One of the great clues that there is indeed a difference
between spirit and soul is simply in the word "spiritual." In
Luke 1:46, 47 Mary said this: "My soul doth magnify the Lord, and my
spirit doth rejoice in God, my Savior."
In Paul's opening comments in Romans (1:9), he says: "For
God is my witness, whom I serve with my spirit in the Gospel of His
Son..."
If we run a concordance on the word spirit and soul, there
is definite found in the Greek, different words for both. Soul is "psyche," and spirit is
"pneuma." Soul and body are the part of us that others see in
animation. Spirit is the heart that is
brought into union with God's Holy Spirit at the new birth. (I Corinthians 6:17 - "He that is
joined to the Lord is one spirit with Him.")
By the way, interestingly enough, "pneuma," is a
neutral word - meaning neither male or female.
If you look more closely in the Scriptures, spirit is also referred to
as "inner man." It never says
something like "inner woman."
This means to me that the inner man for both male and female
is meant to grow in the same characteristics of God - the same
fruitfulness. This is because the Holy
Spirit as One, is ALL the fruit of God's Spirit: love, joy, peace, gentleness, etc. God is of course, expressed through our
vessels as male and female, in different roles on the earth, and different
gifts, but all in accordance with His Divine Order and Way.
I view spirit and soul like driving in a car - the person or
persons inside the car are not the car (representing our body) but in the car -
they view through the windshield. So,
Christ came to dwell in our spirits/hearts - He is in us, but He is not us - we
are one with Him by the Spirit's work of regeneration, but we are still
separate. One, but individuals.
And together we view out the "windshield," - our
souls. He is reflected in my soul/body
by whatever is taking place in my heart.
When Peter said this, "As
newborn babes, desire the sincere
milk of the Word, that you may grow thereby,"
(I Peter 2:2) - he was speaking with adults. So it certainly was not their bodies that
were babes, but their spirits.
There is no doubt, and the Scriptures support this, that the
inner man has to grow, has to be strengthened in the Lord (Read Ephesians 3),
the Truth - the Word, by the Holy Spirit within, AND grow in stature and
fullness of Him who dwells within.
Paul said he could not speak to the Corinthians like he
desired,because they were carnal - still "thinking" like mere men
(without salvation and without Christ). He
admonished in another letter to not walk like the Gentiles, in the futility of
their mind..." Also, to be renewed
in the spirit of our minds (Ephesians).
When I was born again and in looking back, my soul was in
definite need of renewal. My spirit was
a babe. My thinking had been formed from
years prior. Also in looking back, I can
now see more clearly that the Holy Spirit in me was always bringing up
truth/the Word of God/Scripture from my inner man. Sometimes even a hymn would just "pop up,"
in my mind and I'd be humming a tune.
Don't ask me why, I cannot explain it, but it took me a
while for my inner man to become strong - as the ruling and reigning part of me
that God intended to be for all of us.
If a person can get out of control on a road or highway
while driving a car, so can we. The
wheel to me represents our will. If a
steering wheel can get locked (power-locked) into a certain position, so can
we. I call this a "mind-set,"
and not a living mind. The Lord says
that the mind of the Spirit is LIFE and peace.
It happens all the time - self-will regarding the Word,
self-will regarding ideas about God, self-will about letting go of our
"own" opinions and ideas, and discovering the unfathomable Mind of
Christ.
God put this Scripture in His Book for our hope: "It
is God who works in you, both to will and to do of His good
pleasure." Philippians 2:13.
I think in our Christian experience we all allow the Lord to
drive, especially when it comes to circumstances and things so outside of our
control. But living with Him behind the
wheel all the time is His intended purpose. It truly is what brings us to
full-grown maturity in Him. And most
importantly, letting Him "drive" the mind/soul is where the trouble
lies.
There is a place in our maturity where I believe our spirit,
soul, and body can be in perfect harmony with our Lord. "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. FAITHFUL is HE who calls you, WHO will also
do it." I Thess. 5:21, 22. We are called to trust Him to do this
work in us.
Next devotion in this series, I would like to share that I
truly believe God is so after the WAY we think - not just thoughts themselves. For as the Lord truly teaches us, we become
REAL people - REAL humans containing the Lord.
Not parrots, not robots, not groups, but people who are indeed
experiencing the true REDEMPTION and REDEEMER, Christ Jesus our Lord.
Blessed be the Name of Our Lord,
Sue Gaither
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