God's Paradigm Leads Man To Reality

A lot of things regarding man and his known universe are in threes. There are the three dimensions of space, commonly called length, width, and depth (or height). There are the three dimensions of man himself, mind, body and spirit. In the human species, there is Man and Woman. But metaphorically, we say there are three: man, woman, and child.

On a different plane and spiritual level: In Heaven there is the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. In the natural and spiritual dimensions, there is Heaven, Earth, and Hell. There are three that bear record in heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Holy Spirit: and these three are one" (1 John 5:7)

"...there are three that bear witness in earth, the spirit, the water, and the blood; and these three agree in one" (1 John 5:8). Man consists of these three.

In the vernacular, man is sometimes said to be mind and body;soul and body. But that is not exactly correct. If by using the word mind, the user means the entirety of soul, that would be fine if this meaning is made clear. To one person 'mind' might mean "thinking process only". To another person 'mind' might mean "thinking (mental), feeling (emotional), and will (volitional) processes". To yet another, 'mind' might mean "thinking, emotional, will, and spiritual processes".

The same applies to the word 'mentality'-- To one person 'mentality' might mean the entirety of mental, emotional, volitional, and spiritual centers. To another 'mentality' might mean only the thinking process. (You've heard the expression: "think, man, think"!). So, the word, 'mind' and the word 'mentality', could run the gamut, depending on what a person or speaker means by it. So be aware that sometimes these words can be used interchangeably. (Remember the old camera commercial: "..In the Mind of Minolta"). Man's makeup is very, very complex. Only God could and can figure it out, truly and in totale.

The fallen nature of man, turned the already complex, into the complicated and muddled. The fallen nature not only 'limited' the ability of man to access and use the full benefits of his dimensionalism, it also created myriad other problems for man to solve within this limitation!

The New Testament writers advises man, "...to not be conformed to the world's ways (out there), but to be transformed". Man can acheive this transformation by constantly being made anew (the within). How does this re-newing come about? By studying, knowing, and accepting the good, acceptable, and perfect 'will' of God" (Romans 12:2). How and why? Remember that "will" is part of the tri-beingness of man, as well as of God himself. Furthermore, one can say, by believing mentally--the Word of God, desiring emotionally--the Purpose of God, and doing--determining, willing, activating--the will of God. Thus, transforming the thinking processes: mind/ mentality/ soul.

"Let this 'mind' be in you, which was in Christ..." (Philippians 2:5), the Second Adam (I Corinthians 15:45-47), as opposed to holding on to the 'mind' and mind-set of the First Adam.

"For it is God which works in you both to 'will' and to 'do' (determination) of his good pleasure" (Philippians 2:13). God gives man the will (the forward-driven power within man's will center) to do God's will.

"For I (Paul, the Apostle) have no man 'likeminded', who 'will' naturally (determined/volitionally) 'care' (emotional/feel) for your state" (of soul, body, and spirit) (Philippians 2:20)

To say that man is Mind, Body and Spirit, or preferably, Spirit, Soul and Body, would be correct. Within the Soul itself resides another three: Thinking, Feeling, Determining.

When man was first created, man was called a 'Living Soul' (Gen. 2:7). As time passed into modern times, man has been called the being with three dimensions: Body, Soul, and Spirit. But what does it mean? It means that man has a Soul, that he lives in a Body (shell, suit or house)-to quote a famous evangelist -- and that he (man) has a Spirit, which is connected to, has awareness of, and communicates with God, the spirit realm, the un-seen realm.

Man, amidst all of creation, has the highest level of sentience, awareness, and consciousness. That puts man into a category of his own. Of the dust-made creatures, man is the only Earth-creation that has the Soul-Spirit connectedness, and likeness to Creator.

Awareness - Having knowledge or cognizance.
Consciousness - an alert cognitive state in which you are aware of yourself and your situation.
Sentience - the readiness to perceive sensations; elementary or undifferentiated consciousness; as is quoted by Richard Eberhart, "....gave sentience to slugs and newts".
Insentience - lacking consciousness or the ability to perceive sensations.

Animals are sentient because they have the readiness or ability to perceive sensations. But their level of sentience is not the same as was given to man.

Now the question is asked, "Where does this image of God reside in man?"

