As I reflected on the attributes of the spirit and those of the soul this morning, I was struck by the truth that only Jesus can unify these powerful aspects of our individual lives. Both are created by God, touched by Him and entrusted to us in union with our bodies. Both are powerful entities with great capacity and without Christ, it is the soul, the spirit (or even the body) which seeks to determine the course of our lives. Seeking to understand the soul and spirit intrigues me--care to continue on a path of looking at them?
We have considered before that the soul is a treasured creation of God. God holds us responsible for guarding our soul. In creating humanity, God's very desire was to connect and relate to His creation--our souls are the mechanism for that miraculous happening. Like the spirit, the soul can be damaged, devoured and even lost. Souls can thirst, be without knowledge and even 'vexed' to death by others. God alone can heal and redeem a soul from the power of the grave...from the power of lies or violence done to it. Yet he allows us to participate in touching the souls of others through love and even simple words. The capacity of the soul to link with others is both a privilege and a responsibility.
The spirit is 'life itself' and scriptures lead me to view it as the driving force of our lives. It is a gift from God which can be shaped, weighed, directed and lost. The human spirit is capable of all the fruits of the flesh of Galatians and is subject to the influence of evil spirits. It can be affected by music, broken by perverse words or sorrow. The spirit can be steadfast, stubborn and even set against God. However, the spirit can not be retained by the power of man. It is a gift of God, a possession of God entrusted to a body and soul.
While Adam was said to be a living soul, Christ is called a life-giving Spirit. It is our spirit which unites with Christ at salvation; our power source becomes the Lord Himself! The soul of the believer unites with the souls of other believers and scripture says we are 'one soul.' Jesus Christ is the Truth, the only truth, which can shape, heal and direct our individual lives into a unity of purpose. Without Christ, our lives will enter onto dead-end paths or self-defeating endeavors which destroy us from within...with Christ, we have peace and power for this life and eternity. As the body of Christ, the unifying power of The Truth becomes ever more vital. But that is another subject entirely! Blessings to you as you seek the Truth and the peace of living in Him.
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