Human Nature

[00:00:00] Now this morning we have another week about humanity, which is what we started to do last week. [00:00:08] Now, in this new section, we've been studying God's creatures, what God has created. Does anyone remember what we studied first in this newish section just two weeks ago? [00:00:26] Anyone? Yeah. [00:00:29] Angels and demons. That's right. And then last week, so after we did angels and demons, we were talking about humanity, but what about humanity did we study? [00:00:51] Hmm? [00:00:52] Does anybody remember? [00:00:57] No, that was two weeks ago, we did angels and demons. So yeah, you're right. The image of God. Humans are created in the image of God, in his likeness. [00:01:07] Can someone give me maybe a one or two sentence summary of that? Now that we remember what it was, what does it mean that human beings are in the image of God or what's something important about that? [00:01:24] That it endows them with dignity and significance? Yeah, that's right. That was a big point. Dignity and significance. It gives us our purpose to reflect and represent God to the world. It gives us a special duty. Yeah, very good. And so now, as you can see up on, on the board and on your handouts, we're studying human nature. We're going to talk about the nature of humans. So here's the main idea that will help us get started on what exactly we're looking at the main idea. The nature of human beings consists of a material aspect which is, you can probably guess it, the body. [00:02:08] So it consists of. Our nature consists of a body and an immaterial aspect, which would be, of course, the soul or spirit. So I have a slash there. Soul, spirit. [00:02:25] And then importantly, we don't want to forget this last phrase. The body and the soul, spirit, the material and the immaterial are united into one person. [00:02:37] That is the main idea. Now, before we get started, we want to answer two primary questions. We haven't. [00:02:46] Or before we get to these two primary questions, we want to answer one question. We haven't done this in a while. I just want to remember, if you guys remember, what is our definition of theology? That's what we're doing, doing theology. What does it mean to do theology? [00:03:05] Studying God? Anything else? [00:03:09] Yeah, that's true. That's how we know God. Well, we want to add is that we study God to become more like Christ. We want to be changed into his image and to truly know him. So not just to read books about him and to use big fancy words to help us know things about God, but that those things would actually change us to be more like Christ. [00:03:32] So point number one, our first question is, what Is a person. [00:03:38] So that's a question that I want maybe one or two people to answer. What is a person? What does it mean to be a person? [00:04:05] A person is a human being created in God's image. I think that's a great answer. [00:04:12] Would anyone else phrase it differently? You don't have to disagree, but would you add something? [00:04:30] We are created for God's own glory. So that, that's. Was that what you said? Okay, yeah. We are created for his own glory. So that could be part of what we are in our identity as in our nature. I suppose it's okay. I understand. It might be hard to put on your philosopher hat at 9:30. [00:04:50] Or maybe you don't have a philosopher hat. That's okay. A lot of those people wasted a lot of their lives thinking about really silly things. [00:04:58] Now a theologian named John Calvin, he has an answer to this that I thought was helpful and I agree with what you two said. He says there can be no question that man, or this would be mankind, man or woman. That man consists of a body and a soul, meaning by soul an immortal. So that means lives forever. Immortal though created essence, which is his nobler part. I think this is helpful. These things are true of the nature, but I think in the sense that I'm getting at, human nature is consisting of a body and a soul. And now there's at least one way that Christianity has looked on this question. [00:05:41] There is a view which I'll write on the board called monism or monism. I'm going to say monism. I've never actually heard someone say it out loud. I've only read it, so maybe if you know, you can tell me. But monism, this word you may have never heard, and if you haven't, you probably will never hear it used again. People don't use this very often, but it is the dominating view. [00:06:11] Most people in our country, at least, maybe not in your inner circle, but I think most people have this view. [00:06:22] They just don't use that word. [00:06:24] What it means is that human nature is one. It is simple. There is a body and nothing else. There is a body. That is human nature. Just you. You live and you die. And that's it. [00:06:42] That's what this view is. Now a Christian cannot hold this view. But why, why might that be? [00:06:56] Why can a Christian not believe that humans are just a body? [00:07:08] Well, we believe the soul goes to heaven, right? So there's an immortal part, right when the body dies. With Monism, that's it, end of story, curtain call to dust you have returned and that's it. That's what you're left with. There's also another point that makes this incompatible for Christians. It's that the Bible tells us that God, who is spirit, God is spirit. And if God is spirit, that's unintelligible. If there's only physical, if there's no non physical at all, then the angels and the demons doesn't make sense. But God himself doesn't make sense. [00:07:51] So that's another huge issue with monism. Christians hold to, I guess, the opposite. And this word can have other meanings in other contexts, but the opposite would just be dualism. [00:08:05] Instead of human nature being just one, it is. [00:08:12] Now this dualism can come in two forms. We're going to go over those quickly just so that we can know this is here. I'll just circle this. [00:08:26] Christians