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Tag: Humanity

Body Soul Spirit

Written by LWOM Amsterdam on . Posted in Human Nature, What’s new?.

Do we have two or three parts; body and soul/spirit, or body, soul, and spirit?

Genesis 1:26–27 indicates that God created mankind distinct from all the other creatures. Scripture clearly teaches that man is intended to experience intimate relationship with God, and, therefore, He created us as a unity of both material (physical) and immaterial (spiritual) aspects (Ecclesiastes 12:7, Matthew 10:28, 1 Corinthians 5:5, 2 Corinthians 4:16; 7:1, James 2:26). The material component of humans is obviously that which is tangible and temporal: the physical body. The immaterial aspects are intangible: soul, spirit, intellect, will, conscience, mind, emotions, etc. These exist unendingly beyond the lifespan of the physical body.

All human beings possess both material (physical) and immaterial (spiritual) characteristics. Each person has a physical body. However, the intangible, non-physical qualities of mankind are often debated. What does Scripture say about these? Genesis 2:7 states that man was created as a “living soul” (KJV). Numbers 16:22 names God as the “God of the spirits of all flesh” (ESV). Proverbs 4:23 tells us, “Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it,” indicating that the heart (not the myocardium) is central to man’s will and emotions. In Acts 23:1 Paul refers to the conscience as that part of the mind that convicts us of right and wrong. Romans 12:2 speaks of the transformative power of a renewed mind. These verses, and numerous others, refer to the various aspects of the spiritual components of humanity. We are a unified combination of both material and immaterial qualities.

Somehow, the soul, spirit, emotions, conscience, will, and mind are connected and interrelated. Perhaps the soul-spirit is comprised of a combination of all the other immaterial human aspects. With this in mind, is humanity dichotomous (“cut in two”) or trichotomous (“cut in three”)? In other words, do we have two parts (body and soul-spirit), or do we have three parts (body, soul, and spirit)? It is impossible to be dogmatic. Theologians have differed over this issue for centuries, and there has never been a decisive orthodox declaration of which is true.

Those who believe Scripture teaches that man is a dichotomy see humans as comprised of two parts: a body and a spirit. There are two general views of this dichotomy. The first view is that man is a united body and spirit that together comprise a living soul. A human soul is the spirit and the body united as one personhood. This view is supported by Genesis 2:7; Numbers 9:13; Psalm 16:10; 97:10 and Jonah 4:8. This view emphasizes that the Hebrew word nephesh in these verses refers to an integrated (unified) soul, living being, life, or self—i.e., a unified person (soul) comprised of a body and spirit. It is noted that, when the Bible speaks of the ruach (“breath, wind, or spirit”) being separated from the body, the person is disintegrated (fractured)—dead (see Ecclesiastes 12:7; Psalm 104:29; 146:4).

The second dichotomic view is that the spirit and the soul are the same thing with two different names. This view emphasizes the fact that the words spirit and soul are often used interchangeably (Luke 1:46–47; Isaiah 26:9; Matthew 6:25; 10:28, 1 Corinthians 5:3, 5) and should be understood as synonyms referring to the same spiritual reality within each person. Therefore, the dichotomous position holds that man is comprised of two parts. Man is either a body and spirit, which makes a soul, or a body and soul-spirit.

Those who believe Scripture teaches that man is a trichotomy see man as comprised of three distinct parts: body, soul, and spirit. They emphasize 1 Thessalonians 5:23 and Hebrews 4:12, which seem to differentiate between spirit and soul. The dichotomist counters that, if 1 Thessalonians 5:23 teaches trichotomy, then, by the same hermeneutic, does Mark 12:30 teach tetrachotomy?

Is it important to conclusively decide between dichotomy and trichotomy? Perhaps not; however, a word of caution is appropriate. Some who hold the trichotomist view have erroneously taught that God can bypass our soul/intellect and communicate directly with our spirit; such teaching leads to irrational mysticism. Other churches have used the trichotomous position to teach the possibility of Christians being demon-possessed. Because they see the soul and spirit as two separate immaterial aspects within the Christian, they postulate that one can be indwelt by the Holy Spirit and the other can be possessed by demonic forces. This teaching is problematic in that there are no biblical references that those who are indwelt by the Holy Spirit can be simultaneously possessed by demons.

Regardless of whether a Christian believes dichotomy or trichotomy best represents an accurate understanding of Scripture, we can all unitedly praise God with the psalmist: “I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well” (Psalm 139:14).

Dominion over animals

Written by LWOM Amsterdam on . Posted in Genesis, God our Creator, What’s new?.

What does it mean that God gave humanity dominion over the animals?

The word dominion means “rule or power over.” God has sovereign power over His creation and has delegated the authority to mankind to have dominion over the animals (Genesis 1:26). David reinforces this truth: “You made [mankind] rulers over the works of your hands; you put everything under their feet” (Psalm 8:6). Humanity was to “subdue” the earth (Genesis 1:28)—we were to hold a position of command over it; we were placed in a superior role and were to exercise control over the earth and its flora and fauna. Mankind was set up as the ruler of this world. All else was subjugated to him.

God’s command to subdue the earth and the animal life in it is a command to have the mastery over all of it. A true mastery (of anything) cannot be accomplished without an understanding of the thing mastered. In order for a musician to master the violin, he or she must truly understand the instrument. In order for mankind to attain mastery over the animal kingdom, we must understand the animals.

With the authority to rule comes the responsibility to rule well. There is an inherent accountability in the command to subdue the earth. Man has a duty to exercise his dominion under the authority of the One who delegated it. All authority is of God (Romans 13:1-5), and He delegates it to whomever He will (Daniel 4:17). The word subdue doesn’t have to imply violence or mistreatment. It can mean “to bring under cultivation.”

Man is to be the steward of the earth; he is to bring the material world and all of its varied elements into the service of God and the good of mankind. The command to subdue the earth is actually part of God’s blessing on mankind. Created in the image of God, Adam and Eve were to use the earth’s vast resources in the service of both God and themselves. It would only make sense for God to decree this, since only humans were created in God’s image.

