Let's do!

[Gilbert]

Gilbert!! Let's do.
If you wish, we can together study these things and maybe arrive at some better understandings.
You first.

Hi! RedLetterVoice

How 'bout I jus' find a hiding place in here someplace and begin a new Thread? I don't care who (besides ourselves) participates; it can be open to anyone who might feel that they have a worthy comment to add or are prompted to ask a question or for clarification.
An' how 'bout we begin with trying to discuss the 'spiritual body'?

The below are what one might call positional statements: in other words, the starting point of any discussion concerning the 'spiritual body'.

It is not the case that man starts out as a purely natural being on earth and that only after his rebirth does he obtain an existence in heaven.
It is also not correct to think that man will eventually change into a purely spiritual being.
Such ideas are usually the result of confused notions about 'natural', 'rebirth', '(un)spiritual', 'flesh'. 

It is for us, as children of God, of great importance to realize that man is the highest being that God created. He can share in everything that is prepared for him in heaven and on earth.
We may do "all" in the name of the Lord Jesus, (Col 3:17); we may pray without ceasing, (1Thess 5:17), and thus continuously be active from our position in the heavenly places in Christ, (Eph 2:6). Amid all affairs that demand our attention, we may continuously focus our attention on Him, (Heb 12:3). Then will the God of peace able to sanctify us wholly, including our whole spirit soul and body. Both our spiritual and natural body, (our complete being) is being preserved blameless to the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, (1Thes 5:23). What God envisioned when he first created man will then be revealed in all its fullness.

That's the starter ... what yuh think so far?  :grin:

[SQ]

I don't post much but read here every day.
I anxiously wait.  :thumbsup:

[Redlettervoice]

We are encompassed with a GREAT CLOUD of "witnesses." HE is
coming to "us" in this CLOUD, I believe.  Spirits
of Just Men made perfect.........gathered on Mt. Zion.  He is coming
with this HEAVENLY HOST.  To me, it is a personal coming.  I am of
the mind that He is come, has come, and will come.  I'm not sure
I believe in a bunch at one time, maybe so, but God shows me the
"bunch" is on MT. Zion known as the HOST of Heaven.  The HEAVENLY
HOST.  We will be reunited with "them", are being even NOW .......in the air, means in the
Spirit.  What goes on in the Spirit is NOT Seen by mortal eyes. 
What God is going to show to mortal eyes, I do not know, but I know
some about in the Spirit because I have "experienced" some of it...and
so have you.

The rapture thingy and the left behind stuff, like this remind me of the "multitude" that followed the Lord "afar off." Reminds me of a man
with only ONE LITTLE EWE Lamb. 

When the Word from the Lord says "Return unto ME, it means we listen
to no other VOICE but the Spirit that God put in us.  This is honoring
HIM, this is being "still" and knowing that "HE" is God, not Tim LaHaye
or any other, but this is a PROCESS, this is a "growing up" ...what
PAUL prayed for when he said "OH, that I might be found IN HIM,'
not having mine own righteousness, ....etc." We have to lay or put
our own righteousness down.......so that we will have the POWER to
pick up HIS.  The bible states that we "wait" for that righteousness.Righteousness is "something revealed" ......Romans 1
Unrighteousness is also "revealed" ........Romans 1But we do find it, the righteousness of God, because it comes when God sends it, remember that God works on a perfect timetable for OUR sakes....God brings this right righteousness  to us and clothes us with HIS.

Jesus grew in "stature" ....at one point He said plainly, "My FATHER
is GREATER than I."  Later, after [/b] He grew some more, He said
[color=In my Father's House are many mansions,maroon]MY FATHER and I are ONE[/color]!~   

......."He" knew at this point that He was IN the Father,
and the Father was in Him, and He in us."  And He said, "we'd KNOW."
Now how does this come about?  It comes thru the "annointing to
KNOW" .....1st John wrote you have an annointing to "KNOW" all things.
I believe that is about oneself........your own life.  Jesus said, when
they asked Him about those mansions, He said "WE Will come to you."
This is how YOU will "know" but the "world" will not. These people had
not "died" a "casket" death at this point, nevertheless, it is God's word.  Check out
the words in this section of scripture.  Enough of this manifesting of
what Jesus spoke of is bound to change the body atoms.  Nothing
is too hard for the Lord.  Nothing.

