Dividing the Soul and Spirit

 

Scholars across the ages attempt to mingle the concept of spirit and soul as one entity. However, Bible truth differentiates between these two realms within our human essence.

Our spiritual union with Christ takes place in our spirit, which is Born Again at Salvation (John 3:5-6; Romans 8:9, 16; Acts 26:18). Then the Holy Spirit spends our lifetime sanctifying our soul - our thoughts, choices and emotions.

Paul makes this clear when he refers to the entire sanctification of body, soul and spirit (1 Thessalonians 5:23). God’s Word will actually divide the soul and spirit (Hebrews 4:12). The more we submit to His holiness, the more fully we partake in His divine nature (2 Peter 1:4).

Prior to salvation we lived for our self. After salvation, we are crucified with Christ and receive a whole new life with a new pliable heart (Romans 6:4, 6; Ezekiel 36:26; 2 Corinthians 5:17).

As we live in Christ, our humanity decreases and His life in us increases (Romans 6:6; Ephesians 4:22; Colossians 3:9; John 3:30). God writes His laws on our heart (Hebrews 8:10). He sees us as perfect in Christ (Philippians 3:15; Hebrews 12:23).

God's Spirit renews us day by day (Romans 12:2; Ephesians 4:23). We live in the righteousness of Christ within us, resisting by Jesus' strength, the devil's temptation to sin (Romans 6:11; 1 John 3:9; 1 John 2:1).

Christ in us changes us from sinner to Saint (Romans 5:19, 8:9; Ephesians 4:12). We are dead to sin, slaves to righteousness and Christ reigns as Lord and Savior in our life (Romans 6:2, 11, 17; 1 John 3:8).

Prayer:

Father God, we thank You for the fact that our authentic Christian identity is no longer rooted in our personality, but in Christ. Our fleshly desires have less and less control over our soul as we walk in our union with Christ in us (Galatians 5:17; Romans 7:25-8:5).

Our desire is for Your divine character, power and authority to completely take over our body, soul and spirit. We thank You for redeeming us through Christ’s sacrifice and for filling us with Your Spirit, so we can walk in Your will each moment of the day.

Thought for the Day:

As God reveals a sin or negative leaning in our character or an idol in our life, we willingly submit it to His Lordship; then His Spirit cleanses us from these sins and replaces our defective human character with His fruit.

- 1 John 1:9; Romans 13:14; Galatians 5:22-23

 

The Importance of Christ in Us

 

Jesus came from God (John 1:14; Philippians 2:7-11); Jesus was God (Matthew 1:23; John 17:21) and God performed His will on the earth by abiding in a human body as Jesus (John 14:10; Acts 2:22).

God gives us a free will that allows us to choose or to reject His salvation. We can either accept His freedom from eternal destruction or reap the consequences of our choices.

In unbelief, we condemn our self (John 3:18). Every sin we commit stems from the root of unbelief. Once we believe in Christ, God works in us through His Spirit (Luke 4:14-15).

Every Born Again Believer is united with our triune God (John 17:21). The Trinity takes up inclusive residence within us (John 14:23; 1 John 4:15-16).

Our divine union is as intimate as the union between a husband and wife (Ephesians 5:28-30). We are buried with Christ in baptism and raised to walk in His new life.

Our old carnal self is crucified with Him and our body is no longer ruled by sin (Romans 2: 20, 6:12). Christ works His “ministry of reconciliation” in us and through us to the world around us (2 Corinthians 5:18).

Jesus gave us the ultimate example of surrender when He submitted to the suffering of Calvary in order to provide us with salvation.

We are reborn of the Spirit into a spiritual union with Christ (Romans 8:9, 16). Now, Jesus abides within us and wants to work through each of us. We are the visible presence of Christ in our world (1 John 4:17). 

Prayer:

Father God, when Christ moves in, we serve Him by the strength which You supply us (Philippians 2:12-13). This brings You glory and honor (1 Peter 4:10-11). It is no longer us, but You living within us by Your Spirit. You give us the desire and the power to work out our own salvation (Philippians 2:12-13).

We give You all the glory, honor and praise for opening the eyes of our understanding and bringing us to a saving knowledge of Your plan for our life (Ephesians 2:10). We walk in Your Spirit and fulfill the deeds, which You designed for us before we were even born.

Thought for the Day:

We are in Christ, but Christ is also in us.