When God gave humanity dominion over the animals, it was in order to care for, tend to, and use those animals to their fullest potential in a just manner. At the time that God gave mankind dominion over the animals, humans did not eat meat (Genesis 1:29). Eating meat did not begin until after the Flood (Genesis 9:1–3), and it was at that time that animals started to fear humans. However, although God changed the way we interact with animals, in that they are now “meat,” we still bear a responsibility to treat animals humanely. Human rule over animals does not mean we have the right to mistreat or misuse those animals.

Having dominion over the animals should entail a humane management of them as the resource God has ordained them to be. We should consider that mankind was given the task (and blessing) of representing God in this world. We are the caretakers. We hold sway over all the earth, and we (bearing God’s image) bear a responsibility to act as God would. Does God misuse His creation? No. Is God unwise in His management of resources? No. Is God ever cruel or selfish or wasteful? No. Then neither should we be. Any misuse or mistreatment of God’s creation is the result of sin, not the result of following God’s original command. We must fulfill our duty to manage the earth wisely until that time when the wolf shall lie down with the lamb in the kingdom of Christ (Isaiah 11:6).

What is the heart

Written by LWOM Amsterdam on . Posted in Human Nature, What’s new?.

What is the heart?

First, we’ll state the obvious: this article is not about the heart as a vital organ, a muscle that pumps blood throughout the body. Neither is this article concerned with romantic, philosophical, or literary definitions.

Instead, we’ll focus on what the Bible has to say about the heart. The Bible mentions the heart almost 1,000 times. In essence, this is what it says: the heart is that spiritual part of us where our emotions and desires dwell.

Before we look at the human heart, we’ll mention that, since God has emotions and desires, He, too, can be said to have a “heart.” We have a heart because God does. David was a man “after God’s own heart” (Acts 13:22). And God blesses His people with leaders who know and follow His heart (1 Samuel 2:35; Jeremiah 3:15).

The human heart, in its natural condition, is evil, treacherous and deceitful. Jeremiah 17:9 says, “The heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure. Who can understand it?” In other words, the Fall has affected us at the deepest level; our mind, emotions and desires have been tainted by sin—and we are blind to just how pervasive the problem is.

We may not understand our own hearts, but God does. He “knows the secrets of the heart” (Psalm 44:21; see also 1 Corinthians 14:25). Jesus “knew all men, and had no need that anyone should testify of man, for He knew what was in man” (John 2:24-25). Based on His knowledge of the heart, God can judge righteously: “I, the LORD, search the heart, I test the mind, Even to give every man according to his ways, According to the fruit of his doings” (Jeremiah 17:10).

Jesus pointed out the fallen condition of our hearts in Mark 7:21-23: “From within, out of men’s hearts, come evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, greed, malice, deceit, lewdness, envy, slander, arrogance and folly. All these evils come from inside and make a man unclean.” Our biggest problem is not external but internal; all of us have a heart problem.

In order for a person to be saved, then, the heart must be changed. This only happens by the power of God in response to faith. “With the heart one believes unto righteousness” (Romans 10:10). In His grace, God can create a new heart within us (Psalm 51:10; Ezekiel 36:26). He promises to “revive the heart of the contrite ones” (Isaiah 57:15).

God’s work of creating a new heart within us involves testing our hearts (Psalm 17:3; Deuteronomy 8:2) and filling our hearts with new ideas, new wisdom, and new desires (Nehemiah 7:5; 1 Kings 10:24; 2 Corinthians 8:16).

The heart is the core of our being, and the Bible sets high importance on keeping our hearts pure: “Above all else, guard your heart, for it is the wellspring of life” (Proverbs 4:23).

What is the flesh?

Written by LWOM Amsterdam on . Posted in Human Nature, What’s new?.

What is the flesh?

John Knox (c. 1510–1572) was a Scottish clergyman, a leader of the Protestant Reformation, and a man who is considered to be the founder of the Presbyterian denomination in Scotland. Knox has been admired by contemporary theologians as someone who personified a zeal for God and a commitment to the truth of Scripture and holy living. Yet, as he grew close to death, this saint of God admitted his own personal battle with the sin nature he inherited from Adam (Romans 5:12). Knox said, “I know how hard the battle is between the flesh and the spirit under the heavy cross of affliction, when no worldly defense but present death doth appear. I know the grudging and murmuring complaints of the flesh…”

Knox’s statement sounds remarkably like that of the apostle Paul who openly acknowledged a personal struggle with his sin nature: “For we know that the Law is spiritual, but I am of flesh, sold into bondage to sin. For what I am doing, I do not understand; for I am not practicing what I would like to do, but I am doing the very thing I hate. But if I do the very thing I do not want to do, I agree with the Law, confessing that the Law is good. So now, no longer am I the one doing it, but sin which dwells in me. For I know that nothing good dwells in me, that is, in my flesh; for the willing is present in me, but the doing of the good is not. For the good that I want, I do not do, but I practice the very evil that I do not want. But if I am doing the very thing I do not want, I am no longer the one doing it, but sin which dwells in me. I find then the principle that evil is present in me, the one who wants to do good. For I joyfully concur with the law of God in the inner man, but I see a different law in the members of my body, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin which is in my members. Wretched man that I am! Who will set me free from the body of this death?” (Romans 7:14-24).

Paul states in his letter to the Romans that there was something “in the members” of his body that he calls “my flesh,” which produced difficulty in his Christian life and made him a prisoner of sin. Martin Luther, in his preface to the book of Romans, commented on Paul’s use of “flesh” by saying, “Thou must not understand ‘flesh,’ therefore, as though that only were ‘flesh’ which is connected with unchastity, but St. Paul uses ‘flesh’ of the whole man, body, and soul, reason, and all his faculties included, because all that is in him longs and strives after the flesh.” Luther’s comments point out that “flesh” equates to affections and desires that run contrary to God, not only in the area of sexual activity, but in every area of life.

To get a solid understanding of the term “flesh” requires examining its usage and definition in Scripture, how it manifests in the life of both believers and unbelievers, the consequences it produces, and how it can ultimately be overcome.

A Definition of the “Flesh”
The Greek word for “flesh” in the New Testament is sarx, a term that can often in Scripture refer to the physical body. However, A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament and Other Early Christian Literature describes the word this way: “the physical body as functioning entity; in Paul’s thought esp., all parts of the body constitute a totality known as flesh, which is dominated by sin to such a degree that wherever flesh is, all forms of sin are likewise present, and no good thing can live.”

