Body, Soul and Spirit

Romans 8:1     There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.   

Have you ever thought about who you are... what makes you tick... or, the core of your existence?  Have you sat and pondered the idea of life after death?  Maybe you've heard people speak of body, soul and spirit, but to you, this is merely a phrase that describes some type of spa experience alluding to total relaxation through meditation or pampering.

Actually, human beings are made up of a SPIRIT who has a SOUL who lives in a BODY.  Initially, this may be too deep of a concept to grasp, but once we fully understand these three aspects of our being, we can obtain a clearer understanding of how God's Word brings life to the total person.

When God said, "Let us make man in our image," He was referring to the fact that man is a triune being in much the same way that God is a trinity. While God is only ONE, the scriptures teach us that He is made up of three parts: Father; Son; and Holy Spirit. In the same way, while each person is only one, each human being is made up of three distinct parts: Body; Soul; and Spirit.

Think of an egg. One egg has three parts. The shell houses the egg white and in the center of it all is the yoke. The same concept is true of the trinity of God (Father, Son, Holy Spirit) and the tripartite makeup of man (Body, Soul, Spirit); all are one, and yet, they are three.

When God created Adam, He molded him out of the dust of the ground.  Paying careful attention to every cell, blood vessel, nerve, organ, and body part, God created the human body to work in synchronized harmony so that His prized creation could live in a perfectly designed house of flesh and blood.  Every body part was carefully constructed so that this new being would be able to take dominion over the earth with physical excellence.  This earthly vessel had to be designed so that it could house something God decided to create in His image - something very precious to Him. 

Unfortunately, the body seeks to rule for the sake of pleasure. The body is always screaming, "FEED ME, FEED ME!" Left to itself, the human body tends to become gluttonous when it comes to the things that God has allowed with moderation such as: food; drink; touch; adornment; sex; approval; and accolades.  In addition, oftentimes Satan will bring drugs and alcohol into someone's life because he knows that the human body can begin to crave these "false highs" and the devil's chief desire is to kill, steal and destroy God's creation.  If the body is allowed to rule the being, there will be no thought for long term health and welfare.  This does not please God. 

So the human BODY is really intended to be nothing more than a shell.  It is our God-made "human suit" that clothes our spirit and soul.  Because of sin, our bodies will eventually wear out and die, but our real person - our soul and spirit - will escape death to live on, either in the presence of God or apart from Him for ever and ever.  In addition, the Bible teaches us that one day, those who have died to be with the Lord, will be reunited with their glorified body on the day of resurrection.  The newly created and completely perfected three-in-one, born-again Christian will continue to live throughout all of eternity as God originally intended: never dying; never breaking down; and never in need.  Our bodies will function at optimal (supernatural) level; free from the effects of sin.

At first glance, our soul and spirit may seem to be so closely related that it is hard for us to comprehend the distinct significance of the two.  Let's break down the function of each, so that we can gain a better understanding of the spiritual growth of a christian according to the scriptures.  When it comes to understanding human behavior and how to live the life of an over comer - as God commands - it is very important that we study the deep truths of God's Word and how to apply His Word to our total human being.

So let's look first at our SOUL.  Our soul is described as our MIND, our WILL and our EMOTIONS.  It is the part of us that thinks, makes decisions and has a personality.  We may assume that our soul is the "real us" - the one in control - and often it is.  The soul is strong, determined, opinionated, self -centered and selfish when left to itself.  The desire of the soul is to give the body comfort.  The seat of the soul wants to rule over the total man for the sake of self preservation - whether by means of good or bad.  The soul is the part of mankind that chooses to obey or disobey God on a day to day basis.  Man's soul was originally created to give God pleasure through fellowship.  God allowed each living soul the ability to choose whether it would obey or disobey His voice; but, He yearns for mankind to love Him freely and not out of mechanics or because of tyranny.

For the final touches on Adam's new life, God breathed life into him and man received God's Spirit.  The human SPIRIT is the supernatural part of man that is like God.  Even so, the human spirit is either that of God - as from the born-again experience - or, it is that of man.  Because of Adam's sin, the Spirit of mankind was separated from God.  The only way to reunite a holy intimacy between the creator of the universe and His prized creation is by the shed blood of a living sacrifice.  In the Old Testament, that shed blood was from bulls and goats and had to be repeated each year.  The blood of bulls and goats never seemed to fully purge man's conscious from the guilt of sin and so God knew that man needed a long term, once-and-for-all, sacrifice in order to be fully reconciled to a right fellowship with the Father.  So, He sent His Son, Jesus, to be that perfect blood sacrifice for all of our sins.  It is through the shed blood of Jesus - God's own Son - that mankind receives the Holy Spirit and is once again reunited with his creator, to commune with Him and live forever.  This was God's plan from the beginning.

