"HAVING NOT THE SPIRIT"
Jude 1:19
In this study we are going to take a look at what scripture says in regards to "God's Spirit" in conjunction with "the spirit of man." What is their relationship? What is their function? Some eastern religions and new age philosophies believe in various ways, that "the Spirit of God" has always indwelt "the spirit of man." Some believe they are the same thing.
Even some Christians have the belief that the Holy Spirit, the Spirit of God, or the Spirit of Christ which generally are synonymous in Christian doctrine, have always indwelt all of mankind in one form or other--either since the beginning of man's creation or since Christ died and rose from the grave. Every man, whether they believe in personal salvation or not, is said to have the Spirit or as some call it "the seed" of Christ within them. One belief system is that man's own spirit is none other than God's Spirit. We will examine just how scriptural this concept may or may not be.
In order to be "saved", the belief is, that each individual has only to believe and accept that the living Spirit of Christ is already within their innermost being. In Christian theology, the innermost being of man is often times referred to as "the spirit of man." Zec.12:1; 1Cor.2:11. Some go so far as to believe that ALL MEN ARE already SAVED. That it is finished! That an individual simply needs to truly accept and acknowledge that God is already present within him even as the real him in order to make it a manifest truth of reality.
The main question we wish to examine in this study, is do the scriptures support this concept of the indwelling Spirit of Christ in ALL men? Or do they deny it? Or might they even contradict it? We only wish here to let the "rhema" word of God judge what is the biblical truth concerning these things.
GOD'S PERMANENT HABITATION
In Old Testament times, God's own holy Spirit, even the Spirit of Christ, was not a permanent resident nor integral part of man's personal spirit. It is written, "that at that time YE WERE WITHOUT CHRIST, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope, and WITHOUT GOD IN THIS WORLD." - Eph.2:12. The Gentiles were said to be WITHOUT CHRIST AND WITHOUT GOD. If one chooses to believe the Bible, then they must believe these one's existed WITHOUT God, WITHOUT His Spirit.
The Lord once said, "He hath chosen Zion, He hath desired it for HIS HABITATION. This is my rest for ever: HERE WILL I DWELL." Psa.132:13,14; Eph.2:21,22. He Didn't say "Here do I dwell now", He said WILL I DWELL indicative of a time in the future. Does this indicate that the Lord's Spirit always had its habitation in all mankind? On the contrary.
Nowhere in the Old Testament do the scriptures reveal that God's holy Spirit had its permanent residence or habitation WITHIN man. Rather, we are told in numerous places that God's Spirit "CAME UPON" men - Nu.24:2; Judg.3:10; 6:34; 14:6; 1Sam.10:10; 16:13; 19:20; Isa.59:21; 61:1. It was "PUT UPON" them - Nu.11:17,29; Isa.42:1. If Moses always had the Spirit of God within, why is it said of Moses that the Lord "PUT His holy Spirit WITHIN him?" Isa. 63:11. Just as easily as the Spirit of God would come according to His will, He could also LEAVE OR DEPART - 2Chr.32:31; 1Sam.16:4; Psa.51:11.
"At that time" man was in desperate need of a "new" or as David put it, a renewed Spirit - Psa.51:10. That new Spirit of God would not come to stay until the New Testament and new covenant was established through Christ - Heb.8:10. It was only then that following revelation through Ezekiel would come to pass.
The Lord had said speaking of His chosen that were yet to come, "I WILL PUT A NEW SPIRIT WITHIN YOU.." Ezk.11:19; 36:26. That "new Spirit" was God's own holy Spirit for He also saith, "I WILL PUT MY SPIRIT WITHIN you, and cause you to walk in my statutes, and ye shall keep my judgments, and do them" (Ezk.36:27; 37:14) "and ye shall live." Ezk.37:14. If God's Spirit was already man's spirit or even part of man's spirit, what would be the new spirit that He promised was yet to be put within?
