Lesson 3: ► Study Guide Lesson

Returning to our base scripture, Hebrews 4:12, we find the word of God is quick, 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. In our last lesson, we learned that this scripture verifies man as a triune being, just as the scripture also verifies God as a triune being, the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost (1 John 5:7). Man was created in the image of God (Genesis 1:26).

According to St. John 1:1, in the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. Moreover, the Word became flesh and dwelt among men (St. John 1:14); thus, for the sake of redemption, the Word said, “a body thou has prepared me” (Heb. 10:5).

In review, we learned that 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 (Genesis 2:7). Remember, before man became a living soul, he was already a body. The body is the instrument that gave the soul expression.

Viewing this from God’s perspective, if the Word is the only thing that can separate the body, soul, and spirit, this means they are one and only God can separate them. It is God’s intent that we see that oneness, as it pertains to our physical creation. The theme of oneness is carried throughout the Bible from Genesis to Revelation. Oneness is in everything that pertains to us and God. Remember, Jesus prayed and asked God to make

OBJECTIVES

After the completion of this lesson, the student will be able to:

1. Using scriptural support, explain the difference in the first and second Adam.
2. List the components of the soul.
3. Explain the workings of the imagination.

IDENTIFYING THE SOUL: part 3

us one. The connotation of oneness is singleness. We must see the oneness in God. When we entertain the Holy Ghost, we have entertained God. The scripture declares that the Word is Spirit, therefore, when you entertain the Word, you have entertained the Holy Ghost. Thus, when you entertain the Father, you have entertained the Word and the Holy Ghost. You cannot entertain one without entertaining the other. When you have entertained one, you have entertained them all.

Now that we know the oneness, when we talk about the body, soul, and spirit, we should not separate them. There is a doctrine that allows man to separate the three; it’s called dual nature. This doctrine states that even after salvation the flesh (body) is still sinful. This is one of the greatest lies told to the Body of Christ. Satan devised this lie to keep us struggling with sin. If you believe that God designed the redemption plan in such a way that the flesh was left out of it, you will always believe that there’s a war going on between the flesh and the spirit. The body, soul, and spirit make the man. He’s not presently a soul without the body and after he dies and is resurrected, he will be resurrected in a new body. The body cannot be affected without the spirit being affected, neither can the spirit be affected without the body being affected. They do not operate separate and apart from each other. Your body doesn’t do anything of itself; the soul tells it what to do. However, we have been conditioned to believe that our body is our enemy. Doctrines have made the body our enemy. The soul and spirit really want to serve the Lord, but the body has its own mind. It is therefore concluded that if the body sees something in the world it wants, if necessary, it will lead the spirit into sin in order to attain it. Using scripture, we will look at the two Adams. The scripture declares as we have borne the image of the earthy, we shall also bear the image of the heavenly (I Corinthians 15:49). As he is, so are we in this world (I John 4:17). Therefore, whatever Jesus Christ is, that’s what we are right now. Since this is the case, we have been made one with Him. This does not mean we imitate Him. In other words, we are not Christ-like, as Christianity has been defined. I submit that Christianity means ‘to be Christ’. Saul increased the more in strength, and confounded the Jews which dwelt at Damascus, proving that this is very Christ (Acts 9:22). Saul, who had then become Paul, was not very Christ-like, he was very Christ. In other words, he maintained a walk that demonstrated his oneness with Jesus Christ.

1 Corinthians 15:45-46

45 And so it is written, The first man Adam was made a living soul; the last Adam was made a quickening spirit.

46 Howbeit that was not first which is spiritual, but that which is natural; and afterward that which is spiritual. The first man was not spiritual.

Hebrews 12:9

Furthermore we have had fathers of our flesh which corrected us, and we gave them reverence: shall we not much rather be in subjection unto the Father of spirits, and live? Since God is our Father, He would have to be a Father of spirits. Since the scriptures declare that God is a Spirit, how can His children be anything other than spirits? So then, in actuality, we are spirits that temporarily live in earthen vessels called bodies.

Hebrews 12:10

For they verily for a few days chastened us after their own pleasure; but he for our profit, that we might be partakers of his holiness.

It is beneficial for the Father to chastise us and it may be abrasive to the flesh. In fact, the scripture says chastening is grievous. If our Father does not chastise us, it will not be well with us at the end. He chastises us so that we might partake, or be examples, of His holiness. Just as He is holy, we were made holy at salvation. Let’s look at the difference between the two Adams, according to I Corinthians 15:45-47

THE FIRST ADAM THE SECOND ADAM Living Soul Quickening Spirit Natural Spiritual Earthy Heavenly

In forming the first man, God took red clay and created the magnificent body. He channeled air through Himself, breathed into man’s nostrils, and man became a living soul. Remember, the components of the soul are: the conscience, imagination, will, emotions, and appetites, all of which make up the heart or spirit (used interchangeably with soul).

Conscience is also used interchangeably in scripture with “hidden man of the heart”. Spirit and conscience are sometimes identified as the “hidden man of the heart”. The soul and spirit are also known as the “inner man”. But though our outward man perish, yet the inward man is renewed day by day (II Corinthians 4:16).

