Parts of Man
Define the following terms:
Mind
The part of us that thinks, reasons and understands. Emotions
The part of us that feels joy pain happy sad angry or peaceful Will
The part of us that drives us, desires things, motivates us and decides how we will behave. Body
The Body is our physical representation, structure and composition. We use it to interface with the world. It includes our eyes and ears, our brain, our arms and legs, our face etc. It limits what we can see, hear & feel, what we can understand and what we can do. Soul
The Soul is who we are. It is our identity. It is our live story. It is our memories, personality and character. Spirit
The Spirit is responsible for our attitude, our disposition, our orientation. It determines what sort of person we are (good or bad). It is the part of us that can fellowship with the Holy Spirit if he is living in our heart. It recognizes and knows things intuitively. It can arouse in us certain memories and feelings. Heart
The heart is an empty place within us where we store our treasure. It is the place where the Holy Spirit lives if we are saved or the place that we put our idol if we are not saved. What we set our heart on (or fill our heart with) determines the direction of our life. It affects our disposition. It is the gold standard by which we judge ourselves and others. Flesh
Flesh can refer to the body or our natural desires and instincts (or our unregenerated spirit) Conscience The conscience gives us an awareness of the spirit. It is the voice of the spirit. It gives us a sense of right and wrong if God's word is living in us. When we are living will of God, we have peace joy. Intuition This is our common sense or gut feeling. It is the part of the mind that overlaps with the spirit. It gives you a sense that something is true or false even if you can't explain why. It is often what leads us to God. That is why the Bible says that we believe with our heart. Instinct This is the part of the will that overlaps with the flesh. It is what we are programmed to do from birth. It is concerned with survival and territory. It is part of our unregenerated nature. Stress Stress occurs when there is a conflict of ideas. It is a tormented mind. Stress is when you can't decide what is right or wrong, true or false or when you can't decide what to do. Sometimes it is not a matter of right and wrong, but what is best. Stress often goes once the decision has been made. Sometimes, the brain malfunctions if there is too much stress. Pain Pain can be physical, psychological or spiritual. It can result from injury to the body or malfunction of the body as a result of disease (physical). It can result from loss of something or somebody that we love and cherish (psychological). It can result if something or somebody that we believe in turns out to be false (spiritual). Pain can erode our faith. Pain produces changes in our emotions. Frustration Frustration occurs when you do not get what you want. It is a tormented will. Eventually, this can lead to a state of hopelessness (depression). What parts of us will be saved at the coming of Our Lord?
The body, the soul and the spirit.
If we are saved, our spirit has been regenerated, our soul is being transformed and our body will be transfigured. The Lord is faithful to complete the good work that he has begun in us.
What part of us dies when we become a Christian?
The Old Man.
The unregenerate man has a heart of flesh. He is like a creature of instinct. He is selfish and self centered and self seeking.
When we become a Christian, we die to self and live for God.
When we are born again the old man is cut of or burnt away and we become a new creation. The Holy Spirit comes and lives in our heart. Our spirit is regenerated and our consciences is made alive.
Gentiles are baptized in the Spirit and Fire and in so doing become circumcise inwardly. (The Jews were circumcised by the Spirit and had the law written on their hearts by the Spirit)
What is the object of our Salvation?
The salvation of our soul. 1Peter 1:9 Proverbs 23:14
What are the the three parts of man mentioned in 1Thes 5:23?
The body the soul and the spirit.
How does the soul interact with the mind, the emotions and the will?
The soul is who we are. It is our SELF. It is US.
The mind is the focus of our attention. It is what we are conscious or aware of . It is what we are thinking about. It is what we are thinking with. It is inseparable from the brain in which it is housed.
The emotions are what we feel and the will is what we want.
The mind, the will and the emotions interact with the soul, but they are not the same.
Our minds can be focusing on the flesh, the self, the world, or God etc. We try to think about these things in a logical way but our knowledge and understanding is often incomplete and quite patchy. (As a consequence we often must make decisions intuitively using our spirit to guide us.)
Sometimes our feelings, desires and perceptions do not line up with what we intuitively know is right. Sometimes our intuition is wrong. Should we follow our heart or our head? Our mind or our Spirit? Should we just listen to our emotions and do what makes us happy? We should seek guidance if circumstances permit - if not we can sometimes change our mind once things become clear. It is always good to keep a clear conscience.
We cannot change who we are or what has happened to us in the past. These are the things that shape our personality and character (defense mechanisms, values and coping style).
Our personality and character determine how we perceive and handle things (with our mind) what we feel (emotions) and what we want (will).
When we are born again, we become a child of God (who we are changes). We get a new Spirit (our values change). Where we are going and what we want changes. The things that have happened to us in the past takes on a whole new significance. Our personality and character changes. God gradually reconfigures our memories and transforms our soul. What we once thought was OK is no longer OK. What we once thought was to our detriment is for our good. What use to hurt us no longer does. What we use to avoid, we can now face.