- Galatians 2:20; Colossians 1 27; Romans 8:10; 2 Corinthians 13:5; Ephesians 3:16-17

Unity with God, Our Maker

Once we come to Christ in repentance, asking for God's forgiveness, He exchanges our sin for His righteousness, and we enter a spiritual union with Christ in God (Colossians 3:3). The powerful life of the triune God dwells within us from that point throughout the rest of our life. We enter an intimate relationship, which includes a unified life with the Trinity.

God purifies us step-by-step, burning deeper with each stroke of His holy fire, until we radiate Christ’s nature from within us. He replaces our carnal nature with the fruit of His Spirit, which is actually the very nature of God (Galatians 5:22-23). The less we function through our humanity, and the more we wait on God, the more He expresses His divine character and nature in us and through us (2 Peter 1:4).

Resting in Christ is not another religious activity to perform. It simply involves complete surrender of our human life to the Kingship of Jesus Christ (Matthew 11:28-29). Our human way of thinking and feeling passes away, and we are now an entirely new creation (2 Corinthians 5:17). We bow before our God and Maker (Psalm 95:6).

We embrace God's presence in our soul as well - in our thoughts, choices and emotions. We are constantly responsive to this holy relationship and to our ever-increasing intimacy with Christ (Colossians 3:4). We walk in communion, fellowship and one accord with Christ within us (2 Corinthians 6:14-15). We freely choose to follow the leading of God’s Spirit each moment of the day (Romans 8:14).

Prayer:

Father God, due to Your work in our life, we manifest Your nature in ever-increasing levels of maturity and glory (2 Corinthians 3:18). By faith, Your divinity freely flows through our body, soul and spirit (2 Peter 1:4). Our intimate bond with You is broken only by our propensity to sin. However, if we walk in accord with the direction, wisdom and love of Your Spirit, we will never fulfill the lusts of our flesh (Galatians 5:15-25).

Thought for the Day:

We belong to God’s household as priests and saints, and are co-heirs with Jesus.

Dividing the Soul and Spirit

 

Scholars across the ages attempt to mingle the concept of spirit and soul as one entity. However, Bible truth differentiates between these two realms within our human essence. Our spiritual union with Christ takes place in our spirit, which is Born Again at Salvation (John 3:5-6; Romans 8:9, 16; Acts 26:18). Then the Holy Spirit spends our lifetime sanctifying our soul. Paul makes this clear when he refers to the entire sanctification of body, soul and spirit (1 Thessalonians 5:23). God’s Word divides the soul and spirit (Hebrews 4:12). The more we submit to His holiness, the more fully we partake in His divine nature (2 Peter 1:4). Paul lays out the entire purification process for us in Romans 6-8.

Our soul leans toward sin during our initial walk with the Lord (Romans 7:17-18, 20-21, 23). As the Word of God quickens His Truth to our soul, these sinful habits start grieving our spirit as much as they do the Spirit of God (Ephesians 4:30; 1 Thessalonians 5:19). The lusts of our flesh conflict with the desires of the Spirit of God in our spirit (Galatians 5:17; Colossians 1:8-9; Romans 13:14; Galatians 5:24; Ephesians 2:3; 1 Peter 2:11). As we mature, the Spirit births more and more holiness in our soul (Galatians 4:19). We see the work of Christ in us as He dwells in us and gives us His hope of glory (Colossians 1:27; 2 Corinthians 13:5). We no longer live our life, but Christ lives in, through and instead of us (Galatians 2:20). Jesus Christ is our whole life and we live in union with Him (Colossians 3:4; 1 Corinthians 6:17).

Prior to salvation we lived for our self. After salvation, we are crucified with Christ and receive a whole new life with a new heart (Romans 6:4,6; Ezekiel 36:26; 2 Corinthians 5:17). As we live in Christ, our humanity decreases and His life in us increases (Romans 6:6; Ephesians 4:22; Colossians 3:9; John 3:30). He writes His laws on our heart (Hebrews 8:10). God sees us as perfect in Christ (Philippians 3:15; Hebrews 12:23). He renews us day by day (Romans 12:2; Ephesians 4:23). We are dead to sin and we live in the righteousness in Christ (Romans 6:11; 1 John 3:9; 1 John 2:1). We are made righteous and present our self to God as an instrument of His righteousness (Romans 5:19; 6:13).

