The Spiritual Man
Chains to Freedom • Sermon • Submitted • Presented
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Jude 19-23
Jude 19-23
These are the ones who cause divisions, worldly-minded, devoid of the Spirit.
False teachers separate themselves from the Cross, which in effect, is to separate themselves from the Word of God.
SEPARATE
“These be they who separate themselves,” should be translated, “These be they who separate.”
They “separate.” They are no longer “contending for the faith” (vs. 3), but are rather proposing “another Jesus, and another gospel” (2 Cor. 11:4).
Preachers who separate themselves from the Cross fall into the category mentioned here by Jude.
My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge. Because you have rejected knowledge, I also will reject you from being My priest. Since you have forgotten the law of your God, I also will forget your children.
For Christ did not send me to baptize, but to preach the gospel, not in cleverness of speech, so that the cross of Christ would not be made void.
SENSUAL
The Greek word used here is “psychic.” Three times it is translated “natural” (1 Cor. 2:14; 15:44, 46). Twice it is translated “sensual” (James 3:15 and in Jude, verse 19).
In 1 Corinthians 15:44 46, the moral meaning is in the background; in the other three passages the moral meaning is prominent and is distinctly bad.
“Psychic” is the middle term of a triplet of terms “carnal, psychic, spiritual.”
The carnal man is ruled by his passions. The psychic man is ruled by human reasoning.
The spiritual man is ruled by his spirit. He rises to and lives among those things that can only be “spiritually discerned.” (1 Cor. 2:10-15).
THE SPIRITUAL MAN
There is a “natural man” and there is a “spiritual man.”
But a natural man does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually appraised.
The “natural man” is the individual who is ruled by the five senses
The “spiritual man” is the one who is led by the Spirit of God.
“He that is spiritual judgeth all things” (1 Cor. 2:15).
One could say that the “natural man” is “walking after the flesh” while the “spiritual man” is “walking after the Spirit” (Rom 8:1).
THE CROSS OF CHRIST IS THE KEY
If the believer understands that everything comes to him through the means of the cross, the Holy Spirit will then function grandly in his life. This means that the person is a “spiritual man” (Rom. 8: 2,11, 13).
If the cross is properly understood the entirety of our spiritual and physical makeup will be brought into line. Paul tells us this in Romans, chapter 6. This chapter tells us “how” the Holy Spirit works, while Romans, chapter 8 tells us “what” the Spirit does. Some refer to Romans, chapter 8 as “the dynamics of the Holy Spirit.”
For the believer to “walk after the flesh” (Rom. 8:1), simply means, that he’s functioning outside the realm of the Holy Spirit.
Everything is tied to the cross which constitutes “the finished work of Christ.”
But may it never be that I would boast, except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, through which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world.
FAITH
The believer doesn’t have to worry about his spirit, soul, and body. The believer only has to be concerned about his “faith”—faith in what Christ did at the cross. If there is a problem that means that our faith is not right.
Even so consider yourselves to be dead to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus.
This passage has to do with our faith, and the faith reckoned, goes back to Romans 6:3-5.
Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body so that you obey its lusts,
All that we have to be concerned about is our faith. We must make certain, that always, the object of our faith is the cross.
THE HOLY SPIRIT
“Having not the Spirit,” refers to the fact that those who operate outside of the cross of Christ “have not the Spirit.” While such a person may in fact have the Spirit the Spirit is not functioning as He desires to do so. Such a person doesn’t have the help of the Spirit.
These people of whom Jude speaks, do not have the Spirit at all. There are millions of Christians, who truly are saved, which means they definitely have the Spirit but who actually receive precious little of His help.
Anything and everything concerning the Christian as it pertains to the Lord, is always and without exception, carried out by the Holy Spirit. Nothing is gong to be done for the Lord, except it be carried out by the Holy Spirit (Acts 1:4). Even though every Christian definitely has the Spirit, that doesn’t mean He is going to automatically work within our lives. The potential is there, but only the potential (Jn. 3:5-8).