The mind emotion and the will all receive input from
[a] the body (taste, smell, sight, sound & other sensations such as from the skin, bowels, bladder, gonads, genitalia & stomach)
[b] the soul (our personality, character, identity and memories)
[c] the spirit (conscience & intuition).
The body, the soul and the spirit all contribute to the way we feel (the emotions), what we think (the mind) and what we want (the will)
How does the spirit interact with the mind, the emotions and the will?
The spirit responds to what see and hear, to what we think and to what we say and do. It actually gives us a running commentary. The spirit, however, is intuitive and instantaneous. It validates and confirms our perceptions, our actions and the decisions. Whilst our mind is at work, the spirit is giving us a sense that what we are thinking or feeling or doing is right or wrong, true or false. It works in parallel with the the rational, language based part of our mind. The spirit, however, is not limited by language.
The mind, the emotions and the will receive input from our spirit as well as our soul and body.
As we are conscious of the spirit through our conscience, the spirit is also an important influence on what we think, feel and do.
How does the body interact with the mind, the emotions and the will?
The mind emotions and will are housed within our body. If the brain is injured, this has an enormous impact on our ability to think feel and do things. Delirium, dementia, learning problems, hallucinations, thought disorders, emotional instability and mental retardation are often caused by physical conditions that affect the body.
Our bodies receive internal and external stimuli which the brain processes consciously and unconsciously.
The body, therefore, also contributes to the way we feel (the emotions), what we think (the mind) and what we do (the will)
What about the heart? How does it interact with the mind, the emotions and the will?
The heart an empty place within us where we put our treasure. The things that we love fill our heart. If we are born again, then God lives there by his Spirit. All the other things that we fill our hearts with are like idols.
What is in our heart determines the meaning and direction of our life. If God is in our heart, then His Spirit becomes the standard by which we live and judge things.
Why isn't the heart mentioned in 1Thes 5:23?
Because the heart is just an empty place within us where we put our God or our Idol.
The heart is the dwelling place of the Spirit.
If what is in our heart is not God's Holy Spirit, then it will not be saved.
God will give us the desires or our heart (heaven or hell)!
May God give you your heart's desire.
Is the heart part of our mind emotions or will? Or visa versa?
Yes, the heart could even be considered the root or the source of our thoughts emotions and actions.
It forms the object of our will
It forms the standard by which we judge ourselves and others.
It sets the goal for our lives and hence gives our lives direction.
What is in our heart determines whether we feel a success or a failure.
Is the heart part of our body, soul or spirit? Or visa versa?
The heart is the dwelling place of the our spirit (our conscience) and the Holy Spirit or Evil Spirits.
The Body and Soul are in a sense what our heart is made of but are not what is inside our heart. (Our heart is a vessel and so is our body and soul).
What is the heart?
The heart is an empty place within us where we put the things we treasure most. Our number one treasure should be God and his Word. God comes and lives in our heart by His Spirit when we make him Lord of our lives.
If we love something else more than God, then it becomes an idol. Idols can't save us. There is an evil spirit behind every idol and this is what lives in our heart if we worship the idol.
What happens when we ask Jesus to come into our heart?
His Spirit comes and dwells within our heart and fellowships with our own spirit, enlivening our consciences. This is regeneration or Baptism/Circumcision in the Spirit.
What else can occupy our heart?
Idols. These may be people, your job, your self, your image, your house, your lifestyle, your pastor, your spouse or any God that has been invented by man.
If we are a good person, we have a good Spirit and a good Heart .
Our attitude is more a reflection of our spirit than our soul .
What are the major determinants of personality?
The soul is the major determinate of our personality. When we become a Christian, our spirit is regenerated and then God starts to transform our soul.
What are the main determinants of character?
Our character is really a product of our spirit and our soul. When we become a Christian, our spirit becomes regenerated, then as we turn to God in worship, he fills us with his Spirit and starts transforming our soul, our personality and our character.
What makes us who we are? Is that different from our identity?
Our persona or our individuality gives us an identity. Who we are is thus determined by our body, our soul and our spirit. What is in our heart will ultimately shape us the most.
Do our memories and experiences have anything to do with who we are?
Yes, our memories and experiences also shape our personality and character making us who we are.
Does our birth or our parents have anything to do with who we are?
Yes. Our natural parents do give us an identity. That is why birth certificates are used for identification purposes and why people who are adopted often try to find out who their parents were.
Parents also play an important role in our upbringing which also shapes who we are. Our parents also give us our genes.
What about our genes?
Our genes determine our appearance and sometimes affect our health and our abilities if they are faulty. Therefore, they also help to make us who we are.
When our spirit is regenerated, does that change who we are?
Yes. When our spirit is regenerated we become a child of God.
What does the soul represent?
The soul is who we are.
It is a product of our parents and our upbringing.
When we become a child of God, all this can be transformed.