GILBERT: When the believer dies when his soul is separated from his body, he will be at home with the Lord, (1Cor 5:8). Death no longer has dominion over him because he is united with Jesus Christ, the Head of the body, Who has conquered death, (Romans 6:9).
RLV: Not only at "casket" death, are we to KNOW that "death has no more dominion over HIM"
but we are told in that section of scripture, to NOW recon ourselves "dead" ........and NOW "death" has no more dominion over us. The realm of "blessing AND cursing" has no more dominion. Jesus said, "I" am come that ye may have LIFE!!! All who came before me, were
theives and robbers.  What is HE and we robbed of? LIFE!  How so?  By a deathly mindset brought about "by the abuse of the law"....Jesus didn't come to "do away" with the LAW, but
to "fulfill" it.  Love is the fulfilling.   When we go from the "death" realm to the LIFE realm.
Again, Hebrews 9. 

RLV: We shall not "all" sleep.
'That' plainly says some will what? "AWAKE."  How do you do that?
And what do you "awaken" to?
Righteousness.  The true righteousness.
AWAKE unto righteousness, for some do not have the knowledge of God.
So awakening to His Righteousness imputed to give us "belief" has to do with what? 
The KNOWLEDGE OF GOD.
For some shall not sleep.  But shall be "changed" ............must be thru the knowledge of God!That will bring us to the realm of death that now has NO MORE DOMINION over us, so how
can you not conquer all that God intends for you to?  You will. Read that close what I just said.
The knowledge of God is NOT the knowledge of the tree of knowledge, that will not awaken us.
But the knowledge of God is the "WATER" that will cover the earth, promised. The HEAVENLY
WATER that comes from where? ABOVE.  From a HEAVENLY Priest sitting on the right hand
of the Father, henceforth .........expecting ..........
1st Cor. 15 - check me out on that, for that is where it is.
What "is" the true righteousness? 
Well it is NOT having mine own.........will have to LAY "that" down!EBY: His words were music to my ears.
So were "Cardinals" .......So were YOURS.
RLV: When I contemplate the "change" that is goi
to happen in a twinkling of an eye........I do believe
it is the change of the atoms.  I have grown right
here in this study.  Thank you all.
Remember JOB "Yet in this flesh, shall I see God.
And he spake of his C H A N G E.

Molly: I think Gilbert is right about the "last" overcoming.
We are all wrestling to overcome by strength the princapalities,
powers, rulers of darkness, and last spiritual wickedness in HIGH PLACES.
That is in the heavens.
But really, we are just waiting...........for when things come to a point,
God Himself does "come down" to destroy that which says it is God and
is not.  And HE Himself "speaks" to and thru us to do that.

RLV: One more aspect.  When Jesus said, "A "body" thou hast prepared
me.......is it connected to "I go away to prepare a place for you, that
where I am, there may ye be...." "And to each SEED, His own BODY,
.........somebody speak up here.

Sorry, Gilbert, I was over and the other thread and NOW I see you
did it here.  You see my last question or comment up there? It's about
the spiritual body.....!!!! Go ahead.

[Gilbert]

We are encompassed with a GREAT CLOUD of "witnesses." HE is
coming to "us" in this CLOUD, I believe.  Spirits
of Just Men made perfect.........gathered on Mt. Zion.  He is coming
with this HEAVENLY HOST.  To me, it is a personal coming.  I am of
the mind that He is come, has come, and will come.  I'm not sure
I believe in a bunch at one time, maybe so, but God shows me the
"bunch" is on MT. Zion known as the HOST of Heaven.  The HEAVENLY
HOST.  We will be reunited with "them", are being even NOW .......in the air, means in the
Spirit.  What goes on in the Spirit is NOT Seen by mortal eyes. 
What God is going to show to mortal eyes, I do not know, but I know
some about in the Spirit because I have "experienced" some of it...and
so have you.

The rapture thingy and the left behind stuff, like this remind me of the "multitude" that followed the Lord "afar off." Reminds me of a man
with only ONE LITTLE EWE Lamb. 

