Chapter 23
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THE THREE DIMENSIONS OF MAN 

The Bible clearly defines man as consisting of three parts:

Spirit.

Soul.

Body.

1 Thessalonians 5:23

 "And the very God of peace sanctify you wholly; and I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ." 

Man is also described as a Tabernacle or a Temple.

2 Corinthians 5:1

"For we know that if our earthly house of this tabernacle were dissolved, we have a building of God, an house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens." 

1 Corinthians 6:19-20

"What? Know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you."

Both the Tabernacle of Israel and the Temple of Solomon had three parts:

1. The Outer Court where the sacrifices were made.

2. The Holy Place where the Priests served God.

3. The Holy of Holies where Gods Presence and Glory were manifested.

Similarly man also has three parts:

1. A body which may presented to God as a living sacrifice.

Romans 12:1

"I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service." 

2. A Soul that worships God with mind, emotions and will.

3. A Spirit where Gods presence and glory is manifest.

Let us deal with these three parts of man in greater depth:

1. The Body.

The body is the physical part of man that consists of three parts:

1. Flesh.

2. Bone.

3. Blood.

David describes the miracle of the human body.

Psalm 139:14

"I will praise thee; for I am fearfully and wonderfully made:"

In the body there are five Physical Senses and they are:

1. Sight through the eyes.

2. Hearing through the ears.

3. Tasting through the tongue.

4. Smell through the nose.

5. Feeling through the nerves.

Through these five physical senses man has world consciousness and is able to communicate with the world.

The Body has different parts and its members do deeds of righteousness or unrighteousness.

The body is temporal, perishable and corruptible and will return to dust again.

Genesis 3:19

"Till thou return unto the ground; for out of it wast thou taken: for dust thou art, and unto dust shalt thou return."

2. The Soul.

It consists of three parts:

1. Mind.

2. Emotions.

3. Will.

The Soul is the part through which we have self-consciousness.

Our Soul is an eternal being that continues its existence after the death, either in Heaven or Hell.

The Soul is placed between the Body and the Spirit. Through the body it has contact with the world and through the Spirit, contact with the spirit realm.

World  < body <------  Soul ------ > spirit > Spirit realm

The Soul is very much like a Balance or Scale that weighs things.

The two parts that hold weights on either side are symbolical of the mind and emotions.

The part in the middle that balances the two sides is symbolical of the will.

                                   Will  >             > Mind >          > Emotions

The will is the part of the Soul that makes all the decisions.

We are and become what our decisions are.

If we decide and do good things, we are good.

If we decide and do evil things, we are evil.

Balanced decisions are good decisions.

In order to be balanced the will should be equally affected by the emotions and intellect.

An unbalanced decision is either too emotional or too intellectual. Many people make wrong decisions, because they allow either the emotions or intellect to override the other.

Through the five senses satan directs his attacks at our intellect, emotions and will.

This causes us to have sinful thoughts, feelings and make wrong decisions.

The decisions we make are effected by:

The images we see.

The sounds we hear.

The odors we smell.

The things we taste.

The feelings we feel.

This incoming information passes through our sensory nerves along neural pathways to a part of our mind called perception >. These sensory deposits into our mind can never be voluntarily discarded. This information passes through our sub-conscious to our mind. Our mind is like a computer and all information pended into it is channeled to different compartments. What we observe depends upon the condition we are in. If we are sober and sane the information received will be clear and balanced. If not it will be blurred and inaccurate. 

All information is processed through seven different compartments:

1.Perception.

2.Reason.

3.Imagination.

4.Comparison (Within the Memory)

5.Emotions.

6.Thought formulation.

7.Will.

It then becomes our behavior.

Understanding Perception.

The light of God shines brightly within a Christian, specifically within their perception.

Matthew 6:22

"The light of the body is the eye: if therefore thine eye be single, thy whole body shall be full of light." 

Jesus teaches that if our eye (perception) is "single" our whole body will be full of light.

The Greek word "single" means "braided".

Hair that is braided is divided into three strands and folded.

Similarly our perception is braided and full of light.

It can correctly discern and divide incoming information into three:

1. It sees good and accepts it.

2. It sees evil and rejects it.

3. It sees self and understands it.

Understanding Reason.

Deposits of information pass through perception to our imagination.

We may imagine things in two ways:

1. In Faith - imagining things to be positive and possible.

2. In Uncertainty - imagining things to be negative or impossible.

These imaginations then pass to our emotions and we experience positive or negative feelings about them.

Imaginations of Faith produce expectancies of success.

Imaginations of Uncertainty produce expectancies of caution or fear.

These expectancies are then formulated into positive or negative thoughts.

Understanding Thoughts.

