What Is a Person? .

"And the very God of peace sanctify you wholly;

and I pray God your whole SPIRIT and SOUL and
BODY be preserved blameless unto the coming
of our Lord Jesus Christ. Faithful is He that calleth
you, who also will do it."   (1 Thessalonians 5:23-
24)

Cover Page--PDF Format

1)  Where Did I Come From and Why Am I Here? [PDF

Format]

2)  I Have a Soul (Self-Consciousness)  [PDF Format]

3)  I Have a Body (The House of the Soul)  [PDF Format]

4)  I Have a Spirit (God-Consciousness)  [PDF Format]

5)  The Make-up of a Person--The Will  [PDF Format]

6)  The Make-up of a Person--The Intellect  [PDF Format]

7)  The Make-up of a Person--The Emotions  [PDF Format]

8)  The Make-up of a Person--The Heart  [PDF Format]

9)  The Make-up of a Person--How is Your Heart?  [PDF

Format]

10)  The Believer's Two Natures  [PDF Format]

11) Growing in Christ - Smashing Through My Ceiling 

[PDF Format]

12) The Lordship Of Christ: God's Prescription: Five R's 

[PDF Format]

13) The Paper and the Spot; The Wall and the Mouse
Hole  [PDF Format]
 

These Bible studies are published by the MIDDLETOWN BIBLE CHURCH,

349 East Street, Middletown, Connecticut 06457 (U.S.A.).  These lessons
may be reproduced with our permission.  Our phone is (860) 346-0907or
Contact Us  When using these study sheets it is best to use a King James
Version Bible in order to avoid confusion. It is our desire that these studies
from God's Word would be helpful to point you in the direction of the one
true God and His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ. May you come to know Him
in a personal way! May you be encouraged to grow in the grace and
knowledge of Him! 1 Peter 2:2; 2 Peter 3:18

Back to SUNDAY SCHOOL MATERIALS & HELPFUL BIBLE STUDIES

Back to Home Page

CHAPTER 1
Where Did I Come From and Why Am I Here?
How did I get here and what am I doing here? These are two of life's most basic questions. Only the Bible can solve
the mysteries of MAN'S ORIGIN (where did I come from?) and MAN'S PURPOSE (why am I here?).

Man's Origin
To learn about man's origin, we must turn to the first book of the Bible, Genesis, which as also known as the Book of
Beginnings. In Genesis 1:27, what word is repeated three times? _____________________  Therefore the Bible
clearly teaches that (circle the correct answer):

a. Adam and Eve evolved from ape-like creatures.

b. Adam and Eve were created by an all-powerful Creator-God.
c. Adam and Eve were delivered to earth by a spaceship from another planet.
d. Adam and Eve never existed as real people on this earth.  We read a story about them in the book of Genesis,
but that story is not really true.

Do your "roots" go back to Adam? Are you a descendant of Adam? ______  Every member of the human race can
trace his ancestry or family tree all the way back to Adam.  Do your "roots" go all the way back to Noah also? Are
you a descendant of Noah? ______ Adam came from God and you came from Adam!

There are three methods that God uses to bring a person into the world. Two of these are UNIQUE methods. They
happened once and will never happen again. One of these is a COMMON method--this is the way YOU came into the
world! Here are God's three methods:

1) Creation (Genesis 1:26-27; 2:7, 2:21-22)

(Unique)
Adam and Eve (having no father and having no mother)

Consider the following verses (Genesis 2:7, 2:21-23; 1 Cor. 11:12; 1 Tim. 2:13) and circle the statements that are true:

a. Adam came from dust e. Adam was formed first

b. Eve came from dust f. Eve was formed first

c. Adam came from Eve g. Adam was formed second

d. Eve came from Adam h. You came from Adam and Eve

2) Procreation (Genesis 5:3-32)

(Common)
You and Me (having a father and a mother)

Procreation is God bringing children into the world through parents by natural birth. This is how you came into the
world. God did not create you directly like He created Adam and Eve.  He brought you into the world through the
natural birth process.  Everyone that you know in your family, in your school, in your neighborhood and in your city
came into the world in this way. 

3) Incarnation (Luke 1:31-37)

(Unique)
The Lord Jesus Christ (A MOTHER but NO HUMAN   FATHER)

The Incarnation is God bringing His Son into the world through the virgin Mary by supernatural birth. This is how
our Saviour came into the world.  The word incarnation means "in flesh."  When we speak of the incarnation we
mean that  God came in the flesh. God took upon Himself our human flesh and became a man (see John 1:14; 1
Timothy 3:16).

Who is the Creator (John 1:1,3,14; Colossians 1:13-16)?  _______________________________________  Is the One
who created man the same One who died to save man? _________ The One whose spoken Word brought about the
CREATION of Adam and Eve was the same One who humbled Himself and became a man by INCARNATION.
How the angels must have wondered in amazement as they watched the Creator stoop so low!
 

Lower Than Angels

There is another group of beings or creatures who are superior to man. In Psalm 8:5 the Bible teaches that God made
man a little ________________ than the _____________.  Angels are more intelligent and more powerful than men.
Also they know about God's wisdom, glory and power better than men do. Angels were also created before man was.
Note: The Lord Jesus Christ is far superior to angels (Ephesians 1:20-21; Hebrews 1:4-14) and the believer IN
CHRIST shares in His exalted position and in His superiority (Ephesians 1:20-21 and Ephesians 2:6).
 

Higher Than Animals

The Bible makes a clear distinction between the creation of animals and the creation of man. The false theory of
evolution teaches that man is no different from an animal.  Evolution teaches that man is the "highest evolved
animal." What verses in Genesis chapter 1 speak of the creation of animals? ___________________________ What
verses in Genesis chapter 1 speak of the creation of man? ___________________ In Genesis 1:28 (see also Psalm
8:6-8) God told man to S________________ (conquer) the earth and to have D___________________ over all the
animals (to rule over them). Who really should be called the King of the Beasts, the lion or man? __________ Did
the Son of Man, the Lord Jesus Christ, exercise dominion over the animal kingdom (Mark 1:13)? ____________

Thus, the order of creation can be seen from the following diagram:
 Sexual Creatures

How did God create or make man (Genesis 1:27; Matthew 19:4)?
_______________________________________________  God did not make all persons the same.  He made a
DIFFERENCE between men and women, boys and girls. Usually when a baby is born, the first comment made is this:
"IT'S A BOY!" or "IT'S A GIRL!" not "IT'S AN IT!" Every person born into this world is either male or female.

In Deuteronomy 22:5 we learn a very important principle: Men and boys should look, dress and act like men and
boys. Women and girls should look, dress and act like women and girls. God hates when this principle is
violated--it's an A______________________ to Him (Deuteronomy 22:5). This means it makes God nauseous and
sick, as it were, because it is so contrary to what God originally intended.

Today sinful people are violating God's principle that the sexes must be DISTINGUISHED and HONORED. Today
there is a terrible trend towards UNISEX (trying to be "ONE SEX").  Men and women get the same kind of haircuts,
wear similar clothing and seek to eliminate the DIFFERENCES which God intended for man and woman.  God made
us male and female and He demands that these differences be maintained.  In some cases people even try to
CHANGE THEIR SEX by surgery. Doctors can do amazing things through surgery, to make a man look like a
woman and to make a woman look like man.  Sex-change operations from male to female (or from female to male)
may fool many people, but the Lord is not fooled and the Lord knows what sex the person really is because HE
MADE HIM (OR HER) THAT WAY! God has made us in a wonderful way and God wants us to enjoy being what
we are. When God made you a male or a female, DO YOU THINK HE MADE A MISTAKE?
 

Man' s Purpose
Why are you here? Why did you get out of bed this morning? What is the purpose of your life? Why did God create
you? Is life really worth living?
Evolutionists believe that man is an "accident of nature." They believe that mankind is very lucky to even exist!  Man
is what he is because of certain freakish "mutations" (genetic accidents and mistakes in our animal ancestors) and by
an amazing set of lucky (or unlucky) circumstances we came to be what we are. To the true evolutionists there is no
real purpose or reason behind man's existence at all. They have no place in their theory for an all-wise, loving,
purposeful Creator. 

The Bible teaches the opposite of evolution. There is a very important reason for your existence. You are not a
mistake or an accident! You are a person who has been created.... (please MATCH)

1) FOR HIM (for the Lord Jesus Christ) A. Revelation 4:11

______

2) FOR HIS GLORY (to make known who God is) B. Colossians 1:16
______

3) FOR HIS PLEASURE (it was God’s will and delight C. Isaiah 43:7
______ that He should create you)

Man Was Made to Reflect God

Genesis 1:26-27 says this: "And God said, Let Us make man in Our _____________, after our
_________________....So God created man in His own _____________, in the _______________ of God created He
him" (see also Genesis 9:6; James 3:9).

Adam was created in the image and likeness of God! What is an image?

We know that an image can be found on most coins. Read Matthew 22:18-21. Whose IMAGE was on this Roman
coin? ________________________ When they looked at this coin, whose face did they see?
________________________

Whose image is found on our penny? on our nickel? on our dime? When you look at a quarter, who do you see? 
Whose IMAGE is on a dollar bill?  Whose IMAGE is on a five-dollar bill?

When you look into a mirror in the morning, whose IMAGE do you see? _____________________________ Does
the mirror reflect you? ________ Your IMAGE is in that mirror! According to Genesis 1:26-27, God’s IMAGE was
in man!

Man was created to reflect God and to mirror God!  If you were to look at Adam (before he sinned), who would you
see? ______________
 Adam was given the 
opportunity to KNOW and
to SHOW . . .

God's truth
God's goodness
God's sinlessness
God's righteousness
God's holiness
God's love
God's faithfulness
God's purity

In Genesis 3 a terrible change took place. Adam sinned, and the image of God was marred and spoiled and ruined.
Have you ever found a coin that was so scratched and worn that the image on the coin could not be seen? Or, have
you ever looked into a mirror that was so dirty you could not even see your face? This is what sin did to God's image
in man! Adam, instead of reflecting God, began reflecting SIN, SELF and SATAN!

ADAM
(AFTER HE
SINNED)

After his fall into sin, Adam gave birth to several children. Who did Adam's children reflect? The answer is found in
Genesis 5:3: "And Adam lived 130 years and begat a son in his own ___________________________ (in Adam's
LIKENESS) after his __________________ (after Adam's IMAGE); and called his name Seth."  Who did Seth
reflect? ___________________  If you were to look at Seth, whose image and  likeness would you see?
_______________

 
 SETH
(Adam's
Child)
 

Are you
a child
of
Adam?

There is only one way for a sinner to stop reflecting Adam. He must be saved! The filthy mirror must be cleansed!
Every person is either IN ADAM (related to the OLD CREATION--unsaved) or IN CHRIST (related to the NEW
CREATION--saved--see 2 Corinthians 5:17). Those who are IN ADAM reflect their father A_________. He was a
sinner and we reflect his sinfulness. Those who are IN CHRIST are able to reflect the Lord Jesus (although they
sometimes still reflect Adam). The believer has put on "the new man, which is renewed in knowledge after the
_________________ of him that created him" (Colossians 3:10; see also Ephesians 4:24-the new creation!).

Someday the believer will perfectly reflect the Lord Jesus (see 1 John 3:2 and Romans 8:29). Today, as the believer
grows, he learns to reflect Jesus more and more, and to reflect Adam less and less.

What kind of a reflection is seen in your life? As people look at your life (the way you walk and talk), are they getting
a picture of God or are they getting a picture of Adam? Are they seeing sin or are they seeing the Saviour? Is your
mirror so dirty that God can't be seen? If you are unsaved, how can the mirror be cleaned up? If you are saved, how
can the mirror be cleaned up?

When a sinful man is saved he has both a new nature and an old nature (Ephesians 4:22-24) and he can either reflect
the SAVIOUR or he can reflect SIN, SELF and SATAN:

  The Saved Man

↓
 

OR
 
  
 
We Must Make A Choice!
Adam was given a very important choice. He had to choose to obey God or disobey God. He had to choose LIFE or
DEATH (see Genesis 2:17).

The same is true today. Every person must choose between life and death. Every person must choose between a
blessing or a cursing. God sets this choice before every man (see Deuteronomy 30:19). What choice does God want
us to make (Deuteronomy 30:19)? _______________________________________________

Adam's important decision centered around a tree--the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. Today man's decision
also centers around a tree--the tree on which Jesus Christ died (1 Peter 2:24). WHAT WILL YOUR CHOICE BE?  

TO BELIEVE TO REFUSE
ON CHRIST TO BELIEVE
AND LIVE  ON CHRIST
AND DIE
John 3:36  John 3:36 
1 John 5:12 1 John 5:12 
? ?
You Must Choose!

 
 Back to WHAT IS A PERSON

Back to SUNDAY SCHOOL MATERIALS & HELPFUL BIBLE STUDIES

Back to Doctrinal Studies

Back to Home Page

CHAPTER 2
I Have A Soul
(Self-Consciousness)

In 1 Thessalonians 5:23 the Apostle Paul gave a final benediction to the Thessalonian believers to whom he was
writing: "And the very God of peace sanctify you (set you apart) wholly (completely) and I pray God your whole
_______________ and __________ and ______________ be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus
Christ." In chapter 4 we will study the spirit, in this chapter we will study the soul and in the next chapter we will
study the body.

An English dictionary gives the following definition of the word "soul": "the part of the human being that lives,
thinks, feels and makes the body act; the immaterial part of man (the part of man which is not physical matter and
which is distinct from the body)." A person's body can be seen, touched and handled (see 1 John 1:1--the Lord Jesus
had a real body). Have you ever seen a soul? Have you ever touched or handled a soul? Have you ever seen a body
which contained a soul (if you are not sure about this, look in the mirror)? Have you ever seen a body which did not
contain a soul (a dead corpse)? Is there a difference?

The Old Testament (Hebrew) word for "soul" is NEPHESH and the New Testament (Greek) word for "soul" is
PSUCHE  (the English words psycho, psychiatry, psychology all come from this word). These Bible words for "soul"
are used in several different ways:

1) Very often in the Bible, "soul" means "person." Here are some examples:

Acts 2:43--"And fear came upon every ______________ (or person, PSUCHE)."

Romans 13:l--"Let every _________ (or person, PSUCHE) be subject unto the higher powers."

Acts 2:41--"there were added unto them about three thousand  _____________ (or persons,
PSUCHE)."

Numbers 31:19--"whosoever hath killed any _______________ (or soul, NEPHESH)."

1 Peter 3:20--"eight ______________ (or persons, PSUCHE) were saved by water."

2) Frequently in the Bible, the word "soul" means "life." Consider these examples:

Exodus 4:19--"all the men are dead which sought thy ____________ (or soul, NEPHESH)."

Leviticus 17:11--"for the ____________ (or soul, NEPHESH) of the flesh is in the blood."
 Matthew 2:20--"for they are dead which sought the young child's ___________ (or soul,
PSUCHE)."

Matthew 6:25--"take no thought for (don't worry about) your ____________ (or soul,
PSUCHE)."

Matthew 20:28--"the Son of man came . . . to give His _____________ (or soul, PSUCHE) a
ransom for many."

Revelation 12:11--"they loved not their _______________ (PSUCHE) unto the death."

John 10:11--"the good shepherd giveth his __________ (or soul, PSUCHE) for the sheep."   The
Saviour gave His life and died so that we might live!

3)  Sometimes (especially in the Old Testament) the word "soul" is used in some very unusual and strange ways. Here
are some examples:

a. It is used of animals: 
Genesis 2:19--"whatsoever Adam called every living  _________________ (or soul, NEPHESH)." (See also
Genesis 1:21,24; Leviticus 24:18--"beast for beast" = "soul for soul.")
Revelation 16:3--"and every living __________ (or creature, PSUCHE, here referring to sea animals) died in
the sea"
 
b. It is used of a dead body:
Numbers 9:7--"we are defiled by the dead _________ (or soul or in this case corpse, NEPHESH) of a man"
(see also Leviticus 21:11 and Numbers 19:13).

Note: In English we would never call a dead body a "soul" and we would not call an animal a
"soul," but rather a "creature." The Hebrew and Greek words for "soul" carried a wider meaning
and were sometimes used differently than the English word "soul."

4)  The word "soul" sometimes is used in the Bible to describe the immaterial part of man, much like the English
definition: "the part of the human being that lives, thinks, feels and makes the body act; the immaterial part of man
(the part of man which is not physical matter and which is distinct from the body)."  A good example of this is
Matthew 10:28:

"Fear not them which kill the __________, but are not able
to kill the _________ : but rather fear Him which is able to
destroy both ____________ and _____________ in hell."

Please answer TRUE or FALSE. According to Matthew 10:28:

1. __________ The soul is part of the body.

2. __________ The soul is distinct and separate from the body.

3. __________ It is possible for men to harm the body.

4. __________ It is possible for men to harm the soul.

5. __________ It is possible for God to destroy the soul in hell.

 6. __________ It is possible for a surgeon to kill the body.

7. __________ It is possible for a surgeon to kill the soul.

8. __________ We should be afraid of men.

9.___________ We should be afraid of the devil.

10.__________ We should be afraid of God (a good and healthy fear of the

Lord).

Suppose you were to have your arm amputated (and for some people this is very necessary). Would this operation
remove part of your soul? Would you still be the same person or would you be 5% less of a person? Suppose your
other arm were removed. Would you still be the same person on the inside? What if both legs were amputated as well.
Would this affect your soul or change the real person that lives in your body?

Suppose you were on the operating table and the surgeon opens up your chest cavity.  He sees your lungs, your heart,
your liver and other internal organs.  Do you think the surgeon would see your soul?  Why or why not?

