel 30:6; Judges 10:16).
The will - This is the part of our being through which we have our purposes and choices (Job 7:15;6:7) and by which we make decisions (1 Chronicles 22:19).

The body - Our body is that part of man that contacts and reacts to the physical world. The major contact is by the five senses. The body is a vessel or container for both the spirit and the soul. When God breahed into man, the breath became the spirit of man. Finally, the breath breathed into the body produced a third part called the soul (a complete person). With the fall of man sin entered into the body.

Genesis 2:7a - The Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground.
Genesis 2:7b - ...and God breathed into his nostrils the breath of life
Genesis 2:7c - ...and man became a living soul.
Romans 7:23 - But I see a different law in my members, warring against the law of my mind and making me a captive to the law of sin, which is in my members.

Lord, thank you for making me in such a special way. Especially, thank you for coming into my spirit that I may have fellowship with you by keeping my conscience clear by confessing my sins and asking for your forgiveness. Lord I love you and want to know you better. Please reveal yourself to me that I may live a life in which I am in harmony with you in my spirit, soul, and body. Amen.