OUR BODIES ARE THE TEMPLE OF GOD…
The body is the outer court, seen by all. It is here that man should obey all of God’s commandments. It is also here that Jesus died for man.
Further in is man’s soul, and this is the inward life of a man, it includes his feelings (emotions), will, and mind (intellect).
Further in, unreachable by human light, invisible to human eyes, which is “the secret place of the Most High” (Psalm 91:1).
THE BODY AS A TEMPLE
The body is the “world consciousness”, the soul is the “self-consciousness,” and the spirit is “God’s consciousness”.
The body has five organs which are our senses.
This physical body enables man to communicate with the physical world. The soul communicates with the outside world through the body and communicates with the spiritual realm through the spirit. The soul has the power of self-determination and can make decisions, it can choose or reject the things around us.
The body can also become living after the spirit is regenerated because of the Holy Spirit that lives within us and wants to give us life in our bodies. So even though our bodies are headed for the tomb, the body is needed for its strength, and we should use the body to supply the needs of the spiritual life without giving in to the desires of the flesh. Our bodies are privileged to receive life through the Holy Spirit that dwells within us.
If the body wants to live then the practices of the flesh must first die, those things that are not Godly or beneficial. Power from the Holy Spirit for our bodies is so that we live for HIM! Renewed minds permit the Holy Spirit to bring us into a deeper relationship with Him. This we make wiser choices and have the ability t die to self and live for Him with will become more desirable.
Let us look at the following scriptures.
1 Thessalonians 5:23 Now may the God of peace himself sanctify you completely, and may your whole spirit and soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.
1Corinthians 6:12-20
“All things are lawful for me,” but not all things are helpful. “All things are lawful for me,” but I will not be dominated by anything. “Food is meant for the stomach and the stomach for food”—and God will destroy both one and the other. The body is not meant for sexual immorality, but for the Lord, and the Lord for the body. And God raised the Lord and will also raise us up by his power. Do you not know that your bodies are members of Christ? Shall I then take the members of Christ and make them members of a prostitute? Never! Or do you not know that he who is joined to a prostitute becomes one body with her? For, as it is written, “The two will become one flesh.” But he who is joined to the Lord becomes one spirit with him. Flee from sexual immorality. Every other sin a person commits is outside the body, but the sexually immoral person sins against his own body.
Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body.
THE SOUL FUNCTIONS
The soul contains the part of man know as his intelligence, which makes his existence possible. Here in lies the emotions, for example, the affections towards others. This soul forms the personality of the man. The spirit part is the part that communicates with God, worships Him, serves Him, and understand the relationship that he has with God.
In additions the spirit is where man can communicate with God, man also has a soul. This is where his own consciousness lies, man is conscious of his own existence, because of his soul. This organ is his personality, his intellect, mind, ideals, love, stimulations, judgment, will, and everything else are all parts of the soul.
The three main elements that are included in a man’s personality is his will, his mind, and his emotions. All of these make up the man’s character and belong to his soul.
Soul/Will
The will is the deliberating organ where the power of judgment lies. It makes decisions on yes or no, like and dislikes, accepts, or rejects, etc. Without the will of man, man would be a machine. The renewal of the mind affects the will causing one to submit his will to the will of God.
Soul/Mind
The mind is the intelligence, knowledge, and mental capacity come from this organ. Without the mind, man would be a foolish and foolhardy person.
Romans 12:2 Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.
Psalms 13:2 How long must I take counsel in my soul and have sorrow in my heart all the day? How long shall my enemy be exalted over me?
Soul/Emotion
The emotions are love, hatred, sentiments, joy, anger, sorrow, and happiness. Without the emotions we would be as happy as a rock, like wood and stone.
Deuteronomy 6:5 You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might.
We are to use the strength in our emotions wisely.
Before renewal of the mind, we lived according to the soul’s desire of self-protection, self-preservation, and self-dependence.
THE SPIRIT AS IT FUNCTIONS
Man’s spirit is composed of three parts or functions. These are man’s conscience, intuition, and fellowship with God.
For those that are regenerated (born again) it is important that believers know that they have a spirit. All communications between God and man lie within his spirit, he will not know how to fellowship with God “in spirit and in truth” without a regenerated (salvation) spirit and a renewed mind.
John 4:23 But the hour is coming, and is now here, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for the Father is seeking such people to worship him.
Conscience
The conscience is the discerner, not influenced by knowledge of the mind, it is a spontaneous, and direct judgment. Many times, the conscience will condemn what reason accepts. When we make a mistake in conduct, our conscience takes us to task.
Intuition
The spirit’s intuition is not dependent on anything, it does not need the help of the mind, emotion or will. Through intuition man can truly “know” something, while his mind can only help him “understand” it.
Fellowship with God
The mind, the emotion, and the will of the soul cannot worship God, for they are not what God communicates with. Communications with God and worship to God, is known directly through the spirit, that is through the “inner man”, and not through the soul of outward man.
The conscience, the intuition, and the fellowship are integrated together and are related to one another in their work the conscience is linked to the intuition to judge according to the intuition.
Those without salvation still have a spirit that contains conscience, intuition, and fellowship, but with whom do they fellowship? Of course, evil spirits, the world, self, and even “good” people are isolated from God and dead in their transgressions.
The spirit of the unsaved seems to do the same work as the soul.
These are the functions of the spirit of an unregenerate person, and the functions of the soul. The spirits of these are affected by the mind (not renewed), but a man does not lose the organ of his spirit just because the soul has taken control.