The Importance Of Understanding Our Spirit

At our last Home Church gathering, we had a conversation about the importance of our human spirit. It is to be expected that among a group of people who come from different denominational backgrounds and church experience, there will be differences of opinions, and even those who don't fully understand the relationship with our spirit.

To set the foundation of this post, let me just explain that the Bible clearly states that we are a three-part being ... we are flesh [or our physical body]; we have a soul; and we are a spirit being. We read in 1 Thessalonians 5:23, Now may the God of peace himself sanctify you completely, and may your whole spirit and soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. As my husband pointed out in our study this morning, Scripture presents those three parts in the order of their importance -- first and foremost, we are a spirit being, made in the image of God, who is Spirit. Jesus created us at the foundation of the world and has known the purpose for which He created us since that time. It is our spirit that He sends to earth to be knit in our mother's womb, and in His perfect timing. He decides exactly what moment. on what day, and what year in which century you will be conceived. Think about that! Your spirit was divinely created, and you are here for a time such as this, with a specific purpose to glorify God! 

Secondly, we have been given a soul which consists of our mind [our thoughts and opinions], our emotions [which are our feelings], and our will [which is our free will, given by God, to make decisions on our own]. Thirdly, our soul and spirit reside in this body of flesh, which is corruptible and decaying with each passing moment. At some point, this fleshly temple, where the Holy Spirit resides in our hearts, will die and our spirit will return to its place of origin, Heaven. I will admit that I am still determining my opinion of the destination of our soul when we die, but for now I am content that it is our consciousness and will remain in a state of "sleep". Whether it is joined with our resurrected, glorious bodies or not, has not been fully determined in my mind at this time.

But I want to emphasize that we are the creation of God, and before the Fall in the Garden, mankind shared in a perfect relationship with his Creator. Our spirit easily communed with God's Spirit, as when God placed man in the Garden and told him not to eat of the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil. There was no impediment between our spirit and His Spirit. But when sin befell man, it was as if a window closed, or a curtain fell, blocking easy access between our spirit and His. It is only when the Holy Spirit is deposited in us that we once again can gain access to the Presence of God.

Just as in the Old Testament picture of God's Presence [as Spirit] residing in the Temple in the Holy of Holies, it is the Holy Spirit that is now God's Presence in us, residing in the temple of our body, specifically in our heart, which is representative of the Holy of Holies. If we are truly a new creation in Christ, then the spirit part of our human nature should be intimately engaged with the spirit realm of the Kingdom of God in Heaven. So why are so many Christians not operating in their purpose and are still under oppression; not walking in the freedom that Jesus came to deliver to us?

Here is what we need to realize ... We are a spirit being, having a soul, and residing in a physical body. Once we have made the decision to believe in the Saving grace of Jesus Christ, we are a new creation, and our spirit should prevail over our soul and our body. But oftentimes, before our conversion, the soul has run the show. We have been governed by our natural minds and emotions, and our free will has become used to doing what makes us feel good. Oftentimes, that soul part of our nature has served as a protector from the world and its hurts. For instance, we develop a controlling personality because we've been damaged by people who have taken advantage of us in the past, and that helps us to feel like we're invincible. So our soul (mind, will, and emotions) develops a protective pattern that has become the way we operate in this world.  

 But Jesus came so that we could be free of those emotional wounds, and when we accept Him as our Savior, the Holy Spirit comes to dwell within us. And if the soul has a hard time giving up its supremacy, that situation limits the ability of our spirit to engage with God's Presence in us. The soul still tries to control how we live, and we are unable to operate out of the spirit, as God designed us. In other words, the soul is still operating from a "natural man" state. It is important that we keep the soul and spirit separate so the testimony of the Word of God in our spirit can lead our souls to a restful state and into the full knowledge of the Presence of God in us.

Try to picture it like this .... we are designed to be spirit beings, having access to the spirit realm in Heaven and the Presence of God and Jesus. We have been made a spirit being, yet having a soul and living in a physical body. If the soul is allowed to dominate our "spirit man", it is like a hard shell of concrete placed over our heart, where our spirit operates out of.  Our spirit is being smothered by our soul and it cannot get free to seek the Light of God. This brings into focus the importance of Hebrews 4:12, For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart.

