Abounding Love Podcast with Former ”Tex” Watson

806 - The Circumcision of the Heart

The inner man, or the heart, is defined as the non-material part of a human being, comprised of both the spirit and the soul, while the physical body serves merely as a house for this inward reality. According to 2 Corinthians 4:16, although the outward mam perishes, the inward man is renewed daily through a process that begins with regeneration of the spirit at the new birth. While the spirit is fully regenerated when a person is born again, the soul [mind, will and emotions] requires ongoing renewal to overcome the "stony" and deceitful nature of the unregenerate heart mentioned in Jeremiah 17:9. God's promise of a heart transplant in Ezekiel 11:19 and 36:26 describes replacing this hardness with a pliable heart of flesh and a new spirit, which provides the foundation for a believer to walk in God's statutes and experience true life. The message centers on the circumcision of the heart, a spiritual process that fulfills the Old Testament type of physical circumcision found in Genesis, chapter 17. As explained in Romans 2:28-29, true circumcision is an inward work performed by the Spirit rather than an outward physical act or the literal letter of the law. This "circumcision made without hands" is achieved through the resurrection of Christ, which effectively cuts away the "body of the sins of the flesh" from the believer's inner man [Colossians 2:11-13]. By putting off the fleshly nature and its lust, as detailed in Galatians 5:16-25, the believer is empowered to walk in the Spirit and manifest the fruit of Spirit, such as love, joy and peace. This spiritual transformation, urged in Deuteronomy 10:16 and Jeremiah 4:4, removes the authority of sin and enables the believer to live a life directed by the power and knowledge of God. Selah! [For more: Copy and Paste or Enter into ChatGPT.com, "Create a Study Guide for Episode #806 Circumcision of the Heart from Abounding Love Ministries" ].        www.aboundinglove.org

805 - The Heart of Man

The Heart of Man episode defines the Inner Man as the non-material part of a person, which the Bible often identifies as the "heart". While the outward man consists of the physical body [Greek: soma] and its senses, the inward man is comprised of both the Spirit [Greek: pneuma] and soul [Greek: psyche]. A crucial distinction is made between these two (2) internal components: the Spirit is the part of the heart [core] that must be regenerated or "born again" to establish a relationship with God, whereas the soul [mind, will and emotions] is the part that must be renewed day by day. This foundational concept is drawn from 2nd Corinthians 4:16, which explains that though the outward man perishes, the inward man is renewed daily. Before salvation, the human heart is described as "desperately wicked" (Jeremiah 17:9) and influenced by a "spirit of disobedience" (Ephesians 2:2). In this unregenerated state, the spirit and soul are aligned in ungodliness, producing evil thoughts and actions that defile the person [Matthew 15:18-20]. True transformation occurs after the spirit is made new; the power of God then works from the inside out to change the soul. As noted in Romans 12:2, believers are called to be "transformed by the renewing of your mind," a process where changing one's thoughts leads to stable emotions and righteous physical actions, reflecting the "good treasures" now held within the heart (Matthew 12:35). Join me as I delve deeper into these Scriptures and more to reveal how to define the heart of man and its transformation in the life of a believer. Selah! [For more: Copy and Paste or Enter into ChatGPT.com, "Create a Study Guide for Episode #805 The Heart of Man from Abounding Love Ministries" ].       www.aboundinglove.org

804 - The Three Parts of Man

The Three Parts of Man consists of the spirit, the soul and the body [1 Thessalonians 5:23]. The spirit and soul together form the inner man or the "heart". The spirit is the part of the heart [inner man] that is regenerated at the new birth. This Spiritual rebirth is necessary because human beings are "shapen in iniquity" and "conceived in sin" (Psalm 51:5). When we are born again, like Jesus shared with Nicodemus in John 3:3-7, our spirit is made perfect and becomes filled with the Holy Spirit. Thus, ". . . the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who is given to us" (Romans 5:5, NKJV). While the spirit is instantly regenerated, the soul [mind, will and emotions] requires an ongoing renewal [Romans 12:1; Ephesians 4:22-24]. Also, 2 Corinthians 4:16, states that although the "outward man" perishes, the "inward man" is being renewed day by day. The body is the material "outward man" that serves as the temple of the Holy Spirit and the house for the inner man [1 Corinthians 3:16-17; 6:19-20]. Lastly, I share how the Christian life involves a three-fold timeline: the spirit was born again in the past, the soul is being renewed in the present, and in the future, ". . . the Lord Jesus Christ will transform our lowly body that it may be conformed to His glorious body" (Philippians 3:20-21, NKJV). Join me as I share these Scriptures and more for your edification. My desire is that you might ". . . grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ" (2 Peter 3:18 NKJV). Selah! [For more: Copy and Paste or Enter into ChatGPT.com, "Create a Study Guide for Episode #804 The Three Parts of Man from Abounding Love Ministries" ].        www.aboundinglove.org

