Man is composed of three parts, body, soul, and spirit. After our physical death, the body returns to the dust of the ground, and the soul, and the spirit go to be with the Lord.
The physical body is of real substance; an organized system. It may be referred to as the animal frame of mankind, as distinguished from the spiritual nature of man. Paul speaks of the body, as in flesh and blood in opposition to the spiritual body.
1 Corinthians 15:42-43-44, “It (the physical body) is sown in corruption; it is raised in incorruption; It is sown in dishonor; it is raised in glory: it is sown in weakness; it is raised in power: It is sown (the body committed to the earth) a natural body; it is raised a spiritual body. There is a natural body (flesh and blood,) and there is a spiritual body.”
1 Corinthians 15:50, supports verse 44, “Flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God.”
Man in his present state cannot inherit the kingdom of God. We are not suited for heaven. When the Holy Spirit works in the spirit of a believer, they can expect their bodies to be transformed into a superior state. Therefore the whole man, his body, soul, and spirit can be with the Lord.
Romans 8:11, “But if the Spirit (Holy Spirit) of Him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, He that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken (give life to) your mortal bodies by His Spirit that dwelleth in you.”
Meanwhile in this physical body, the flesh of man exceeds in influence over the soul and spirit, and can overpower his thinking. Before our regeneration (being born again) the natural man is inclined to the side of sin. After a person is born again in the spirit, the Holy Spirit can incline a sinner to walk into the Light of Jesus Christ.
The spiritual body of a saved person is molded by God’s Holy Spirit. This spirit body is not conformed to the animal body. Jesus is speaking of those who take part in the resurrection,
Luke 20:35-36, “They which shall be accounted worthy to obtain that world (age) and the resurrection from the dead, neither marry, not are given in marriage: Neither can they die any more: for they are equal unto the angels; and are the children of God, being the children of the resurrection.” This to a higher spiritual life,
1 Corinthians 2:14, “The natural man receives not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.”
1 Thessalonians 5:23, “I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.” All three need to be, and will be transformed to the image of the Son.
The soul of a person, is the seat of the senses, desires, affections, appetites, passions, and is common to all men.
The soul can best be described as the thoughts, and concerns people have. As God cares for His creation, especially His people, so should we also care. He considers our situations; preserves our existence; gives us our strength, our powers; He governs our acts, and promotes our welfare. So also are we to be like Christ. We are to love, and care for Jesus Christ first, then family, and friends.
Matthew 6:26-30, “Behold the fowls of the air: for they sow not, neither do they reap, not gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are ye not much better than they?”
Verse 30, “If God so clothed the grass of the field, which to day is, and to morrow is cast into the oven, shall He not much more clothe you, O ye of little faith?”
In our soul, our thinking, our desires, our passions, we can,
Aim to please God, by embrace the Lord Jesus Christ, obeying His word, turning from sin, promoting God’s love to all.
2 Corinthians 7:10-11, “Godly sorrow worketh repentance to salvation — that ye sorrow after a godly sort, what carefulness = (diligence) it wrought in you, yea, what clearing = (plea, or defense) of yourselves, yea, what indignation, yea, what fear, yea, what vehement desire, yea, what zeal, yea, what revenge = (vindication!) In all things ye have approved yourselves to be clear = (proved) in this matter.”
1 Peter 5:7, “Casting all your care upon Him; for He careth for you.”
Or we can work sin in our lives, seeking after sinful lusts, pleasures, personal and business advantages, etc. In these things Christians’ are forbidden.
Matthew 6:34, “Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil (trouble) thereof.”
Philippians 4:6, “be careful (anxious) for nothing: but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be make known unto God.”
This is the body soul and spirit of mankind. We can eat the bread of life with care, or carelessly. Carelessly is to do it under pain, distress and difficulty, subconsciously being under the apprehension of that terrible day of judgment.
Or we can do it with care. We need not to answer in words, but need to make ourselves ready to manifest a fixed resolution, and prepare our endurance of long suffering.
The thief on the Cross, who acknowledged the Lord, was told by Jesus.
Luke 23:43, “To day shalt thou be with me in paradise, meaning that his soul and spirit would be with the Lord in paradise. The soul, and the spirit will be aware of their surroundings, where they are, and whom they are with.
2 Corinthians 12:4, “How that he (Paul) was caught up into paradise, and heard unspeakable words, which it is not lawful for a man to utter.”
Revelation 2:7, “To him that overcometh will I (Jesus) give to eat of the tree of life, which is in the midst of the paradise of God.”
Luke 23:46, Jesus was a type, and gave us an example, He cried unto His Father moments before His death, “Father, into thy hands I commend my spirit.”
After a person is, born again, having true faith and repentance, Jesus said,
John 8:52, “If a man keep my saying, he shall never taste of death.”
The word “keep,” is in harmony with,
John 8:31, “If ye continue in my word,” expressing a permanent principle of that faith to which Jesus referred, “Never taste (see) death.” That is the soul and spirit of a Christian shall never see death.
John 5:24, Jesus said, “He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation, (judgement) but is passed from death (physical death of the body) unto life.” When resurrected (raptured) we will have already been judged righteous. No further judgment is forthcoming.
John 6:40, Jesus said, “Every one which seeth the Son, and believeth on Him, may have everlasting life: and I will raise him up (the body) at the last day.”
John 6:47-51, Jesus said, “I am the living bread which came down from heaven: if any man eat of this bread, he shall live for ever: and the bread that I will give is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world.”
The soul and spirit of the saved, shall not taste of death. The corruptible body returns to the dust of the ground. It will never taste of the second death.
Revelation 2:11, Jesus said, “He that overcometh (is born again) shall not be hurt of the second death,”
The second death meaning, Revelations 20:14, the body, soul, and spirit shall be cast into the lake of fire. When the Lord returns for the bride (that is the saved) the corruptible body will be raised as an incorruptible body, reunited with the soul and spirit of that man, and be forever with the Lord.
Jesus is the God of the living. We see in Matthew 17:2, Moses and Elias who had been long dead, talking with the Lord Jesus. John sees in heaven 24 elders sitting before the throne. Paul was taken into God’s paradise. Jesus tells of Lazarus in the bosom of Abraham.
Phillip LaSpino www.seekfirstwisdom.com