spirtbod.htm

Spirit Soul and Body

In the old days, before we were reborn, the word order of the above heading was the other way around - body soul and spirit. Any of you older generation will doubtless remember the "All Time Great" song of the thirties called Body and Soul.
When we are in the world, that is unconverted, our purpose in life is to satisfy the wants of our persons. In the prosperous parts of the world this would entail purchasing a motor car with built-in air-conditioning: In the third world this would entail having enough to eat to "keep body and soul together."
In other writings we have seen that mankind, that is all men and women, are made up of a body, a soul and a spirit.
The purpose of the natural man is to satisfy the wants of the body and the soul. This is supposed to bring comfort and ease to life. Unwelcome for some, God also placed a spirit inside us, and although half dead and in bondage to Satan, this spirit recognises its Creator and causes the soul to realise that something is wrong with the self-life.
This soul searching is carried out to a lesser or greater extent until the soul either rejects the promptings of the spirit or responds.: That your faith should not stand in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God. Howbeit we speak wisdom among them that are perfect: yet not the wisdom of this world, nor of the princes of this world, that come to nought: But we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, even the hidden wisdom, which God ordained before the world unto our glory: Which none of the princes of this world knew: for had they known it, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory. But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him. But God hath revealed them unto us by his Spirit: for the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God. For what man knoweth the things of a man, save the spirit of man which is in him? even so the things of God knoweth no man, but the Spirit of God. Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the spirit which is of God; that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God.; (1 Corinthians 2:5-12)

So, we see that the spirit of natural man, which through the sin of Adam is a slave to Satan, prompts his soul, which is in a state of guilty rebellion: His soul prompts the body into obedience for the satisfying of the soul.

Let's look at the three parts that make up humankind separately.

The body
This is the physical doer of the three. It gets us to work on time so that the body can be fed and the soul comforted by the senses - the desires of the heart such as music.
The body can dominate the soul in certain circumstances, sometimes called the lusts of the flesh. An example of this is when adultery or fornication is contemplated. The soul might know that this is sin, but depending on the degree of rebellion, may allow the needs of the body to be satisfied.: Flee fornication. Every sin that a man doeth is without the body; but he that committeth fornication sinneth against his own body.; (1 Corinthians 6:18)

The soul
This loudmouth partner of the triumvirate is the one which controls the actions of the body. (He) usually disdains the prompting of the spirit and orders the body around for their mutual comfort. This part is made up of one's will, mind, etc. This is the real I. As shall be shown later, the soul is the only part of the triumvirate that we have control of. Our soul seems to be what makes us different to the animals.: And the LORD God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul.; (Genesis 2:7)

The spirit
This is the part that natural man knows the least about, probably because he is the silent partner. The soul can decide to listen to the promptings of the spirit, or not. We all have a spirit and it's God given.: The burden of the word of the LORD for Israel, saith the LORD, which stretcheth forth the heavens, and layeth the foundation of the earth, and formeth the spirit of man within him.; (Zechariah 12:1); ...because man goeth to his long home, and the mourners go about the streets: Or ever the silver cord be loosed, or the golden bowl be broken, or the pitcher be broken at the fountain, or the wheel broken at the cistern. Then shall the dust return to the earth as it was: and the spirit shall return unto God who gave it.; (Ecclesiastes 12:5b-7)

The spirit seems to be the conscience, in Walt Disney terms, our "Jiminy Cricket" that convicts us of our sins.
Before we are converted, the spirit part of our Old Man can be influenced by Satan. How we resist his evil intentions is monitored by God who made us.: The eyes of the LORD are in every place, beholding the evil and the good.; (Proverbs 15:3); Blessed is the man unto whom the LORD imputeth not iniquity, and in whose spirit there is no guile.; (Psalms 32:2)
He also rewards us accordingly:: He brought me forth also into a large place; he delivered me, because he delighted in me. The LORD rewarded me according to my righteousness; according to the cleanness of my hands hath he recompensed me. For I have kept the ways of the LORD, and have not wickedly departed from my God.; (Psalms 18:19-21)


At certain times the soul unwillingly loses control of the body. For example due to the bite of a mosquito the person contracts malaria. Here you (your body and soul) feels terrible - headache, shivering with cold under a heap of blankets one minute and shortly thereafter sweating like a pig with a high temperature. A very unpleasant experience.
There may be certain times when the soul willingly gives up control of the body; usually directly as when taking drugs, or if control is handed over to spiritual forces. For example when one "loses his sanity."
or:
When the willing loss of control is more indirect, in the form of obedience to outside forces, either temporal or spiritual. For example when you become a soldier for your country in times of war; or a soldier of God in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ.