Originally, by the Spirit, Adam was able to talk with God and understand His ways.  As Adam's Spirit received instruction from God, his soul and body would then come into agreement with God's plan through obedience; that is, until Adam and Eve decided to break covenant with God through disobedience in the garden.  It was then that God's Spirit was separated from mankind, leaving him to function as a body and soul who longed for the living Holy Spirit of God to fill the void in the center of his being.  All humans long to be complete. 

Left to ourselves, our soul will inevitably lead our bodies down the wrong path as every decision is based off of a self-centered motive of physical comfort.  Our soul only aims to protect the body, but has no basis for differentiating between good protection and bad protection.  Our bodies only aim to be fed.  Our bodies seek comfort - whether good or bad.  In conclusion, a human that is led by body or soul is destined for a life of brokenness and heartache.

God never intended for us to be a ship without a compass.  We were originally created to hear His voice and to seek His will daily.  This, however, can only be a reality through the power of the Holy Spirit; and even then, we have been given a free-will choice of whether we will obey God's commands or not.  Our body and soul must be trained to submit to the Holy Spirit as we grow in the knowledge and understanding of His Word.  That is why we are commanded to be transformed by the renewing of our minds (Romans 12:2).

So as we wash our minds with God's Word (Ephesians 5:26), our soul is strengthened for making right choices that will ultimately preserve the body according to God's wisdom, and not out of fleshly desperation.  Although the soul is the strong-willed seat who desires to control the total man, the born-again Christian who determines to be guided by the Holy Spirit (a much softer and more gentle voice) will enjoy more health and greater rewards in both body and soul.  This promise is for this life and for the life to come (1 Timothy 4:8).

When Jesus said the Spirit is willing but the flesh is weak (Matthew 26:41), he was explaining how the body and soul are constsantly vying for the leadership position of the human being.  Our spirit, whether the Holy Spirit of God or the unholy spirit of darkness, guides our soul through all eternity.  Therefore, we should always watch and pray that we might be able to hear the voice of the Lord, and then, that we would be determined to obey the voice of the Lord.

In the end, our soul and spirit will escape this earthly vessel of clay to either stand in the presence of God or to stand in utter darkness - forever.

We are a SPIRIT, who has a SOUL, who lives in a BODY.  We are three - yet, we are one.  And, on THAT DAY, all of our parts will be judged according to our salvation (marked by our acceptance of the blood of the Lamb) and rewarded for our good works, or the lack thereof.

The Lord wants everyone to be whole in BODY, SOUL, and SPIRIT.  He wants everyone to be restored to His original plan.  So let's seek to wash our minds with His Word, daily, as He transforms us into the perfect human that He originally intended for us to be... for all eternity! 

Galatians 5:16     This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh.   

Deborah Ross
Speaker / Bible Teacher / Author / Singer
President / Executive Director of Operations
Deborah Ross Ministries, Inc.
www.DeborahRossMinistries.org

Bible Study: Help for those who are suicidal...

SUICIDE
is NOT... the answer!

Jeremiah 29:11

"For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the LORD, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end."

STOP! Those negative voices in your head are NOT from God! They are not the words of Jesus! They most certainly DO NOT communicate instructions from the Holy Spirit! And... those nagging oppressive voices are not even thoughts of your own!

The DEVIL is the one who comes to STEAL, KILL, AND DESTROY (John 10:10). His tactics are to first get you offended. Then, he wants you to harbor unforgiveness, vengeance, or even severe depression. Finally, he sends hordes of demons to squat on your shoulders and chant your demise. And those nights of no sleep? Well, that's all part of his evil ploy; using solitude for the purpose of replaying your injury(s) over and over and over again. His imaginative movies in your mind always invent "what ifs" that far exceed the original crime against you. The devil will stop at nothing. In fact, he finds it quite amusing when you accept these haunting, hellish words of discouragement as if they were your own - and even worse, he would love to make you think these perverted suggestions are coming from God.

John 10:10

"The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly."

Focus on the second part of the scripture above which says it is Jesus who comes to give you life... AND GIVE YOU LIFE MORE ABUNDANTLY! This promise is not only for the life to come (heaven), but also pertains to the life you currently live in this world (Mark 10:30 & Luke 18:30). God promises you that He is for you and not against you (Romans 8:31). Your Heavenly Father loves you and wants to turn things around for your good. He wants to work a miracle in your life. It grieves Him to be rendered unable to help you - because of your unforgiveness, doubt and unbelief. You see, fear and faith cannot co-exist. You must decide NOW to hold onto faith in God's Word while diligently seeking to drive away all fear and doubt. This may be a tough battle, but not one that is too hard for God.

Let's look at scripture to see what Jesus did with demons. Did He offer them a sedative? Did He counsel them? Did He ignore them? NO! He cast them out!!!

