Concerning How Man was Created to be Especially Suited to

Believe and Partake of the Divine Eternal Life of the Resurrected Christ!

by Arthur J. Licursi, (Updated 8.27.24)

The real person of the man is of the soul and spirit.  The physically body, which is said to naturally change or renewed every seven years, will ultimately decay in the grave. It is regarded merely as the outward shell or casing of our being. The body gives man the capacity to navigate and deal with his present earth surroundings. The materials of the body were appropriately taken from that earth. Biblically, mankind had its beginning as seen here in this account of the creation of the first man, Adam.

Gen. 2:7 the LORD God formed man [physically] of the dust of the ground [Hebrew, dama, earth’s soil], and breathed into his nostrils the breath [Hebrew, neshamah, spirit] of life [Heb, chayah, plural, lives]; and man Became A Living Soul [Heb. nephesh, a soul, as an individual person].

Thus, man is Tripart, consisting a “body” and a “spirit,” thereby producing the “living soul” of man. James 2:26a For as the body without the spirit is dead. The creation of man as “a living soul” originated by introducing “the spirit of man” into his physical body. The “spirit of man” is listed below as being 3^rd in God’s overarching creation. The ‘heavens’ water the ‘earth’ and together “the heavens and the earth” (Gen. 1:1) were created to sustain man … who is central to God’s eternal plan and purpose.

Zechariah 12:1 The burden of the word of the LORD for Israel, saith the LORD, 1) which stretcheth forth the heavens, and 2) layeth the foundation of the earth, and 3) formeth the spirit of man within him.

The above verses tell us God “breathed” the “spirit of man” (Zech. 12:1 below) into Adam’s clay formed body, enlivening him completely as a “living soul” within a physical “body.” With the one “breath” of God, Adam was enlivened in spirit and body, thereby becoming “a living soul.” Paul confirms man’s Tri-part being here.

1Thes 5:23 … the very God of peace sanctify you wholly [completely]; and I pray God your whole ‘spirit and soul and body’ …”

Job 32:8 But there is a ‘spirit in man’: and the inspiration [Spirit] of the Almighty giveth them Understanding [in the soul’s mind.]

The “spirit of man,” which is in man is given to each of us as what we might call ‘life on loan’ from God, in order to give us time on earth to hear God’s words (the Gospel) to be believe and be saved, receive then the Eternal Resurrection life of Christ as our new and eternal life.

Again, the human “spirit in man” is central as it is intended to be the receptacle to Christ’s resurrected “Spirit of life” (Rom. 8:2a).

James wrote; “the body without the spirit is dead…” (2:26).

Solomon wrote of the destiny of all the dead, “the Dust [of man’s body] Return To The Earth as It Was; and The Spirit [of Man] Shall Return Unto God who Gave It.” (Eccl. 12:7).

All dead believers will be resurrected in their glorified ‘spirit-body,’ that will be like Jesus’s resurrection body, and simultaneously regain their spirit and their soul.

“For our conversation [Old English for ‘citizenship’] is in heaven; from whence also we look for the Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ: ²¹ Who Shall Change Our Vile Body, That It May Be Fashioned Like Unto His Glorious Body, according to the working whereby he is able even to subdue all things unto himself. Philippians 3:20-21 (KJV)

Upon one’s first expression of genuine ‘faith’ every believer is ‘saved’ from perdition (judgment) and ‘set into their place in Christ’s Spiritual body that The Gentile’s Apostle, Paul, calls “the body of Christ” (Eph. 4:12).  Believers are “IN Christ” also have the deposit of Christ’s resurrected “Spirit of life” joined to their THEIR “spirit of man.” Thereby we are “one spirit” with Him in our “spirit of man”!

Romans 6:3 Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized [dry] into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death?

1 Cor 12:13 For by one Spirit are we all [dry] baptized [or set] into One Body [of Christ], whether we be Jews or Gentiles...”

