Forsake Your Whole Flesh, Soul and Spirit

2004-12-12 00:47

"Now may the God of peace Himself sanctify you completely; and may your whole spirit, soul, and body be preserved blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ." (1 Thessalonians 5:23).

Man is a tri-part creature: flesh, soul, and spirit. The Bible tells about two men: the first man and the second man. But after all, it tells about the second man. It is written, "You diligently study the Scriptures because you think that by them you possess eternal life. These are the Scriptures that testify about me." (John 5:39).

Therefore, the Bible is the book that tells about the will of God: the first man, the old man, must be destroyed, but the second man, the new man, must be built up.

The main character in this will of God is "Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith". (Hebrew 12:2). This Jesus was sent by God to build up the second man, the new man, and finally he finished the will of God.

The Bible says about it, "Then I said, 'Here I am--it is written about me in the scroll--I have come to do your will, O God.'" (Hebrews 10:7). And again, "So when Jesus had received the sour wine, He said, 'It is finished!' And bowing His head, He gave up His spirit." (John 19:30).

The Bible said about it in advance, "He shall see the labor of His soul, and be satisfied. By His knowledge My righteous Servant shall justify many, For He shall bear their iniquities. Therefore I will divide Him a portion with the great, And He shall divide the spoil with the strong, Because He poured out His soul unto death, And He was numbered with the transgressors, And He bore the sin of many, And made intercession for the transgressors." (Isaiah 53:11-12).

The first man who is created to be destroyed is a tri-part being: flesh (a body of sin), soul (a proud mind) and spirit (the spirit who works in the sons of disobedience). And the second man who will forever be with God is also a tri-part being: flesh (a spiritual body), soul (a lowly mind) and spirit (another Helper, the Spirit of truth).

Therefore, the message of the cross completely destroys the first man: not only the body of sin, but also the proud soul and the evil spirit.

The Bible prophesied about it in advance, "Then You shall be pleased with the sacrifices of righteousness, With burnt offering and whole burnt offering; Then they shall offer bulls on Your altar." (Psalms 51:19).

The above passage shows that there are three kinds of offering. It is clear that the sacrifices of righteousness are related to flesh, burnt offering to soul, and whole burnt offering to spirit.

It becomes clearer, when we see this same testimony: "I acknowledged my sin to You, And my iniquity I have not hidden. I said, 'I will confess my transgressions to the LORD,' And You forgave the iniquity of my sin. Selah." (Psalms 32:5).

If anyone doesn't know the message of the cross that altogether do away with transgressions, sin and the iniquity of sin, he can't know Jesus the finisher.

The Bible says, "Blessed are they whose transgressions are forgiven, whose sins are covered. Blessed is the man whose sin the Lord will never count against him." (Romans 4:7-8).

Therefore, true repentance keeping the truth is not like this, "I have committed sins," but it's like this, "I am a sinful man," as it is written, "...Go away from me, Lord; I am a sinful man!" (Luke 5:8).

It is not true that man becomes a sinner by committing sins. He commits sins because he is a sinner. The way of the cross is that the body of sin is done away with, and we should no longer be slaves to sin. This cross is the altar of whole burnt offering on which our soul should be poured out unto death.

On the altar on which the Lord Jesus poured out His soul unto death, everyone should offer whole burnt offering with Him. Without it, no one can enter the house of Father. Only the second man who is newly formed can follow this way, because it is a new and living way.

The new man consists of a new body, a new soul and a new spirit. Therefore, it is written, "Do not lie to one another, since you have put off the old man with his deeds, and have put on the new man who is renewed in knowledge according to the image of Him who created him." (Colossians 3:9-10). "...in knowledge..." Amen.

A new heaven and a new earth are prepared for the new man. It is written, "In reply Jesus declared, 'I tell you the truth, no one can see the kingdom of God unless he is born again.'" (John 3:3). And again, "But in keeping with his promise we are looking forward to a new heaven and a new earth, the home of righteousness." (2 Peter 3:13). And again, "Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and there was no longer any sea." (Revelation 21:1).

Therefore, no one can see the Lord, our life, without the substance of faith that the old man died by whole burnt offering with Jesus Christ, who poured out His soul unto death.

However, in keeping with his promise, we who by obeying the truth are joined to the Lord and become one spirit with Him are looking forward to a new heaven and a new earth, the home of righteousness. Amen. Thank you, Lord.

Brother of the End, Kim Yun-gu.