Suppose you were to have a heart-transplant operation. Would you be a different person after the operation? Suppose
you were to suffer severe brain damage as a result of a car accident (so that you could not talk or even think). Would
this make you less of a person? Suppose you were to die. Would death bring an end to the existence of your soul?
Would your soul die along with your body? Though your body is dead, would you (the person that you are) continue
to live on?

When a person dies, what happens to the soul (Genesis 35:18)?

a. It perishes.
b. It also dies.
c. It departs.
d. It goes back to the dust.

In Revelation 6:9, what did John see? __________________________________ Did men kill their bodies? _______
Did men kill their souls? _____ In Revelation 20:4, what happened to the heads of these people that John saw?
_______________________ Were their souls killed or destroyed? _____

Man has an eternal soul which lives on forever, either in heaven or in hell. A soul cannot be killed but it can be lost
and destroyed: "For what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and ____________ his own
___________" (Matthew 16:26). If you could have anything (or even everything) you wanted in the whole world,
would it be worth an eternity in the lake of fire? _______ What does God call a person who provides for time (for this
life) but not for eternity (Luke 12:19-20)? ______________ A soul can be destroyed (Matthew 10:28); but what else
can happen to a soul (Hebrews 10:39; 1 Peter 1:9)? ________________________________  Has this happened to
your soul?

According to Ezekiel 18:4, to whom does the soul of every person belong? Every person or soul belongs to:

a. Himself
b. Satan
c. The Creator--the living God
d. No one

Therefore, who is the only one who can save or destroy the soul of man? __________
Because we have a soul, we are SELF-CONSCIOUS. We are very much aware that we are persons, that we are
alive, that we live in a real world with real people and that we dwell in a real body which sees, hears, tastes, touches
and smells. There was a time (probably a very brief time) when Adam was just a BODY, made out of the dust of the
ground. He was not yet alive and he was not conscious of being a living person. But God "breathed into his nostrils
the breath of ___________ and man became a living __________ (or person or being, NEPHESH)" (Genesis 2:7; see
1 Corinthians 15:45). He became a living, conscious person, created by God.

The rich man in Luke 12:19 was very conscious of himself, his life and his possessions. He even spent time talking to
himself (verse 19). He had great desires and pleasurable plans. He was a person with feelings and thoughts and
choices just like you and me. There was one thing, however, that he was not conscious of or sensitive to.  He was not
sensitive to the eternal needs of his own SOUL (see Luke 12:20).   He was a "SOULISH" man (the Bible calls this the
"NATURAL MAN" or the "SENSUAL MAN"--1 Corinthians 2:14; Jude 19), not a "SPIRITUAL MAN." Are you
sensitive only to the things of man or are you also sensitive to the things of God?

The soul of man is the seat of man's feelings and emotions and desires. According to the Bible, the soul desires (1
Samuel 2:16), hates (2 Samuel 5:8), loves (Song of Solomon 1:7), rejoices (Isaiah 61:10), suffers (Genesis 42:21),
mourns (Job 14:22), sorrows (Mark 14:34), etc. What else does the soul do (Ezekiel 18:4)? ____________________ 
And the result of this is the death penalty! But the living God is able to save the soul of the person who sins!

For the believer, the soul is also a battleground (see 1 Peter 2:11). There is a war constantly going on (see also
Galatians 5:17). There are those things which would confirm and strengthen the soul (Acts 14:22) and there are those
things which would harm (subvert or upset) the soul (Acts 15:24).

In 3 John 2 we learn something extremely interesting about the soul of a believer named Gaius. Apparently Gaius had
some serious physical problems and the Apostle John was praying for his physical health. John said, "I wish (pray)
above all things that you might prosper and be in health (physically) even as thy _________ prospers." The soul of
Gaius was prospering! He could have sung the hymn "It Is Well With My Soul" and really meant it! Gaius was
enjoying inner health. He was a healthy believer, healthy on the inside! John's prayer and wish was that Gaius would
prosper and be in health on the outside just as he was prospering on the inside.

Suppose someone were to pray that same prayer for you. "I 'm going to pray that you will be as healthy physically as
you are spiritually! I wish that you might be as healthy on the outside as you are on the inside!" Would you want that
prayer to be prayed? For some, that would not be a blessing, but rather a curse! You might cry out, "Please don't pray
that prayer, because if you do and if God answers, I'll be in the hospital!"

Consider yet another question. What are some of the things you feed your body (good nourishing foods, junk foods,
vitamins, etc.)? What are some of the things you feed your soul? To be healthy, we must feed on the right things. If
you were to feed your body as well as you feed your soul, how healthy would you be physically? If you were to
exercise your body as well as you exercise your soul (compare 1 Timothy 4:7-8), how strong and physically fit would
you be? Do you care about your body? How much do you care about your soul?
 Back to WHAT IS A PERSON

Back to SUNDAY SCHOOL MATERIALS & HELPFUL BIBLE STUDIES

Back to Doctrinal Studies

CHAPTER 3
I Have A Body
(The House of The Soul)

Your body is a marvelous living organism made up of billions and billions of tiny living cells. There are many more
cells in your body than there are people in the world! These are the building blocks of the body, and each cell, though
very minute, is an enormously complex world. Today scientists are able to use high-powered electron microscopes to
get even a closer look at the wonders of the cell. As one scientist has said, "It would be mind-boggling for the early
cell biologists to see this. They had no idea the cell was so chock-full of things. The cell has turned out to be a
MICRO-UNIVERSE" (National Geographic, Sept. 1976, p. 358).

The Bible declares that the life of the flesh is in the ______________ (Leviticus 17:11). The blood brings life-giving
oxygen and nourishment to every part of the body! There are about ten pints of blood in the average adult today. This
blood is circulated through 60,000 miles of tubing reaching to every part of the body. This tubing could be stretched
round the world more than seven times (if all the veins, arteries, and capillaries were laid end to end).

The most efficient pump in the world is responsible to keep this blood circulating throughout the body. The heart
beats 70 to 75 times per minute (as an average). Every day the heart pumps 5,000 to 6,000 quarts of blood. In a
lifespan of 70 years the heart would pump about 35 million gallons of blood. Moreover, the heart never seems to get
tired and never takes a rest. Under normal conditions it works continuously for seventy-five years or longer
(depending on how long the person lives). Suppose you allowed your washing machine to run ALL THE TIME. How
long do you suppose it would last?
 The bones are the structural steel
and the reinforced concrete of the
human body. They support the
body the way a steel framework
supports a skyscraper, and they
protect its vital organs the way a
cast-concrete roof protects a
building’s occupants.

 An adult has over 200 separate

bones. Also within the bones
there is an amazing blood
manufacturing factory. Blood cells
are made inside the bones. In less
time than it takes to count to two
hundred, my bones can make
more than 100 million new cells
for my blood.

There are more than 600 muscles in my body, and these along with many perfectly designed tendons and joints,
enable man to move his arms, legs and body with amazing coordination. For a baseball player to catch a fly ball in the
outfield may not seem very difficult (with a little practice), but it actually takes amazing coordination of many body
parts working together. Do you think that scientists could build a machine or a robot that could do this?

The body also contains a wonderful waste removal system and a fluid purifying system. The kidneys, for example, are
the most amazing purifying system in the world. In the course of a day they filter about 185 quarts of water from the
blood, purifying it and returning it to circulation.

The average head contains about 120,000 hairs. Who do you suppose keeps an exact count (Matthew 10:30)?
___________________

The nervous system may be likened to a highly organized postal system or telephone system, carrying messages to
and from the brain. Nerve impulses can move at a speed of nearly 350 feet per second. They can zip up from a
person’s feet and back again more than 30 times in one second.
The nervous system is all connected to the most complex computer in the world--the brain. This three-pound brain
coordinates its huge traffic of messages so well that an electronic computer designed to perform as efficiently would
occupy a space as big as a skyscraper! Believing that the brain merely evolved by chance, apart from any intelligent
design, over millions of years, is as foolish as believing that the world's biggest computer accidentally fell together
without being put together by an intelligent mind.

The human body is the world’s most incredible piece of machinery. It manufactures, improves and repairs itself. The
average person can get along without his gall bladder, spleen, tonsils and appendix. He can dispense with one lung,
one kidney, two-fifths of his liver, part of his brain, most of his stomach, both eyes, ears, arms and legs--and still live!
How would your car do with so many missing parts? Most cars reach the junk yard in about ten or fifteen years, and
we do not use our cars nearly as much as we use our bodies. Yet, the human body is able to continue functioning in
some cases for nearly 100 years!

The body helps to bring us in contact with the world around us. Vivid reports pour into our brains through our eyes,
ears, skin, nose and mouth, describing in detail the variety of things on earth. We experience the world around us
through our sense organs. They are channels through which we receive continuous information about sounds, smells,
tastes (the tongue has 3000 tastebuds), textures (whether something is hard or soft, rough or smooth, etc.) and
temperature.

One of the most amazing senses is that of sight. Certainly the eye is one of the great marvels of God’s creation. The
eyeball is a little camera. Its smallness is part of its perfection. This spheroid camera focuses itself automatically,
according to the distance of the picture that it wants to focus upon. It turns itself in the direction of the view required.
Indeed the eyes are two cameras finished to one standard so that the mind can read their two pictures as one. Should
danger threaten the eye, in a flash its skin shutters close, protecting the transparent window!  Many details could also
be given to show that the senses of hearing, smelling, tasting and touching are also incredibly designed systems.

The more we study the human body, the more we must agree with the words of David in Psalm 139:14: "I will
______________ (thank) thee; for I am __________________ (in a way that ought to produce great awe and wonder
and reverence) and _____________________ (marvelously) ____________ (made, not evolved): marvellous
(wonderful) are thy works, and that my soul knoweth right well."
One of the most wonderful things about the body is how well it works together. All the parts of the body function
together, helping and needing each other. My lungs take air into the body. My brain, muscles and bones help my
lungs. In order to move my bones I need help. My muscles help my bones move. My brain thinks and sends messages
to all the parts of me. My brain needs oxygen which it gets from my blood. My bones, muscles, brain, lungs, heart,
nerves, and stomach all help each other. How does this help us to better understand the church (1 Corinthians 12:12-
27)?
________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________

To be healthy and to survive in this world, the body needs certain things. What are some of the things the body needs
(Matthew 6:25; James 2:15-16)? ________________________________________________ What are some other
things that the body needs? Who knows exactly what our body needs and what we need (Matthew 6:32)?
___________________________________________

The body is the house of the soul (see the previous chapter). I am more than just blood and bones and brains. I am a
real person living in a real body. Someday the believer will die and will be A_______________ from the body and
P________________ with the Lord (2 Corinthians 5:8). On the resurrection day, the believer will receive a new body
that will last throughout eternity. This body will be INCORRUPTIBLE (it will never decay or wear down or grow
old) and IMMORTAL (it will never die) according to 1 Corinthians 15:52-53. Will unbelievers also have a body that
they will live in throughout eternity (Matthew 5:29-30; 10:28; John 5:28-29)? ________

The soul lives in the body, but if you are a believer in the Lord Jesus Christ, who else lives in your body (1
Corinthians 6:19)? ___________________________________ Was this also true of the Lord Jesus Christ (John
2:21)? ______  In 1 Corinthians 6:20 believers are commanded to G________________ God in their B_________
(compare Philippians 1:20).

What are some things that we can do with or to our bodies that dishonor God? What are some of the ways we can
glorify God in our bodies?

In Romans 12:1 and Romans 6:13 believers are commanded to present their bodies and the members of their bodies to
the Lord for His use. How can the following bodily members be used for God and for His glory?

Hands     ______________________________________________________________________
Feet        ______________________________________________________________________
Eyes       ______________________________________________________________________
Ears        ______________________________________________________________________
Mouth     ______________________________________________________________________
Tongue   ______________________________________________________________________
Muscles  ______________________________________________________________________
Brain      ______________________________________________________________________

The Lord Jesus Christ, our Saviour, certainly knows what it is like to live in a body. When He came into the world
there was a ____________ prepared for Him (Hebrews 10:5). He became a man and had a human body like ours,
except He never used His body to sin. Remember, the body is not really responsible for sin. It is the person who lives
in the body who is guilty (see Ezekiel 18:4). We can never say, "My tongue lied!" or "My hand stole the money!" or
"My eyes lusted!" The members just obeyed the person who gave them orders to lie, steal and lust!

We should never forget that the Lord’s body was sacrificed on the cross: "who His own self bore our sins in His own
__________ on the tree" (or cross--see 1 Peter 2:24). How does the communion service remind us of this wonderful
sacrifice (Matthew 26:26; 1 Corinthians 11:24)?
 "Not my own, but saved by Jesus,
Who redeemed me by His blood,
Gladly I accept the message,
I belong to Christ the Lord.

Not my own! My body, my members,

Freely all to Christ I bring;
To be used in joyful service
For the glory of my King."   --D.W. Whittle

Back to WHAT IS A PERSON

Back to SUNDAY SCHOOL MATERIALS & HELPFUL BIBLE STUDIES

Back to Doctrinal Studies

Back to Home Page

 

Back to Home Page

CHAPTER 4
I Have A Spirit
(God-Consciousness)

The word "spirit" is used in several different ways in the Bible. The Old Testament (Hebrew) word for "spirit" is
ruah (pronounced roo-akh); the New Testament (Greek) word is pneuma (similar to the word pneumonia, in which
the "p" is not pronounced).

Sometimes the word "spirit" means "breath." We learn in Psalm 33:6 that all the host of heaven (the billions and
billions of stars) were made by the _____________ [ruah] of God's mouth. He just spoke and breathed out the Word
("let there be"), and it was done (Genesis 1:14-16)! If God was able to do that mighty work of creation with such ease,
is He able to help you (Psalm 121:1-2)? ______

In a number of passages the word "spirit" means "wind" (see Genesis 8:1; Numbers 11:31). Very often this word is
used of the Holy Spirit (Genesis 1:2; Matthew 1:18--where "Ghost"="Spirit"). In John 3:8 the same word (pneuma) is
used for both "wind" and the Holy "Spirit":    "The ____________ (pneuma) blows where it wills (pleases)...so is
everyone that is born of the _______________ (pneuma)."  You cannot see the wind, but you can see and feel the
effects of the wind (the sailboat being pushed across the lake, a flag blowing in the breeze, leaves swirling in the air,
etc.). Likewise, when a person is born again, you cannot see the Holy Spirit in his or her life, but what can you see
(Galatians 5:22-23)? ______________________________________ The word "spirit" is also used of evil spirits or
demons (Matthew 12:43,45).
In this chapter we want to study the word "spirit" as it relates to me as a person (not God's Spirit, but man's spirit--1
Thessalonians 5:23), and thus to better understand the person that I am and my relationship to my Creator. When God
created man He "breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul" (Genesis 2:7). The basic
idea of the word "spirit" is that of life, animation, movement (even as the quick action of the wind), vivacity,
liveliness, vitality, vigor and energy (compare John 6:63). Here are some illustrations: What happened when Jacob
learned that Joseph was still living (Genesis 45:27)? __________________________________ (He really came
alive!)   What happened to the Egyptian man after he received food and nourishment (1 Samuel 30:12)?
____________________________________ (He revived and really came alive!)

According to James 2:26, it is the spirit that gives life to the body: "For as the body without the _______________ is
____________ (lifeless, no movement, inanimate)." If you have ever seen a body lying in a coffin, you know there is
a great difference between a body with a spirit and a body without a spirit! This difference is seen in Luke 8:49 and
Luke 8:55. When a person dies, where does the body go (Ecclesiastes 12:7)? ________________________________
Where does the spirit go (Ecclesiastes 12:7)? __________________________________

A person who is alive and animate has deep inner feelings and emotions (glad, mad, sad, etc.). In the Scriptures, the
spirit of a man is often said to be the seat of his affections (feelings) and emotions. Please MATCH:

           Man has a spirit that can be...

1. _____ in anguish A. 1 Samuel 1:15

2. _____ bitter B. Job 7:11

3. _____ grieved C. Acts 17:16

4. _____ provoked (made angry) D. John 13:21; Genesis 41:8;

Job 21:4; Daniel 2:1,3

5. _____ sad E. Isaiah 54:6; Daniel 7:15

6. _____ sorrowful F. Ezekiel 3:14

7. _____ troubled G. Psalm 106:33

8. _____ stirred (and saddened H. 1 Kings 21:5

because of idolatry)

According to Proverbs 16:32, it is easier to take (capture and control) a city than to do what?
_________________________________________________ Man has great difficulty conquering and controlling his
passions, his affections, his feelings, his desires and his temper. The taking of a city is child's play compared with the
ruling of one's spirit. [The next time your parents forbid you to do something or to go somewhere, see how easy it is
to keep your emotions in check!]  The person who does not rule his own spirit leaves himself wide open for attack
(Proverbs 25:28). Anyone who attacks him (by irritating him or by provoking him or tormenting him) SUCCEEDS!
The only person who can really control his own spirit is the one who allows his life to be filled and controlled by the
Holy Spirit (Ephesians 5:18). The fruit of the spirit includes temperance or self control (Galatians 5:23).

Some people believe that an unsaved person does not have a spirit.  This is not what the Bible teaches:

"His (Pharaoh's) _______________ was troubled" (Genesis 41:8).

"God hardened his (Gihon, King of Heshbon's) ____________" (Deut. 2:30).

"His (Nebuchadnezzar's) _______________ was troubled" (Daniel 2:1,3)

Ezekiel 13:3 speaks of false prophets who follow their own spirit.

"For what man knows the things of a man save the _____________ of man which is in him" (1 Cor. 2:11).

"The body without the _______________ is dead" (James 2:26).

Even though the Bible speaks of unsaved men having a spirit, yet the spirit which they have is not functioning the
way it was meant to.  Adam was created body, soul and spirit.  God created the body to house the soul and the spirit. 
He created the soul for mankind to identify with human life and other life forms.  The spirit was designed to identify
with God in worship:  "God is S___________, and those who worship Him must worship in ____________ and in
truth" (John 4:24).

