Proverbs 17:27, 18:14, 20:27 He that hath knowledge spareth his words: and a man of understanding is of an excellent spirit. The spirit of a man will sustain his infirmity; but a wounded spirit who can bear? The spirit of man is the candle of the Lord, searching all the inward parts of the belly.

We left off yesterday without determining the issues of the contrite spirit. Once again, let us call upon help from the Holy Spirit to illuminate our minds.

The spirit of man is not the spirit of God. Much confusion exists in the use of spirit in our vernacular. A biblical understand of the spirit of man can be found beside the spirit of God. It is as if they are inseparable, but must be defined in nature as to which is the divine nature and not.

In man: as that which breathes quickly in animation or agitation, vivacity, vigour, courage, temper, anger, impatience, patience, disposition (as troubled, bitter, discontented), disposition (of various kinds), unaccountable or uncontrollable impulse.

Spirit of God, the third person of the triune God, the Holy Spirit, coequal, coeternal with the Father and the Son, as inspiring ecstatic state of prophecy, as impelling prophet to utter instruction or warning, imparting warlike energy and executive and administrative power, as endowing men with various gifts, as energy of life, as manifest in the Shekinah glory, and never referred to as a depersonalized force.

This depersonalized force points to the direct issue at hand. Man can and will act against his true nature. Man’s actions do not define him. God on the other hand cannot and will not act against His nature. God cannot give up one part of His personality in favor of another. God is consistent in execution of His true nature.

Contrition: the state of feeling remorseful and penitent. God never has to repent, man does.

In this the Holy Spirit gives way to the spirit of man, that the spirit of man maintains free will in exercise of confession and repentance. It must be this way because the conscience belongs to man and must by needs be cleansed and excised by man at the urging of the Holy Spirit, but not against our will.

And thereby saved.