SPIRIT, SOUL & BODY

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Introduction

When God created man, He created them with three parts; spirit, soul and body.

  • Body, Mind & spirit: Now may the God of peace Himself sanctify you completely; and may your whole spirit, soul, and body be preserved blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. 1 Thessalonians 5:23 NKJV
  • Body & Soul: the LORD God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul. Genesis 2:7 KJV
  • Body & spirit: the dust [out of which God made man’s body] will return to the earth as it was, and the spirit will return to God who gave it. Ecclesiastes 12:7 AMP

GOD's will that our Body, Soul and Spirit prosper

  • Beloved, I wish above all things that thou mayest prosper1 and be in health, even as thy soul prospereth. 3 John 1:2 KJV
Other versions
 
  • Beloved, I pray that in every way you may succeed and prosper and be in good health [physically], just as [I know] your soul prospers [spiritually]. 3 John 1:2 AMP
Note sequence of prosperity: Body/Business prospering “following” prosperity of soul & spirit.

1. spirit

Instruction

  • of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die.” Genesis 2:17 NKJV

We know that when Adam and Eve sinned, they did not die physically. They died spiritually. Here “spirit” refers to our spirit (hence small “s”) and not the Holy Spirit. .

Spiritual death - The current state of all unforgiven sinners

  • even when we were [spiritually] dead and separated from Him because of our sins, He made us [spiritually] alive together with Christ (for by His grace—His undeserved favor and mercy—you have been saved from God’s judgment). Ephesians 2:5 AMP
  • And you [He made alive when you] were [spiritually] dead and separated from Him because of your transgressions and sins Ephesians 2:1 AMP
  • I was brought forth in [a state of] wickedness; In sin my mother conceived me [and from my beginning I, too, was sinful]. Psalm 51:5 AMP
  • For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God [that is, His remarkable, overwhelming gift of grace to believers] is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. Romans 6:23 AMP
We are sinners by birth and by practice.

Spiritual Rebirth - Becoming Born Again

  • Jesus answered him, “I assure you and most solemnly say to you, unless a person is born again [reborn from above—spiritually transformed, renewed, sanctified], he cannot [ever] see and experience the kingdom of God.” John 3:3 AMP
  • you have been born again [that is, reborn from above—spiritually transformed, renewed, and set apart for His purpose] not of seed which is perishable but [from that which is] imperishable and immortal, that is, through the living and everlasting word of God. 1 Peter 1:23 AMP

When one becomes Born Again, he becomes spiritually alive. 

We can be strong spiritually

  • Jesus: And the Child grew and became strong in spirit, filled with wisdom; and the grace of God was upon Him. Luke 2:40 NKJV
  • John the Baptist: So the child grew and became strong in spirit, and was in the deserts till the day of his manifestation to Israel. Luke 1:80 NKJV

Growing Spiritually

1. Through Tongues
Read: TONGUES
2. Through The Word of GOD
  • Jesus answered, “It is written: ‘Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.’ ” Matthew 4:4 BSB
  • He humbled you and allowed you to be hungry and fed you with manna, [a substance] which you did not know, nor did your fathers know, so that He might make you understand [by personal experience] that man does not live by bread alone, but man lives by every word that proceeds out of the mouth of the LORD. Deuteronomy 8:3 AMP
  • like newborn babies [you should] long for the pure milk of the word, so that by it you may be nurtured and grow in respect to salvation [its ultimate fulfillment] 1 Peter 2:2 AMP
3. Through psalms, hymns and spiritual songs

  • And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess; but be filled with the Spirit; Speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord Ephesians 5:18-19 KJV

2. Soul

Creation

  • the LORD God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul. Genesis 2:7 KJV

Soul leaves body at death

  • as her (Rachel’s) soul was departing (for she was dying), she called his name Ben-oni; but his father called him Benjamin. Gen 35:18 ESV
  • And he stretched himself out on the child three times, and cried out to the LORD and said, “O LORD my God, I pray, let this child’s soul come back to him.” 1 Kings 17:21 NKJV

Future destiny for unregenerate souls

Question for ourselves

  • what does it profit a man to gain the whole world and to lose his soul? Mark 8:36 BLB

Exercise/Growth of the Mind

  • be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect. Romans 12:2 NASB
  • But solid food is for full-grown men, for those whose senses and mental faculties are trained by practice to discriminate and distinguish between what is morally good and noble and what is evil and contrary either to divine or human law. Hebrews 5:14 AMPC
Other versions

  • But solid food is for the mature, who because of practice have their senses trained to distinguish between good and evil. Hebrews 5:14 NASB
  • But solid food is for the mature, the ones by constant use having trained the senses for distinguishing both good and evil. Hebrews 5:14 BLB

For the purpose of this study, “soul” is used interchangably with “mind”.
Read: MIND

3. Body

May perish while on earth

Will be transformed eventually

  • But our citizenship is in heaven, and from it we await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, who will transform our lowly body to be like his glorious body, by the power that enables him even to subject all things to himself. Philippians 3:20-21 ESV
  • So is it with the resurrection of the dead. What is sown is perishable; what is raised is imperishable. It is sown in dishonor; it is raised in glory. It is sown in weakness; it is raised in power. It is sown a natural body; it is raised a spiritual body. If there is a natural body, there is also a spiritual body. 1 Corinthians 15:42-44 ESV

Exercise/Growth

  • I discipline my body and keep it under control, lest after preaching to others I myself should be disqualified. 1 Corinthians 9:27 ESV
Other Bible Versions
 
  • I buffet my body and make it my slave, lest possibly, after I have preached to others, I myself should be disqualified. 1 Corinthians  9:27 NASB 1977
  • But [like a boxer] I strictly discipline my body and make it my slave, so that, after I have preached [the gospel] to others, I myself will not somehow be disqualified [as unfit for service]. 1 Corinthians 9:27 AMP

State of Unbelievers vs Believers

1. Unbelievers

2. Believers

  • spirit currently alive: … He made us [spiritually] alive together with Christ (for by His grace—His undeserved favor and mercy—you have been saved from God’s judgment). Ephesians 2:5 AMP
  • soul will be saved: Though you have not seen Him, you love Him; and though you do not see Him now, you believe in Him and rejoice with an inexpressible and glorious joy, now that you are receiving the goal of your faith, the salvation of your souls. 1 Peter 1:8-9 BSB
  • body will rise: So it is with the resurrection of the dead. The [human] body that is sown is perishable and mortal, it is raised imperishable and immortal. It is sown in dishonor, it is raised in glory; it is sown in weakness, it is raised in strength; it is sown a natural body [mortal, suited to earth], it is raised a spiritual body [immortal, suited to heaven]. As surely as there is a physical body, there is also a spiritual body. 1 Corinthians 15:42-44 AMP

Footnotes

Post Views: 540
  1. 2137 euodoo {yoo-od-o'-o} from a compound of 2095 and 3598; to help on the road, i.e. (passively) succeed in reaching; figuratively, to succeed in business affairs:--(have a) prosper(-ous journey). See Greek-- 2095 See Greek-- 3598