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Gilbert Ryle famously said: “the brain is a machine, only a ghost can operate” and this is such a very accurate observation of how the flesh and the spirit interact.
Witness Lee sums it up : “The body is a cocoon for the soul, the soul is a cocoon for the spirit and the spirit is a cocoon for God’s Spirit”.
When the human spirit is dead however, and does not contain the Spirit of God, the body is forfeit, and degrades into “the flesh”. Despite the fading glory of original design the body rots away in a death spiral. Unregenerate man creates “the world” but it all ends in death.
It’s clear from scripture that God is Spirit and unregenerate man is flesh. The clash is irreconcilable. When God came to Adam, after he had sinned, Adam had a dead spirit. Adam was blind and dumb concerning the things of God. The body was still there but had lost its purpose and was now called “the flesh”. It was like an I-Phone box with the I-Phone removed.
Soon after the fall the great chasm between spirit and flesh was reiterated.
3 And the Lord said, “My Spirit shall not strive with man forever, for he is indeed flesh; …..
6 And the Lord was sorry that He had made man on the earth, and He was grieved in His heart.
7 So the Lord said, “I will destroy man whom I have created from the face of the earth, both man and beast, creeping thing and birds of the air, for I am sorry that I have made them.” 8 But Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord.
” (Genesis 6:3–8, NKJV)
Salvation in Christ is God’s process of breaching this gap.
The New Testament constantly bears out the reality that the flesh profits nothing and the Spirit gives life. Sadly in modern evangelicalism this is not understood very well. “Spirit” or “spiritual” is though to be a higher state of “soul”.
“Born Again” is Spirit
6 That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.
” (John 3:6, NKJV)
To be born again is when the Spirit of God becomes one spirit with your spirit (1 Cor 6:16 and 1 Pet 3:1). This happens during resurrection which follows after crucifixion. Please note, you own crucifixion and resurrection. We were baptized into crucifixion and resurrection.
Christ did not die “in your place”. Christ took you “with Him” and “in Him” IFF you have been Baptized into Him. See Rom 6:3-4.
Salvation is the process of being regenerated by the Spirit, and us then growing in the Spirit and crucifying flesh. See the links below on this point.
Spirit is very different from body and soul
What is really important to realize is that “spirit” is not a higher state of “soul”, “morality” or “good intentions”. The flesh profits nothing and the natural man cannot comprehend spiritual truth.
61 When Jesus knew in Himself that His disciples complained about this, He said to them, “Does this offend you? 62 What then if you should see the Son of Man ascend where He was before? 63 It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh profits nothing. The words that I speak to you are spirit, and they are life.
” (John 6:61–63, NKJV)
Sadly most most sermons in the church today assume that salvation is about revitalizing the flesh.
God is Spirit and we are going have approach Him on His terms.
16 who alone has immortality, dwelling in unapproachable light, whom no man has seen or can see, to whom be honor and everlasting power. Amen.
” (1 Timothy 6:16, NKJV)
16 Or do you not know that he who is joined to a harlot is one body with her? For “the two,” He says, “shall become one flesh.” 17 But he who is joined to the Lord is one spirit with Him. ” (1 Corinthians 6:16–17, NKJV)
3 Or do you not know that as many of us as were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death? 4 Therefore we were buried with Him through baptism into death, that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life. ” (Romans 6:3–4, NKJV)
