This is perhaps one of these most important foundational principles of life. Grasp this truth, understand it fully, and life makes sense. It has implications into every, without fail, every aspect of life.
Mankind is made in hte image of God. We are not animals as evolutionists claim. We are not so ply higher evolution, more advanced. We are fundamentally different. The whole theory of evolution destroys this truth and leads into misunderstanding about human nature itself. Man is different from all animals, designed to rule over there earth, then animal kingdom, and community directly with God.
Just like God is a 3 part godhead (father, son, holy ghost) we are a 3 part being. We have corresponding components to God's 3. We are body, soul, and spirit.
The body is obvious. It is there physical and biological part of man. This includes the body itself, the physical part of the brain and the 5 senses. Instinct, cravings, physical drives like hunger, sex, self preservation, physical addictions, all reside in the body. The Bible refers to this as 'THE FLESH' or "carnal man". This is the component that all animals possess. The brain itself reacts to environment in rudimentary and instinctive ways, animalistic. The body is made temporary, subject to decay and disease in this world since the fall.
The spirit is the innermost part of man. The heart, the inner drive, the subconscience. The spirit has no physical component, it is ethereal in nature, like God's spirit. It is not bound by physical laws. The heart, put simply, is "who you are" it defines and controls your overall disposition and function. It holds your conscience that reprimand and commends you for good and bad by its own definition. The spirit is made to be eternal and live with God.
The soul is the intersection of body and spirit. It is composed of part physical part spiritual. It is basically the mind, will, and emotions. These things that are not purely physical and not purely spiritual. The soul is what makes you distinct in this world, and distinct from animals. It is what appreciates art, kindness, social order, self sacrifice, etc. The part of man that transcends Instinct and animalistic behavior.
The easiest way to envision this is a graphic of 3 circles, outside is body, inside is spirit, and middle is soul.
The proper way to think of a human is :
We are a spirit
That has a soul
And lives in a body
That has a soul
And lives in a body
Grasp that, and you have the meaning of life. All makes sense in this understanding.
At salvation, our spirit is made alive, one with God. Our soul starts to be molded to be like God, and our body is how we interact with the world.
At death, our body ceases to exist, returning to the dust it came from, our spirit goes on to paradise or hades to await final judgement, our soul sleeps, awaiting our day to be raised and United with our spirit in an new body to stand final judgement.
Addictions can live in the body, or the soul.
Who we are is defined by our spirit, what we do is controlled by our soul, how we interact is in our body.
Man can and often is in battle with himself, his body warring against his spirit, the battleground is the soul. We feel remorse for bad actions and decisions, when the body wins with its self serving desires. We achieve culture, refinement, beauty, when we let our spirit drive us to live beyond the physical nature, a place animals can not go.
Dive deep into this one. It is the basis of life. Until this is understood well, the Bible seems contradictory and disjointed. With this, all is clear.
You are a spirit, that has a soul and lives in a body.
