Identity – BT1:  If we view Man in 2 parts, which are you “working” from?

 

 

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In the Introduction we looked at the 3-part Man, but often the bible speaks of a 2-part Man.  The New Testament often speaks of the 1) “decaying outer man/self/being” in reference to the psyche soul of “mind-intellect, heart-emotions, and will-power” and soma body, together called the sarx flesh, versus the 2) “inner man/self/being” in reference to man’s pneuma spirit, which we saw in the introduction “belongs-to or in the possession of” the psyche soul’s mind/heart.  To persecuted Christians, Paul writes:  “We do not despair for even if our outer man (a) is wearing away, our inner man (b) is being renewed day by day” (c).  Be careful!  Some bibles translate sarx “flesh” as soma “body,” which can be very misleading!  Certainly the context sometimes emphasizes the physical soma “body” rather than the psyche “soul,” but I wish bibles wouldn’t make that choice for us but instead let the Holy Spirit do that – see the other problems of translation in Bible Info!  <Notes> a) exo anthropos, b) eso anthropos, c) 2 Corinthians 4:16; cf. Roman 7:22; Ephesians 3:16; 1 Peter 3:4.

 

Now the “inner man/self/being” or “spirit of man” of natural, unredeemed men is called the “old man/self/being,” (a) and it must be crucified with Christ in water-baptism (b) for its sinful-life power to stop influencing and energizing [like an evil Energizer Bunny] the rest of man – the soma body and psyche soul, together called the sarx flesh, as we saw in the 3-parts of man in the introduction – the power cord must be pulled!  It’s the only way to be free us from “the old man’s” dominion or slavery to sin.  And the only way to have our spirit redeemed from slavery to the sin of the psyche soul and soma body (c) and given the completely different-in-kind ‘Newness’ of genuine-life (d) by-the-means-of the Spirit’s enabling-power of holiness is for us to resurrect from the dead with Christ (e) and be given His completely different-in-kind ‘New’ Spirit of the Lord Jesus Christ, to replace our “old man” spirit, which also ALL happens in saving water-baptism (f).

 

<Notes> a) palaios anthropos:  Romans 6:6; Ephesians 4:22; Colossians 3:9, b) Galatians 2:20, 5:24, 6:14; Colossians 2:11, 3:9, c) i.e., purchased/ransomed for freedom from slavery to sin, d) Romans 6:4; 2 Corinthians 5:17; Galatians 6:15; Ephesians 4:24; Colossians 3:10, e) Romans 6:4, 8-11, 8:11; this is our “blessed hope” to be glorified into Christ’s righteous likeness, the redemption of our sinful bodies, at the resurrection of the dead and rapture for those still living at His return:  Romans 8:23-25; Titus 2:13-14; Colossians 1:27, 3:4; Galatians 5:5, Philippians 3:11, 21, f) Romans 6:3-11; Colossians 2:11-15.

 

The early Church never doubted the saving experience of the “old man dying” and “NEW man’s birth” happening in water-baptism, which Jesus’ disciples continued from John the Baptist’s water-baptism also “of repentance for the forgiveness of sins” (a), but NOW performed “in Jesus name/authority” to receive not only “the remission/forgiveness of sins” (b) but also the grace-gift of the Holy Spirit that creates the “NEW man” (c), and the Spirit then in turns gives grace-gifts to the new Christians to build them up and to witness with powerful effectiveness (d). The early Church made water-baptism a standard practice in order to become a saved disciple/follower of Jesus (e), especially since Jesus made this a key part of the “Great Commission” to take into the whole world (f).  It’s a shame so many churches speak so little of water-baptism and Spirit-baptism that occurred together as “One Baptism” (g), especially when the NT speaks so much about them both – see also the Water-Baptism, Spirit-Baptism, and Salvation pages.

 

<Notes> a) Mark 1:4; Luke 1:77, 3:3, b) Matthew 26:28; Hebrews 9:22; Luke 24:47; Acts 2:38, 5:31, 10:43, 13:38, 26:18; Colossians 1:4, c) Luke 11:13; Acts 2:38, 10:45; Hebrews 6:4; the singular grace-gift of Christ from the Father:  Matthew 7:11; Luke 11:13; John 14:16, 26,15:26, 16:7; Ephesians 1:17, 4:7, d) Ephesians 4:8; 1 Corinthians 12:1, 4, 9, 11, 14:1; Hebrews 2:4, e) Mark 16:15; 1 Peter 3:21, f) Matthews 28:19; Mark 16:15-16, g) Ephesians 4:5.

 

Reflections:

 

As Christian musicians, why would we want to produce ANY music only from the “outer man” or sarx “flesh” through its natural soma body and human psyche soul of “mind-intellect, heart-emotions, and will-power,” just as if we were still natural, unredeemed man, even if we justify it NOW as being FOR God?  Is that the “identity” we want to play from?  Isn’t this the essence of all religion, especially the “might and power” of the Jewish old covenant per Zechariah 4:6?

 

Wouldn’t the Spirit of God that dwells in us as our completely-different-in-kind “New man” be jealous, just as James 4:4-5 says:  “You adulterous people!  Do you not know that philia friendship with the world is enmity with God?  Therefore, whoever wishes to be a philos friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God.  Or do you suppose it is to no purpose that the scripture says, ‘He yearns jealously over the Spirit that He has made to dwell in us’?”  Wouldn’t most Christians want their music to come entirely from the Spirit NOW dwelling within them?

 

Shouldn’t we be “single-minded” or hagnos “pure or unmixed” or hagios holy with our music by fostering the playing of music instead from our “innermost being, spirit, or New man?”  Instead of reading and studying bible gramma writings of God’s torah or nomos instruction that requires the “might and power” external resources and internal abilities of the “outer man or flesh,” shouldn’t we NOW be operating out from the Holy Spirit that dwells with our “inner man, spirit, or New man, that is a ministry “no longer written on stone or with pen and ink but-instead written on tablets of the heart/mind?” per 2 Corinthians 3:3.

 

 

 

 

 

Spiritual Education, Inner Man & Outer Man, Inner Man is our spirit, Outer Man is our Flesh’s soul & body, Psyche Soul is intellect emotions & will-power, Unredeemed man’s spirit is the old man that energizes sin in the Flesh’s soul & body, Water-baptism kills the old man with Christ and a new man resurrects with a New Spirit within them, Playing music from our Spirit or Flesh’s soul & body