Soul and Spirit

It helps to understand the difference between the soul and the spirit when desiring to walk in true humility and submission to the Lord. Our soul is made up of our mind, will and emotions, and is constantly being fed impulses through our five physical senses. We all have opinions about things, but how important, in the light of eternity, is what we think about things?

Isaiah 55: 8& 9 For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways My ways, says the Lord. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts.

Proverbs 1: 7 The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge: but fools despise wisdom and instruction.

No matter what subject we are dealing with, we should always be seeking to know God's will and thoughts in that area. The way this accomplished is by going to His Word. As we learn more of God's Word, we grow in wisdom, but we should never think that we "know it all" or even that we know much. Humility will lead us to know that we are just scratching the surface of the vastness of the wisdom of God.

We also have to quiet our soul to hear from our spirit. An unrenewed mind wants to be in charge and "call the shots". We should always take time to stop and pray and seeks God's wisdom found in His Word, and when we follow what is given to us by the Holy Spirit, we will begin to be Spirit lead and ruled through our spirit. This, in turn, will generate more peace and quietness in the soul. We don't have to know all the answers. As the mind of Christ begins to be formed in us, it brings a stabilizing maturity. Our five physical senses allow the world around us to contact the soul, and the soul is the gateway to the spirit, yet even our soul can be trained to discern between good and evil, because we become Word ruled and Spirit led.

Hebrews 5: 14 (Amplified) But solid food is for full-grown men, for those whose senses and mental faculties (soul) are trained by practice to discriminate between what is morally good and noble and what is evil and contrary to divine or human law.

The soul and spirit are only able to be separated for study purposes and it is only the Word of God that enables us to understand the difference between the soul and spirit.

Hebrews 4: 12 For the Word of God is alive, and powerful, and sharper than any two edged sword, penetrating even to the dividing line of the soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, [of the deepest parts of our nature] exposing and sifting and analyzing and judging the very thoughts and purposes of the heart.

It has been said that we are a (speaking) spirit (created in God's image), we have a soul, and we live in a body. Natural man is ruled by his senses, but a born again man should be ruled by his spirit as his body and soul (thoughts, will and emotions) are trained to be in subjection to his spirit man. This is an on going process and is what the scripture calls "the saving of the soul". When we receive Jesus as our Savior, our spirit is instantly born again, but the saving of the soul is an ongoing work of the Word and the Spirit in our lives.

James 1:21 (Amplified) So get rid of all uncleanness and the rampant outgrowth of wickedness, and in a humble (gentle, modest) spirit receive and welcome the Word which when implanted and rooted [in your hearts] contains the power to save your souls.

Romans 12: 1 & 2 (Amplified) I appeal to you therefore, brethren, and beg of you in view of [all] the mercies of God, to make a decisive dedication of your bodies [presenting all your members and faculties] as a living sacrifice, holy (devoted, consecrated) and well pleasing to God, which is your reasonable service and spiritual worship. Do not be conformed to this world (this age), [fashioned after and adapted to its external, superficial customs], but be transformed (changed) by the [entire] renewal of your mind [by its new ideals and its new attitude], so that you may prove [for yourselves] what is the good and acceptable and perfect will of God, even the thing which is good and acceptable, and perfect [in His sight for you].

Consecrating the way we think and act is the highest form of worship to God. Religious attempts of worship to appease our conscious have no value. Jesus gave His all and we should be willing to give our all for His service. The scripture that we just read calls this our reasonable service. It is reasonable because all we have to do is to access the Word of God and yield to the Spirit of God. The Word of God will do a work of grace in our lives by the power of the Holy Spirit.