When the Word from the Lord says "Return unto ME, it means we listen
to no other VOICE but the Spirit that God put in us.  This is honoring
HIM, this is being "still" and knowing that "HE" is God, not Tim LaHaye
or any other, but this is a PROCESS, this is a "growing up" ...what
PAUL prayed for when he said "OH, that I might be found IN HIM,'
not having mine own righteousness, ....etc." We have to lay or put
our own righteousness down.......so that we will have the POWER to
pick up HIS.  The bible states that we "wait" for that righteousness.Righteousness is "something revealed" ......Romans 1
Unrighteousness is also "revealed" ........Romans 1But we do find it, the righteousness of God, because it comes when God sends it, remember that God works on a perfect timetable for OUR sakes....God brings this right righteousness  to us and clothes us with HIS.

Jesus grew in "stature" ....at one point He said plainly, "My FATHER
is GREATER than I."  Later, after [/b] He grew some more, He said
[color=In my Father's House are many mansions,maroon]MY FATHER and I are ONE[/color]!~   

......."He" knew at this point that He was IN the Father,
and the Father was in Him, and He in us."  And He said, "we'd KNOW."
Now how does this come about?  It comes thru the "annointing to
KNOW" .....1st John wrote you have an annointing to "KNOW" all things.
I believe that is about oneself........your own life.  Jesus said, when
they asked Him about those mansions, He said "WE Will come to you."
This is how YOU will "know" but the "world" will not. These people had
not "died" a "casket" death at this point, nevertheless, it is God's word.  Check out
the words in this section of scripture.  Enough of this manifesting of
what Jesus spoke of is bound to change the body atoms.  Nothing
is too hard for the Lord.  Nothing.

GILBERT: When the believer dies when his soul is separated from his body, he will be at home with the Lord, (1Cor 5:8). Death no longer has dominion over him because he is united with Jesus Christ, the Head of the body, Who has conquered death, (Romans 6:9).
RLV: Not only at "casket" death, are we to KNOW that "death has no more dominion over HIM"
but we are told in that section of scripture, to NOW recon ourselves "dead" ........and NOW "death" has no more dominion over us. The realm of "blessing AND cursing" has no more dominion. Jesus said, "I" am come that ye may have LIFE!!! All who came before me, were
theives and robbers.  What is HE and we robbed of? LIFE!  How so?  By a deathly mindset brought about "by the abuse of the law"....Jesus didn't come to "do away" with the LAW, but
to "fulfill" it.  Love is the fulfilling.   When we go from the "death" realm to the LIFE realm.
Again, Hebrews 9. 

RLV: We shall not "all" sleep.
'That' plainly says some will what? "AWAKE."  How do you do that?
And what do you "awaken" to?
Righteousness.  The true righteousness.
AWAKE unto righteousness, for some do not have the knowledge of God.
So awakening to His Righteousness imputed to give us "belief" has to do with what? 
The KNOWLEDGE OF GOD.
For some shall not sleep.  But shall be "changed" ............must be thru the knowledge of God!That will bring us to the realm of death that now has NO MORE DOMINION over us, so how
can you not conquer all that God intends for you to?  You will. Read that close what I just said.
The knowledge of God is NOT the knowledge of the tree of knowledge, that will not awaken us.
But the knowledge of God is the "WATER" that will cover the earth, promised. The HEAVENLY
WATER that comes from where? ABOVE.  From a HEAVENLY Priest sitting on the right hand
of the Father, henceforth .........expecting ..........
1st Cor. 15 - check me out on that, for that is where it is.
What "is" the true righteousness? 
Well it is NOT having mine own.........will have to LAY "that" down!EBY: His words were music to my ears.
So were "Cardinals" .......So were YOURS.
RLV: When I contemplate the "change" that is goi
to happen in a twinkling of an eye........I do believe
it is the change of the atoms.  I have grown right
here in this study.  Thank you all.
Remember JOB "Yet in this flesh, shall I see God.
And he spake of his C H A N G E.

Molly: I think Gilbert is right about the "last" overcoming.
We are all wrestling to overcome by strength the princapalities,
powers, rulers of darkness, and last spiritual wickedness in HIGH PLACES.
That is in the heavens.
But really, we are just waiting...........for when things come to a point,
God Himself does "come down" to destroy that which says it is God and
is not.  And HE Himself "speaks" to and thru us to do that.

