Read: I Thessalonians 5:23
“And 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." Gen 2:7
There is a distinct
difference between the topics of the Dichotomy of man, which limits man to a
body and a soul; and a Trichotomy of man, which states that man possesses a
body, soul and spirit. There are Bible verses, which imply that the soul and
spirit are the same entity (Matthew 10:28; Luke 1: 46-47; Acts 2:31; 1
Corinthians 5:3; 6:20; 7:34; 2 Peter 2:11). Then other verses
distinguish between the soul and spirit (Proverbs 25:25; Luke
1: 46-47; Romans 8:16; 1 Thessalonians 5:23; Hebrews 4:12; 3 John 2). This is
another one of those mysteries of the faith, such as the Trinity, which represents three
persons in one God.
I believe that God made man
as a Trichotomy...Spirit, Soul, and Body. Created in the image of God, we are a
trinity also, just as He is the Father, Son and Spirit. We have a spiritual
nature that is separate and distinct from the body, in which it dwells; and from
the soul through which it thinks, feels and decides upon an action. We
experience life through our Body, we acknowledge life through our Soul, and we
influence life through our Spirit. God formed man of the dust (body), and
breathed into him the breath of life (spirit); and man became a living soul
(soul) (Genesis 2:7). This is His original plan for mankind.
When Adam and Eve sinned,
they brought death into the world. Every baby is born with a body and soul, but
their spirit is dead because of this original sin. Their spirit remains dead
until they come to Christ and their spirit is Born Again. The spirit of the
unsaved person is dead in trespasses and sins (Ephesians 2:1; Colossians 2:13).
They do, however, have a body and also a soul. The soul contains our mind, will
and emotions.
There is another reason that
I believe in the Trichotomy of man. In Luke, Jesus tells a story about two men
who lived at the same time. One was a very rich man. The other was a beggar
named Lazarus, who ate crumbs from the rich man’s table. The beggar ended up in
Heaven and the rich man saw him there from hell. He asks Abraham to allow
Lazarus to minister to his physical needs (Luke 16: 23-24). Since the rich man’s
body is still in the grave, how could he see, hear, feel and identify these torments?
Simply put, the rich man’s
soul is experiencing everything the body would experience. In the resurrection,
the rich man’s immortal body will join his soul in hell, and he will experience
double torments for eternity. This is one reason Jesus gave the church the
imperative to win souls; in order to keep people from experiencing this intense
anguish in hell forever.
We care for our Body with proper rest, exercise, and nutrition. We care for our Soul through developing our mind, submitting our will to God’s will, and by meeting our emotional needs through our interactions with people, pets and some physical aspects of life. We care for our Spirit through Bible study, church attendance, prayer, fasting, Christian fellowship, service, and sharing our faith with others.
What
we do with our body affects what we think and feel in our soul, and how we
receive God’s direction through our spirit. What we allow ourselves to focus
on, or to act upon, affects us in our body, soul and spirit. Without fully
developing all three parts of our being, we live as handicapped individuals. Unless
we acknowledge and nurture each entity, we will never reach wholeness within
ourselves or be able to completely nurture others in our life.
Our
spirit is instantly Born Again through Justification. Our soul is transformed
through the life long Sanctification process. Eventually, our body will be
instantly immortal, when we see Jesus and go through Glorification. The Body is
our existence, the Soul is our expression, and the Spirit is the essence of our
life.
Prayer:
Lord, help us to use our
body, soul and spirit to make a difference for You in our world. Help those of
us who are not in touch with their emotions, who do not care about developing their
mind, or who are not Born Again in their spirit to spend time meditating on
these aspects of our humanity and allowing You to transform each part of them.
Help us to take Your Word seriously and to realize that You intend for us to be
witnesses for You to everyone we meet.
Thought for the Day:
For the word of God is alive and powerful. It is sharper than the sharpest
two-edged sword, cutting between soul and spirit, between joint and marrow. It
exposes our innermost thoughts and desires (Hebrews 4:12).