1 Corinthians 6:17 But he that is Joined unto the Lord is One spirit. [His Holy Spirit in our “spirit of man”]

 

We are “IN Christ”

Believer’s BODY

Believer’s SOUL

Christ IN Our Spirit

Fig 1. Four Circle Diagram of The Christian Believer ‘In Christ’ with ‘Christ In Him’ (1Cor. 12:13)

 

 

 

 

Man is a composite of three Organs of body, spirit, and soul possessing Three Kinds of Life, thereby relating to the physical, the spiritual, and the psychological realms.

 

Now we can consider man’s makeup by visualizing the ‘4 concentric circles’ of Figure 1. above;

1. The ‘OUTERMOST’ Diagramed Circle of Fig. 1: Represents how that the believer, who upon exercising their faith to be saved, is ‘SET IN CHRIST, thereby also being “sealed with [the] Spirit” (Eph. 1:13, 4:30). Thus, Christ is our ‘Righteous Covering,’ who makes us to be ‘accepted by God as Father; thus, saving us from perdition [judgment]; securing us by our union with Christ.

1 Cor 12:13a …by one Spirit are we all [dry] baptized [placed or set] INTO [Christ’s] one body (cf. Gal. 4:4).

Col 3:3 … ye are dead, and Your Life Is HID With Christ IN God.

Col 2:9 For IN Him [Christ] dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily. ¹⁰and Ye [the believers] Are Complete In ‘Him’…

Being “In Christ” securely establishes every believer’s ‘positional’ status with God; in which we stand sinless before God the Father, “holy and blameless.” This is our standing by His Grace. Thus this is Not of our works or ‘doing.’ Our union with Christ comes to be ours simply through believing Christ’s Cross-work ‘for us.’ This is according to the “the Mystery [Grk. musterion, meaning, ‘God’s Secret plan’].”

Eph. 1:3-5 … the God and Father … hath chosen us [to be)] IN HIM [in Christ] before the foundation of the world, (so) that we should be holy and without blame before him in love: ⁵Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will,

Every Christian should be enjoying the innermost assurance and confidence that they are a loved, secure, child of God.

Eph 3:12 In whom (in Christ) we have boldness and access with confidence by the faith [the faithfulness] of him.

Gal 4:6 because ye are sons, God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your hearts, crying, Abba, Father.

Romans 8:16 The Spirit [of Christ] itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God:

2. The Next Circle Inward represents our ‘physical being’ (body) that Paul calls the “outward man,” which is dying and will die unless we receive His life. It contains our spirit & soul, all being “hid with Christ in God.” (cf. Col 3:3). 2 Cor. 4:16 … though our outward [body] man perish, yet the inward [soul] man is [being] renewed day by day.
3. The Next Circle Inward represents our ‘SOUL,’ hid within our body… just as bone is hidden within the flesh body.

Paul calls our soul the “inward man” (2Cor 4:16 above). Our soul is our non-physical self, establishing our individuality. Our soul consists of our mind, emotion, and will, which make each of us unique. It is who we are as oppose to anybody else. The ‘soul’ is our subjective, individual, personal being. After regeneration by Christ’s innermost “Spirit of life,” our soul needs renewal to a new “mindset,” needing to conform to our spirit-union with Christ who dwells within our spirit (cf., Phili. 2:5, Rom 12:2).

Philippians 2:5 Let this mind [Gk. phroneo, mindset, and attitude] be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus:

Philippians 2:13 … it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure.

4. The ‘INNERMOST’ Circle represents “the spirit of man,” which is our new core life. The “Spirit of life in Christ Jesus” is one with our spirit.

Romans 8:9-10 (AMP) … you are living the life of the Spirit, if the [Holy] Spirit of God [really] dwells Within You [directing you]. But if anyone does not possess the [Holy] Spirit of Christ, he is none of His [he does not belong to Christ, is not truly a child of God]. ¹⁰But if Christ Lives In You, [then although] your [natural] body is dead [or dying] by reason of sin [cf. 1Cor 15:56a] and guilt, the spirit [your spirit] is Alive because of [the] righteousness [of Christ that God imputes or counts to us as our righteousness].

