Have you ever considered your Spirit?
Malachi 2:15-16 ; 2 Corinthians 7:1
In the passages that are the text for this sermon we see a warning to take heed to our spirit and the fact that our spirit needs to be cleansed from time to time. To understand this we will 1st define what the spirit of man is, then we will see how it is connected with our personality and flesh. Lastly we will look at some things we can do to care for the spirit.
What is the spirit of man?
- Man is a Body, Soul, and Spirit (1 Thessalonians 5:23)
- These three parts are not the same and go to different places when you die (Example: Jesus Christ Luke 23:39-53)
- According to Proverbs the spirit of man is the candle of the Lord (Proverbs 20:27)
- Putting Job 18:6 ; Job 21:17 ; Proverbs 24:20 together we see that a man’s life is connected with light or called his candle and when God puts that candle out he is dead.
- James 2:24 says that the body without the spirit is dead.
- Therefore we conclude that the spirit of man is life from God.
You might ask what about the spirit of man after salvation in the Church Age? We still have the same spirit of man that we had before salvation the difference is that we have the Holy Spirit of God to bear witness with our spirit (Romans 8:16).
The spirit of man and our personality:
The spirit of man is also connected with our personality note what Jesus said regarding Elijah and John the Baptist (Luke 1:17 ; Matthew 17:10-13). Note the types of spirit that are associated with man:
Willing spirit (Exodus 35:21) ; Haughty spirit (Proverbs 16:13) ; Faithful spirit (Proverbs 11:3)
The spirit of man and our flesh:
Even after salvation the spirit of man and the flesh are still work together and this is why we must take heed to our spirit as the word of God says in Malachi. In Proverbs 17:22 a broken spirit drieth the bones. A problem in the spirit can show up in the flesh and vice versa. This is why taking care of the spirit is so important. Note the following verses in Proverbs:
Proverbs 16:32 (he that ruleth his spirit is better than he that taketh a city)
Proverbs 25:28 (he that hath no rule over his spirit is like a city with no defense)
How to care for the spirit: (Proverbs 17:27)
1) Ask God for help (Proverbs 16:2 ; Romans 8:16)
- God can weigh the spirits and show you if it is a problem with your spirit or something else.
2) Learn what affects your spirit in a negative way and avoid it. (Examples below)
- Entertainment (1 Samuel 17:14-23 ; Ephesians 5:19)
- People (Proverbs 22:24-25)
- Places (Acts 17:16)
3) When it gets defiled clean it (2 Corinthians 7:1)
- Sometimes we have to ask God to renew in us a right spirit (Psalm 51:10)