THE THREE-FOLD NATURE OF MAN

1 Thess. 5:23

Morning Meditation 10/20/2012

"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."

There has been much debate over the tripart being of man. Some hold tenaciously to the two-fold nature of man. However, our text seems to settle the issue.

Paul addresses himself to the Whole man when he says, "And the very God of peace sanctify you wholly." God wants us to become in experience what we already are in spirit.

John says, "because as he is, so are we in this world." The "is" refers to His present glorified condition. The "are" in, "so are we in this world," settles the issue about what the Bible teaches about the Christians present relation to Christ.

The first and most important thing to notice in our text is, "And the very God of peace sanctify you wholly." If it is done, Paul says He will have to do it. The ones to whom Paul is writing are the targets and God is the Actor to bring to the man total sanctification. I do not think that total sanctification will take place until we are delivered from this "wretched man" that we are stuck with until the rapture or the resurrection.

But it is right to pray for it. It is right to seek it. And when sincere men and women walk in the Spirit with the Bible in hand there will be enough difference in them from the world around them so that some will probably think they are sanctified wholly.

A SUMMARY OF THE DOCTRINE OF POSITIONAL TRUTH

1. Positional truth has to do with the believer in Christ. He is put there by the baptism of the Spirit at salvation. At that point, every thing Jesus is we are. We didn't work for it, plan for it, it just happened as suddenly as a streak of lightening when we believed in Jesus as a personal Saviour.

2. Justification by faith comes to us positionally; Romans 5:1, "Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ:"

3. Redemption comes to us positionally; Colossians 1:14, "In whom we have redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins:"

4. Eternal security is a positional truth; Colossians 3:1-3, "If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God. Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth. For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God."

5. Reconciliation to God is a positional truth; 2 Corinthians 5:19, "To wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation."

6. Sanctification is a positional truth; 1 Corinthians 1:30, "But of him are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption:"

7. The saved are perfected forever is a positional truth. Hebrews 10:14, "For by one offering he hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified."

8. The saved are complete in Him is a positional truth; Colossians 2:10, "And ye are complete in him, which is the head of all principality and power:"

9. We are already glorified in Him is a positional truth; Romans 8:30, "Moreover whom he did predestinate, them he also called: and whom he called, them he also justified: and whom he justified, them he also glorified." Note that glorified is in the past tense.

10. That the believer possesses every spiritual blessing in Christ is a positional truth; Ephesians 1:3, "Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ:"

There are more that could be mentioned. But these happen as suddenly as salvation. When you are saved you are put in Christ and all these things become yours by virtue of your position in Him.

Paul prays, "and I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ." The word "preserved" means, "carefully cared for." It is in the passive voice which means that they will not take care of themselves. We through prayer and the intake of the Word of God is the means used to accomplish this.

The soul is the mind, emotions, and the will. It is obvious immediately that we have a part in what God does to and through our minds, to and through our emotions, and to and through our will. Paul's desire is for them to be preserved blameless in these areas until the coming of the Lord.

The body is the temple of the Spirit. God lives in the Christian. Therefore, the body and its lusts should not control us. If it does we will mirror the wrong message to the world around us.

May the Lord bless these words to our hearts.

In Christ

Bro. White