In the Fall, Adam's spirit was separated from God (spiritual death) and it remains separated from God in all of his
descendants.  Man's spirit therefore is dead to God, and its original intent is thwarted by spiritual death.

How then do we explain the Scriptures (quoted above) which speak of an unsaved person's spirit?  Quite simply: 
though man's spirit is dead to God, it is very much alive to the things of man. It fell to the level of man: hence the
expression in 1 Corinthians 2:11, "What man knows the things of a man, save the spirit of man which is in him?" 
Though man has a spirit, it is dead toward God. It only relates to the things of man.

Man is somewhat like a two story house:  his spirit originally designed to worship God lived in the upper floor, his
body and soul on the lower.  In the Fall, his spirit fell to the lower level where it is alive to men but dead toward God;
thus the need for the new birth (being born again by the Spirit of God).  [Some of this material is taken from the Ron
Merryman Ministries, with his permission.]

The unsaved man (fallen man) has no direct contact or communication with God. He cannot pray or talk to God in a
way that really connects.  He cannot worship. He cannot understand the Bible. He cannot please God (Romans 8:8;
Hebrews 11:6). Why is the unsaved man separated from God (Isaiah 59:2)?
____________________________________________________

The Bible declares that the unsaved person is "DEAD (spiritually dead and LIFELESS) in __________________ and
__________" (Ephesians 2:1). The spirit of an unsaved man is aware and knows about the things of man (man's
thoughts and interests and activities) but he is totally insensitive and blind when it comes to the things of God (God's
thoughts and ways and works)--see 1 Corinthians 2:11,14,16 and Isaiah 55:8-9.

The Bible gives an illustration of the spirit of man.  It is found in Proverbs 20:27.

The spirit is that part of man that was meant to fellowship with God and enjoy God.  The unsaved man is dead to the
things of God and unable to relate to God in a real and right way.  He is like an unlit candle.  When a person is saved
it is as if God lights the candle and the person becomes spiritually alive and able to fellowship with His Creator in a
personal way.  Or, to use an electrical illustration, the unsaved person is like an appliance that is not plugged in. It is
only when the appliance is plugged in that it can function in the way that it was made to function.  Man was made to
function in a spiritual way, in a way that brings him in close contact with God, to enjoy God's Person and Presence.
The only way a person can get "plugged in" is by coming to know the Lord Jesus Christ as personal Saviour.

Another illustration is that of AM and FM radio.  The unsaved man (the Adam Man) is spiritually dead and can only
tune in to AM.  He cannot connect to a higher frequency. The saved man (the Forgiven Man) can tune in to both AM
and FM, and his spirit is able to connect with God and commune and communicate with Him.

When a person is truly saved, he is QUICKENED or MADE ALIVE by God (Ephesians 2:1,5) and he receives the
Holy Spirit (1 Corinthians 2:12) who is able to influence man's spirit so that the saved man can perceive and
understand and grasp the things of God. A saved man's spirit is able to be alive to the things of God (spiritual things),
because the candle is lit (the cord plugged in). Through his spirit man reaches up to the spiritual world in a Godward
direction. Through his spirit man is able to seek God and meet God and communicate with God and do business with
God. Martin Luther once said, "The spirit is the highest and noblest part of man, which qualifies him to lay hold of
incomprehensible, invisible, eternal things; in short, it is the house where Faith and God's Word are at home."

The Bible often speaks of the spirit of believers reaching up to the living God in wonderful communication and
contact with Him. Please MATCH:

        With the spirit the believer...

1. _____ blesses God A. Isaiah 26:9

2. _____ prays to God B. Luke 1:47

3. _____ rejoices in C. John 4:23-24; Philippians 3:3

God

4. _____ seeks God D. Romans 1:9

5. _____ serves God E. 1 Corinthians 14:14-15

6. _____ sings to God F. 1 Corinthians 14:15

7. _____ worships God G. 1 Corinthians 14:16

In Matthew 26:41 Jesus told His disciples to "watch (stay awake) and ____________." Was their flesh (body) willing
to do this? _______  Was their spirit willing to do this? _______  The spirit is that part of man which is able to
contact and commune with the living God. Man is thus able to enjoy a wonderful living and vital relationship with the
Heavenly Father and with His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ.

Another important passage concerning the human spirit is found in Romans 8:16: "The Spirit (the Holy Spirit)
Himself beareth witness with our ____________ that we are the __________________ of God." How do I know that
I am a child of God and that I am really saved? This verse says that there are two witnesses that tell me that I am a
child of God. The first witness is my human spirit--that part of me which is sensitive to God and sensitive to spiritual
things. My spirit says, "Yes, I am a child of God. I'm saved and I can now pray to God and know that He's my Father.
I now have a wonderful personal relationship with Him!" (see Romans 8:15).

The second witness is the Holy Spirit which I received the moment I was saved (see Romans 8:9,15). The saved
person can say, "I know I'm a child of God. I am His and He is mine!" The Spirit of God then bears witness with our
spirit and says, "Amen, and I am in you as proof that you belong to God."
In Romans 8:15 who says "Abba, Father!"? ___________________________
In Galatians 4:6 who says "Abba, Father!"? ___________________________

According to Deuteronomy 19:15 two witnesses are enough to settle a matter. Thus, the human spirit and the Holy
Spirit stand up to give their testimony. The human spirit says, "I'm a child of God, ABBA FATHER!" The Holy Spirit
says, "Yes, he's a child of God, ABBA FATHER!" That settles it! The Holy Spirit has a very important ministry of
CONVINCING men. He once convinced me that I was a sinner. He now convinces me that I'm a saint (a saved
person, a child of God)!

Has God quickened you and made you alive in Christ? Are you sensitive to the things of God?  Is your candle lit? 
Are you plugged in to God?  Are you able to freely and naturally pray to the Lord and talk to Him and sing to Him
and worship Him or are these things merely a ritual (doing something mechanically, merely going through the
motions without any life or reality behind it)? Are you convinced that you are a child of God? Do you have assurance
of your salvation? Are you able to say, "I'm sure that I am saved!" Does your life show that you are saved? Are others
sure that you are saved? Can others see the evidence and the effects of the Holy Spirit in your life (John 3:6-8)?  You
need to KNOW that you are saved and you need to SHOW that you are saved.

As you wake up in the morning, are you conscious of God and aware of His presence? Before you eat at mealtime, are
you conscious of God? Before you go on a trip are you conscious of God and aware of your need for His protection?
When trouble or a problem comes along, are you conscious of God and do you seek His help? Are you conscious of
God's goodness throughout the day (enough to thank and praise Him)? Before a church service, are you aware of the
presence of God? How would you describe your own personal relationship with God? (In the following, check those
that best fit.)

_____ alive _____ personal

_____ dead _____ mechanical

_____ wonderful _____ no contact at all

_____ God does not seem real to me.

_____ I'm not sure if I really have such a relationship.

OTHER
___________________________________________

If you would like to know the Lord Jesus Christ as your personal Saviour, please be sure to talk to your Pastor, your
Sunday School teacher or some other Christian who can help you.  Nothing is more important than having a right
relationship with the God who created you!  See John 17:3.

May God help each of us to be SPIRITUAL men and women (1 Corinthians 2:15 and Galatians 5:22-23; 6:1)!

Back to WHAT IS A PERSON

Back to SUNDAY SCHOOL MATERIALS & HELPFUL BIBLE STUDIES

Back to Doctrinal Studies

Back to Home Page

 CHAPTER 5
The Make-up Of A Person

The Will

Introduction
There are three things that every PERSON possesses. These are what make a person a person! The following triangle
may help you to remember the three components that make up a PERSON:

Do you decide, think and feel? ______ Do you qualify as a true PERSON? _____ Does GOD have these three
elements of personality? To answer this, please place the following verses of Scripture where they belong on the
triangle:

Psalm 2:4 Isaiah 55:8-9 1 Corinthians 2:16

Psalm 7:11 Luke 22:42 Ephesians 1:11

Isaiah 46:10-11 Romans 11:33-34 Ephesians 4:30

The Will
Do animals have a WILL?  Does the robin decide not to build a nest?  Do salmon decide to swim upstream? Do
beavers choose to stop building dams and to go on strike?  Is it correct to say that an animal is a person? _____ Is
there a difference between built-in instincts of animals and real choices of the will made by intelligent persons?
_________

Every day a person uses his WILL (either rightly or wrongly).  People make hundreds of decisions and choices daily!

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS: What are five decisions you made at the breakfast table this morning? What was the
most important decision you made today? What was the most important decision you made this past week? This past
year?

What are some of life's most important decisions?   Before each of the following write Extremely Important (EI),
Very Important (VI), Important (I), Not Very Important (NVI):

______________  Deciding whether to smoke cigarettes or not

______________  Deciding whether to attend college

______________  Deciding what to do for an occupation (for one's life's work)

______________  Deciding whether to drink alcohol or not

______________  Deciding who I should marry

______________  Deciding whether to believe on Christ or not

______________  Deciding how to use my free time

______________  Deciding whether to forgive someone who has wronged me

______________  Deciding whether I should live for myself or live for Christ

______________  Deciding whether I should tell another person the good news of salvation.
 

What are some of life's least important decisions?

The decision to buy a hamburger with fries and a drinks or to just get a hamburger by itself.

The decision of what color shirt or pants or dress I should wear.

The decision as to which password I should choose for an internet site.

Can you think of other minor decisions we make every day?

____________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________

Some decisions involve saying NO (refusing to do something) and some decisions involves saying YES (agreeing to
do something). When is it right to say "NO"? When is it right to say "YES"?

For each of the following Scripture passages, consider the following questions:

1) What choice did God want man to make? 

2) What choice did man make? 
3) Was God pleased?

1. Matthew 23:37
2. Psalm 81:8-16
3. Proverbs 1:10-15, 24-33 (note especially verses 29-30)
4. Isaiah 28:12; 30:15
5. Jeremiah 13:10-11

According to Isaiah 1:19-20 man can either be W____________ and O___________________ or man can
R______________ and R ______________!  Which of these two choices best describes you before God? Which of
these two choices best describes you before your parents?

What important decision did Joshua make (Joshua 24:15)? _________________________________________

What important decision did Daniel make (Daniel 1:8)? ______________________________

What important choice did the Israelites in Elijah's day need to make (1 Kings 18:21)?
_________________________________________

Man's eternal destiny depends upon what great decision (John 3:18,36; Matthew 7:13-14)?
______________________________________________________

What decision does God want you to make (Deut. 30:19; 1 Tim. 2:3-4; Ezekiel 33:11; Isaiah 55:6-7)?
__________________________________________________

When is the best time to say YES to God (2 Cor. 6:2; Heb. 3:7)? __________________

CHOOSE YOU THIS DAY (Josh. 24:15)

 *   *   *   *   *   *   *   *

Making God Honoring Decisions (by A. W. Tozer)

A.W. Tozer was a man of great spiritual insight. His penetrating

writings have been profitable to many believers in exposing sin
and directing them to a closer walk with Christ.  Leonard
Ravenhill once said of Tozer, "I fear that we shall never see
another Tozer. Men like him are not college bred but Spirit
taught." Tozer’s insight into knowing the will of God is found
below:

                First, it is essential that we be completely dedicated to God's high honor and surrendered to the Lordship of
Jesus Christ. God will not lead us except for His own glory and He cannot lead us if we resist His will. The shepherd
cannot lead a stubborn sheep. The evil practice of using God must be abandoned. We must submit ourselves joyously
to God and let Him work through us to achieve His own ends.

            Now, granted that we are wholly committed to God with full intent to obey Him, we may expect actually to be
led by Him. The Scriptures that teach this are many, such as Proverbs 3:5,6. It only remains for us to believe they
mean what they say. The choices that we make from day to day involve only four kinds of things:

● Those concerning which God has said an emphatic "no."

● Those about which He has said an equally emphatic "yes."

● Those concerning which He wants us to consult our own sanctified preferences.

● Those few matters which require special guidance from the Lord to prevent us from making serious
mistakes.

            First, put this down as an unfailing rule: Never seek the leading of the Lord concerning an act that is forbidden
in God's Word. To do so is to convict ourselves of insincerity.

            Again, prophet, psalmist, apostle and our blessed Lord point out the way of positive obedience. His yoke is
easy, His burden is light, so let this be the second rule: Never seek the leading of the Lord concerning an act
commanded in the Scriptures.

            Now, a happy truth too often overlooked in our anxious search for God's will is that in the majority of
decisions touching our lives God expresses no choice but allows us to choose our preference. Some Christians walk
uncertainly, worrying about which profession they should enter, which car they should drive, which school they
should attend, where they should live and other such matters. The Lord has set Christians to follow their own personal
bent, guided only by their love for Him and their fellow men.

            It appears more spiritual to seek God's leading than to do the obvious thing. But it is not. If God gave you a
watch would you honor Him more by asking Him for the time of day or by consulting the watch?
            Except for those things that are specifically commanded or forbidden, it is God's will that we be free to
choose. The shepherd leads the sheep but he does not decide which tuft of grass the sheep shall nibble. Touching our
life on earth God is pleased when we are pleased. He wills that we be as free as birds to soar and sing our Maker's
praise without anxiety. God's choice for us may be any one of a score of possible choices. The Christian who is
wholly and joyously surrendered to Christ cannot make a wrong choice.

            But what about those times when much is at stake and we can discover no clear scriptural instruction and yet
are forced to choose between two possible courses? We have God's faithful promise to guide us aright. Here are two
among many passages from God's Word:

"If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not;
and it shall be given him. But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering" (James 1:5,6).

"Thus saith the LORD, thy Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel; I am the LORD thy God which teacheth
thee to profit, which leadeth thee by the way that thou shouldest go" (Isaiah 48:17).

            Take your problem to the Lord. Remind Him of these promises. If you are dedicated to God's purpose, He will
not permit you to make a mistake.

Back to WHAT IS A PERSON

Back to SUNDAY SCHOOL MATERIALS & HELPFUL BIBLE STUDIES

Back to Doctrinal Studies

Back to Home Page

CHAPTER 6
The Make-up Of A Person

The Intellect
The Creator has endowed man with an INTELLECT--the ability to think, to know, to understand, to learn, to
comprehend ideas and to reason with the mind. Man is a "thinking being." Some psychologists estimate that 10,000
thoughts go through the human mind in one day (that is 3,500,000 a year!).

David once looked up into the heavens on a starry night, and as he thought about himself and about his Creator, he
asked the question, "What is _________ that Thou (God the Creator) art mindful of him?" (Psalm 8:3-4). Why should
such a great and glorious God be concerned about and mindful of puny man? On another occasion David reflected on
the brevity of life (man's "days are like a __________________ that _________________away"--Psalm 144:4) and he
asked a similar question (see Psalm 144:1-4). David used his intellect to ponder and to consider man, His Maker, and
the meaning of life.

Has an ape or a dog ever gazed into the heavens and then thought, "WHO AM I? WHY AM I HERE? WHERE DID I
COME FROM? WHERE AM I GOING?" ?  Do people ask questions such as these? _______  Are our libraries filled
with books trying to answer questions such as these? _______

In the days of Isaiah, the LORD actually challenged and invited the Israelites to use their intellect and to reason with
their minds: "Come now, and let us _________________ together, saith the ___________: though your ________ be
as scarlet, they shall be as ______________ as snow" (Isaiah 1:18). Why did God say their sins were SCARLET or
RED (see Isaiah 1:15,21; 59:2-3)? __________________________________________________ The LORD was
saying something like this: "Come now, let us reason together! Let's think this through together.  Do you want to be
clean or do you want to stay dirty (Isaiah 1:16)? What makes the most sense to you--to receive God's gracious
forgiveness or to receive God's terrible judgment?" How sad that often people do not think very straight or reason
very well!

What Do You Think?

There are many questions that could be asked which would get people to think and discuss and reason together (or
even argue together). For example, consider the following:

"What do you think of flying saucers?"

"What do you think of the theory of evolution?"

"What do you think of reincarnation?"

"What do you think of abortion?"

"What do you think of the death penalty?"

  "What do you think of inflation?"

"What do you think of (name someone running for office) as a political

or presidential candidate?"

"What do you think of natural foods?"

"What do you think of the (baseball or football team)?"

"What do you think of boxing and wrestling?"

  "What do you think of Communism?"

 "What do you think of Islam?"

"What do you think should be done about terrorism?"

"What do you think of the problem of illegal immigration?"

"What do you think of the Israeli Palestinian conflict?"

"What do you think of your teachers in school?"

"What do you think of your Sunday School teacher?"

"What do you think of your parents?"

"What do you think of the President of the United States?"

"What do you think a person needs to do in order to be saved and have

his or her sins forgiven?"

"What do you think a person needs to do in order to have assurance of

salvation?"

All these questions would probably stimulate a good amount of thinking and discussion.  [Some of these could be
discussed even during this Sunday School class.] Some of these questions are important and certainly are worth
serious thought and consideration.

What Do You Think of Jesus?

There is one question that is far more important than all these questions combined. The Lord Jesus Christ asked this
question Himself in Matthew 22:42: "WHAT _____________ YE OF _____________ (THE MESSIAH--GOD'S
PROMISED SAVIOUR-KING)?" Why is this such an important question (Matthew 16:13-17; John 3:18,36; 8:24)?
____________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________

WHAT DO YOU THINK OF JESUS CHRIST?  There is no question more important than this.  Here are some
questions pertaining to the Person and work of Jesus Christ which can be profitably discussed in class:

What do you think of the birth of Christ?  Was it natural or supernatural?   Do you think Christ existed before He was
born in Bethlehem?   When do you think His existence began?   Was there ever a time when He did not exist
(compare John 8:58)?   Do you think Jesus Christ was God?   Can you show from the Bible why you think this is so?