When we are born again, our soul and spirit are to be divided and separated, allowing our spirit to function in the capacity God ordained it. The soul must come into submission to our spirit, instead of the other way around. We must be attuned to the state of our soul, and when necessary, determine [in the flesh] to break it apart from our spirit, in order to free the spirit to commune with God. Use your imagination to see something splitting that concrete shell off your spirit, freeing it to function as a spirit being. Take the word of God [which is power!] and drive it between your soul and spirit. The dividing of soul and spirit is mandated by the word of God and is vital to our ability to commune with Him. We were made to function spirit to Spirit, and to engage with God in that spirit realm. Our spirit man is designed to host our body and soul; to be bigger than them in order that we might walk in the full measure of our Sonship. 

Let me give you an example of how our spirits can work with God to reach another person's spirit in their time of need. It has been a process for me to learn to walk and work in my spirit. I have to oftentimes tell me soul to sit quietly in the corner and let my spirit hear from God. And I have a very good friend who has been suffering from leukemia and was in ICU due to the effects of a particular treatment she had received. Her husband called me one afternoon, while I was driving, and I heard the despair in his voice as he told me, "Please pray for her. It's not looking good!" I hung up and immediately pictured myself in the throne room of God in Heaven, on my knees, asking for compassion and mercy for my friend. Then I deliberately sent my spirit to my friend's bedside, and I cried out in my anguish, "It's time to fight! You've got to fight to live! I want your spirit to hear my spirit declaring that the battle is on! And, Satan, I am calling on the armies of Heaven to come join me in the spiritual realm to fight this battle against you and your evil hordes! We have the healing power of God on our side and we will prevail!" My last words were a final shout to my friend's spirit, "I want you to hear me loud and clear ... FIGHT NOW!"

Well, the husband had no idea what I had prayed or that I had sent my spirit to both Heaven and his wife's bedside. But he called me later that night and said the hospital had brought her out of the induced coma they had initiated and right before they did, my friend was whispering, "Fight! Fight! Fight!". Now, was that a coincidence? You will never convince me of that. I find such hope in knowing we have the same power and authority that we see exhibited in Revelation 4 ... There, the Apostle John tells us that his spirit was free to engage with God in that spirit realm: I saw a heavenly portal open before me, and the same trumpet-voice I heard speaking with me at the beginning broke the silence and said, “Ascend into this realm! I want to reveal to you what must happen after this.” Instantly I was taken into the spirit realm... or as the Amplified version says, At once I was in [special communication with] the Spirit...

Here is the truth --- that was not some special dispensation for John alone! Our Father desires that we engage with Him in the spirit realm! I know that is not a commonly held opinion in our modern denominations. But throughout the Bible God and His Spirit have engaged with men, and it is the intimate desire of His heart that this be an integral component of our relationship with Him. When our spirit can function as it should, and we are able to engage with Heaven on that intimate level, then our souls find rest and our natural man operates from a place of peace.

In summary, contemplate what the closing verses in Matthew 11 tell us about how our souls are to operate in a spiritual relationship with our Savior. Jesus asks,  “Are you weary, carrying a heavy burden [upon your soul]? Then come to me. I will refresh your life, for I am your oasis. Take My yoke upon you [joining your life with Mine] and learn My ways. You’ll discover that I’m gentle, humble, easy to please, and you will find rest (renewal, blessed quiet) for your souls. For My yoke is easy [to bear] and My burden is light.” If you can see it, this is a picture of communing with Jesus in a spiritual realm, free of the burdens of our mind and emotions, where our spirit is refreshed and our souls can be at rest.... and we can enjoy the reality of who we are designed to be: a body of flesh where soul and spirit reside; divided, yet operating in cooperation with God. When we have that intimate relationship, spirit to Spirit, we can understand our divine purpose and glorify our Creator. That's the reason He sent us here!

Romans 8:6    For to set the mind on the flesh is death, but to set the mind on the Spirit is life and peace.  