hold to some form of dualism. There are two kinds that I think are helpful. Some people might believe a human is like this. This would be human nature. [00:08:41] You would have body plus soul plus spirit equals human. Body plus soul plus spirit equals human. This is a trichotomy. There are three aspects that come together and are united to make a human. [00:09:10] Other people might believe, well, it's a human equals a body plus a soul. [00:09:20] Spirit, as in there's really only two. [00:09:26] These are kind of the two ways. Whatever the case, these are both Christian views. It kind of is just deciding, do you think soul and spirit are the same thing or not? There are a lot of arguments in there and I can love to talk about them later, but that's kind of just where people tend to differ. [00:09:48] What do you guys think is the important takeaway? What is the necessary ingredients for a human person? [00:10:02] I'm not tricking you. What are the necessary ingredients for a human person? [00:10:12] Yeah, exactly. A body and a spirit or a soul. I tend to think that soul and spirit are the same thing personally, but yeah, that's exactly it. That's the necessary takeaway. Both of those exist united into one person. They're together. [00:10:30] Now when John Calvin wrote that definition, I read earlier, he mentioned that the soul is man's nobler part. Why do you think he calls the soul the nobler part? [00:10:45] Because it's more like God. It's more like God. God is spirit. So I think. Yeah, I think I see that. That's interesting. Yeah, I think it reflects him in a certain way. But our body does too. Right. Because we're created in his image. [00:10:59] So it really is kind of confusing. Are there any other answers? [00:11:04] Why is it the nobler part. [00:11:17] Well, let's look at our Bible to help us. I do think that was a good answer, Eliza. I hadn't thought about that. Mark 14:38 says, if you want to flip there, Mark 14:38. [00:11:34] In this Jesus is speaking Mark 14:38. And he says, watch and pray that you may not enter into temptation. [00:11:43] The spirit is indeed willing, but the flesh is weak. [00:11:47] The spirit is indeed willing, but the flesh is weak. [00:11:54] So he's saying that the flesh is affected by sin. And of course, that's true. Sin has affected our body in such a way that our body, or the word flesh, is used as kind of a term to refer to temptation or sin, worldliness, fleshliness. And so the flesh is weak in this way. [00:12:18] Now, is Jesus saying that our spirits are good, but our bodies are bad? [00:12:24] I'm not so sure that's right either. [00:12:28] Right, because he's not saying that our spirits are pure or our spirit's not also affected by sin. [00:12:38] The whole of the person, the body and the spirit united into one person is all affected by sin. [00:12:45] And so it really is an interesting sentence that Jesus says there. [00:12:50] Sinfulness is a spiritual problem. Our spirits and our bodies deserve God's wrath all the same. [00:12:59] But even when we are converted, so when you come to know Christ, God, the spirit renews your heart. We read in Ezekiel, he replaces your heart of stone for a heart of flesh. He gives you a new self. [00:13:17] The old self is gone. The new one is here in 2 Corinthians 5. [00:13:23] So that is conversion or regeneration, your heart being remade. I think when this happens, our soul becomes more willing to obey Christ. It is freed from slavery to sin. But our body, our flesh, is still weak. I think that's what we're getting at. [00:13:45] Now. I want to make an important note as we're thinking about how our bodies, even when we have come to Christ, our flesh is still weak and falls into sin. And I think we're all well aware of that reality. [00:13:57] We must also not loathe or hate our bodies or to speak negatively of them. [00:14:06] Your body is sinful, but it is part of you. Who you are is your soul and your body united into one person. You are not just your soul, you're not just your body. You are both together. [00:14:25] You are not fully you without your body. [00:14:29] And that's why you actually will have a body in heaven and will be yours, though glorified and made new and perfected. [00:14:40] Now, this brings us to our second point here. What are the stages of life we want to talk about different stages of life and afterlife. [00:14:56] So we'll go through these one by one. [00:15:00] The first stage is life on Earth. [00:15:08] Life on Earth. [00:15:14] That's where we are right now. We are living life on Earth. And now turn to 2 Corinthians 5, 2 Corinthians 5. [00:15:44] And then look at V.1. I'm going to read some of this chapter. [00:15:50] Paul says, for we know that if the tent that is our earthly home is destroyed, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens. For in this tent we groan, longing to put on our heavenly dwelling, if indeed by putting it on, we may not be found naked. For while we are still in this tent, we groan being burdened. Not that we would be unclothed, but that we would be further clothed so that what is mortal may be swallowed up by life. [00:16:26] He who has prepared us for this very thing is God, who has given us the Spirit as a guarantee. [00:16:33] So we are always of good courage. We know that while we are at home in the body, we are away from the Lord. For we walk by faith, not by sight. Yes, we are of good courage, and we would rather be away from the body and at home with the Lord. [00:16:49] So whether we are at home or away, we make it our aim to please him. For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ so that each one may receive what is due for what he has done in the body, whether good or evil. [00:17:06] Let's unravel that a little bit. Let's figure out what he's saying. What does Paul mean by the tent that is our earthly home? [00:17:16] Our bodies, perfect. Our current bodies. These were built by God in the heavens. He says in verse 