What do you think of the life of Christ?   Did He ever disobey his parents (Luke 2:51)?  Did He experience moral
failures like all of us do, or did He live a sinless life (1 Peter 2:22)?    Did He ever break or disobey God's law?  What
do you think of His teachings?  Where did His doctrine or His teaching come from?  

Why was He put to death?   Why was it necessary for Him to die (John 3:14; Matthew 16:21--"MUST")?  What do
you think happened when He died on the cross?   Did His death have anything to do with you?   How does His death
teach us of God's justice?  How does His death teach us of God's love? 

What do you think of His resurrection?   Did it really happen?   How do you know this?  What evidence is there?  Did
people who knew He had died really see Him alive days later?   Is He still alive today?   Where is He today?
What do you think Jesus Christ will do in the future?   The early Christians believed He would come again.  Do you
believe this?   Why will He come?   How will this affect you?  How will this affect the world?   How will this affect
wicked men?   Do you think the coming of Jesus Christ will solve the problems our world faces such as poverty,
disease, wars, terrorism, etc.?

As persons, God has given us the ability to THINK, and it is crucially important that we think rightly about the Person
of the Lord Jesus Christ.  To think wrongly about Him can result in a person's personal doom:  "I said therefore, unto
you, that ye shall ______  in your _______; for if ye _________________    ______ that I am He, ye shall ______ in
your sins" (John 8:24).

The Right Use of the Mind and Intellect

God wants all men to come unto the _____________________ of the ___________ (1 Timothy 2:4). The Lord Jesus
wanted men to KNOW the ___________ (John 8:32). In Ephesians 4:17 we learn that the Gentiles (unsaved people)
walk in the V________________ or EMPTINESS of their ______________. The mind of the unsaved person is
empty because it is not filled with TRUTH (it is devoid of truth). Where is truth found (Ephesians 4:21; John 14:6)?
___________________________

The Lord wants men not only to know themselves and to know the world they live in, but more importantly to
KNOW what (John 17:3; compare Isaiah 43:10)?
____________________________________________________________________________ The unsaved are
described as those who _________        ______ God (1 Thess. 4:5). Do you know HIM in a personal way? Can you
speak of Him as Thomas did in John 20:28?

One of the most important reasons God has endowed man with intellect is that he might UNDERSTAND what (Luke
24:45; Acts 8:30; Matt. 24:15)? _____________________________________________________________
Are you using your INTELLIGENCE to understand the Word of God and the God of the Word? If you are
IGNORANT of God and His Word, who is to blame (see Proverbs 1:20-33)? __________________________

Back to WHAT IS A PERSON

Back to SUNDAY SCHOOL MATERIALS & HELPFUL BIBLE STUDIES

CHAPTER 7
The Make-Up Of A Person

The Emotions
As a person, I feel certain ways (glad, sad, mad, etc.). These strong feelings (such as joy, sorrow, fear, lust, hate, love,
grief, anger, excitement) are commonly referred to as my emotions.

The Lord Himself is an emotional Person with real feelings. Consider the following verses, and next to each one,
write the kind of feeling that is described:

1. Proverbs 6:16-19 _________________________________________________

 
2. Psalm 7:11 ______________________________________________________
 
3. Hebrews 1:9 _____________________________________________________
 
4. Exodus 34:14 ____________________________________________________
 
5. 1 Samuel 15:22 ___________________________________________________

As believers we must learn to love what God loves, hate what God hates, get excited about the things that excite God,
get angry about those things that anger God, grieve over the things that grieve God, and delight in those things which
God delights in! In other words, we must learn to feel the way the Lord feels!

Most people are led and controlled by their feelings and emotions, and the result is disastrous. When asked, "Why did
you do that?" a common answer is, "Because I felt like it!" But feelings do not do very well in the driver's seat!
Feelings come and feelings go. Feelings change. One hour he's sad, the next hour he's glad and later he's mad. The
person who runs his life on the basis of feelings, is like the fool who buries his treasure in the sand ten feet from the
shoreline. When he returns he cannot find his treasure because the changing tides have created a different shoreline!
We need to be led by a sure guide that will not change.

In the following illustration we see the different parts of a train. Please indicate the correct order in the spaces
provided (FIRST, MIDDLE, LAST):
The FACTS are found in God's Word, the Bible. Do these FACTS ever change (Psalm 119:89; Hebrews 6:18;
Numbers 23:19)? _____ FAITH acts upon the FACTS of God's Word. FAITH says, "I believe God's Word and I am
going to DO what God says (even if I don't feel like doing it)!" Then when the believer does what God says,
FEELINGS follow.  You will be pleased, glad, satisfied and you will feel good because you have obeyed God and
done the right thing.  Good feelings are the natural outcome of obedience (acting upon what God has said).

Imagine yourself sound asleep enjoying all the relaxing comforts of dreamland. Suddenly you hear the dreaded buzz
of the alarm clock. Do you feel like getting up or do you feel like shutting off the alarm and resting for another hour
or two? You know that getting up is the right thing to do, so you get up even though you really feel like staying in
bed. After you are up and around awhile you begin to feel differently, and you are glad that you acted against your
feelings. If you had followed your feelings and slept in, then later you would probably feel terrible because you would
realize how lazy you have been, how you have wasted time and how half the morning is over before you have even
started your day!

Every day is filled with many decisions that must be made on the basis of obedience to God rather than on the basis of
one's feelings. There is many things that are good and right and proper that we may not always feel like doing. There
are two ways to live. They reflect two kinds of religion and two kinds of morality. One religion and life and morality
says, "I will live according to feeling." The other says, "I will live as God says."   The feeling motivated life is a life
of sin oriented toward self gratification.  The commandment motivated is a life of holiness oriented toward obeying
God (FAITH--trusting God and responding in the right way to what God has said).

Read Romans 15:1-3 and notice the word "please" (or "pleased") in each of the verses. If we should do what we
naturally FEEL like doing, whom would we please? _________________ Whom are we commanded to please
(Romans 15:2)? _________________________ Whom should we please most of all (Hebrews 11:5)? _______
According to Hebrews 11:6, it is impossible to do this without __________ (believing God and doing what He says
even if we do not feel like it).

Consider the illustration Jesus gave in Luke 17:7-8. Here is a servant who has worked up a big appetite laboring in the
field. He has been ordered by his master to prepare and serve the meal, and only after this is done may he eat and
drink himself. As he savors the aroma of the food that he is preparing, what do you think his FEELINGS tell him to
do? Thus he must make a choice: Should he follow his feelings and enjoy this food now or should he do what he has
been commanded to do? What choice did he make (Luke 17:9)?
__________________________________________________ Later, after his master had finished eating, the servant
could enjoy his food with the inner satisfaction and delight of knowing he had done right (he did the will of his
master)!

In Matthew 5:44, Christ gave a command, "_________________ your enemies." Is this something that most people
feel like doing?______   If we were to follow our feelings, we might punch our enemy in the nose or let air out of his
tires or some other malicious deed!  What do people FEEL like doing (Matthew 5:46)?
____________________________________________________  But if you treat your enemy as God commands you
to (see Romans 12:20-21), you will be amazed to see how your feelings will begin to change towards that person.

In Genesis 4:4-5 we learn the important principle that behavior (the way we act and live) determines feelings. Cain
disobeyed God and brought the wrong kind of offering. God could not accept this offering, and thus Cain became
angry and upset, and his countenance (face) __________ (Genesis 4:5). Because he had done wrong he felt terrible!
His emotional problems resulted from his behavioral problems. God told Cain how to overcome this problem: Verse 7
literally says, "If you do right, will not it (your face) be lifted up?" Right living and acting and thinking leads to right
feelings.

People often feel bad as the result of bad behavior (not living in obedience to God's Word). Bad feelings should alert
us to the fact that something is wrong with our behavior! Bad feelings are like the red light on the dashboard flashing
out at us telling us that something is wrong (that I am not believing God and doing what He says). What must a
person do to fix the problem? Should he take a hammer and smash the red light on the dashboard? Obviously not! He
must get out of the car and lift the hood to see what is wrong. His problem is not with the light on the dashboard. The
light is working well and doing just what it is supposed to do. He is thankful for the light; it has warned him early
enough to do something about the real problem. The real problem, in terms of the person who has bad feelings, is that
there are certain areas in his life where he is not doing what God has said. It is this sinful disobedience which has
caused the bad feelings. To have good feelings, the person must do W________ (Genesis 4:7), that is, he must do
what is right and what God has told him to do!

Why was Peter so sorrowful (Luke 22:62 and see Luke 22:40, 45-46, 55-61)?
________________________________________________________________

Why did David lose his joy (Psalm 51:8,12 and see verses 3-4)?
________________________________________________________________

Why was Saul troubled (1 Samuel 16:14 and see 1 Samuel 15:23-24)?
________________________________________________________________

Why was Haman hot with anger (Esther 3:5 and compare 5:9)?
________________________________________________________________

Therefore, to be emotionally healthy and happy, we must keep FACTS, FAITH and FEELINGS in their proper order:

1. I must make sure I understand what the FACTS really are. What does God want me to do? What does God's
Word say that I should do in this particular situation that I am now facing? What commands am I responsible
to obey?
 
2. I must by FAITH act upon the FACTS of God's Word, no matter how I feel. I must believe God and do
exactly what He says. "Trust and obey, for there's no other way to be HAPPY in Jesus, but to trust and obey."
 
3. I must let my FEELINGS follow, remembering that when I do well, I will begin to feel well. Right living
results in good feelings. Wrong living results in sadness, guilt (Genesis 42:21-22), worry, sorrow, depression,
anger, etc. If I am feeling bad, this should alert me to the fact that I may not be living according to God's Word
(unless the bad feelings are a result of a physical problem such as sickness, etc.).

1)  UNDERSTAND 2)  OBEY 3)  ENJOY THE BLESSINGS

GOD'S GOD'S OF OBEYING AND
WORD WORD PLEASING GOD
(facts) (faith) (feelings)
 Feeling Depressed?

Consider Psalm 42:5, "Why art thou __________    ____________, O my soul?  And why art thou disquieted (inner
turmoil, inner agitation) within me."    As you read the rest of the verse, what was the solution for these feelings of
depression? ___________________________________________________  As we look to God, God can take care of
our feelings and our emotions.  Do you find the same thing in Psalm 42:11 and 43:5? ____   Make sure your rope is
rightly connected to the Anchor, to the living God.  God can take care of the inner turmoil and the resulting peace will
be reflected on the face (countenance) of the one who is hoping in God (Psalm 42:11).

Assurance of Salvation

Some people doubt their salvation because they do not FEEL saved.  We need to be careful not to base our salvation
upon feelings, but upon God's sure salvation promises found in His Word. 

Let us consider a few of God's salvation promises. We want to be looking for two things: a) First we want to see
what the sinner’s responsibility is. This is exactly what the jailer wanted to know in Acts 16:30 when he cried out,
"What must I do to be saved?" b) Second, we want to see what God promises to do for the sinner when the sinner
responds in the right way. The first three verses will be done for you so that you will understand what to look for.
Then look up the other verses that are listed and do the same for them.

          1) Matthew 11:28

a) The sinner must come unto Christ           

b) God promises the sinner rest                                            

2) John 1:12
 

a) The sinner must receive Christ and believe on His Name                             

b) God promises the sinner that he will become a son (child) of God                   
 
          3) John 3:16
 
a) The sinner must believe in Christ                                               
b) God promises the sinner that he will not perish but will have everlasting life                   
 
          4) John 5:24
 
a) The sinner must _____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________
b) God promises the sinner three things: 
1. ___________________________________________________________________________
2. ___________________________________________________________________________
3. ___________________________________________________________________________

5) John 6:35

a) The sinner must _______________________________________________________________

b) God promises the sinner ________________________________________________________

6) John 6:37
 a) The sinner must _______________________________________________________________
b) God promises the sinner_________________________________________________________

7) John 6:47

a) The sinner must _______________________________________________________________

b) God promises the sinner ________________________________________________________

8) Acts 10:43
 

a) The sinner must________________________________________________________________

b) God promises the sinner_________________________________________________________
    ["Remission" means forgiveness]
 
          9) Acts 16:31
 
a) The sinner must _______________________________________________________________
b) God promises the sinner ________________________________________________________

How can we know we are saved?  How can we know that we have eternal life (compare 1 John 5:13)?  We know so
because God said so!   "Tis so sweet to trust in Jesus, just to take Him at His Word, just to rest upon His promise, just
to know THUS SAITH THE LORD!"

Our feelings may come and go.  Our feelings are very changeable.  But God's Word never changes.  You can read
John 3:16 before you go to bed.  When you wake up in the morning, will John 3:16 say something different or will it
be exactly the same thing that you read the night before?  

Feelings come and feelings go

And feelings are deceiving.
My warrant is the Word of God,
Naught else is worth believing!
 
Note: I am indebted to Dr. Jay Adams for some of the illustrations used in this chapter. See Godliness Through Discipline (p.15ff.) and Competent to
Counsel (p. 93ff.).

Back to WHAT IS A PERSON

Back to SUNDAY SCHOOL MATERIALS & HELPFUL BIBLE STUDIES

CHAPTER 8
The Make-Up Of A Person
 The Heart
The Heart of the Matter
is the Matter of the Heart!

The Meaning of the Term "Heart" as Used in the Bible

When we use the word "heart" we are usually referring to that very important organ in our chest cavity which pumps
blood throughout our body.

The Bible uses the word "heart" many times but rarely uses it of the physical organ.  One place where it does refer to
this organ is found in 2 Kings 9:24---"And Jehu drew a bow with his full strength, and smote Jehoram between his
arms, and the arrow went out at ___________________, and he sunk down in his chariot" (2 Kings 9:24).   This verse
is speaking of the physical organ, the heart, which is a rare usage.  Most of the time the term "heart" in the Bible has
another meaning.

The physical heart is found at the center of a person's body, not the end of a person's leg, nor near a person's elbow. 
The term "HEART" in the Bible usually refers to the central core of a man, the inner person.  The "heart" is the way
to speak of THE WHOLE PERSON.  When the Bible speaks of someone's heart, it is speaking of the inner PERSON. 
The heart refers to the whole person, including the person’s mind, will, emotions, etc. 

The physical organ which we call the heart is vitally important.  We cannot live without it, and if it stops beating we
will die.  Heart disease is a serious killer of men and women.  So also the inner "heart" of man is of utmost
importance.  All that we do and think and feel flows out of the heart.  It is the center of our inner being.

The heart is the center of man's thinking:   "For as he ________________ in his heart, so is he (Prov. 23:7).  As I
think, so I am.  The clothes we put on are not who we are.  The food we eat does not make us who we are.  What we
do for a living does not  make us who we are.  We are who we are in our mind, in our heart.  Our physical body is not
who we are; it is just the house we live in. 
"But the LORD said unto Samuel, Look not on his countenance, or on the height of his stature; because I have refused
him: for the LORD seeth not as man seeth; for man looketh on the outward appearance, but the LORD looketh on
the   ________________" (1 Sam. 16:7). People look on the outside, but God looks on the heart, on the inside. God is
not looking at the physical organ, but at the inner person. God sees what the person is like on the inside.

"Keep thy  ________________  with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life" (Prov. 4:23). Keep or guard your
heart.  The heart is the core of your being.  The heart is the key to a person's life.  Keep your heart more than all the
other things you keep. Regard it as the very citadel (fortified place, stronghold) of your soul.  Out of the heart are the
issues, the springs, the outgoings of life. The heart is the source. The heart is the substance. The heart is where
decisions are made.  Everything you express comes out of the heart.  All the affections and feelings are in the heart.

Keeping the heart right with God is more important than anything else.  A person could graduate with high honors
from a very prestigious college, but keeping the heart right with God is more important than that.  A person could win
an Olympic Gold medal or earn a Nobel prize, but keeping the heart right with God is more important than that.  A
person could climb up the corporate ladder and find a job which pays an annual salary of more than three million
dollars, but keeping the heart right with God is more important than that.  Suppose a person could take a magic pill
which guarantees that he will never get sick or ill for the rest of his life, and guarantees that he will live to be at least
100.  Keeping the heart right with God is more important than that.  "Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are
the issues of life" (Prov. 4:23).

"My soul longeth, yea, even fainteth for the courts of the LORD: my _________________  and my flesh crieth out for
the living God" (Psalm 84:2). In this verse, soul and heart are used in parallel fashion, both referring to the person. 
This person has a longing for the living God, to know Him better.

Man's sinfulness comes from the center of his being.  "For from within,  out of the _______________  of men,
proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders" (Mark 7:21, and see verses 22-23).   The heart refers to the
person inside.  The person is defiled by sin.  Every person has received this sinful nature from Adam.  Every person
needs to know the "_____________ of his own heart" (1 Kings 8:38).  Every person needs to recognize that he has a
serious heart problem:  "The ________________ is deceitful above all things and desperately wicked [incurably
sick]" (Jeremiah 17:9).  Only God has a cure for the sinful heart of man, and that cure was made possible by Calvary's
cross.

The heart is the center of man's understanding.  Solomon knew that on his own and by himself he could never handle
the responsibilities of being king over all Israel.  So he asked God for understanding:   "Give therefore thy servant an
_______________________     _______________  to judge thy people, that I may discern between good and bad: for
who is able to judge this thy so great a people?" (1 Kings 3:9).   And God answered this prayer:  "And God said unto
him, Because thou hast asked this thing, and hast not asked for thyself long life; neither hast asked riches for thyself,
nor hast asked the life of thine enemies; but hast asked for thyself understanding to discern judgment; Behold, I have
done according to thy words: lo, I have given thee a wise and an ________________________    ____________; so
that there was none like thee before thee, neither after thee shall any arise like unto thee" (1 Kings 3:11-12).

