The Tripartite Man The Tripartite Man

The Body Life



The Tripartite Man Realizing the Body Life

Our Body Presented for the Church Life

At this juncture we must point out that all of the above experiences of God’s salvation and dispensing in our tripartite being are not for own individual spirituality, but for the building up of the Body of Christ. All three parts of our being are needed to realize and participate in the Body life.

Present your bodies a living sacrifice

 

As we begin to rely on the Lord and are increasingly released from the enemy’s usurping hand, we are compelled to present our physical bodies to the Lord for His Body. Romans 12:1 says, “I exhort you therefore, brothers, through the compassions of God to present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, well pleasing to God, which is your reasonable service.” For us to realize the Body life requires the presentation of our physical bodies to the Lord in the church life. We may have the desire to build up the Body of Christ, but if our body does not come to the meetings of the church, the Body life cannot be realized.

Our Mind Renewed for the Church Life

 

With such a renewed mind the Body life becomes possible

After our body is presented to the Lord for the church life, our mind must be renewed. This is why Romans 12:2 says, “And do not be fashioned according to this age, but be transformed by the renewing of the mind that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and well pleasing and perfect.” Our minds must be purged, renewed, and re-educated from our old thoughts, our natural ideas, and our traditional considerations. With such a renewed mind the Body life becomes possible. Without a renewed mind, we bring in many worldly thoughts and natural opinions that actually become a great source of trouble to the church life and a hindrance to the realization of the Body life.

Our Spirit Fervent for the Church Life

Finally, in order to realize the Body life we must be burning in spirit. Romans 12:11 exhorts the believers, “Do not be slothful in zeal,

When our body is presented, our mind is renewed, and our spirit is burning, the body life becomes a vibrant, vital reality

 
but be burning in spirit, serving the Lord.” Therefore, even if our body is presented to the Lord and our mind is renewed, if our spirit is cold or even just lukewarm, we forfeit our spiritual function and become a burden to others. This lack of the exercise of the spirit greatly frustrates the realization of the Body life. Instead, our spirit should be both burned by the Lord and burning for the Lord, making us living, functioning members of Christ’s Body. When our body is presented, our mind is renewed, and our spirit is burning, the body life becomes a vibrant, vital reality. Every part of our tripartite being is, therefore, absolutely critical to the realization of the Body life (Witness Lee, Economy 172-176).
The Tripartite Man

Main
Scriptural Basis
Historical Perspective
The Definition of the Three Parts of Man
The Functions of the Three Parts of Man
God's Salvation
Realizing the Body Life