      

Learning To Trust My Human Spirit's Connection to God's Spirit

I was recently asked to participate in an 8-week exploration of the relationship between my human spirit and God's Spirit. I know, to many of you, that might be an unfamiliar [or even uncomfortable] turn of phrase. If, in your history of being born as a new creation in Christ, you were not taught that we are a three-part being (body, soul, and spirit), then you might be unaware that you even possess a human spirit. I know I did not have that knowledge for many years in my relationship with Christ. In fact, without that knowledge, I would submit to you that it is difficult to have a real relationship with the One who saved us. 

You might have been raised in a church that didn't differentiate between soul or spirit; and you might even believe that they are the same. But Paul tells us in 1 Thessalonians 5:23, "May your spirit and soul and body be kept complete and [be found] blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ." Here, Scripture makes it clear that they are separate parts of us. And we know that God says we are made in His image, and the actual form of His Being is Spirit. So there is a component of our design that is spirit, and was made to resemble Him. But what does that look like for us? How does that figure into our relationship with our Father in Heaven? And what is the purpose and reason for our human spirit? 

Well, I will tell you that it should be the desire of all humankind to mature and develop in their human spirit so that we can think and act righteously on behalf of our Creator and our Savior. But we can't do it on our own! I'm not a theologian, so excuse my simple explanation, but I believe that when we are conceived in the flesh, there is a spark at conception in which God's Divine Spirit (with a capital "S") is transferred to our mother's fertilized egg and our human spirit becomes part of our DNA and is present as we are born into the world. But because we are born into sin, we don't have any experience or relationship with our human spirit because it is separated from God's Divine Spirit. 

But when we come to faith in Jesus Christ, our human spirit is regenerated/revived/renewed as it mingles with God's Spirit. That is when we are literally "reborn" as a true spirit being, with the potential to grow into an intimate relationship with God as we mature in our faith. Now we are able to hear from Him and experience Him in ways that those who don't have that connection will never know! I want you to take Romans 8:16 to heart and experience how your spirit responds when you read, For the Holy Spirit makes God’s fatherhood real to us as He whispers into our innermost being [spirit], “You are God’s beloved child!” That should encourage and embolden us as we come to the knowledge that we are no longer separated from our Heavenly Father but are now joined to the Lord as one spirit (1 Corinthians 6:17)! 

For me, the revelation that my spirit is now connected to and resides with Jesus's Spirit [as one], comes with the realization that I am not to become lazy, if you will, in my spirit; but I am to exercise it and use it to stay joined to Him in all things. This is a very simplistic way to describe this truth, but it's like exercising our physical muscles. If we don't use them, then we lose our flexibility and our ability to move in our environment with ease and strength; our physical health suffers. If we don't exercise our spirit's union with God's Spirit, then we lose that connection with Him in the spiritual realm, and our power and authority [in being one with Him] becomes weaker and less able to battle against the devil's spiritual attacks. But just like physical exercise, it must become a habit -- such a natural part of our everyday existence that we don't feel alive if we aren't experiencing it.  

I will also tell you that for a long time I tried to compare the experiences of my spirit with the Lord's Spirit to the experiences of other Christians. Please do not fall pray to that temptation from the devil! Somehow, I had believed the lie that the connection between my spirit and the Lord's had to be dramatic and physically impactful and powerfully exhibited. Now, it most certainly can be, but it doesn't have to meet any particular standard or follow a specific pattern. Remember, Jesus is our model, and the Bible never tells us that when Jesus's human spirit was connected to the Father's Spirit, that it was always earth-shattering. In fact, I believe that Jesus simply came to know the Father's heart and was able to communicate, spirit to Spirit, in simple and uncomplicated ways. In fact, it was such a natural part of their relationship, that I believe it became indistinguishable from the simple act of breathing or drinking or eating -- we need it to survive! His Spirit is life-giving to our spirit!

So, once I came to the truth that I simply need to give my spirit permission to experience a connection that can be as easy as calling out His Name, I was able to experience Him responding to my cry and learn to trust that He was always available. And it changed the way I related to Him! He was no longer that somewhat remote, towering, superhuman, unapproachable hero that I felt unworthy to be bothering with my human troubles. He was my brother, my confidante, my protector, my friend, my rescuer, my Savior and my King! He is all I need in this life and eternally.  Whether my spirit prays in my personal time with Him, or I praise Him in a corporate gathering; whether I'm reading His Word out loud as I exalt Him, or singing and dancing in response to the joy my spirit is experiencing in His presence; and whether I'm thanking Him for all He's done in my life, or crying out for more of Him ... I have learned to trust that His Spirit is connected to mine -- even when I don't get an immediate [or any] response. It's simply the knowing that there is a secure and certain connection between my spirit and His Spirit that defines who I am and whose I am. 

