Dealing With The Soul

THE DAILY WORD
By Jim Seekamp

Monday June 9, 2008

1 Thessalonians 5:23 (NIV)
23. May God himself, the God of peace, sanctify you through and through. May your whole SPIRIT, SOUL and BODY be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.

We have established the fact that the spirit and the soul are separate; they are not the same thing. According to Hebrews 4:12, they can be divided:

Hebrews 4:12 (NIV)
For the word of God is living 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.

We have established that the new birth happens in the spirit of man, changing his nature.

But what about the soul? What is it?

James, writing to BELIEVERS, talks about how they can "save their souls":

James 1:21 (KJV)
Wherefore lay apart all filthiness and superfluity of naughtiness, and receive with meekness the engrafted word, which is able to save your souls.

According to this verse, the born again Christian, who is saved and headed to Heaven, still needs to have his "soul saved" !

The way the believer is supposed to get his soul saved is by receiving with meekness "the engrafted word" ! James 1:21 sounds extremely similar to Romans 12:2 :

Romans 12:2 (NIV)
Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is--his good, pleasing and perfect will.

The saving of the soul = the renewing of the mind. We are "transformed" by the renewing of our MINDS. That transformation has to do with how we think and the way we act, and that is the "salvation of the soul" for a Christian.

Paul also talks about this in Ephesians:

Ephesians 4:22-24 (NIV)
22. You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires; 23. to be made new in the attitude of your minds; 24. and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness.

Once again, it is important to note than this letter was written to BELIEVERS! They were already born again, and already HAD the "new self" (born again spirit). But they are told to "put on" the "new self", to be made new in THE ATTITUDE OF THEIR MINDS!!

These three sets of verses are saying basically the same thing.

1. Receive with meekness the engrafted word which is able to save your soul. (James 1:21)
2. Be transformed by the renewing of your mind. (Romans 12:2)
3. Be made new in the attitude of your mind, "putting on" the new self.

It is clear that our mind, and our attitude (which would include emotions), are both included in the believers "soul". And the soul "gets saved" by receiving with meekness the engrafted Word of God, thus renewing our minds.

So when we get saved (born again), we still need to deal with our unrenewed minds!

PRAYER
Thank You Father for Your life-giving Word. Thank You for sending Jesus Christ to save me by His work at the cross. Thank You for making me a new creation in Christ Jesus. Help me to "put on" the "new self" by receiving with meekness Your Engrafted Word, thus renewing my mind.
In Jesus' Name, Amen.

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