#11 Spirit, Soul, and Flesh
Table of Contents
Watchman Nee Book
Session 11 Podcast (42 Min)
Leader’s Session Tips Video (2 Min)
Additional Resources
A note on Watchman Nee's books:
In the past, some publishers have offered free digital editions of Watchman Nee's works, including titles from our reading list. Availability changes over time, so we can't guarantee what's currently out there — but you're welcome to search for yourself:
The Spiritual Man: https://www.google.com/search?q=free+watchman+nee+spiritual+man+pdf+or+ebook
The Normal Christian Life: https://www.google.com/search?q=free+watchman+nee+normal+christian+life+pdf+or+ebook
We always encourage purchasing these books when possible — they're worth having on your shelf. Tip: used copies are often available on Amazon for a fraction of the retail price.
What makes up your being? Is it just your body? Do you have a spirit? A soul? If we have all three how do they interact? God designed us with three parts: Spirit, Soul, and Body. Each has influence on ourselves and the world around us. Listen in today as we talk about each part’s importance. We share on how the spirit and body can influence the soul, which in turn influences how we act.
This session is about one of the most powerful tools we have as believers. In our last session we spoke of how we died on the cross with Jesus; death to sin allows us to have a new life—a rebirth. You may have heard of the phenomenon referred to as being “born again.” For most of my Christian life, I never quite knew why the heck we called it that when clearly I was still the same person physically as when I was born. Well, when sin died, it opened the door for us to have communion with God. This is not the bread-and-wine-or-grape-juice communion; this is the sharing or exchanging of intimate thoughts and feelings kind of communion—with God. Being “born again” means our spirits are reborn—re-birthed—and through our spirits we can now communicate with the Spirit of God.
Without rewriting the session, I’d like to just point out a few things: Many of us, including the men in your group, have—and are—struggling with sin issues. They attempt to combat sin with their bodies and souls. They try to change their behaviors. They will get tough, pull up their boot straps, and try to get past it, only to find this is a losing battle—a battle I lost for years.
From the new place of living in the spirit I realized my spirit could commune with the Spirit of God, my life began to be led by my spirit rather than by my soul. This revelation allowed for a heart change—true, lasting change—not a work of my will power, but a change of the heart caused by my spirit relating with the very Spirit of God.
So this leads me to the question of the sponge versus the water hose: What I am really asking is, are you allowing the world to influence your life by living in the soul and body, or are you influencing the world? When we live in the spirit, our souls and bodies are transformed; instead of the world influencing our lives, we now become a source of the Spirit into the world. Only then do our lives really impact the Kingdom of God!
Some of this week’s content may bring up feelings of failure in the lives of group participants. Be sure to remind them of our previous sessions on justification and sanctification.
Common Questions:
-
First of all, I just want to say that the mystery of the Trinity and the Holy Spirit specifically that we will never fully understand, and I for one am thankful for trusting in a God that is so complex. In the next few sessions you will read Forgotten God by Francis Chan and take a much deeper dive, so I'll just give some brief thoughts on the topic relating to your question.
How does the Holy Spirit communicate with an unbeliever if their spirit is "dead?"
Simple answer, He can't. He can convict, not directly communicate.Let's start with John 16:8-9, when Jesus says (referring to the Holy Spirit), And when he comes, he will convict the world concerning sin and righteousness and judgment: 9 concerning sin, because they do not believe in me; The first role of the Holy Spirit in an unbeliever's life is to convict them of the sin of unbelief in Jesus. 10 concerning righteousness, because I go to the Father, and you will see me no longer; Secondly, to convict them of their lack of righteousness and need for Jesus.
11 concerning judgment, because the ruler of this world is judged. Lastly, to show unbelievers that if they align themselves with Satan, then they will ultimately be judged as such and suffer the same defeat.So how does the Holy Spirit convict them?
These are some ways I believe the Holy Spirit draws unbelievers to salvation.Through Christians-This is why the Great Commission is such an important command! God uses the Holy Spirit working through us to convict unbelievers. Romans 10:17 says, "17 So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God. In Acts 2:37, we see this play out. Peter has just been filled with the HS and preaches an incredible sermon with boldness. As a result, verse 37 says, "37 Now when they heard this they were cut to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, “Brothers, what shall we do?” This verse also brings me to my next thought which is...
God's Word-the phrase "cut to the heart" in the last verse reminds me of Hebrews 4:12, which says, "12 For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart. The HS uses the Bible to convict sinners and draw them to Him. I have heard so many testimonies from non-Christians who got saved simply from reading the Word of God! Don't we know how powerful it is?
I think the most important thing to remember in all of this, is the huge role that we play in the life of an unbeliever. In sessions 13-15, you will talk in depth about the Holy Spirit in the life of the Christian and how you can learn to hear His voice and obey it. Being in tune with what the HS is calling us to (even if it seems mundane) can have a huge impact in the life of a non-Christian.
Do you have a question about this session?
If so, let us know here.
