Focus Scripture: 1 Thessalonians 5:23–24 (NKJV)
“Now may the God of peace Himself sanctify you completely; and may your whole spirit, soul, and body be preserved blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. He who calls you is faithful, who also will do it.”
Introduction
Introduction
Now, there’s only one book in the world that tells humans what we are, and that one book is our Bible. Only in the New Testament are we told of our total composition. We are spirit, we have a soul, and we live in a body. Each component has its principal function. The spirit is to enable us to communicate with God. The soul contains our mind, will, consciousness, and emotions—things that give us our unique personalities. And the body is the temple that the spirit and the soul live in.
The spirit and the soul are inseparable, and they are so closely connected that they are often referred to interchangeably. There is only one thing that can separate the spirit and the soul, and that is the Word of God.
The Word That Divides Soul and Spirit
Hebrews 4:12 (KJV)
“For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged 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.”
Even though the soul and the spirit are inseparable, the Word of God is able to reach them individually. Soul and spirit are the non-physical parts of a being, while the joints and marrow are the physical parts. The Word of God is so powerful that it can impact both the physical and non-physical parts of our being—our whole being.
The Shift Begins in the Spirit
Last week I spoke about the shift that must take place in our spirit before we can experience a shift in our soul. When the Word of God quickens our spirit and we accept Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior, through the measure God gives each of us, the Holy Spirit attaches Himself to our spirit, and then the shift in the soul begins.
With the new information that the Holy Spirit provides, transformation begins and will continue until the spirit and the soul are separated from the body through death or the rapture, whichever comes first. And we know for most of us, we want the rapture to come first.
Renewed Minds and Ongoing Transformation
In order to act differently, we have to think differently. The Spirit of God uses the Word of God to renew our minds.
Romans 12:2 (NKJV)
“And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.”
Transformation takes place in our souls, and it is necessary if we are to know the perfect will of God. But it is not just knowing God’s perfect will—it is knowing with the intent of doing that will. And you know what? We determine the rate of our transformation. The more we submit to the Holy Spirit, the more we grow spiritually. And that internal change is then manifested in our actions.
2 Corinthians 3:18 (NKJV)
“But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord.”
With salvation, we are regenerated instantaneously, but transformation is an ongoing process. It is the Holy Spirit working in us that makes us more and more like our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. That is not to look like Him physically, but to act like Him. This requires a constant shift in our souls, since our minds have to be continually renewed.
Realigning Our Priorities
We, for the most part, give more attention to the least important part of our being—our bodies. We give our bodies more attention than any other part of our being. If I give my soul as much attention as I give my body, my transformation will accelerate. Would that be the same for you?
Well, we can start realigning our priorities so that our spirit and soul receive more attention than our body. Then the image of Jesus will be reflected more and more in us for others, especially unbelievers, to see.
1 Thessalonians 5:23 (NKJV)
“Now may the God of peace Himself sanctify you completely; and may your whole spirit, soul, and body be preserved blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.”
Our attention should be given to the spirit first, the soul second, and the body last. Make the shift needed to reflect that order of priority, so that the God of peace Himself can sanctify you completely.
Prayer
Father, we thank You for this brief word of encouragement—what You want us to do in order for You to transform us and mold us and conform us to Your will. We need to submit to You fully. We need to pay special attention to the spiritual parts that influence our physical parts. So I pray that we would get our priorities in order so that You can make us the people You want us to be, and for us to be light in this dark world and salt that needs to flavor this world for God, that You can use us for Your honor and glory wherever we are.
We thank You for this word, and we thank You also that we can bring all our concerns and all our prayer requests to You—not to a throne of condemnation and punishment, but to a mercy seat with confidence. So hear and answer prayers, in Jesus’ name I pray with thanksgiving. Amen, amen.