It is clear this "new Spirit" was not within man at that time. This foretold of the new life giving Spirit of God in Christ, which was yet to come. Man was to be "RENEWED in the spirit of his mind" (Eph.4:23) in putting "on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness." Eph.4:24.
Now, only since Calvary, we are told that "whosoever shall confess that Jesus is the Son of God, GOD DWELLETH IN HIM, and he in God." 1Jn.4:15,16. It is only then, when this happens in initial salvation, that God's Spirit takes up permanent residence in the temple of man's body (1Cor.6:19; 2Cor.6:16) which includes man's personal spirit makeup. In contrast to the Old Testament, the Lord's new covenant promise now is, "I will never leave thee nor forsake thee." Heb.13:5; Isa.59:21. The scriptures nowhere reveal that non believers are the dwelling place or the temple of the Holy Ghost!
MAN'S PERSONAL SPIRIT IS NOT GOD'S SPIRIT
When man was first formed in creation, in order for the individual personal spirit of man to exist in the earthly realm in an earthly body, "the Lord God FORMED man out of the dust of the ground & BREATHED ("nephesh" puffed, blowed, kindled) into HIS NOSTRILS the BREATH ("neshamah" a puff of divine intellect and inspiration-- translated "spirit" in Jb.26:4 and Prv.20:27) OF LIFE ("chaiyam" natural earthly life and existence); and man became a living soul (a kindled, animated breathing soulish creature, having spirit and soul contained in a body formed from the natural elements of the earth) - Gen.2:7. Job understood this when he stated, "THE SPIRIT (Ruach) OF GOD hath made me, and THE BREATH (neshamah) OF GOD hath given me life (chayah-natural life, earthly existence)." Jb.33:4. Isaiah understood the same - Isa.42:5.
So man has his own individual PERSONAL spirit within his personal body as a created invisible form of life which the Bible calls "the spirit of man." We are further told, "God formeth THE SPIRIT OF MAN within him." Zec.12:1; Eccl. 3:21; Prv.18:14. "THERE IS A SPIRIT IN MAN and the inspiration of the Almighty giveth them understanding." Jb.32:8. But is this spirit actually God's own intrinsic Spirit?
Daniel called this personal spirit "MY SPIRIT IN THE MIDST OF MY BODY." Dan.7:15. Job referred to this same spirit as "the spirit WITHIN me." Jb.32:18. Isaiah called it "MY spirit WITHIN me." Isa.26:9. This "spirit" is surely of a substance formed of God being similar to but certainly not the same in nature as God's own Spirit. In it's basic initial makeup, the spirit of man can no more be considered the Spirit of God than can the spirit of any other natural living beast (Eccl.3:21) or any other kind of "unclean spirit" (Matt.12:43-45) truly be called God's Spirit.
The New Testament sheds further light on man's spirit and distinguishes it from the Spirit of God. "For what man knoweth the things 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." 1Cor.2:11. This "SPIRIT OF MAN" becomes "the candle of the Lord" taking on the spark and life of the unique unequivocal nature of God, only AFTER He divinely lights and quickens it WITH HIS OWN Holy Spirit - Prv.20:27.
So, it is clear in the scriptures that the spirit of unregenerate man is not the same as "the Spirit of God." Ro.8:16 also speaks of "OUR SPIRIT" and "THE SPIRIT OF GOD" in the same sentence and separates the two. They are not identical. Man's spirit is unholy. God's Spirit is holy. They are not the same. God's Spirit exists only in eternal in life. Man's spirit exists in temporary spiritual death as does his soul and body in its primary creation of the first man Adam - Eph.2:1,5; Psa.51:5.
Up to this point, we have shown in scripture that the holy Spirit of God was not always present "WITHIN", nor was it even always "upon" the spirit of man. So it is clearly evident that mankind was not created nor birthed with God's Spirit nor has he always had it within. Yet amazingly, some would continue to insist that the spirit of man and the Spirit of God are one and the same thing.