When our spirit successfully convicts our soul of our soulishness and evil intentions, often as a result of a singular occurrence or cataclysm in our lives; and by faith believe that there is a Higher Being, that He is Righteous and Holy, also that He sent His only Son to die on our behalf, both bodily and soulishly; are prepared to act upon it, and do so; thereafter despising our former self (soulishness) and turning away from it consciously - then God places His Spirit inside us, switches on the power of our spirit, and the order in which things happen is completely turned around. This change in us is more fully explained in other writings¹.

Now our lives operate in the order of Spirit(spirit), soul and body.

TheSpirit(spirit)
With the power now switched on, we become aware of spiritual things and God's providence becomes evident to our renewed senses. We each submit our wills (souls) to God and our spirit now becomes the dominant partner.: But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.; (1 Corinthians 2:14)

The soul
This is still the real me, but we have each now willed to give up control thereof to our spirit, which in turn belongs to God through His Holy Spirit. We operate according to the Spirit and can allow God's power to be released through us to a lesser or greater extent.

Someone once wrote:
Miracles are wrought by spiritual power. Spiritual power is always proportioned to our faith.

Let's have a look at a most revealing Scripture:: There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.; (Romans 8:1)

We see that there is no condemnation for those who walk according to the Spirit. This surely means then, that those who don't walk after the Spirit but after the flesh shall have condemnation. What a significant Truth. Unfortunately Satan has succeeded in removing the meaningful phrases from the newer bible versions to confuse the unwary and unrepentant.: Seeing ye have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit unto unfeigned love of the brethren, see that ye love one another with a pure heart fervently: Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God, which liveth and abideth for ever.; (1 Peter 1:22-23)

Here's something interesting and revealing:: But God hath revealed them unto us by his Spirit: for the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God. For what man knoweth the things of a man, save the spirit of man which is in him? even so the things of God knoweth no man, but the Spirit of God. Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the spirit which is of God; that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God. Which things also we speak, not in the words which man's wisdom teacheth, but which the Holy Ghost teacheth; comparing spiritual things with spiritual. But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned. But he that is spiritual judgeth all things, yet he himself is judged of no man. For who hath known the mind of the Lord, that he may instruct him? But we have the mind of Christ.; (1 Corinthians 2:10-16)

There is confusion in certain circles concerning judging one another². The person stating such a thing reveals his/her confusion between discerning and condemning. This is usually as a result of not living according to the Spirit.

The body
Just a lump of flesh and blood that shall be buried one day:: For all flesh is as grass, and all the glory of man as the flower of grass. The grass withereth, and the flower thereof falleth away: But the word of the Lord endureth for ever. And this is the word which by the gospel is preached unto you.; (1 Peter 1:24-25)

In the light of the above, we can now understand the following passage of Scripture:: Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind, Nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God. And such were some of you: but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God. All things are lawful unto me, but all things are not expedient: all things are lawful for me, but I will not be brought under the power of any. Meats for the belly, and the belly for meats: but God shall destroy both it and them. Now the body is not for fornication, but for the Lord; and the Lord for the body. And God hath both raised up the Lord, and will also raise up us by his own power. Know ye not that your bodies are the members of Christ? shall I then take the members of Christ, and make them the members of an harlot? God forbid. What? know ye not that he which is joined to an harlot is one body? for two, saith he, shall be one flesh. But he that is joined unto the Lord is one spirit. Flee fornication. Every sin that a man doeth is without the body; but he that committeth fornication sinneth against his own body. What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own? For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God's.; (1 Corinthians 6:9-20)
We see here at the last that our bodies and spirits belong to God. For His glory!