The Bible makes it clear that humanity did not start out this way. The book of Genesis says that humankind was originally created good and perfect: “Then God said, ‘Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness’ . . . God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them” (Genesis 1:26-27). Because God is perfect, and because an effect always represents its cause in essence [that is, a totally good God can only create good things, or as Jesus said, “A good tree cannot produce bad fruit” (Matthew 7:18)], both Adam and Eve were created good and without sin. But, when Adam and Eve sinned, their nature was corrupted, and that nature was passed along to their offspring: “When Adam had lived one hundred and thirty years, he became the father of a son in his own likeness, according to his image, and named him Seth” (Genesis 5:3, emphasis added).

The fact of the sin nature is taught in many places in Scripture, such as David’s declaration, “Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity, and in sin my mother conceived me” (Psalm 51:5). David does not mean he was the product of an adulterous affair, but that his parents passed along a sin nature to him. In theology, this is sometimes called the “Traducian” (from the Latin term meaning “from a branch”) view of human nature The Traducian view is that a person’s soul is created via his parents, with the child inheriting their fallen nature in the process.

The Bible’s view of human nature differs from that of Greek philosophy in that Scripture says the physical and spiritual nature of humankind was originally good. By contrast, philosophers such as Plato saw a dualism or dichotomy in humanity. Such thinking eventually produced a theory that the body (the physical) was bad, but a person’s spirit was good. This teaching influenced groups such as the Gnostics who believed the physical world was mistakenly created by a demi-god called the “Demiurge.” The Gnostics opposed the doctrine of Christ’s incarnation because they believed God would never take on a physical form, since the body was evil. The apostle John encountered a form of this teaching in his day and warned against it: “Dear friends, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world. This is how you can recognize the Spirit of God: Every spirit that acknowledges that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God, but every spirit that does not acknowledge Jesus is not from God” (1 John 4:1-3).

Further, the Gnostics taught that it did not matter what a person did in his body, since the spirit was all that mattered. This Platonic dualism had the same effect back in the first century as it does today—it leads either to asceticism or licentiousness, both of which the Bible condemns (Colossians 2:23; Jude 4).

So contrary to Greek thought, the Bible says that humanity’s nature, both the physical and spiritual, were good, yet both were adversely affected by sin. The end result of sin is a nature often referred to as the “flesh” in Scripture—something that opposes God and seeks sinful gratification. Pastor Mark Bubek defines the flesh this way: “The flesh is a built-in law of failure, making it impossible for natural man to please or serve God. It is a compulsive inner force inherited from man’s fall, which expresses itself in general and specific rebellion against God and His righteousness. The flesh can never be reformed or improved. The only hope for escape from the law of the flesh is its total execution and replacement by a new life in the Lord Jesus Christ.”

The Manifestation and Struggle with the Flesh
How does the flesh manifest itself in human beings? The Bible answers the question this way: “Now the deeds of the flesh are evident, which are: immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, enmities, strife, jealousy, outbursts of anger, disputes, dissensions, factions, envying, drunkenness, carousing, and things like these, of which I forewarn you, just as I have forewarned you, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God” (Galatians 5:19-21).

Examples of the flesh’s outworking in the world are evident. Consider a few sad facts taken from a recent survey on the effect of pornography in America. According to the study, every second in the U.S.:

• $3,075.64 is being spent on pornography
• 28,258 Internet users are viewing pornography
• 372 Internet users are typing adult search terms into search engines

And every 39 minutes, a new pornographic video is being created in the United States. Such statistics underscore the statement made by the prophet Jeremiah who mourned that “the heart is more deceitful than all else and is desperately sick; who can understand it?” (Jeremiah 17:9).

The Consequences of the Flesh

The Bible says that living in the flesh produces a number of unfortunate consequences. First, Scripture states that those who live according to the flesh, and who never desire change or repent from their sinful behavior, will experience separation from God both in this life and the next:

• “Therefore what benefit were you then deriving from the [sinful practices] of which you are now ashamed? For the outcome of those things is death” (Romans 6:21)

• “For if you live according to the sinful nature, you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the misdeeds of the body, you will live” (Romans 8:13)

• “Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, this he will also reap. For the one who sows to his own flesh will from the flesh reap corruption, but the one who sows to the Spirit will from the Spirit reap eternal life” (Galatians 6:7-8)

Further, a person also becomes a slave to his/her fleshly nature: “Do you not know that when you present yourselves to someone as slaves for obedience, you are slaves of the one whom you obey, either of sin resulting in death, or of obedience resulting in righteousness?” (Romans 6:16). This slavery always leads to a destructive lifestyle and deteriorated living. As the prophet Hosea said, “For they sow the wind and they reap the whirlwind” (Hosea 8:7).

The fact of the matter is that obeying the flesh always results in breaking God’s moral law. Nevertheless, in a very real sense, a person can never break God’s moral law, although he can certainly disobey it. For example, a person can climb up on a roof, tie a cape around his neck, and leap off the roof in hopes of breaking the law of gravity. However, he will quickly learn that he cannot fly; he cannot break the law of gravity, and the only thing he breaks in the end is himself, while proving the law of gravity in the process. The same is true of moral actions: a person may disobey God’s moral law through fleshly living, but he will only prove the moral law of God true by breaking himself in some way via his own behavior.

