THEME: The Renewed Spirit - Eph.4:23.
Study Topic – The Conflict Of Characters - Gal.5:17.
Digging Deep (Into The Word) – January 09, 2024
A. Introduction
- You are welcome to 2024 and we thank the Lord that He is starting with us on a good note, which is to command us to be renewed in the spirit of our mind, as stated in Ephesians 4:23. This verse is situated between two verses, the first commanding us to put off the old man (v.22) and the second commanding us to put on the new man (v.24). The means of achieving both is the focus of our study in the whole of January 2024, which is the possession of a renewed spirit.
- The word “renew” as used here, (and similar expressions used in Rom.12:2; IICor.4:16 and Col.3:10 means ‘to make qualitatively new’, to change from a carnal to a Christian life. It is a renewal or a renovation which makes a person different than in the past. It is not a behavioural change resulting from training, self-discipline or self-deprivation which has an elastic limit or a breaking point after which a person becomes discouraged through disappointment and then return to his old ways. The Bible calls such human effort at behavioural change by training ‘bodily exercise’ – ITim.4:8, or ‘physical training’ which relies on human ideas, wisdom and strength, but not on God’s grace, mercy and strength. Spiritual training is the endeavour for a renewed spirit which relies on God’s resources and continues throughout life. The Bible calls it “exercise unto godliness” which makes one capable of discernment – ITim.4:7; Heb.5:14
- Renewing the spirit is a transformation of character, by which a person becomes totally subjected to the will of God and has no will of his own – Gal.2:20; IICor.5:15; Rom.14:7-8. It is the true meaning of being born-again. Our first birth was natural, either by the legitimate coming together of a male and a female(of blood), or the illegitimate coming together of a male and a female, which sometimes results in unwanted children (of the will of the flesh or the will of man) – Jn.1:13
B. The Human and The Spiritual Nature
- Self is the human nature that which we inherited from our parents at birth. It is referred to in the Bible as ‘the old man’ – Rom.6:6; Eph.4:22, ‘born of the flesh’ – Jn.3:6; Rom.9:8;Gal.4:23, ‘the natural man’ – ICor.2:14, ‘the carnal man’ – Rom.8:7. The fountain-head of this human nature is Adam through whom sin entered the world – Rom.5:12; ICor15:45. The human nature came first, represented by Cain – IJn.3:11-12, Ismael – Gal.4:22-23 and Esau – Rom.9:12-13.
- The word ‘spirit’ in Eph.4:23 is rendered ‘attitudes’(NIV), ‘desires’(Holman). The spirit within us takes on whatever character it has from the experiences we have lived through and the choices we have made. The human spirit is therefore taken to represent the total character of that person-his thoughts, feelings, will(decisions and choices), body(actions, interaction with the physical world), social context(interpersonal relations) and soul(the factor that integrates all of the above). Of the six, the will, or heart or spirit is the executive centre of human life – Pro.4:23; Matt.12:35.
- In the human spirit, all these six basic aspects are disintegrated and are in conflict withone another. The feelings may dictate to the thoughts, thereby making the thoughts wayward, whilst the thoughts may direct the will, making the will powerless to do what it would have done. The human spirit, or heart is therefore “divided” or “stony” or “uncircumcised” – Hos.10:4; Mk.3:24-25. This division, stubbornness and hardness puts the character of the carnal man in conflict with itself and also in conflict with the character of the renewed spirit, which is wholesome and integrated by the soul – Gal.5:17. This is because it seeks to put man in the centre and does not want to be subject to God – Rom.8:7-8. It trusts in human ability, human wisdom and human power – Prov.3:5; Jer.9:23-24.
- Without a renewed spirit, the old man remains the dominant character of every person. However, by the renewing of the spirit, the new man is born. The Bible calls the new man ‘born after the Spirit’, ‘the spiritual man’, ‘born of God’ – IJn.3:9. it is the renewed spirit that makes a person truly born again, because the new birth is simply a transformation from the old man to the new man. Without a renewed spirit, the new birth is impossible.
C. What The Renewed Spirit Does For Us
- The renewed spirit unites and integrates our character (our ‘heart’ or ‘will’ or ‘spirit’) to fear God – Ps.86:11. An integrated character brings integrity (sincerity, plainness of mind) to conduct through reliance on and obedience to God. The renewed spirit breaks down the stubbornness of the human nature which makes one to follow the world system without question by transforming our character – Rom.12:2. A renewed spirit restores to us the joy of salvation, brings us back to God’s order and dominion and brings purity to one’s heart – Ps.51:10-12.
- A renewed spirit does not love the world because the love in him becomes the love of the Father – IJn.2:15. A renewed spirit makes one to prefer the spirit of the Word of God to the letter – IICor.3:5-6, and obedience to observance of ceremonies – Col.2:20-23. It is important to note that although a person who loves the world faces a conflict of character through a divided heart, he is not aware of it because he remains in darkness through the bondage of satan. He does not resist sin, but sometimes flaunts it, hides it or excuses it. The outpouring of God’s grace for repentance brings one out of darkness into self-awareness and sets up the true conflict between the flesh and the spirit which the renewed spirit helps one to fight throughout life and gives interim and ultimate victory over sin and satan.
D. Conclusion
This conflict between the flesh and the spirit, between the world and Christ, between ceremonies and obedience, between the letter and the spirit of the Word is what renewing does for us. How to sustain and triumph in that conflict will be examined in the coming weeks.
Let us pray using – Ps51:10-12.
