Throughout the centuries, the church has been divided because of doctrine. The word "doctrine" comes from the Greek word didaché which simply means teaching. Wrong doctrine or teaching has kept the church divided.

 Most wrong teaching comes from the lack of knowledge of the Word, and some comes from the confusion that results from listening to the doctrines of demons (1 Timothy 4:1). However, one thing is for sure. Unless you allow the Holy Spirit to give you revelation on these fundamental truths, your understanding of the Bible will be skewed.

 Here are the foundational principles:

 1) Man is a three-part being - spirit, soul and body

2) Righteousness and holiness are not the same

3) There are three groups of people - the Jews, the Gentiles, and the church

Let's look at the first one: Man is a three-part being - spirit, soul and body.

You must know you are a three-part being - spirit, soul, and body. They are three distinct, different Greek words for spirit (pneuma), soul (psuche), and body (soma). One way of saying it: you are a spirit, you live in a body, and you possess a soul.

You were created in the likeness and image of God. God is a three-part being - Father, the Word (Jesus), and Spirit (1 John 5:7). In the same way that it is impossible to understand the Holy Bible without understanding that God is Father, Word, and Spirit, it's likewise impossible to understand the things of the Spirit without knowing that man is spirit, soul, and body. "We are confident, yes, well pleased rather to be absent from the body and to be present with the Lord" (2 Corinthians 5:8).

Spirit - Your spirit is the real you. When you receive Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior, it is your spirit that is born again. At that moment, old things pass away, and all things become new. When you receive salvation, you become a new creation. The Spirit of God moves inside of your spirit to live - not just to visit, but to live. Your everlasting life begins at that moment. Your spirit will live for all eternity. Your death is recorded on the cross of Jesus (Romans 6:6). Death is now in your past and no longer in your future. "Whoever lives and believes in Me shall never die" (John 11:26).

Soul - Your soul is your mind, your will, your intellect, and your emotions. Your soul is where decisions are made on what you think and what you do. Your soul must decide whether to be led by the flesh or to be led by the Spirit. Depending upon what your soul decides, your body will respond.

Body - As a Christian, your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit. Not only is your own spirit contained within your body, but the Holy Spirit also lives within your spirit from the day of your salvation. Your body, while on the earth, is not eternal and it will eventually die and decay. It is like your earth suit. In the same way an astronaut can only live in space with a space suit, your spirit can only stay on earth with an earth suit. An astronaut cannot live in space if his space suit is destroyed, and you cannot remain on earth if your body is destroyed. When your body dies, your spirit must depart (James 2:26).

When you receive Jesus as your Lord and Savior, it is your spirit that is born again, not your body. Your body will be glorified in the future, but that does not happen until the rapture of the church.