Matthew 8:16

"When the even was come, they brought unto him many that were possessed with devils: and he cast out the spirits with his word, and healed all that were sick:"

Friend, a medicated demon is still a demon. You can't get rid of those voices with drugs, alcohol, sex, shopping, gambling, pornography, or any other vice. These voices must be driven out - even cast out. (I fear that Americans are quickly becoming pharmaceutical junkies; always looking for a medicine to mask the pain, but not necessarily seeking the cure... Jesus the healer. Has anyone besides me noticed that many of the people who commit suicide are actually taking medications? Or, does anyone besides me ever hear the potential side effects from advertised drugs?) God wants to get to the "root" of your problem. He does not put bandaids on people - he heals them!

Scripture says we are to take "thoughts" captive. This means we should "catch" every negative thought and toss it out. Then, we are to replace that thought with a promise from God's Word that is the exact opposite of the thought that was sent to destroy you.

I know, for some of you these bad thoughts are coming at you faster than the speed of light. You are exhausted and you feel as though you don't have the ability to take these pounding messages captive. I've been there and I know - first hand - how you feel. But friend, you CAN conquer this hellish onslaught in your head!

First, however, you must make up your mind that you are "more than a conqueror" through the power of Jesus Christ (Romans 8:37). You must accept the fact that God loves you and has good plans for you... ON EARTH. You must FORGIVE all of those who have offended you - perhaps even God! (Remember, forgiving requires forgetting. If you reserve the right to relive your anger, you have not forgiven.) Above all, you need to be a born-again child of God who craves His every Word.

Forgiveness is a process. It may take months or even years to drive the bitterness out of your heart and mind, but as you lean upon every Word of the Lord, you will prevail. I believe sometimes we need to cry out loud (really loud) in prayer; speaking God's Word as we purge the poisonous venom of unforgiveness. This may need to be done daily or perhaps many times a day - until you are completely healed. My friend, once you are clean from your mental anguish, it will be as if your were never hurt. God has a way of making tomorrow a new day - a new beginning!

Lamentations 3:22-23

"It is of the LORD's mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not. They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness."

During these tough economical times, many of you are suffering financially. These troubles can also affect your marriage. Then, a marriage on the rocks affects the children. The next thing you know, everything is upside down.

Or perhaps, you have had a horrible childhood. Perhaps you were abused.

Some of you have been assaulted by strangers. Out of nowhere, your life was invaded by a horrendous event or series of events that have left you feeling despondent about any sort of future joy.

Joel 2:25

"And I will restore to you the years that the locust hath eaten, the cankerworm, and the caterpiller, and the palmerworm..."

DON'T LET THE DEVIL WIN! God wants to restore what the canker worm and the locust have eaten! He can restore your finances - even in the midst of a troubled economy. He can put your marriage back together - even if it appears it is over. He can give you back your joy. And He can calm your children. If He doesn't do any of this in your timing or in your way, I can guarantee you that He will do EXCEEDINGLY, ABUNDANTLY ABOVE ALL YOU COULD ASK OR THINK (Ephesians 3:20)! He is a good God and He gives good gifts to His children (Matthew 7:11 & Luke 11:13)! Your job... trust Him; for He is not a man that He should lie (Numbers 23:19 & 1 Samuel 15:29).

So friend, don't play God. Don't accept any thoughts that encourage you to take your life into your own hands. God has put you here - on this earth - for such a time as this (Esther4:14). Who knows what your future holds? You could wind up being the most influential person (besides Jesus) to ever walk this dusty earth. God can take your testimony of overcoming life's trials to encourage millions. You might be broke today, and be a millionaire tomorrow. You might be miserably single this year and happily married next year. That heart of despair can instantly change into a heart of joy.

Trials don't last forever. There "is" a light at the end of your tunnel - and it is NOT a train! It's the light of Jesus! He is standing with open arms, radiating God's glory as he says, "Well done thou good and faithful servant (Matthew 25:21 & 23)."

Think of it this way: a month, a year, or even many years of suffering is but a "small" fragment of your life - compared to a seventy, eighty or even hundred year life span. Also consider how that space of earthly suffering will seem so insignificant, compared to the eternal rewards of knowing you "passed the test" of earthly hardships for the glory of God:

YOU OVERCAME!

YOU SURVIVED!

YOU CAME OUT!

YOU LIVED, LAUGHED, AND LOVED!

(Revelation 12:11)

Now, find yourself a Holy Ghost filled church that speaks LIFE, surround yourself with honest friends who know Jesus intimately, and pull down those strongholds in your mind that are contrary to that of a Christian.

Jesus loves you... and so do I!

PS - Don't stop taking your medication unless the Lord tells you to. He is the one who knows what is best for you! Seek Him and Him alone; but don't assume that His only way of healing you is through medications. His Word is powerful!

Romans 12:2

"And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God."

2 Corinthians 10:5

"Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ; ..."

Yours In Christ,

Deborah Ross

Deborah Ross Ministries
http://www.deborahrossministries.org/