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.
I Thessalonians 5:23
I Thessalonians 5:23
Man As a Tripartite Being – Spirit, Soul and Body.
It is imperative
for the believer who desires to grow spiritually to recognize the nature of
man’s being. The fact that man has a
body is certainly not to be refuted but man is more than that. It is also certain that most are aware that
there is an emotional nature in us that differs one from another but is common
to all. This is our soul and contains
the elements of our personality. But
being made in the image of God, man has been given another part of his nature
that lifts him above all other creation; it is a spirit.
It is with his
spirit that a man worships, and may contact God. The soul includes the
conscious and subconscious minds, the realm of emotions and the will. Soul gives a man personality, self-awareness,
rationality and natural feeling. The body is a complex physical creation by
which a person relates to this world and to other people in the world. We now
know that every person's body is in large measure a product of their DNA code
which exists in every cell of the body to program its amazing development.
As marvelous as
the body may be, man has a non-physical aspect which consists of a different
substance – spirit. It is this part of
man that is eternal. Man is an intricate unity as well as being a
three-part being. For this reason, whatever happens in one part of a man's
being has repercussions in other areas as well.
God is interested in all three portions of our being – spirit,
soul and body. The Bible says concerning
our Savior, "And
Jesus increased in wisdom and stature , and in favor with God and men."
Luke 2:52. This reveals
the importance of our mental and emotional development, our physical prowess,
our spiritual life with God of worship and communion, and our social
interactions with others.
For our consideration it is imperative that man can allow
any one of these parts to control the mind.
Great differences occur in our lives when we live directed by one or the
other of these natures. Controlled only
by the body, a man will live as an animal seeking to please desires. Controlled by the soul or emotions, an
individual will be tossed about as a doll by the circumstances of life. It is only when we are controlled by the
spirit and the spirit is controlled by God that we are able to experience all
that God has purposed for us. When I am
looking at life through the lens of the soul (emotion), and then turn the lens
to look through the lens of the spirit, everything changes. Therefore, it is
imperative that we strengthen our spirits.
Many spend a
great deal of time, money and energy to improve the body while others follow
various gurus seeking peace. But how
many will seek to enhance their spirit by time with God and His Word? Take time today for your spirit.
Scripture to
Claim:
Be anxious for nothing, but
in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be
made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension,
will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Philippians 4:6-7 