Overcoming the Flesh
The Bible provides a three-step process for overcoming the flesh and restoring oneself to a right relationship with God. The first step is a walk of honesty where a person acknowledges his sinful behavior before God. This involves agreeing with what the Bible says about everyone born of human parents: people are sinners and enter the world in a broken relationship with the God who made them:

• “If You, Lord, should mark iniquities, O Lord, who could stand?” (Psalm 130:3)

• “If we say that we have no sin, we are deceiving ourselves and the truth is not in us. . . . If we say that we have not sinned, we make Him a liar and His word is not in us” (1 John 1:8, 10)

The next step is a walk in the Spirit, which involves calling out to God for salvation and receiving His Holy Spirit who empowers a person to live rightly before God and not obey the flesh’s desires. This transformation and new walk of life is described in several places in Scripture:

• “I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself up for me.” (Galatians 2:20)

• “Even so consider yourselves to be dead to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus.” (Romans 6:11)

• “But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not carry out the desire of the flesh.” (Galatians 5:16)

• “For all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ.” (Galatians 3:27)

• “But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh in regard to its lusts.” (Romans 13:14)

• “And do not get drunk with wine, for that is dissipation, but be filled with the Spirit” (Ephesians 5:18)

• “Your word I have treasured in my heart, that I may not sin against You.” (Psalm 119:11)

The last step is a walk of death, where the flesh is starved of its desires so that it eventually dies. Even though a person is born again through the Spirit of God, he must understand he still possesses the old nature with its desires that war with the new nature and the desires that come from the Spirit. From a practical standpoint, the Christian purposely avoids feeding the old, fleshly nature and instead practices new behaviors that are driven by the Spirit:

• “But flee from [sinful actions], you man of God, and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, perseverance and gentleness” (1 Timothy 6:11)

• “Now flee from youthful lusts” (2 Timothy 2:22)

• “But I discipline my body and make it my slave, so that, after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified.“ (1 Corinthians 9:27)

• “Therefore consider the members of your earthly body as dead to immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and greed, which amounts to idolatry.” (Colossians 3:5)

• “Now those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.” (Galatians 5:24)

• “Knowing this, that our old self was crucified with Him, in order that our body of sin might be done away with, so that we would no longer be slaves to sin” (Romans 6:6)

• “But you did not learn Christ in this way, if indeed you have heard Him and have been taught in Him, just as truth is in Jesus, that, in reference to your former manner of life, you lay aside the old self, which is being corrupted in accordance with the lusts of deceit, and that you be renewed in the spirit of your mind, and put on the new self, which in the likeness of God has been created in righteousness and holiness of the truth.” (Ephesians 4:20-24)

Conclusion
Susanna Wesley, mother to the great preachers and hymn writers John and Charles Wesley, described sin and the flesh this way: “Whatever weakens your reasoning, impairs the tenderness of your conscience, obscures your sense of God, or takes away your relish for spiritual things, in short—if anything increases the authority and the power of the flesh over the Spirit, that to you becomes sin however good it is in itself.” One of the goals of the Christian life is the victory of the Spirit over the flesh and a change of life, which manifests in righteous living before God.

Although the struggle will be very real (which the Bible makes clear), Christians have assurance from God that He will bring them eventual success over the flesh. “For I am confident of this very thing, that He who began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus” (Philippians 1:6).

Spiritually dead

Written by LWOM Amsterdam on . Posted in What’s new?.

What does it mean to be spiritually dead?

To be spiritually dead is to be separated from God. When Adam & Eve sinned in Genesis 3:6, he ushered in death for all humanity. God’s command to Adam and Eve was that they could not eat of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. It came with the warning that disobedience would result in death: “And the LORD God commanded the man, saying, ‘You may surely eat of every tree of the garden, but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die.’” The phrase “you shall surely die” could be literally translated “dying you shall die.” This signifies a continuous state of death that began with spiritual death, continues throughout life as a gradual degradation of the body, and culminates in physical death. The immediate spiritual death resulted in Adam’s separation from God. His act of hiding from God (Genesis 3:8) demonstrates this separation, as does his attempt to shift blame for the sin to the woman (Genesis 3:12).

Unfortunately, this spiritual – and eventual physical – death was not confined to Adam and Eve. As the representative of the human race, Adam carried all of humanity into his sin. Paul makes this clear in Romans 5:12, telling us that sin and death entered the world and spread to all men through Adam’s sin. Additionally, Romans 6:23 says that the wages of sin is death; sinners must die, because sin separates us from God. Any separation from the Source of Life is, naturally, death for us.

But it is not just inherited sin that causes spiritual death; our own sinfulness contributes. Ephesians 2 teaches that, before salvation, we are “dead” in trespasses and sins (verse 1). This must speak of spiritual death, because we were still “alive” physically before salvation. While we were in that spiritually “dead” condition, God saved us (verse 5; see also Romans 5:8). Colossians 2:13 reiterates this truth: “And you, who were dead in your trespasses . . . God made alive together with him, having forgiven us all our trespasses.”

Since we are dead in sin, we are completely unable to trust God or His Word. Jesus repeatedly claims that we are powerless without Him (John 15:5) and that we cannot come to Him without God’s enabling (John 6:44). Paul teaches in Romans 8 that our natural minds cannot submit to God, nor please Him (verses 7-8). In our fallen state, we are incapable of even understanding the things of God (1 Corinthians 2:14).

The act of God whereby He makes us alive from spiritual death is called regeneration. Regeneration is accomplished only by the Holy Spirit, through the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. When we are regenerated, we are made alive together with Christ (Ephesians 2:5) and renewed by the Holy Spirit (Titus 3:5). It is like being born a second time, as Jesus taught Nicodemus in John 3:3, 7. Having been made alive by God, we will never truly die – we have eternal life. Jesus said often that to believe in Him is to have eternal life (John 3:16, 36; 17:3).

Sin leads to death. The only way to escape that death is to come to Jesus through faith, drawn by the Holy Spirit. Faith in Christ leads to spiritual life, and ultimately to eternal life.

Human condition

Written by LWOM Amsterdam on . Posted in Human Nature, What’s new?.

What is the human condition according to the Bible?

When God first created Adam and Eve, humanity’s condition was ideal—the perfect environment, an innocent nature, and intimate fellowship with the Creator. After Adam’s willful disobedience of God and following Eve, the human condition changed. Gone were the perfect environment, the innocence, and fellowship with God. Ever since then, the human condition is lost, blind, sinful, guilty, enslaved, morally ruined, and dying. Thanks to the grace of God and the salvation Christ provides, we can look forward to the human condition being restored to its original state.

Jean-Jacques Rousseau theorized that man is naturally good but is corrupted by society. Others agree with Aristotle’s and John Locke’s notion that we are born an empty slate, that we are free to define the content of our character, and that outside forces shape us. However, according to the Bible, the natural human condition is sinful and estranged from God. We are not born innately good or morally neutral. We are born sinners, and every person’s destiny is death and wrath because of it (Psalm 51:5; Romans 3:23; 6:23; John 3:16–18; Ephesians 2:1–5).

