Author: Andrew Smith
Tripartite —adjective
: divided into or consisting of three parts
being — noun
: a living thing
: the state of existing
This is to be yet another therapeutic writing that helps me come to terms with the ever-changing paradigm of my own existence. It seems that most of the quick and snappy little soundbites and semantical statements that I picked up on early in life from religious association has created some deep rooted and often times destructive physiological patterns that manifest into physical consequences. There is one in particular that I will use in this arrangement of words. I will give out a little information that will help add some colorful flavor to this peace that will shed a little bit of character on myself as well. In my youth, I dabbled in the art of independent professional wrestling. I was the bad guy that everyone loved to hate. I was good at making people despise me. I will post a picture of The Supernova at his prime. Make note of the snake around my neck, it is important, and those with discernment will see the irony in the picture.
Because they hated me so, they loved to see me take a beating. This worked well with my participation in the sport because I was the guy that would take the bumps others wouldn’t. Thrown off the top rope through tables and pelted on the head with steel chairs. It was a passion for punishment. Deep in my psyche I had a subliminal drive to destroy this body. I realize where those impulses come from now. That impulse for punishment and destruction come from semantical statements of half-truths and misguided faith that I had cemented in my spirit without reprieve or questioning. These statements were derived out of manmade doctrines and were abundantly available during my childhood through to my early adulthood. They have influenced important decisions made in my life. Sayings like, flesh vs spirit and our flesh is evil. It took quite a while for me to understand that the flesh nature is an abstract concept and not really attributed directly to the physical body. Although I realize that no flesh will ever be glorified before God, I also know that God came in the flesh, and there is nothing that was evil about Christ. Some participants of this arrangement will misinterpret my words as a finger pointing session blaming others for my shortcomings, but that is not the case. It is more of an evaluation of the expansion of my own understanding and its progressive nature. It is my belief, that although people’s intentions throughout my life were good, they were insufficient due to lack of understanding on both sides of the fence. This is my attempt to clarify the insufficiency and elaborate on what the flavor of my center is resonating at this point in time. I am going to make three statements right off the bat. For any of you that have followed these arrangements you already know how much I admire the beauty of triplicate.
- We are spirits, we live in a body, and we have a soul.
- We are made in the image of God who has three aspects –Father, Son, Holy Spirit
- Thus we have three aspects to our existence – Spirit, body, soul.
- A man’s spirit is a gift from God, his breath of life so to speak.
- That spirit lives in a body and accumulates experiences throughout its tenure.
- A man’s soul is comprised of his mind/knowledge, his will/desires, and his emotions that develop from said experiences.
Now we get to the part that I have struggled with for so very long. The unnecessary division. I was taught from a very early age that my flesh was evil, at least that is the way I interpreted it. My recent revelation is that there was a dynamic that was left out of that equation. There was a critical variable left out that is needed to deduce a proper balance to said equation. That variable is the idea that the flesh nature itself does not define the body alone. It is coupled with the choices made by a man’s mind, will, and emotions. Under this construct, the body is not by default evil, but is defined by the actions and orders given to it by the animator of the avatar. I was taught that the flesh was evil and bent on its own destruction. That statement is not entirely true. However, in its incomplete version, the unnecessary division takes hold in my psyche and causes an amplified strife between body and soul. The Trinity is undivided; He is three in one and one in three, but remains whole. Therefore, in our intended form we too are to remain whole. All three parts need to function in tune and without division and in harmony. The key is to walk in the will of the spirit and not in the will of the flesh. When the division is present it breeds internal conflict, doubt, guilt, and dysfunction. This is not God’s intension for us.
1 Thessalonians 5:23(NLT)–Paul’s Final Greetings–23 Now may the God of peace make you holy in every way, and may your whole spirit and soul and body be kept blameless until our Lord Jesus Christ comes again.
