SPRING 2016 AFTERNOON BIBLE CLASS—LESSON 2—APRIL 10, 2016

The Spirit of Man

ENCOUNTERING OUR SPIRIT ONCE AGAIN
Chapter 2
1. First and Second Adam
Man lost his original state as well as his ability to reunite with his
Creator. No matter how much the fallen soul longed to, it could not
reunite with God, because they were now of two different natures, and
therefore incompatible. God is light and holiness, and man is darkness
and sin.
Only God as creator could repair what had been broken, and bring to life
what was now dead. God had to create a way for the soul of man to be
once again formed into its original design. This way it could be
reconnected to the spirit of man, and have the ability to receive the flow
of eternal and divine life.
This is what Jesus came to do in the world; restore what had been lost.
He had to become flesh and soul in order to destroy the kingdom of
darkness, sin, sickness and death as a man. Having done so, He sat on the
throne of glory in the heavens as the “Second Adam” reuniting human
nature with the divine.
He had to retake the position of government and dominion over all the
earth, but this time, holding the title of King of Kings and Lord of Lords.
Therefore, just as through one man sin entered the world, and death
through sin, and thus death spread to all men, because all sinned.
Romans 5:12
For since by man came death, by Man also came the resurrection of the
dead. For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ all shall be made alive.
1 Corinthians 15:21-22
And so it is written, “The first man Adam became a living being.” The last
Adam became a life-giving spirit. 1 Corinthians 15:45
2. The Kingdom of God is Spiritual
The first Adam lost his access to the Kingdom of God, which is a spiritual
dimension. Jesus, the second Adam, came to bring His Father’s Kingdom
so that man, united with His spirit, could once again enjoy it.
 Among the many truths that Jesus came to establish, there are four that
I believe are fundamental in regard to this topic.
A. Heaven and Earth came back together in Jesus
which He made to abound toward us in all wisdom and prudence, having
made known to us the mystery of His will, according to His good pleasure
which He purposed in Himself, that in the dispensation of the fullness of
the times He might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which
are in heaven and which are on earth - in Him. Ephesians 1:8-10
As we have just read, it was Jesus’ will to bring back together all things;
those who are in heaven as well as those who are on earth. This took
place when Jesus died on the cross and resurrected, having fulfilled
everything that had been written.
This means there was no longer a division between the two dimensions.
In Jesus, man is once again in the same condition as the first Adam,
having access to everything that is in heaven and on earth.
The key here is to understand what it means to be, In Jesus, since this is
a spiritual position in which someone has been covered, submerged and
filled with the Spirit of Christ.
Several scriptures speak of the fulfillment of the ages. These are some
of the scriptures: He then would have had to suffer often since the
foundation of the world; but now, once at the end of the ages, He has
appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of Himself. (Hebrews 9: 26)
Then He said to them, “These are the words which I spoke to you while I
was still with you, that all things must be fulfilled which were written in
the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms concerning Me.” (Luke
24:44)
I recommend you read the Book “Immersed in Him”, written by my
husband, L. Emerson Ferrell, so that you may understand the meaning of
these powerful words.
As Paul the apostle said: for in Him we live and move and have our being,
as also some of your own poets have said, ‘For we are also His offspring.’
Acts 17:28
What Jesus did was to bring the spiritual reality of heaven, and made it
accessible to us again.
Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain
mercy, and find grace to help in time of need. Hebrews 4:16
 The throne of His Grace does not simply refer to receiving grace from
Him, as merely a way of speaking, but it refers to entering into a real
dimension and receiving from Him.
To think that we have the ability to enter the heavenly dimensions is
inconceivable to the natural mind because the fallen soul cannot
perceive such greatness, but the redeemed spirit can.
But the natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit of God, for
they are foolishness to him; nor can he know them, because they are
spiritually discerned. 1 Corinthians 2:14
In order to understand this, we must look at the second truth, which I
want to emphasize.
B. We Must be born of the Water and of the Spirit
Being Born Again has become a cliché and a common phrase in Christian
vocabulary. Unfortunately, in most cases, the depth of this vital truth, has
been lost.
The spirit is in a state of death or sleep because of sin and is awakened
and engendered when we come to Christ.
But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become
children of God, to those who believe in His name: who were
(engendered), not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of
man, but of God. John 1:12-13
There is a difference between being engendered and being born.
It is like when a child is conceived in the womb. The child is already alive
and exists, but has not been born into this world. The child must be
submerged in amniotic fluid for nine months, before he is born. During
this time, the fetus is being nourished by the waters he is immersed in.