The biblical doctrine of total depravity defines the true human condition. Due to Adam’s fall into sin, mankind is corrupted by sin in every area of his life: mind, emotions, and will have all been tainted. We think sinfully, we feel sinfully, and we choose sinfully. We naturally love darkness (John 3:19), and we do not understand the things of God (1 Corinthians 2:14).

The human condition is lost; we have all wandered astray (Isaiah 53:6). We are spiritually blind (2 Corinthians 4:4). We are sinful, having broken the law of God (1 John 1:8; 3:4). We stand guilty before God, the righteous Judge (Romans 5:12, 18). We are enslaved by sin (John 8:34). We are morally ruined (Romans 7:18). We are dying physically and dead spiritually (1 Peter 1:24; Ephesians 2:1).

In our natural human condition, we do not willingly seek God or God’s will (Romans 3:10–11). Because of our sinful nature, we are “hostile to God” (Romans 8:7). Fortunately for us, God loves His enemies, and He demonstrated His great love for us by sending His only begotten Son to die in our place (John 3:16–21; Romans 5:8). We were lost, and the Good Shepherd gathered His sheep; we were spiritually blind, and the Healer found us; we stood guilty before God, and the Judge has justified us; we were enslaved, and the Redeemer has paid the price for our release; we were morally ruined, and He has restored us; we were dead, and the Resurrection and the Life has raised us up.

What is the flesh

Written by LWOM Amsterdam on . Posted in What’s new?.

What is the flesh?

John Knox (c. 1510–1572) was a Scottish clergyman, a leader of the Protestant Reformation, and a man who is considered to be the founder of the Presbyterian denomination in Scotland. Knox has been admired by contemporary theologians as someone who personified a zeal for God and a commitment to the truth of Scripture and holy living. Yet, as he grew close to death, this saint of God admitted his own personal battle with the sin nature he inherited from Adam (Romans 5:12). Knox said, “I know how hard the battle is between the flesh and the spirit under the heavy cross of affliction, when no worldly defense but present death doth appear. I know the grudging and murmuring complaints of the flesh…”

Knox’s statement sounds remarkably like that of the apostle Paul who openly acknowledged a personal struggle with his sin nature: “For we know that the Law is spiritual, but I am of flesh, sold into bondage to sin. For what I am doing, I do not understand; for I am not practicing what I would like to do, but I am doing the very thing I hate. But if I do the very thing I do not want to do, I agree with the Law, confessing that the Law is good. So now, no longer am I the one doing it, but sin which dwells in me. For I know that nothing good dwells in me, that is, in my flesh; for the willing is present in me, but the doing of the good is not. For the good that I want, I do not do, but I practice the very evil that I do not want. But if I am doing the very thing I do not want, I am no longer the one doing it, but sin which dwells in me. I find then the principle that evil is present in me, the one who wants to do good. For I joyfully concur with the law of God in the inner man, but I see a different law in the members of my body, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin which is in my members. Wretched man that I am! Who will set me free from the body of this death?” (Romans 7:14-24).

Paul states in his letter to the Romans that there was something “in the members” of his body that he calls “my flesh,” which produced difficulty in his Christian life and made him a prisoner of sin. Martin Luther, in his preface to the book of Romans, commented on Paul’s use of “flesh” by saying, “Thou must not understand ‘flesh,’ therefore, as though that only were ‘flesh’ which is connected with unchastity, but St. Paul uses ‘flesh’ of the whole man, body, and soul, reason, and all his faculties included, because all that is in him longs and strives after the flesh.” Luther’s comments point out that “flesh” equates to affections and desires that run contrary to God, not only in the area of sexual activity, but in every area of life.

To get a solid understanding of the term “flesh” requires examining its usage and definition in Scripture, how it manifests in the life of both believers and unbelievers, the consequences it produces, and how it can ultimately be overcome.

A Definition of the “Flesh”
The Greek word for “flesh” in the New Testament is sarx, a term that can often in Scripture refer to the physical body. However, A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament and Other Early Christian Literature describes the word this way: “the physical body as functioning entity; in Paul’s thought esp., all parts of the body constitute a totality known as flesh, which is dominated by sin to such a degree that wherever flesh is, all forms of sin are likewise present, and no good thing can live.”

The Bible makes it clear that humanity did not start out this way. The book of Genesis says that humankind was originally created good and perfect: “Then God said, ‘Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness’ . . . God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them” (Genesis 1:26-27). Because God is perfect, and because an effect always represents its cause in essence [that is, a totally good God can only create good things, or as Jesus said, “A good tree cannot produce bad fruit” (Matthew 7:18)], both Adam and Eve were created good and without sin. But, when Adam and Eve sinned, their nature was corrupted, and that nature was passed along to their offspring: “When Adam had lived one hundred and thirty years, he became the father of a son in his own likeness, according to his image, and named him Seth” (Genesis 5:3, emphasis added).

The fact of the sin nature is taught in many places in Scripture, such as David’s declaration, “Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity, and in sin my mother conceived me” (Psalm 51:5). David does not mean he was the product of an adulterous affair, but that his parents passed along a sin nature to him. In theology, this is sometimes called the “Traducian” (from the Latin term meaning “from a branch”) view of human nature The Traducian view is that a person’s soul is created via his parents, with the child inheriting their fallen nature in the process.

The Bible’s view of human nature differs from that of Greek philosophy in that Scripture says the physical and spiritual nature of humankind was originally good. By contrast, philosophers such as Plato saw a dualism or dichotomy in humanity. Such thinking eventually produced a theory that the body (the physical) was bad, but a person’s spirit was good. This teaching influenced groups such as the Gnostics who believed the physical world was mistakenly created by a demi-god called the “Demiurge.” The Gnostics opposed the doctrine of Christ’s incarnation because they believed God would never take on a physical form, since the body was evil. The apostle John encountered a form of this teaching in his day and warned against it: “Dear friends, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world. This is how you can recognize the Spirit of God: Every spirit that acknowledges that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God, but every spirit that does not acknowledge Jesus is not from God” (1 John 4:1-3).

