THE SPIRIT OF A SAVED MAN

1 Tim. 4:12

Morning Meditation 1/3/17

Verse 12 says, “Let no man despise thy youth; but be thou an example of the believers, in word, in conversation, in charity, in spirit, in faith, in purity.”

I want us to look at one prepositional phrase in this text for our study today. It is the words, “in spirit.” You will notice in your King James Bibles that the word “spirit” is not capitalized. It is because it is talking about the regenerated spirit of Timothy. We talk about the spirit of a person. The spirit of a saved person takes on the nature of Christ. We are partakers of the divine nature (2 Pet. 1:4). This regenerated spirit is glorified (Rom. 8:30) and joined to Jesus in marriage (1 Cor. 6:17). The word “spirit” in our text is not preceded by the definite article in the Greek. If it were, I think it would be unquestionably a reference to the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit brings Christ into the life of the believer through the regenerated spirit. Christ is manifested in the body of the believer through his spirit (the new man of Eph. 4:24).

The use of the spirit in this way may trouble some. When the translators translated the Greek Textus Receptus into the English language they were translating from a text that was written in small letters. Every time they came to the word “spirit” they had to decide if it were referring to the Holy Spirit or the spirit of the man. An excellent illustration of this is found in John 3:6 where you will notice the following, “That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.” It is obvious from this verse that the part of man that is born of the Holy Spirit is the human spirit which is dead to God until it is resurrected and indwelt by the Holy Spirit.

Can one distinguish between the regenerated human spirit from the Holy Spirit? I believe we can because the Bible does. Hebrews 4:12 says, “For 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.” Notice the words “dividing asunder of soul and spirit.” The word “spirit” here is in small letters. It is a reference to the human spirit. The spirit, soul and body of a man are different. They are not the same. They are ONE but not the same. Just like God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit are ONE but not the Same. If you were to put man under an x-ray machine, you would only see his body parts. Hebrews 4:12 is God’s x-ray and you see body, soul, and spirit. 1 Thess. 5:23 says, “And the very God of peace sanctify you wholly; and I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.”(Caps mine for emphasis).

The human psychologist never deals with the human spirit. He deals only with the soul, i.e., mind, emotions, and will. The soul is unregenerated and is affected by the world, the flesh, and the devil. When the regenerated man’s mind is controlled by the flesh, he is called carnal (1 Cor. 3:1) and is said to be a “babe in Christ.” When the regenerated man’s mind is controlled by the Holy Spirit, he is said to be “spiritually minded” (Rom. 8:6) and you will notice that the word “spiritually” in Romans 8:6 is spelled with a small “s.” It is the mind under the control of the Holy Spirit. Man is not operating the way God created him when his human spirit is cut off from the life of God. Until the psychologist is regenerated himself and has accepted the Word of God as the verbally inspired, inerrant Word of God, he will only be treating symptoms and will NEVER be able to deal with the real problem. The problem is that man is a sinner, dead in trespasses and sins which corrupts his whole nature. And temporarily removing the symptoms, may make the man more functional in this life, but it is only temporary and will not help him one bit in his relationship to God. Therefore, he will remain a disturbed soul.

I want to quote Bullinger on the use of the word “spirit” (pneuma). He has written an excellent book called Word Studies On The Holy Spirit. On page 17 in his book he says, “The new nature is called pneuma (spirit). This is a special sense found only in the Church Epistles. This Pauline sense is quite distinct from the usage of the word in the Acts of the Apostles. The New Nature is the direct result of the operation of the Holy Spirit, and therefore, according to John 3:6, it is ‘spirit,’ and is called pneuma (spirit). One who possesses the new nature is said to be ‘begotten of God.’ This pneuma, being Divine, is ‘perfect,’ and ‘doth not commit sin’ (1 John 3:9; 5:18). The Old Nature (which in contradistinction from the ‘spirit’) is called ‘flesh,’ cannot but sin (Rom. 8:7). It is ‘enmity against God. It is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be.’”

The Bullinger concludes, “So that the true child of God has these two natures within him. They are contrary the one to the other, so that he often cannot do the good in his New Nature would ever do; nor, thank God, can he often do the evil, which his Old Nature would ever do. This conflict must continue so long as we are in this mortal body . . .”

The Holy Spirit in a regenerated person is called the “Spirit of Christ” in Romans 8:9. The word “Christ” translates “Christou” and is in the possessive case in the Greek text. It means Christ is the SOURCE from which the Holy Spirit comes (Acts 2:33). The Holy Spirit is sent in Jesus Name so that He is called by His Name (2 Cor. 3:17). Just like Jesus was the perfect and exact image of the Father (Heb. 1:3), the Holy Spirit is the exact image of the Son. The Holy Spirit indwelling the regenerated spirit of the believer is there to conform us to the image of Christ (Rom. 8:29). When Jesus promised the Holy Spirit to the disciples in John 14:16-18 He said, “And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever; Even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him: but ye know him; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you. I will not leave you comfortless: I will come to you..” Notice the last sentence: “I will come to you.” This is not talking about the rapture of the saints in this instance; it is speaking of the promise of the Holy Spirit. When the Holy Spirit comes, I will be coming to you.

