Most of mankind knows that man is made up of body and soul while assuming the soul and spirit are the same, but the soul and spirit are two separate parts of our being. Our primary substance is spirit because God is Spirit.
John 4:24 “God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.”
Our spirit is more real than our soul or our body. Let’s look at Hebrews and 1 Thes. 5:23.
Heb. 4:12 “For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.”
1 Thes. 5:23 “Now may the God of peace Himself sanctify you completely; and may your whole spirit, soul, and body be preserved blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.”
We are a spirit that has a soul that lives in a body. Our body is the outer shell, the tent that Paul and Peter speak of in 2 Corinthians and 2 Peter:
2 Cor. 5:1 “For we know that if our earthly house (physical body) this tent, is destroyed, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens”
2 Pet. 1:13,14 "Yes, I think it is right, as long as I am in this tent, to stir you up by reminding you, knowing that shortly I must put off my tent, just as our Lord Jesus Christ showed me“.
So then, our body is the house for our spirit and soul. Upon our bodily death, we just shed the figurative house or tent, and our soul and spirit live forever.
PLEASE PRINT THIS DIAGRAM OUT AS IT WILL HELP YOU TO UNDERSTAND THE TEXT. Right click on diagram and select print.
Brief explanation of Spirit, Soul and Body
1) Spirit - relates to God – our God consciousness or our awareness of God. We relate to God through our Intuition (insight, our instantaneous comprehension); our conscience (inner moral self, knowledge or feeling of right and wrong); and by communion (sharing together, fellowship, interchange of thoughts or interests; a state of giving and receiving; agreement; a personal relationship).
2) Soul - relates to others – our personality or self-awareness; our relationship with others; our mind, emotions and will.
3) Body - How we relate to the things around us through our senses of sight, sound, smell, taste, and touch.
The body is predominant; that’s what we see first. Our tendency is to judge by appearance. Our judgment might completely change when we get to know a person.
Let’s take Ted Bundy, (the mass murderer of young women) as an example. He was a college student; handsome; studying to be a lawyer. The perfect catch; or so everyone thought. He murdered many women that were in college all over the United States. The young women were happy to go out with him because of how good he looked and how brilliant he was.
Our human nature is to judge people by their looks, but true knowledge only comes through relationship; spirit to spirit.
1) From the definition of soul, would you say a dog has a soul?
2) Does he have a spirit?
3) When you were saved, where did salvation take place Spirit, Soul or Body?
1) From the definition of soul, would you say a dog has a soul?
2) Does he have a spirit?
3) When you were saved, where did salvation take place Spirit, Soul or Body?
The answers to these questions are:
#1 - Yes, a dog has a soul because he has a personality. Some are mean and vicious and others are sweet and meek.
Answer #2 - No, a dog doesn’t have a spirit because only man is made in God’s image.
Answer #3 – Your salvation took place in your spirit for that is how God communicates with you.
Answer #2 - No, a dog doesn’t have a spirit because only man is made in God’s image.
Answer #3 – Your salvation took place in your spirit for that is how God communicates with you.
This drawing represents you as a three part being. The small inner circle containing the question mark is the center of your being; your driving force, your control, your focus, what you think about most.
Envision this diagram as a wheel with the center being the cog or the power that drives the wheel. The sectioned three parts are reflective of your spirit, soul and body.
Going back to the center circle, we see that the driving force of your life is not identified at this time.
As you concentrate on this diagram, you will see that there is an inter-connection between all three parts. When God speaks to you, He speaks through your spirit to your soul and from your soul to your body. It is as though the soul is the filter before the message reaches the body.
In lesson two we will take an in-depth look at the spirit.
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