Paul gives us an example of what Godly thoughts are made of:

Philippians 4:8

"Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things."

These Godly thoughts are:

1. True.

2. Honest.

3. Just.

4. Pure.

5. Lovely.

6. Of good report.

7. Praise.

8. Godly.

They reflect the thoughts of a Christian who has a sound mind.

2 Timothy 1:7

"For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind." 

Understanding the Memory.

All thoughts are stored away in our memory. All new information coming to us is first channeled to the memory and compared with past experiences. This is called the Law of Apperception where we remember the good and bad decisions of the past. We learn by our mistakes and try to only repeat the good decisions.

Understanding the Will.

The will is the part of the Soul where good or bad decisions are made. Whatever we decide is demonstrated in either positive or negative behavior.

Spiritual people demonstrate positive behavior and produce the Fruits of the Spirit:

1. Love.

2. Joy.

3. Peace.

4. Patience.

5. Gentleness.

6. Goodness.

7. Faith and faithfulness.

8. Humility.

9. Self-control.

Galatians 5:22

"But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith." 

Sinful and carnal people demonstrate negative behavior through the works of the flesh:

1.  Adultery.

2.Sexual promiscuity.

3.Impure thoughts and deeds.

4.Perversion.

5.Idol worship.

6.Witchcraft -

      Reading horoscopes, fortune telling, communicating with the dead,

      participating in magic and satanism.

7.Hatred.

8.Sowing discord.

9.Jealousy.

10. Fits of rage.

11. Selfishness.

12. Self-gratification.

13. Murder.

14. Unrestrained living - out of control eating and living habits.

Galatians 5:19-21

"Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness,

Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies, envying, murders, drunkenness and reveling."

The behavior of a person reveals thoughts and feelings inside of them.

Luke 6:45

"A good man out of the good treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is good; and an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is evil: for of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaketh." 

God sees us the way we are inside our heart:

1 Samuel 16:7

"For man looketh on the outward appearance, but the LORD looketh on the heart." 

With this in mind, David prayed this prayer to God:

Psalm 139:23-24

"Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my thoughts:

And see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting."

Understanding our Behavior.

It is beneficial for us to carefully examine our own behavior.

It will reveal the contents of our Mind, Emotion and Will.

Do we make unwise or foolish decisions?

Do we feel contaminated inside?

Do we feel fearful?

Do we act in haste?

Do we behave irresponsibly?

Do we feel ashamed?

Do we feel worthless?

Do we feel inferior?

Do we feel a failure?

Are we hurting or grieving?

Are we lonely?

Are we depressed?

Do we feel deceived?

Do we feel loss?

Do we feel anger?

Do we hate?

Do we have a proud and boastful attitude?

We need to discover the Thoughts or Feelings that cause these negative reactions.

We must deal with them immediately.

We should not try to temporarily numb or forget them.

Negative thoughts must be taken captive.

Negative imaginations must be cast down.

2 Corinthians 10:5

"Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ;" 

Understanding the Renewal of the Soul.

From birth satan attacks our mind, emotion and will. His goal is to negatively effect and destroy us. He can do this within a short period or over many years.

God however wants to renew and restore these broken parts of the Soul.

Romans 12:2

"But be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind." 

God wants us to have beautiful new thoughts.

God wants us to have wonderful new feelings.

God wants us to be able to make right and powerful decisions.

3. The Spirit.

This is the part that connects the Soul of man with the Spirit realm.

Gods Breath created the spirit of man within his Body and Soul.

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." 

God warned Adam and Eve that if they were disobedient to Him their spirit would die

Genesis 2:17

"But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die." 

We know that they partook of the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil and it brought about the death of their Spirit.

Spiritual death has come upon all men.

1 Corinthians 15:21-22

"For since by man came death, by man came also the resurrection of the dead.

For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive."

Since this tragic moment every man and woman needs a new spirit.

This miracle of life in Jesus Christ is the renewal of our Spirit.

God provides a new spirit for man.

Ezekiel 11:19

"I will put a new spirit within you; and I will take the stony heart out of their flesh, and will give them an heart of flesh:" 

The truth is that only those who are born again of the Holy Spirit are Children of God and have a new spirit.

Job 33:4

"The spirit of God hath made me."

This creative work of the Holy Spirit is described in:

Zechariah 12:1

"The burden of the word of the LORD ... formeth the spirit of man within him." 

1 Peter 1:23

"Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God."

2 Corinthians 3:6

"For the letter killeth, but the spirit giveth life."

The work of the Holy Spirit is to create the spirit of man within him by the "Word" of God.

The process by which the Holy Spirit does this is called, "being born again" or spiritual birth. 

Here we face four realities:

1. We are born again by the seed of the Word of God that is sown into

    our hearts.

