Part II: Ghost in the Machine
In the previous post we talked about the real cost of following Jesus Christ. I admit it was a harsh post. It was meant to be.
It’s important to know that following Jesus will not always be a walk in the park. Christ demands much of His disciples. But we also know that He’s already given us everything we need to meet His expectations (2 Peter 1:3). We merely have to rest in His sufficiency and follow Him into His work.
We’ve said before that the practice of Christianity is pursuing a deep relationship with Jesus Christ. The goal of this relationship is to know Him intimately because it’s only through knowing Him that we can learn to live by His divine life and be the person we were created to be. While we’re familiar with what its like to have a relationship with other humans. But we wonder what it looks like to have a relationship with a life-giving Spirit.
The church suffers from a lack of practical guidance in this pursuit. This series hopes to fill this gap with solid, practical, biblically-grounded guidance to get us moving into a productive and fulfilling relationship with Jesus Christ. But before we get into the practicals, we’ll need to lay some groundwork.
We first need to discuss how mankind was designed to operate. This starts with an explanation of human anatomy on another level. From there, we’ll discover how mankind is uniquely equipped to engage with the Lord on an intimate and personal way. We’ll also challenge common thinking along the way.
One Person: Three Parts
Scripture supports the idea that every human is made up of three distinct parts: The body, the soul, and the spirit. This is commonly referred to as the tripartite man model.
Now may the God of peace Himself sanctify you entirely; and may your spirit and soul and body be kept complete, without blame at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.
1 Thessalonians 5:23 (NASB)
For the word of God is living and active, and sharper than any two-edged sword, even penetrating as far as the division of soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow (body), and able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart.
Hebrews 4:12 (NASB)
Each of these parts have a different function to play. Each part is enclosed within another, similar to Russian Matryoshka dolls (where one doll fits inside another) or the geologic structure of the earth.
First, let’s talk about the outside layer, the body.
The body is the physical part of ourselves. It includes all of the materials we’re made of: Our bones, flesh, brain, organs, and various biochemicals. Our bodies allow us to live, move about, and interact with the world. Since our bodies have been affected by the Fall, they are mortal. They are subject to permanent injury, disease, and death. Until the resurrection, the average body will last about 73 years (your mileage may vary).
When teaching about tripartite man, the Tabernacle of Moses is often used as a metaphor. But more than metaphor, the Tabernacle can also be viewed as the shadow of the present-day temple if the human body, where God now resides on earth (1 Peter 2:5). The courtyard surrounding the Tent of Meeting represents the human body. This is where the sacrifices were given and all the physical work of worship was performed. Like the human body, these activities could be witnessed by others.
Within the body, there is the soul.
Our definition of a soul is not the “ghostly part of a body that goes to heaven after we die”. Instead, we define the soul as a person’s mental faculties: their mind (Psalms 139:14; Lamentations 3:20), will (Job 6:7; Job 7:15), and emotions (Song of Songs 1:7; Samuel 5:8). And despite what your materialist friends might say, your soul is not the same thing as your physical brain. (Just because A causes B or A affects B doesn’t mean that A equals B.)
Where the body is the realm of biology and physiology, the soul is the realm of psychology and the cognitive sciences. The soul is where we process the senses collected by the body. It’s where we think, rationalize, and are aware. Science has yet to understand the mystery of how the material body interfaces with the non-physical soul.
We believe the soul to be immortal. We will retain our identity, personality, and ability to think beyond our physical deaths. However, like the body, we believe our souls have been affected by the Fall. Many suffer from depression, false thinking, confirmation biases, mental deterioration, and various psychological conditions.
As a priest entered the Tent of Meeting, they would first enter the “Holy Place”, representing the human soul. There were no windows to allow light in . The only illumination was provided by the Golden Lampstand. The room also held the Table of Showbread and the Altar of Incense that would burn its incense every morning and evening. Like the soul, the Holy Place was a private place. Only the priests were allowed to go inside. In the same way, the soul is a private place. It can only be expressed to others through our bodies.
Even deeper, inside of every person is the human spirit.
While most can agree that man can be divided into a material body and an immaterial soul (or at least a mind), the spirit is a little harder to conceive. It’s easily confused with the soul since both are immaterial, immortal, and serve functions commonly attributed with the mind. However, there is a distinction.