1. Built by God in the heavens. [00:17:28] We also see that we groan in these bodies in these earthly tents. Why do we groan? [00:17:44] Well, we want to go to heaven, I think is a good answer. [00:17:48] What else is there? Another reason. [00:17:54] There's something else. In verse four, we're being burdened by sin. Yeah. Anything else? [00:18:16] Not that we would be unclothed, but that we would be further clothed. What does that mean, to be further clothed? Not unclothed, but further clothed. [00:18:44] What is the clothing he's referring to in this metaphor? [00:18:53] Yeah, the body. The same as the tent. He's kind of mixing a metaphor in here. So the clothing is. So to be further clo. We don't want to be naked, which would be without the body. Right. But further clothed more than we even currently are. [00:19:13] Then we also see, Paul says, we know that while we're at Home in the body, we are away from the Lord, and we would rather be away from the body and at home with the Lord. [00:19:25] So this right here, away from the body, at home with the Lord, brings us to the second stage of life, the intermediate state. [00:19:37] Intermediate state. [00:19:54] What are we in this intermediate state? [00:20:00] Well, we kind of just went over it. We are souls away from the body. [00:20:07] This is intermediate state. This is what Paul is saying when he says, at home in the body, we're away from the Lord. We'd rather be away from the body. Spirit separated from body, at home with the Lord. [00:20:20] This is after our bodies. [00:20:22] And this is true for all people. Though those who are not in Christ will not be with the Lord. They will be away from the body, likely kept in similar chains of gloomy darkness that the angels were put in when they sinned, which we see in second Peter 2. 4. If you want to read that passage, they will be like the rich man in Luke 16, 1931. In this the rich man was faithless. And as he dies, he finds himself in anguish, in flames, calling to Abraham in heaven for help. [00:20:58] He is away from the body, but not with the Lord because he did not have faith in Christ. But if you turn to Christ in faith, then you will be with the Lord in paradise. When you die. Jesus would say to you, as he said to the faithful one on the cross next to him, today, I will see you in paradise. [00:21:21] When the rich man suffered, he looked up. He saw the poor man Lazarus with Abraham in heaven, and he longed to be there. So there is a very real presence away from the body with the Lord or in chains of anguish. But we should notice in this 2 Corinthians passage that Paul says, we desire not to be naked, but to be further clothed. We said that earlier. But what is it that we should actually desire? [00:21:55] Does anyone have a guess based on this passage? [00:22:10] To please God. [00:22:12] That's true. I think my question may not be very clear. Let me help. It brings us to the third stage. And the third stage of life is glory. If you're in Christ, it is eternity. You could say as well, I'm going to write out glory for those in Christ. But it is the eternal state. [00:22:35] When Christ returns, he'll make all things new, including our bodies. [00:22:42] They will be recognizable in appearance, but will be glorified. [00:22:48] This is how we will be further clothed. This is better than being a naked spirit with the Lord. [00:22:57] And it's. It's better than being a bodiless spirit. [00:23:02] Now, being a bodiless spirit with the Lord is better, as Paul says. That's why we long to be away from the body and with the Lord. But ultimately, he says, we don't want to be naked. That is not final. We want to be further clothed with a glorified and renewed body that Christ will give us as he renews the whole creation. This is the eternal state for those in Christ. This is what we ought to long for. [00:23:31] And though one of our takeaways, we should be thankful to God for our bodies. We should not seek, or we should seek to care for our bodies how we can. We should not loathe and hate our bodies. We should not long to necessarily be away from the body. In a sense, you should long to be with the Lord. But ultimately we want to long for that eternal state with God, with a renewed body, worshiping forever. [00:23:59] Paul calls our bodies a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens. Elsewhere he calls people's bodies temples. [00:24:10] We should try to be healthy, to not loathe our bodies, to not disparage how we look, but to care for ourselves. [00:24:19] We should also praise God and pray for him to come soon, to renew us once and for all. We should never disparage others because of their bodies. We should be positive in that way, knowing that God created us like this. [00:24:33] His intention was for us to be a body and a soul united into one person, and that reflects who he is. That is the image of God reflected and represented to the world. So. So let's remember that. And as we groan in our bodies, which is natural, and as we fight sin, let us remember and look to what is promised in Christ and follow him all the more closely. [00:25:00] Now let's pray and we can get on out of here. Father God, we praise you and thank you that this was your plan, that you are comforting to those in Christ even when we are out of the body, away from the body, but present with you. God. We pray that your Son would come soon, though, that he would renew the whole earth, put all things continually into subjection under his feet, that he would renew our bodies, that we would, in Christ, get to see the glory of the Lord and see you face to face and worship you unendingly. God help us even this week as we groan in our earthly bodies, as we fight sin. Sin. God, please give us victory over temptation and sin. Help us to see the way of escape when we encounter it. And Lord, help us to see the beauty of who you are in creation as well as in ourselves and in one another. We pray this in Christ's name. Amen.