Further, the Gnostics taught that it did not matter what a person did in his body, since the spirit was all that mattered. This Platonic dualism had the same effect back in the first century as it does today—it leads either to asceticism or licentiousness, both of which the Bible condemns (Colossians 2:23; Jude 4).

So contrary to Greek thought, the Bible says that humanity’s nature, both the physical and spiritual, were good, yet both were adversely affected by sin. The end result of sin is a nature often referred to as the “flesh” in Scripture—something that opposes God and seeks sinful gratification. Pastor Mark Bubek defines the flesh this way: “The flesh is a built-in law of failure, making it impossible for natural man to please or serve God. It is a compulsive inner force inherited from man’s fall, which expresses itself in general and specific rebellion against God and His righteousness. The flesh can never be reformed or improved. The only hope for escape from the law of the flesh is its total execution and replacement by a new life in the Lord Jesus Christ.”

The Manifestation and Struggle with the Flesh
How does the flesh manifest itself in human beings? The Bible answers the question this way: “Now the deeds of the flesh are evident, which are: immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, enmities, strife, jealousy, outbursts of anger, disputes, dissensions, factions, envying, drunkenness, carousing, and things like these, of which I forewarn you, just as I have forewarned you, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God” (Galatians 5:19-21).

Examples of the flesh’s outworking in the world are evident. Consider a few sad facts taken from a recent survey on the effect of pornography in America. According to the study, every second in the U.S.:

  • $3,075.64 is being spent on pornography
  • 28,258 Internet users are viewing pornography
  • 372 Internet users are typing adult search terms into search engines

And every 39 minutes, a new pornographic video is being created in the United States. Such statistics underscore the statement made by the prophet Jeremiah who mourned that “the heart is more deceitful than all else and is desperately sick; who can understand it?” (Jeremiah 17:9).

The Consequences of the Flesh

The Bible says that living in the flesh produces a number of unfortunate consequences. First, Scripture states that those who live according to the flesh, and who never desire change or repent from their sinful behavior, will experience separation from God both in this life and the next:

  • “Therefore what benefit were you then deriving from the [sinful practices] of which you are now ashamed? For the outcome of those things is death” (Romans 6:21)
  • “For if you live according to the sinful nature, you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the misdeeds of the body, you will live” (Romans 8:13)
  • “Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, this he will also reap. For the one who sows to his own flesh will from the flesh reap corruption, but the one who sows to the Spirit will from the Spirit reap eternal life” (Galatians 6:7-8)

Further, a person also becomes a slave to his/her fleshly nature: “Do you not know that when you present yourselves to someone as slaves for obedience, you are slaves of the one whom you obey, either of sin resulting in death, or of obedience resulting in righteousness?” (Romans 6:16). This slavery always leads to a destructive lifestyle and deteriorated living. As the prophet Hosea said, “For they sow the wind and they reap the whirlwind” (Hosea 8:7).

The fact of the matter is that obeying the flesh always results in breaking God’s moral law. Nevertheless, in a very real sense, a person can never break God’s moral law, although he can certainly disobey it. For example, a person can climb up on a roof, tie a cape around his neck, and leap off the roof in hopes of breaking the law of gravity. However, he will quickly learn that he cannot fly; he cannot break the law of gravity, and the only thing he breaks in the end is himself, while proving the law of gravity in the process. The same is true of moral actions: a person may disobey God’s moral law through fleshly living, but he will only prove the moral law of God true by breaking himself in some way via his own behavior.

Overcoming the Flesh
The Bible provides a three-step process for overcoming the flesh and restoring oneself to a right relationship with God. The first step is a walk of honesty where a person acknowledges his sinful behavior before God. This involves agreeing with what the Bible says about everyone born of human parents: people are sinners and enter the world in a broken relationship with the God who made them:

  • “If You, Lord, should mark iniquities, O Lord, who could stand?” (Psalm 130:3)
  • “If we say that we have no sin, we are deceiving ourselves and the truth is not in us. . . . If we say that we have not sinned, we make Him a liar and His word is not in us” (1 John 1:8, 10)

The next step is a walk in the Spirit, which involves calling out to God for salvation and receiving His Holy Spirit who empowers a person to live rightly before God and not obey the flesh’s desires. This transformation and new walk of life is described in several places in Scripture:

  • “I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself up for me.” (Galatians 2:20)
  • “Even so consider yourselves to be dead to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus.” (Romans 6:11)
  • “But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not carry out the desire of the flesh.” (Galatians 5:16)
  • “For all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ.” (Galatians 3:27)
  • “But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh in regard to its lusts.” (Romans 13:14)
  • “And do not get drunk with wine, for that is dissipation, but be filled with the Spirit” (Ephesians 5:18)
  • “Your word I have treasured in my heart, that I may not sin against You.” (Psalm 119:11)

The last step is a walk of death, where the flesh is starved of its desires so that it eventually dies. Even though a person is born again through the Spirit of God, he must understand he still possesses the old nature with its desires that war with the new nature and the desires that come from the Spirit. From a practical standpoint, the Christian purposely avoids feeding the old, fleshly nature and instead practices new behaviors that are driven by the Spirit:

  • “But flee from [sinful actions], you man of God, and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, perseverance and gentleness” (1 Timothy 6:11)
  • “Now flee from youthful lusts” (2 Timothy 2:22)
  • “But I discipline my body and make it my slave, so that, after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified.“ (1 Corinthians 9:27)
  • “Therefore consider the members of your earthly body as dead to immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and greed, which amounts to idolatry.” (Colossians 3:5)
  • “Now those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.” (Galatians 5:24)
  • “Knowing this, that our old self was crucified with Him, in order that our body of sin might be done away with, so that we would no longer be slaves to sin” (Romans 6:6)
  • “But you did not learn Christ in this way, if indeed you have heard Him and have been taught in Him, just as truth is in Jesus, that, in reference to your former manner of life, you lay aside the old self, which is being corrupted in accordance with the lusts of deceit, and that you be renewed in the spirit of your mind, and put on the new self, which in the likeness of God has been created in righteousness and holiness of the truth.” (Ephesians 4:20-24)

Conclusion
Susanna Wesley, mother to the great preachers and hymn writers John and Charles Wesley, described sin and the flesh this way: “Whatever weakens your reasoning, impairs the tenderness of your conscience, obscures your sense of God, or takes away your relish for spiritual things, in short—if anything increases the authority and the power of the flesh over the Spirit, that to you becomes sin however good it is in itself.” One of the goals of the Christian life is the victory of the Spirit over the flesh and a change of life, which manifests in righteous living before God.