RLV: One more aspect.  When Jesus said, "A "body" thou hast prepared
me.......is it connected to "I go away to prepare a place for you, that
where I am, there may ye be...." "And to each SEED, His own BODY,
.........somebody speak up here.

Sorry, Gilbert, I was over and the other thread and NOW I see you
did it here.  You see my last question or comment up there? It's about
the spiritual body.....!!!! Go ahead.

Hi! RedLetterVoice
an' you too SQ

Yeah, nothing worse than wakin' up in the mornin' and havin' tuh chase a multitude of Threads in here, ay? It can be overwhelming sometimes. There are days when I leave here after reading a whole bunch and my mind jus' sortta' glazes over because of so many different subjects and points of view. Anyways, this might be a bit more tidy; by keeping the 'mess' of our discussion in one place.

I also commented minutes ago here
http://www.tentmaker.org/forum/index.php?topic=6756.msg75042;topicseen#msg75042
before I realized you were here too
... wow, even saying that here confuses me all the more.  :grin:

You may find me repeating myself here. See? I have over many years been creating written studies which then become Web Content. Sometimes I get a thought and am reminded of some study I had created about it and then might use some quote from it rather than having to duplicate it all over again afresh. I hope you don't mind.

OK, continuing now:

The "let us make man" is an announcement which remains extremely effectual and prescient even at this very moment in time. In this very day and hour, God (in Christ) appeals to us for our commitment; with all that is in our might and with all (returning) love, to come to Him and to work together with Him towards the completion of what God began doing in Genesis 1:26. If we truly accept the invitation and give ourselves completely, all of God's promises with regard to man in Christ will be fulfilled in our lives and God's plan shall be completed: God all things in all.

It is of great importance for us to have a proper "image of man". It gives us clarity about the functioning of men in both the spiritual and the natural world. It aligns us to the original eternal plan and intents of God. It gives understanding on the relation that we, as men, may have with God. It enables a conscious life in and from the spiritual world and of God's intentions with man and how we, as men, can shape this.Equally important, the image that we have of "man" also determines the image we have of God. An incorrect image of man excludes a proper image of God.

God created man for a life in two worlds. With his creation, He gave man a natural body and a spiritual body containing all that was needed to realize God's intention with his life.

When God created man, He used two 'raw materials': dust and spirit. From the very beginning man was being prepared to work with and share in everything that God had created. The uniqueness of the being "man" is expressed in Genesis 2:7: "And the Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul". In this way, man became a living being. God created him for a functioning in two worlds. Heaven and earth both would be man's surrounding and 'home'.

Man was given a natural, visible material body built from the elements of the earth enabling him to function on earth. God gave man eyes to see, ears to hear, a mouth to speak, a mind to understand the things he would perceive, feet to walk, hands to work with. That being said, the natural body of man is a beautiful creation of God that cannot be described in a few sentences. Our body is for the Lord, and the Lord is for the body. Paul writes, "Or do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost? We should glorify God in our body", (1Cor 6:13,19-20).

Our natural body is not something inferior: God doesn't create inferior things. Where the bible also mentions a 'humiliated body' does not mean to say that God created it as such! The humiliation of man, (and therefore his body), is caused by sin; it brings man under the influence of the devil and death. The by God given and created body was intended and is destined to be glorified; man will therefore fully share in the glory of God, (Phil 3:21)! The redemption that God offers us in Christ Jesus causes the original intentions of the word of God to fully appear again. The physical body is a characteristic feature of the being of man; this will never disappear. That is how God created us.

With the formation of man from dust of the earth, God blew the breath of life in his nostrils. In the original Hebrew text a word is used here ('neshamah' - נשמה) which in other places in the Old Testament is translated as "spirit", (Job 26:4 and Proverbs.20:27). The breath of life is therefore not something 'material', but something 'spiritual'. In Isaiah 57:16, the word 'neshamah' is translated as "soul". God gave man something which can be described in words as breath of life, spirit and soul. Therefore, blowing the breath of life indicates the formation of the inner man which was created from the elements of heaven to enable the functioning of man in the spiritual world.