A Seeking Heart

"But if from thence thou shalt seek the LORD thy God, thou shalt find him, if thou seek him with  ____    ______   
______________  and with all thy soul" (Deut. 4:29).   The heart has to do with the person. All of your heart, all of
you, all of your soul─your whole being─is to be seeking God. Give your whole heart to the pursuit of God.  Do not
seek God in a half-hearted way.  When your whole person approaches God’s whole Person, then you will find God.

According to Jeremiah 29:12-13, what must a person do in order to find God? 

_____________________________________________________________________________  Does God reward
people who seek Him in this way (Hebrews 11:6)? _______  Those who seek after God with all their heart will not be
disappointed.
 A Divided Heart

Genesis 4:19 speaks of a man who took unto himself two wives.  Because of this, his heart and his affections were
divided.  He could not give one wife all of his devotion because he had two wives, and both of them wanted his
attention.  His affection had to be shared between the two.  You can imagine the problems this might create.  Solomon
had hundred of wives and his heart had to be divided between all of them. 

When it comes to the believer and God, God does not want the believer to have a divided heart.  Suppose you had two
bosses.  It would be impossible to give one of them all your service and labor because you have to try to please both
of them.  The Lord Jesus spoke of this problem of a divided heart:  "No man can serve two masters: for either he will
hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and
mammon" (Matthew 6:24).  God wants all of our devotion.

The living God wants all of our love and all of our devotion:  "Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God is one LORD: And
thou shalt love the LORD thy God with _____     ______    _____________, and with all thy soul, and with all thy
might" (Deut. 6:4-5).   Because there is only ONE GOD (verse 4) our devotion does not need to be divided.  We are
to love Him with ALL OUR HEART.

"And now, Israel, what doth the LORD thy God require of thee, but to fear the LORD thy God, to walk in all his
ways, and to love him, and to serve the LORD thy God with ____    _____   _____________  and with all thy soul"
(Deut. 10:12). The entire person is involved.

"Servants, obey in all things your masters according to the flesh; not with eyeservice, as menpleasers; but in
__________________   of  ______________, fearing God" (Col. 3:22). The word SINGLENESS means without
duplicity, simple, clear, united, connected. With singleness of heart, serve and fear God. Don’t have a divided heart.
Leave God in the center of your heart.  Give Him all your heart.  Give Him your complete allegiance. 

As you observe people and the way they live, what are some of the signs of a divided heart?   What are some of the
signs of a heart that is undivided and fully devoted to the Lord?

 Who knows all about your heart, and whether it is divided or not (Psalm 44:21)? __________

A Hard Heart

"But the house of Israel will not hearken unto thee; for they will not hearken unto me: for all the house of Israel are
impudent (stiff) and _______________________" (Ezekiel 3:7).

The Pharaoh in the book of Exodus was known for his HARD HEART.  He repeatedly refused to do what God told
him to do.

"Today if ye will hear his voice, ______________ not your hearts" (Hebrews 3:7-8).   When we hear God's Word,
and fail to do what it says, our hearts get hard.  When we continue to hear God's Word, but fail to heed God's Word,
then the heart keeps on getting harder.  The harder the heart gets, the harder it is to do right.   When we hear God's
Word and look to God and humbly seek to do what God's Word says, then the heart softens.

A Tender Heart

What is God looking for? He’s looking for a heart that is tender.  The word "tender" is used of a little twig, a tree just
developing.  "Thus saith the Lord GOD; I will also take of the highest branch of the high cedar, and will set it; I will
crop off from the top of his young twigs a tender one, and will plant it upon an high mountain and eminent" (Ezek.
17:22).  A twig is not like a large branch. It is very small, tender and bendable.  The word "tender" is used of a little
child, a tender child:  moldable, soft, weak, supple, submissive, easily bent like a twig, easily changed.
King Josiah had a tender heart:  "Because thine ______________ was ___________ (easily bent, bowed), and thou
hast humbled thyself before the LORD, when thou heardest what I spake against this place, and against the
inhabitants thereof, that they should become a desolation and a curse, and hast rent thy clothes, and wept before me; I
also have heard thee, saith the LORD" (2 Kings 22:19). He was tender, soft, easily bent.  We need to have a soft heart
that is pliable, teachable, moldable. The problem is that we get old, stiff and inflexible. We need to stay childlike.

"Then will I sprinkle clean water upon you, and ye shall be clean: from all your filthiness, and from all your idols,
will I cleanse you. A new  ____________ also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you: and I will take
away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you an _____________  of flesh" (Ezek. 36:25-26).   A heart
of flesh is a soft heart.  To have a soft heart, we must look to God:  "For God maketh my heart _________" (Job
23:16). The word SOFT is the word TENDER. God mollifies and tenderizes my heart. Otherwise I would have a hard
heart. God does that.  He wants us to be soft, flexible, easily molded.
 

A Departing Heart

"For it came to pass, when Solomon was old, that his wives turned away ______     ____________ after other gods:
and _____    ___________    was not perfect with the LORD his God, as was the heart of David, his father" (1 Kings
11:4).   Solomon was unlike his father David who gave God all of his heart.   Solomon allowed his foreign wives to
turn his heart away from God.  "And the LORD was angry with Solomon, because _____     ____________  was
turned from the LORD God of Israel" (1 Kings 11:9).  

The Lord warns us about a departing heart:  "Take heed, brethren, lest there be in any of you an __________   
____________ of unbelief, in departing from the living God" (Hebrews 3:12).  Faith brings us to God (Hebrews
11:6); unbelief takes us away from God (Hebrews 3:12).  God wants us to be constantly DRAWING NEAR to God,
not departing from Him:  "Let us __________    ___________ with a true _____________ in full assurance of faith"
(Hebrews 10:22).   If a person draws back from God, is God pleased (Hebrews 10:38)? ______

A Determined Heart

Daniel 1:8—"But Daniel purposed in his ____________ that he would not defile himself with the portion of the
king's meat, nor with the wine which he drank: therefore he requested of the prince of the eunuchs that he might not
defile himself."  He purposed; he laid it to heart; he set his heart on the right course. He determined that he would not
defile himself but that he would keep himself pure for the Lord.  What determination have you made in your heart?  
What course is your life set on?   What is your focus and goal in life?   What is the one thing you are concerned about
more than anything else?  

HOW IS  YOUR HEART?

Is Your Heart  Right With God?
David, toward the end of his life, gave a very important message to his son Solomon:  "And thou, Solomon my son,
know thou the God of thy father, and serve him with a perfect ______________ and with a willing mind: for the
LORD searcheth all hearts, and understandeth all the imaginations of the thoughts: if thou seek him, he will be found
of thee; but if thou forsake him, he will cast thee off for ever" (1 Chron. 28:9).   A perfect heart is an undivided heart,
a heart that is fully and completely devoted to the Lord.   God searches all of our hearts and He knows whether or not
we have a perfect heart.  If your heart is not right with God, it is never too late to fix it:  "If thou seek him, he will be
found of (by) thee" (1 Chron. 28:9).   

Back to WHAT IS A PERSON

Back to SUNDAY SCHOOL MATERIALS & HELPFUL BIBLE STUDIES
 CHAPTER 9
The Make-Up Of A Person

How Is Your Heart?

The Heart of the Matter
is the Matter of the Heart!

The health of our physical heart is of vital importance. Suppose you go to the doctor for a complete physical.  He
listens to your heart with his stethoscope.  He takes your blood pressure and checks your pulse.  He gives you an
electrocardiogram, a stress test and does blood work.  When the tests are all in, he informs you that you have a serious
heart problem.   Would you be concerned about this?  Is your heart important to you?

There are many people today who have a very serious heart problem, but tragically, they are not even concerned or
alarmed about it.  The problem is not with the physical organ, but with the innermost part of the person.  The heart of
the matter is the matter of the heart.  The key issue is this:  HOW IS YOUR HEART?

Toward the end of his life, David had something of utmost importance to share with his son  Solomon, who would be
the next king of Israel:   "And thou, Solomon my son, know thou the God of thy father, and serve him with a perfect
_____________ and with a willing mind: for the LORD ____________________ all _______________, and
understandeth all the imaginations of the thoughts: if thou seek him, he will be found of thee; but if thou forsake him,
he will cast thee off for ever" (1 Chron. 28:9).

The LORD searches all hearts!  What does He find?   Does He find a heart that is soft or hard?   Does He find a heart
that is going toward God or away from God?  Does He find a heart that is seeking Him or a heart that is forsaking
Him?   God wants a "perfect heart," or a heart that is completely devoted to Him.  HOW IS YOUR HEART?

Proposition #1--If the heart has a problem, if the heart is not right before God (not soft,
not tender), then the best conditions in the world and the most favorable circumstances will
not do any good. The best possible outward conditions and the most favorable environment
will profit the person nothing if the heart is not right.

Consider the following four cases which prove Proposition #1:

1)  Solomon

Did Solomon have a godly father (1 Chron. 28:9)?  _______

Solomon had a wonderful knowledge of the Scriptures and a high view of God, as can be seen by his prayer of
dedication found in 1 Kings chapter 8. 

What amazing gift did God give to Solomon (1 Kings 3:12; 4:29-30)?
___________________________________________ 

God even used Solomon to write three books of the Bible.  What are they?  [Hint:  the three books that follow the
book of Psalms]
1. ___________________________________

2. ___________________________________

3. ___________________________________

Solomon seemed to have every advantage:  a father who loved the Lord, a knowledge of God's truth, and God-given
wisdom like no other man was ever given.

In spite of all the advantages that Solomon had, he fell into terrible sin and experienced major spiritual failure. Read 1
Kings chapter 11.

What was Solomon's problem that caused such a serious spiritual decline?

Read 1 Kings 11:2,3,4,9.  What word beginning with "H" is found in all these verses?  _________________

In light of these verses, what was Solomon's main problem?

_______________________________________________________________

2) The Generation of Israelites Who Came Out of Egypt in the Days of Moses

These people were blessed indeed.  They had so many privileges.  They saw an amazing demonstration of God's
power at the Red Sea (Exodus chapter 14).  They witnessed miracle after miracle in the desert wilderness:  bitter
water made drinkable, food provided in the barren dessert, manna provided every morning, water gushing forth from
a rock, clothes and shoes never wearing out for forty years, protection from diseases, etc.

Who talked to the children of Israel face to face at Mount Sinai when the Ten Commandments were given
(Deuteronomy 5:4,22)? ____________________  When it came to knowing God and His power and His Word, the
children of Israel had every outward advantage, and they were blessed with a great leader, Moses the man of God.

Yet in spite of all that they had, they failed miserably!   They murmured repeatedly; they spoke against Moses and
against God; they made a golden calf; they refused to believe God's promises.  As the result of this, they could not
enter the land, and they all died in the desert except for Joshua and Caleb.

In Hebrews 3:7-13 we read about Israel's tragic failure in the wilderness and how they could not enter the promised
land because of their unbelief.  In what two verses do you find the word "HEART"?

_________________________

_________________________

3)  Judas, One of the Twelve

Consider Judas who was "_______ of the twelve" (John 6:71).   Seven times in the gospels Judas is described in this
way:  "ONE OF THE TWELVE."  It reminds us of the great privileges and advantages this man had.

How could anyone be closer to the Lord than Judas and the other disciples?  He was one of the twelve.  Again and
again he witnessed the miracles of the Lord, which proved that Jesus was everything He claimed to be.  Judas sat
under the best Teacher the world has ever known and heard the greatest Preacher.  Judas heard the way of salvation
from the lips of the Saviour Himself.

In spite of all of the advantages that Judas had, Jesus said of this man:   "The Son of man goeth as it is written of him:
but ______ unto that man by whom the Son of man is betrayed! it had been good for that man if he had not
________   ________" (Matthew 26:24).  In John 17:12 Judas is called "the _______   of  P__________________."   
The word "perdition" is related to the word "perish" in John 3:16.  Judas was doomed to perish for all eternity because
of his unbelief and his rejection of Jesus Christ, the One he betrayed.

Do you realize that even if Jesus Christ Himself would teach and preach from your church
pulpit every Sunday and present to you the TRUTH in a perfect way, it would do you
absolutely no good, if your heart were not right.

4)  The Children Who Are Born and Grow Up During the Millennial Kingdom

During the millennial kingdom, the world will enjoy ideal conditions and a perfect environment.  "The earth shall be
______  of the knowledge of the ___________, as the waters cover the sea" (Isaiah 11:9).  There will no more
W_____ (Isaiah 2:4 and see the end of the verse).  There will be peace and prosperity everywhere.  The Lord Jesus
Christ will be King over all the earth (Jeremiah 23:5).  During the kingdom age there will be no false religions, no
secular humanism, no communism, no Muslim extremists and no atheists.  No evolutionary teaching will be permitted
because the Creator-God Himself will be on the throne.  All the world will enjoy Christian education at its best, with
the Messiah Himself as the instructor (Isaiah 2:3).  During these thousand years, will Satan have any harmful
influence upon the earth (Revelation 20:1-3)? ______

In spite of the best conditions the world has ever known and in spite of a perfect environment, at the end of these one
thousand years Satan will be released from his prison and countless thousands of people will follow him and will
revolt against God, proving that their hearts were not really with the King.  Read carefully Revelation 20:7-8.

This great final rebellion will prove once and for all that...

            ...society is not to blame (the millennial society will be ideal in every way).
            ...the environment is not to blame.
            ...Satan is not to blame (he just stirred up and brought to the front the rebellion that was already there).

               The blame can only fall in one place:  the human heart.

 During the kingdom age, nothing is corrupt on the earth.  There is only one area that God allows to be corrupt--the
human heart!  This is the most critical area of all.  If the heart is not right, everything else can be perfect, but the
person is doomed.

Proposition #2--If the heart is humbly bent in God's direction, and if the person is seeking
God with all his heart, then the worst conditions in the world and the least favorable
circumstances will not do him any harm.  The worst possible outward conditions and the
least favorable environment cannot hinder the spiritual success of the person whose heart is
right with God.

Consider the following four cases which prove Proposition #2:

1)  Abraham
Did Abraham's father serve the living and true God, or did he serve false gods (Joshua 24:2)?
__________________________________  Abraham's father was an idol worshipper, not providing a very good
example for his son.  Abraham did not come from a "Christian" home.  Abraham had a pagan father and he lived in a
pagan land.  He had no one to teach him about the true and living God.  He was all alone except for one thing:  God
was there! 

In his heart, Abraham ___________________ God (Genesis 15:6) and he became the father of the faithful.  God
Himself said that Abraham was His F______________ (Isaiah 41:8).   Abraham was a spiritual success.  He survived
even though he was surrounded by a world of unbelief.  Why did Abraham survive and succeed?   The key was his
heart.  In his heart he simply took God at His Word and believed what God said.

2) Joseph

When we first meet Joseph as a teenager, how old is he (Genesis 37:2)? ___________  As you read about what
happened to this young man, you find few favorable conditions for his spiritual development.

He was sold into a pagan land as a slave.

He was separated from his family while still a teenager.
He was cut off from any kind of healthy spiritual influence.
He had no one to teach him the ways of God.
He was daily surrounded by pagan, Egyptian influences.

Everything was against him.  How could he ever survive?   Read Genesis 39:2,3,21,23.  The key was the heart. Joseph
had a heart that was humble and soft and bent in God's direction.  Joseph had a heart that was with God and therefore
God was with him.  Everything was against him but God was with him! 

3) Josiah

How old was Josiah when he became king (2 Chronicles 34:1)? _________  [Could you imagine a third or fourth
grader becoming President of the United States?]

Outwardly Josiah was the least likely candidate to be a spiritual success.  His grandfather was wicked King Manasseh
whose wicked deeds are described in 2 Chronicles 33:2,6.  Manasseh was also the man who, according to ancient
tradition, murdered the prophet Isaiah in a gruesome manner (it was probably Isaiah who was referred to in Hebrews
11:37, "sawn asunder").   We read about Josiah's father in 2 Chronicles 33:21-22.  What kind of man was he?
__________________________________________________________________________

Josiah had no godly influences from his grandfather or from his father.  The nation was in a time of spiritual decline
and apostasy. There were idols and relics all over the land.  The nation was sliding downhill fast.

How old was Josiah in 2 Chronicles 34:1 and 3? ________________  This teenager had a heart that was tender
towards God (verse 2), a heart that was seeking after God (verse 3).   The result was a great revival in the land as the
rest of 2 Chronicles chapter 34 reveals. 

4)  Daniel

Daniel was another man who seemed to have everything going against him.  He was carried away captive into
Babylon as a young man.  He served in a heathen Babylonian palace.  He had no "Christian" education, except for
what he learned before he was carried away as a captive.  He was trained by the Babylonians.  He was surrounded by
ungodly, pagan influences.  Outwardly everything seemed to be against him.

Why did Daniel survive?  Why did he succeed?  What made the difference in this man's life?    The answer is found in
Daniel 1:8.  Daniel "purposed in his ______________ that he would not defile himself."  Deep in his heart, Daniel
resolved to put God first, to live a life that was clean and pure, and to be loyal to the Lord.  He determined this in his
heart. The heart is the key.  The heart of the matter is the matter of the heart. 

Conclusion

Read carefully 1 Samuel 12:20,24,25.  In which two of these verses do we find the word "heart"? 
__________      ______________

No matter how wicked you have been (see verse 20),

No matter what sins you have committed,
No matter how old or young you are,
No matter how difficult your present circumstances might be,
No matter if everything outwardly seems to be against you,
Only ONE THING really matters:   How is your heart?

If you turn to God with all your heart, you will survive and you will succeed.  You will be blessed indeed. On
the other hand, if your heart is not bent towards God and if your heart is turning away from God, then you are
in great danger and great trouble, no matter how good your outward circumstances may seem to be.