Prov 20:27 The spirit of man is the candle [as an oil lamp] of the LORD, searching all the inward [soul] parts…

John 7:38 (AMP) He who believes in Me [who cleaves to and trusts in and relies on Me] as the Scripture has said, From his ‘INNERMOST being’ shall flow [continuously] springs and rivers of living water.

It’s needful for us to be “IN Christ” positionally, and then hold our soul in a willing submitted union with Christ as the ‘Lord of our life.’ “Lord” is the Greek kurious, meaning, the master or governor of our life.

1. Objectively: We are secured Positionally “IN Christ” as “our righteousness,” saving us once for all. When Christ died, we as to our Old Self died with Him… this we must know if we are ‘new creatures in Christ’ (cf. 2Cor 5:17).

Romans 6:3-4 Know ye not, that so many of us as were [dry] baptized [set] into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death [not water]? ⁴ Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.

1Corinthians 12:13a by one Spirit are we all baptized Into One Body [of Christ] …

Philip. 3:9 And be found IN him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith:

 

2. Subjectively – Dispositionally, we are an individual SOUL still needing to learn and to abide, and Rest in our secure union with Christ IN Our spirit. This accounts for our practical daily salvation, saving us from the old mindset of our independent, self-reliant, fearful, self-serving souls. This changes our ‘soul’s attitude.’

1 Cor 12:13b [Being baptized into one His body we also] … have been all Made To Drink Into One Spirit.

Romans 5:10b… much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved [completed] by His LIFE.

John 15:4 (AMP) [Jesus said] Dwell In [in union with] ME, and I will dwell IN YOU. [LIVE IN ME, and I WILL LIVE OUT Through YOUR SOUL.] Just as no branch can bear fruit of itself without abiding in the vine, neither can you bear fruit unless you Abide IN ME. ^5b … for Without Me Ye Can Do Nothing.

God today does not dwell in physical buildings or the religious icons made by man’s hands. Today, the believers entire being is seen by God a The Tripart “Temple of God.”

1Cor. 3:16 … ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth IN YOU?

1Cor. 6:19a …your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost [Spirit] which is IN you…

Our Tri-Part Being of ‘spirit, soul, and body’ correspond to the Old Testament Tri-Part Temple of God.

Our body is as the “Outer court” of the Tri-part Old Testament Temple;

Our soul is as the “Holy Place” of the Tri-part Old Testament Temple;

Our spirit is as the chamber called “the Holiest of All,” of the Old Testament Tri-part Temple ... where Christ’s Spirit forever dwells.

1 Thes. 5:23 … the very God of peace sanctify you [set you apart] wholly [completely]; and I pray God your whole spirit [Gk. Zoë, is the spirit life in man] and soul [Gk. psuche, the soul life] and body [Gk. bios, man’s physical life] be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Colossians 1:26-27 Even the mystery [Gk. musterion, secret] which hath been hid from ages and from generations, but now is made manifest to his saints: ²⁷ To whom God would make known what is the riches of the glory of this Mystery Among The Gentiles; which is CHRIST IN YOU, THE HOPE OF [ETERNAL] GLORY:

Understanding our tri-part anatomy helps us to interpret “the word of God” correctly. E.g., Knowing the three kinds of “life” from their Greek transliteration helps us to correctly decipher which “life” in our being is referred to in the two verses below.

