Soul and Spirit

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bikerchaz

Guest
#1
I hope this will be interesting.

Recent posts have prompted this. When we die, what happens to our soul? what happens to our Spirit? are our soul and Spirit the same thing? Do they leave our body together and 'go to be with the Lord'? or do they do something else? how are they connected, if they are not the same? Do they, either together or separately, have a cognitive existence after the death of the body?

Personally I feel led to say from the start I don't think it matters in the scheme of things, what happens will happen and when it does I feel that the life we have led will dictate everything from that point on.

I also understand through reading the Word, personally knowing Jesus and accepting His Holy Spirit, that My soul will die and await the resurrection, when it will be raised with my body and hopefully be changed to an incorruptible me to spend eternity with Jesus. The Spirit that Jesus left here on earth that God has given me as a deposit for the kingdom to come will depart from my body and return to where it came from. The Holy Spirit then knowing me gives me the position of 'child' of God, as a 'son' of God and enables me to be raised at the first resurrection, God willing.

This to me makes the soul and the Spirit two separate entities. I also do not think that my soul will be capable of thought, or any cognitive procedure at all, there will be knowing I am going to die and then being with Jesus. The transition will be instantaneous no matter how many years decades or centuries have passed.
 
Nov 22, 2015
20,436
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#2
Here is a good teaching about the spirit and soul....I believe the soul is connected to the spirit and sometimes referred to as the heart and it is hard to distinguish them apart from one another....I believe the soul is reflective of whether we follow the flesh or the sprit ..I believe the soul is the mind ( the memories and habits in the brain ) , will and emotions. I believe the soul will go with our spirit when we die in the Lord.

[video=youtube;vRwok6bfzrU]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vRwok6bfzrU[/video]
 

Ahwatukee

Senior Member
Mar 12, 2015
11,159
2,373
113
#3
I hope this will be interesting.

Recent posts have prompted this. When we die, what happens to our soul? what happens to our Spirit? are our soul and Spirit the same thing? Do they leave our body together and 'go to be with the Lord'? or do they do something else? how are they connected, if they are not the same? Do they, either together or separately, have a cognitive existence after the death of the body?

Personally I feel led to say from the start I don't think it matters in the scheme of things, what happens will happen and when it does I feel that the life we have led will dictate everything from that point on.

I also understand through reading the Word, personally knowing Jesus and accepting His Holy Spirit, that My soul will die and await the resurrection, when it will be raised with my body and hopefully be changed to an incorruptible me to spend eternity with Jesus. The Spirit that Jesus left here on earth that God has given me as a deposit for the kingdom to come will depart from my body and return to where it came from. The Holy Spirit then knowing me gives me the position of 'child' of God, as a 'son' of God and enables me to be raised at the first resurrection, God willing.

This to me makes the soul and the Spirit two separate entities. I also do not think that my soul will be capable of thought, or any cognitive procedure at all, there will be knowing I am going to die and then being with Jesus. The transition will be instantaneous no matter how many years decades or centuries have passed.
Hello bikerchaz,

You are correct in that, the soul and spirit are two separate parts of mankind's make up, for we are made up of body, soul and spirit, as can be seen from the following scripture:

"For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart." (Heb.4:12)

Now for the believer, scripture is very clear in that, when those in Christ die, the soul/spirit departs the body and goes immediately to be in the presence of Christ (2 Cor.5:6-8, Phil.1:23). It is the essence of who the person is that is departing to the Lord at the time of death, which I believe is made up of both soul and spirit.

Regarding the reference to "sleeping," it is the "body only" that returns to the dust of the earth and is awaiting resurrection. In fact, the word "anastasis" translated "Resurrection" refers to a physical, bodily resurrection, properly, "a standing up again." In 1 Thes.3:13 and 4:14, these scriptures demonstrate that, when Christ returns from heaven to gather the dead and living, with him will be those spirits/souls that had died and departed their bodies and will have been in his presence, where at that time they will be reunited with those resurrected bodies. Those believers who are still alive will simply be changed into their immortal, glorified bodies and will be caught up with them to meet the Lord.

Regarding those believers who have departed from their bodies and have gone to be in the presence of the Lord, we have examples such as the opening of the 5th seal where John says that he sees under the altar in heaven, the souls of those who had been slain because of the word of God and the testimony they had maintained. They are having a conversation and they are given white robes to wear and are told to wait a little longer. Therefore, your claim of the soul of the believer returning to the ground with the body is not scriptural.

Also, we have other scriptures, such as Jairus, the synagogue leader, whose daughter was dead and when Jesus took her by the hand and said "get up" the scripture states that her "spirit returned" and she stood up. This would demonstrate that in order for her spirit to return, it would have necessarily had to have departed from the body. This is why when I write about this issue, I type "spirit/soul" because they both are shown to depart from the body at the time of death. Also, just because the soul and spirit are separate parts of a person, does not mean that they don't remain together at the time of death. The reference to "sleeping" always refers to the state of the "body only" and does not include the spirit/soul.

I hope that this gives some clarity regarding this issue.
 

Magenta

Senior Member
Jul 3, 2015
56,140
26,204
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#4
In Genesis we are told that man became a living soul when God
breathed into the physical elements that comprised his body. So
a soul would seem to be less of something we have and more
of something we are. Sometimes the words soul and spirit are
used interchangeably and that confuses the issue for some.
The human soul is distinct from the heart and the spirit, and
Scripture nowhere states that the soul is immortal.
 

notuptome

Senior Member
May 17, 2013
15,050
2,538
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#5
1Co 15:45 And so it is written, The first man Adam was made a living soul; the last Adam was made a quickening spirit.

Ge 2:7 And the LORD God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul.

Gods creation of man in the likeness and image of God implies that mans soul/spirit are like God eternal in their nature. To deny the eternal nature of mans soul/spirit is to deny the eternal bliss of heaven and the eternal condemnation of the lake of fire.

For the cause of Christ
Roger
 

valiant

Senior Member
Mar 22, 2015
8,025
124
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#7
You can find a few thoughts Here on this subject...
Regularly in Scripture the words soul and spirit are used interchangeably (also with the heart and the mind). Indeed the word often translated 'soul' means inner life, person, or simply life. Scripture is not as definite as we try to be
 

Magenta

Senior Member
Jul 3, 2015
56,140
26,204
113
#8
To affirm that Scripture nowhere states that the soul of man is eternal is simply to state that nowhere does Scripture state that the soul of man is eternal. Those who make claims to the contrary are simply pulling rabbits out of hats, so to speak. Eternal life is found only in Jesus Christ. Is your name written in the Lamb's book of life? Rejoice! For the joy laid out before Him, Christ suffered the cross on our behalf, overcoming sin and death. He alone holds the keys. Those who reject God's plan do suffer an eternal fate known as the second death. The dead know nothing! That, too, is explicitly Scriptural.
 

jb

Senior Member
Feb 27, 2010
4,940
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#9
...Scripture is not as definite as we try to be
Scripture is very definite as regards the distinction between the "soul" and the "spirit" in humans, so don't blame Scripture for your failings! Heb 4v12
 
B

bikerchaz

Guest
#10
As is my way (and I have been told I am not the only one), I was taking this subject to God and talking with Him about it while doing the washing up. He asked me "Do you trust me?" Then he said "Trust me".
There isn't a lot more to say except that the Holy Spirit confirmed within me that when it is time for my body to shuffle off this mortal coil, God will have "My best interests at heart" and that is enough for me to know. Praise Him.
Thank you for all your answers, jb, the study you put up is very enlightening, thank you. And a special thank you to Ahwatkee for his patience with my indignation and foolishness.
God bless.
 

John146

Senior Member
Jan 13, 2016
16,671
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#11
1 Thess. 5:23, "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." We are wholly made up of all three, body, soul, and spirit.

Eccl. 12:7, "
Then shall the dust return to the earth as it was: and the spirit shall return unto God who gave it." The spirit of a man returns to God and the body or dust returns to the ground. The soul of the man is what's at stake, the inner man.

1 Corinthians 6:20, "
For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God's."
The word of God is addressing the inner man of the believer, the soul here. Notice he gives the inner man information about the body and spirit.

 
Sep 4, 2012
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#12
This to me makes the soul and the Spirit two separate entities. I also do not think that my soul will be capable of thought, or any cognitive procedure at all, there will be knowing I am going to die and then being with Jesus. The transition will be instantaneous no matter how many years decades or centuries have passed.
Soul and spirit are definitely separate and distinct entities. IMO the below is referring to the circumcision of Christ that separates the flesh (soul/body union) from the new man (man spirit/GOD spirit union).

For the word of God [is] living and active and sharper than any double-edged sword, and piercing as far as the division of soul and spirit, both joints and marrow, and able to judge the deliberations and thoughts of the heart. Hebrews 4:12