The Living Soul

The first man is of the earth.

The first man is made up of a physical body, a mind, a soul, and a spirit. His conscience is the moral law of God written in him, and his spirit is able to reach out to God in prayer. His spirit, mind, and conscience make him different from the animals; but otherwise man is an animal creation.

Scientists speak of man as though he merely is an intelligent animal. People who are conducting their lives apart from God often behave like animals, and as they give place to demons they sometimes act in a manner worse than the wild beasts.

The animal creation is weak and corruptible. The physical body with its appetites and lusts often performs in ridiculous ways. We, who are created in the image of God, behave as ludicrous fools before the angels.

The six thousand years since Adam have witnessed an ever-increasing penetration of the human race by evil spirits. The spiritual environment has become thick with uncleanness. The natural man increasingly is becoming a reflection of the person and ways of Satan.

Our efforts toward salvation quickly become vain if they are directed only or primarily toward reforming the first man.

It is true that both the Old and New Testaments are addressed to a great extent to the first man, because the first man must be beaten down, held down, kept in line while Christ is creating the second man.

But I keep under my body, and bring it into subjection: lest that by any means, when I have preached to others, I myself should be a castaway. (I Corinthians 9:27)

And they that are Christ's have crucified the flesh with the affections [passions] and lusts. (Galatians 5:24)

If we interpret such passages to mean the Christian salvation is the forgiving and reforming of the natural man we miss the actual program of salvation. The beating down and crucifying of the first man is not for the purpose of saving him. It is for the purpose of holding him in line while the second man is being created. The second man is "the Lord from heaven."

The second man does not sin. He cannot sin because he has been born of God (I John 3:9). The second man is free to move throughout the creation of God. He is the word, the law of God given form and life as a life-giving spirit.

Much of our Christian effort has been directed toward the forgiving and reforming of the first man, the personality God has assigned to the cross. It is time now to consider the creation of the new man. The old personality is to pass away (already has passed away in God's timeless vision). All things are to be made new and are to be of God through Christ (II Corinthians 5:17,18).

The new creation to which we are referring is not a new creation in which we remain largely unchanged while God, because of His mercy and grace, regards us as new creatures. The new creation is actually a new creation in which all things really are made new and are begotten of God.

To be continued.