• IN OUR SERIES ON THE DIMENSIONS OF YOU WE HAVE SPOKEN OF YOUR SOUL.
• THAT’S THE PART OF MAN THAT GIVES US THE ABILITY TO THINK AND REASON.
• WE’VE ALSO TALKED ABOUT YOUR SPIRIT.
• YOUR SPIRIT IS THE PART OF MAN THAT IS YOUR TRUE NATURE.
• THE WAY YOU REALLY ARE INSIDE.
• WE SAID THAT SOUL AND SPIRIT ARE GIVEN BY GOD.
• YOUR SOUL IS CREATED AND DESIGNED BY HIM TO ENABLE YOU TO LIVE FOREVER WITH GOD.
• YOUR SPIRIT, YOUR NATURE CAN BE CHANGED.
• CORRECTED BY YOUR SPIRIT, JOINING WITH THE HOLY SPIRIT OF GOD TO MAKE YOU THE PERSON HE WANTS YOU TO BE.
• WE SAID THAT “BODY” IS THE REPOSITORY OF THE SOUL AND SPIRIT.
• TOGETHER, BODY, SOUL AND SPIRIT MAKE UP THE WHOLE MAN.
1 THESSALONIANS 5:23 – NOW MAY THE GOD OF PEACE HIMSELF SANCTIFY YOU ENTIRELY; AND MAY YOUR SPIRIT, SOUL AND BODY BE PRESERVED COMPLETE, WITHOUT BLAME AT THE COMING OF OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST.
• SOUL AND SPIRIT ARE CLOSELY CONNECTED IN THE SCRIPTURE, SO MUCH SO THAT THEY ARE NEARLY INTERCHANGEABLE.
• IN LUKE 1:46 – THE WORDS OF MARY CONNECT SOUL AND SPIRIT –
• “MY SOUL GLORIFIES THE LORD AND MY SPIRIT REJOICES IN GOD MY SAVIOR”.
• MARY IS SAYING THAT ALL OF BEING REJOICES IN GOD.
• WHILE IN JOHN 1:27 – JESUS SAYS THERE IS ONLY A PART OF HIM THAT IS DISTRESSED AND THAT PART IS NOT HIS NATURE.
• HIS NATURE IS CONSTANT BUT HIS SOUL…
• NOW MY SOUL IS TROUBLED, AND WHAT SHALL I SAY? 'FATHER, SAVE ME FROM THIS HOUR'? NO, IT WAS FOR THIS VERY REASON I CAME TO THIS HOUR.
• IN HEBREWS 4:12 WE HAVE ANOTHER EXAMPLE OF THE CONNECTION OF “SOUL AND SPIRIT”.
• FOR THE WORD OF GOD IS LIVING AND ACTIVE AND SHARPER THAN ANY TWO-EDGED SWORD, AND PIERCING AS FAR AS THE DIVISION OF SOUL AND SPIRIT, OF BOTH JOINTS AND MARROW, AND ABLE TO JUDGE THE THOUGHTS AND INTENTIONS OF THE HEART.
• THIS TIME THE WORD OF GOD MAKES A DISTINCTION BETWEEN SOUL AND SPIRIT.
• THIS MORNING, THE CONCLUSION OF OUR SERIES ON “THE DIMENSIONS OF YOU” – YOUR SOUL AND SPIRIT – IN THE CONTEXT OF HEBREWS 4:12.
• BUT, BEFORE WE START THAT PART OF THE LESSON, LET’S PRAY.
• THE BOOK HEBREWS BEGINS WITH THE ESTABLISHMENT OF JESUS THE SON OF GOD AS SUPERIOR TO ANGELS, THE FATHERS AND THE PROPHETS.
• IN HEBREWS 2 WE ARE INTRODUCED TO JESUS CROWNED WITH GLORY AND HONOR AS THE HIGH PRIEST OF GOD.
• IN CHAPTER 3 WARNS AGAINST FOLLOWING THE EXAMPLE OF ISRAEL’S UNBELIEF.
• HEBREWS 4 BEGINS WITH THE REWARD OF REST FOR GOD’S PEOPLE AND A WARNING NOT TO FALL SHORT OF ENTERING THAT REST.
• HEBREWS 4:1-11– TELLS US WHY WE NEED TO BE OBEDIENT TO GOD TO ENTER HIS REST.
