Page 48 - Overcoming Addiction

Let’s look closely at what is stated here. The first man, Adam became a living
soul. In the opening chapters of the book of Genesis we find the creation of Adam
described. Yahweh reveals to us that the first man was a two-part being consisting
of body and soul.

Genesis 2:7
Then Yahweh God formed man of dust from the ground, and breathed into
his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul.

The word for soul in this verse is the same Hebrew word nephesh that we
looked at in an earlier chapter. It is apparent from this verse that at this time man
consisted of only two parts. He had a body formed from the dust of the ground,
and he had a soul that was formed by the breath of God. Paul states that the last
Adam (Christ) was a different type of man. He is not described as a living soul, but
as a life-giving spirit. So too are all those who are in Christ. In the New Testament,
when the apostles describe the parts of a Christian, they speak of a three-part
being.

I Thessalonians 5:23
Now may the God of peace Himself sanctify you entirely; and may your
spirit and soul and body be preserved complete, without blame at the
coming of our Lord Yahshua Christ.

When a person receives the Spirit of Christ, the Spirit does an unseen work
in the midst of their being. He causes a new part of their being to be birthed into
existence. This is the spirit of man. It is by virtue of obtaining this spiritual part of
our being that we are said to be “new creatures in Christ.”
It was Yahweh’s plan from the very beginning for all of mankind to become
three-part beings. He declared in Genesis Chapter one, “Let us make man after
our image. Let us make man in our likeness.” God is also a three part being. We
see these several parts in Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Yet God’s plan to make
man a three-part being like Himself was largely hidden to mankind, even though
the prophets of the Old Testament spoke of the day when this would happen.

Ezekiel 36:26
“Moreover, I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you...”

When Yahshua walked upon this earth He was the first of this new type of
man to appear. Because He was a new creature, a spiritual creature, He was able
to walk in victory over sin where all other men failed. One evening a Pharisee
named Nicodemus, who was a teacher from among the Jews, came to Yahshua. He
began to tell Christ that he recognized Him as being sent of God, and he
acknowledged Christ as a teacher. He came to see what Christ would teach him.
What he received was totally unexpected.