Meditation March 2024 – Knowing the Difference Between the Soul and the Spirit
Most Christians never figure out the difference between the soul and the spirit – two vital parts of their make-up; therefore, they live in a very soulical realm and think that they are making spiritual decisions. The Word of God is the only thing sharp enough to discern and divide between our soul and our spirit.
For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. (Hebrews 4:12)
Some people have come to me saying that God spoke to them to do a specific thing, but the next week these same people come back again, saying that God told them to do something totally opposite. One day He has them running down the right baseline and the next day He has them running down the left baseline. On the contrary, God’s Word is “Yea” and “Amen.” (II Corinthians 1:20) It is not “Yea” and “Nay.” (II Corinthians 1:18-19) If God said to run down the right baseline, He wants us to run down the right baseline. He doesn’t change His mind from week to week. But, if we are living in our soulical realm – our minds, our wills, and our emotions – we won’t know the difference between what God is saying and our own thoughts. I believe that most Christians live in the soulical realm – not knowing the difference between the Spirit of God and their human spirits. In that case, they are driven by their minds, wills, and emotions. We are told repeatedly in the scripture that every knee will bow, with the implication that everyone will eventually surrender his free will to God – either willingly or through force. (Isaiah 45:23, Romans 14:11, Philippians 2:10) To be able to willingly surrender, we must first recognize our human will and, therefore, be able to discern between the spirit and the soul.
If we are going to mature into the full stature of Jesus Christ, one of the foundational principles we must learn is the difference between the soul and the spirit, so that we can begin to live according to our spirits and renew our minds through our spirits.