GospelNotes.life

Category: Inner Man vs Outward Man

  • Humility and Exaltation

    Exalt — hold someone in very high regard; to think or speak very highly of.

    A humble and loving servant of all is the one who is highly exalted according to the truth (of the ways of God) – in God’s kingdom. The lie of the world is that those who are beautiful, popular, powerful, wealthy and possess many things are highly exalted. But God’s ways are the real way, and the world’s ways are just a lie.

    Humble — not thinking you’re better than others for the beauty, knowledge, career success, wealth and things you possess – not making your boast in them. Not showing partiality, knowing we’re all equal. And not thinking you’re better than others for serving others. Having a lowly opinion of yourself (not a bad or negative opinion, just knowing you’re not better than others) in the way the world views people for their material and vanity. Knowing I’m not self-sufficient (I’ve accomplished nothing on my own)…being completely dependent on God for everything: salvation, health, safety, income, career success, help growing in godliness with the power of the Spirit, ministry, the timing of everything, and not relying on any of these things, knowing they can all be taken in an instant. Nothing makes you “better” than the next person. We’re just “highly regarded” and “highly spoken of”.

    Knowledge — to have knowledge simply means that you’re further along in your walk – not better than others. Use that knowledge to benefit others by teaching them in order to get them quickly up to speed where you are in your walk.

    Wealth — serve with love and use that wealth to benefit the needy.

    Prejudice — having a preconceived opinion of a person’s inward man based on the appearance of their outward man. Do you think a person’s inward man is better or worse based on how they dress? Do you think a person’s inward man is better or worse based on the car they drive?

    If God gives you a ton of wealth, the key is to remain humble, knowing you’re not better than anyone else for the wealth that’s been given to you. To remain content with simple necessities to get you through this life and not pursue excess luxuries: castles and planes and yachts and multiple mansions and dozens of fancy cars – all excessive things that one doesn’t need. Rather, lovingly serve others with the vast majority of the wealth that’s been given to you by distributing to the needy. That money is God’s money entrusted to you to distribute to the needy to get them through this temporary life.

    Exaltation according to the lie of the ways of the world: fame, fortune, power and beauty.

    Exaltation according to the truth of the ways of God in His kingdom: humility, love for God, love for strangers, servanthood.

    This life is but a blip compared to eternity. Our mission in this life is to get in, get saved, grow in godliness, get others saved, help others in need, and get out to the eternal state in heaven.

    We brought nothing into this world, and the key is that we will carry nothing out except our humility, our love for God and our love for our neighbor (or lack thereof). All we have – the only thing that lasts – is our humility, our love for God and our love for our neighbor.

    Your humility and love get you an exalted status.

    That extra wealth (and the intelligence/talent/opportunities used to acquire that wealth in this world) was given to you by God to bless the needy abundantly, not for storing up for yourself.

    It’s about the person – not the material. Are you a lowly, God fearing (you believe the gospel, you respect God’s ways, you follow God’s ways), loving person. The material means nothing. “I will exalt you if you are lowly, God fearing and loving.”

    “A man’s life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions.” It consists of his humility, love for God and love for strangers. Possessions don’t bring our inward man peace and joy. The fruits of the Spirit of humility, love, kindness, peacefulness, gentleness, goodness, patience, self-control, faithfulness and holiness do.

    Reducing it down: Heart posture is what exalts you (the state of your inner man) – not material.

    You need to be able to separate what the world exalts you for, vs what God exalts you for. Knowing the way the world exalts you (according to the lie that you’re better for these things), and knowing the way God exalts you (according to the truth of the ways of God):

    • The world exalts you for your career success, wealth, power, beauty, fame, quality of possessions, the way you dress and present yourself. This is the lie. This is not what’s reality.
    • God exalts you for your love for Him (accepting His way of salvation, and respecting and following His ways of godliness), your love for others, and your humble, lowly opinion of yourself – not thinking you’re better than anyone for anything (in context of how the world ranks people from least to greatest based on material possession and vanity). This is the truth. This is what’s reality.

    I don’t mind at all that you have a successful career, that you have wealth, that you’re beautiful, that a lot of people know you. But I know that you’re not better than anyone for those things. What I judge is if you have a humble, lowly opinion of yourself despite having those things, and if you love God (believing the gospel for salvation and walking in godliness) and if you love and serve others, especially strangers. And if you do, then I exalt you.

    See the person, not the material. See what type of person they are – not what they possess. See the rich – they need humility. See the God fearing, loving, humble and poor – glory in your exaltation, for God has highly exalted you. See the rich – are they humble despite their circumstances? Do they fear God, exhibit godliness, and love others and serve them? James 1:9-11 – let the humble glory in his exaltation. Let the rich glory in his humiliation.

    The world judges and exalts you based on material and vanity. God judges and exalts based on love and humility. The world exalts the possessions. God exalts the inner person.

    The world approves you based on your career, wealth, beauty, fame, the quality of your possessions, the way you dress and present yourself. God approves you based on the heart – the inner man. I seek to be approved by God – not the world.

    You can’t know a man by simply looking at him – by whether he’s wealthy looking or poor looking. Test the spirit against the truth of God, to see what kind of man he is, and whether to exalt them or not. The world says a wealthy looking man is better, and a poor looking man is scum. But God says a poor looking man that loves God, loves and serves others and is humble, is highly exalted over the wealthy looking man who is prideful and unloving towards God and others. Take the wealthy looking and the poor looking man out of their homes, then out of their cars, strip them naked and judge their inner man. The poor looking man might be the rotten one, whereas the wealthy looking man may be exalted in God’s eyes, or vice-versa.

