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SPIRIT, SOUL, AND BODY In this lesson we will be studying a subject that modern-day psychiatrists and psychologists know nothing about, yet these very people profess to be authorities on human nature and human behavior. Imagine going to a doctor so he can help you get well and he doesn't even know what you are! The Bible says that you are a SPIRIT, a SOUL, and a BODY. Before you can understand who you are and how you are supposed to get anywhere in life, you must get acquainted with the doctrine of spirit, soul, and body. This lesson is written from the standpoint that God knows more about us than we do (since He created us) and that God's word can shed more light on human behavior than any man has ever written. You won't be very popular or very recognized for believing the forthcoming pages, but you will be right. "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." (I Ths. 5:23) Now, there it is. Paul said that you have a spirit, a soul, and a body. You are a three-part being. You do not have just a body, and you do not have just a body and a soul. You have spirit, a soul, and a body. As we shall learn in a later lesson, God is a trinity consisting of Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. So, He has made man a trinity also. In fact, your soul pictures God the Father, your body pictures Jesus Christ Who was once here in the flesh, and your spirit pictures the Holy Spirit. God is a trinity, so He has made man a trinity. Think of the sun for a moment. The sun gives off light rays, chemical rays, and heat rays, yet it is still just one sun. Three rays, but one sun. You are three parts, but one person. A football is also a good example. It has the outward leather which you see. Then there's an inner tube which you cannot see. Then there’s the air inside the inner tube. A football is three parts, but one football. You are three parts, but one person. You are a spirit, a soul, and a body. Notice how it all began in Genesis: "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) First, God formed a BODY from dirt. Then He breathed a SPIRIT into the body, and then man became a living SOUL. That "breath of life" is the spirit. Ecclesiastes 12:7 says, "Then shall the dust return to the earth as it was: and the spirit shall return unto God who gave it." He gave it in Genesis 2:7. That word for "spirit" in the New Testament is "pneuma", which can be translated "breath", "breeze", "a current of air", "life", "mind", "ghost", or "spirit." When God breathed into Adam's lifeless body a LIFE was formed. A complete man was made, which had a spirit, a soul, and a body. I. YOUR SPIRIT What good is a football without air? It's no good, for it's just a dead ball. What good is man without God's Spirit? He is NO GOOD. So, God made man in his own image with a spirit, a soul, and a body. Notice Genesis 1:26: "And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth." He said "in our image." That's the Trinity: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. God made man in a perfectly sinless image and placed him in a perfect paradise with a simple command: "And the LORD God commanded the man, saying, Of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat: But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die." (Gen. 2:16-17) Man was told that he would DIE for eating of the forbidden fruit, but this cannot be physical death, because Genesis chapter five tells us that Adam lived hundreds of years beyond the day of his sin. Man was made a "living soul" when he received God's Spirit, so man "died" spiritually when he sinned and lost God's Spirit. When Satan said, "Ye shall not surely die" (Gen. 3:1), he was being very deceitful. Man DIDN'T die physically, but he DID die spiritually. When Adam sinned he lost God's Spirit, and he lost God's IMAGE. Adam was made in God's image, but when he had children they were born in ADAM'S image with a sin nature. Notice Genesis 5:3: "And Adam lived an hundred and thirty years, and begat a son in his own likeness, after his image; and called his name Seth:" Adam was the only man in the Old Testament to have the image of God, and he had it only for a short time. It isn't until Jesus Christ comes and pays for the sin of the world that we read again about a man having God's image. Colossians 3:10 says, "And have put on the new man, which is renewed in knowledge after the image of him that created him:" Notice Hebrews 1:3: "Who being the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person, and upholding all things by the word of his power, when he had by himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high;" Jesus Christ is the image of God, and no one can be born in God's image until they are BORN AGAIN (John 3:3). Then, and only then, can a person have God's image. "And as we have borne the image of the earthy, we shall also bear the image of the heavenly." (I Cor. 15:49) Since life produces life, it takes life for someone to receive God's image through Christ. The new birth is a supernatural birth where the eternal life in Christ gives spiritual birth to a fallen man. First, one must hear the living word. Hebrews 4:12 says, "For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart." The word of God is ALIVE (quick). Jesus said, "It is the spirit that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing: the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life." (John 6:63) The word of God is a living book with living words, which has the power to bring about a new birth. Notice I Peter 1:23: "Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God, which