The human spirit is the seat of our conscience, helping us discern righteousness from unrighteousness (Romans 8:16 & Romans 9:1). It also includes our intuition, providing special knowledge independent of circumstances and from sources independent of our bodily senses (1 Cor. 2:11; Mark 2:8). It’s where a person’s faith and hope are found. Lastly, it’s the place where fellowship with the Lord occurs among those in whom He resides (John 4:24; Eph. 6:18).
In our Tabernacle analogy, the human spirit is represented by the “Holy of Holies”. Here, there was no illumination. Like the human spirit, it was a dark place, obscured from all outsiders. Here was kept the Ark of the Covenant. On the ark would be the mercy seat upon which would rest the very presence of God. This room was off limits to anyone but the High Priest who would only enter one day each year on the Day of Atonement. There, the High Priest would literally be in God’s physical presence where He would worship the Lord face to face. No one would know what occurred behind the curtain until he revealed it to others in the Holy Place.
The dynamic between the spirit and the soul is even more mysterious than that between the soul and the body. In the same way, we can’t perceive the Spirit directly by the faculties of the mind. We can only become conscious of it in the soul as the Spirit reveals His thoughts to us. We perceive His thoughts through out spiritual faculties.
As a side note, another “part” of man that scripture often refers to is the heart. Taking a close look at scripture, we learn that the heart is not something entirely separate from the body, soul, and spirit. Instead, it’s made from these parts. When scripture refers to the heart, it’s actually referring to the soul plus the portion of the spirit related to our conscience. The derivation of this definition isn’t too complex and can be found here (which is a great source for a deeper understanding of the tripartite model).
The body, soul, and spirit are separate, but they don’t work in isolation. They affect one another. For example, our emotions (soul) can be affected by a physical injury (body). Our conscience (spirit) can affect our judgment and how we think about a situation (soul). Our intuition (spirit) might cause us to physically react (body) in a way that totally bypasses our mind (soul). If we haven’t sept well (body) , it has a tendency to affect our mental state (soul), which can in turn deaden my conscience about something (spirit).
There is also a proper order of influence among these three parts. Because of the corruption brought about by the fall, this order can become a jumbled mess. Some will allow the biological urges of their body to direct the thinking of their souls. Some will sever the conscience provided by their spirits and function entirely from the logic and reasoning of their souls. Also, we should be clear that not every choice needs to be led by the spirit–only activity that involves moral decisions (discussed in the previous post). Making routine life decisions (such as which deodorant to buy or how long you should microwave your lunch) is well within the ability of the soul to handle alone. However, regarding moral activity, our spirits should guide our souls which in turn direct our bodies.
We are not merely physical beings like other animals. Nor are we merely spiritual beings like the angels and heavenly entities. The spirit is what allows humans to operate in both the physical and spiritual realms, making humanity the only hybrid life form in all of creation.
A Choice Among Trees
You’ll recall that when God planted the Garden of Eden there were two special trees: the Tree of Life and the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil (Gen. 2:9).
Scripture tells us very little about the Tree of Life. It apparently had the ability to grant immortality to those who ate of it (Gen. 3:22). As to whether Adam or Eve had ever eaten from the Tree of Life is a matter of speculation. But we know that after the Fall they were no longer permitted access to it as they were forced to leave the Garden. It does, however, re-appear in the Book of Revelation (22:2).
Even less is said about the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil. We know that God told Adam and Eve not to eat its fruit, warning them that death would result (Gen. 2:17; 3:2). We also know that after they ate of it, they became self aware (Gen. 3:7) and from that point forward possessed a knowledge of good and evil (Gen. 3:22). Their act of disobedience caused a curse upon all of creation.
When we mention this second tree, we often view it as “evil” since its fruit was the temptation that led to disobedience. But we need to keep in mind that the tree was actually not an evil thing. Evil was not its quality. It was the tree of the knowledge of good (as well as evil). Together these trees represented the choice Adam and Eve had to obey or disobey God. But I would suggest they were more than that. To me, they also represent a choice as to the source from which each person will draw their life.
