Spirit and Intellect [Part 2]

Pastor author and Bible teacher Alan Wright.

There is no earthly way that you could ever by simply reading about it with your eyes or just simply hearing about it in a natural sense would ever be able to really be able to grasp the nature of the depth and height and width and breadth of the love of God.

These things are spiritually imparted to pastor right welcome to another message of good news that will help you see your life in a whole new light. I'm excited for you to hear the teaching today. In this series word and spirit of unity of balance as presented in an older church in North Carolina. If you're not able to stay with us throughout the entire program to make sure you know how to get our special resource.

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Contact us@pastor.org that's pastor@a.org or call 877-544-4860 that's 877-544-4860. More on this later in the program but now let's get started with today's teaching here is Alan Wright in order to understand what Paul means by the natural person in verse 14 and what he means by the spiritual person in verse 15. I need to talk to about two really important Greek words in the New Testament.

I like you to remember these words.

The word for mind is interchangeable with the word for soul so them a word for soul or mind is the same word and that word in the Greek language. It's okay if you were going to transliterate this into English. You know Greek is a very different looking different alpha batten we bring words over the English, we try to spell them in a way that would make sense to us transliterate it, you would recognize this word because you would spell it PS why CHD psyche okay so in Greek. It looks like it's okay psyche. That's the word for soul. That's a word for mind and you can remember that because psychology is the study of the mind, the word for spirit in the Greek language is a word Numa if you're to bring this over.

Usually we put a silent P in front of it. P in UEM a Numa and what is interesting in the study of the New Testament is that while there are a lot of commentators and theologians who would say that God has made the human design such that we are soul and body, and that whatever you see, soul and spirit.

Those words mean the same thing there others and I'm one of them they would say that it seems much more convincing to me that the New Testament gives a picture of the human personality of the human being as tripartite spirit, soul and body, and part of the reason that I base this is because of a very important verse in Hebrews chapter 4 I won't turn there, but in Hebrews chapter 4 the writer is speaking of the amazing power, clarity and indecisiveness of the word of God is talk about how sharp it is like a two edge sword and begins to speak here of the word of God as if it is something like maybe if it had laser beams in that they might as it is like a laser beam whatever you can imagine the kind of scalpel that could could separate the most narrow of margins. He says the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any two-edged sword, and says is able to separate even unto bone and marrow or joint and marrow depend on your translation will bone and marrow are in one sense the same because there are one right, but the marrow of the bone is different than the bone. And so, in the same way. He then turns and says and able to separate even spirit and soul and when he says that he says able to separate Numa and psyche Numa and Sue K.

Interestingly, Paul in first Thessalonians chapter 5 when he's breathing out a wonderful blessing, a prayer for the Christians at Thessalonica and knees praying for them and is praying for their prosperity and their sanctity and is praying for their whole spirit, soul and body Numa Sue K and body. Soma there number of other instances that I would point that if left me convinced of this part of the reason that I'm so convinced that it's best to understand ourselves as tripartite is because of first Corinthians chapter 2 because it's very clear when you get here to verse 14 and 15 that Paul is wanting to make a very big distinction between what he calls the natural person, according to the English standard version. And in verse 15 the spiritual person.

The reason I told you about Sue K and Numa is because the word that he uses for the natural person.

This is a very tough thing to translate because there's no word in English that matches this what Paul actually says here for the natural person is the Sue K. Ghose, the that we don't have a word for this. If you try to make this into some sort of additive to describe this kind of person you have to say this like kick whole person or the mind oriented person, probably the very best label that's been given. This was an intellectual charismatic named Derek Prince who gave this word and I think this is the best description he called it. So Lish that's what he saying he saying this, so Lish person. The person who is primarily living out of the psyche out of the mind is not to say that that means wicked or or overtly carnal is just saying everything is out of the mind. Not connected or subservient to the spirit. But then when he addresses at 15 the spiritual person. He uses that word Numa and he says, but the pneumatic coasts. So it's a contrast between the Sue Kinko's and the pneumatic coasts. Now don't say all that to make it complicated but hopefully for you to see that it's imperative to understand he's drawing a contrast between the person who lives only by the mind verse, the person who lives by the mind in connection with the spirit and the spirit communes with spirit, you know, when Paul says to pray in the spirit at all time. What's he saying he saying don't just pray sold Ashley don't just pray with your mind. Pray in the spirit pray according to the word of God, which is spirit infused pray according to the promptings of the Holy Spirit who helps us in our prayer life with groanings too deep for words, pray according to the leading of Jesus, who is your prayer partner is so when you see the word spiritual in the New Testament. Paul is often just referencing the person who is born again has received the Holy Spirit and is cultivated that life of living out of communion spiritually with the Holy Spirit. In other words, my mind is absolutely a wonderful creation by God.

Every single one of us. Given this incredible mind in the image of God.

We are made, but only when your spirit is activated and you are listening to God and living with God and communing with God in spirit. Does your mind gain the clarity and creativity that God's design for the hat.

