This is the fifth article in a series entitled Wonderful Counseling. I sometimes use other names for this ministry, such as Personal Prayer Ministry and Biblical Healing and Deliverance. The adjective "wonderful" is used because Jesus is the "wonderful Counselor" of Isaiah 9:6. This ministry attempts to make room for Jesus to personally counsel people by means of the indwelling Holy Spirit, with the human ministers acting as facilitators. This makes it different from most counseling. It is highly effective at teaching the recipient how to hear the voice of the Spirit and to receive his life giving words.
God created Adam in a most amazing and instructive way. The Bible says:
The Lord God formed the man from the soil of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living being. Genesis 2:7 (NET1)
The word for “breath” in Hebrew and Greek also means “wind” or “spirit” in both languages. When God breathed the spirit of life into the inert body an amazing thing happened. The union of spirit and body produced a living being or, literally, a “soul”. The New Testament confirms this tripartite composition of humans.
Now may the God of peace himself make you completely holy and may your spirit and soul and body be kept entirely blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. 1 Thessalonians 5:23 (NET1)
Some theologians think that there is practically no difference between spirit and soul, limiting mankind to two parts, but Paul used three distinct words. The writer of Hebrews also distinguished between soul and spirit.
For the word of God is living and active and sharper than any double-edged sword, piercing even to the point of dividing soul from spirit, and joints from marrow; it is able to judge the desires and thoughts of the heart. Hebrews 4:12 (NET1)
Though it is difficult for us to determine where the dividing line separating spirit and soul begins and ends, we must make the distinction if we are going to understand not only how God made us but also how he saved, saves, and will save us.
God made us in His image and has clearly revealed Himself in the Scriptures to be a Trinity – three persons in one being. This is a mystery that is impossible for us to completely comprehend at this point, but one that must be accepted, if we want to know the God of the Bible as He has revealed Himself to us. It should not be surprising to us then that we are also a trinity of a different sort. I am one person made up of a body, a soul and a spirit.
As you may have guessed, this is not mere esoteric theology. There are practical reasons we need to understand that we are tripartite beings. God’s great salvation in Christ covers every part of our being. I will show why this is important in the following paragraphs and articles. This article focuses on the spirit.
Salvation of the Spirit
The first, and arguably the most important, aspect of our salvation is associated with the spirit. It is specific to the spirit and was accomplished by Christ in the historical past, once and for all time. It is a finished work to which nothing can be added or subtracted. Through the new birth this salvation becomes part of my personal history and experience. It makes me completely righteous in God’s eyes forever. The Bible calls this justification.
But when this priest had offered one sacrifice for sins for all time, he sat down at the right hand of God, 13 where he is now waiting until his enemies are made a footstool for his feet. 14 For by one offering he has perfected for all time those who are made holy. Hebrews 10:12-14 (NET1)
I am condensing a large amount of theology into a few sentences, but this article is an overview. I encourage you to take time to explore each concept. (Here is a more detailed article on the subject of justification, in case you want to go deeper.)
Speaking of the new birth, Jesus taught us:
What is born of the flesh is flesh, and what is born of the Spirit is spirit. John 3:6 (NET1)
When we become followers of Christ through trusting in the finished work of Christ and by declaring allegiance to the risen Lord, our spirits are reborn. Jesus, the second Adam, is a life giving spirit. (1 Corinthians 15:45) The spirit is the innermost part of our being, the part that is capable of connecting directly with God. It is the hidden part of a person where intuition dwells and which is capable of knowing God through revelation. It is the place where our spirits are united with God’s Spirit in the mystery of the new birth.
But the one united with the Lord is one spirit with him. 1 Corinthians 6:17 (NET1) God wanted to make known to them the glorious riches of this mystery among the Gentiles, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory. Colossians 1:27 (NET1)
Through justification, our spirits are made completely righteous. It is the one area of our being that is already completely saved.
This is what some people call “past salvation”. When Jesus said, “It is finished,” as he hung upon the cross, he saw things through God’s eyes. God is outside of and not bound by time. He rightly sees our salvation as already completed; although, to us, who are bound by time to a great extent, we are still very much in process. It is important, however, for us to grasp that our spirits are already saved. Otherwise, many scripture verses will not make sense to us.
For example, take Romans, Chapter Seven, when Paul states:
For I delight in the law of God in my inner being. 23 But I see a different law in my members waging war against the law of my mind and making me captive to the law of sin that is in my members. 24 Wretched man that I am! Who will rescue me from this body of death? 25 Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, I myself serve the law of God with my mind, but with my flesh I serve the law of sin. Romans 7:22-25 (NET1)
Why is this important? When John wrote that we can know that we have eternal life (1 John 5:13), he meant that our right standing before God is a “done deal.” It is based on the finished work of Christ.
We do not have to “do” anything to gain or maintain a right relationship with God. Jesus earned it for us. This should produce a deep rest in our hearts. It transforms our service to God from being an attempt to gain his favor into a service motivated by gratitude and love.
If we are convinced from the Word of God that Jesus already made us right with God, we will have great confidence when we approach God in prayer seeking his help, healing, and deliverance. We have permanent access to God’s presence and his unlimited resources because we are beloved children.
For through him [Christ] we both have access in one Spirit to the Father. Ephesians 2:18 (ESV) Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need. Hebrews 4:16 (ESV)
