Part 2 of 14 -

The Essential Spirit - Why Was Man Created With a Human Spirit?

The spirit of man was breathed into Adam’s clay body by God’s breath (Gen 2:7). We can see the relationship between God’s Spirit that is initially outside of man working upon man’s human spirit, here in the Old Testament. Job 32:8   But there is a spirit in man: and the inspiration of the Almighty giveth them understanding. The Hebrew word “neshamah,” here translated “inspiration,” is more properly translated “spirit,” as it is properly translated elsewhere, i.e. Proverbs 20:27. Thus, in the above verse we see that it is “the spirit of the Almighty” who gives “the spirit in man” understanding. I would summarize Job 32:8 to say; the human spirit in man is the essence of the created man – created to receive of “the spirit of the Almighty.”

The human spirit was given to man in order to equip Adam and all his progeny with the necessary spirit-receptacle, to enable Adam and all men to ultimately receive Christ’s eternal “spirit of life.” Christ’s uplifted spirit-life would later become available to fallen man, after the cross and Christ’s resurrection as the “spirit of life in Christ Jesus” (Rom 8:2a)

Thus, Man was originally created and equipped with his own spirit organ. By his spirit, man could relate to God, who is spirit. John 4:24 (NIV) God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in (by their) spirit and in truth. Man’s human spirit also permits him to ultimately come to be in eternal spirit-union with God when he receives the resurrected “spirit of life in Christ Jesus” into his spirit – Spirit to spirit. John 3:6…that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.  “Now the Lord is the Spirit” (2Cor 3:17)

In this way, we may consider man with his human spirit to be as a container for Christ’s eternal spirit-life. Man, in whole, may be seen as a container in the Bible’s many metaphors for a container – man is a vessel (2Cor 4:7), a temple (1Cor 3:16), as a branch to bear the life of the vine (John 15:5), etc. But actually, man’s vital and precise container is his human spirit that enables him to ultimately receive Christ’s “spirit of life.” Within man’s body is His spirit as the precise address where Christ may come to dwell, eternally. The Christian’s body may die, but his regenerated spirit is eternal – since the eternal Christ has come to abide within him, being one with him. 1Jn 4:13… we dwell in him, and he in us, because he hath given us of his Spirit.

Today, since the cross of Christ and His resurrection as the “life-giving spirit” (1Cor 15:45b), we may receive and become endowed with Christ’s very life, “the spirit of life in Christ Jesus.” Man can thereby become regenerated in his innermost spirit-life, with Christ’s very own righteous, resurrected, “spirit of life” to be the new and eternal spirit-life in man. Christ’s Spirit then is man’s renewed life-source and life-guide. Jesus said the following of the spirit of the man who believes and trust in Him. John 7:37 (Amplified Bible) He who believes in Me [who cleaves to and trusts in and relies on Me] as the Scripture has said, >From his innermost being shall flow [continuously] springs and rivers of living water. Christ in our spirit is our life source. For the regenerated Christian, “the Spirit of the Almighty,” now via the cross, has become “the spirit of life in Christ Jesus,” who has come to indwell the believer’s human spirit in a permanent Spirit/spirit union. 1Corinthians 6:17 But he that is joined unto the Lord is one spirit.

Christ's cross puts a believer in righteous standing before God, whereby he is counted as righteous, – this is positional. But it is His resurrection life as the "Spirit of life" indwelling the believer’s spirit that makes a man to become righteous in His living, dispositionally. This dispositional change occurs in man by the inner working of Christ’s very life and nature indwelling man (see nature, 2Pet 1:4). Philippians 2:13 For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure. Thus, it is Christ who is the Christian within us, living through us as He wills.

In summary, the “spirit of man” is intended by God to ultimately be united with Christ’s “Spirit of life.” Man’s spirit was to be man’s spirit-container to receive Christ’s Spirit; from which Christ’s indwelling life and personality would then emanate to rule that man’s entire being, including his soul and body. Man’s human spirit, renewed by the presence of the indwelling Christ, bears Christ’s life as his new, essential, spirit-life. John 14:20 … I am in my Father, and ye in me, and I in you.