Walking In The Spirit Series

Intro

We are investigating the function or operation of the human spirit in relationship to God and the person’s soul.

In Proverbs 20:27 we are told: “The spirit of a man is the lamp of the LORD, Searching all the inner depths of his heart.” i What is this saying about the human spirit? It is the “lamp of the LORD.” It is where God’s light shines in a person. It is where man is illuminated by the Lord. In the human spirit, revelational knowledge is received from Christ who is the light of the world (John 1:4, 9). The spirit of a man is not the light, but it is where light is received, retained, and shared into the rest of his being. Ironside explains it this way: “Notice, it is not the light of Jehovah. The lamp is the vessel that holds the light, which itself is divine, proceeding from God. But man’s spirit can be a light-receiver and a light-retainer, illuminating every part of his moral being.”ii “The spirit of a man is the lamp of the LORD.”

In that verse, we are also told the human spirit searches all the inner depths of his heart. The spirit of a man searches his own soul and knows it well. In his argument for revelational knowledge beyond mere rational intellect, Paul said in 1 Corinthians 2:11: “For what man knows the things of a man except the spirit of the man which is in him?” It is in your spirit that you discover who you are. There God reveals his individual design and eternal purpose for you. Your spirit can know who you are by revelation from God. “For what man knows the things of a man except the spirit [pneuma, not psuche (soul)] of the man which is in him?”

In a previous teaching, we addressed some of the problems associated with the popular Self-esteem Movement. That movement tries to do through the soul what only one’s spirit can do as it is illuminated by God. Psychologists deal with the soul (psuche), not the spirit of the person. The word psychology comes from the Greek word psuche, not pneuma. Psychology is the science of the mind, not the spirit. The therapist facilitates the person’s mind (soul) to search out who they are. But it is the human spirit that receives that knowledge through revelation from God, not through mental inspection. “For what man knows the things of a man except the spirit of the man which is in him?” (1 Cor 2:11).

From Proverbs 20:27 we are learning some things about the human spirit and how it functions. “The spirit of a man is the lamp of the LORD, Searching all the inner depths of his heart.”

FOUNDATIONS FROM THE PREVIOUS INSTRUCTION

In our previous message, we laid enough foundation for our discussion today. Today we will explore more fully how the human spirit functions and what it means to walk in the Spirit. Most of us are familiar with the phrase “walk in the Spirit”, but few have pondered it enough to really understand how that happens. Our basic understanding is that it means we follow the Spirit’s leading rather than our own carnal inclinations. That is correct. However, the more we understand about how that occurs, the more consistent we can be in doing it. One purpose of scientific research is to discover why things happens as they do. That knowledge is needed in order to consistently apply the principles.

The advantage many of us have is that we do walk in the Spirit at times. The Holy Spirit has taught us some things about the difference between walking in the Spirit and walking in the flesh. Today we want to add to that understanding by searching the scriptures on the subject.

In our first message on being spiritual, we established two truths. 1. We first learned there is a difference between the human spirit and the human soul. Paul prayed in 1 Thessalonians 5:23, “Now may the God of peace Himself sanctify you completely; and may your whole spirit (pneuma), soul (psuche), and body (soma) be preserved blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.” The soul is your rational mind, your emotions, and your will. Your brain is the part of your body that houses the mind, but the brain is not the mind. In physical death, your brain ceases to function. But your mind, your soul, and your spirit go to be with the Lord.

The believer’s spirit is joined with the Holy Spirit according to 1 Corinthians 6:17. It is the part of you that communes with the Lord. In John 4:24 Jesus said, “God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth [reality].”iii The Message Bible enhances our understanding of what Jesus is saying. It says: “Those who worship him must do it out of their very being, their spirits, their true selves, in adoration.” To worship God in spirit means I commune with him out of my spirit. “God is Spirit,” and that dictates how we must relate to him. We must relate to him from our inner spirit.