Paul speaks about the "eyes of your understanding", (Eph 1:18AKJV), the "eyes of your heart", (ASV). Concerning Jesus, it was said that He "perceived in his spirit", (Mark 2:8). The spirit of man can therefore "see"; he has spiritual eyes. In the first chapters of the Book of Revelation, the following expression frequently occurs: "he who has ears, let him hear". Man therefore not only has natural eyes and ears, but also spiritual senses with which he can perceive in the spiritual world. Man can "hold on to something" in the spiritual world which indicates that he also has spiritual hands. In Ephesians 6 we are called to put on the spiritual armor and to clothe our inner man with it. Paul is not speaking in that chapter about our natural hands, feet, head and loins, but our spiritual. In John 13:31, it says that Jesus was "troubled in spirit"; meaning that His spiritual heart was moved. Man therefore not only has a natural, but also a spiritual heart. In this sense we may understand the call in Proverbs 23:26: "My son, give me your heart". This is about our spiritual heart, the core of our life.

While thinking about the inner man, a very clear image of a body appears. Our inner man therefore also has the shape of a body. Man has, as do the angels of God, spiritual eyes and ears. He can, just as the angels, speak in the spiritual world with a spiritual mouth. He has a spiritual heart and spiritual hands and feet. Man has, just as the angels do, a spiritual body by means of which he can function in the spiritual world. This spiritual body is also characteristic for the being "man". That is how God created him. We noted this earlier concerning angels as well.

In 1Corinthians 15:44 Paul supports this thought about man: "There is a natural body, and there is a spiritual body". He does not speak about obtaining a spiritual body, but about having one. Man has a natural body and a spiritual body. The same Paul writes in another letter about man as a spirit-soul-body being, (1Thes 5:23). These two descriptions do not contradict each other; they supplement each other. The spirit and soul of man together form the inner man, the spiritual body. The inner man as a whole is something the bible describes as something of which the natural body is an image of. The expression "spiritual body" which is used by Paul is most clear about this.

Additionally, it also most clearly expresses the indivisibility of the inner man. A body is a unity; it cannot be divided into separate parts. Otherwise, it wouldn't be a body any longer. The spirit and soul are therefore not two separate, independent 'parts' of man; instead, they are two words that together describe one whole: the spiritual body. And it is this spiritual body that is functional as 'neshamah'  in the natural body and forms a unity with it. Because of this connection, man lives; "dust" becomes alive. In all the places where the bible speaks of the spirit, or the soul, of the spirit and soul, breath of life, or the inner man, we should acknowledge this as man's spiritual body.

Man is not only created for a purely natural existence on earth, as the beasts of the field; they were formed out of the ground, from the dust of the earth, (Gen 2:19). Animals do not have a 'neshamah' for an existence and a conscious functioning in the spiritual world. Herein man clearly distinguishes himself from everything else that was created on earth. Having said that, we may deduce from the fact that God gave man a natural body that man was not created for a purely spiritual existence either. The angels were called into being for an existence in heaven only and for this they have a spiritual body. However, man is created and destined for a life in two worlds at the same time. This is the precise uniqueness of the being 'man'.

Therefore, every man has a natural body from the beginning with which he functions on earth and also a spiritual body with which and by means of which he simultaneously,(aware or unaware), functions in heaven, (the spiritual world). All men have, from the very beginning of their existence, one life in two worlds simultaneously and are influenced from both worlds.

You follow me so far?
Any comments? Ideas?

[Beloved Servant]

Reminds me of David and the Giant (Goliath/uncovered).
Our 5 senses (Philistines, enemy, 40 days) smote with the one Stone.
He covers the natural with the spiritual.

[Gilbert]

Here is something additional which I think might be worthy to share concerning the 'spiritual body':

Take a look at the picture at this Link: http://www.allthepages.org/photoblog/images/white_jellyfish-mar06.jpg

It's a Jelly-Fish.

Occasionally, when I think upon the existence and form of a God, I picture a jelly-fish or other such gelatinous creatures which are united/formed by having bodies lacking hard skeletal components. Perhaps, I find such a picture useful merely because the jelly-fish is transparent.

We can all acknowledge that God is a spirit, a Person with a spiritual body.