John 12:25 [Jesus said] He that loveth his life [Gk. psuche, soul self-life] Shall Lose It; and he that hateth his life [Grk, psuche, soul self-life] in this world shall keep it unto LIFE Eternal [Gk. Zoë, the spirit LIFE of Christ]

1 Jn 5:11 …God hath given to us [the] eternal life [Gk. Zoë, the Spirit of life in Christ], and This Life is In His Son.

The Soul’s Self-life is what became corrupted in the fall of Adam, by Adam believing the Serpent’s words. This is the source of the Sin-nature that as a virus passed from Adam to all mankind. Thus, the Soul-self of man is responsible for all the evils that manifest from mankind’s universal trait of ‘self-interest’ as a ‘taker’ and ‘getter.’ The fallen nature of all humans is diametrically at odds with God’s nature as a “giver,” as seen here below.

John 3:16 For God so loved the world, that he GAVE his only begotten Son [at the Cross], [so]that whosoever BELIEVETH in him should not perish, but have [His Son’s] everlasting life.

The ‘proof verses’ noted below define the three (3) Organs of spirit, soul, and body that make up man’s being, with the sensual Faculties applying to each.

1) The Body is the Outward Man. By his 5-senses he has ‘physical world consciousness.’

Rom 8:11b …he that raised up Christ from the dead shall quicken (enliven) your mortal bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth IN You.   James defines death: “For as the Body Without the Spirit is Dead…” (James 2:26b)

2) The Soul is the Inward-Man – It’s the seat of man’s self-consciousness or self-awareness.

Psalm 139:14 I will praise thee; for I am fearfully and wonderfully made… and that my soul knoweth right well.

Romans 7:22 … I delight [rejoice] in the law of God after the inward [soul] man:

2 Cor. 7:15 his inward [soul’s] affection [an ‘emotion’] is more abundant toward you…

Psalm 51:6 … and in the hidden part [my soul] thou shalt make me to know wisdom [in the soul’s mind].

Job 7:15 So that my soul chooseth [an act of the ‘will’] strangling, and death rather than my life.  

Note that in Jeremiah 31:33 (below) the words “inward parts” are REQUOTED in Hebrews (below) to be the “mind” “heart.” From these two verses we see the “inward parts” defined for us. Carefully compare these two verses below, noting the “inward parts” of Jer. 31:33 are the same as “mind & heart” in Hebrews 8:10

Jeremiah 31:33 …saith the Lord [of Israel], I will put my law in their [Israel’s] ‘Inward Parts,’ and write it in their hearts; and will be their God, and they shall be my people.

Hebrews 8:10 this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days…; I will put my laws into their Mind, and write them in their Hearts: and I will be to them a God, and they shall be to me a people:

3) The “SPIRIT OF MAN” is his innermost ‘life’ core and as the seat of man’s ‘spirit-consciousness.’

Zech. 12:1 The burden of the word of the Lord for Israel, saith the Lord, which stretcheth forth the heavens, and layeth the foundation of the earth, and formeth the ‘spirit of man’ within him.

Daniel 7:15a I Daniel was grieved in my Spirit In The Midst [middle] of my body,

Proverbs 20:27 The spirit of man is the candle (lamp light) of the Lord, searching all the inward parts (see below, the soul’s ‘thoughts, intents’)

Hebrews 4:12 For ‘the word of God’ (which is Christ as ‘the living word’ indwelling us) is quick [living], and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the Dividing Asunder of Soul and Spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a Discerner of the Thoughts and Intents of the Heart.

Looking further, the SOUL of man it has Three Faculties: mind, emotion, and will, as seen in Scripture.

1) The Mind – Man’s Intellect is what leads his soul, as “the eyes of your understanding” (Eph. 1:18).

Psalm 13:2 How long shall I take [mindful] counsel in my soul…

Psalm 139:14 …I am fearfully and wonderfully made… that my soul knoweth right well.

Proverbs 2:10 … wisdom entereth into thine heart, and knowledge is pleasant unto thy soul;

Proverbs 19:2 … that the soul be without knowledge, it is not good; and he that hasteth with his feet sinneth.

Proverbs 24:14 So shall the knowledge of wisdom be unto thy soul…

Lament. 3:20 My soul hath them still in remembrance, and is humbled in me.

