We are told that at regular intervals every cell in our body dies and is replaced by a new one. Different kinds of cells live and die at different rates, but seven years seems to be the most frequent interval for replacement. The odd thing is that even though our physical bodies are continually being replaced, we remain the same people. I’m the same person I always was and you are too. We look a bit different as we age and we may act a bit different, but we have the same persona we started life with.
The bit that remains the same (and, in fact, remains the same forever) is our soul. And our souls have two natures – an animal nature and a spiritual nature. I simply call them mind and spirit
There are some words (mind, spirit, soul and flesh) that deal with our physical and nonphysical natures that I use in specific Biblical ways. Allow me to tell you how I use them and why I use them that way just to be sure the ideas and information I’m trying to convey are clear.
The Hebrew word ‘ruach’ in the Bible is usually translated into English as ‘wind’ or ‘spirit’. A similar thing happens with the Greek word ‘pneuma’ which is also translated as ‘wind’ or ‘spirit’.
The Biblical idea of ‘wind’ is fairly straight forward – it generally refers to moving air – and the translation doesn’t present much of a problem. But an issue does arise when the words ‘ruach’ and, ‘pneuma’ are translated as ‘spirit’ because both have multiple meanings in their original tongues and likewise the word ‘spirit’ itself has several meanings in English.
The word ‘spirit’ is used in the Bible to sometimes mean:
- a disembodied human soul (Gen 45:27).
- the emotional state of a living person (Ex 6:9).
- a ‘demon’ (Mat 12:43).
- an aspect of the Trinity (Mat 1:18).
- a part of a living human soul (Mat 26:41).
The intended meaning of the term can usually be deduced from its usage in the text – but not always. Occasionally it is difficult to tell just which meaning the term is meant to have. In such cases the decision is left to the discretion of the translator (Acts 6:10).
I use the term ‘spirit’ (lower case ‘s’) to mean only ‘an aspect of a living soul’ – the way it is used in places like Matthew 27:50, Luke 1:47 and Luke 23:46. References to ‘spirit’ in those verses refer to a part of our soul that that is able communicate with God (John 4:24).
The word ‘flesh’ is used in at least two ways in the Bible. It can refer to the visible, physical body of any living creature (Gen 9:17) or it can refer to the intangible, nonphysical part of the creature which governs its body and regulates its functions and habits (Gen 6:17). I can’t think of a better term than ‘mind’ to mean that part and the term ‘flesh’ to mean the physical part of a person or an animal.
Think of the human ‘soul’ as having those two parts – a ‘spirit’ and a ‘mind’. The higher part of the ‘soul’ is the ‘spirit’ which is able to communicate with God. While the lower part – the ‘mind’ controls the physical body. Incidentally, thinking of the ‘mind’ as part of the ‘soul’ means all living creatures would have such a ‘soul’ – even a gnat. However, the human ‘soul’ is unique in that it also includes a ‘spirit’ (Gen 1:27) which can interact with the Holy Spirit of God – no other creature has a ‘soul’ like that.
We have to learn to distinguish between the two aspects of our souls. Why is that important? So we know which part is actually controlling our thoughts and actions. Why do we need to know that? Because of John 4:24 where Christ tells us God is ‘spirit’, and those who worship Him must worship in ‘spirit’ and truth.
Not only do we need to learn how to distinguish between the two states of our ‘soul’, but we also have to learn how to move between the two states at will.
We are born with both an active ‘spirit’ and a functioning ‘mind’. Our ‘spirits’ are, for most of us, quite dynamic in our childhood. If you have exercised your ‘spirit’ and not allowed it to atrophy, it can and should be the primary governor of life (Proverbs 22:6). Unfortunately, many have have allowed their ‘spirit’ to become more or less useless – just like any othre part of our bodies can atrophy through disuse. Subsequently those lives are governed by their animal ‘minds’ only which leaves them unable to communicate with God through the Holy Spirit (1 Cor 2:14). Those people live their lives very much like animals (Matthew 18:3; Mark 10:14; Luke 18:17). A life like that is not only condemned, but can be marked with emptiness and filled with hazards.
The Apostle Paul tells us in Gal 5:16-17 to “walk in ‘spirit’, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. For the desires of the flesh are against the ‘spirit’, and the desires of the ‘spirit’ are against the flesh, for these are opposed to each other, to keep you from doing the things you want to do.
He also reminds us in 1Co 2:11 that communication with God must be through the Holy Spirit – “For who knows a person’s thoughts except the ‘spirit’ of that person, which is in him? So also no one comprehends the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God.”
Can you tell the difference between your ‘mind’ and your ‘spirit’?
Which aspect of your ‘soul’ is governing your life?
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Each of us is a unique spiritual being. We are born individually, die individually and stand before God every moment of our lives as an individual. No matter how large a group we are in, our relationship with God is one on one. Therefore our worship and each of our styles of worship must be accordingly unique. That concept is developed and expanded in the book “Worshiping Alone” available on Booklocker, Amazon or Barnes and Noble If you haven’t read it, please consider doing so.
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