All scripture contained in this podcast is from the King James Bible (Authorized Version)
Jan. 18, 2009

Body Soul And Spirit?

What is the Soul and what is the Spirit? Find out what the Bible says about each. Discover how man is a triune being.

Transcript

Bible Study

Body, Soul, and Spirit

Introduction: Men and women consist of three parts.  We are triune beings, just as God is a trinity and consists of the Father, the Son and the Holy Ghost  [1 John 5:7]

A) Paul tells us in [1 Thessalonians 5:23] “…and I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.”

B) We are told by God that the Bible pierces through each one of these parts  [Hebrews 4:12] “For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow (body), and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.”

C) In the book of beginnings we again see that we were made in the very beginning in 3 parts  [Genesis 2:7] “And the Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground (body) and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life (spirit); and man became a living soul.

The BodyThe body is easily understood, it consists of what we can see and touch such as your flesh, your bones, muscles and organs.  Your body is not made for living forever and Paul tells us this in [ 2 Corinthians 4:18] “…for the things which are seen (your body) are temporal; but the the things which are not seen (Soul) are eternal.”

A) Our body is only a covering  [Job 10:11], [Ezekiel 37:3-6].

The Soul: There are many that teach that your Soul is locked away somewhere in your skull and is a small pea sized shape.  But this is not correct according to the Bible, lets see what God says about your Soul.

A) The Apostle Luke writing under the inspiration of God gives us a first hand account of someones soul (the rich man) going to hell [Luke 16:19-31].

B) Here we see that the rich man’s body was buried (vs 22), and his soul lifted up his eyes in hell (vs 23).

C) Your soul has eyes, and can feel pain (vs 23), your soul can speak and has a tongue (vs 24)

D) In  [Revelation 6:9] The Apostle John is shown a vision and “…saw under the alter the souls…”  And in verse 11  ” …white robes were given unto every one of them…”

So we see that souls can wear robes.

E) So your soul has eyes, a tongue, shoulders, feet, arms and legs.  Your soul takes the outer shape of your body.

The Spirit: The Spirit in the Bible is always likened unto wind.

A)  [John 3:8] ”  The wind bloweth where it listeth, and thou hearest the sound thereof, but canst not tell whence it cometh, and whither it goeth:  so is every one that is born of the Spirit.”

B) Also in [Ezekiel 37:9,14] the spirit is likened unto wind.

C) The Greek word for spirit is Pneuma, this is where we get the words pneumonia which is an air problem and pneumatic drill which is a drill driven by compressed air.

A Football: A football is a great representation of your body, soul and spirit.  The football has an outer casing made out of leather that can be seen and felt that would represent your body, inside the football is a rubber intertube that takes the outside shape of the football that cannot be seen or felt which would represent your soul, and inside that rubber inner tube is filled with air which represents your spirit.

The Problem:

A) In the beginning Adam and Eve were created in the image of God  [Genesis 1:27], but no one that has been born after Adam and Eve has ever been born in the image of God.

B) When Adam was in the garden God told him in [Genesis 2:16]“…of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat:  But of the the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die.”  So when Adam ate of the tree he did not die that day physically but spiritualy (his spirit died)

C) So man is born into the world in the Image of fallen Adam, not in the image of God.  In [Genesis 5:3] we see that Adam’s son Seth was born in the image of fallen Adam not of God, so is everyone else born into this world.

D) So Adam’s seed is tainted, everyone is born into this world with a live body, live soul, but a dead spirit and thus are destined for eternity in hell.

The Solution: God sent his only begotten Son Jesus Christ to die on the cross so that we can once again be born in the image of God.

A) Jesus tells us in [John 3:3] ”  I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.”  God says that you cannot go to heaven without being born again spiritualy.

B)  [ 1 Peter 1:23] ” Being born again, not of corruptible seed (Adams seed), but of incorruptible (God’s seed), by the word of God, which liveth and abideth for ever.”

C) We are not born into this world as God’s children, only when we accept Jesus Christ as our personal Saviour are we born again and a child of God.  [Galatians 3:26].

D) Only when someone is born again is he born in the image of God [Colossians 3:9-11].

How About You? Have you been born again in the image of God?  Are you 100% sure that you are going to heaven?  The bible says that you can know for sure right now:

A) Understand that you are a sinner and that you deserve eternity in hell because of your sins  [Romans 3:23], [Romans 5:12], [Romans 6:23].

B) Repent of your sins, which means to have a change of heart and want to turn your back on your sins and turn to God.  [Luke 13:3], [2 Peter 3:9].

C) Put all of your trust in the Lord Jesus Christ and call upon him to save you from hell.  [Romans 5:8], [Romans 6:23], [John 3:16], [Romans 10:13].

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Matthew Sutton

Co-Host, Pastor, Missionary

Missionary to Point Hope, Alaska