MAN'S SPIRIT IN THE IMAGE OF GOD'S SPIRIT
It is true that all men's personal spirits were formed by God. He is the progenitor and Creator. They came out from Him (Ro.11:36; Jb.26:4) for He is the creator "God of the spirits of all flesh" (Nu.16:22; 27:16), man and beast alike - Eccl.3:21. The individual spirits of both man and beast are created of a similar divine core called "spirit" but this
spiritual substance lacks the essence and glory of God's own unique Spirit.
God's holy Spirit separated Himself in creation and remained distinct from man's personal spirit when the first Adam was originally formed in the earth - Gen.2:7,8. It was there God first witheld His intrinsic holiness and divintity from being imparted in the original creative process.
God's own holy, eternal self existing spiritual nature had not yet become a part of Adam's makeup. Nor was it to be until the second and last man Adam (1Cor.15:45,47), the Lord Jesus Christ was brought forth into this world. But this is not to say Adam was not somehow created in God's likeness and image - Gen.1:27.
Man's spirit was first created "in the image of God" primarily in the sense that he was created basically out of the same spiritual form and substance as God Himself--because "God is a Spirit." Jn.4:24. Just as "all flesh is not the same flesh" (1Cor.15:39) it is evident that not all spirit is the same spirit - 1Cor.15:38-49. The spirit-soul makeup of the first man which could be likened unto a seed, was from the beginning subject unto the vanities of spiritual death
Ro.8:20. It was a totally "corruptible seed." 1Ptr.1:21; 3:4; 1Cor.15:53,54.
Mankind was originally designed and created with essentially the same basic abilities, emotions, conscience, characteristics and attributes as possessed by His Creator. Man can to a limited degree, feel all emotions, see, hear, verbalize, think, reason, will, choose, act etc. as can God. In this sense, he is also in the image of God.
The first Adamic creation has a higher created intelligence level than other creatures in the creation. However, this physical and spiritual being, having potential in the same manner as a natural baby in comparison to his mature parent, lacked all experiences of growth and development necessary for maturity.
In comparison to the likeness of his Creator, Adam was as innocent and naive as a new born baby. He was not holy as was his Maker, nor was he in any way perfect or incorruptible--for then sin would have been impossible. He also lacked not only in earthly knowledge, but even more so in the attributes and skills of godly knowledge, understanding and most importantly, wisdom. Adam may have been strong physically but was weak spiritually. He lacked much in social, moral and spiritual mentality. But this was all a part of God's great plan.
Contrary to traditional teaching, the genesis of the Adam man was far from the state of perfection that is yet to become his ultimate destiny. Most significantly, man lacked the power and ability in himself (in his own personal spirit) to escape from sin and death in order to attain unto "the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ." Eph.4:13. He was inept and immature in many areas of potential development, being untried and untested in character. He of course at first, had no idea nor understanding of sin and iniquity nor its judicial consequences.
In reality, the first man Adam (that spirit and soul that is brought into being "WITHOUT Christ...and WITHOUT God in this world"- Eph.2:12) lacks the power and Spirit of God and has no way of coming to spiritual maturity apart from that Spirit. In his own spirit, his own self, he could do nothing to effect this. Hence, it was necessary that the first man become "marred in the hand of the Potter: so he made it again ANOTHER vessel, as seemed good to the Potter to make it." Jer.18:4. He needed another spirit, even a NEW SPIRIT (Ezk.11:19; 36:26) to be able to complete the plan and purposes of God's creation.
In God's divine plan wherein was ordained both good and evil, man was purposely made "by reason of God," "subject to vanity." Ro.8:20. The realities of evil did not enter the natural world by accident. It was ordained of God that man be "marred." Therefore by divine design, "iniquity was found in him." Ezk.28:15.