He is in the process of being formed, so that at the given time, the baby
can function, see, hear, feel and move in the new world he is about to be
born into.
The same thing happens to our spirit. We are engendered by the divine
seed, which is Jesus. Then it is our responsibility to remain in the waters
of the Spirit of God, which is achieved through:
Worship and intimacy with the Father, Son and Holy Spirit, who give us
the living waters to drink. but whoever drinks of the water that I shall give
him will never thirst.
But the water that I shall give him will become in him a fountain of water
springing up into everlasting life. John 4:14
 God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and
truth. John 4:24
Through sanctification and washing, through the study and meditation
of the Word of God.
Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave
Himself for her, that He might sanctify and cleanse her with the washing
of water by the word. Ephesians 5:25-26
C. Those Born of the Spirit have entered the Dimension of Heaven
When Jesus introduced the theme of a new birth in the Spirit, He was
referring to entering the heavenly realm.
Being “Born of God” is not being a church member or reading scripture.
Jesus clearly taught us what those “Born of God” are like, and stated their
characteristics.
They have the ability to see the Kingdom of God because they have
entered in, and they have become like the wind, not knowing where it
comes from or where it is headed.
Let us consider this concept from a deeper angle in order to grab hold
of the heavenly truths that Jesus wanted to relay to Nicodemus.
Jesus answered and said to him, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless
one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.” John 3:3
Jesus answered, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born of
water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. That which is
born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. Do
not marvel that I said to you, ‘You must be born again.’ The wind blows
where it wishes, and you hear the sound of it, but cannot tell where it
comes from and where it goes. So is everyone who is born of the Spirit.”
John 3:5-8
Our spirit, which had been asleep, received the life of Jesus after we
repented of our vain lifestyle and we knowingly invoked His name. Now
our spirit must be formed, and the areas we have never used or even
knew existed must be awakened.
That is why it is so important to know our spirit and understand how it
works, so we will know which parts must still be developed.
Jesus, the Son of God, lived as a true “Born Again”-being here on earth,
knowing and moving in both dimensions at the same time. When He told
Nicodemus that those who are born of God are like the wind, He is
referring to the “Ruah”, the Spirit of God within the spirit of man.
 Wind is the only element that moves independently from the earth,
because it is not from the earth; it is from the Spirit. All of the other
elements such as earth, fire and water are connected to physical matter,
but the wind is not.
Wind comes from a heavenly place. Scientists are able to measure its
intensity and direction, but do not know what it is or where it comes
from.
He causes the vapors to ascend from the ends of the earth; He makes
lightning for the rain; He brings the wind out of His treasuries. Psalms
135:7
Those born of the Spirit have been formed inside of God and He blows
them and leads them as He wills. They are in heaven and on earth at the
same time, and that is why they can “See” the Kingdom and move in it.
If I have told you earthly things and you do not believe, how will you
believe if I tell you heavenly things? No one has ascended to heaven but
He who came down from heaven, that is, the Son of Man who is in
heaven. John 3:12-13
Ruah, Hebrew word which means wind.
Notice that Jesus said this before His death and ascension into heaven.
He is telling Nicodemus that being born of the Spirit gives man access to
heaven and it is possible to be in heaven and on earth at the same time.
Every awakened and vivified spirit understands this. If the spirit is being
formed and is growing on the inside, it will long for the moment of its
birth more than anything else. However, a slumbering spirit will see this
as something humanly impossible.
The reality of the Kingdom of God is visible, audible and palpable for
those who are born of God. The seed of the Almighty has been formed
inside them and is manifested in their way of being and acting.
Whoever has been born of God does not sin, for His seed remains in him;
and he cannot sin, because he has been born of God. In this the children
of God and the children of the devil are manifest: Whoever does not
practice righteousness is not of God, nor is he who does not love his
brother. 1 John 3:9-10
This is the true condition of a spirit that has been awakened and
quickened by God and has been born into the Kingdom of God.
D. The Kingdom of God is invisible and can only be discerned spiritually
 The Kingdom of God is a kingdom of the Spirit. This dimension is
different from that of the earth. Its wisdom and ways are higher than
those of the material world. Therefore, only an awakened spirit can enter
it and understand it.
However, we speak wisdom among those who are mature, yet not the
wisdom of this age, nor of the rulers of this age, who are coming to
nothing. But we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, the hidden
wisdom which God ordained before the ages for our glory, which none of
the rulers of this age knew; for had they known, they would not have
crucified the Lord of glory. 1 Corinthians 2:6-8
The world and its way of analyzing things, its wisdom and its goals are
very different from God’s.
