As human beings, we are made of three vital elements. These three elements are known as spirit, soul, and body (1 Thessalonians 5:23). Man has two major aspects that define whom he really is. The first one is the spiritual or immaterial aspect, and the second one is the physical or material aspect. Two out of those three elements are spirit, such as both the soul and the human spirit while the body is physical.
The way that God has brought man into existence is unique, unlike the other creations. Man is both created and made at the same time. On one hand, the spiritual parts of man are created, which means that God didn’t use any preexistent materials (Genesis 1:27). One the other hand, the physical part is made out of the dust of the ground (Genesis 2:7).
The true definition of human is a spirit being in an earthly body. Keep in mind that the spiritual component of man is the most significant one since it’s the main component that governs the physical one. Physical death occurs when both soul and spirit leave the body altogether (James 2:26). The roles each element plays in the human life vary sharply. We’ll talk about each element individually as well as their functionalities.
Spirit
The human spirit is an element given to men in order to enable them to know God intimately through a genuine relationship. Our human spirit is what connects us with God. So to be connected with God is to be alive spiritually (Ephesians 2:5; Romans 6:11; John 5:24) while to be disconnected from God is to be dead spiritually (Romans 6:23; Ephesians 2:1; Colossians 2:13). Our human spirit is the element through which the Spirit of God dwells in us after being regenerated by Him (Romans 8:15-16; 1 John 2:20).
We understand, receive, and discern spiritual truth through our human spirit by the anointing of the Holy Spirit (1 Corinthians 2:14; John 14:26). Moreover, we serve and worship God through our own spirit (Romans 1:9).
The human spirit is like blood in our physical body, which is symbolic of physical life. When a member of the body is deprived of blood, it withers away and dies. It’s the same thing that transpires when we’re disconnected from God due to sin; our soul is dead as a result. Because the soul becomes deprived of the rich spiritual nourishment, provision, and support that it desperately needs from God in order to keep it alive, healthy, and in good functioning condition.
It all happens as a result of the human spirit being disconnected from God, which is spiritual death. When that happens, utter darkness has invaded the soul. What you have when someone is living in that state is complete hostility and enmity towards God or someone who is totally unfit to serve God in such spiritual condition. In short, the devil gets to dominate such person’s life. Let’s look at that verse below regarding the human spirit.
The human spirit is the lamp of the LORD that sheds light on one’s inmost being (Proverbs 20:27).
The human spirit is the very part of man in which his conscience located. A conscience is given by God in order to keep man from evil by releasing an intense guilt, discomfort, and suspicious feeling before committing an act. Many times, strong guilt and remorse are experienced way after people have committed something that was in clear violation with their own conscience.
The vital truth about having a conscience is that it all starts with you in the sense that you’d never want anybody to commit something evil against you or your loved ones, or to mistreat you. Therefore, that should be the main factor that drives you not to ever commit anything evil against somebody else.
Everybody has a level of truth within them since the requirements of God’s law are written on their hearts. Meaning that you don’t necessarily need to use the Bible to convince people that things like stealing, rape, murder, lying, child molestation, and kidnapping are wrong.
The big issue is that men’s conscience needs to be connected to God by the power of the Holy Spirit so that it can operate at the dimension of sensitivity and awareness that God wants. In other words, men’s conscience needs to be illuminated by the indwelling work of the Spirit of God.
One thing that’s quite noticeable in people’s attitudes and behaviors has to do with the fact that sinful people don’t like biblical truths. Some would even be willing to go to the extreme by reacting violently upon confronted with the truth. Why? As stated above, everyone has a level of truth in them whether they’re saved or not.
Therefore, the problem stems from that rebellious and unrepentant tendency people have that are literally acting out on their God-given conscience. Instead, they will do their very best in order to develop a level of comfort with something sinful they’ve been practicing that goes against their own conscience. By the way, their conscience is telling or warning them that what they’re doing is pure evil, but they want to embrace it as something normal.
So when people have become comfortable with something sinful as a result of doing their best to come out under the guilt they were at some point, and you confront them with the truth of the Word of God, what you’re basically doing is to drive them back in the same stage of massive guilt and discomfort they were prior to engaging in that particular sin being addressed. That’s pretty much what prompts them to react against the very truth that can set them free.
Soul
The soul is an immaterial element; in other words, the soul is spirit as well. It’s the very element in which intellect, emotion, and free will are housed. The soul is the element which controls the body in these three areas. The soul is immortal in the sense that it cannot be annihilated; therefore, it remains alive even if the body is dead physically. Since it’s where free will is located; consequently, it’s the very element that carries the massive burden of sin.
Our soul gives us the ability to think, choose, imagine, remember, and feel. Most importantly, the soul is the very embodiment of our mind. As a result, our mind is the very part of our body that Satan and his demons contend against the truth persistently.
How we deal with our mind in the light of what the Bible says decides our response to temptation and the deceptions of the enemy. Thereby, our mind needs to be renewed to God’s Word continually (Romans 12:2). Our soul also needs to be fed regularly through the Word and prayer in order to keep it healthy and strong (Matthew 4:4).
Body
The physical body is the element in which both soul and spirit are contained. In other words, the body is also known as a cover which encases both the soul and spirit. Here are three main reasons that can explain why God has given us a physical body.
- A body is associated with doing the will of God. A body is for doing things on this earth, so the prime reason we have a physical body is for the purpose of doing the will of God on earth (Romans 6:13; 1 Corinthians 6:20).
- We have a physical body for reproduction purposes. The Bible is very clear about the fact that spiritual beings cannot reproduce since they are genderless beings (Matthew 22:29-30). Which means that angels are created in large quantity. However, as humans, God only made two individuals and give them the ability to give birth to future generations (Genesis 9:7). We are a product of that capability.
- A physical body allows us to enjoy and fit into the creation. Another reason as to why we have a physical body is due to the fact that we’re made to dwell in a physical world, so our physical body enables us to interact and connect with our surroundings in a wide variety of ways. Our physical body allows us to enjoy the beauty of this world we’re made to dwell in.
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