So, if you don't think you have that trusted connection, do what I did. Ask for it! Ask to experience what it's like to connect your human spirit with our Lord's Spirit. And the beautiful thing is you get three-for-one! You have access to the Father's Spirit and His Holy Spirit, and you are one with all of them, as they are one with each other. You don't have to go through what the world is experiencing, feeling disconnected and adrift; at the whim of the devil's strategies to keep you separated from the most incredibly Divine relationship that any human being could ever desire. Learn to trust your spirit. The connection was made when you accepted Christ as your Savior. Now experience all that this connection has to offer you! 

Galatians 6:18   Finally my beloved ones—may the wonderful grace of our Lord Jesus, the Anointed One, be flowing in your spirit. So shall it be! 

 

Christians: Do You Act Out Of Your Soul Or Your Spirit?

     That's a big question, and I ask it because I'm not sure that Christians understand what it means to know who we are in the Spirit. In fact, I would suggest that most Christians live their lives from their soul, rather than their spirit. Even though we all quote the Scriptures, For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart (Hebrews 4:12), and [God] has raised us up with Him and seated us with Him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus (Ephesians 2:6), do we really understand the full implications of those verses? After our salvation, what part of us is seated in Christ in Heaven? Certainly it is not our flesh; we still remain on this earth.
     That leads to another question -- do you know that we are a three-part being -- body, soul, and spirit? And do you understand that our soul and spirit are meant to be separate entities, as Ephesians 2:6 suggests? We all know what our body is -- our flesh, the physical tent that houses our soul and spirit. Our soul is our mind, our [free] will, and our emotions. Our spirit is what identifies us with the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. We are made in their image ... he who is joined to the Lord becomes one spirit with Him. 
     But here's the thing; too often a person's soul refuses to submit to the spirit, and can easily overrun or smother the spirit. And just as common is the scenario that a Christian thinks they are hearing in the spirit, when in reality it is their soul who is running the show. They respond to what they are thinking [in their physical mind] or what they are feeling [in their emotions], and both of those are elements of the soul, NOT the spirit -- and then they proclaim they are living by God's directive to their spirit. But is there fruit in their life that is evidence of this claim?
     Sadly, as the human race has increased in knowledge over the last 2000 years, and as we have experienced new technology and gained new skills, it has resulted in us living from our flesh and our souls, rather than our spirits. In our arrogance, we have come to rely less on our spiritual connection with Christ, and more on our own accomplishments and abilities. We may have grown in our knowledge of things of the world, but we are also more ignorant of the spiritual realm in which our spirits have citizenship -- our citizenship is in heaven, and from it we await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ (Philippians 3:20). This has also resulted in the fact that we don't know how to engage our spirit because we credit what we think or what we feel as a word from our spirit, when in reality it originates in our souls and flesh.
     Here's a concept I'd like to propose to you: God designed our souls to interact with our spirits and our flesh. In other words, consider this: Our souls are designed to receive divine inspiration from our spirit and then birth it into the natural through our flesh -- a heavenly download if you will from Heaven to our spirit. Our soul received the revelation from our spirit, and then we follow through in our flesh. But if we don't know who we are in our spirit, then it's likely that we will be more influenced by own mind and emotions than we are by God's opinions. 
     Remember, Jesus is our model. He said He did nothing that He had not heard or seen from the Father (John 5:19 and 12:49). Can we say the same? When we tell people, "I heard the Lord say" ... or "The Holy Spirit showed me"... is that the real truth? Are we sure? Did those revelations originate in the mind of God, or do they coincide with our own desires? 
     How many of you truly believe you became "a new creation" when you received Christ as your Savior? And what does that look like? I mean, your body stayed the same right? And your soul only begins to change when you use your free will to renew those parts of it called your mind and emotions. That's a growth process. BUT your spirit is reborn immediately as exemplified in Ephesians 4:24: "[the regenerated and renewed nature], created in God’s image, [godlike] in the righteousness and holiness of the truth [living in a way that expresses to God your gratitude for your salvation]." We are spirit from Spirit, and it is true that we are born with a sin nature; a nature that is unlike the Lord's and separates us from Him. But again, I remind you of 1 Corinthians 6:17, But he who is joined to the Lord becomes one spirit with Him. At the moment of your salvation, your spirit becomes one with His; you are a new creation, with a new spirit and a new nature. But do you recognize that truth and receive it?
     And do you understand the bigger truth that your spirit can be in heaven and also interface with your soul and flesh here on earth? Again, Jesus modeled that for us as a human man on earth whose spirit interacted with God in heaven. Like Jesus, we can receive counsel, resources, knowledge and breakthrough in our lives IF we actively engage our spirits to receive God's downloads, spend time in our spirits to understand them, then translate these revelations to our souls [through our renewed minds] and finally walk them out in the flesh. 
     But we need to have a relationship with our own spirit, knowing who we are in Christ, and where we are seated.We must come to the knowledge that we are designed to be spirit beings, having access to the spirit realm in Heaven and the Presence of God and Jesus. We have been made a spirit being, yet having a soul and living in a physical body. As Christians, we must begin to experience the spiritual realm and cooperate with Heaven to see God's Kingdom come and His will be done. We must begin to think like God and act like Jesus and hear/see with the help of the Holy Spirit. Then we can collaborate with Them and bring heaven and earth into agreement through our thoughts and actions. 
     All of Heaven’s resources are available to us through our spirit, which in proper alignment with our soul, prompts our minds to think and act righteously. I know I'm being repetitive, but it is so important that we get this ... Our human spirit will get a download from God [through the Holy Spirit] and then impart the divine thought or concept to our soul [which includes our mind]. The soul has to come together with the spirit in order to be implanted with the seeds of revelation, breakthrough, and those things that have been written upon our scroll in heaven. If our mind has been renewed to think from heaven’s perspective, rather than this world’s, then we will be able to receive the heavenly concept, plan according to God’s ruling principles, act on what has been revealed, and produce fruit for the Kingdom. Our mind/soul and the spirit must work together to give birth to the designs of God in the earth, and our spirit has to take precedence over our soul! 
     So, it is my earnest prayer that the Body of Christ come into a fuller knowledge and relationship with our spirits; that we begin to encounter Jesus through true and authentic spiritual experiences ... spirit to Spirit. Only then will we learn to walk in the path Jesus modeled.

