Even to the Division of Soul and Spirit

Even to the Division of Soul and Spirit

“Thus says the Lord: ‘Cursed is the man who trusts in man and makes flesh his strength, whose heart departs from the Lord. For he shall be like a shrub in the desert . . . .” Jer. 17:5-8.

“Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths. Do not be wise in your own eyes; fear the Lord and depart from evil.” Prov. 3:5-7.

Our understanding is comprised of our senses, which is our soul. We feel secure if all our five senses tell us the same thing; but we feel uncertain, if, for example, our sight and our sense of smell are not in agreement. Our feelings are possibly the sense that most easily lead us astray.

We will go astray if our understanding is not built on God’s Word. Therefore we read in many places that we are not to rely on our own understanding, but on the Lord.

When we read in the epistle to the Hebrews about entering into rest, it says, “For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit.” Nevertheless, the Word cannot divide between soul and spirit if I have not given myself wholeheartedly to God. If I have done that, I have come to that simple faith; then God’s Word can be effective in me. 1 Thess. 2:13.

Ordinary people, whether they are ungodly or half-hearted Christians, use only their understanding, their five senses. When they read the Bible, they do not receive the Word in their spirit, with all simplicity, so they can through faith experience the truth of God’s Word. They use their understanding, trying to comprehend it, and so they explain it to themselves and to others. That is why there are so many different doctrines and religious assemblies which never lead anyone to a divine life. 2 Pet. 1:3-4.

However, the Word can divide between soul and spirit among those who are wholehearted. The Holy Spirit can make the Word living to our spirit. Then we experience a certainty in our spirit concerning God’s will. Those who are wholehearted are quite often so zealous in carrying out God’s will that they create unrest and strife among those who have not received light. They want to carry it out in their human strength; but there is no anointing over it, and one is not a servant, but rather a ruler.

When Paul prays for the Colossians that they might be filled with knowledge concerning God’s will, he adds, “In all wisdom and spiritual understanding.” Only then could they lead a life worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing Him, so they could bear fruit and grow. Col. 1:9-10.

If we are to receive this wisdom, then the Word must also divide between “joints and marrow,” because the strength of man has to be broken down before the Word can enter into the heart and act as “a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.” Then the man becomes a brother and a servant, and he can help others out of their problems and the sin into which they have come by relying on their understanding. Then he will become a true shepherd, and the ones he helps will come to green pastures and still waters. Ps. 23.