How is your soul? And how is your spirit? Which submits to the other?
At the start of this second warning in the letter the community of believers are encouraged by this ‘Pastor’ to listen to the voice of God and through a number of other instructions it ends with bringing us back to the voice through the word of God.
- Listen and obey His voice, 3:7-9.
- Know His ways, 3:10-11.
- Watch your heart, 3:12-15.
- Continue to move, 3:16-19.
- Move into His rest, 4:1-5.
- No works for righteousness, 4:6-11
- Take care of your soul, 4:12-13.
“For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart. 13 Nothing in all creation is hidden from God’s sight. Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of him to whom we must give account.” (Hebrews 4 v 12-13)
Look what the word of God accomplishes: it divides the soul and spirit.
On the cross Jesus cried out, “My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death.” (Matthew 26 v 38)
The 3 functions of our soul: the will, intellect and our emotions must be directed by our spirit which was created to be in direct contact with God.
In the order of God’s kingdom our souls direct our bodies but our spirit (which God constantly moves upon) masters our soul. This is why the Bible is essential to keep the order of God in our lives.
If I allow the primary focus of my life to be my soul (my will, intellect and emotions) then not only will that dominate my body but it will negatively impact my spirit (my contact with God).
Jesus reversed soulish living so that it is possible to be restored to the original kingdom order. But to do that his spirit, soul and body took a battering for us.
Jesus’ cry is an anticipation of 2 deaths. He knows the pain his body will go through but he is also anticipating being forsaken by God the Father. His spirit will soon lose contact with his beautiful union with God. The result is, “My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death …” The soul of Jesus was beginning to rule his life through grief, pain and hurt hours before he lost contact with God (his spirit) and his body killed.
He did that for us. Why?
So that our souls are submitted to our spirit and our spirit is in direct contact with God and we live as the nail-printed body of Christ in the world today.
And so that is the warning. Let us make sure the word of God continues to speak to us and let us be obedient to it so that we remain in His rest/in the finished work of Christ.
Missions Paul 