The mind in that sense is subservient to the spirit and when you discover this interest changes everything in the way that you live your life will have more teaching moment from today's important series when you make a gift of support will send you Alan Wright's newest album on CD or digital download word and spirit. The beauty of violence, embrace the fullness of God's word and his spirit realm like never before with wording spirit realm up helping someone else grow as well. And remember, when you partner with Alan Wright Ministries to be broadcasting the love of God, 2000 every day. Allison 877-544-4860 877-544-4861 come to our website past Rowan.like today's teaching now continues once again is let me see if maybe a natural analogy might help explain this. Have you ever had a time in your life where it just seem like your mind just didn't work as an interesting book written by an author. I like Malcolm Gladwell and in this book he is talking about in one chapter why the title chapters why some people choke in others panic and in his book with the dog. Saul and I just caught my attention because I think I have both choked and panicked in my life at various times.

The use of illustrations. It also captured a golfers heart because he recalled Greg Norman, who was in 1996, arguably the best golfer in the world who had a six stroke lead at the Masters going into whole number nine. And what happened from that point on was just unimaginable for the best golfer in the world. Yet it short on number nine that he pulled his TV show number 10 missed a 3 foot putt. There he got a number 12 hit it straight in the water it in the pine needles on number 13 hit in the water again.

All 16 and by the time that Greg Norman walked up to number 18 with his head hanging down Dick Faldo had been six strokes behind was for strokes and heart and front of him. Greg Norman was the best golfer in the world and he had a six stroke lead. All of a sudden it was a 10 shot swing.

How can that happen that he suddenly forget how to be a good golfer. That is muscle suddenly just not work. Was he suddenly just out of shape. Was he suddenly just unfamiliar with Augusta national golf course.

No of course not. We all know what happened somehow minimize right I mean it's just we've all been at that place. You don't have to been an athlete to miss the key free-throw that you could normally easily make but times it was or something you could easily do, but if you got nervous suddenly you your mind didn't work as well. Would Gladwell distinguishes choking from something says is even worse. And it's called panic. Panic is this is where you become so intensely afraid that everything turns inward and you become completely self absorbed in that situation, the mind can't hardly think at all ever been in that situation some years ago. We are in a painful lawsuit and is part of it. I was deposed for three days straight.

One of the worst things ever you sit on the other side of the table you can ask any questions you just have to sit there and answer question after question were some boys trying to trap you into saying the wrong thing for three days straight, trying to find a way to put words in your mouth trying to find something wrong that you've done in the ministry, trying to find some skeleton in a closet for three days. This goes on.

I thought I did okay but on the third day a different lawyer set on the others on the table and for some reason I got even more nervous. It should of been old hat by that time, but when they switch the lawyer on me. I just got extremely nervous and he sat there and he started out he wasn't being mean that they just said that your Presbyterian pastor right I said yes.

He said so to Presbyterian Church. You have elders. I said that's correct he said is so your church is led by a board of elders called the session.

Is that correct. I said yes sir, that's correct. He said, who are the current elders and we got 12 elders and I live and work in brief with these elders to help lead this church day in and day out and I was in Italian that moment I could not think of one elders. I was upstairs. I don't know. I can hello done with burgers and is like you don't know any of the elders think of right now my just freeze up like that is not that that brain didn't have the names of elders in there is right now I'm in a panic situation.

You could understand how your brain done operate when it's under fear. Your brain done operate very well when it's under panic your golf game not work very well when you're all nervous and thinking about choking your relationships don't go well your life. Don't go well because your mind isn't seeing things like, it can ingest the natural a little bit of peace can liberate your mind to think better.

What would happen if the Prince of peace came and took up residence in your life.

You learn how to commune with him and hear from him so that your spirit was constantly in communion with the Holy Spirit. What would happen is your mind would begin to just be exploding with imagination and clarity had a time in your life with the spirit hitches all of a sudden that thing you been trying to figure out for a long time. All the clarity, for me it happens with sermon some thought I could sit around for days try to come up with a sermon, but then I get into worship situated Ms. Burke on the bombing. I can't write it down fast enough because the mind is suddenly tightened and clarified creativity, whatever it might be that God is called in this world. I'm telling you, beloved, he will advance your thinking by the spirit led life. All my life as a Christian I was thinking the way that I'm going to grow his arms go think think think think think think in some people tend event will know the way you're going to grow it just by spirit manifestation of spirit manifestation word and didn't forget about thinking I'm here to tell you there's never a separation between always wanted to be right there in the midst of the father's heart and I was so identified with Henry now and who is a great intellectual, a brilliant, brilliant man in heaven now and his life was impacted by looking and gazing upon Rembrandts.

The prodigal son, the return of the prodigal, and his life was just changed as he looked at this Rembrandt that depicted the, the son tattered as he was in the arms of the father. While there were these detached spectators looking on. And now, and said for years I had instructed students on the different aspects of the spiritual life trying to keep them trying to help them see the importance of living in but had I myself really ever dared to step into the center kneel down and let myself be held by a forgiving God always wanted and I have been so trained up in my life and my family with the value on the intellect that I thought that Christian growth for me was going to come like that and I discovered something totally different. It's marvelous. Many years ago first year that I was here at Rinaldo. I was 34 years old. I was a young man with a big job and I came into a church that had people who been walking in the spirit and studying the word of God a lot longer than I'd been alive and one day we decided to respond to a woman who was very sick and to go and pray for her. She was out of the state. She had been a member here.