We dealt with the subject of charity a couple of years back, not so. Let's look at it again in the light of the increased knowledge that we have been given by the Holy Spirit since then. In effect we are now higher up the spiritual path and can look back with new eyes.
It would be a good plan to go back and read the article again to prepare our minds for what is to come.
Here's the Scripture passage again:: Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, and have not charity, I am become as sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal. And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries, and all knowledge; and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, and have not charity, I am nothing. And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, and have not charity, it profiteth me nothing. Charity suffereth long, and is kind; charity envieth not; charity vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up, Doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil; Rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth; Beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things. Charity never faileth: but whether there be prophecies, they shall fail; whether there be tongues, they shall cease; whether there be knowledge, it shall vanish away. For we know in part, and we prophesy in part. But when that which is perfect is come, then that which is in part shall be done away. When I was a child, I spake as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child: but when I became a man, I put away childish things. For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known. And now abideth faith, hope, charity, these three; but the greatest of these is charity.; (1 Corinthians 13:1-13)
If we look carefully it shall be noticed that charity is an attitude of the soul. Paul compares gifts of the Spirit such as prophecy, faith and speaking in tongues, which are given to us; to an attitude on our part as a result of learning and willing to be charitable.
In verse eight he says that charity shall never fail. We see also that charity is controlled by us, but those who get God's gifts are controlled by Him and we'll only know His purpose once we become perfect (resurrected).
The last verse sums it up. As we have previously seen, faith comes in four parts; hope is as a result of faith, but charity is self (soul) propagating.

Okay, so what happens to our souls when our bodies die?
My friend, this is one of the deep things of God. The knowledge has always been there in the shadows, but needs to be taken out and polished and placed on the mantelpiece of our minds, so that every time we look at it we are reflected in it and shall eventually learn to live by the reality of it.
This is why Paul could exclaim:: Always bearing about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus, that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our body. For we which live are alway delivered unto death for Jesus' sake, that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our mortal flesh. So then death worketh in us, but life in you. We having the same spirit of faith, according as it is written, I believed, and therefore have I spoken; we also believe, and therefore speak; Knowing that he which raised up the Lord Jesus shall raise up us also by Jesus, and shall present us with you. For all things are for your sakes, that the abundant grace might through the thanksgiving of many redound to the glory of God. For which cause we faint not; but though our outward man perish, yet the inward man is renewed day by day. For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory; While we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal. For we know that if our earthly house of this tabernacle were dissolved, we have a building of God, an house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens. For in this we groan, earnestly desiring to be clothed upon with our house which is from heaven: If so be that being clothed we shall not be found naked. For we that are in this tabernacle do groan, being burdened: not for that we would be unclothed, but clothed upon, that mortality might be swallowed up of life. Now he that hath wrought us for the selfsame thing is God, who also hath given unto us the earnest of the Spirit. Therefore we are always confident, knowing that, whilst we are at home in the body, we are absent from the Lord: (For we walk by faith, not by sight:) We are confident, I say, and willing rather to be absent from the body, and to be present with the Lord. Wherefore we labour, that, whether present or absent, we may be accepted of him. For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad.; (2 Corinthians 4:10 - 5:10)

Here are the key verses:: Therefore we are always confident, knowing that, whilst we are at home in the body, we are absent from the Lord:; (2 Corinthians 5:6); And if ye call on the Father, who without respect of persons judgeth according to every man's work, pass the time of your sojourning here in fear:; (1 Peter 1:17); ... .confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth.; (Hebrews 11:13b)

Each one of us, the real me; the everlasting me; the soul; is only on this present world for a very short period of time of about seventy years. Thereafter we move on.

Our earthly body is buried and rots away and our spirit returns to God who gave it. Thus, the only part that we can control the destiny of is our soul. It's our unchanging soul that either suffers in the lake of fire, or is eventually welcomed into the New Jerusalem.

