The Believer's Two Natures: What They Are

THE BELIEVERS TWO NATURES: What They Are

 

The difference between an animal and a man.

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Some animals are very intelligent indeed. They can learn to do many things. Some dogs are trained to lead blind people safely through the city streets, stopping when they see a red traffic light, and going on when it turns green. It seems as though they know almost as much as men. There is a difference, though, between the most intelligent animal in the world, and the most stupid man, for animals do not worship any God and men always do, whether they worship the true God, or idols. Animals do not worship anything at all.

There are three parts of man, called body, soul and spirit. The body is the only part you can see. It is the part that has the five senses, sight, hearing, smell, taste, and touch. Through these senses we know the world around us. If we did not have bodies we would not be able to see, or smell, or hear, or taste, or touch. Animals have bodies as we do, with all these five senses. We also have a soul - the part of us that feels, loves, and hates. Animals have this too; you know how dogs learn to love their masters, and how they sometimes hate some people. But man also has a spirit - the part of him that knows about God. Animals do not have a spirit - they do not know about God. It is only by the Bible (Hebrews 4:12), that we know the difference between soul and spirit.

 

When we are born, we are born with all these things - body, soul, and spirit. All of them are touched by sin - they have to do with the old nature that cannot please God. Our bodies get sick and die - this is because of sin. God told Adam that if he disobeyed Him and ate the fruit, he would die. Adam did die, and everyone else has had these troubles with the body because of sin and the sin nature that is in the body. The soul is touched by sin too. We hate what we should love and love what we should hate, many, many times. We do not love the Lord with all our heart as we ought to; we love ourselves and our own way better. The spirit is touched by sin. It does not know God as it ought to. In Africa and China and India people worship idols, instead of the true God, and even in Britain where we have the Bible, people do not believe in Him, but imagine a God of their own, who is not like the God of the Bible. So all three parts of man are touched by the sin of the old nature, and cannot please God.

 

When we are born again God begins a work that is going to make new every part of man. The moment we are born again, and receive the new life of Christ, the new nature, we receive a new spirit (1 Corinthians 2:12). This new spirit can understand the things of God. The spirit that belongs to the old nature cannot understand these things. That is why you will hear some people who do not believe saying that the Bible is foolish. Of course it is to them, for they do not have the new spirit. But what about the soul? Is God just going to make it over? No; God never patches anything; He always makes everything new. So He begins to make a new soul, a soul that will love His will and hate sin. He does not do all this at once; but day by day, as we let the new nature rule. This will be finished when Jesus comes, for "we know that when He shall appear, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as as He is.” He is not even going to leave us with this sin-touched body, for when He shall come, even our bodies will be made like His. Then we shall be perfect.

 

When we die, or when Jesus comes again, we lose our old nature forever, and at His coming we will have a new body and be perfect in Heaven for ever.

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