THE SPIRIT AND THE SOUL

The Hebrew word translated "soul" means a breathing creature, one in which life is present, whether physical life or mental life. The Greek word in the New Testament is similar. In its most basic sense, the word "soul" means "life," either physical or eternal.

While the two words are often used interchangeably, the primary distinction between soul and spirit in man is that the soul is the animate life, or the seat of the senses, desires, affections, and appetites. The spirit is that part of us that connects, or refuses to connect, to God. Our spirits relate to His Spirit, either accepting His promptings and conviction, thereby proving that we belong to Him or resisting Him and proving that we do not have spiritual life.

The spirit moves in our soul, making it more mobile and pliable. Through our spirit, we can change, releasing ourselves from past patterns that hold us back. Those who allow this movement of the spirit within their soul are usually more content with life, more inspiring, accepting change and changing themselves to meet the future.

The spiritual part of believers in Yeshua Messiah is that which responds to the things that come from the Spirit of God, understanding and discerning them spiritually. The spiritually dead perceive the things of the Spirit to be "foolishness" because, in his spiritually dead conditions, he does not have the ability to discern the things of the Spirit. The spirit is that part of us that is enabled by God to know and worship Him, the part of humanity that "connects" with God, who Himself is Spirit.