READ EZRA 8:22.   How does this verse summarize our lesson?
__________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________
 

Back to WHAT IS A PERSON

Back to SUNDAY SCHOOL MATERIALS & HELPFUL BIBLE STUDIES

CHAPTER 10
The Believer's Two Natures
 

If I am saved, why do I still sin? Why do I have such a problem with sin while I am here on earth? Why am I still
troubled with impure thoughts?  Why do I sometimes do what I know is wrong?  Why do I sometimes fail to do what
I know is right?  Why do I continue to battle with temptations? Why do I sometimes live and act like an unsaved
person (see 1 Cor. 3:3), even though it grieves me and saddens me when I live this way?

The Unbeliever's One Nature

The unsaved man has but one nature--a sinful, selfish, corrupt, wicked nature which he received from Adam. How is
the heart of man described in Jeremiah 17:9?

a. Man's heart is pure and good.

b. Man's heart is desperately wicked (incurably sick).
c. Man's heart contains some evil and some good.
d. Man's heart is mostly wicked, but there is a spark of goodness in everyone.
e. Most men have more goodness than they have badness.

1)  Jeremiah 17:9-10. "The heart is _______________ above all things, and__________________
______________." In this verse, the expression "desperately wicked" really means "incurably sick." We are so
wicked that God says we are like a person who has a deadly, incurable disease. It is a disease far worse than cancer or
leprosy or AIDS--it is the number one killer--SIN!

2)   Mark 7:20-23. The Lord Jesus, the Son of God, spoke these words. Did Jesus agree with Jeremiah 17:9?
__________ According to the Lord Jesus (Mark 7:20-23), is man’s heart basically evil or basically good?
__________________________Write down six of the things that go out (proceed) from within us, proving that our
hearts are wicked and diseased (Mark 7:21-22):

1. 4.

2. 5.

3. 6.

In Mark 7:23, Jesus described these things as "____________ things." After studying Mark 7:20-23, we must
conclude that man’s basic and biggest problem is (circle the right one):

a. hunger b. corrupt government

b. poor housing e. pollution in the water

c. wars f. an evil and polluted heart

3)  Matthew 7:9-11. According to these verses, did the Lord Jesus say that men are good or evil? ____________
According to these verses (especially verse 11), is it possible for an evil person to do good things? ________
Therefore, when we see people doing kind and good deeds, does this mean that these people are not evil?______  
Unsaved people can sometimes be very good fathers, very good mothers, very good citizens, very good workers on
their jobs, etc.  However, they still have corrupt sinful natures which they received from Adam.  Some people
manifest their evil natures outwardly more than others by their profane speech and wicked deeds.  Other people do not
manifest their evil natures as much outwardly, and they may seem to live in a respectable and moral way. Whether a
person seems to be behaving in a reasonable way or not, God's description of the human heart still stands.  It is
"deceitful above all things and desperately wicked" (Jer. 17:9).

4)  Romans 3:10-18.   When we look into a mirror we see ourselves as we really are on the outside.  If our hair is
messed up, the mirror will reveal that.  If there is a pimple on my face, the mirror will show this.  If there is chocolate
smeared on my chin, the mirror will reflect this problem and show me my need to clean up.

What if God were to have us look into a mirror which revealed not our outward appearance, but the true condition of
our heart?   What if God were to have us look into a mirror to show us what our inner nature is really like?  God has
given us such a mirror.  It is found in Romans 3:10-18.  Do these verses present a pretty picture? ______  Are these
verses a true description of you? ______   Does the word "all" in verse 12 include you? ____   Does the phrase "all
the world" in verse 20 include you? _____   Are you guilty before God (v.20)? ______   Does the "all" in verse 23
include you? ______

*  *  *  *  *  *  *  *
What is one thing that the unsaved person can never do (Romans 8:8; Hebrews 11:6)?
__________________________________________  In Titus 3:3 we have a description of the unsaved person. Is this
a good description of what you were like when you were unsaved? ____________   Another terrible (but true)
description of the unsaved person is found in Ephesians 2:1-3.   We were "by N______________ the children of
wrath" (Eph. 2:3).  

Two Natures in One Person

When a person is saved, he receives a new nature which is "created in ________________________ and true
____________________ (Ephesians 4:24). The believer has been made a partaker of the D__________   
N____________ (2 Peter 1:4), the nature of God Himself!  How does God describe the saved person who is in Christ
(2 Cor. 5:17)?  _________________________________________________________________

Now that I have a new nature, what has happened to my old sinful nature?   Did it disappear?  Was it transformed
from something evil to something good?  Was it totally removed?   Was it partially removed? 

If the believer says that he has no sin (no sin nature), is he telling the truth or is he deceiving himself (1 John 1:8)? 
_______________________________  If the believer says that he has not sinned (not committed any acts of sin), is
he telling the truth or is he making God a liar (1 John 1:10)? 
___________________________________________________    The old sinful nature has not been eradicated or
removed.  It is still present with the believer. 

James 3:2 refers to believers and it says, "For in many things we offend all" or literally "For in many things we all
offend."  The word "offend" means that we all stumble, fall short, and go astray.  We all fail and fall.  Even as
believers we all have sinned. We all offend, and therefore we all are in desperate need of the mercy and grace of God
and in desperate need of His forgiveness and cleansing.

In light of these passages (1 John 1:8,10; James 3:2), we must conclude that when a person is saved, the old sinful
nature is not removed, erased or eradicated.  The believer still possesses the old nature and will continue to possess
the old nature until he is with the Lord, at which time he will be free from the presence of sin forever.

Paul, as a saved man, made the following amazing statements:

Romans 7:14---"I am _____________, sold under ________."

Romans 7:17---"Now, then, it is no more I that do it, but ______ that _________________ in me."

Romans 7:18---"For I know that ____   _____ (that is, in my flesh) dwelleth _____    _________   
__________; for to will is present with me, but how to perform that which is good I find not."

Romans 7:21---"I find then a law, that, when I would do good, __________ is present with me."

Romans 7:24---"Oh, __________________ man that I am!"

Facts About the Old Nature

1)  The Old Nature Does Not Change.

The old nature is incorrigible.  It will not change. In fact, when you are saved the old nature will seem even worse!  It
is desperately wicked and it remains so.  It will never become less wicked than it now is.  "That which is born of the
flesh is flesh" (John 3:6).  Flesh is flesh and it will not change to become something else.  Man's sinful flesh will
always produce the works of the flesh (Galatians 5:19-21).  Man's sinful flesh will never produce the fruit of the Spirit
(Galatians 5:22-23).  Only God can do that.

2)  The Old Nature Does Not Improve

If you are hoping that your old nature will reform itself and improve its behavior, you are going to be very
disappointed.  That which is "corrupt" (Eph. 4:22) is going to continue to be corrupt.  That which is "wretched" (Rom.
7:24) is going to continue to be wretched.  "No good thing" (Rom. 7:18) is not going to improve to "some good
things." The old nature is sinful and corrupt through and through, and it is never going to improve. 

3)  The Old Nature Is Not Transformed

When a person is saved, the old nature is not transformed into something good.  "That which is born of the flesh is
flesh; and that which is born of the spirit is spirit" (John 3:6).  When a person is born again, the flesh does not
transform itself into spirit.  It remains what it always was:  FLESH.   The old nature is not improved and sweetened. 
It does not undergo a reformation.  When a person gets saved, does God transform his old nature into something that
is now good?  Not at all.

The Bible teaches that my old nature is just as vicious and rotten and sinful and wicked as it ever was: "Put off . . . the
old man, which is _____________________ according to the deceitful lusts" (Ephesians 4:22). The new birth is a
creation (2 Corinthians 5:17; Ephesians 4:24; Colossians 3:10), not a transformation. The new birth is the bringing in
of a new thing, not the changing of an old. My old nature remains the same. The difference is this: I now have a new
nature created by God.

The Bible never teaches that the old nature is transformed.  It does, however, teach that believers are being
transformed and changed.  Here are two examples:

"And be not conformed to this world: but be ye ________________ [changed] by the renewing of your mind, that ye
may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God" (Romans 12:2).

"But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are __________________ [transformed] into
the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord" (2 Cor. 3:18).

As we grow in the Lord, as we walk in the Spirit, as we obey the Lord, and as we surrender our hearts to Him, HE CHANGES
US!   Little by little, day by day, we are constantly being changed into His image.  I can be more like Christ today than I was
yesterday!  I can be more like Christ tomorrow than I was today!  God can transform me by His grace, but God does not
transform the old sinful nature.  No, instead He crucified it!

4)  The Old Nature Can Never Be Purified

When you think of the old nature, you can think of a polluted well.  The water in the depths of this well is polluted
and corrupt and not fit to drink.  You could paint the well, but the water which comes up is still going to be polluted. 
You could install a brand new bucket with brand new ropes, but the water which comes up is still going to be the
same undrinkable water.  The problem is with the source.  Man's old sinful nature is a polluted stream which began to
flow the moment Adam disobeyed God.  This water is never going to be purified.  It is never going to be cleansed.  It
will always be polluted by sin.

5)  The Old Nature Can Never Please God

"So then they that are in the flesh cannot ______________ God" (Romans 8:8).  According to Romans 8:9, a saved
person is not in the flesh because he is indwelt by the Holy Spirit of God.  The unsaved person is in the flesh, and this
person can never please God (verse 8). 
 Proverbs 15:8: "The sacrifice of the wicked is an abomination to the LORD: but the prayer of the upright
is his delight."

Even when the unsaved person performs a religious act (offering a sacrifice, saying a
prayer, etc.), God is not pleased.  It is done in the flesh.

Proverbs 15:9: "The way of the wicked is an abomination unto the LORD: but he loveth him
that followeth after righteousness."

The way of the wicked is detestable to God.  No matter which way he goes, no matter what
he does, he cannot please God.  "An high look, and a proud heart, and the plowing of the
wicked, is sin" (Prov. 21:4).  Plowing the field is normally considered to be a constructive
and needful activity, but the unsaved man cannot even please God in this.

Proverbs 15:26: "The thoughts of the wicked are an abomination to the LORD: but the words
of the pure are pleasant words."

The thoughts of the wicked are detestable to God.  God is not pleased.  "And you, that
were sometime alienated and _______________ in your ________ by wicked works" (Col.
1:21).

6)  The Old Nature Remains With the Believer "Until Death Do Us Part"

As believers, we will have our old nature until the day we die or until the day that Christ comes to take us home to heaven (1
Thess. 4:13-18).  When we were unsaved the old nature dominated everything that we did, including our thoughts, words
and deeds.  We could not help but sin.  We were slaves to sin.  We could do nothing but sin.  There was no battle within us. 
The old nature dominated and had no opposition. It takes two to fight.

Clarification:  When we say there is no battle in the heart of the unsaved person, we are referring to the battle
between the old nature and the new nature.  This does not mean that the unsaved person has no battles between
right and wrong.  First of all, the unsaved person has a conscience which condemns him if he does something
which he knows to be wrong.  This kind of inner battle does exist.  Also there are certain restraints put upon the
unsaved person.  He may want to do certain things but his parents may have other ideas.  He may want to want to
speed on the highway but he fears the police and the penalties that are involved should he get caught.  He may
want to train for the Olympics for self-centered reasons (fame, acclaim, etc.) but he may lack the self control that is
needed for such training.  He may want to lose weight for selfish reasons (to attract the opposite sex, etc.), but may
battle with his cravings to eat more than he should.  So the unsaved may have all kinds of battles, but one thing
they do not have: the battle between the old and new nature.

After we were saved, we possessed two natures, the old and the new.  At this point there was a battle between the two
natures:  "For the _____________ lusteth against the Spirit, and the _____________ against the flesh; and these are
_________________ the one to the other, so that ye cannot do the things that ye would" (Gal. 5:17).

As a saved person I have a choice.  I can choose to walk in the Spirit or I can choose to walk in the flesh (Galatians
5:16).  The believing heart knows that the only way to please God is to walk in the Spirit and to allow God to control
his life.  When the believing heart fails to walk in the Spirit, then he is convicted and bothered and grieved (compare
the example of "righteous Lot" in 2 Peter 2:7-8).  As believers, God has set us free from the power of sin, and we need
to claim that victory by faith.

When the believer goes to be with the Lord, a great final transformation will take place (see 1 John 3:2; 1 Cor. 15:52-
53) and the believer will finally be without sin and will no longer possess a wicked sin nature.  He will then be free
from even the presence of sin.
 Saved from the Penalty of Sin:
Justification
This takes place when I get saved.

Saved from the Power of Sin:

Sanctification
This takes place throughout the Christian life as I yield to God and walk in the Spirit.

Saved from the Presence of Sin:

Glorification
This takes place in the next life when I am with Christ forever.

7)  The Old Nature Was Condemned By God

God did not change the old nature.  God did not transform the old nature.  God did not improve the old nature. 
Rather, God condemned it.  "For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his
own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, ___________________    ______ sin in the flesh" (Romans 8:3).
Our sinful nature was condemned at Calvary's cross.  DEATH is the only answer.

"Knowing this, that our ______    _______ is [was] crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed
[rendered ineffective], that henceforth we should not serve sin" (Romans 6:6).  God's solution to the problem of the
old sinful nature involved Calvary's cross.

The Old Man

What is the "old man" (Rom. 6:6; Eph. 4:22; Col. 3:9) and what is the "new man" (Col. 3:10; Eph. 4:24)? The old
man refers to all that I am and all that I have in Adam; the new man refers to all that I am and all that I have in Christ.
The old man is my old life in Adam; the new man is my new life in Christ. The one refers to the SELF LIFE; the
other to the CHRIST LIFE. The one has to do with FALLEN MAN; the other has to do with REDEEMED or
REGENERATED MAN. The old man is the old self; the new man is the new self, the new creature in Christ.

The old man is characterized by that fallen sinful nature received from Adam; the new man is characterized by that
divine holy nature received from God at the time of the new birth. The old man is born of the flesh; the new man is
born of God. The old man came about by natural birth; the new man came about by the new birth. The old man is
"CORRUPT according to the deceitful lusts" (Eph. 4:22; and compare Romans 7:24); the new man is "after God
(according to God, patterned after God, a reflection of God, etc.) . . . created in righteousness and true holiness" (Eph.
4:24). The new man is a new thing which did not previously exist but which was created (Eph. 4:24; 2 Cor. 5:17).
Five years before you were saved the new man did not exist at all, but the old man did!

The old man is not [simply] the old nature, though it involves the old nature; the old man is characterized as having a
nature that is opposed to God, and this nature stamps its character on the activities of the old man (Roy Heubner).

The old man is described by his works (his deeds) in Ephesians 4:25-31: He is a wicked liar (v. 25), he has a rotten
temper (v. 26), he is a evil thief (v. 28), he has a corrupt mouth with garbage flowing out of it (v. 29) and he is
characterized by bitterness, wrath, anger, clamor, evil speaking and an unforgiving spirit (verses31-32). In contrast the
new man speaks truth (v. 25), gets angry in the right way at the right things (v. 26), works hard and knows how to
give (v. 28), speaks that which is good and that which edifies (v. 29), is characterized by kindness, tenderheartedness
and a forgiving spirit. The new man is a reflection of God, the One who created Him!

How Do We Handle the Old Man?

How then does God deal with the old man? God does not change the old man. God does not transform the old man.
What did God do with your old self? What did God do with all that you are and all that you have in Adam? Romans
6:6 answers this: "OUR OLD MAN WAS (past tense) CRUCIFIED WITH HIM." God condemned the old man,
judged him and poured out His wrath on Him when the blessed Saviour died on the cross. My old man was crucified!

"Was crucified"--It is done! It is finished! You do not need to crucify the old man! It already was done 2000 years
ago. It is not something that you do, it is something that God has already done! It is not a command to obey; it is a
fact to believe! You do not need to deal with the old man. He has already been dealt with on the cross! Those who try
to conquer the old man will never win! 

In Romans 6:6 we need to make a difference between our position and our experience. This verse is not a reference to
the experience of a Christian, as many Reformed men teach. "Our old man was crucified" is a fact pertaining to our
position in Christ. In our actual experience our old man often seems very alive and well, but we must not go by our
experience. We must go by what God has said (the FACTS!). The fact of your position is that your old man was
crucified with Christ. Claim that fact by faith in spite of appearances to the contrary! Reckon it to be so! The more we
claim this fact by faith, the more it will become true in our actual experience. The more we reckon on our position the
more God the Holy Spirit will make it true in our actual condition. Faith is the key.

Consider Colossians 3:9-10. Note carefully the language. It says, "you have put off" and "you have put on."  These are
not commands, these are facts. Why has the old man been put off? Again the answer is found in Romans 6:6. The old
man has been put off because God put him on the cross! My old man was put off and crucified at Calvary! The new
man has been put on the moment I was saved because I am a new creature in Christ!

Now consider the language of Ephesians 4:22,24. Here we are told to do something! Put off and put on! These are
commands! But did not Colossians chapter 3 says that it has already been done? Discern the difference:

Colossians sets forth the fact; Ephesians appeals to faith!

In Ephesians we are told to do in faith what Colossians tells us our God has already done in fact! How do I put
off the old man? By reckoning that God has already done it! By reckoning that my old man was crucified with Christ.
How do I put on the new man? By reckoning and considering myself as a new creature in Jesus Christ! By faith in the
work done at the cross the old man is put off; by faith in my glorious position in Christ the new man is put on.

Another illustration of this same principle is found in Galatians 3:27 and Romans 13:14.  The first passage tells us
that we have put on Christ. The second passage gives us the command:  "Put on Christ!"   Galatians 3:27 is the FACT
(you have put on Christ!). Romans 13:14 appeals to FAITH (we are told to do in faith what God has already done in
fact!).

Consider Galatians 2:20--"I (the old man in Adam) have been crucified with Christ, nevertheless I (the new man in
Christ) live, yet not I (the old man in Adam) but Christ lives in me (the new creature in Christ), and the life which I
(the new man) now life live in the flesh, I (the new man) live by the faith of the Son of God who loved me and gave
Himself for me!"

