We’ve looked at the fact that the Bible describes us as
having a body, soul and spirit. The body communicates the external world to our
soul and the spirit communicates things of God to our soul. Distinguishing them
can sometimes be difficult.
Our problem is that when Adam and Eve sinned, the human race
fell from a state of perfection to a fallen state of death and dying. Our
bodies are subject to injury, disease and death. The spirit which was the
channel of communication with God died. And our soul, made up of mind, will,
and emotions is badly damaged. We are not as bad off as we could be, but every
facet of our being has been affected by the fall. Theologians call this “Total
Depravity.” Look at the following quotes from the Bible to see the description
which God gives concerning our situation.
“This I say, therefore, and testify in the Lord, that you
should no longer walk as the rest of the Gentiles walk, in the futility of
their mind, having their understanding darkened, being alienated
from the life of God, because of the ignorance that is in them, because
of the blindness of their heart;” (Ephesians 4:17–18, NKJV, emphasis
mine).
“But even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to
those who are perishing, whose minds the god of this age has blinded,
who do not believe, lest the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is
the image of God, should shine on them.” (2 Corinthians 4:3–4, NKJV)
“But the natural man does not receive the things
of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; nor can he know
them, because they are spiritually discerned.” (1 Corinthians 2:14, NKJV)
When he says “natural man” in the previous verse he uses the
word “soul.” The soulish man does not receive the things of the Spirit. This is
a man whose spirit is dead and so all he has to operate on is his soul. These
things are said to be spiritually discerned and with a dead spirit, the natural
man is incapable of understanding them.
One more passage from Paul:
“As it is written: “There is none righteous, no, not one;
There is none who understands; There is none who seeks after God. They have all
turned aside; They have together become unprofitable; There is none who does
good, no, not one.” “Their throat is an open tomb; With their tongues they have
practiced deceit”; “The poison of asps is under their lips”; “Whose mouth is
full of cursing and bitterness.” “Their feet are swift to shed blood;
Destruction and misery are in their ways; And the way of peace they have not
known.” “There is no fear of God before their eyes.”” (Romans 3:10–18,
NKJV)
So our problem is that our entire being has been affected by
the fall. What’s the solution? The solution is to believe the Good News, the
Gospel, of Jesus Christ. He died on the cross as the payment of the sin penalty
and He promises life to every person who believes on Him.
Jesus said, “The thief does not come except to steal, and
to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may
have it more abundantly.” (John 10:10, NKJV).
He also said, “Most assuredly, I say to you, he who hears
My word and believes in Him who sent Me has everlasting life, and shall not
come into judgment, but has passed from death into life.” (John 5:24,
NKJV).
The life He is promising is eternal life, but it is also a
resurrection of the spirit within us. He promises to give us a new heart, a new
spirit, and new motivation and he promises to give us the Holy Spirit to live
in us to guide us and to pray for us. God calls this the New Covenant:
“I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within
you; I will take the heart of stone out of your flesh and give you a heart of
flesh. I will put My Spirit within you and cause you to walk in My statutes,
and you will keep My judgments and do them.” (Ezekiel 36:26–27, NKJV)
So when we believe on Jesus for salvation the issue of the
dead spirit has been solved. God begins the work of transforming our soul
(mind, will and emotions) and even though our bodies continue to deteriorate, He
has promised a resurrection body some day: “But if the Spirit of Him who
raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ from the dead
will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who dwells in you.”
(Romans 8:11, NKJV)
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