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Life in the Bible Club
Maple Woods College

Bible Study Outlines

September 22, 2005

The Three Parts of Man - God's vessel

  1. By God creating man with three parts, man is a VESSEL with a particular purpose.
    1. Since God created man, he certainly has the power over man.
      - Romans 9:21 Or does not the potter have authority over the clay to make out of the same lump one vessel unto honor and another unto dishonor?
    2. We as Christian's contain the "zoe" life of God.
      - 2 Corinthians 4:7 But we have this treasure in earthen vessels that the excellency of the power may be of God and not out of us.
    3. We have to value the vessel that God gave each of us and keep it healthy physically, psychologically and spiritually.
      - 2 Timothy 2:21 If therefore anyone cleanses himself from these, he will be a vessel unto honor, sanctified, useful to the master, prepared unto every good work.
    4. We all must honor one another as vessels, with our wonderful treasure, otherwise God will not answer our prayers to Him.
      - 1 Peter 3:7 Husbands, in like manner dwell together with them according to knowledge, as with the weaker, female vessel, assigning honor to them as also to fellow heirs of the grace of life, that your prayers may not be hindered.
  2. The VESSEL becomes damaged.
    Originally, man had function in all the parts of his being, body, soul, and spirit. Man was then placed in a garden which contained trees with physical fruit to eat. There were also two other trees that were not outward fruit but were rather a supply for man's inward parts. These were (1) the tree of the knowledge of good and evil and (2) the tree of life. Man was warned about the result of eating the first tree and given the free choice to eat the second.
    1. Satan, saw his opportunity and approached the woman to influence her inward parts.
      - Genesis 3:1a - Now the serpent was more crafty than any other animal of the field that Jehovah God had made.
    2. By asking the woman questions, the serpent eventually weakened her understanding (mind) and her faith in God's word and then she exercised her will along with her husband to follow to Satan's evil suggestion.
      - Genesis 3:6 - and when the woman saw that the tree was good for food and that it was a delight to the eyes and that the tree was to be desired to make oneself wise, she took of it's fruit and ate; and she gave some to her husband with her, and he ate.
    3. Before this man had received speaking and fellowship directly from God's presence through the use of his spirit. Now man began to use his mind, will, and became fearful in his emotions. The spirit became deadened toward God and man missed receiving the tree of life, which would have given him eternal life. Man became an independent being with an element of God's enemy in his being (today it is the self).
      - Genesis 3:22 And Jehovah God said, Behold the man has become like one of Us, knowing good and evil, and now, lest he put forth his hand and take also from the tree of life and eat and live forever
      - Genesis 3:24 So He drove the man out, and at the East of the garden of Eden He placed the cherubim and a flaming sword which turned in every direction to guard the way to the tree of life.
    4. Man had received the element of sin (separation) into his being and it is in every man to this day. Thus to fall from God's presence and protection is to be separated from fellowship with God in spirit and from receiving His divine life.
      - Romans 3:23 For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, See footnote on glory.
    5. Man's inner being today needs to be recovered.
      - Ephesians 4:17 This therefore I say and testify in the Lord, that you no longer walk as the Gentiles also walk in the vanity of their mind, see footnote 173 Ephesians 4:18 Being darkened in their understanding, alienated from the life of God because of the ignorance which is in them, because of the hardness of their heart; see footnotes 181 and 182.
  3. Jesus Christ brought God to the earth. Jesus lived a sinless life, then died on the cross that he might clear up our sin problem with God. Jesus then rose from the dead to enter into man's being to be the zoe life to put the "tree of life" into our being and put God eternal purpose and intention back on track. God's intention is to first come into our spirit. The salvation of man is the recovery of man's vessel (called our soul) for His eternal purpose. Eventually, even our body will be redeemed. We will see the scope of this eternal purpose next week.

 

NOTE: The footnotes referenced in the outlines are from the The Holy Bible, Recovery Version © 2003 Living Stream Ministry. An online Recovery Version may be searched for verses and footnotes at: The Holy Bible, Online Recovery Version. You may also obtain a free Recovery Version New Testament by filling out a request form on the Bibles for America website.