803 - The Resurrected Life

The Resurrected Life explores the three-part nature of man -- spirit, soul and body -- and the process of restoration from the fall of Adam to the resurrection of Christ. Drawing from 1 Thessalonians 5:23, I explain that man is a "spirit" who has a "soul" and lives in a "body", a design intended for intimate fellowship with God. In the original "garden life," man possessed perfect communication with God and dominion over the earth, having been formed from the dust [body] and given life by God's breath [spirit, Genesis 2:7; 1:28]. However, the "fallen life" began when man succumbed to the "corruptible seed" of Satan's lies, leading to spiritual death and an "uncontrolled life" characterized by a double mind and negative emotions like guilt, fear and anger [Genesis 3:6; James 1:8; 4:8]. The "resurrected life" offers a total reversal of this fall through Jesus Christ, the "second Adam" and "life giving" Spirit" (1 Corinthians 15:45). Unlike the first Adam, Jesus overcame the temptation of the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes and the pride of life by speaking the Word of God [Matthew 4:1-11]. Through the born-again experience, believers receive an "incorruptible seed" that recreates their spirit and provides a new heart [1 Peter 1:23; Ezekiel 36:26]. This restoration allows for the renewal of the mind, where the soul is brought back into alignment with God's image, enabling the believer to exercise authority over sin and the devil [Colossians 3:10; Romans 6:11-14]. Ultimately, I emphasize that by identifying with Christ's death, burial and resurrection, we regain the discipline and dominion originally intended by God [Romans 6:4-5]. Join me as I share these Scriptures and more on the three parts of man for insight into this very important subject. Selah! [For more: Copy and Paste or Enter into ChatGPT.com, "Create a Study Guide for Episode #803 The Resurrected Life from Abounding Love Ministries" ].         www.aboundinglove.org

802 - The Uncontrolled Life

In this eye opening message, I explain that mankind transitioned from a stable, God-controlled existence in the Garden of Eden to an "uncontrolled life" due to The Fall of man. This instability is characterized by being "double-minded" and "unstable in all his ways" (James 1:8), a state that began when Eve chose to entertain Satan's thoughts over God's. This decision introduced a corruptible nature where negative thoughts directly birthed destructive emotions such as guilt [Genesis 3:7], fear [Genesis 3:10], blame and anger [Genesis 3:12]. Ultimately, the imaginations of man's heart became "only evil continually" (Genesis 6:5). As a result, mankind became alienated from God, leading to a life ruled by the "lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life" (1 John 2:15-16). To reclaim the "garden life," I emphasize that Jesus Christ came to reconcile mankind to God, freeing us from the "law of sin and death" through the "law of the Spirit of life" (Romans 8:2). Although man was previously an "enemy in [his] mind by wicked works" (Colossians 1:21), the path to stability now requires "renewing the mind" by choosing to think God's thoughts instead of Satan's. By actively yielding one's "members as servants to righteousness" (Romans 6:19) and replacing ignorance with the knowledge of God's Word, a person can transition from a state of being "past feeling" with a darkened understanding [Ephesians 4:17-19] to a life of self-discipline and stable emotions. This restored control allows the fruit of the Spirit to flow, enabling believers to maintain an intimate relationship with God and peace with one another. Join me as we study these Scriptures and others for wisdom, understanding and counsel from God's Word of Life, Love, Light and Liberty. Selah! [For more: Copy and Paste or Enter into ChatGPT.com, "Create a Study Guide for Episode #802 The Uncontrolled Life from Abounding Love Ministries" ].         www.aboundinglove.org