Chapter 2:
The Triune Nature Of Man
Man is essentially a spirit being. He is a spirit who has a soul and lives in a
body. 1 Thessalonians 5:23 tells us this:
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. The three parts are distinct in their various functions yet, interrelated.
The Spirit
The spirit of man is what is referred to as the man. That is the real man. It is the life force that keeps the body and the soul alive. A man is only said to be
dead when the spirit leaves the body. The spirit is the life in man. This is the breath of God that came into man at creation to make him a living soul. Without it, neither the soul nor the body can function. However, the spirit cannot function independently. It only gives life to the other parts of man. It expresses itself through the soul and the body. It cannot think, but it makes the mind to think. It cannot walk, but it sends signals to the legs through the mind to walk.
The outward or external part of triune man, the body, must be made to take
instructions from the spirit and the redeemed mind. If left unchecked, it can
overstep its boundaries and put the “real” man, the spirit of the man, in a fix.
Along this line, many people, especially in developing countries, yield to
the innate desire to have as many children as possible to prove their fertility. They take upon themselves the command to multiply and replenish the earth: straining the potential mechanics of the body. Man must exercise restraint if he is to live a fulfilled life.
The Soul
The soul is the part that becomes the most comprehensive part of man. It is
made up of the mind where you have the reasoning faculty of man and the
centre of decision which is the will. The emotions and desires of man are also
traced to the soul.
The mind is the intellect of man. It is also referred to as the brain. The
creative ability in man cannot be understood and fully appreciated without a deep insight of the human system. Every action taken by the body is dictated by the brain.
The push that the regenerated man requires for mental aggressiveness is
contained in the book of beginnings, Genesis 1:28, which says:
And God blessed them, and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it; and have dominion over every living thing that moveth upon the earth. Unredeemed minds have held the baton far too long; it’s time for the born–
again children of God to take charge and take over. This is not the time to allow
mental paralysis; this is the time to forge ahead, make discoveries and recover
lost time. This is our time.
Doctors agree that the brain of man is loaded with extra–ordinary insights
for productivity. This is the same with all races. No race has a brain different
from others. This means that all human beings, irrespective of race, have the
same kind of brain. What is more, not only are the colours the same, every
brain has equal number of cells!
The Body
The body of man is the dwelling place for both his spirit and his soul
(mind). It is also referred to as the temple of the Holy Spirit. The body of man
is his link with the external, physical world. These three distinct parts of man
are interrelated. One cannot operate without the other. With the spirit, man contracts the spirit realm. Whatever he receives is communicated to the mind for analysis and possible acceptance or rejection. Whatever decision the mind takes is then communicated to the body for corresponding action. The mind of man is the central control valve of the human being. The spirit cannot relate with the body without an approval from the mind, neither can the body relate with the spirit without passing through the mind.
For maximum productivity, a man is expected to develop in these three
dimensions of life. He is supposed to develop his spirit, his mind or brain, and
his body. Growth is necessary in the three realms of existence. The spirit is
developed through mental processing of ideas. The body is developed through
bodily exercises.
In all realms, the level to which you exercise determines the output. You
cannot get more from the spirit realm than your spirit is able to contain. You
cannot get more than your mind is able to analyse and sort out, neither can you
do more than your body can take per time. As you grow more in the Spirit, you are able to wield more power. As you
make more use of your mind, you are able to produce more. The same goes for
the body.
Jesus Our Human Example
Jesus is our perfect example. He was born of the Holy Spirit as the Saviour
of mankind in the flesh. Because He was in the flesh and all three dimensions
of man were complete in Him, He needed to grow in the three realms of life. He developed His mind by reasoning in the scriptures. This was why at the age of twelve, He was able to discuss intelligently with the doctors of law in the temple. Old grey–haired men marvelled at the wisdom and understanding He portrayed. And all that heard him were astonished at his understanding and answers.
Luke 2:47
Jesus also developed His body through physical exercise and hard work in
the carpenter’s shed. Luke 2:40 tells us:
And the child grew, and waxed strong in spirit, filled with wisdom:
and the grace of God was upon him.
And in Luke 2:52, we read:
And Jesus increased in wisdom and in stature and in favour with God and man.
In verse 40, the growth of His spirit man is linked with the mind — the
seat of wisdom; while in verse 52, His physical growth is linked with the mind.
Every realm of existence is linked with the mind. The spirit cannot function
effectively without the mind, neither can the body perform excellently without
the mind. “And the child increased.” “And the child grew.” There is no increase nor growth without the mind.
Thinking Is Of God
There was a time when some Christians were advocating that the ability to
reason, was of the devil. The doctrine spread abroad that to think was
unspiritual and that Christians were supposed to operate only in the spirit realm. They called the use of the mind “sense knowledge” and that it should be done
away with. If the ability to use the mind is unspiritual, then Jesus must be the
least spiritual man who ever lived!
The ability to think is of God and should be utilized by the Christian. It is
interesting to note that no word gets to your spirit except through the mind. You
can’t hear with your spirit but with your mind. What your ear hears goes
straight to the brain (the mind), for interpretation and analysis before it is
absorbed by your spirit. It is like the digestive process. Your ears receive it, your mind digests it and your spirit absorbs it. This is what develops your spirit. It goes therefore, that, if your mind is dead, dormant or sleepy, your spirit also will be the same.
Jesus made it through actively engaging His mind. It is evident that most
of His escapes from the hands of those who sought His life were direct products
of the use of His mind. He would never have accomplished His mission without
His mind in action.
When a man becomes born again, it is not only his spirit that comes alive.
He becomes a completely new creature.
…If any man be in Christ, he is a new creature;…all things are
become new. 2 Corinthians 5:17
His spirit, soul and body come alive. He receives Jesus as His Lord and
Saviour, therefore, the Spirit of Jesus gets into him. He also receives the mind
and the body of Christ. This means he receives in him the potential to be like
Jesus in all spheres of existence.
The believer at new birth is a recreated being. A being with all the
potentials of God in him. For him to excel in life there has to be an active
exploration of all the potentials deposited in him.
Spiritual Mindedness
The active exploration of the vast potentials in man leads us to the
subject of spiritual mindedness;
For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is
life and peace.
Romans 8:6
The extent to which a man absorbs and retains for communion, the word of
God in his mind, determines the speed with which he becomes spiritually
minded. The word holds promises of the life that now is, and the life to come.
Such spiritual mindedness, the Bible says, is profitable unto all things (1
Timothy 4:8).
Your mind must be tuned to the wave length of the spirit. The spirit is
sound, but the mind needs renewal, possible by a constant touch with the word and prayer. In this way, the totality of a man becomes transformed rather than conformed to this world; and when this happens, a man is able to walk in the
spirit, discerning the good, the acceptable, and perfect will of God on a daily basis