Everything we have discussed here pertains to the soul, but we have not yet covered the body. It all starts in the soul, and the soul expresses itself through the body. In other words, what we see outwardly is actually the desire of the soul, not the desire of the body. Man looketh on the outward appearance, but the Lord looketh on the heart (1 Samuel 16:7). The appetite starts in the soul! However, we have been taught that it starts in the body. The soul is the real man. The body is just the tabernacle that gives him the ability to experience things through taste, touch, smell, sight and hearing.

For example, you are in a restaurant and someone tells you that a particular food tastes really good. It looks appealing, smells good, and you want to taste it.

You, the soul, decides you want to taste it, but it is your body that gives you the ability to taste it. Therefore, you instruct your fleshy mind (brain) to buy the food so you can taste it. After tasting it, you then decide whether you like it or not. Your body doesn’t make the decision as to whether you like something or not. It is the soul that sets the parameters for what the body is to do.

If a woman looks upon man and decides she wants to experience fornication, she will begin to see men from that perspective. They used to be brothers in the Lord, now they are potential bed partners. She begins to see what she likes and dislikes about them. Remember, this is all taking place in the soul. The body has yet to do anything. She is instructing her body what to look at and her mind how to interpret what she sees. This would also be true if she wanted to experience lesbianism. She would begin to see women in that vein, because she may have been watching too much television, she may have allowed this to feed her mind (the spirit of the mind or soul, not the fleshy mind or brain). Remember, the soul dictates to the fleshy mind. If we entertain something long enough, the soul will instruct the fleshy mind to begin to think on those things. Those things can be right or wrong, holy or unholy. We learned previously that wrong thinking is the root of all sin.

Watching enough “R” and “X” rated movies can have the same effect on us as the serpent had on Eve, she became curious. Curiosity for the things of the world opens a door for darkness to enter the soul. We then begin to think and create lust. Remember, God said Lucifer was created perfect until iniquity was found in him (the being), that’s why he was able to say that he would exalt his throne above that of the Most High. He was only speaking that which was in him. Out of the abundance of what is in a being (soul or angel) the mouth speaks.

The imagination acts as an incubator; it keeps scenarios alive until it is expedient for them to be performed in the real world. I Peter 5:8, admonishes us to Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour. As in the lesbian scenario, because there is darkness in the heart, weakness is sought out in a target soul. Any sign of weakness is a door to allow this suggestion to take root. This can be done so subliminally that the target will not know what’s going on until she is made aware of it. It can also be done so skillfully that the target becomes curious. All of this happens in the soul. The soul has constructed, or maybe even reconstructed, an environment. You can be in this type of situation before you even realize you’re in it, or realize how you got in it, because people can manipulate you with the workings of their inner man. So, to walk after the flesh, means the soul pursues an experience with the things that will satisfy the flesh, not the Spirit. The Spirit wants nothing from the world. Remember, it is not the body that will stand before God in judgment, it is the soul that will stand before God in judgment. It is the soul that has to be saved not the body. The body goes back to the dust. When the scripture says in Him, we live, move and have our being, our soul is our being. The soul and spirit make up our inner man or the spirit of our mind, not the fleshy mind (brain). The scripture also calls it the “hidden man of the heart” or conscience. The imagination is another component of the soul it is not a component of the brain.

A young lady sees a young man; and she decides he is going to be her husband. In her imagination, he is madly in love with her; however, in the real world, he may not even know her name. All he did was shake her hand and say, “Praise the Lord, Sister”, but during the hand shake and “Praise the Lord, Sister”, in her imagination he said, “I sure do love you; and I want to be with you”. If she’s living in her imagination, it will not allow her brain to interpret what the man really said to her. Because of what’s in her imagination, she won’t accept it. She is blind to reality. When there is iniquity in your heart, you are blind. When you are blind, there is the potential not to deal with reality. In this case, the imagination becomes so powerful that it will not allow the brain to interpret what is really happening. In other words, the soul simply refuses to accept what the brain said really happened. He may even tell her that he likes her, but he does not mean “like” in the way she has interpreted it. Because of what’s in her imagination, she won’t accept it. She is blind to reality. We will give an account for every idle word that is spoken in this body, but the body will not be there. This means the soul is in charge. Adam was given the responsibility to keep his body righteous.

► LESSON ASSIGNMENT

Below you will find questions that pertain to each of the lesson objectives. You are asked to thoroughly answer each of them in your own words.

1. Who are the two Adams?
2. Where is it located in scripture that there is a difference in the first and second Adams?
3. What are the differences in the two Adams?
4. What are the components of the soul?
5. What are some of the terms that are interchangeable for the conscience?
6. What is the imagination?
7. How is the imagination fed?

IDENTIFYING THE SOUL: PART THREE SELF-EVALUATION

The Self-Evaluation is designed to serve as a tool for you to examine how you are applying that which is taught in the lesson to your own individual life. Please answer honestly and thoroughly.

1. Describe a scenario where an individual has a thought in their imagination that they waited to live out?
2. How would you minister to that individual?