Satan fishes in our desires to catch us off guard and hook us into choosing to listen to his evil suggestions so he may employ our carnal character and selfish habits for sin. Christ in us changes us from sinner to Saint (Romans 5:19, 8:9; Ephesians 4:12). We are dead to sin, slaves to righteousness and Christ reigns as Lord and Savior in our life (Romans 6:2,11,17; 1 John 3:8). Our spirit is now alive in Christ and sin is expelled and exorcised from our soul (Ephesians 2:5; Philippians 3:12-15). This requires no self-effort; the Spirit completes this work in us as we cooperate with His Spirit (Galatians 3:1-3). We are free from sin’s torment and temptation (Romans 6:7,18,22; Acts 26:18). Christ in us then expresses Himself through us (Romans 5:10; Matthew 1:21; 1 John 4:4).

Prayer:

Father God, we thank You for the fact that our authentic Christian identity is no longer rooted in our personality, but in Christ. Our fleshly desires have less and less control over us as we walk in our union with Christ in us (Galatians 5:17). Our desire is for Your divine character, power and authority to completely take over our body, soul and spirit. We thank You for redeeming us through Christ’s sacrifice and filling us with Your Spirit, so we can walk in Your will each moment of the day. Lead and guide us to be in the right place at the right time to affect Your plan for us in this world. Drench us with Your peace and joy in the midst of all of the sorrow and devastation in the earth in which we live.

Thought for the Day:

As God reveals a defect in our character or an idol in our life, we willingly submit it to His Lordship; then the Spirit cleanses us from these sins and replaces our defective humanistic character with the fruit of His Spirit (1 John 1:9; Romans 13:14; Galatians 5:22-23).

 

Christ Instead of Us

 


God gives us a free will that allows us to choose or to reject His salvation. We can either accept His freedom from eternal destruction or reap the consequences of our choices. Every sin we commit stems from the root of unbelief. In unbelief we condemn our self (John 3:18). Jesus came from God (John 1:14; Philippians 2:7-11); Jesus was God (Matthew 1:23; John 17:21) and God performed His will on the earth by abiding in the human body of Christ (John 14:10; Acts 2:22). Now He works in us through His Spirit (Luke 4:14-15).

Every Born Again Believer is united with our triune God (John 17:21). The Trinity takes up comprehensive residence within us (John 14:23; 1 John 4:15,16). Our divine union is as intimate as the union between a husband and wife (Ephesians 5:28-30). We are buried with Christ in baptism and raised to walk in His new life. Our old carnal self is crucified with Him and our body is no longer ruled by sin (Romans 2: 20, 6:12). Christ works His “ministry of reconciliation” in us and through us to the world around us (2 Corinthians 5:18).

Jesus gave us the ultimate example of surrender when He submitted to the suffering of Calvary in order to provide us with salvation. Now, Jesus abides within us and wants to work through each of us. We are the visible presence of Christ in our world (1 John 4:17).  We are born of the Spirit into a spiritual union with Christ (Romans 8:9,16). When Christ moves in, we serve Him by the strength which God supplies (Philippians 2:12-13). This brings God glory and honor through Christ in us (1 Peter 4:10-11).

We used to be slaves to sin, but now we owe our allegiance to Christ as slaves to righteousness (Romans 6:1-18). Our human wisdom, goals and ambitions are submitted to Christ in us. Even our physical life is His. Through the sanctification process as we decrease, He increases within us (John 3:30). We will also be raised with Christ into immortality, because death no longer has any mastery over Christ. Jesus died once for anyone who believes in Him. Through His life within us, we live forever with God.

We are filled with the Holy Spirit and are part of Christ’s Body (Romans 8:9). The Holy Spirit transforms our life by giving us His fruit (Galatians 5:22-23). We respond by relinquishing the depravity in our life in exchange for the holiness of God (Romans 12:1-2). Our life is hidden with Christ in God through the Holy Spirit (1 Corinthians 6:17; 2 Peter 1:4; Hebrews 3:14, 6:4; Romans 6:11). As we realize that we are now dead (Colossians 3:3), Christ lives in us instead of us. He is more and more able to express Himself through our body, spirit and soul – our mind, will and emotions – as we live a surrendered life to Him.

Prayer:

Heavenly Father, You are waiting for us in Heaven (Matthew 6:9), but You are always with us through Christ and the Spirit. Jesus is always with us, even to the end of the age of grace (Matthew 28:20). As our triune God, You come to make Your home in everyone who obeys the teachings of Christ (John 14:23). Jesus sent the Spirit of truth to come and guide us into all truth. The Spirit speaks Your words to us and reveals to us what is yet to come (John 16:13).

Thought for the Day:

We are in Christ, but Christ is also in us (Galatians 2:20; Colossians 1 27; Romans 8:10; 2 Corinthians 13:5; Ephesians 3:16-17).