Two Serious Errors

There are two common errors of our day among those who claim to be true believers:
1) The error of SINLESS PERFECTION. Suppose someone were to say, "God has saved me and I no longer have
an old sinful nature! I never have a problem with sin any longer." What does God say about such a person (1 John
1:8)?  ____________________________________________  Another might boast, "Since I have been a believer I
have never sinned, not even once." What does God say about such a person (1 John 1:10)? 
____________________________________________

2) The error of SINFUL IMPERFECTION.   This is a more common error among Christians. A person might say,
"Even though I'm saved, I still have my old sinful nature, and I can't help but sin. I'm a slave to sin, and no matter how
hard I try, I continue to fail and fall!" Such a person has never realized that the Christian life is to be a life of
V_________________ (1 Corinthians 15:57; 1 John 5:4). God has set us free from ________ (Romans 6:18,22 and
see Romans 6:2,11-14)!  Just because we may fall into the muck and mire of sin does not mean that we need to
wallow in the mire as a way of life.   

God's Twofold Provision

 

God's Provision for Victory Over Sin

At the beginning of the day I can say, "Lord, I thank You that I need not sin (1 John 2:1a--"that ye sin not").  I
thank You that Christ has set me free from sin.  I thank You that my old man was crucified with Christ.  I thank
You that Christ lives in me and that You have made it possible for me to have victory over sin.  Lord, I desire to
walk by means of the Spirit so that I do not fulfill the lusts of the flesh (Gal. 5:16).  I want You to control my life
so that the fruit of the Spirit will be evident (Gal. 5:22-23).  I thank You that I died to sin and I do not need to be
enslaved by it any longer.

God's Provision for Restoration

At the end of the day I can say, "Lord, I thank You that I have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the
Righteous One (1 John 2:2b--"if any man sin....").  Lord, I have fallen short, and have failed to be the believer
that You want me to be.  I have failed to trust You and claim Your full provision for victory.  I thankfully confess
my sins and claim Your full forgiveness and restoration to fellowship (1 John 1:9). Lord, thank You for Your
grace and mercy and cleansing power.

The Two Natures--A Comparison

As we have studied, every believer has two natures--the old and the new. Let us now summarize what the Bible says
about the believer's two natures:

THE OLD NATURE THE NEW NATURE

Received by natural birth from Adam Received by the new birth from God (the
(wholly and hopelessly bad) nature of God Himself, therefore wholly good)

Pertaining to the old man in Adam.  See Pertaining to the new man in Christ.  See
Ephesians 4:22--"The old man which is  Ephesians 4:24--"the new man which after
 __________________ according to God is created in ________________________
deceitful lusts." and true __________________________."

Incapable of doing good (as God counts Incapable of sinning--see 1 John 3:9; Eph. 4:24
good)  --See Romans 7:18-19

At war with the Spirit (Gal. 5:17) At war with the flesh (Gal. 5:17)

Opposed to God and His will (Rom. 7:15- Delighting in God and His will (Rom. 7:18-22)
23)

Manifested by the works of the flesh (Gal. Manifested by the fruit of the Spirit (Gal. 5:22-23)
5:19-21)

Who or what dwells in the believer Who or what dwells in the believer according
according to Romans 7:18? to Galatians 2:20? ___________________
______________________ The power of an indwelling Saviour.
The power of indwelling sin.

The Two Natures--A Battle!

Within each believer there is a great struggle for control! Who is going to control your life? Who is going to win the
battle for control--the old you or the new you?

Notice the great war and conflict and struggle that is taking place (compare Galatians 5:17). Notice who is fighting in
this contest:

The New The Old

The one who agrees with and delights Indwelling sin (verses 17,v. 20)
in God’s law (verses 16, 22)

The one who hates sin (v.15) The flesh in which is no good thing (v.
18)

The one who desires and wills to do Ever-present evil (v. 21)
good (verses 18, 19)

"The inward man" (v. 22) The "wretched man" (v. 24)

The renewed "mind" (verses 23, 25) The flesh that is under the law of sin
 and death (verses 23, 25)

This inward battle is described by Paul in Romans 7:15-24.   In the following verses, write in "old" or "new,"
depending whether the pronoun "I" is referring to Paul's old nature or his new nature. The first few are done for you:

"For that which I (old) do I (new) allow not: for what I (new) would, that do I (old)
not; but what I (______) hate, that do I (______).  If then I (______) do that which I
(______) would not, I consent unto the law that it is good....(go to verse 19) for the
good that I (_______) would I (_______) do not: but the evil which I (______) would
not, that I (_______) do...."

Paul's new nature wanted to do what was good and right but his old nature was determined to do what was sinful and
wrong!  The battle is not hopeless. Victory is available for every child of God (see Romans 7:24-25)!

An old Indian, who had newly found Christ as his Saviour, expressed the problem in this way: "In my heart there are
two dogs that are continually in battle, a white dog and a black dog." The missionary asked him, "Which dog wins the
battle?" The answer was simple, "The one that I feed!"   How can we feed the new nature?  What have we been
feeding upon spiritually?  What do we meditate on?  What do we fill our mind with (Philippians 4:8)?   What is our
main focus (2 Cor. 3:18)?

The Bible says, "Put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make not ___________________ for the _______________
(the old sinful nature)" (Romans 13:14). If you were to spend a day in the woods or at the beach, you would probably
bring along some provisions (some food and drink) so that you would not starve! God tells the believer not to make
any provisions for the flesh, but rather to starve it!

What is God's method for victory over the old nature (Galatians 5:16; Romans 8:4)?
______________________________

Within my earthly temple, there's a crowd;

There's one of us that's humble, one that's proud;
There's one that loves his neighbor as himself;
And one that cares for naught but fame and self.

There's one that's broken-hearted for his sins;

And one that unrepentant sits and grins.
Two natures live and dwell within,
But thanks to Christ there is victory to overcome my sin!
                    ---Source Unknown
 

For a detailed study of what the Bible teaches concerning "THE FLESH," please see the
following document:  The New Life--Talks with Christians on Practical Victory by
Captain Reginald Wallis [PDF Format Only].  See especially page 13 and following.

 
 Back to WHAT IS A PERSON
Back to SUNDAY SCHOOL MATERIALS & HELPFUL BIBLE STUDIES

CHAPTER 11

Growing in Christ
(Smashing Through My Ceiling)

The living God wants us to break through the ceilings which our society has made and which we ourselves have
made.  He wants us to soar up into the heavens!  He does not want anything to hinder or limit our upward climb. A
ceiling is something which hangs over our heads and keeps us from going any higher. Were you ever in a room where
you were able to go higher than the ceiling?  You may have had a ladder which enabled you to get up near the ceiling,
but how could you have gone higher than the ceiling?  Ceilings put limitations and restrictions on how high a person
is able to go.

In many primitive societies, people reach a ceiling level at an early age and throughout the rest of their lives they will
remain at this level and go no higher. For example, an Australian aborigine may begin to learn to trap and hunt at a
very early age. At about the age of 15 he reaches the level of "manhood" where he can hunt, survive and provide for
himself and others. He has reached the ceiling and there is nothing higher for him to reach for. He has arrived.  People
in primitive societies even marry at a young age.  It is true that when a young man is 20 he may be somewhat stronger
and more experienced as a hunter, but basically he is at the same level that he was five years earlier, and he will stay
at this level the rest of his life.  His skills may improve, but basically he will be doing the same kinds of things that
jungle life requires.

In the above diagram we have a person living in his hut in the jungle. He has learned to be a
hunter, a survivor, a provider.  He can handle adult responsibilities even though he is still a
teenager. He will continue to hunt, survive and provide until he is too old or too sick to do
 so. 

Our industrialized society has also put ceilings over our heads, although we may not reach these ceiling levels until
about age 25. We grow and develop, and we look ahead to finish high school and then perhaps to graduate from
college. We then seek to get a job, a wife (or husband), children, a home and a car, and then we have finished. WE
HAVE ARRIVED! We have reached our level. We have "grown up."  We are done and satisfied.  We have reached
the ceiling and we go no higher.

In the above diagram, we have an average American who has graduated.  He now has an
education, a diploma, and he is soon to have a job and perhaps a family.  He feels he has
arrived and reached the end of his journey.  He goes no higher than the ceiling that he has set
for himself.

Sometimes people say to younger ones, "What are you going to do when you grow up?" This question implies that
there is coming a time when the young person will be grown up and will not need to grow any more. We know that
physically a person stops growing. A person who is six feet tall at age 20 is going to be about six feet tall at age 60. 
Some shrinkage may even take place.  Is this also true in the spiritual realm? Does God want us to reach a level and
then STOP growing?

Consider 2 Peter 3:18: "But _____________ (this verb is in the present tense: keep on growing, always be growing,
be ever growing, never stop growing) in grace, and in the _________________ of our Lord and Saviour, Jesus
Christ." Does God want us to reach a certain level and then STOP growing?  _____  Does He want any ceiling to get
in our way?

God wants to blow apart and rip open that ceiling which limits us and restricts us and keeps us from going higher and
upward. When there is a ceiling we are afraid of jumping too high lest we hit our head. God wants us to go way
beyond any ceiling. God wants to break it wide open so that we can grow and increase and develop as a person. When
it comes to spiritual growth and development, the sky (heaven above) is the limit!
 In the above diagram we find a man who is not limited by any self imposed ceiling. He has
broken through and the sky is the limit.  He wants to go higher and upward. He wants to soar
to new heights. He does not want anything to hinder his upward advancement.

In Ephesians 4:15 we learn that the believer is to "G___________ U____   into ______  in all things (in everything),
which is the Head, even __________________." God Himself is the CEILING that we should grow up to! God wants
us to get to Himself (Who is very HIGH!) and to learn of Him and increase in the knowledge of Him. Man will never
reach this ceiling because it is infinitely high. Therefore we must never stop learning and developing and growing and
reaching HIGHER and HIGHER.

We should be like a cup which has INFINITE CAPACITY (the ability to hold and contain more and more). We can
never say the cup is full. We must always say that the cup still needs more and more. We must never stop drinking
from the fountains of God! God wants us to have an EVER INCREASING CAPACITY--to be able to contain more
and more of Himself! He must  I__________________ (John 3:30)! God must put more and more of Himself into
me!

Paul says in Colossians 3:10: "and have put on the new man, which is [constantly and continually being] renewed in
_____________________ after the image of him that created him." Our relationship with God is constantly being
made new and fresh as we grow and develop and go upward and onward. Likewise in Ephesians 4:23 Paul says, "and
be [constantly and continually] renewed in the spirit of your ____________." Our mind is to be ever developing and
constantly increasing!

True learning will demand an increase in learning.   Proverbs 1:5--"A wise man will hear, and will
________________  learning; and a man of understanding shall attain unto wise counsels."  If a person does not keep
on learning then he has stopped learning. We must ever grow and ever learn! School must never come to an end!
Sometimes people think of graduation as the end, when it is really just the beginning.   The word "commencement"
means "beginning," not  "ending." 
The person who continues to learn and increase and develop is the person who is mentally and spiritually healthy.
When a person does not want to learn or thinks he does not need to learn, he is showing how mentally and spiritually
unhealthy he really is!

Have you ever heard the expression, "You can't teach an old dog new tricks!"   This implies that when a person gets
older he can no longer learn new things.  Is this really true?  If a person stops learning when he gets older, he has no
one to blame but himself.  As long as God gives us a functioning mind, we need to keep on learning.

God wants everyone to grow and to increase and to "learn new tricks" (to learn new things about an eternal and
timeless God). In Colossians 1:10 Paul prays that the believer might be "increasing (growing) in the
________________________ of God." God wants the believer to be ever increasing and enlarging his mind and
filling it more and more with the knowledge of God!

If a person really wants to grow he will.  Have you been saved? Have you tasted that the Lord is gracious (see 1 Peter
2:3)?  When a person tastes something that is really good,  he DESIRES more and more (see 1 Peter 2:2)!  When a
person is first saved he has a taste of how kind and gracious and good the Lord is.  As he continues in the Christian
life he desires to learn more of God's goodness and grace and kindness.

In a person's relationship with the Lord, things should be ever becoming new and fresh and more and more wonderful
and meaningful. For example, when a man is first married to his sweetheart, he says "I love you!" and it is something
very meaningful to him at the time. As the years go by, however, those three words should be ever increasing in
meaning and the love relationship between husband and wife should be deepening. The word "love" should mean
much more to them than it did on their honeymoon.

So it is with our relationship with the Lord!   Will we ever fully understand the love of God (Ephesians 3:19)?
_______ When are we going to finish searching out God and finding out the depths of our great God and His
fathomless wisdom (Romans 11:33)? __________________ Even simple things (such as "I'm saved!" "I have eternal
life!" "My sins are forgiven!"  "God so loved the world."  "Christ loved me and gave Himself for me!") should take on
new dimensions and new meaning as we grow and increase in the Lord. We should ever be learning and
understanding what these things mean! Something is desperately wrong when the person says, "I know what it means
to be saved and I have nothing else to learn!"  That person has stopped growing.  That person is revealing his own
shallowness.  That person has hit the ceiling and will go no higher.

The Lord wants every believer to grow up. God wants to deal with every area of our lives, to change us and to renew
us and to make us more like Christ. The problem is that there are certain areas that we do not want God to deal with or
to touch, and this greatly hinders our growth. For example, consider a person who sees the doctor for a physical
check-up. He may not mind having the doctor check certain parts of his body. He may be quite comfortable having
the doctor look down his throat and check his pulse, etc. But there may be other areas that he feels very uncomfortable
having the doctor check, and there may be certain parts of the body that he doesn't want the doctor to examine, so he
says, "STOP! Please go no further, doctor! I don't care if there are certain areas that may not be healthy. I don't want
to know about it!"  Such a person has put up a ceiling (or wall) and he does not want the doctor to break through.  It is
quite possible that he is keeping the doctor from finding out something about his body that is very important.

We must allow God to break through any ceilings we have erected! We must let the Great Physician do whatever He
wants to do so that we might be spiritually healthy and wealthy in Him.  We need to let God examine us anywhere He
wants to:  "Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my thoughts, and see if there be any wicked way
in me, and lead me in the way everlasting" (Psalm 139:23-24).

The attitude of too many people (including even Christians) is this: "I've always been this way! I can't change and I
don't even want to be different.  I'm content with the way I am and I don't want anything else!" For example, they
might say the following: 

"I've always been grumpy; why should I change."  

"I've always been worried about this and that.  I can't help but worry."  
"I am very shy with people and I always will be"
"I've always had trouble controlling my temper!  I guess I'll be like that until I die."

These are all ceilings which people need to break through. God doesn't want believers to stay the same. God is
working in us to change us and transform us (2 Cor. 3:18; Rom. 12:2).  Instead of saying, "Lord, this is how I am and
I am going to die this way," I need to say, "Lord, I don't want any more ceilings! I want to go up! I want to change
and to correct things in my life and to grow and develop and be all that you want me to be! Lord, I'm going to break
through this ceiling by Thy grace and by Thy power!"

In Acts 6:7 and 12:24 and 19:20 what do we see GROWING and INCREASING?
__________________________________________________________________ We have been studying how
believers grow and should grow, but how does God's Word grow? Often the Bible speaks of God's Word as
S_________ (Luke 8:11). God's Word finds good ground to grow in and the good ground is the ready and willing
heart of the believer (Luke 8:15).

God's formula for SUCCESS is this: His people must be in the Word of God and the Word of God must be in His
people. The believers feed on the Word of God and the Word of God does its work in the believer (as it finds good
ground in the heart of the believer to take root and grow and increase).  "For this cause also thank we God without
ceasing, because, when ye received the word of God which ye heard of us, ye received it not as the word of men, but
as it is in truth, the word of God, which effectually worketh also in you that believe" (1 Thess. 2:13).  This is
illustrated as follows:

God's Word Abiding The believer abiding

in the believer in God's Word
 "The Bible lives in me!" "I live in the Bible"
John 15:7 John 8:31
Colossians 3:16 2 Timothy 3:14
1 John 2:14 2 Timothy 2:15
Psalm 119:11 Psalm 1:2-3
Jeremiah 20:9 Psalm 119:97
(contrast: John 5:38) (contrast: 2 John 9)

I feed on God's Word and God's Word will make me grow and increase.  God is going to work in me by His Spirit
and make His Word increase (as it finds good soil to be planted in and to grow in--see James 1:21 where the word
"engrafted" means "implanted."  The seed is to find fertile soil in the believer's heart).

Do not worry about others, but make sure that YOU are growing. Make sure that YOU are right with God. The only
person who can stop you from growing is YOURSELF.    Who is the only person who can keep you (your heart) right
with God? ______________

Why should I remain immature? Why should I live in spiritual poverty? Why should I be a pauper? Why should I be
so spiritually crippled when God wants me so sound and whole? Why should I be such a midget? Why should I not
grow up? Why should I not break through the ceiling and go higher and higher into God?

HIGHER GROUND

I'm pressing on the upward way,

New heights I'm gaining every day;
Still praying as I onward bound,
"Lord, plant my feet on higher ground."

I want to live above the world,

Though Satan's darts at me are hurled;
For faith has caught the joyful sound,
The song of saints on higher ground.

I want to scale the utmost height

And catch a gleam of glory bright;
But still I'll pray till heaven I've found,
"Lord, lead me on to higher ground."

Lord, lift me up, and let me stand

By faith on heaven's tableland;
A higher plane than I have found,
Lord, plant my feet on higher ground.

--Johnson Oatman, Jr.

Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things
which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, I press toward the mark
for the prize of the high [upward] calling of God in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 3:13-14).