The Image of God resides in the Soul (mental, emotional, volitional):
1) Logic (intellect, thought); logos--words); God has thought, God speaks Words.
2) Attitudes (feelings); God has consciousness, imagination, and emotiveness; God loves (good). God hates (evil).
3) Will (determination, volition, drive). God has will, is determined, and is a driving force, spiritually and cosmically.

The Image of God is placed in the spirit of man, as well. God communicates with man by God's Spirit to man's spirit. Spirit to spirit communication, inspiration, and revelation.

God is going somewhere. Inside of time and outside of time. Our world is not just spinning in space, interminably, without rhyme or reason. God has a purpose in having created the world and mankind upon it. God is directing the world into an eternal state. However, it has to be a better world, not in its present condition. He has made provision for all of that. He is conducting this world (mankind) through a phase, transforming the world from natural beingness to spirit beingness.

True, we already have spirit and are part spirit from our natural birth. This spirit man is dormant (some say, dead), muddled, confused, disconnected. It has been ignored completely, forgotten entirely, religated to some tiny corner, to outward religion, or used as political overly, by After-Adam cultures. Man must comprehend that the natural must be super-seded by the spiritual. And, on God's terms as originally stated, and as re-stated by Christ. Thus, the naural-born spirit-man, must become the spiritual-born spirit-man. In other words, man must be re-born.

Man focuses on Religion -- not spirit. But God says "Take heed to your spirit" (Malachi 2:15)

When Jesus (Malachi 3:1-3, Messenger of the New or Re-stated Covenant) went to John the Baptist (Malachi 3:1, preparer) to be baptized, the scripture says, "..for God giveth not the Spirit by measure unto him" (Jesus). (John 3:34)

John the Baptist bore record, saying, "I saw the Spirit descending from heaven like a dove, and it abode upon him". "And I knew him not (Jesus): but he (God) that sent me to baptize with water, the same said unto me, Upon whom thou shalt see the Spirit descending, and remaining on him, the same is he which baptizeth with the Holy Spirit." (John 1:32-33)

Just as Jesus received this heavily-weighted level of Spirit, and it remaining upon him -- so will we be transformed, and given heavily-weighted Spirit life, to a large degree now, but fully and completely, upon His eminate return to Earth, and in the Heavenly Kingdom. (I John 3:2)

Jesus already had the Spirit, being both God and man from birth. But after baptism, he received from God this fullness of Spirit, so much so, that he was able to be transformed before the disciples on the Mount of Transfiguration. (Matt. 17:1-5) (Luke 9:27-32)

After Jesus' death, and resurrection, he was total spirit, though he had soul and body. He was then so much Spirit, that he was able to walk through walls, appear, and disappear. He had the full power of the Spirit and power to impart this Life of Spirit to others. "He breathed on them (the disciples), and saith unto them, Receive ye the Holy Spirit." (also) (John 20:22). Just as God breathed upon Adam giving him natural life and a measure of spirit life.

And, Just as Adam had the power to give heavily-weighted natural life and breath of birth to his children (mankind), Jesus being the New Adam, has the power to give His (God's) children (mankind) heavily-weighted Spirit life and breath of new birth. Jesus called mankind, both His brethren and His children (Hebrews 2:12-13)

Adam being the father of all mankind, but without mankind having had a choice in the matter; God demands that mankind now make a choice in the matter -- man must make a will-filled choice to follow the New Adam, or not to follow Him. However, God does not leave it entirely up to man's choice, just as he did not leave it entirely up to Adam's choice of Trees to eat from. God gives a command, "...now commandedth all men every where to repent." (Act 17:30)

This command is a command; it is also God's showing man the right path to take; God's interacting, and communicating His approval, so that man can have confidence that man is indeed making the right choice. One cannot make a better or righter choice than the very choice that the Creator has chosen!

This is what God has for man in this final wrap-up phase of Earth as we know it, and soon to be Old World. This is the Gift. He wrapped all of this goodness and power in Christ, whom He chose and anointed to head up a New Earth and a New World/Cosmos. To boot, we will get Heaven itself!

And guess what, we will still retain our Three-ness dimensions, but these will be weighted differently! We will become heavily-weighted Spirit beings, and live forever!!