SPIRIT / SOUL / BODY
The process of WHOLENESS or restoration and healing within a person’s life begins by first identifying which part of the human being requires attention. To better diagnose a person we must first locate where the renewing must take place.
‘Man’ is a TRI-UNE BEING and there are three parts to his/her being. ‘Man’ is a SPIRIT first created by God. Secondly ‘man’ has a ‘SOUL’ which is made up of the MIND, WILL & EMOTIONS. Both the SPIRIT and the SOUL are housed in a BODY which is the physical flesh.
The SPIRIT and SOUL are eternal and will live forever however the BODY will eventually die and decay away but in heaven ‘man’ receives a new ‘GLORIFIED BODY’ which can not die, get sick but is eternal.
The Bible is clear about God’s desire to see you made WHOLE.
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.
1 THESSALONIANS 5:23
SPIRIT
Made whole and complete when a person is Born Again. A person’s spirit is quickened by God and a relationship with Him is restored when a person is Born Again. The first step of repentance may involve the deliverance of any demonic spirits that maybe afflicting a person’s spirit and soul.
BODY
Made whole and healed through prayer, anointing of oil, and communion. A person’s body is made whole through a variety of means including good nutrition, exercise, and other natural means of caring for one’s self. As Christians, our body is now a ‘temple’ for the Holy Spirit to dwell in and the onus is on the individual to look after their temple. 1 Corinthians 6:19 ‘Or do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you’.
SOUL
Made whole through meditation on God’s Word, prayer, and deliverance. The area of the soul usually requires the most attention. The soul is made up of the mind, will, and emotions.
MIND This is what you think about and dwell on most of the time.
WILL This is your ability to choose and make decisions about your life.
EMOTIONS This is how you feel and interact with others on a personal level.
HOW TO RENEW THE SOUL
The Bible clearly tells us in Proverbs 23:7 ‘For as he thinks in his heart, so is he.’ In other words, the thoughts which plague our soul will usually govern our being. When a person is Born Again they have right standing with God and are now considered to be Children of God loved by our Father in Heaven however even though they are ‘saved’ they can still be UNRENEWED IN THE MIND.
The Bible says in Romans 12:2 ‘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.’
A person’s WILL and EMOTIONS are closely intertwined with the MIND of a person. Renew the mind and much of a person’s WILL and importantly their EMOTIONS will be renewed and healed.
The process of renewing the mind takes time, discipline, focus, and courage. It is not something that happens overnight but with commitment and resolve over time you will find that God’s Word has the power to restore. There is a powerful scripture in Hebrews 4:12 which explains this. ‘For the Word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.’
Negative thoughts, evil thoughts, unclean thoughts, confusion, anxiety can all be removed by the power of prayer and God’s Word.
2 Corinthians 10:4-5 “For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds, casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ.”
You take ‘captive’ thoughts by confronting the thoughts through prayer. For example when a negative thought comes into your mind quickly confront it by saying ‘In the Name of Jesus I bind this evil thought and bring it under the Blood of Jesus Christ.’
Remember, you can not control the first thought that comes into your mind but you can control the second thought. You can easily dismiss the first thought but it’s much harder if you begin to entertain the first thought and this can spiral into sin very quickly. This is how depression occurs when anxiety becomes a stronghold in a person’s life. Dismiss thoughts quickly before they take hold in your life.
ESTABLISHED SET OF BELIEFS
Did you know that what causes you to THINK, ACT, and SPEAK is your ESTABLISHED SET OF BELIEFS? Your Established Set of Beliefs is like the hard drive of a computer as it causes the computer to function a certain way. You simply put in the software and the computer’s hard drive will do the rest.
There are 3 important things that go towards forming your Established Set of Beliefs.
- PEOPLE Beginning with parents, teachers, family, friends, coaches, relationships etc.
- EXPERIENCES Good, bad, and indifferent with negative ones causing the most damage for instance; accidents, trauma, loss, sickness, divorce, and failures, etc.
- TEACHING Whatever educates you to think and act in a certain way.
Now for most people, these three areas will be more positive, edifying, and good but it’s the negative, painful and abusive People, Experiences, and Teaching that cause the most damage and harm to a person’s established set of beliefs. This in turn affects the way you THINK, ACT, and SPEAK.
Wholeness in the Established Set of Beliefs requires renewing. A complete transformation is necessary, It’s no different than erasing the contents of a file and replacing it with a new one. Once again God’s Word and prayer are vital tools in helping a person be healed in this area of their lives. As a Born Again Christian it’s now time to surround yourself with the right PEOPLE, being more watchful, wise, and careful with EXPERIENCES and ensure that you only allow solid Biblical or positive life building instructions into your life.