Using the illustration of a jelly-fish, we could say this:
The 'outer layer' is what we could name as the Holy Spirit; the immaterial/spiritual body of God.
And, the inner layer is what we could name as His being/personality.
In other words, the being of a spirit is covered in and surrounded by spirit.
The being of God, the heart of God, (God Himself), is covered in His Spirit, in the Spirit of God.
The Holy Ghost is the body of God in which the heart of God is hidden.

In the same manner is the heart, (the soul of man), hidden in his spiritual body.

The word "heart" always indicates something that is at the center of something. It is a center, the middle, a nucleus. We all know expressions like "the heart of the city" and "the heart of winter"; we speak of the "heart" of a circle. When the Bible speaks about the heart of man, it is usually indicating the spiritual heart; the very core of the being "man". Our spiritual heart forms the center, the core of our spiritual body; it is hidden in the spiritual body. Quite aside from the jelly-fish illustration, we can also visualize this by thinking of the place that our natural heart has in our material body.

Several different Hebrew words are used to denote the word 'heart' in the Old Testament. Most of those merely indicate 'heart' and 'inner' and are translated as such. However, there is a singular word that is an exception to this: 'nephesh'. The primary meaning of it is 'soul'; in the King James Version it is found 428 times with this meaning. Additionally, 'nephesh' is translated 15 occasions with 'heart'. The American Standard Version as well as other translations use the word 'soul' in 2Samuel 3:21; while the King James Version translates the word 'nephesh' with 'heart'.  Something like this occurs in Psalm 10:3 too. The King James Version chooses 'heart', while the Darby bible uses 'soul'. A comparison of various translations for Isaiah 26:9 and the second part of Ezekiel 25:6 show that 'heart' and 'soul' exist as translations of the word 'nephesh'. Therefore, we can safely draw the conclusion that in a number of instances the words 'heart' and 'soul' are synonymous.

It is remarkable that the Hebrew word for 'spirit', which is 'ruwach', is never translated by 'heart'. Bible word studies find no evidence in the Old Testament for any equality of the terms 'heart' and 'spirit'.
In the New Testament we find a similar situation. The Greek word 'kardia' literally means 'heart' and is translated as such at every occasion.

Additionally, there are instances where another root is used. "Not with eyeservice, as menpleasers; but as the servants of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart",  (Eph 6:6), "And whatsoever ye do, do [it] heartily, as to the Lord, and not unto men", (Col 3:23), are verses which use the root 'psuche' literally 'soul'. It is again remarkable that the Greek word for 'spirit', 'pneuma' is never translated with 'heart'. The New Testament therefore supports the same conclusion reached from the Old Testament: that the Bible gives us one singular image of the inner man. The words 'heart' and 'soul' mean one and the same thing.

In daily use of language we are familiar with expressions like "the soul of the movement", in which we notice the function of being the center. Luke 1:46 has Mary saying: "My soul does magnify the Lord", while the Psalmist calls out: "I will give thanks to the Lord with my whole heart" , 9:2 RSV). The similarity between both verses is obvious. We find the same in Psalms 94:19 and 39:4. The soul also indicates a center and is used to indicate the heart, the being of man. Therefore it is important that we hold on to the thought that heart and souls are virtually synonymous.

The spirit and the soul of a man together form his spiritual body.
The soul is the core, the center of the spiritual body; it is hidden in the spiritual body.
Stated differently: the soul is the innermost of the spirit. The soul is covered by the spirit in the same way that the heart is covered by the body.
The soul is the kernel of the spirit as the kernel is the center of a fruit.
The unity of spirit and soul becomes clear; they are inseparably connected to each other. It is one immaterial unity: spirit and soul are formed from the same 'material'.

We could also say it in this way:
The bible indicates that the most inner part of man, (the heart), is the nucleus of the human spirit and is oftentimes stated by the word: 'soul'. The term 'spiritual body' can be used to summarize all the words which the Bible uses to denote the inner man.

In his first letter, the apostle Peter writes about "the hidden man of the heart, in that which is not corruptible, even the ornament of a meek and quiet spirit", (1Peter 3:4). The Darby bible has the hidden man of the heart, IN the incorruptible ornament of a meek and quiet spirit. In these words of the apostle we find a confirmation of the image of the inner man, the innermost, the soul, that which is most essential to man.

This core is the ornament of the spirit, is covered by the spirit and is therefore the central 'part' of the spirit.

