Spirit, Body, Soul

Spirit, Body, Soul

“And the Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the spirit of life; and man became a living soul.” Gen. 2:7.

Our body was formed of the dust of the ground, and it is sustained by that which grows up from the ground. With my body I am in contact with everything that has been created. God breathed the spirit of life into man’s nostrils. With my spirit I am in contact with God. Man became a living soul when the spirit entered his body. The soul is his life—the result of the union of body and spirit. With my soul I am in contact with people.

The intention was that God would lead us by our spirit; but then the Fall came, and separation from God. Man began to live according to the lusts in his body. Gen. 3:6. Instead of the body being an instrument of the spirit in the service of God, it started to lead instead. The consequence was separation from God because the spirit in man became a slave to the lusts in the flesh. The fruit of the Fall is all the corruption we see in the world. The corruption is in the world through lust. 2 Pet. 1:4.

Because the body took over the leadership, man is earthly—carnal and not spiritual. His life is in the things that have been created, and he worships the greatness of this world. When you speak to a person you will notice right away that his soul—his senses—revolve around the visible things. Man is restless in this state, and he suffers under the emptiness of this world, for his spirit can never be content or satisfied by the things that have been created. Man doesn’t understand this because of the darkness in which he is, and as a result he looks for distractions and enjoyment that only increase his emptiness. He gets a taste of hell in his soul. However, God has not left us to ourselves in this state. “Or do you think that the Scripture says in vain, ‘He jealously desires the spirit He let dwell in us; but He gives even more grace.’” Jas. 4:5. There are a few people who have been converted to God through the light of the gospel. Instead of loving their lusts, they act according to Jesus’ words: “Take up your cross daily and deny yourself.” Thus their spirit is delivered from the sin in their flesh, and they enter into fellowship with God. Now that they are being nourished by God’s Word and prayer they receive strength to discipline their body and bring it into subjection. 1 Cor. 9:27. As a result, they become spiritual and have their life—the soul—in the heavenly places. You will also notice that when you speak with such people they have a sense for invisible things, which are eternal. They come out of that restless state of that corruptible emptiness and into incorruptible treasures of life that give their spirit rest. They get a foretaste of heaven in their soul. The perfect liberation of the soul from that corruptible emptiness is the end of our faith. 1 Pet. 1:3-4, 9.

Jesus has taught us to pray: “Your kingdom come. Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.” Matt. 6:10. Jesus fulfilled this prayer in the days of His flesh. He also said when He came into the world, “‘A body You have prepared for Me . . . Behold, I have come . . . to do Your will, O God.’” We, too, have a calling and task to fulfill. We have also received a body. If our body does not assume the leading role (with the result that we lower ourselves to live according to our passions and desires) but is presented as a living, holy, acceptable sacrifice to God, then we spread God’s kingdom. We accept God’s will through our spirit, and we carry it out with our body. The fruit of this co-operation is a heavenly life, a saved soul.

Jesus says: “‘Therefore do not worry, saying ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For after all these things the Gentiles [heathen] seek. . . . But seek first the kingdom of God . . . and all these things shall be added to you.” Matt. 6:32-33. The heathen seek what the body needs. That is their main concern. The animals do the same. But we must act differently. We must keep the nourishment and well-being of our spirit in mind. We must seek God’s kingdom first. If we do that, then God will provide for our body. Thus we are saved from all the anxiety that plagues the world. This deliverance of the spirit from sin in the flesh is a resurrection, and only those who partake of this salvation will have a part in the first resurrection. They are blessed and holy, for “over such the second death has no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with Him a thousand years.” Rev. 20:6. Only through this salvation can the God of peace sanctify us completely, so that our spirit, soul, and body can be preserved blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. 1 Thess. 5:23.