The Holy Spirit doesn’t require much of us but He does require one thing:
For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set you free from the law of sin and of death.
The “law” of which Paul speaks here, is not the law of Moses, but rather a law devised by the Godhead, within which the Spirit works.
This means that the Holy Spirit functions entirely within the parameters of the great sacrifice of Christ.
The Holy Spirit and Christ and Him crucified are so intertwined that it’s almost impossible to separate the two.
And I saw between the throne (with the four living creatures) and the elders a Lamb standing, as if slain, having seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven Spirits of God, sent out into all the earth.
The “four beasts” signify the holiness of God (Rev. 4:8).
The “seven horns” speaks of dominion with the number “seven” speaking of “total dominion.” The “seven eyes” speaks of total illumination. All of this pertains to the Holy Spirit denoting His perfect work, which in fact, is portrayed in Isaiah 11:2.
The “Lamb,” and the “Spirit” are so closely connected that they seem to be one and the same. This tells us in no uncertain terms, how the Spirit of God functions and operates. The cross made possible all that the Holy Spirit does. The believer is to understand, that everything comes to him through means of the cross. Then the Holy Spirit will work mightily on his behalf.
But you, beloved, building yourselves up on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Spirit,
“But you, beloved,” contrasts the saints with the false teachers.
“Building up yourselves” is to build toward the finish of the structure of which the foundation has already been laid.
YOU
“But you” proclaims the change, from the false teachers, to those who are truly living for God. It is very similar, to the beginning of the 17th verse.
CHRISTIAN GROWTH
“Building up yourselves,” concerns building on the foundation they were given at conversion.
The phrase is,”building up yourselves,” which means that we have a part to play in this process.
The presence of the Holy Spirit, merely proclaims the potential. All that He wants to do, is based on our cooperation.
HOW DO WE BUILD?
The word “build” or “building” is used of one’s work in life. Those who build on Christ’s Word build on rock; those who reject this Word build on sand (Mat. 7:24-27). The work that a man builds on this will be tried by fire (1 Cor. 3:9-15).
The Church is compared to a building (1 Cor. 3:9; 1 Pet. 2:4-6), Jesus Christ Himself being the Chief Cornerstone (Eph. 2:20-22).
Builders are “builded up” in Christ (Col. 2:7), and are exhorted to build ourselves up on our most holy faith.
but grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To Him be the glory, both now and to the day of eternity. Amen.
(see also 1 Cor. 10-16).
WHAT DOES PAUL MEAN BY THE FOUNDATION BEING JESUS CHRIST?
The Lord spoke to satan through the serpent, telling him that the “Seed of the woman” who is Christ, would bruise his head, even though satan would bruise His heel, which latter phrase speaks of the crucifixion (Gen. 3:15). The sacrifices portrayed what Christ would do as it regards the cross, and is graphically outlined in Genesis, chapter 4.
See also Gen. 8:20-21 and Gen. 12:7-8; 13:4, 18 for altars that symbolized Christ and the means by which He would redeem humanity. The proposed offering up of Isaac definitely served as a most powerful object lesson as to how God would carry out the great task of world redemption (Gen., chpt. 22).
Isaac continued the practice of altar building (Gen. 26:25), even as did Jacob (Gen. 33:20; 35:7).
The Law was given on Mount Sinai, which included the sacrificial system, which was the very center of Israel’s way with God (Lev., chpts. 1-7).
Solomon would build the temple, and at its dedication would “offer in sacrifice 2,000 oxen and 120,000 sheep” (2 Chron. 7:5).
The prophets predicted that One was coming who would redeem lost humanity, with Isaiah, chapter 53 being the most graphic example. This great chapter along with Psalm 22, proclaimed in graphic detail as to how redemption would be carried out as it regards the Lord Jesus Christ.
(see also Isa. 50:6-7).
The Messiah steadfastly set His face like a flint to go to His death (Lk. 9:31,51). He purposely laid down His life (Jn. 10:15-18).
The foundation of all that we are before God is Jesus Christ. Everything we build must be built without fail on this foundation. It is “Jesus Christ, and Him crucified” (1 Cor. 2:2).