    Stop judging like the world and judge like God:

    1. Strip them naked of all their possessions, fame and beauty.
    2. Test the spirit to see if they’re humble, God loving and fearing, and love and serve strangers (Luke 6:32-36 — But if you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners love those who love them).
    3. Make a judgement: approve or disapprove concerning the ways of God.
    4. If approved: exalt.

    See what comes out of a man/woman. See what comes out of you as well.

  • The Inner Man vs the Outward Man

    This is vital to understand when scripture says believers are unable to sin, but still do sin.

    We are comprised of 3 parts: we are a soul that has a spirit and lives in our fleshly bodies.

    There is also the concept that we have a heart and a mind. However, we are not comprised of 5 parts: a soul, spirit, body, heart and mind. The heart and the mind are synonymous — the same thing. When you, “believe with the heart”, it’s the same thing as, “believing with the mind.”

    So if our makeup is only a soul, spirit and body, where does the heart/mind fit in? Let’s break this down: we know that in order to be saved, we must believe with our heart/mind the gospel found in 1 Corinthians 15:1-4 (that Christ died for our sins, was buried and rose again on the third day according to the scriptures).

    We also know that we are born spiritually dead. So if the heart/mind were part of the spirit, it wouldn’t make sense because how does a dead spirit believe in the gospel? This can be backed up in 1 Corinthians 2:11 — “For who among men knows the thoughts of a man [his soul] except the spirit of the man which is in him? Even so the thoughts of God no one knows except the Spirit of God.” So you can see that the thoughts of a man are related to the man himself – his soul – and that his spirit knows his soul’s thoughts.

    Let’s talk about the heart/mind possibly belonging to the fleshy body. We know that our fleshy bodies contain a fleshy brain, which in itself has thoughts, desires and emotions for the body – which can compete with our soul (and oftentimes overwhelms us). We also know that upon believing, our fleshy bodies are not renewed, but stay fleshy and sinful, and only at the time of the rapture/resurrection will our bodies be transformed into our heavenly, spiritual, glorified, sinless bodies (1 Thessalonians 4:16-18). So does it make sense that you, as a soul, would have to have your corrupted, sinful fleshy body that will be done away with, believe the gospel with its fleshy brain in order for the soul to be saved and be spiritually reborn? No.

    So the only part of our makeup that makes sense that the heart/mind would be a part of is the man himself – the soul. I’m sure you’ve heard the saying: “I believe with all my heart, mind and soul.” When a man – as a soul – hears the gospel and believes it, he is spiritually born again and he – as a soul – becomes a new creature in Christ. A man must be spiritually reborn: John 3:5 — “Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.” A man who believes in Christ is a new creature: 2 Corinthians 5:17 — “Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.” Our souls have been purified upon believing the gospel and we have been born again of incorruptible seed: 1 Peter 1:22-23 — Seeing ye have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit unto unfeigned love of the brethren, see that ye love one another with a pure heart fervently: Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God, which liveth and abideth for ever. If our soul is made anew, then so our heart/mind – being a part of the soul – is made anew also: Hebrews 8:10 — “For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, says the Lord: I will put My laws in their mind and write them on their hearts; and I will be their God, and they shall be My people.”

    Thus, our “inner man” – us a soul (containing our heart/mind) and our spirit – are renewed when we believe, and cannot sin as it is kept by Christ from stumbling. However, our body as sinful flesh is not renewed upon believing, and still desires to sin. When we get our new, glorified, uncorrupted spiritual bodies at the rapture/resurrection, then we will be completely sinless.

    Paul’s struggle with sin
    In Romans 7:14-25, Paul describes his struggle with sin. However, he makes it clear that his inner man/soul/mind delights in the law (Hebrews 8:10), but his flesh still desires to sin. Therefore, it is not Paul (his “inner man”, his soul) that sins, it is his fleshy, unregenerate body that sins:

    Romans 7:14-25 — For we know that the law is spiritual, but I am carnal, sold under sin. For what I am doing, I do not understand. For what I will to do, that I do not practice; but what I hate, that I do. If, then, I do what I will not to do, I agree with the law that it is good. But now, it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells in me. For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh) nothing good dwells; for to will is present with me, but how to perform what is good I do not find. For the good that I will to do, I do not do; but the evil I will not to do, that I practice. Now if I do what I will not to do, it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells in me [the flesh]. I find then a law, that evil is present with me [his soul], the one who wills to do good. For I delight in the law of God according to the inward man. But I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members [flesh]. O wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death? I thank God—through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, with the mind I myself serve the law of God, but with the flesh the law of sin.

    Our inner man is kept from stumbling
    Jude 1:24 — Now to Him [Jesus] who is able to keep you from stumbling, And to present you faultless Before the presence of His glory with exceeding joy,

    A believer cannot sin as the inner man
    1 John 3:9 — Whoever has been born of God [the inner man] does not sin, for His seed remains in him; and he cannot sin, because he has been born of God.

    Our flesh still sins
    1 John 1:10 — If we say that we have not sinned, we make Him a liar, and His word is not in us.

    Our new bodies at the rapture/resurrection
    1 Corinthians 15:50-53 — Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; nor does corruption inherit incorruption (if our soul was still corrupted upon believing the gospel, it could not enter heaven). Behold, I tell you a mystery: We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed— in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet [the rapture/resurrection]. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. For this corruptible [body] must put on incorruption, and this mortal [body] must put on immortality.

    Who knows the mind of a man but his spirit
    1 Corinthians 2:11 — For what man knoweth the things [thoughts] of a man, save the spirit of man which is in him? even so the things of God knoweth no man, but the Spirit of God.

    Born of incorruptible seed and soul purified by faith
    1 Peter 1:22-23 — Seeing ye have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit unto unfeigned love of the brethren, see that ye love one another with a pure heart fervently: Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God, which liveth and abideth for ever.