Although the struggle will be very real (which the Bible makes clear), Christians have assurance from God that He will bring them eventual success over the flesh. “For I am confident of this very thing, that He who began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus” (Philippians 1:6).

Fall of man

Written by LWOM Amsterdam on . Posted in What’s new?.

What truly happened at the fall of man?

The fall of man occurred sometime after God created the world and after Satan’s rebellion in heaven. We find the biblical account of creation and the fall of man in Genesis 1–3. According to the book of Genesis, God spoke everything into existence: sky, planets, seas, vegetation, animals, and everything else. He pronounced it all “good” (Genesis 1:25).

But when God made man, He got down in the dirt and formed the shape of a human body from the clay (Genesis 2:7). Then He breathed His own life into the man’s nostrils, and “man became a living soul.” He called the man “Adam.” The man had a life that differed from the plant and animal life. He had been created in God’s own image (Genesis 1:27), which means that he possessed an everlasting spirit, such as God has. He was designed to be like God, fellowship with God, reason like God, and enjoy God forever. So God placed Adam in a garden designed specifically for him (Genesis 2:8). In these perfect surroundings, God walked and talked with the man, enjoying the creation He had made and Adam’s pleasure in it (Genesis 2:19–20; 3:8).

Because God did not want the man to be alone, He fashioned a woman, Eve, from one of Adam’s ribs. He gave them everything in the garden to enjoy except for the fruit from one tree (Genesis 2:16–17). God told them that, if they ate fruit from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, they would die.

Genesis 3 introduces us to another being involved in the fall of man: the serpent. Satan had already been cast down to earth due to his rebellion against God in heaven (Luke 10:18). Satan came to Eve as a serpent and suggested to the woman that God had not really forbidden the fruit for her good but was rather keeping good from her (Genesis 3:1–4). So she ate it and gave some to Adam (Genesis 3:5). Adam also ate it, and in that moment everything changed. Sin had entered into God’s perfect world (Romans 5:12). Mankind had fallen.

The fall of man was caused by Adam’s sin. Sin is any human behavior, word, or thought that is contrary to the perfection of God. Because of Adam’s sin, God placed a curse upon the world, the people, the animals, the plants, and the very ground (Genesis 3:14–19). Their sin had brought upon them the judgment of God, and the only just punishment for such high treason is eternal death (Romans 6:23). But God then put into play a system by which human beings could find pardon for sin. God killed an animal and made garments for the man and woman to cover the nakedness that now brought them shame (Genesis 3:21). In doing so, God painted a picture of what He would do thousands of years later when the Perfect Lamb was slain to take away our sin (John 1:29; Revelation 13:8).

After the fall of man, God drove Adam and Eve out of the garden and placed a cherub to guard the entrance. This was so that Adam and Eve could not return and possibly eat from the tree of life and live forever in their cursed state (Genesis 3:23–24). They were forced to find their own food and shelter. Adam had to fight weeds and thistles to eke out an existence from the ground, while Eve had to suffer in childbirth. Suffering and toil are part of the curse God put upon this world because of sin.

We call this episode in human history the fall of man because, in that act of disobedience, Adam brought a curse upon every person yet to be born. The man who was designed to walk with God in unbroken fellowship had fallen from that exalted position. He was doomed to live in a broken state, in a broken world, apart from ongoing communion with a holy God. God promised that the Seed of the woman would one day save them from the eternal consequences of their sin (Genesis 3:15), but the temporary earthly consequences of sin remained.

We all suffer the consequences of the fall of man. Our salvation is in calling upon the name of the Lord and trusting in Jesus’ perfect sacrifice for our sin (Romans 5:10–11; 2 Corinthians 5:18). The world groans under the curse, crying out for the relief that will come at the ultimate redemption of God’s people when Christ returns (Romans 8:22–23). When Jesus comes for all those who have trusted in Him, God will restore all things (Acts 3:21). He will create a new heaven and a new earth to replace that which sin destroyed (Isaiah 65:17; 2 Peter 3:12–13; Revelation 21:1). Mankind will no longer be “fallen” but restored and redeemed by the blood of the Lamb of God (Revelation 7:14).

To be human

Written by LWOM Amsterdam on . Posted in Human Nature, What’s new?.

What does it mean to be human?

God has made humans different from all other created beings. Humans have a physical body and a spiritual component: a soul and/or spirit. Part of this immaterial aspect is the possession of intellect, emotion, and a will. Human beings are created in the image of God (Genesis 1:27). Human beings are different from angels, which have no physical body, and animals, which do not reflect the imago dei.

There are various unbiblical views of what it means to be human. Classic Gnosticism, for example, takes the view that mankind is primarily a pure, spiritual entity shackled by an unwieldy, corrupt body. Other views, such as naturalism, see mankind as a wildly complex, physical machine with no spirit at all—any feelings, thoughts, or inspirations we experience are solely the byproduct of chemical reactions within our brains. Neither of these extremes has any biblical support.

To be human means to bear the image of God. We are not divine, but we reflect divinity. God has a mind, emotions, and volition. As image-bearers, we, too, have intellect, emotions, and a will. We possess creativity, inventing, fabricating, synthesizing, making music, and creating all types of artwork. We possess the gift of language, relating thoughts from one self-aware mind to another, learning thousands of words and coining new words when we need them. We are driven to name and classify the animals, just like our father Adam did (Genesis 2:19– 20). Because we are created in the image of God, we have a basic dignity and inherent significance.

To be human means to have a purpose. God’s stated assignment to Adam and Eve was to “be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it. Rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky and over every living creature that moves on the ground” (Genesis 1:28). We still fulfill this purpose when we domesticate animals, use natural resources, shape nature, and carve out an existence even in the harshest environments. But we are more than tenders of the planet. Our purpose includes knowing God and having a relationship with Him. Our highest purpose is to glorify God: “All things have been created through [the Son] and for him” (Colossians 1:16).

