The Bible says that man is made in the image of God. Furthermore, there is the body of God, that is Jesus Christ, then there is the mind of God, that is the Holy Spirit? And lastly, there is the Spirit of God, God the Father. Some might call this, the Holy Trinity. Which brings us to man, the image of God, a facsimile, a parallel of which can be expressed as the physical body of a person, the mind and or soul of a person and the spirit or subconscious of a person.
Technically, the spirit or subconscious of a person is not in direct contact with the physical body of a person. It is the mind or soul of a person that is in direct contact with the body of a person. It is the mind or soul that directs the body, while an awakened spirit directs or control the soul or mind of a person. And since it is God who breathed into man, which translate into the understanding that the spirit of man is from God, and those that are born of the Spirit [born again] are the ones with an awakened spirit, that controls their mind and or soul. These ones are those capable of true change.
Without an awakened spirit, a person that exhibit apparent changes is only displaying conscious changes that are of temporary nature. Such persons, in stressful situations always revert back to their original nature. The physical cleansing of the body, the adornment or wearing of white symbolic garments, and or accessories such as women tying pieces of garments on their head, the shunning of footwear in combination with certain dress modes, and the consumption or not of certain food, animals or plant material, all of which has to do with conscious changes, is suggestive of the body defiling or not defiling the spirit of a man.
This is contrary to what Jesus Christ taught in Mathew 15:11; What goes into someone’s mouth does not defile them, but what comes out of their mouth, that is what defiles them.”. With regards to what comes out of the mouth, Jesus Christ explained further in Luke 6:45; A good man brings good things out of the good stored up in his heart, and an evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in his heart. For the mouth speaks what the heart is full of. Given that the heart is the location of the spirit of a man, specifically, an awakened spirit of a man born of the Spirit, it is only such a man that exhibits true change, the kind that does not revert to the old ways in stressful situations, lasting changes that comes from the subconscious, and not the type of change that comes as a result of conscious mind directives of religious brainwashing.
God said in Ezekiel 36:26; I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh. And we are advised in Proverbs 4:23; Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it. God as the Son elaborated again in the gospel of John chapter 3:5-6; Jesus answered, “Very truly I tell you, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless they are born of water and the Spirit. Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit gives birth to spirit. It is only after a new heart has been given, an awakened spirit, then the true changes advocated by the apostle Paul in his epistles can take place. Ephesians 4:22-24; put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires; to be made new in the attitude of your minds; and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness. Romans 12:2; Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing, and perfect will.