Man is a spirit-soul-body being, a person with a spiritual and a natural body, destined for and enabled for a life in two worlds at the same time. Nevertheless, we should not think of man as having two personalities; he is one man, one person, with one being and one life. Proverbs 4:23 tells us where the personality of a man is, "Keep your heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life".

In the heart, the soul, the innermost of man resides man's personality. From the inside, from the most central 'part' in man come all impulses of life. Thoughts are developed there, words are formed. The feelings flow from it, faith and love roots there, all human abilities sit there; all affairs of life are out of it. In the heart of man all information that comes from the outside is processed there, all that is perceived through the senses.

For instance, we acknowledge that angels are persons in the spiritual world with their own individual personality which is in their spiritual heart, the heart of their spiritual body. However, the bible never mentions 'the soul' of an angel. And this is the distinct difference between men and angels. The spiritual heart of man is referred to as 'soul'. In it resides that which is most essential of the being 'man'!

Because the human spirit, (in the deepest sense), consists of the human soul, it is possible to connect the invisible and immaterial with the visible and material.
Stated differently: the soul connects spirit with matter; the spirit with the body.
Put even more differently: because the soul lies enclosed in the human spirit, the spiritual body of man has the ability to form a unity with the natural body and can it function in it as "neshamah".

The spiritual heart of man is of a higher level than that of an angel; it is how God intended and created it! Angels cannot assume a physical shape; they have no natural body. They have no soul and therefore are not "souls"; they are "spirits" and not "men". They have no have no flesh and bones, Jesus says in Luke 24:39.

We can make another distinction from this comparison. The spiritual body of man has the ability to grow. This too is something that God created as an ability of man; that God put in his being. Angels do not have this ability; this ability was not created in their spiritual hearts. The spiritual heart of man is therefore something typically "human"; it holds all abilities that God gave to man.

The word soul is most characterizing for the being "man", no other creature is addressed in such a way. With "soul" the inner core of the person as well as the person as a whole is indicated. The word "soul" is representative for being human; it more accurately than the word "heart" describes the being of man.

The bible often speaks about the soul. The danger exists that we obtain the idea of something "separate"; a part of our being that has its own, more or less, independent existence. Improper expressions like "my soul doesn't want to come along" and "to have the spirit rule the soul" come into being because of this. If we continue to behold the human soul from the description in the average dictionary (feeling, will and mind), we will get nowhere; we then lose understanding of reality in the spiritual world.

The word soul is representative for the most essential of being human, but it also indicates man as a whole. This becomes clear when we compare for example Psalms 3:2 from the King James version "Many there be which say of my soul" with another translation where it says, "Many are saying about me". The word "soul" can be compared in this regard to the word "being"; both words have the meaning of something central, something core like, but are meant to indicate a whole too.

When we speak of ourselves, we should not speak in a detached manner about "my soul". When Mary calls out "My soul does magnify the Lord, and my spirit has rejoiced in God my Savior", (Luke 1:46,47), her face must have shined, yes she must have experienced great joy in every fibre of her existence about the glory of God. But the soul cannot magnify the Lord alone; neither can the spirit rejoice alone. Man as a whole magnifies the Lord. The whole man rejoices. When my soul doesn't want, then I don't want. When my soul is "down and out", it is ME who is down and out.

This also goes for the spirit and the body. My spirit does not think alone. Rather, I think and everything else in involved in that. When my body needs rest, I need rest. When my left hand cannot know what my right hand does, (Matthew 6:3), it does not mean that both hands can act and think independently. Jesus was simply saying that giving alms should take place inconspicuously. When my mouth has spoken, then I have spoken; when my ears can hear and my eyes can see, my eyes and ears do not function separately. This goes for all places, where the bible speaks of the spirit of man, or his soul, his heart, his body, his love, his faith or any other ability.

Man is a unique creation of God, the highest being that is formed in heaven and on earth. Our spiritual body (our inner man) is a beautiful "composition" of soul and spirit, where the most essential of man, his soul, functions as the heart in his spirit and makes up the heart of his spiritual body. The personality of man is seated in his most inner being and permeates from there every fibre of both spiritual and natural body.