Let me explain…
Several theologians throughout history have suggested that the Tree of Life represents a pre-incarnate form of Jesus Christ. T.A. Sparks takes a very bold stance on the issue saying,
“Let us get away from the symbol and the type. That tree is a type of the Son of God, Jesus Christ, for He is the tree of life…”
T. Austin Sparks, The Holy Spirit’s Biography of Christ
Francis Turretin, while recognizing several parallels wrote,
“Christ [is] the true tree of life…because as Mediator, he is the prince of life giving life to the world and eternal life in heaven by glory; for he is ‘the resurrection and the life’ who will most certainly bestow upon his own eternal life.”
Francis Turretin in his Institutes of Elenctic Theology
But beyond being a shadow and symbol, I believe The Tree of Life contained the life of Jesus Christ. How can I say this?
First, I can say this because, for humanity, divine life has no other source. Second, throughout scripture we’re reminded that divine life in all its forms is something that must be taken into our bodies (Ezek. 3:1-3; Jer. 15:16; John 6:53-57; 1 Cor. 10:17; Mark 14:22; Rev 10:9). While we can debate whether this consumption is actual, metaphorical, or metaphysical, the principle of internalizing divine life is clear and ubiquitous. In the garden, the fruit from the Tree of Life was divine life in edible form. It was the means of dispensing the Life of Christ into those who consumed it.
The Lord intended for Adam and Eve to internalize His life by eating the fruit of the Tree of Life. This fruit would feed their spirits with the life of the Lord, allowing them to continue to live by that Life. But instead they chose to eat from the other tree. By their decision, they chose not to live by divine life, but rather by a knowledge of good and evil. Recall that knowledge of such matters is the realm of the soul, not the spirit. It’s the realm of philosophy, worldly ideas, ethics, feelings, conventional wisdom, and the various ways man thinks we should live. Living by a knowledge of good and evil is to try to be “good” and avoid the things that are “evil”. Conversely, living by divine life is to let Christ, through the Spirit, lead us in matters of moral significance.
By their choice, mankind died that day. Not instantly, but all three parts, body, soul, and spirit were became corrupted and subject to decay. Their spirits was deadened and their soul effectively took their place in the tripartite ascendency. From that point forward, mankind was doomed to be guided by a “knowledge of good and evil” rather than by Divine Life of the Spirit.
Fast-forward thousands of years. As a result of their choice to live by knowledge, we’re born into a world where we’re taught to resolve our moral crises by thinking through them. We debate the vices and virtues of various philosophies and moral principles in the hope of learning the right way to live. We try to discern what’s right from our “heart” which itself has been corrupted as part of our fallen soul (Jer. 17:9; Mark 7:21-23). Despite mankind’s best attempts, wielding morality acquired through knowledge appears to have produced no value.
Unfortunately, much of the church seems to have followed the world’s lead by attempting to assimilate the Life of Christ through soulish activity. For example, when we ask “what Jesus would do” in a situation, we engage the faculties of the mind to ascertain a knowledge of good. In fact, an astute observer of Christianity will notice that most of Protestantism can be divided up into three types of believers based on their primary mode of apprehending Christ. The first group focuses on apprehending Him primarily through the intellect (i.e. the mind). The second group acquires Him through works of service (the will). The third group mainly attempts to gain a knowledge of Him through charismatic works and an appeal of the heart (emotions). For much of Christianity, the origin and source of apprehension remains the mind, will, and emotions of the soul.
The Place of Connection
Rather than the soul, the human spirit is the place where the Spirit of Christ abides within the believer. The human spirit and Holy Spirit are unified (1 Cor. 6:17). This unification is so complete that they are no longer separable or distinguishable from one another. Through this renewed Spirit, the Lord communes with the believer. Of course, our awareness of Him will eventually make its way way to our consciousness as the Spirit allows. But it’s through the spirit that Christ is revealed. It is the place of connection and the means through which He directs and empowers us into the work of the Kingdom.