HERESY
The term “heresy” is best reserved for major departures from Christian orthodoxy. There are many peculiar ideas and practices in the faith theology, which merits it the label of heresy.
POSITIVE CONFESSION
Many regard this as a healthy practice, emphasizing the psychological benefits of positive thinking and speaking. What this fails to consider is the historical fact that those who first taught positive confession attributed its power to cosmic principles and occultic deities. Though the Bible does emphasize the importance of a pure mind and holy speech, it no where states that a person can alter physical reality through mental means, and it certainly does not encourage verbal confession of the Divine Name and Word as means of manipulating God’s will. The Scriptures strictly contradict both (Rom. 8:27-28).
SENSORY DENIAL
The Faith movement teaches believers to deny sensory reality. This practice has led to numerous tragic deaths.
IMPLICIT REJECTION OF MEDICAL SCIENCE
These deaths were all the more tragic because with prompt medical care, many could have been easily avoided. The Faith teachers do not explicitly forbid the use of medical science; their rejection of medicine and doctors is implicit. The Faith teachers insist that believers can grow in their faith to the point where they no longer need medical science. Only those in the Faith movement who are immature in their faith guiltily seek medical care.
PROSPERITY
This practice may also be traced to the metaphysical cults. The doctrine of prosperity instills greed for material things.
Each new generation of Church leadership has had “to exhort in sound doctrine and refute those who contradict” (Titus 1:9).
MOST HOLY FAITH
“On your most holy faith,” doesn’t refer to the faith that we exercise on a day-to-day basis, but to the Christian faith in general.
The faith here is called “most holy” because it comes to us from God.
To separate “Christ” and “the cross” presents “another Jesus, and another gospel (2 Cor. 11:4).
To give a very abbreviated portrayal of “the faith,” it is “Jesus Christ” and Him crucified” (1 Cor. 1:17-18, 21, 23; 2:2, 5).
The term “your most holy faith,” is the same as “the faith” of verse 3.
This “faith” is objective as it was in verse 3, which means that this truth or doctrine will never change.
THE HOLY SPIRIT
“Praying in the Holy Spirit” shows how we saints are to build up ourselves in our most holy faith.
All true prayer is exercised in the sphere of the Holy Spirit. That means, that if the saint expects to really pray, he must be Spirit-filled and Spirit-controlled. The fullness of the Holy Spirit is the prerequisite of effectual praying. The Spirit leads in our petitions and generates within us the faith necessary to acceptable and answered prayer.
Before the turn of the twentieth century, little was known about the baptism with the Holy Spirit, which is always accompanied by speaking with other tongues (Acts 2:4). The great prophecies of Joel concerning the “latter rain” began to be fulfilled (Joel 2:23). As the light on the baptism with the Holy Spirit began to be more and more given, God expected the entirety of the Church to walk in that Light.
While hundreds of thousands of believers from every known church denomination and affiliation, received this Light gladly, and were baptized with the Holy Spirit; still, the institutionalized church has rejected this outpouring of the Spirit.
For those who have rejected the Spirit, and the Spirit baptism, their usefulness to the work of God is pretty close to zero. The truth is, what they are doing is man-devised and man-led, which means it’s not Spirit-devised and led. Even the denominations that claim to be Pentecostal are any more, little depending upon the Spirit.
THE BAPTISM WITH THE HOLY SPIRIT
The Holy Spirit is an experience apart from salvation. One must first be saved before one can be baptized with the Holy Spirit. While it is certainly true that the Holy Spirit comes into the hearts and lives of all believing sinners at conversion, there is a vast difference in being “born of the Spirit” and being baptized with the Spirit” (Jn. 3:3-8; Acts 1:4).
that is the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it does not see Him or know Him, but you know Him because He abides with you and will be in you.
It is obvious that all those who were baptized with the Spirit on the Day of Pentecost were already saved people. So what they were to receive would not make them more saved, but actually was given to them as it regards to power (Acts 1:4, 8).