The Three Parts of Man - Reading the Mystery of Human Life with International Students

      A few weeks ago we started reading through the book of Romans on Friday nights with some college students. Every week so far has been different. We never know what kind of questions are going to come out or where the questions will take us.  That's what's so fun about it.   Last Friday we were on Romans Chapter 3, and after reading it around the table,  and seemingly out of no where one of the students asked if animals had a spirit.  We told her man was made unique in God's creation; we have a spirit.  I was sitting next to her so I opened my Bible to Job 32:8 which says, "But there is a spirit in man...."  This student commented I thought we just had two parts, which is what a lot of people think.

     That made my husband tell everyone to turn to 1 Thessalonians 5:23 which is an awesome verse because it shows clearly that man has three distinct parts--"And the God of peace Himself sanctify you wholly, and may your spirit and soul and body be preserved complete without blame, at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ."  What made this particular Bible study so incredible is there were two Japanese international students present who were hearing these truths for the first time.  In fact when I asked one of them if he had ever heard of Jesus, he shook his head and said no.  Having grown up in America that seemed incredible to me.   Even though I was not regenerated until I was in fifth grade, I could have told anyone the story of Jesus' birth in Bethlehem.

  Anyway while we were reading 1 Thessalonians 5:23, my husband started to draw a diagram which we call the 3 circles.
 If you want to see more of the verses about the this diagram,  you can check out this website--it's called  God's salvation and the three parts of man.  Then he told the students  God made everyone the same way--with a body, a soul, and a spirit, but in some their spirit is alive, and in others it's dead. You could feel the Lord turn the meeting because there was just a heart in all of us to share the gospel with these Japanese students.

     So we passed out the mini Mystery of Human Life and we read it around the table, and then we all prayed the prayer together.  Afterwards some of us were like what just happened?  Now we're just praying that the word that they heard would lead them to salvation and that there will be opportunities to share with them.


Other College Student Dinner Fellowships on This Blog:

Hearing God - Dinner Fellowship with College Students

Why Should a Believer Get Baptized?

Why Should We Read the Bible?

Coming to the Lord in His Word

Did You Know God Made You With Three Parts?

God's Spirit & Man's Spirit

What's the Secret the Third Generation of Mankind Found?

Why Are Just 2 Trees Mentioned in Genesis 2?

Discussion with College Students--What is the Church?