Spirit, soul and body (part 1)

Have you heard of the three part nature of man? Do you know and understand what each part of you is? Are spirit and soul the same? What part of you is the real you? In these next few blogs, these questions will be answered from the Word of God. First Thessalonians 5:23 says, 'And the very God of peace sanctify you wholly; and I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.'  This verse makes it clear that there are three parts to every human being: spirit, soul and body. I am going to say it this way, "I am a spirit, I have a soul, and I live in a body." (See Kenneth E. Hagin's mini book, 'The Threefold Nature of Man.') By the time we are done, there will be changes in your personal relationship with God, in your study of the Bible, and in how you see the world. Warning! this may up-end your theology. Oh, well. What has theology done for you lately, anyway?

Proverbs 20:27 says, 'The spirit of man is the candle of the Lord, searching all the inward parts of the belly.' You are a spirit, your spirit is the real you. In John 4:24, Jesus says, "God is a spirit ...."  We know from Genesis 1:26 that God made man in His own image and likeness. From birth we are spirit beings born of the Spirit of God. Hebrews 12:9 refers to God as, 'the Father of spirits.'  Our spirit is like a hand in a glove. The glove represents the body and the hand the spirit. The glove cannot do anything without the hand empowering the glove to move. Likewise the body is lifeless without the spirit. In First Corinthians 9:27 it says, 'But I keep under my body, and bring IT into subjection...' Apostle Paul is talking about his spirit when he says, "I". But when his refers to the body, he says, "it." He is saying the real Apostle Paul is not a body, but a spirit man. Therefore the real you is an unseen spirit on the inside. You are more than just just flesh and blood, you are a spirit.

Just like the body and mind develop from childhood to adulthood, our spirits must also develop and mature. In the New Birth, when our spirit is born again, we arrive as spiritual babies. Our spirits must develop into spiritual maturity. We know, even naturally, that what we eat has a lot to do with our development. In John 6:63 Jesus says, "It is the spirit that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing: the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life."  The Word of God is the best food for our spiritual growth. A daily diet of the Word of God will feed our spirits. Exercise is also needed for proper spiritual development. We exercise our spirit by doing the word of God - by putting it into practice. Galatians 5:16 says, 'This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh.' What we eat and how we exercise our spirits is critical to our spiritual development. To develop your spirit is simply to read, read, read the Word of God and to do, do, do the Word of God.

The recreated, or born again, spirit is the only part of us that makes contact with God. Our spirit is where we are going to be guided by the Holy Spirit in every area of life. Romans 8:14 says, 'For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God.' The Holy Spirit will lead you through your spirit. The voice of your spirit is your conscience. Romans 8:16 says, 'The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God:.'  Down on the inside of you, in your spirit, there will be an 'unction' or leading from the Holy Spirit. First John 2:20 says, 'But you have an unction from the Holy One, and you know all things.'  This unction is like a green or red traffic light on the inside telling you to "stop" or "go". At times the Holy Spirit will speak specific words to you in your spirit that you can hear with your mind. The key is to stop and listen to your spirit. Listen to the leading of the Holy Spirit inside you. Remember the Holy Spirit's unctions will always lead you in line with the Word of God.  Proverbs 4:23 says, 'Keep your heart (or spirit) with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life.'  Everything in life flows, from the inside out.

Make this confession often: "I am a spirit, I have a soul and I live in a body."