liveth and abideth for ever." If you've been saved, then it's because you once had a dead spirit, and then upon receiving Christ as your Saviour you received a new nature, a new image, and a new Spirit. Ephesians 4:30 says you are sealed with the Holy Spirit. You were DEAD spiritually, but God raised you up. Ephesians 2:1 says, "And you hath he quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins:" Why were you dead? You lost God's image and God's Spirit in Genesis, and you had to wait for Jesus Christ to give it back to you.Think of this. Everyone on earth is either in Adam or in Christ. "For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive." (I Cor. 15:22) There is no third dwelling. Either you are a sinner in Adam, or you are a saint in Christ. There are no other options. If you're in Adam, then your spirit is dead because it was made in Adam's image which was also dead. If you're in Christ, then you've been born again and sealed with God's Spirit, in God's image. Everyone has a spirit, but not everyone has a living spirit in the eyes of God. II. YOUR SOUL Your soul is the real you which dwells inside your body until the moment you die. When you die, your soul departs from your body and goes to be with the Lord or goes to suffer in Hell. In Genesis 35:18, we read about the death of Rachel: "And it came to pass, as her soul was in departing, (for she died) that she called his name Benoni: but his father called him Benjamin." When was her soul in departing? It departed when she died. In II Timothy 4:6, Paul said, "For I am now ready to be offered, and the time of my departure is at hand." Did his body depart when he died? No, his body was buried. His soul departed. In II Corinthians 5:8 Paul says, "We are confident, I say, and willing rather to be absent from the body, and to be present with the Lord." According to God's word, when a person dies their soul departs from their body and moves to its eternal home. "And when he had opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of them that were slain for the word of God, and for the testimony which they held:" (Rev. 6:9) So then a soul has a bodily shape which can be seen. You and I cannot see it today, but it can be seen, if we are to believe Revelation 6:9. John said he saw the souls. Now consider Luke 16:23-25: "And in hell he lift up his eyes, being in torments, and seeth Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom. And he cried and said, Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus, that he may dip the tip of his finger in water, and cool my tongue; for I am tormented in this flame. But Abraham said, Son, remember that thou in thy lifetime receivedst thy good things, and likewise Lazarus evil things: but now he is comforted, and thou art tormented." There's a man who has died and went to Hell. His body was buried, and then he lifted up his eyes in Hell and asked for water to cool his tongue. This man's original eyes were still in his dead body in the grave, as well as his tongue, but his soul, which had a bodily shape, was now in Hell. His soul had eyes, a tongue, and a brain to make them function. While his body lay dead in the grave, this man's soul suffered in Hell with all of his senses, a central nervous system, and a memory. When you received Jesus Christ as your Saviour, it was your soul that was saved. This soul is in invisible bodily shape which dwells inside of you until the day you die, or until the Lord returns. When your soul leaves your body, it will be either present with the Lord or tormented in Hell fire. III. YOUR BODY Paul said that if any man be in Christ he is a new creature (II Cor. 5:17), but there is certainly nothing new about your body. Your old dead spirit has been regenerated, and your soul has been washed in the blood of the Lamb, but your flesh is still just as vile as ever. You may think much of your flesh, but the Bible comment is that your flesh is one of your worst enemies: "Watch and pray, that ye enter not into temptation: the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak." (Mat. 26:41) "For if ye live after the flesh, ye shall die: but if ye through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live." (Rom. 8:13) "For all flesh is as grass, and all the glory of man as the flower of grass. The grass withereth, and the flower thereof falleth away:" (I Pet. 1:24) Your flesh is still just as carnal and corrupt as ever. Your salvation hasn't changed your flesh. You have two natures now, and the one you feed will win the battle in your life. Notice Galatians 6:8: "For he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting." As a Christian, you can sow grass seed and reap worthless grass, or you can sow good seed and reap a good harvest. You can pile up junk on this earth, or you can lay up treasure in Heaven. Suppose you own two big dogs, a black one and a white one. For thirty days you feed the black dog the best possible diet, but you barely give the white dog enough food to stay alive. Then one day the two dogs engage in a fight. Which dog do you suppose will win? Naturally, the winner will be the one you've been feeding.How much should we feed the flesh? As little as possible. Paul says in I Timothy 6:8, "And having food and raiment let us be therewith content." Paul writes in Philippians 4:11, "Not that I speak in respect of want: for I have learned, in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content." Your flesh will never be content. God knows this to be true. God knows that your flesh is corrupt and that it is capable of doing great damage to your testimony. For this reason He says, "For if