Quote:
Originally Posted by peopleoftheway
The Spirit is quickened (made alive) when we are born again
Ephesians 2:1,2
"And you hath he quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins; Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience:"
the soul before salvation did not have God, before we were saved we did not have the Holy Spirit indwelling, teaching, correcting, rebuking, loving us
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Hi Brother Steve. You said, "
the soul before salvation did not have God....". Is it more accurate to say, "
man's spirit, before salvation did not have God? As you pointed out, Ephesians 2:1-2 says, "And you hath he quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins; Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience:"
Is it the "
spirit of man" which is quickened, made alive, renewed, reborn, and regenerated? or is it the "
soul of man" which is quickened, made alive, renewed, reborn, and regenerated?
The reason I ask, is that my soul, (mind, will, and emotions) still has sinful aspects of the "
former conversation the old man". The old man of Romans 6:6, is indeed crucified with Him. But the old man of Ephesians 4:22, and it's
former conversation is still a present reality and must be "put off" by appropriating the realities of who and what I am in Christ, by faith. (Ephesians 4 goes on to say: be renewed, put on, put away, sin not, let not, let no, grieve not, and let all.)
It's my understanding that the "soul" is not
quickened, made alive, renewed, reborn, and regenerated by the Holy Spirit. The "soul" is certainly filled, taught, reproved, instructed, and convicted by the Holy Spirit operating through our "spirit" by the instrument of God's Word. (
I am vehemently opposed to the teaching of "progressive" revelation. That the Holy Spirit will speak to us outside and apart from the preserved written Word of truth, giving "new" revelation.)
The Holy Spirit, abiding in our regenerated spirit, feeds the "soul" the divine influences of God. The "flesh nature" on the other hand, feeds the "soul" the things which are contrary to God's divine influence. Thus the battle. The war between His Spirit and our flesh.
The way I am understanding it, my "soul" (mind, will, emotions) will either yield to the instruction of righteousness from the Holy Spirit which specifically operates through my "spirit" by the Word, or my "soul" will yield to unrighteousness which comes at me through the instruments of my flesh.
I see this as an important doctrine because it helps us to understand our "positional" reality of who and what we are in Christ, and our "operational" reality of who and what we are as mere mortal men who have yet to put on incorruption.
To me, it helps deal with the idea that mortal man can obtain "sinless perfectionism" in his mortal life.