How our identity is shaped by our body, soul and spirit.
I presented information on the topic of the body, soul and spirit that was taught during the Abide Ministry School of Prayer at the end of June. The “body” is the earthly container for physical, emotional and spiritual parts of the person. The “soul” is the invisible part of the person that includes the mind, will and emotions. The “spirit” is the ‘image of God’ infused into the created person.
Here’s my summary of our discussion.
Who you are is expressed by what you do, but not defined by it. The soul is comprised of the mind, will and emotions and has the function of interacting with (directing) the body. The actions that come from this direction demonstrate the personality and identity.
The natural man relies on his mind, will and emotions. Decisions are made based on what he thinks, wants and feels. The truth by which he compares outcomes and possibilities is based on his frame of reference. Unfortunately, this is like eating from the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil. The sinful man is in the position of determining (at least for himself) what is good and what is bad. He operates on “his truth” and is guided by his conscience.
The yielded man walks in the spirit. This means he relies on the mind, will and emotion of the Holy Spirit through which decisions are made based on absolute truth. The act of surrender happens when God is allowed to determine what is good, good, and very good. This is consistent with creation pre-fall.
The Holy Spirit is gentle and unwilling to force Himself over the person, even though He has the authority to do so. When invited, He directs the soul. When rebuffed, He refuses to overcome the mind, will and emotion of the person. This is the basis for “dying to self” that the Christian must choose all day long.
The first rule of walking in the Spirit is to yield. Stop rushing in to make decisions with the soul, no matter how rational or expedient (mind), no matter how important or urgent (will), no matter how good or bad it feels (emotion). Give way to the Spirit, and allow Him to show you what He feels, what He wants, and what He thinks.