To be human is to have needs. Only God is self-sustaining and self-sufficient. We have needs of body, soul, and spirit. Our bodies must receive food, drink, and rest in order to survive. Our souls must have fellowship with others, outlets for creativity, and times of mental, emotional, and aesthetic stimulation in order to maintain health. Our spirits must feed on the Word of God and have a relationship with Christ (Luke 4:4; John 6:35). Anyone who denies his or her needs in any of these three areas is refusing to acknowledge part of his or her humanity.

To be human means to be morally responsible. We have the ability to discern what is right and wrong. Our father Adam had a free will and was held responsible for the moral choice he made to obey or disobey His Creator; unfortunately, he chose to disobey God (Genesis 2:16–17). All humanity shares the same moral responsibility, and we are all under the same moral imperative to obey God. “The righteousness of the righteous will be credited to them, and the wickedness of the wicked will be charged against them” (Ezekiel 18:20).

To be human means to be sinful, at least for now. Unfortunately, we are all sinners (Romans 3:23; 5:12). We have broken God’s laws and gone our own way instead (Isaiah 53:6; 1 John 3:4). Our sin has separated us from our Creator and caused us to be spiritually dead (Ephesians 2:1–10). We are enslaved to sin, unable to free ourselves from the havoc it wreaks (Romans 6:23). Without intervention, we are condemned to an eternity apart from God (John 3:16–18). To the praise and glory of God, we do not have to remain in this condition. There is redemption available in Jesus Christ. Because of Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross, our sins can be forgiven, and we can be restored into relationship with God (John 3:16–18; Ephesians 2:8–9). To be human means to be loved by God and given the chance to become children of God (John 1:12; 3:16).

The Bible says that the Son of God took on human flesh and became the Son of Man as well. Jesus Christ came from heaven, lived a sinless life, died on the cross as a sacrifice for our sin, and then rose again to life. All who put their faith in Christ are given His righteousness (2 Corinthians 5:21). We are made new (2 Corinthians 5:17), and the Holy Spirit indwells us (Ephesians 1:13–14). It is the death and resurrection of Christ that makes all the difference to humanity.

In the end, to be human is not enough. Humanity is corrupted by sin and faces the sure judgment of God. Only the redeemed human will see God and live with Him forever. Only those in Christ will experience a removal of the corruption and the wiping away of every tear. “Very truly I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God unless they are born again” (John 3:3).

Human consciousness

Written by LWOM Amsterdam on . Posted in Human Nature, What’s new?.

What is the human consciousness?

To be “conscious” is to be “aware.” The general term for a person’s thoughts, emotions, sensations, and general awareness is human consciousness. Scripture does not explicitly define what human consciousness is, though the Bible provides perspectives on it. A biblical view of human consciousness might be summarized as “the soul’s awareness of itself and its surroundings.”

However, defining human consciousness is notoriously difficult. Exploring consciousness means probing the deepest questions about what it means to be human. Such discussion typically involves a long list of mysteries and dilemmas. Some concepts are unresolved; others present competing or apparently contradictory truths. The Bible gives us practical ways to understand some such issues. On other details Scripture is silent, and we’re left to untangle questions on our own.

Biblical terms related to this subject should be carefully understood, especially according to their immediate context. Ancient terminology did not distinguish between the “mind” and the “heart” to the same extent seen in modern languages. That’s not to say emotions and intellect were never distinguished. Rather, it means words translated as “heart” in Scripture are not necessarily references to “pure feeling.” In some cases, what the Bible refers to as “the heart,” a modern writer might well label as “the mind.”

Where it touches on human consciousness, Scripture describes it as follows:

  • Human consciousness is part of being made in the image of God (Genesis 1:27; Psalm 139:14). Human beings are composed of distinct-yet-unified members, such as the body, soul, and spirit. There is an intimate and unavoidable connection between those members, yet they are not identical. This is similar to the relationship among the members of the Trinity, and it contrasts both with entirely physical animals and entirely spiritual angels. Another aspect of this “image-bearing” is that man is capable of self-awareness and objective thinking.
  • Human consciousness is influenced—not initiated—by the body (Romans 7:23; Ephesians 5:18; 1 Corinthians 6:12). Physical factors influence awareness and thinking. However, the consciousness is not the same thing as the material body. Nor is it an uncontrolled, mindless effect of material processes. Myriad questions about this relationship are often referred to as “the mind-body problem.”
  • Human consciousness is distinct from the “self” (Colossians 3:2; 1 Peter 1:13; Romans 12:2). Our conscious thoughts are something “other” than our own selves; we are aware of this distinction. Human beings can deliberately influence their own thoughts and perspectives. We retain some level of control over such things, or, at least, we can deliberately seek to change them.
  • Human consciousness is perceived only by the individual and God (1 Samuel 16:7; 1 Corinthians 2:11; John 7:24). An enormous barrier to scientific study of consciousness is that it cannot be directly measured or observed. It can only be subjectively reported by the consciousness itself. Likewise, no human being can ever know with absolute certainty what another person is feeling or thinking. This is a fundamental reason to be cautious when attempting to judge others (Romans 14:4; John 7:24).
  • Human consciousness is not the same as the “conscience” (1 Timothy 4:2; 1 Samuel 25:31). The conscience is one narrow part of consciousness. The conscience is a God-given emotional reaction to conflict between our values and our thoughts and actions.
  • Human consciousness is an integrated part of the whole (Matthew 22:37; Hebrews 4:12; Psalm 103:1). While Scripture implicitly distinguishes between mind, body, soul, spirit, intellect, heart, and so forth, all these are meant to be entirely focused on the will of God. So far as our daily lives are concerned, fine-tuned distinctions between these are irrelevant. All that we are, and that which we can control, should be submitted to God to the best of our ability.

The relationship between soul, spirit, mind, and body includes human consciousness and is indescribably complex. The existence of consciousness—at least, our own individual consciousness—is impossible to deny. When philosopher René Descartes attempted to create an absolute starting point for all human knowledge, he began with the self-evidence of his own human consciousness: “I think, therefore I am.” The Bible may not give details on the nature of consciousness, but it accurately reflects ideas that our experience confirms.

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