In order for man to be processed and fully formed into God's complete likeness and image, an entirely new spirit in a new spiritual birth from above is revealed in God's word as a necessity to bring the original old vessel and old spirit to the end of "himself." The first or old unregenerate spirit-soul of man needs be to die in order to accommodate the indwelling new Spirit of God. The old corruptible spirit does not merely change into a new form. It is destroyed as it is progressively replaced by the new incorruptible spirit. The genesis of this change begins in a divinely imparted personal revelation of the Lord Jesus Christ sown into the heart and spirit of those being prepared as newly created sons of God.
SENT FORTH INTO MAN'S HEART
All "sons of men" (Jer.32:19) are potential sons of God in that first they are the fleshly progeny of the first man Adam - Lk.3:38. Because of the Creator all humanity exists and all humanity is the "offspring of God" (Ac.17:28) in their primary earthly creation. It is God alone who gives NATURAL LIFE and breath to all men - Ac.17:25. But God desires more than that for them. He desires that they would have another kind of "life." One that extends beyond the confines of a natural and carnal life. One that extends beyond the confines of the law of sin and death. He desires that they have the life and characteristics of His own fruitful Spirit in order that they may be able to fulfill His original divine mandate to be fruitful and multiply (Gen.1:22,28) in a way that reflects and completes God's perfect will for His creation.
Not only does our Creator desire this but He has made provision through His omnipotent power, even the power of the cross, that His creatures are not left without the necessary ability to enter into a new life and a new spirit of abundant grace and righteousness (Ro.5:17), even LIFE ETERNAL - Jn.17:2,3. Because God loves all his natural creation (Jn.3:16) "and because you are sons, God HATH SENT FORTH THE SPIRIT OF HIS SON INTO YOUR HEARTS, crying Abba, Father." Gal.4:6. Once again, it is clearly evident that this Spirit was not there to begin with.
In order for the Spirit of Christ to come INTO a person's heart, it first necessitates that His Spirit be elsewhere before this happens. If man's own personal spirit always contained God's Spirit as some would believe, then it would not be in need of total "renewing" and "regeneration" by The HOLY Spirit - Titus 3:5. The Holy Spirit is ever as the wind that blows...COMING and GOING when and where it will (Jn.3:8) to do such a work. But before the work can begin in earnest, the beloved Spirit of God first must "come INTO His garden." SS.4:6; 5:1.
After Calvary and before Christ's ascension, the first disciples of Christ obviously did not have the indwelling Spirit of God, the Holy Spirit, the Spirit of His Son, until they supernaturally RECEIVED IT FROM CHRIST. That was the beginning of their salvation, of their becoming a NEW creation SPIRIT when Christ "BREATHED on them, and saith unto them, RECEIVE YE THE HOLY GHOST." Jn.20:22. "Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a NEW creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new." 2Cor.5:17.
The incident in Jn.20:22 was a one time occurrence and foreshadowed in the natural, the coming spiritual reality of the operation of Christ's own holy Spirit. In essence, "This spake He of the Spirit (of God), which they that believe on Him SHOULD RECEIVE: For THE HOLY SPIRIT was NOT YET GIVEN, because that Jesus was not yet glorified." Jn.7:39. "But AS MANY AS RECEIVED Him, to them gave He power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on His name." Jn.1:12.
The fact is, all men did not and still do not have the Spirit of God! The New Testament reveals that the HOLY SPIRIT of God does not dwell or reside in eternal union with man's own being until He "comes," is "given" and is "received." Receiving the Spirit of Christ in the new creation is the receiving of ANOTHER SPIRIT from ANOTHER source apart from oneself and from man's fallen SPIRIT. It is of ANOTHER nature, of a higher heavenly or spiritual order, being that of a NEW and renewed SPIRITUAL NATURE!