I want to point out first that Paul said “whole spirit and soul and body” All three aspects of our existence are accounted for. I also want to highlight the fact that he says the God of peace. Peace is a Covenant word that at its Hebrew core means ‘nothing broken, nothing missing’. If The Trinity that has three aspects to its existence remains Whole and we are created in God’s image…..
Genesis 1:27(NLT) 27 So God created human beings[a] in his own image. In the image of God he created them; male and female he created them.
Then by default we and all three of our aspects are to remain whole as well to appropriate proper function. We too need to strive to exist at peace with nothing missing and nothing broken. From my perspective and after extensive searching that type of peace only comes from God. Whatever title you give Him rather it be The Creator, A creative force, the spiritual matrix that encompasses all, or the universal consciousness of Love, the fact remains that we must seek out the Truth and put forth a quality of effort towards achieving connection with that eternal part of our existence. That bridge between Creator and creation comes from Christ alone. If we spend a lifetime fighting amongst our own tripartite makeup then we lose an extreme amount of time, energy, and resources trying to mend the unnecessary division and inevitably stunt our spiritual growth.
Mark 3:25 (NASB) 25 If a house is divided against itself, that house will not be able to stand.
Now I am not one that would seek advice from a shrink and really have little to no faith in any of the psychological fields of study. Who I do seek advice from is that ever-present and eternal cosmic counselor, the mothering aspect of the Trinity that was sent to us for that very purpose.
John 14:26 (NIV) 26 But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you.
The Holy Spirit is always patient with me as I come into different levels of understanding. The Holy Spirit is always willing to reveal life changing truths with me when I am ready to give up old destructive ideas that were either taught to me or engineered by my own logic and incomplete knowledge. When the corrupted programming is repaired there is always a moment of communion as we move closer to that which we seek.
Proverbs 2:1-10 (NASB) The Pursuit of Wisdom Brings Security 1 My son, if you will receive my words And treasure my commandments within you, 2 Make your ear attentive to wisdom, Incline your heart to understanding; 3 For if you cry for discernment, Lift your voice for understanding; 4 If you seek her as silver And search for her as for hidden treasures; 5 Then you will discern the fear of the Lord And discover the knowledge of God. 6 For the Lord gives wisdom; From His mouth come knowledge and understanding. 7 He stores up sound wisdom for the upright; He is a shield to those who walk in integrity, 8 Guarding the paths of justice, And He preserves the way of His godly ones. 9 Then you will discern righteousness and justice and equity and every good course. 10 For wisdom will enter your heart and knowledge will be pleasant to your soul;
1 Chronicles 22:19 (NIV) 19 Now devote your heart and soul to seeking the Lord your God. Begin to build the sanctuary of the Lord God, so that you may bring the ark of the covenant of the Lord and the sacred articles belonging to God into the temple that will be built for the Name of the Lord.”
I have spent the better part of three decades observing and acting on this unnecessary division. I have never really give consideration to the idea that they only thing that can make my body evil is the choices I make with my mind, my will, and my emotions. The concept of separation was rooted so deep it was running in the background completely out of sight, yet influencing many of the core principles that comprise me as an individual. With the preconception that the body is evil by default it is easier to excuse bad decisions on this division. In truth, this is a cop-out. Using our knowledge accumulated, our wisdom given from God tested and refined through experiences, we can make informed decisions that upgrade us to a slightly higher path then one taken when implementing actions by carnal impulses alone. With the nurturing attributes that stem from an Agape style of love, the Creator’s Spirit pours into us the desire to seek the Truth and developing out of that desire, is an understanding that helps us interact with reality in a healthier way. In my opinion the best way to accomplish this is to bring all three aspects of one’s self into the fold of reclamation. Fighting that cold and indifferent war on the inside becomes a huge distraction and is counterintuitive to the restoration and reclamation process. In other words, we have to…. Tri and Keep It Together.
May the grace of Christ, the love of God, and fellowship with Holy Spirit be with you all.
