SICKNESS. (See HEALING)
SORROW (see COMFORT)
SOUL
Man is a three-part being (trichotomy is three parts, versus dichotomy, which is two parts): “your whole spirit and soul and body” (1 Thessalonians 5:23; see also Hebrews 4:12). Our “body” has its five senses—sight, hearing, touch, smell and taste—and relates to the physical world around us. Our “soul” refers to our mind, with our thoughts and the decisions we make with our will, and also to our “heart” and relates to other people. (In the Bible, the word “heart” most often refers to the seat of emotions, not the physical organ that pumps blood. Our heart is where we experience love, discouragement, anger, joy, and so on.) Our “spirit” was made to relate to God. Unfortunately, it was dead in sin from birth. “Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened [made alive] us together with Christ…” (Ephesians 2:5; see also v. 1). It is the universal problem of man that he has a “hole in his soul,” which can only be filled by God’s Spirit, who gives us the new birth: “That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit” (John 3:6).
When someone asks Christ to come into his “heart” or “soul” (Romans 10:8–10) and forgive his sins, God’s Spirit enters first into his soul and then into his spirit, which is dead, and gives it eternal life. When we receive the Holy Spirit into our spirit, we then, for the first time, can relate to God and truly call Him our Father. “For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father. The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God” (Romans 8:15–16).
SORROW (see COMFORT)
SOUL
Man is a three-part being (trichotomy is three parts, versus dichotomy, which is two parts): “your whole spirit and soul and body” (1 Thessalonians 5:23; see also Hebrews 4:12). Our “body” has its five senses—sight, hearing, touch, smell and taste—and relates to the physical world around us. Our “soul” refers to our mind, with our thoughts and the decisions we make with our will, and also to our “heart” and relates to other people. (In the Bible, the word “heart” most often refers to the seat of emotions, not the physical organ that pumps blood. Our heart is where we experience love, discouragement, anger, joy, and so on.) Our “spirit” was made to relate to God. Unfortunately, it was dead in sin from birth. “Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened [made alive] us together with Christ…” (Ephesians 2:5; see also v. 1). It is the universal problem of man that he has a “hole in his soul,” which can only be filled by God’s Spirit, who gives us the new birth: “That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit” (John 3:6).
When someone asks Christ to come into his “heart” or “soul” (Romans 10:8–10) and forgive his sins, God’s Spirit enters first into his soul and then into his spirit, which is dead, and gives it eternal life. When we receive the Holy Spirit into our spirit, we then, for the first time, can relate to God and truly call Him our Father. “For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father. The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God” (Romans 8:15–16).