THE HOLY SPIRIT, THE COMFORTER W A S N O T A L W A Y S I N ALL M E N
Man needed ANOTHER spirit. We are told this in different ways. Examine the following scriptures that make this plain. "And I will pray the Father, and He SHALL GIVE YOU ANOTHER COMFORTER, that He may abide with you for ever; Even THE SPIRIT OF TRUTH; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth Him: but ye know Him; for He dwelleth WITH you, AND SHALL BE IN YOU. I will not leave you comfortless, I WILL COME TO YOU." Jn.14:16-18. "We WILL COME UNTO HIM and make our abode WITH him." Jn.14:23. Does not the scripture also say, "I WILL COME INTO HIM?" Rev.3:20. "And hereby we know that HE ABIDETH IN US, by the Spirit WHICH HE HAS GIVEN US." 1Jn.3:24. It is clear we didn't have it originally!
If the Holy Spirit, the Comforter, the Spirit of Truth, the Spirit of Christ was already IN every man from the day he was born into this world, it negates the truth of the future tense of His essence coming into man to make His abode with man. It is obvious that God's holy Spirit, neither in initial salvation [the partaking of Passover], nor in the subsequent baptism of the Holy Ghost [the partaking of the feast of Pentecost], was yet present in those to whom Jesus was speaking, or He would not have said what He said.
CONCLUSION
NOT ALL MEN H A V E T H E S P I R I T O F G O D WITHIN THEM. THE WORD OF GOD MAKES THIS CRYSTAL CLEAR IN OTHER SCRIPTURES AS WELL. Men who choose to believe otherwise are building their doctrine on unstable ground. Their belief has no foundation in the scriptures.
Need further proof? Then here's the icing to put on this cake. It is revealed, "Whosoever transgresseth, and abideth not in the doctrine of Christ, HATH NOT GOD." 2Jn.1:9. Some men have God in them, many do not! You only have the Spirit of God "IF SO BE that THE SPIRIT OF GOD DWELL IN YOU." Ro.8:9. Notice the "IF SO BE." If so be the case, you have the common unregenerate, fallen lifeless "spirit of man" being replaced by the regenerate life giving "Spirit of God." "He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life." Jn.3:36.
T H E S P I R I T O F C H R I S T A N D T H E F A T H E R I S NOT I N A L L M E N !
"Now IF ANY MAN HAVE NOT THE SPIRIT OF CHRIST, HE IS NONE OF HIS." Ro.8:9. This basic truth in God's word could not be said any plainer than that!
And there are also those "who separate themselves, sensual, HAVING NOT THE SPIRIT." Jude 1:19. Again it is very clear. There are men that DO NOT HAVE THE SPIRIT OF CHRIST and there are men that do!
Now here is the opposite "IF" which also speaks of THOSE WHO DO HAVE the Spirit of Christ within them. "And IF CHRIST BE IN YOU, the body is dead because of sin; but the spirit is life because of righteousness." Ro.8:10. These have His Spirit and His life in them! But "IF" others who are not "born of the Spirit" have NOT newness of spirit and righteous life in them, then they obviously "HAVE NOT THE SPIRIT OF CHRIST." Ro.8:9.
These have no spark, no light, no incorruptible seed of God's eternal life; only a rotting, lifeless corruptible seed that can do no more than bring forth after its own kind. They are not yet in the active processing of being reborn in a new planting from above by the hand of the Sower. They are spirits created of a corruptible seed, a corruptible nature that have no new and potential godly life in them. They need to be "born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God, which liveth and abideth for ever." 1Ptr.1:23.
Just as the natural body apart from its own spirit is dead, so also is any body
without the Spirit of God said to be dead - Jas.2:26. These lifeless spirits of humanity, all of whom are first born "dead in trespass and sins" (Eph.2:1) and are truly "WITHOUT CHRIST... AND WITHOUT GOD IN THIS WORLD" (Eph.2:12), need yet to be "born AGAIN." They "must be" (re) born "from above" [Grk.] - Jn. chptr.3. A higher order of spirit which is comprised of the holy incorruptible life seed of God must penetrate the spirit and soul of man in like manner as a sperm must enter into an egg in order to bring forth life.