• HEBREWS 4:12 – GIVES US THE TOOL THAT CAN HELP US TO ENTER HIS REST. THE WORD OF GOD.
• IN ALL OUR BIBLE READING. IN ALL OUR COMING TO CHURCH.
• IN OUR BAPTISM. IN OUR PRAYING.
• EVEN THOUGH ALL OUR RELIGIOUS ACTIVITY MAY LOOK GOOD ON THE OUTSIDE.
• EVEN THOUGH WE SAY ALL THE RIGHT THINGS,
• WE NEED TO BE SURE THAT WE AREN’T HOLDING ONTO SECRET SINS THAT DISQUALIFY US FROM THE KINGDOM OF GOD.
1 CORINTHIANS 9:27 – PAUL SAYS - I DISCIPLINE MY BODY AND MAKE IT MY SLAVE, SO THAT, AFTER I HAVE PREACHED TO OTHERS, I MYSELF WILL NOT BE DISQUALIFIED.
• GOD’S JUDGEMENTS ARE BY THE TRUTH – HIS WORD IS THE TRUTH.
• AND, LIKE THE AUTHOR OF TRUTH IS LIVING AND POWERFUL, SO IS HIS WORD. THE WORD OF GOD IS LIVING AND ACTIVE (POWERFUL).
• BUT IN HEBREWS 4:12 WE HAVE A CRITICAL QUESTION…
• WHICH WORD IS THIS TALKING ABOUT?
• IS IT THE JESUS, THE PERSONAL WORD – THE LOGOS OF JOHN 1:14 - THE WORD BECAME FLESH, AND DWELT AMONG US, AND WE SAW HIS GLORY, GLORY AS OF THE ONLY BEGOTTEN FROM THE FATHER, FULL OF GRACE AND TRUTH.
• OR, IS THE WORD THAT WE HEAR?
ROMANS 10:17 - SO FAITH COMES FROM HEARING, AND HEARING BY THE WORD OF CHRIST.
• WHY CAN’T IT BE BOTH?
REVELATION 1:16 - IN HIS RIGHT HAND HE HELD SEVEN STARS, AND OUT OF HIS MOUTH CAME A SHARP TWO-EDGED SWORD; AND HIS FACE WAS LIKE THE SUN SHINING IN ITS STRENGTH.
REVELATION 2:12- AND TO THE ANGEL OF THE CHURCH IN PERGAMUM WRITE: THE ONE WHO HAS THE SHARP TWO-EDGED SWORD SAYS THIS:
REVELATION 19:15 - FROM HIS MOUTH COMES A SHARP SWORD, SO THAT WITH IT HE MAY STRIKE DOWN THE NATIONS, AND HE WILL RULE THEM WITH A ROD OF IRON; AND HE TREADS THE WINE PRESS OF THE FIERCE WRATH OF GOD, THE ALMIGHTY.
• THE BIBLE SAYS THAT THE WORD THAT WE HEAR, COMES OUT OF THE MOUTH OF THE PERSONAL WORD.
• JESUS THE SON OF GOD IS THE LIVING WORD AND SO IS THE BIBLE.
• THEY ARE BOTH THE WORD THAT STRIKES DOWN NATIONS AND WILL JUDGE ALL WHO HEAR HIM OR IT.
• THIS WORD IS LIVING AND POWERFUL BECAUSE IT IS GIVEN POWER BY THE ONE WHO SUSTAINS ALL THINGS.
HEBREWS 1:3 – AND HE IS THE RADIANCE OF HIS GLORY AND THE EXACT REPRESENTATION OF GOD’S NATURE AND UPHOLDS ALL THINGS BY THE WORD OF HIS POWER. WHEN HE HAD MADE PURIFICATION OF SINS, HE SAT DOWN AT THE RIGHT HAND OF THE MAJESTY ON HIGH,
• THIS WORD IS THE LIVING EMBODIMENT OF THE WILL OF GOD.
• IT GOES WHERE HE WANTS AND DOES WHAT HE PLEASES AND REQUIRES.
ISAIAH 55:10-11 - “FOR AS THE RAIN AND THE SNOW COME DOWN FROM HEAVEN AND MAKING IT BEAR AND SPROUT, AND FURNISHING SEED TO THE SOWER AND BREAD TO THE EATER; SO WILL MY WORD BE WHICH GOES FORTH FROM MY MOUTH; IT WILL NOT RETURN TO ME EMPTY, WITHOUT ACCOMPLISHING WHAT I DESIRE, AND WITHOUT SUCCEEDING IN THE MATTER FOR WHICH I SENT IT.