 
Back to WHAT IS A PERSON
Back to SUNDAY SCHOOL MATERIALS & HELPFUL BIBLE STUDIES

CHAPTER 12

The Lordship Of Christ

God's Prescription:  Five "R's"
God has a remedy or prescription for every believer. This prescription, if carefully followed, will result in spiritual
health and the ability and stability needed to tackle the environment we live in (the persons, problems and pressures
around us). This prescription is made up of five parts, each beginning with the letter "R."

1) RECOGNIZE With Your Mind (Romans 12:1).

With your mind RECOGNIZE the Lordship of Christ and RENOUNCE (give up, refuse to recognize) the Lordship of
Self (Me, Myself, I).  Settle the question of who is Lord.  Is Christ Lord or is He not? Does He have the right to
control my life or does He not? Is He Supreme or not?   Should I be Lord (Boss) of my life or should He? Who
should run my life---the Lord or me?

We learn in Romans 12:1 that the only reasonable and logical thing  the believer can do is to P________________ his
B___________ to the Lord.  This is the only thing that is really logical and that really makes sense in light of what
Christ has already done for us.  Does the Lord want part of you or all of you? If God has your body, what does this
include?  Circle the following statement that would demand the most of a believer:

"Present your body to the Lord."

"Present $100.00 to the Lord."

"Present two hours of your time every Sunday morning to the Lord."

Christ gave His all for you (Romans 5:8) and He demands all of you!

THE PARABLE OF THE CHICKEN AND THE PIG: A farmer once approached a chicken
and a pig and asked a heart-searching question: "Will you contribute to a ham and egg
breakfast?" For the one it was merely a contribution. For the other it involved an absolute
sacrifice! The believer is to place himself wholly into the hands of God, even as the believers in
Macedonia did, "And this they did, not as we hoped, but first GAVE THEIR OWN SELVES
TO THE LORD" (2 Cor.8:5). We can do this as we remember that our Saviour gave His all for
us!

What God claims, I yield.

What I yield, God accepts.
What God accepts, He fills.
What God fills, He uses.

Christ is either Lord of all or He's not Lord at all! Is He really Lord? Have you settled it? Who is on the throne of
your life?
 Who is on
the throne
of my
heart?

SELF
OR
CHRIST?

I'm my own boss! He's my boss!

I'll do what I want! I'll do what He wants!
I'll do my own thing! I'll do His will!
No one tells me what to do! Christ tells me what to do in
His Word, the Bible!

Christ is the Lord, the Boss and the DICTATOR (in a good way--one who has complete power and absolute control). 
[The term "dictator" usually refers to a sinful man who has obtained absolute power in a country and the results are
disastrous.  Thus the word is most often used in a negative sense.  When God is the Dictator, however, only good can
result.] The submissive believer must stand at attention when He speaks, ready to obey His every Word. The wrong
attitude is this: "I'll follow my wishes and my plans today; perhaps tomorrow I'll follow what God wants."

The correct attitude is this: "I accept God's will and I am willing to do what He wants WHENEVER (even right now),
WHEREVER (any place He sends I'll go), HOWEVER (His way is best) and WHATEVER (regardless of the cost or
sacrifice that may be involved). Not only must I RECOGNIZE that He is THE LORD, but I also must recognize that
He is M___ LORD (John 20:28).
 

2) RESOLVE With Your Will (Romans 12:2).

By an act of will (see chapter 5), the believer must make a decision to submit to His Lordship and to actually let Him
be Lord in every area of his life. It is not enough to know there is medicine in the cabinet. That medicine must be
taken and used (swallowed!). A person must resolve to take the medicine or it will do him no good. A believer must
resolve to let Christ be Lord.

In Hebrews 4:2 we learn that God's Word did not profit the children of Israel. It did them no good. Why not? 
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________

The living God is very good at His job (being LORD and KING). We must let Him do His job in our life! In Romans
12:2 we are told not to let the world squeeze us into its mold. Those who have Christ as Lord are not to dress like,
look like, speak like, act like, and think like the world. The word "conformed" is speaking of a worldly influence
coming from without (the world tries to mold me and work itself into me). The word "transformed" is speaking of a
godly influence coming from within--God working in me (Philippians 2:13) so that His life and light comes forth
(Philippians 2:15-16):

RESOLVE to trust Him and let Him actually be Lord. Don't just SAY He is Lord, but SHOW He Is Lord,

I am resolved to go to the Saviour,

Leaving my sin and strife;
He is the true One, He is the just One,
He hath the words of life.

I am resolved to follow the Saviour,

Faithful and true each day;
Heed what He sayeth, Do what He willeth,
He is the living Way.

--Palmer Hartsough

3) RELY Upon the LORD (Isaiah 26:3-4).

I must RELY on Him to be Lord. I must put all my weight upon Him and depend on Him to support me. "Lord, I
expect You to be LORD of my life, LORD of my problem, LORD of my situation and LORD of everything. I look
for you to do it. I know I cannot do it.  I cannot rely on myself.  I am actively looking for You to be LORD in my
life."

Notice the word "TRUST" in Isaiah 26:3-4. How often am I to TRUST in the Lord and rely on Him (verse 4)?
_________________ (not only now, but tonight, tomorrow and always!). Those who trust and rely on Him will never
be disappointed. He will never fail to hold up those who put their full weight on Him.
 

4) REST Upon the LORD (Isaiah 30:15).

In Isaiah 26:4 the expression "everlasting strength" literally means "the everlasting ROCK" or "the ROCK of Ages."
He is the ROCK foundation and we must REST upon Him! As it says in Isaiah 30:15: "in R_____________________
and R____________ shall ye be saved (delivered, rescued)."

NOTE: The first two R's can be found in Isaiah 26:1-2. The Jews must RECOGNIZE Jehovah, that He is reigning,
that He is the center of the Nation, that He is Lord and King, and that He has the right to rule (verse 1). The Jews must
RESOLVE to be righteous in His righteousness, for there is no rightness or righteousness apart from Him (verse 2).

Is there any other foundation (1 Cor. 3:11)? _____ Is there a need to look for another foundation? ____ Therefore, if
you are not on the foundation, then RETURN! If you are on the foundation, then STAY THERE (just REST)! Don't
run, don't shift, don't drift, don't change your position, don't move!  "Be unmovable" (1 Corinthians 15:58).  Just rest!
Did the Jews rest or did they refuse to rest (Isaiah 30:15)? ____________________________
 

5) RELAX (Isaiah 30:15).

Notice the second part of Isaiah 30:15: "in Q________________ and in confidence shall be your S______________." 
Quietness refers to that relaxed state of mind of one who is not troubled or agitated. As the believer rests on the solid
foundation, he is to relax and enjoy the Lordship of Christ.

If I were in control of things, then I would need to get upset and worried. Since the LORD is in control and since He
is the Master of every situation, I can just relax and enjoy His presence and provision.

The difference between RESTING and RELAXING can be illustrated:   A man is walking down a country road
carrying a heavy sack on his back. He is very weary due to the long journey and the heavy load.  A farmer then comes
along with a tractor pulling a wagon behind it.  He stops and invites the weary traveler to hop on the wagon. The man
gets up onto the wagon and sits down, but the heavy load is still on his back.  He is RESTING all his weight on the
wagon, but he is still carrying the heavy load, and needlessly so.  Finally the farmer encourages him to remove the
sack from off his back and to set it down on the floor of the wagon.  He does so.  Now he is not only RESTING all his
weight on the wagon, but he is also RELAXING and enjoying the ride and the freedom he now has from the weight
that had so long burdened  him.

*************************

These five steps can be illustrated by the simple act of sitting in a chair: 1) I recognize that the chair can support me;
2) I resolve to actually sit in it; 3) I rely on it by putting all my weight there; 4) I rest on the chair and stay right there;
5) I relax and enjoy the benefits of sitting on the chair.

Suppose you had to face major surgery. How could you practice these five steps in relationship to your surgeon and
your operation?

1)
2)
3)
4)
5)
We must do the same in our relationship with the Great Physician, the LORD Jesus Christ!

JESUS CHRIST IS LORD!!!

IS HE YOUR LORD?
YOU CAN CONFESS THAT HE IS LORD . . .

NOW (Romans 10:9)

       or
LATER (Philippians 2:11)

YOU CAN BOW YOUR KNEE TO THE LORD . . .

NOW (Acts 9:6)

      or
LATER (Philippians 2:10).

When does God want you to do these things (2 Corinthians 6:2)?

When is the best time for you to say "HE IS MY LORD!" and to keep on enjoying His Lordship (His
ability to be Lord)? WHY?

What authority does He have over your life?  Do you run your own life or does He run your life?

Back to WHAT IS A PERSON

Back to SUNDAY SCHOOL MATERIALS & HELPFUL BIBLE STUDIES

CHAPTER 13
Dealing With Problems

The Paper and the Spot

The Wall and the Mouse Hole
God has given us specific information on how to handle the difficulties of life.  All believers are surrounded by
persons, places, events, situations and problems. As we live and move among people and problems, God has told us
what we should be doing. In 1 Timothy 2:1 we learn that S_______________________,   P________________, 
I___________________ and giving of thanks should be made for all men:

1. SUPPLICATIONS--specific prayer for a specific need. I come to the Lord realizing my NEED and my
INSUFFICIENCY.  My own strength and my own wisdom and my own resources are not enough.  I need the
Lord Jesus.  He is sufficient for every situation.
 
2. PRAYERS--coming to God in prayer realizing WHO HE IS.  It involves a God-consciousness and a God-
dependence.  It involves being aware of God's Person and Presence and giving Him the reverence and respect
that He demands. The believer is to always be God-conscious, not leaving God out of his thinking.
 
 3. INTERCESSIONS--approaching God with boldness and confidence. The believer can barge into God's holy
presence and meet with God in a very bold and confident way, without fear. In the middle of the problems and
pressures of life, I can meet with an all-wise and loving God. "For this (whatever problem or difficulty I am
facing) I have Jesus, and for this Jesus has me."

Instead of coming to God with our problem, we often get caught up with the problem and caught up in the problem.
Just as with a tornado, we allow the problem to suck us up into itself and we are overwhelmed by it. We get overly
and excessively concerned about someone (parent, boyfriend, girlfriend, teacher), about some place (home, work,
school) or about something (a school exam, a problem at home, an illness, the loss of a friend, etc.). All of our efforts
and energies are concentrated and focused on that one problem to the neglect of the whole situation.

Take a blank piece of white paper and on it put one small spot of ink:

The spot is quite easy to see on the white background. It stands right out. If you were to hold it up to someone and
say, "What do you see?", he would probably say, "I see an ink spot!" But the spot is only one small part of that sheet
of paper. There is much more than just a spot. The problem is that we tend to see only the spot and nothing else, and
the little spot becomes bigger and bigger to us.

How many students are there in your English class? in your entire school? How does this compare (in terms of
percentage) with the entire population of the world (how many billion? _____)?   Is not this number a tiny speck
compared to the whole?

Is there a problem in your home with your family? How many homes and families are there in the world? Was an
unkind word spoken to you today? How does that compare with all the words spoken all around the world? Was an
unfriendly look sent your way? What is that compared to all the many unpleasant looks worldwide? When we begin
to see the whole picture, then our little problem is only a very tiny speck!

The problem is that I can so easily get all wrapped up with ME, MYSELF and I, and I forget that there is something
more than ME, MYSELF and I. It is always "my school, my class, my homework, my teacher, my parents, my
grandmother, my soap, my bed, my telephone call, my trip in the car, my __________________ and my
____________."   The world is more than just ME! It is BIG and IMMENSE and your part of the whole is but a tiny
little microscopic speck! Instead of looking at only one piece of the puzzle, we must learn to look at the WHOLE
PICTURE, which is made up of thousands of pieces.

For example, you may receive a phone call which to you may seem like the most important event in the world! This
phone call totally occupies your mind so that there is no room for anything else. It is all you think of and you lose
your proper perspective. The whole world becomes ONE BIG PHONE CALL! If someone were to ask, "What's going
on today in the world?" you would immediately cry out, "I RECEIVED A PHONE CALL!" A very minor event
(compared to the whole) has now become a very major event, and that phone call becomes the only thing you see.
We do this all the time with many different things.

Another way to look at this is to think of a little mouse hole at the base of a wall:
A person becomes overly concerned and worried about that one hole, and soon that is the only part of the wall he
sees! The longer he looks and lingers (continues to look) the larger the hole becomes, and that little mouse becomes
BIGGER and BIGGER. He loses his perspective and the closer he gets to the mouse, the bigger the mouse becomes
(A GIANT RODENT!). Also, as his eyeball gets closer to the hole, soon all he sees is the hole and the "giant" mouse.
He has lost his view of the whole, and the problem (or phone call, or whatever) has taken on giant dimensions.

What should I do, now that I face a giant mouse?  Should I try to fight it?  Should I fall before it in fear?  Should I
draw back from the mouse and take flight (run away from my problem)? When I draw back and withdraw, then . . .

1. I lose my confidence in God. My problem has become very big and my God has become very small.
 
2. I lose the confession of my lips. I can no longer say, "For this I have Jesus!" It is not on my lips and it is not in
my heart. All I can say is, "My problem has me!"
 
3. I lose my peace and joy.  Instead I worry and fear.
 
4. My physical health could suffer because even my physical system may be affected by how I handle or fail to
handle my problems.

God meant us to face reality and solve problems. The spot on the paper and the mouse hole on the wall (and the
mouse in the wall) are very real and must be faced. But the danger comes when we get too close to the problem and
lose our perspective and fail to see the whole picture. My whole life is not one phone call, one teacher, one test, one
twenty dollar bill, one weekend, etc.  My situation, problem, event or crisis is only one tiny part of my life.

Often an event passes in time but not in mind. We cannot or will not stop thinking about it, and thus we are
unprepared for the next moment of time. A boy buried his dead cat and then every day he dug it up to see how it was
doing! We often do the same thing with yesterday's events and problems.

The Bible gives us various examples of people who became wrongly focused on one thing:

1)    See 1 Kings 21:1-13.  What piece of property was King Ahab focused upon? ___________________________ 
As king, he had so many possessions and privileges.   Was it right for him to covet this one piece of land? _____  He
lost sight of everything else he possessed, and became very S______ (verse 5) because of this property which was all
he could think about.  Did his wicked wife come up with a plan? _____  What wicked deed was done in order to solve
the problem (verses 10,13)? _______________________________________________

2)  See 2 Samuel 12:1-6.  Consider the rich man in Nathan's story.  Did this man own plenty of sheep and lambs?
______  When a need arose to provide meat for a guest, whose lamb did he focus upon?
_________________________  In what selfish way did he provide for his guest?
_____________________________________________________

3)  See Genesis 3:1-6.  When Eve was tempted in the garden, what one thing did she focus upon?
____________________________________________________  Did the serpent want her to focus on this one thing?
__________   In light of Genesis 2:16, did Eve lose sight of all the other trees in the garden?  _____  Suppose a young
person were told that he could play baseball, shoot baskets, go on a hike, go swimming, go fishing, go biking, but that
he could not go on a boat ride.  Would it be wise for this young person to think about the one thing that he could not
do instead of appreciating all the many things he could do? __________  Do you know people who get upset about
the things they are forbidden to do instead of enjoying the many things that they are free to do?

4)  See Judges 16:4-21.  Was Samson overly focused upon a woman? _____  Did this get him into trouble? _____ 
Can people today become too focused on another person and get in trouble?

5)  See Genesis 25:27-34.   After Esau came back from the field, what was his main focus?
________________________________   What did he want more than anything else? ________________________  
Can something seem to be very important at the time, but later we learn that it was not very important at all?  

What is ONE THING that should be our main focus?

See Psalm 27:4 _____________________________________________________________________

See Philippians 3:13 __________________________________________________________________

The Solution:

1. I must not lose sight of God's overall purpose and program (His overall work and working). Do
not lose your overall perspective. Do not let the spot be everything. As much as possible try to see the whole
wall, not just the mouse hole and the mouse. Try to see the whole picture, not just one piece of the puzzle,
because by itself the one piece will not make any sense. See the event as only one event among million of
events. See the person as only one person among millions of persons. See the place as only one place among
millions of places. Look up in the sky, look out across the field and realize that what God is doing is vastly
bigger than YOU! It involves a whole world and a whole universe and a whole eternity. Stay in tune and in
harmony with God and with what He is doing.
 
2. I must not lose sight of God's dealing with my own heart. The God who is concerned about a whole
world and a whole universe and a whole eternity is also concerned about me in a very personal way (see
Matthew 10:29-31)! The God who has all the pieces of the puzzle also has my piece. God has a reason for the
spot, for the person, for the problem and for the event.
 
3. I must not lose sight of God's dealing with other people through me. My little piece of the puzzle
touches several other pieces. As I interact with people here and there, God wants to deal with others through
me.

Consider Matthew 8:23-27. What does man want more, the calming of the sea, or the calming of the heart?
_________________________________________ We often want God to fix the problems on the outside but not the
problems on the inside. I want God to change my teacher or my friend, but not me! I want God to fix the job and the
problem, but not my own heart! I want God to take care of everything on the outside so that I (with troubled waters on
the inside) may be able to live with a calm sea but with a troubled heart. Notice Matthew 8:24. Was there a calm sea?
_____ Was there a troubled heart? _____

Consider also Luke 10:38-42. Martha had a spot and a mouse hole. All she could see was that one spot! The dinner
meal was so important! If this meal did not come out right, all would be lost! Jesus said to her (in essence), "No
Martha, there is something far more important than dinner. This meal is not that important. I AM IMPORTANT!  Be
like Mary who has understood what the most important thing really is. Be like Mary who has her eyes off the spot and
her ears open to Me!"

MY BIG GOD IS
QUITE ABLE TO TAKE
CARE OF THAT LITTLE MOUSE!
Is God bigger than any problem you have?

Back to WHAT IS A PERSON

Back to SUNDAY SCHOOL MATERIALS & HELPFUL BIBLE STUDIES