The incorruptible seed of the Spirit of God's life must first be sown and into the earthen field of man's own heart (corruptible spirit) as a divine life bearing Word-seed. But the soil must first be divinely prepared of God in order for man to receive it and in order for the new growth of God's Spirit and life to spring forth - Matt.13:18-23.
The seed must first be sown but it doesn't always germinate or remain depending on the circumstances and conditions surrounding it. It is only when one is finally "born of God" in His own divine timing that the incorruptible spirit seed of eternal life does take root and remain within man. "Whosoever is born of God...His (incorruptible) seed remaineth in him...In this the children of God are manifest and the children of the devil." 1Jn.3:10,11.
The corruptible seed is the unholy human spirit, an externally created kind of spirit, other than and apart from Christ's own holy and eternal Spirit. It is the antichrist spirit. The incorruptible spirit is the eternal Spirit of Christ. The main point is, the new eternal seed, the Spirit of God, the Spirit of Christ, was not there to begin with! It had to be sown from above and put into the earth, into the darkness and death and emptiness of man's fallen spirit in order for it to bring forth that new resurrection life of its own nature.
And so it is revealed, "IF THE SPIRIT of Him that raised up Jesus from the dead DWELL IN YOU, He that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies BY HIS SPIRIT THAT DWELLETH IN YOU." Ro.8:11. WE See such scriptures highlighting and contrasting the basic truth that "IF" any man HAS NOT THE SPIRIT OF CHRIST indwelling him then he is none of His and he will not be quickened in spiritual nor in bodily resurrection until he does have the new Spirit of Christ WITHIN him!
G O D' S L I F E I S NOT I N T H E M
The holy scriptures further state that there are those living, yet....T H E L I F E O F T H E SON I S N O T I N T H E M. For we are told by Jesus Himself, "except ye eat the flesh of the Son of man, and drink His blood, YE HAVE NO LIFE IN YOU." Jn.6:54.
So yet again we see that there are men said to have no life in them. Only if they had the LIVING Spirit of Christ within could they have life in them! "He that hath the Son hath life; and HE THAT HATH NOT THE SON of God HATH NOT LIFE." 1Jn.5:12. He does NOT IN ANY FORM HAVE THE LIVING SEED, THE ETERNAL HOLY LIFE OF GOD WITHIN HIM!
Men either have HIS LIFE IN THEM or they do not have God's life in them. Only "He that believeth on the Son" has within him that everlasting Spirit and life of the Son. He that doesn't believe yet--doesn't have the life of God within Him. "He that believeth on the Son HATH everlasting LIFE: and he that believeth not the Son SHALL NOT SEE LIFE.." Jn.3:36. God's word is clear and explicit on these points. He simply cannot see or experience the life of God's own Spirit because it is not yet there!
Numerous scriptures such as the one's above plainly teach that all men do not have "the Spirit of God", "the Spirit of Christ", "the Spirit of life", "the Son", "the Spirit of Him that raised up Christ from the dead." They teach that all do not have that incorruptible ever living non slumbering seed of the Spirit of God living or abiding IN them in any way.
Nor do the scriptures teach that unregenerate men have a "Christ consciousness" or "God consciousness" that can be discovered and fully appropriated by looking within their inner "self" or spirit and simply believing it can be "awakened" in "visualisation" or "realization." Applying the wisdom and power of positive thinking cannot work such a result. Who then would need "the power of God" (1Cor.2:5) or "the power of His might?" Eph.6:10.
T H E L O V E O F G O D I S NOT I N A L L M E N
Finally, "GOD IS LOVE; and he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God, and GOD IN HIM." 1Jn.4:16. But God is not in everyone. "It is written, I know you, that YE HAVE NOT the love of GOD IN YOU." Jn.5:42. So here we see a contrast between men that have the Spirit of God who is love IN THEM and those that have not the love of God, hence not the Spirit of God within them.
K. Ross McKay
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