• HEBREWS 4:12 SAYS THIS WORD IS “SHARPER THAN A TWO-EDGED SWORD”.
• IN THE GREEK IT SAYS – “MORE CUTTING THAN ANY TWO MOUTH SWORD.”
EPHESIANS 4:17 – AND TAKE THE HELMET OF SALVATION, AND THE SWORD OF THE SPIRIT, WHICH IS THE WORD OF GOD.
• THIS IS THE SAME WORD THAT COMES OUT OF THE MOUTH OF THE ONE IN REVELATION WHO RIDES THE HORSE AND SMITES THE NATIONS.
• NOTICE THE EFFECT OF THIS WORD IN HEBREWS 4;12 – WHAT IT DOES?
• PIERCING EVEN TO DIVIDING SOUL AND SPIRIT.
• HERE WE HAVE ANOTHER CRITICAL QUESTION…
• WHAT IS THE MEANING OF SOUL AND SPIRIT HERE?
• LAST WEEK WE SAID THAT LIKE GOD, MAN IS MADE UP OF THREE PARTS.
• ACCORDING TO 1 THESSALONIANS 5:23 – WE ARE BODY, SOUL AND SPIRIT.
• BUT, DID YOU KNOW THAT IDEA IS OLDER THAN THE NEW TESTAMENT?
• FROM THE DAYS OF PYTHAGORAS IN 500 BC TO THE TIME OF PLATO AROUND 350 BC THE ANCIENTS SPECULATED ON THE THREE PARTS OF MAN.
• THE PHILOSOPHERS TAUGHT THAT MAN HAD A MATERIAL BODY, A NATURAL SPIRIT AND A LIVING SOUL.
• IN HEBREWS 4;12 WE SEE THE WORD OF GOD DIVIDING SPIRIT AND SOUL, JOINTS AND MARROW.
• THINK OF WHEN YOU WERE A CHILD AND SKINNED YOUR KNEE,
• YOU TOOK OFF THAT TOP LAYER OF SKIN DOWN TO “THE WHITE PART.”
• THINK OF A SURGEON WITH HIS KNIFE CUTTING DOWN AND THROUGH TISSUE TO THE MUSCLE, TO THE BONE.
• LIKE THE SURGEON CUTS TO THE INNER, CONCEALED PARTS OF THE BODY,
• THE WORD OF GOD EXCISES, EXPOSES DOWN TO THE INNER CONCEALED PARTS OF MAN.
• IT CUTS DOWN TO WHO WE REALLY ARE.
• WHAT WE REALLY WANT.
• WHO WE REALLY WANT TO BE.
• THE BIBLE SAYS THE LIVING WORD OF GOD CUTS TO THE THOUGHTS AND INTENTS OF OUR HEARTS.
• THE WORD OF GOD IS LIVING AND ACTIVE.
• FULL OF POWER AND ENERGY, IT DIVIDES AND LAYS BARE THE SOUL AND THE SPIRIT.
• EVEN TO THEIR JOINTS AND MARROW – THE DEEPEST RECESSES OF THE HUMAN HEART.
• RISING ABOVE OUR ESSENCE, PENETRATING OUR NATURE.
• THEN IT EXAMINES AND PROBES OUR AFFECTIONS, DESIRES AND IDEAS.
• HAVE YOU EVER THOUGHT ABOUT HOW A KNIFE OR A SWORD WORKS?
• THIS FROM GOOGLE – “A BLADE APPLIES GREAT PRESSURE AT THE EDGE TO PUSH THE MATERIAL APART.
• WHEN YOU TRY TO CUT A TOMATO, A BLUNT KNIFE CRUSHES A WIDE BAND OF PLANT CELLS UNDERNEATH IT BUT A SHARP KNIFE CAN CUT THROUGH A SINGLE LINE OF CELLS, SEPARATING THE MOLECULES IN THE CELL WALL.”
• A BLADE CUTS ON THE MICROSCOPIC LEVEL
• THE WORD OF GOD CUTS THE SOUL AND SPIRIT OF MAN ON A MICROSCOPIC LEVEL ALLOWING US TO SEE OUR IMPERFECTIONS AND ALLOW GOD TO TRANSFORM US FOR HIS KINGDOM.
