We, as humans, are made up of a physical body, a soul, & a spirit. Each part has a specific function. With our body we see, taste, smell, hear, & touch. We feel emotions with our soul. Our spirit represents our deeper connection to God. Therefore, we show our love for God thru our spirit. In this study we are going to look deeper into the three parts that make up a whole person.
There are a few places in the Bible where the body, soul, and spirit are mentioned. One of these is in 1 Thessalonians 5:23: "Now may the God of peace himself sanctify you completely and may your whole spirit and soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.” If we look deeper into this verse, it clearly states that we are composed of three parts: The body, the soul, and the spirit. The verse also uses the word “and,” which in the original Greek language means ‘to differ from each other’. Thus, this clearly states that each part is different and plays a different role in us. Having said that we must realize that Paul is ALSO establishing the fact that we must dedicate every aspect of our life to our Lord, for God wants all of us, not just our “religious” part one day a week.
It is easy to distinguish the body as physical, which means using the five senses; the sense of sight, the sense of hearing, the sense of taste, the sense of smell, and the sense of touch. The spirit and soul are much more difficult because they seem similar but are actually very different. They have different functions in our lives as Christians, as it is written in Hebrews 4:12: “For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart.” It is obvious in this verse that the two are separate and what is apparent is that the Word of God divides these two parts from each other. We need to understand that each of these 3 “parts” influences the other.
Since we are “human”, created by God, He understands us in ways that would boggle our collective minds. To show His understanding He sent Jesus to become a man among us. He experienced everything that we experience in our soul and body.
The book of Hebrews tells us that Jesus became our great high priest: “We have a great high priest, who has gone into heaven, and he is Jesus the Son of God. That is why we must hold on to what we have said about him. Jesus understands every weakness of ours because he was tempted in every way that we are. But he did not sin! So whenever we are in need, we should come bravely before the throne of our merciful God. There we will be treated with undeserved kindness, and we will find help,” (Hebrews 4:14-16).
Jesus spoke repeatedly of seeking the Lord in all that we think, say, feel, and do. He often secluded Himself from crowds and his own disciples to seek time with His Heavenly Father. It was Jesus’ faith that caused Him to turn to His Heavenly Father--much like it does for us in all of life’s circumstances. Our faith helps us believe God will move on our behalf or whether or not it influences our beliefs and attitudes. These will in part play a major role in our thinking patterns.
Tomorrow we will focus in on ‘the body’. Until then, walk with the King & be a blessing.
In His Name & for His Glory,
RL Keller
Bread of Life Ministries
Resource: www.christianity.com; www.gotquestions.com; www.crosswalk.com
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