So the Holy Spirit is in us to reproduce the LIFE OF JESUS through the spirit. The mind, emotion and will are the properties of the soul. The soul is neutral in the life of the believer. It is not neutral in the unsaved. It is a slave of sin.. Being neutral it can either be used of the Holy Spirit as we willingly yield to Him, or, it can be used of the flesh as we yield to it. The body has in it the old sin nature that was passed to it from birth (Rom. 5:12). So the soul through the body of the believer is the place where the unseen spirit displays the character of Christ being wrought in it by the Holy Spirit, or it is prostrated to the servitude of the flesh and quenches and grieves the Holy Spirit, Who has been sent to reproduce the LIFE OF CHRIST through the obedient believer’s life. The mind can either be subject to the flesh or Spirit (operating from His residence, i.e., the regenerated spirit). When we allow the Holy Spirit to control (it is a choice we must make), we are called spiritually minded. When we allow the flesh to control (it is a choice), we are slaves to the old sin nature (Rom. 6:13-14), and we are carnal (1 Cor. 3:3).

Now just for a final application of this truth practically. Have you ever heard the expression, “That man/woman has such a sweet spirit.” That is a common usage in the English language. It is also a usage of the New Testament. Remember the MIND IS THE STAGING AREA OF OUR ACTIONS. This is true whether the action is carnal or spiritual. The flesh approaches the mind and we make a choice. When we choose to act on its suggestion, it is a carnal act. On the other hand, when the Holy Spirit, through our regenerated human spirit (the inner man), prompts our minds to act in obedience to the Lord, if we act by faith on His suggestion, we are Spiritual. The mind is the staging area of every thought that comes our way. Our regenerated spirit through the direct influence of the Holy Spirit helps us to make right decisions. This is brought out in 2 Cor. 10:4-5: “(For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds;) Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ.” The mind is clearly the staging area to decide what to act on and what not to act on. The “imaginations” that conflict with the “knowledge of God” (The Word of God) are to be “cast down.” Therefore, those thoughts of lust, or anything originating from the flesh or Satan, are to be dealt with and eliminated as something not appropriate for us as Christians. Those things that come to our minds that are in harmony with the Word and require our obedience are put into action by an act of the WILL by faith and are Spiritual actions, i.e, walking in the Spirit (Gal. 5:16).

I want to leave you with this brief outline that deals with the manifestation of the Spirit of Christ in us.

1. THE SPIRIT OF MEEKNESS. This is the Spirit of Christ (Matt. 11:28-29). The believer under the control of the Holy Spirit will manifest the spirit of meekness.

2. THE SPIRIT OF HUMILITY. This is the Spirit of Christ (Phil. 2:5-7). Pride cannot manifest the Spirit of Christ. A proud Christian is a CARNAL CHRISTIAN WITHOUT EXCEPTION.

3. THE SPIRIT OF RESIGNATION. Jesus is the epitome of resignation to the will of His Father. This caused Him much suffering. He put up with Judas Iscariot knowing he was an unsaved hypocrite and a thief because He knew it was the Father’s will. When Jesus was reviled, He reviled not again (1 Pet. 2:23). Do we have the spirit of resignation that is being detected by others as the see in us the spirit of resignation? Can we accept things that come to us as the will of God for us?

4. THE SPIRIT OF DETERMINATION. The Spirit of determination is the spirit of Christ. He was determined. Luke 9:51 says He, “ . . . set his face to go up to Jerusalem,” even though He knew He was going to His death. We call this determination being HARD HEADED. Well, the Spirit of Christ is being hard headed without being mean spirited.

5. THE SPIRIT OF GRACE. The disciples one occasion the Lord Jesus if He wanted them to call fire down out of heaven on a certain city because they did not want Christ. Luke 9:55 gives His reply to them: “But he turned, and rebuked them, and said, Ye know not what manner of spirit ye are of.” Jesus didn’t come to condemn, He came to save. Some call themselves prophets today and use what they perceive to be the office of a prophet to malign and treat God’s people like adversaries. The Spirit of which Jesus speaks here is the Spirit of grace in contrast to the Spirit of the law. The law condemns, grace saves the condemned.

This can be developed much further as is obvious. I did this for me. I have been asking myself the question, “What is my spirit like to others? Do people see the Spirit of Christ being manifest in my life or to they see the spirit of the flesh?” It is a good question.

May the Lord bless these words to our hearts.

In Christ

Bro. White