2) The Will - is part of the soul is for setting, deciding, choosing and refusing.

Job 7:15 So that my soul chooseth strangling, and death rather than my life.

Job 6:7 The things that my soul refused to touch are as my sorrowful meat.

1 Chron. 22:19s Now set your heart and your soul to seek the Lord your God…

3) The Emotion - Emotions are a function of the soul; feeling, desiring joying, grieving, loving, hating.

Desire is a function of the soul – is the burning in man driving his willful choices.

Deut. 14:26b … whatsoever thy soul desirest…

1 Samuel 20:4 Then said Jonathan unto David, Whatsoever thy soul desirest, I will even do it for thee.

Love is a function of the emotions of the soul.

Psalm 42:1 … As the hart [deer] panteth after the water brooks, so panteth my soul after thee, O God.

Song 1:7 Tell me, O thou whom my soul loveth…

Hatred is a function of the soul.

2 Samuel 5:8 And David said on that day, Whosoever getteth up to the gutter, and smiteth the Jebusites, and the lame and the blind, that are hated of David’s soul…

Psalm 107:18 Their soul abhorreth [hates] …

Joy is a function of the soul.

Psalm 86:4 Rejoice the soul of thy servant: for unto thee, O Lord, do I lift up my soul.

Isaiah 61:10a I will greatly rejoice in the Lord, my soul shall be joyful in my God…

Grief is a function of the soul.

Judges 10:16 The Lord said …his soul was grieved for the misery of Israel.

1Sam 30:6 ...David was greatly distressed… because the soul of all the people was grieved…

There also are Three Faculties of “the spirit in man” as the organ of our spiritual life and union relationship with the Lord. The faculties of the spirit; 1) conscience, 2) intuition, and 3) communion in fellowship with the indwelling Lord.

Zechariah. 12:1 The Lord, which 1) stretcheth forth the heavens, and 2) layeth the foundation of the earth, and 3) formeth ‘the spirit of man’ within him.” 

1) The “Spirit of Man” possesses a ‘Conscience’ (Gk. sundenesis, an automatic co-perception)

Rom 9:1 I say the truth in Christ, I lie not, my conscience also bearing me witness in the Holy Ghost;

1 Timothy 4:2 Speaking lies in hypocrisy; having their conscience seared with a hot iron;

Romans 2:15 Which shew the work of the law written in their hearts, their conscience also bearing witness, and their thoughts the mean while accusing or else excusing…

2) The ‘Spirit of Man’ has the capacities to enjoy fellowship, Communion and Intimacy … in union with God by Christ’s Spirit in man’s spirit.

John 4:24 God is a Spirit…they that worship him must worship him in spirit [in their spirit] and in truth.

1 Cor. 6:17 But he that is joined unto the Lord is ‘one spirit’ [One with His Spirit].

Romans 1:9 For God is my witness, whom I [Paul] serve (I minister) with my spirit in the gospel of his Son, that without ceasing I make mention of you always in my prayers;

Romans 7:6 But now we are delivered from the law, that being dead wherein we were held; that we should serve in newness of spirit, and not in the oldness of the letter [of the religious Law].

Romans 8:16 The Spirit itself beareth witness [fellowships] with our spirit, that we are the children of God:

Ephes. 6:18 Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit [spirit]…

Luke 1:47 … my spirit hath ‘rejoiced’ in God my Saviour.

3) The Spirit’s Intuition: This is the spontaneous ‘sense knowing’ (Gk. “eido”) that is added to our “spirit of man” when we are reborn, regenerated of by the resurrected “Spirit of life in Christ.” We may then come to ‘know’ Him, experientially.

We need to understand that there are a few different definitions for the English word “know” as seen in the Greek. One in particular is the word “know” relating to the Greek word “eido,” or “oida.” This means “to see or perceive innately, automatically, by any of the ‘senses’ (Louw & Nida Greek Lexicon).