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What is the inner man?

What is the inner man?
Redemption Theology

TL;DR:

The inner man is the spiritual and personal part of believers—their mind, heart, soul, and spirit—where God sees and works to transform them. Through regeneration and the ongoing work of the Holy Spirit, the inner being is renewed to grow in and reflect Christlikeness.

what does the bible say?

Scripture teaches that God reads hearts (1 Samuel 16:7; Psalm 44:21; Luke 16:15); He knows the inner self like no one else does—even more than us since we can deceive ourselves (Jeremiah 17:9-10). This spiritual and personal part of a person—mind, heart, soul, and spirit—is sometimes called the “inner man” or “inner being” (Ephesians 3:16). It is where God works to transform us (2 Corinthians 5:17). While outward actions are visible to others, God sees and evaluates the motives and attitudes of our inner person, holding us accountable to His standard of holiness for even our deepest and hidden selves. At salvation, believers are regenerated, receiving a new nature and the indwelling Holy Spirit (Titus 3:5-6).

But the new inner man battles against the old sinful nature (Galatians 5:16). Even so, the Holy Spirit, through the process of sanctification, progressively transforms our desires, will, and actions to reflect Christ (1 Corinthians 6:11; 2 Corinthians 3:18; Hebrews 2:11). The Holy Spirit shapes our inner self, and we cultivate that shaping through intimacy with God through prayer, Scripture, worship, and fellowship (Colossians 3:16; Acts 2:42; Hebrews 10:25). Over time, as we surrender and abide in Him, our inner man is renewed, producing love, joy, peace, and other fruit of holiness (John 15:4-5; Galatians 5:22-24). One day, our inner man will be fully conformed to the image of Jesus, enabling unhindered fellowship with God forever (1 John 3:2). Until then, we seek to abide in Him, allowing Him to transform us so we can grow and reflect Him to a world that desperately needs Him.

from the old testament

  • Though we might be able to hide our inner person from the world, we cannot hide it from God. He knows all and sees all, even into our hearts (1 Samuel 16:7). God is Father to those who are in Christ. God knows our personality quirks and our deepest longings, joys, hurts, musings, and fears.

from the new testament

  • The "inner man," "inner self," or "inner being" in passages such as Romans 7:22, 2 Corinthians 4:16, and Ephesians 3:16, and common parlance, refers to the spiritual or personal part of a person. We think of the "outer man" as the body, outward appearance, or behavior, whereas we associate the inner man with our mind, heart, soul, and spirit.
  • The inner person is often expressed through the physical body and senses.A believer’s body is the temple of the indwelling Holy Spirit (1 Corinthians 6:19-20).
  • Christians are called to offer our bodies to God as living sacrifices (Romans 12:1-2). However, it is largely in the inner man that we commune with God and relate with others. We experience love, peace, hope, and joy in our inner self.
  • The Bible clearly states that God is not only concerned with the person we show to the world (our behavior) but also the hidden motives of our hearts (Romans 2:16). Jesus rebuked the Pharisees for their outward show of righteousness, which hid inward sinThey tithed even down to their spices but had “neglected the weightier matters of the law: justice and mercy and faithfulness (Matthew 23:23-24)..
  • God wants holiness and perfection not only in our outward acts but in our inner motives as well. As we are not perfect, believers are covered in Christ’s righteousness. We should also pursue holiness and confess and repent of our sins (1 Peter 1:15-16; 1 John 1:9).
  • The Spirit of God transforms believers into new creations at salvation (2 Corinthians 5:17).
  • Even so, our new nature battles against our old sinful natures or "old man" (or "flesh") (Galatians 5:17-24; Ephesians 4:17-32). This new inner nature desires to live for and please God but still struggles with the sin nature, as the apostle Paul did (Romans 7:21-25). But the Holy Spirit inclines our hearts toward the things of God to help us better understand God's love and grow in obedience to Him.
  • The ultimate goal of our new natures is to be conformed completely to the image of Jesus Christ (Romans 8:29). One day, when we are with Christ, our inner man will be completely transformed. Sin will no longer be an issue and we will experience unhindered fellowship with Him.

implications for today

None of us is holy as God is holy (Romans 3:10-11). None of us have perfectly pure motives in our inner man to please God in all we think, feel, and do. Our hearts are sinful by nature and by practice. We need spiritual heart transplants. Thankfully, this is exactly what God does for His children (Ezekiel 11:19-20). The theological term for this spiritual heart transplant is regeneration. It is pictured also in Nicodemus' interaction with Jesus Christ. Jesus told Nicodemus that he must be “born again” (John 3:3). This assumes the spiritual deadness of humankind and the need for a new spiritual nature and heart (Ephesians 2:1-10). Men and women need nothing short of a spiritual birth (John 3:3), and this is what the Spirit of God provides through Jesus Christ (John 3:7-8).

Even with our rebirth in Christ, we still retain the sinful tendencies of our inner man. The actual process of transformation (referred to as "sanctification") is progressive.As we surrender and abide in God, we allow His Holy Spirit to transform us from the inside out so that our desires, will, heart, motives, and actions become conformed to His image.

We do this by cultivating an intimate relationship with God through prayer, reading God’s Word, and following His ways. We surrender and submit our thoughts, desires, and actions to Him. We prayerfully invite the Holy Spirit to renew our minds (Romans 12:2). Regular confession of sin and humbly relying on His grace keeps us dependent on Him rather than ourselves (1 John 1:9). Engaging in fellowship with other believers, worship, and service also shapes our inner man, providing accountability and opportunities to live out our faith practically. As we are transformed in our inner man, His life and love flow through us, producing fruit that reflects His holiness.

understand

  • The inner man is our spiritual core—mind, heart, soul, and spirit.
  • For believers, the Holy Spirit progressively renews the inner man to reflect Christ.
  • Prayer, Scripture, fellowship, abiding, and obedience help the inner man grow toward full Christlikeness.

reflect

  • What do you allow in your heart and mind to shape your inner self?
  • In what areas of your heart or mind do you struggle to surrender fully to God?
  • What disciplines or practices are you cultivating to allow God to transform your inner being?

engage

  • How can we recognize the differences between outward behavior and the true condition of the inner man in our lives?
  • How can believers support each other in nurturing and strengthening our inner man?
  • How does understanding the ongoing battle between the old nature and the new inner man change the way we view growth in Christlikeness?

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