Ecclesiastes 12:7     then the dust [out of which God made man’s body] will return to the earth as it was, and the spirit will return to God who gave it.
     

What We Need To Know About Our Human Spirit

     Once a week, Mark and I are blessed with a visit from the 21-year-old son of one of our closest neighbors and friends. Cole is a curious young man with an intelligent mind, and one of the areas that he devotes lots of "think time" to is his relationship with God.
     Most of the time, he just shows up on his day off and joins Mark in the studio for enthusiastic discussions on their shared faith ... I don't even know he's been here. But the other day, I was doing some computer work at my desk in the studio when Cole arrived. This time he had a very interesting concept that he was trying to understand. If I can boil it down to a simple sentence, he was trying to figure out the interaction between his human spirit and God -- when it is deposited in us; when it begins to connect with God; if it is separate from our spirit that is seated with Christ when we're born again; and what happens to it when our physical body dies.
      Whew! I'm not sure I know very many adult Christians who have contemplated that big of a theological puzzle. [Notice that I didn't say "mature" Christians, because I don't think age is the determination factor in the maturity of our faith]. Anyway, Cole and I engaged in a lengthy discussion that made me aware that I need to be able to explain my understanding of the phenomenon of the human spirit to anyone who asks. I believe his questions were legitimate, and the answers should certainly be comprehended by all Christians. After all, our union with Christ is a fundamental doctrine across all denominations of the Christian faith, and we should be able to explain "how it all works". So, here's my attempt at clarification, as I understand it ...