Israel’s princes, its priests, scribes and doctors of the law in the time of
Jesus did not know the things of the spirit. Their wisdom and
understanding had a carnal logic, because their spirits were asleep in the
same manner as the first Adam. So when Jesus told them that His
Kingdom would not come visibly and would not be located in a particular
place on earth, including Jerusalem, they were offended and disqualified
Him as a potential Messiah.
Now when He was asked by the Pharisees when the kingdom of God
would come, He answered them and said, “The kingdom of God does not
come with observation; nor will they say, ‘See here!’ or ‘See there!’ For
indeed, the kingdom of God is within you.” Luke 17:20
The wisdom of God, by the Spirit, is the one from heaven, because it is
the unlimited Mind of Christ. God designed for us to know His mysteries
and His inscrutable thoughts, so we could be covered with His Glory.
But as it is written: “Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, Nor have entered
into the heart of man The things which God has prepared for those who
love Him.” But God has revealed them to us through His Spirit. For the
Spirit searches all things, yes, the deep things of God. 1 Corinthians 2:9-
10
The awakened spirit of a Son of God is by nature a researcher. It is not
passive and is not waiting for others to provide answers. He knows that
he can know all things in God, and does not stop until all his questions
are answered.
One of these great questions is the central concept of our study, “What
is the spirit of man like, and how does it operate?”
 For what man knows the things of a man except the spirit of the man
which is in him? Even so no one knows the things of God except the Spirit
of God. 1 Corinthians 2:11
Our spirit is the one that knows everything concerning who we are as
Sons of God. It knows the identity of who we truly are as men made in
the image of God.
Our soul does not know the things of man. Our carnal mind does not
have this knowledge nor can understand or decipher it.
Psychology and psychiatry with all its great doctors cannot understand
who man truly is or how he functions. Many of them believe we come
from a monkey. That is why, when they come across a complex mental
disorder, they solve it by filling up the patient with medication.
How could Nicodemus understand that Jesus was in Heaven and on
Earth at the same time or that someone could be like the wind? Jesus
spoke in the language and wisdom of the Spirit because His words were
Spirit and they were life.
It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh profits nothing. The words that I
speak to you are spirit, and they are life. It is the Spirit who gives life; the
flesh profits nothing. The words that I speak to you are spirit, and they
are life. John 6:63
He came to His own, yet His own did not receive Him because they loved
their souls in darkness, along with their logic and doctrines, more than
the light of the Spirit of Life. The words of Jesus however, remained on
the earth eternally, so that His Spirit would vivify anyone who receives
them.
It is in our spirit where we understand everything that has been given to
us by God. We do not live waiting for the moment of our death to
understand how we were made, instead, He manifests and reveals this
to us.
Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is
from God, that we might know the things that have been freely given to
us by God. These things we also speak, not in words which man’s wisdom
teaches but which the Holy Spirit teaches, comparing spiritual things
with spiritual. 1 Corinthians 2:12-13
The spirit has a very special way of expressing itself. It uses different
words given by the Spirit; because the Spiritual reality has different
physics, and dynamics that does not exist in the material world.
 That is why the carnal or soul driven man cannot understand what we
are discussing; to him it sounds like something out of this world.
Then he refers to it as “being crazy”, “not possible”, “it sounds like new
age” or “that is fantasy.” They even blaspheme against the Holy Spirit
criticizing what they do not understand.
But the natural, nonspiritual man does not accept or welcome or admit
into his heart the gifts and teachings and revelations of the Spirit of God,
for they are folly (meaningless nonsense) to him; and he is incapable of
knowing them (of progressively recognizing, understanding, and
becoming better acquainted with them) because they are spiritually
discerned and estimated and appreciated. But the spiritual man tries all
things (he examines, investigates, inquiries into, questions, and discerns
all things), yet is himself to be put on trial and judged by no one [he can
read the meaning of everything, but no one can properly discern or
appraise or get an insight into him]. 1 Corinthians 2: 14-15 AMP
For “who has known the mind of the Lord that he may instruct Him?” But
we have the mind of Christ. 1 Corinthians 2:16
The natural mind cannot understand God’s thoughts nor can it discern
the believer who has reached a level of maturity as the result of having
been born of the Spirit of God.
This spiritual stature is the fruit of our spirit being fused with God’s spirit,
and in this manner, He places in us the mind of Christ.

Ferrell, Ana (2015-08-12). The Spirit of Man (Kindle Locations 156-158)

Kindle Edition.