[JaeByrd]

Direct Link to The Heart of the Matter on George's page for you.

[Forrest]

Thank you Brother George and Sister "JaeByrd" for the info.

Brother George I've been looking at the wrong site. (I failed to add kjv at the end.) I will read off of your web page, no need to send a hard copy; thanks for offering.

Enclosed therein is an approximately 250 page study on the heart (and the other "Faculties" and "Substance" of man). Please read the study first (at least those parts that may be of interest to you), and then we might get into some fruitful discussion, because honestly, I would be the first one to confess that I don't have a complete handle on everything within the study - especially about the "spirit" within man - NOT the Holy Spirit.

This has been, and continues, to be a very interesting study to me. I continually see scriptures that seem to address and apply to the specific aspects of man's triune being. In some cases, it seems to me that when the word "mind" is being used, it is actually addressing the mind of man's "spirit" and not the mind of his "soul".

Like the verses in 1 Corinthians 2:10-16, for example.

10 But God hath revealed them unto us by his Spirit: for the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God.
11 For what man knoweth the things of a man, save the spirit of man which is in him? even so the things of God knoweth no man, but the Spirit of God.
12 Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the spirit which is of God; that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God.
13 Which things also we speak, not in the words which man's wisdom teacheth, but which the Holy Ghost teacheth; comparing spiritual things with spiritual.
14 But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.
15 But he that is spiritual judgeth all things, yet he himself is judged of no man.
16 For who hath known the mind of the Lord, that he may instruct him? But we have the mind of Christ.

In my opinion, there are those amazing scriptures that proclaim our absolute "righteousness" in Christ Jesus. "For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him" (2 Corinthians 5:21). and, "In the body of his flesh through death, to present you holy and unblameable and unreproveable in his sight:" (Colossians 1:22).

I know the realities of my daily life in thought, word, or deed, and yet, I stand and rest in the promises of scripture. In Christ, I am made the righteousness of God! In Christ, I am deemed holy and unblameable and unreproveable in his sight! Is that amazing?

My soul (mind, will, and emotions) certainly sins. No good thing dwells in my flesh. So what's righteous? What's holy, unblameable, and unreproveable? I've concluded that it is my reborn, renewed, regenerated, "spirit" which is sealed until the glorious day of redemption.

And now, I must reckon, by faith, these realities of who and what I am in Christ. I should abstain, flee, put off, put on, pray, study, rightly divide, reckon, yield and yield not, and mortify. Not in order to obtain righteousness or holiness, but because I already am righteous and holy in Christ Jesus. I've come to realize the practical victory (not entirely) and exceeding joy that comes from simply turning fully to the Lord Jesus Christ for grace to help in my time of need. For power to live the genuine Christian life. None of me, all of Him!

I look forward to reading your study on the "heart" and the "substance" of man.

[George]

Aloha brother Forrest,

I to have wondered for years about many of the same things that you have concerns about and I will be happy to discuss any part of the lesson with you at any time.

I believe that you will find the study on the Heart very interesting and edifying - I have some Graphics on my hard copy that I have been unable to convert to HTML, and so the Lesson on the web page is not as "complete" and up to date.

I have been a Christian for 50 years and have attended various churches and I have never heard a sermon or any teaching on this issue. I wonder why? could it possibly be because:
["The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?" Jeremiah 17:9]

[Forrest]

Originally Posted by George

Aloha brother,

I believe that it is good to know about and distinguish between our body, soul and spirit {Our "Substance"}

The Body = {Our Tabernacle or Temple}
The Soul = {Our Individual Essence}
The Spirit = {Our Very Life}

However, there's a whole other side to the equation that I believe is too often overlooked:

The heart, mind, and conscience {Our "Faculties"}

The Heart = {Our "Motivator"}
The Mind = {Our "Facilitator"}
The Conscience = {Our "Regulator"}

Hello Brother George. I've read your thorough essay on the heart.

(http://www.thywordistruthkjv.com/heartofthematter.htm)

And thoroughly enjoyed and benefited from it. (I especially love and appreciate your concluding commits on Lesson 10.)

I'm still left with the question which is open for discussion:

1) What, if any, is the scriptural connection that is made between our substance (spirit, soul, body) and our faculties (heart, mind, conscience)?

It seems to me, there is a close, almost, parallel connection made in scripture between the "heart" of man and the spirit, soul, and body of man. In addition, it also seems to explain the "positional" reality of who I am in Christ, as well as the "operational or experiential" reality of what I am in Christ in this daily mortal life.

We've seen this very thing illustrated by (born-again, washed in the blood, Bible believing Christians) on this very Forum. In Christ, we are positionally redeemed, justified, forgiven, sanctified, cleansed, and declared righteous. Yet as mortal human beings we are often operationally unkind, unloving, inconsistent, imperfect, mean humans. "Oh wretched people that we are!"

2) The spirit, the soul, the body? The heart, the mind, the conscience?

3) The uncircumcised heart of flesh? The circumcised heart through rebirth?