2. The Holy Spirit quickens and makes the seed alive within us.

3. The Word of God forms the three parts of the spirit of man within him.

4. Our new human spirit is born.

Spiritual birth is very similar to that of physical birth.

In physical birth, once the ovum is fertilized by spermatozoa it becomes an embryo. The embryo divides into three, forming the human body. Nine months later a baby is born into the world.

Similarly the seed of the Word of God is sown into the heart of a person. The Word (spiritual ovum) is given life by the Holy Spirit and it becomes a spiritual embryo. The spiritual embryo then becomes the three parts of the human spirit.

A new spiritual Baby is born into Gods family and a new name is recorded in the Book of Life in Heaven.

The Word of God has three characteristics. Each affects one of the three parts of the spirit of man:

The three characteristics are:

1. Light.

Ps 119:105

"Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path." 

In this part of the human spirit spiritual illumination takes place.

Jesus who is the Light of the world enters our heart and lights up our life.

I John 1:4-9

"In him was life; and the life was the light of men.

And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not.

That was the true Light, which lighteth every man."

As children of light we walk in light; we abide in light and do spiritual warfare with the Armor of light.

Ephesians 5:8

"But now are ye light in the Lord: walk as children of light:" 

1 John 2:10

"He that loveth his brother abideth in the light." 

1 John 1:7

"But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another." 

In this light we experience the threefold conviction of the Holy Spirit: 

Conviction of sin. (Things that are wrong and we should not do)

Conviction of righteousness. (Things that are right and we should do)

Conviction of judgment. (The judgment of the enemy)

John 16:8

"And when he is come, he will reprove the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment:" 

We also experience the manifestation of the light of Gods glory within us:

2 Corinthians 4:6

"For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ." 

2. Truth.

John 17:17

"Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth." 

This part of the new spirit of a Christian is created for Truth and here the Holy Spirit reveals truth.

John 16:13                           

"Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come." 

It is in this area of the human spirit that we receive a special impartation of truth and revelation knowledge.

We therefore walk in truth:

3 John 3

"For I rejoiced greatly, when the brethren came and testified of the truth that is in thee, even as thou walkest in the truth." 

3. Power.

Hebrews 1:3

"And upholding all things by the word of his power."

It is in and through this part of the human spirit that the Holy Spirit manifests Gods power.

We receive power to strengthen our will and make the right decisions.

We receive supernatural power to do miracles and exploits.

A Christian's spirit experiences a very special connection, relationship and fellowship with the Holy Spirit.

A Radio can be described as a special receiver that can receive sound waves.

Similarly the spirit of a Christian has been created by the Holy Spirit to communicate with Him in the spiritual dimension and fellowship with Him.

We fellowship and have communion with the Holy Spirit through our five spiritual senses.

A Christian can see, hear, taste, smell and feel spiritual things with spiritual senses:

Hebrews 5:14

"But strong meat belongeth to them that are of full age, even those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil."

Spiritually mature Christians are those who  effectively use their five spiritual senses:

1. Spiritual Sight.

1 Corinthians 2:9

"Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him." 

2. Spiritual hearing.

Revelation 2:7

"He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith." 

3. Spiritual Taste.

Psalm 34:8

"O taste and see that the LORD is good:"

Romans 6:4-5
Those who have tasted of the heavenly gift, and were made partakers of the Holy Ghost, and have tasted the good word of God, and the powers of the world to come.

4. Spiritual Smell.

2 Corinthians 2:14

"Maketh manifest the savor (smell) of his knowledge by us in every place." 

5. Spiritual Feeling.

Acts 17:27

"That they should seek the Lord, if haply they might feel after him." 

Through our spiritual senses the Holy Spirit communicates with us and we experience six things:

1. We can hear Him.

2. He speaks to us.

3. He leads and commands us.

4. We obey Him.

5. We walk after the things of the Holy Spirit.

6. We walk in the Spirit.

Romans 8:14

"For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God." 

Galatians 5:16

"This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh." 

Everyday we enjoy Fellowship with the Holy Spirit:

2 Corinthians 13:14

"The communion of the Holy Ghost be with you all." 

We enjoy comfort from the Holy Spirit:

John 14:16-17

"And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you forever:

Even the Spirit of truth;"

The Holy Spirit abides with us, teaches us and anoints us:

1 John 2:27

"But the anointing which ye have received of him abideth in you, and ye need not that any man teach you: but as the same anointing teacheth you of all things, and is truth, and is no lie, and even as it hath taught you, ye shall abide in him." 

The Holy Spirit perfects our Body, Soul and Spirit to do Gods work on earth:

1 Thessalonians 5:23

"And the very God of peace sanctify you wholly; and I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ."