Hebrews 4:12 "For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it pierces even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow. It judges the thoughts and intentions of the heart."
There are a number of truths in this verse. I will focus on one, the dividing of soul and spirit.
To understand this, we need to go back to Eden. There we see Adam given just one instruction. He was forbidden to eat of the fruit of the tree of knowledge of good and evil. We know that he did eat and we know the consequences. They were catastrophic.
The Word tells us that we are spirit, soul and body. Spirit and soul are not the same. God does not waste words. If the spirit and soul are the same thing, then 1 Thessalonians 5:23 is meaningless. So is Hebrews 4:12.
Adam's choice brought about spiritual death. His human spirit was intended to "feed" on the fruit of the tree of Life. This is not directly stated, but only two trees are specifically mentioned in the Genesis account. We know that Adam did not die physically. He did not die mentally and emotionally. He was still able to choose. So what happened? Adam's spirit was submerged into his soul. What does this mean?
The world is effectively ruled by the principle of good and evil. Nothing has changed in that aspect. Definitions of good and evil may vary from culture to culture, but the basic principle is unchanged. God employs the same principle in the Law. Obeying God's law is good, disobeying is evil. What the Law cannot do is change human nature. Even with the motivation of blessing and cursing, God's chosen failed miserably. We see from the Law that we cannot keep the Law, hence our need for a Saviour who is outside of ourselves. No matter how noble our intentions, how good our grasp of the Law, how diligent we are, we are certain to fail. The apostle Paul bemoans this truth in Romans 7.
We are born into the world system. Everything we learn by teaching and by experience promotes the principle of good and evil. So this has to be undone when we are born again. To be born again means to have a new, live spirit where Jesus is pleased to dwell. Our new spirit is like a newborn baby, knowing nothing. Unlike the unbeliever, the Christian has the capacity to receive truth from God. And this is where God sets to work to bring about the transformation that we so desperately need.
The mind is intended to be the servant to the spirit. Perhaps we are struggling in a job and it seems that there is no blessing on it. We may see that God is showing us that we should find another job. We will sense this in the spirit man. Logic and reason may argue, but if we are listening to God, we will obey. This is where the mind comes in. God is not going to drop a job ad from the sky. We will need to seek a job. We will need to get a resume together and apply. So the spirit leads and the mind functions to bring it to pass. Then our physical body will get us to an interview and so on. The initiation is in the spirit and the soul and body combine to bring it to pass. However, we also must choose God's will instead of going by what we think or feel.
As a young man, I feared God's will. As I began to see God's love and wisdom, fear (an emotion) was replaced with trust. At that point, my spirit was less oppressed by my soul. Now I fear not having God's will. Every revelation that we receive weakens the influence of the soul and strengthens the spirit. This is how we come to maturity.
A word of caution. It is possible to have a revelation and not receive it. If we do not take it to heart, it will evaporate. It must become a part of us. Then we must live accordingly. Revelation is usually tested. This is to ensure that it really is revelation and not just a mental agreement with God's word.
"Seek and you shall find". This is a well known verse. God wants us to receive revelation because He wants mature believers who are efective in His kingdom work. Those who are ruled by their thoughts, feelings and self will are of little value. Those who have experienced the separation of soul and spirit are equipped to be workers in God's kingdom. There is no higher calling.
There are a number of truths in this verse. I will focus on one, the dividing of soul and spirit.
To understand this, we need to go back to Eden. There we see Adam given just one instruction. He was forbidden to eat of the fruit of the tree of knowledge of good and evil. We know that he did eat and we know the consequences. They were catastrophic.
The Word tells us that we are spirit, soul and body. Spirit and soul are not the same. God does not waste words. If the spirit and soul are the same thing, then 1 Thessalonians 5:23 is meaningless. So is Hebrews 4:12.
Adam's choice brought about spiritual death. His human spirit was intended to "feed" on the fruit of the tree of Life. This is not directly stated, but only two trees are specifically mentioned in the Genesis account. We know that Adam did not die physically. He did not die mentally and emotionally. He was still able to choose. So what happened? Adam's spirit was submerged into his soul. What does this mean?
The world is effectively ruled by the principle of good and evil. Nothing has changed in that aspect. Definitions of good and evil may vary from culture to culture, but the basic principle is unchanged. God employs the same principle in the Law. Obeying God's law is good, disobeying is evil. What the Law cannot do is change human nature. Even with the motivation of blessing and cursing, God's chosen failed miserably. We see from the Law that we cannot keep the Law, hence our need for a Saviour who is outside of ourselves. No matter how noble our intentions, how good our grasp of the Law, how diligent we are, we are certain to fail. The apostle Paul bemoans this truth in Romans 7.
We are born into the world system. Everything we learn by teaching and by experience promotes the principle of good and evil. So this has to be undone when we are born again. To be born again means to have a new, live spirit where Jesus is pleased to dwell. Our new spirit is like a newborn baby, knowing nothing. Unlike the unbeliever, the Christian has the capacity to receive truth from God. And this is where God sets to work to bring about the transformation that we so desperately need.
The mind is intended to be the servant to the spirit. Perhaps we are struggling in a job and it seems that there is no blessing on it. We may see that God is showing us that we should find another job. We will sense this in the spirit man. Logic and reason may argue, but if we are listening to God, we will obey. This is where the mind comes in. God is not going to drop a job ad from the sky. We will need to seek a job. We will need to get a resume together and apply. So the spirit leads and the mind functions to bring it to pass. Then our physical body will get us to an interview and so on. The initiation is in the spirit and the soul and body combine to bring it to pass. However, we also must choose God's will instead of going by what we think or feel.
As a young man, I feared God's will. As I began to see God's love and wisdom, fear (an emotion) was replaced with trust. At that point, my spirit was less oppressed by my soul. Now I fear not having God's will. Every revelation that we receive weakens the influence of the soul and strengthens the spirit. This is how we come to maturity.
A word of caution. It is possible to have a revelation and not receive it. If we do not take it to heart, it will evaporate. It must become a part of us. Then we must live accordingly. Revelation is usually tested. This is to ensure that it really is revelation and not just a mental agreement with God's word.
"Seek and you shall find". This is a well known verse. God wants us to receive revelation because He wants mature believers who are efective in His kingdom work. Those who are ruled by their thoughts, feelings and self will are of little value. Those who have experienced the separation of soul and spirit are equipped to be workers in God's kingdom. There is no higher calling.
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