Musings of a Lover #3



Spirit, Soul and Body

Happy Sunday everyone 💞

Hope you're having an awesome time with God today.

Today I'll be writing on a very important topic to us as Christians. Are we spirit, soul and body? or are we spirit, possessing a soul and living in a body?
This might look like mere semantics to you, but understanding this will give you a key insight to Christian living and help you understand better how to relate with God.

What does it mean to be a spirit, a soul and a body? This means that we have three independent but interrelated members. No one is more important than the other ultimately.

What does it mean to be a spirit, possessing a soul and living in a body? This means that we are principally spirit men, 'the flesh profits nothing'. God doesn't care about it. 'He looks at the inward and not the outward.'

So which one are we?

I have been of the two different schools of thought at different times in my walk with God and this is what I have learnt:

1). The principal, most important part of a man is his spirit (a spirit that is alive and regenerated by God ).

2). The second most important part of a man is his soul (his intellect, his mind, his wisdom).

3). The third most important part of a man is His body (his flesh).

4). Remember that part of the Scripture that says we are one body but different members? It says "The eye cannot say to the hand, 'I have no need of you,' nor again the head to the feet, 'I have no need of you.' But quite the contrary, the parts of the body that seem to be weaker are [absolutely] necessary"- (1 cor 12:21-22). This goes for us too: We are one created into three (spirit, soul and body). Like God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit, we are me the spirit, me the soul and me the body. However in our case we are prioritized but every part is necessary.

-My spirit cannot say to my body I don't need you. Why? Try being in the hospital and see if you can preach the gospel. Eat healthy, exercise, take care of your body, rest.

-My spirit cannot say to my soul (my intellect, my mind) I don't need you. Why? "For the LORD gives wisdom and out of his mouth comes knowledge and understanding"- (pro 2:6). Where will that wisdom be domiciled in? our souls.

-My soul (my intellect, my wisdom, my mind) cannot say to my spirit I don't need you. Why? "For the wisdom of this world is foolishness with God"- (1 for 3:19) . Without an alive and active spirit (a spirit regenerated and transformed by God), no matter your PhDs and wisdom, you're foolish before God.

-My body cannot say to my spirit I don't need you. Why? "For bodily exercise profiteth little: but godliness is profitable unto all things, having promise of the life that now is, and of that which is to come"-( 1 Timothy 4:8)

But whatever you do let it be to the Glory of God.

5). The word 'flesh' is used in different ways in scriptures. It could mean body, it could mean the human (adamic, corrupt) nature, it could also mean your human understanding. For you to understand what the bible is saying you need to read the word within the context in which it is found. If you take it out of it's context you'll misinterpret it.

If you read that passage in which this verse is found, 'It is the spirit that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing'. Christ was not talking about the human body. He was talking about our human understanding.

In that passage, He told them that he was the bread of life and that except they ate of him they would have no life. They started using their human wisdom to decipher it and they got offended.

And in reply he 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'; That is retranslated; you have to use your spirit to understand or decipher what I am talking to you about because I speak to you with spiritual wisdom. Your human understanding is of no benefit to you.

6). God places utmost priority in your heart, men place priority in your looks. If you're going for a job interview look good. But if you're coming to worship God, even all the expensive designers won't give you any of his attention. Let there be a balance.

Therefore, Feed your spirit, feed your soul (your mind), feed your body.

Take good care of your spirit, take care of your mind, take care of your body. This can be done together, simultaneously. But whenever you want to place the needs of one above the others for a moment, let wisdom guide you.

A balanced Christian is one whose spirit is alive, whose mind is alive and whose body is alive. This is the one that can dominate this earth.


©Life and Love World Devotional

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