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Read A. W. Tozer's Man – The Dwelling Place of God – The Importance of Sound Doctrine
The Doctrine of Man
WHAT IS MAN ?
"What is frail mortal man, that Thou art continually mindful of Him? And a son (offspring) of Adam, that Thou continually visitest Him". Psalm 8:4 Newberry.
"And Adam lived an hundred and thirty years, and begat a son IN HIS OWN LIKENESS, AFTER HIS IMAGE; " Genesis 5:3
CREATION
"and Jehovah Elohim FORMED man of the dust of the ground, and BREATHED (inspired) INTO his nostrils the breath of life's; and man BECAME a living SOUL" Genesis 2:7 New.
"God is Spirit" (John 4:24) When God put a spirit WITHIN the body He had FORMED, it was like the positive meeting the negative, and creating a flash, he BECAME a living spiritual flame of desire, which is the soul. "But there is a SPIRIT IN frail mortal man, and the INSPIRATION (breath) of the Almighty continually giveth them UNDERSTANDING" Job 32:8 New. Man is a tri-part being, a SOUL, with a SPIRIT IN a physical body. Two parts SPIRITUAL , one PHYSICAL.
THE FALL
In the beginning, Adam's body was neither mortal nor immortal. He had to make a choice of masters. Through choosing Eve, who was deceived by Satan (1Timothy 2:14) he disobeyed God's word. God warned him "in THE DAY that though eatest thereof, thou shalt SURELY die" Genesis 2:17 & Genesis 3:11 New.
In that very day Adam and Eve were expelled from God's presence Genesis 3:24. Immediately they died SPIRITUALLY, and 930 years later Adam died PHYSICALLY Genesis 5:5.
"Then shall the dust (body) RETURN to the earth AS IT WAS; and the SPIRIT shall RETURN unto Elohim who GAVE IT" Eccles. 12 :7
THREEFOLD CONSCIOUSNESS
God has given man a threefold consciousness that he might recognise the three essential realities of all that exist, which are, God, himself and the world.
God the Creator. God has given man a SPIRIT through which he, himself, the SOUL, which is SPIRITUAL, can have complete communion, and be fully satisfied with God. Through his SPIRIT man attains to GOD CONSCIOUSNESS-the spiritual world.
The Ego. Man perceives through the SOUL. For man is more than a sensitive member of external nature. He is a spiritual self with a spiritual heart, and an individual personality. This is revealed to him directly through his own inner being.
Through the SOUL he attains to SELF or EGO CONSCIOUSNESS-the spiritual world.
The World. The physical system that God created for His man.
Through the five senses of his physical body the Soul attains to WORLD CONSCIOUSNESS-the natural world.
God created the soul (man) and gave him two 'channels' through which he could draw satisfaction. Thus in the nature of man there correspond:
World Consciousness through the PHYSICAL BODY
Self Consciousness through the SOUL.
God Consciousness through the SPIRIT.
FREEWILL
God has given man a freewill, he chooses his own destiny. As he is an eternal, insatiable flame of spiritual desire, he must be constantly satisfied. There are only two choices for him.
GOD — His creator, who really owns him ( "All souls are mine." Ezekiel 18;4.) and who is constantly visiting him to win him back and even providing the way.
WORLD — The physical provides the terrestrial pleasures which only excites the body and brings no spiritual satisfaction for the Soul.
"Man shall not live on bread alone but on every spoken WORD , that proceedeth out through the mouth of God" Matthew 4;4.
"Jesus said, I AM the Bread of Life; He that cometh to me shall never hunger; and he that believeth IN ME shall never thirst" John 6:35,63. Isaiah 26 :7-9 Romans 8: 3-18
— Source Unknown
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