Jesus of Nazareth had this to say:: And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.; (Matthew 10:28); For what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?; (Matthew 16:26)

Now concerning those chosen ones who shall meet the Lord in the air. They shall have incorruptible bodies.: But some man will say, How are the dead raised up? and with what body do they come? Thou fool, that which thou sowest is not quickened, except it die: And that which thou sowest, thou sowest not that body that shall be, but bare grain, it may chance of wheat, or of some other grain: But God giveth it a body as it hath pleased him, and to every seed his own body. All flesh is not the same flesh: but there is one kind of flesh of men, another flesh of beasts, another of fishes, and another of birds. There are also celestial bodies, and bodies terrestrial: but the glory of the celestial is one, and the glory of the terrestrial is another. There is one glory of the sun, and another glory of the moon, and another glory of the stars: for one star differeth from another star in glory. So also is the resurrection of the dead. It is sown in corruption; it is raised in incorruption: It is sown in dishonour; it is raised in glory: it is sown in weakness; it is raised in power: It is sown a natural body; it is raised a spiritual body. There is a natural body, and there is a spiritual body. And so it is written, The first man Adam was made a living soul; the last Adam was made a quickening spirit. Howbeit that was not first which is spiritual, but that which is natural; and afterward that which is spiritual. The first man is of the earth, earthy: the second man is the Lord from heaven. As is the earthy, such are they also that are earthy: and as is the heavenly, such are they also that are heavenly. And as we have borne the image of the earthy, we shall also bear the image of the heavenly. Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; neither doth corruption inherit incorruption. Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality. So when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory. O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory? The sting of death is sin; and the strength of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye stedfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord.; (1 Corinthians 15:35-58)

Our souls will probably reside in these resurrected, spiritual bodies and we shall receive the rewards due to us while in our earthly bodies.: **A Psalm of David.** LORD, who shall abide in thy tabernacle? who shall dwell in thy holy hill? He that walketh uprightly, and worketh righteousness, and speaketh the truth in his heart.; (Psalms 15:1-2)

**************

Here's another thought provoking fact:
At the time of the saints coming to judge the world with their Master, the Lord Jesus Christ, it would seem that they shall remain unchanged for one thousand years while the rest of humanity carry on in their human bodies. This means that they shall see some forty generations pass by before their eyes, or fourteen lifetimes, before Satan is loosed.

Here's some beautiful prose to close with:
I went one night to hear an address on consecration. No special message came to me from it, but as the speaker kneeled to pray, he dropped this sentence: "O Lord, Thou knowest we can trust the Man that died for us." And that was my message. I rose and walked down the street to the train; and as I walked, I pondered deeply all that consecration might mean to my life and - I was afraid. And then, above the noise and clatter of the street traffic came to me the message: "you can trust the Man that died for you."
I got into the train to ride homeward; and as I rode, I thought of the changes, the sacrifices, the disappointments which consecration might mean to me and - I was afraid.
I reached home and sought my room, and there upon my knees I saw my past life. I had been a Christian, an officer in the church, a Sunday-school superintendent, but had never definitely yielded my life to God.
Yet as I thought of the darling plans which might be baffled, of the cherished hopes to be surrendered, and the chosen profession which I might be called upon to abandon - I was afraid.
I did not see the better things God had for me, so my soul was shrinking back; and then for the last time, with a swift rush of convicting power came to my innermost heart that searching message:
"My child, you can trust the Man that died for you. If you cannot trust Him whom can you trust?"
That settled it for me, for in a flash I saw that the Man who so loved me as to die for me could be absolutely trusted with all the concerns of the life He had saved.
Friend, you can trust the Man that died for you. You can trust Him to baffle no plan which is not best to be foiled, and to carry out every one which is for God's glory and your highest good. You can trust Him to lead you in a path which is the very best in the world for you.

This reality is probably the reason why the Protestant martyr, Hugh Latimer, just prior to being burned at the stake at Oxford England in October 1555 together with his friend, was able to state:
Be of good comfort Master Ridley, and play the man. We shall this day light such a candle, by God's grace, in England, as I trust shall never be put out.
: When my soul fainted within me I remembered the LORD: and my prayer came in unto thee, into thine holy temple. They that observe lying vanities forsake their own mercy.; (Jonah 2:7-8)

Life is not salvage to be saved out of the world, but an investment to be used in the world.

¹ See Heart of the Gospel and Our Old Man.
²See the article of the same name.