Today, we’re being offered the same choice that we were originally offered in the Garden. While our corrupt human condition is to think and rationalize out of a corrupt soul, we have once again been given access to the literal Life of Jesus Christ through the Holy Spirit! Unlike in the Garden, we no longer internalize it by physically consuming Him. Instead, we internalize it by taking Him in spiritually (John 6:53-57). As we internalize Christ by the spirit, He will reveal Himself to our souls to renew our minds. As our minds are renewed, we will come to exemplify Christ through our bodies by our actions and deeds. This is the true process of sanctification.
Spiritually receiving Christ is something not just done once, but continually. Just as a single meal won’t keep us fed all week, taking Him into our spirits is something that needs to be done regularly and intentionally.
Please understand. Just because Christ resides in your spirit doesn’t mean that the rest of you (your soul and body) will automatically follow Him. It’s still very easy to think and act from your fallen soul. I’m noticing a disturbing trend within Christianity that says that we should use our anger and emotions to lead us into the work of the Kingdom. This idea seems to be a reaction to the dispassionate, lukewarm stance of much of the church today. I’m glad people are becoming passionate. But we have to be careful. We need to ask ourselves, “Where is this emotion coming from?” Is it coming from the Sprit? Or is it coming from our preferred political ideologies, our flawed view of people groups, or our personal sense of justice? We have to be very careful that these motivations aren’t originating from the flesh through our corrupt soul.
The converse can also happen. I’ve had my share of moments when I would get angry out of selfishness. But occasionally, I have been despondent to a situation where the Lord demanded that I intervene. In those cases it was His anger and need for justice, not mine. In time and with practice we will be able to discern the difference.
Seeing Jesus in 1982
When I was a kid growing up in the 80’s, one of my things to watch on TV was a show called The Greatest American Hero. It was a sci-fi comedy drama starring a lovable everyman played by William Katt. His character, Ralph, was a remedial school teacher. The last thing he could imagine was being a superhero. But during an extraterrestrial encounter at a school field trip, he was given a suit that gave Ralph superhuman powers and abilities when he wore it. It was as if he had all of the powers and abilities of all other superheroes. The problem was that the suit didn’t come with instructions of any kind. Over the next three seasons, Ralph (and his suit) were enlisted by the FBI to fight crime. Over time, the reluctant hero slowly discovered the suit’s ability largely by trial, error, and accident.
Looking back, there were a couple of things we can learn from this show about living by Christ’s indwelling.
First, without the suit, Ralph was really nothing special–let alone a hero. The suit was the thing that possessed the superpowers. But by itself the suit could do nothing. It had to be worn by someone. Ralph and the suit were two complimentary pieces that made an unbeatable team.
In the same way, the Holy Spirit is pneuma. He’s a wind, a breath. Outside of a habitation He has limited efficacy in the material world. To do His best work He seeks expression through the life of a believer, in union with their spirit. When He does, He becomes Ryle’s ghost in the machine–a Spirit residing within a physical being; animating it, directing it, and empowering it with the divine life of God.
Second, despite his incredible potential, Ralph had no innate understanding of how the suit worked. He had no idea how to control the suit’s abilities. I think it took him at least two seasons to fly and then land on his feet (instead of into the shrubs or into a dumpster).
Likewise, the Holy Spirit is not something we’re born with. We begin life with a deadened human spirit. We quickly learn to live by the soul. But when we receive Christ, our spirit is rejuvenated. Along with the Holy Spirit we’re given spiritual senses through which we can discern Him. These are not like the physical senses that we’re accustomed to, but are spiritual senses that parallel our physical senses (spiritual sight, spiritual hearing, etc.). It’s through these spiritual senses that we learn to engage Christ through His indwelling presence. But learning to use these new senses does not come naturally. It has to be learned.
When learning to engage Jesus Christ through the Spirit, it helps to have a spiritually solid, well-rounded, mature mentor to help us in the process. It also helps to practice these things along with a sincere and vested Christian community. But no one is an expert in these matters. We all have to trust the Lord in His guidance. We have scripture that will provide guardrails to protect us from improper practices. Like learning to ride a bicycle, a lot of our discovery will be through trial, error, experiment, and accident. But those who are willing to be adventurous in their pursuit of Christ will be those who will make the most progress.
From here it gets very practical. In the next post, we’ll discuss a simple but powerful practice that I’ve found to be extremely beneficial in learning to live by the life of Christ.