We do know that we have the body (we can see it) and God created Adam’s body. Then
God breathed into Adam and he became a living being. Genesis 2:7: 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 being.
The soul and the spirit are immaterial aspects of humans. It is difficult to describe the differences between them.
1 Thessalonians 5:23: "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."
The Soul
"Soul" refers to the immaterial part of the human being. Human beings are souls. In its most basic sense, the word “soul” means “life” or a breathing creature, either in the physical or the eternal sense of the word. Jesus asks what it profits a man to gain the whole world and lose his soul, referring to
his eternal life (Matthew 16:26). Both the Old and New Testaments reiterate that we are to love God completely, with the whole soul, which refers to everything that is in us that makes us alive (Deuteronomy 6:4-5; Mark 12:30).
Ezekiel 18:20 further states, "The soul who sins shall die."
However, beyond this essential meaning, the Bible speaks of the soul in many contexts. The soul is removed at the time of physical death (Genesis 35:18). The soul, as with the spirit, is the center of many spiritual and emotional experiences (Psalm 43:5). Whenever the word “soul” is used, it can refer to the whole person, whether alive or in the afterlife. The soul and the spirit are connected, but separable (Hebrews 4:12). The soul is the essence of humanity’s being; it is who we are. Think of a computer – hardware is the body, and software is the soul.
The Spirit
"Spirit" also refers to the immaterial part of the human being. Human beings have spirits, but we are not spirits. Only believers are considered spiritually alive (1 Corinthians 2:11; Hebrews 4:12; James
2:26), while unbelievers are spiritually dead (Colossians 2:13). We receive spiritual blessings when we are in Christ - when we are believers (Ephesians 1:3). The spirit is the element of humanity which gives us the ability to have an intimate relationship with God; it’s that part of our humanity that “connects” with God, because God is spirit (John 4:24). It is the part that responds to things that come from the Spirit of God (Holy Spirit or capital “S” Spirit in the Bible). Unlike the soul, which is alive both physically and eternally, the spirit can be either alive, as in the case of believers, (1 Peter 3:18), or dead as unbelievers are (Colossians 2:13; Ephesians 2:4-5).
Jesus told us in Matthew 5:6: "Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled."
What does this mean? How do we feed our spirit?
1 Peter 2:2: like newborn babies, long for the pure milk of the word, so that by it you
may grow in respect to salvation....
The spiritually dead perceive the things of the Spirit to be "foolishness," because, in their spiritually dead condition, they do not have the ability to discern the things of the Spirit (1 Corinthians 2:12-14). The spirit is that part of us that is enabled by God to know and worship Him, the part of humanity that "connects" with God, who Himself is Spirit (note again the capital "S") (John 4:24). How can we connect spiritually with God? How do we not do that?
Conclusion
While the two words are often used interchangeably, the primary distinction between soul and spirit in man is this: The soul is the animate life, or the seat of the senses, desires, affections, and appetites. The spirit is that part of us that connects, or refuses to connect, to God. Our spirits relate to His Spirit, either accepting His promptings and conviction, thereby proving that we belong to Him (Romans 8:16) or resisting Him and proving that we do not have spiritual life (Acts 7:51).
Discussion Questions
How can this concept affect our life?
How do we keep our spirit pure?
What about our soul?
God breathed into Adam and he became a living being. Genesis 2:7: 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 being.
The soul and the spirit are immaterial aspects of humans. It is difficult to describe the differences between them.
1 Thessalonians 5:23: "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."
The Soul
"Soul" refers to the immaterial part of the human being. Human beings are souls. In its most basic sense, the word “soul” means “life” or a breathing creature, either in the physical or the eternal sense of the word. Jesus asks what it profits a man to gain the whole world and lose his soul, referring to
his eternal life (Matthew 16:26). Both the Old and New Testaments reiterate that we are to love God completely, with the whole soul, which refers to everything that is in us that makes us alive (Deuteronomy 6:4-5; Mark 12:30).
Ezekiel 18:20 further states, "The soul who sins shall die."
However, beyond this essential meaning, the Bible speaks of the soul in many contexts. The soul is removed at the time of physical death (Genesis 35:18). The soul, as with the spirit, is the center of many spiritual and emotional experiences (Psalm 43:5). Whenever the word “soul” is used, it can refer to the whole person, whether alive or in the afterlife. The soul and the spirit are connected, but separable (Hebrews 4:12). The soul is the essence of humanity’s being; it is who we are. Think of a computer – hardware is the body, and software is the soul.
The Spirit
"Spirit" also refers to the immaterial part of the human being. Human beings have spirits, but we are not spirits. Only believers are considered spiritually alive (1 Corinthians 2:11; Hebrews 4:12; James
2:26), while unbelievers are spiritually dead (Colossians 2:13). We receive spiritual blessings when we are in Christ - when we are believers (Ephesians 1:3). The spirit is the element of humanity which gives us the ability to have an intimate relationship with God; it’s that part of our humanity that “connects” with God, because God is spirit (John 4:24). It is the part that responds to things that come from the Spirit of God (Holy Spirit or capital “S” Spirit in the Bible). Unlike the soul, which is alive both physically and eternally, the spirit can be either alive, as in the case of believers, (1 Peter 3:18), or dead as unbelievers are (Colossians 2:13; Ephesians 2:4-5).
Jesus told us in Matthew 5:6: "Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled."
What does this mean? How do we feed our spirit?
1 Peter 2:2: like newborn babies, long for the pure milk of the word, so that by it you
may grow in respect to salvation....
The spiritually dead perceive the things of the Spirit to be "foolishness," because, in their spiritually dead condition, they do not have the ability to discern the things of the Spirit (1 Corinthians 2:12-14). The spirit is that part of us that is enabled by God to know and worship Him, the part of humanity that "connects" with God, who Himself is Spirit (note again the capital "S") (John 4:24). How can we connect spiritually with God? How do we not do that?
Conclusion
While the two words are often used interchangeably, the primary distinction between soul and spirit in man is this: The soul is the animate life, or the seat of the senses, desires, affections, and appetites. The spirit is that part of us that connects, or refuses to connect, to God. Our spirits relate to His Spirit, either accepting His promptings and conviction, thereby proving that we belong to Him (Romans 8:16) or resisting Him and proving that we do not have spiritual life (Acts 7:51).
Discussion Questions
How can this concept affect our life?
How do we keep our spirit pure?
What about our soul?
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