She'd had a valiant valiant fight against cancer. God had brought her marvelous healing in her life and seven years of life that no doctor thought she would have and how she grown older and she had read surgeons of cancer and she was very weak and either God needed a healer on this earth are he was going to take her home. We work sure what was going on but I wanted to go pray for her down to South Carolina so my friend Bob who is a pilot set I'll fly you down there and I said okay I want to take a intercessor with the so and take a prayer warrior with this is all called up a lady in this church.

When you get to heaven you look her up D Dennison and ID got on that little plane and we we flew down to Columbia, South Carolina.

Go pray for this dear dear lady and as we got in the car at the airport. Driving over to their home.

I said well let's pray and I started praying the most beautiful prayer you ever heard I was confused. I didn't know what to do in this situation.

I said, Lord, you know, how can you we are Lord you know how frail our minds are, and we don't even know how to pray and we don't know Lord what to do. Would you just please help as I was just sort of begging God for something here. It's what you would call a solution prayer right and so I'm just going all talk about how frail our minds and how you know beautiful and everything D.

Dennison was very patient for a while until she couldn't stand it anymore and so does woman of God who had been an intercessor for more years and I've been alive finally interrupted me and she said, but we do thank you Lord that we got the mind of Christ, as she took over the prayer and I shut up.

As you start saying, Lord, thank you that because of what you've done for us that we have the Holy Spirit living within us and you said that your sheep hear your voice as many as are the children of God will be led by the spirit of God.

All we thank you. You've given us the mind of Christ use equipped us with spiritual gift and we thank you for this opportunity. Go pray for this dear lady we just thank you for moving in our life right now she's just bribing that I started streaking back in the city.

I thought you know what I want to live a life of communion with the Holy Spirit because I'll tell you what will happen if you start getting this. I have the priority in your life to tell your mind what you think you can start having your spirit being.

Tell your mind what it all to do in your mind until your body what ought to do this make sense of places like David say it will bless the Lord, O my soul. I'll tell you what to do. Bless the Lord, O my soul and forget not all of his benefit, tell you right now what you want to do so, to give you some instructions mind.

Here's how you're supposed to think right now going through a hard time.

Listen to the spirit and the spirit of tell your mind how to think in this situation, all people of God was don't get in despair about the darkness of this land must listen to the spirit of God is telling us how to think about these dark times that we fight look at your life what to do in that dilemma that you have in your life you listen to this word of God and you start telling yourself out your spirit, your mind is supposed to properly thank you find all of a sudden your mind is energized and clarified. You know what I'm talking about days in which man I feel so soul is out of walk around in my head all day long but I just came through. So what we will do that and then I get into a context of worship and only my mind explodes I go to. Why was I thinking like that because what I'm telling you is that you were a soul and body, and when you became a Christian. The Holy Spirit came and took up residence within you. Why the world when we want to just commune with him all day long because guess what he is in us the mind of Christ himself. What I'm saying. Beloved is that you could live a life just in the mind or just in the spirit. But if you'll take on the intellect and make it subservient to the spirit together you will become a high dancing. The thinking diet and that is they got right. That's good news for the day in our teaching called spirit and in the likeness in the series. The beauty of balance. Stick with us.

Alan is back in a moment with additional insight on this for your life and define the word file studying Scripture from traditions emphasized the spirit to real Christian growth is both word and spirit as someone once all word spirit you dry all spirit. No word left both word and spirit umbrella.

When you make a gift to support this man will send you Alan Wright's newest album on CD or digital download word and spirit clients embrace the fullness of God's word and his spirit can grow like never before with wording spirit realm up helping someone else grow as well. And remember, when you partner with Alan Wright Ministries to be broadcasting the love of God, 2000 every day.

The gospel is shared when you get to Alan Wright Ministries.

This broadcast is only possible because of listener financial support.

When you get today. We will send you a special offer. We are happy to send this to you as I thanks from Alan Wright Ministries, seven 877-544-4860 877-544-4861 come to our website pastor out.work and I really do love this teaching spirit and intellect. How can we go the next couple of days resting in this good news that you've given us, and make that applicable to our lives. What it does for me and I hope for some of our listeners is it makes life in the spirit attractive because you are going to have your mind and your capacity to think, heightened by the Holy Spirit not diminished matter what it is you do in life. If you're a parent and you are daily in need of that wisdom and to want to have your mind set straight on the way that you teach your children the way you lead them the way you guide them and love them and discipline them surrender to the Holy Spirit and he is them.

He is the mind of Christ in you, if you are a business professional and you have a complicated matters that come before your desk each and every day God's Holy Spirit is not gonna diminish your capacity, but he's going to quicken your intellectual capacity. If you are in position you are looking to diagnose your patients Holy Spirit helps you wonder saying is that I have found that a lot of people think there's a conflict between her and intellect. But there not there is a powerful link between the Holy Spirit is a beautiful thing. Today's good news message is a listener supported production Alan Wright Ministries