ye live after the flesh, ye shall die: but if ye through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live." (Rom. 8:13) To "mortify" is to KILL. What does God say about your flesh? He says KILL, OR BE KILLED! If you live after the flesh ye shall die spiritually, so MORTIFY (kill) the flesh before it kills you. No, we aren't advocating suicide, or at least not physical suicide. We are dealing with a spiritual battle in a spiritual war that must be fought with spiritual weapons. Jesus said, "...If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me." (Luke 9:23) Your flesh isn't going to follow Christ. Your flesh wants to eat, drink, and be merry. Your flesh wants to go to the movies, go shopping for the latest styles, read dirty books and magazines, listen to worldly music, and hang out with worldly people. Your flesh wants to keep Jesus Christ in the closet about ninety-five percent of the time. Jesus Christ wants to keep your flesh mortified (dead) most of the time. How can this be done? How can a person stay spiritual when they are trapped in a physical body? Paul gives some good advice in Ephesians 6:10-18: "Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might. Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places. Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness; And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace, Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked. And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God: Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints." Did you notice Paul's emphasis on the word STAND? We live in a weak and compromising generation when people do not have the guts to STAND for anything because everyone lives in the flesh, which is weak. God's people are supposed to be different. We have an infallible printed authority which tells us right from wrong, and God expects us to read His word, establish convictions, and STAND on it! Like it or not, friend, you are on the battlefield of good and evil, and there is no neutral ground. Apart from the protective armour that Paul mentions, there are two items that we can classify as offensive weapons: the word of God and prayer. Through the written word God speaks to you, and you speak to God through prayer. That's communication. The more you commune with God the more like God you will become. You will grow spiritually. By contrast, the less you commune with God the less like Him you will be. You will shrink spiritually. David said in Psalm 119:11, "Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee." Psalm 119:9 says, "Wherewithal shall a young man cleanse his way? by taking heed thereto according to thy word." In John 15:3 the Lord Jesus Christ says, "Now ye are clean through the word which I have spoken unto you." Friend, if you plan to stay clean for God, then you must feed on His word. As John Bunyan said, "This Book will keep you from sin, or sin will keep you from this Book." In Matthew 26:41, Jesus said, "Watch and pray, that ye enter not into temptation: the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak." Notice the contrast. The flesh is opposed to prayer. You've spent more time eating today than you have praying. Why? The flesh is weak. It is weak and it will quench your spiritual power unless you STAND against it with God's word and prayer. When you don't want to pray, just pray anyway, because that's when you need prayer the most. In I Corinthians 15:33, Paul said, "Be not deceived: evil communications corrupt good manners." If evil communi-cations corrupt good manners, then GOOD communications corrupt evil manners! If you want to see the Holy Spirit mortify (kill) the influence of your flesh, just stay in close communion with God. Pray and read God's word daily. The Spirit will stay "stirred up" and the flesh will be over-powered. In your flesh dwells no good thing (Rom. 7:18). Your flesh is your enemy, and it will remain your enemy for the rest of your life. Don't let the enemy win. STAND and FIGHT. Will the flesh ever be righteous? Will the flesh ever be saved like the soul? Yes, it certainly will. There is coming a day when the saints of God will be given new glorified bodies. We will be given immortal bodies that can never sin and never die. Speaking of the Lord Jesus Christ, Paul says, "Who shall change our vile body, that it may be fashioned like unto his glorious body, according to the working whereby he is able even to subdue all things unto himself." (Philip. 3:21) Jesus Christ is now in a glorified body (Rev. 1), and those who follow Him will receive one as well. Romans 8:23 says that we are waiting for "the redemption of our body." The Christian's soul has been redeemed, but his body still awaits redemption. Notice these words of comfort from I Corinthians 15: "So also is the resurrection of the dead. It is sown in corruption; it is raised in incorruption: It is sown in dishonour; 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. There is a natural body, and there is a spiritual body.....In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality..... Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye stedfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord." (I Cor. 15:42-44, 52-53, 58) In closing, think of it this way. The subject of spirit, soul, and body has to do with the penalty, the power, and the presence of sin. In the PAST, my SOUL was saved from the PENALTY of sin. In the PRESENT, (day by day) my SPIRIT is saved from the POWER of sin, because I have God's Spirit to be my guide and comfort. In the FUTURE, my BODY and complete being will be saved from the PRESENCE of sin.