Now, more about the disposition of Jesus:

At the beginning of His ministry on earth, Jesus is baptized in Holy Spirit by God; anointed by the Spirit of God to Christ. A connection of hearts comes into being between God and Jesus. The Son puts on the strength of the Father. He is being prepared and trained to function as Christ and Lord and begins to realize the plan of God with man in that position and capacity.

However, there remained certain limitations during Jesus' life on earth. For instance, when Jesus preaches on the shore of the lake of Galilee, He cannot be in Jerusalem at the same time. Jesus reaches many people, sometimes thousands of men, women and children at once; however even for Him it is impossible to accomplish the work of God in all people over the entire earth. With His ascension, the Father covers the Son in such a manner with the Spirit of God that Jesus can work with it like God Himself.

With this, Jesus attains the shape of God; He may, as glorified man appear in the spiritual body of God and reveal Himself by this Holy Spirit. That which was previously not possible for Jesus, now becomes possible to the glorified and crowned Jesus. Being in the Spirit of God, He can now uphold all things by the word of His power, (Heb 1:3).

Only in and by the Spirit of God is it possible for Him to be the head of the church, to live in the hearts of people and to complete the work of God in their lives. By the Spirit of the Lord, Jesus can now be omnipresent and accomplish His divine work in the hearts of all people. He can now, just like God, encompass the heaven and the earth. He is actually capable of, (in preparation of the fullness of times), gather all things that exists in heaven and on earth under one head: Christ, (Eph 1:10).

Concerning this Jesus says: "However, when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will show you things to come. He shall glorify me: for he shall receive of mine, and shall show it to you. All things that the Father has are mine: therefore said I, that he shall take of mine, and shall show it to you", (John 16:13-15).

Therefore, it is not surprising that the Spirit of God is sometimes also called 'the Spirit of Jesus' or 'the Spirit of Christ' in the New Testament, (Acts 16:7, Rom 8:9, 1Peter 1:11). These names do not indicate Jesus' own spiritual body, but the person that is presently working with God's Spirit: Jesus Christ. While the anointing to Christ connected Jesus as Son to the heart of the Father, the exaltation as Christ brought Him to the level of the Father.

Even though Jesus is clothed with this Spirit, He does not see this Spirit as His own and this explains why Jesus spoke several times of the Comforter and the Spirit of truth in the third person. He realizes the enormous wealth and possibilities that God has given in His hands and remains aware of the dependence on the Father that accompanies it.

At the accession of Jesus, God begins to live in Jesus in a most exalted way. In the Kingdom of God a new situation comes into existence with limitless possibilities for the glorified Jesus in the continuing execution of God's plan. Here we are reminded of 2Cor 3:18, "Now the Lord [Jesus] is that Spirit". Jesus is a glorified man in the Spirit and figure of God.

After His being, Jesus remains completely human. He is the true man of God, the Son of man in His glory and power, prepared with all godly possibilities. Therefore, it is improper to speak of the 'divinity' of Jesus; rather, about the fullness of the Godhead in Jesus, (Col 2:9). This exaltation of Jesus is completely after God's will; for it pleased the Father that in Him should all fullness dwell, (Col 1:19).

This is the present reality in the Kingdom of God: all the fullness of the Godhead dwells bodily in Jesus (Col 2:9) and in Him all the wealth of God's being has a living form. In this same way, God longs for a humanity which functions as one great, harmonious and majestic body; a church which functions as 'partner of God' for all eternity and which lives with Him as 'God's wife'.

[Redlettervoice]

I can't wait to get in here and read all this..........I will have to wait
tho, my "grandaugher" is taking over! ha  She is here and waiting
on this computer.........so I'll return soon as I can.  I can already tell
just skimming things over that this is going to be good.........
God bless each one as they make the bouquet of truth.

[Beloved Servant]

Gilbert, it was beautiful, but now it's sour.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=ytNoiQ8LkS8&feature=related

[Beloved Servant]

www.youtube.com/watch?v=cb_9uH-ELJE&feature=related

[Beloved Servant]

www.youtube.com/watch?v=LUZIipy4JM4&feature=related

one little kiss.

[Gilbert]

www.youtube.com/watch?v=LUZIipy4JM4&feature=related

one little kiss.

Hi! BelovedServant

Could you please share by using your own words and thoughts as opposed to an invitation to chase cryptic YouTube videos?

Thanks!