     Our human spirit is a very important part of being made "one with Christ". In 1 Thessalonians 5:23, the Bible makes it quite clear that our body [in its entirety] consists of a body, a soul, and a spirit. God, in His infinite wisdom, designed each of these parts to serve distinct purposes. Our body connects us to this physical world; we are conscious of the material world and how it affects us. Our soul gives us consciousness of ourselves; our mind, our emotions, and the ability to make decisions [free will]. It gives each of us a distinct personality. Our spirit is able to connect with God and be conscious of Him -- to receive Him and worship Him -- because God formed us with a spirit; a part of Himself that is always able to be in contact with Him.
     That answers Cole's first question. When we are formed in the womb, God deposits a spirit in us. Now comes his second question ... when is that spirit aware of God and begin connecting to Him? The only way I knew to explain my theological theory was this way.... until we are born again, our human spirit is dormant. It is a part of us, but yet to be "made alive" (Romans 8:10). Until that divine moment, people live out of their body [flesh] and soul.
     At this moment, I want to digress for just a second. It has been my observation, through the Deliverance and Inner Healing Ministry to which God has called me and Mark, that a lot of Christians, even though their spirits have been awakened and regenerated, still live out of their soul (their mind, will and emotions). If one remains attached to his natural, physical self, he cannot discern spiritual concepts or spiritual attacks. That is why so many Christians are being oppressed by the Enemy.
     As the Body of Christ, it is imperative that we Christians learn to live from our spirit [which is the connection point with God], rather than living and behaving from our own deliberations and thoughts; our own likes and dislikes; and our own self-determined stands of right and wrong. We must learn to question, examine, and apply what the Holy Spirit reveals about all things in this life. 
     So, to answer Cole's second question, our spirit begins connecting to God the moment we are born again. It is activated and able to talk to God, hear from God, see in the spirit, and receive dreams and visions. But how does that coincide with Cole's third question, which is proposed by reading Ephesians 2:5-6, which says that even when we were [spiritually] dead and separated from Him because of our sins, God made us [spiritually] alive together with Christ. And He raised us up together with Him [when we believed], and seated us with Him in the heavenly places, [because we are] in Christ Jesus.  There's our answer! It is at this point that we are fully united with Christ. We are in our physical body, but have an activated spirit [that comes when we accept Christ as our Savior], and our spirit now has access to the throne where Jesus is seated. We are joined together with Him, fully able to communicate with Him, and able to act out of a divine consciousness. Our spirit is now able to transcend spiritual dimensions to be in contact with Jesus. I believe this is what Paul is talking about when he writes in Ephesians 4:13 ... until we all experience the fullness of what it means to know the Son of God, and finally we become one perfect man with the full dimensions of spiritual maturity and fully developed in the abundance of Christ.
     Now, to Cole's last question, which may be where I find the most disparity in the belief systems of Christians. First of all, as I have stated before, [and which is backed up by 1 Thessalonians 5:23] our soul and spirit are two different parts of us. However, I am astounded by the number of Church doctrines that teach that when we die, the soul goes to be with God. That is not what the Bible teaches. Ecclesiastes 12:7 says, And the dust returns to the earth as it was, and the spirit returns to God who gave it. So the spirit that was deposited in us at conception, will return back to God, because it belongs to God. Yes, we will have a resurrected body, like Jesus's glorious body. Our soul will cease to exist because it is attached to the physical part of us. REMEMBER: our soul is our mind, will, and emotions. We are sown as a natural body with a brain (mind) capable of feeling (emotions) and making decisions (will), but raised as a spiritual body (1 Corinthians 15:44). So I do not believe we will have these same physical bodies that our spirits inhabit now.  Our citizenship will then be in Heaven, rather than this world, and we will be in perfect unity with our Creator, spirit to Spirit. 
     I hope that I was able to answer Cole's questions, so that he can commune with God and get more revelation on this fascinating concept. I can't wait to see the questions he will bring with him next time. And you may not agree with my theology, but that's okay. If this post serves to invite you to dig deeper into the mysteries of God through His Word and revelations from the Holy Spirit, then I am happy with that response. You don't have to agree with me ... just keep the curious and committed mindset of my friend Cole to know the Lord more and He will be glorified.

James 3:17     But the wisdom from above is always pure, filled with peace, considerate and teachable. It is filled with love and never displays prejudice or hypocrisy in any form