Wednesday, February 13, 2013

February 14, 2013

"the Lord God formed the man from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living being." Genesis 2:7
 
Nowadays the word "soul" is often attached to a type of food or a genre of music.
 
While I have no problem with either of those and like both, it is deeply troubling that our understanding of the soul is so limited and lacking.
 
How can you fully appreciate the significance of salvation and the demand for discipleship until you capture the concept of the soul?
 
You can't, so you'd better!
 
In yesterday's post I shared the OT word for "soul". In the New Testament, the Greek word for "soul" is transliterated as "psuche" or "psyche." We will use "psuche". This word occurs over 100 times in the New Testament. Combine the OT and NT references and you will find 850 "soul" scriptures.
 
Add to that number the other synonyms used in conjunction with the soul. Consider:
 
"Heart" is synonymous with soul and refers to the seat and source of your emotions. Your "heart"  is where you set your desires. (Luke 10:27)
 
"Mind" refers to the bias that forms your thoughts and your attitudes. Your "mind" includes your assumptions and your predispositions. You could say it is the "mind behind your mind."
(Colossians 3:2; Romans 12:1-2; Luke 10:27)
 
"Spirit" is the image of God within you. It is what gives life to your soul. It is where God desires to dwell and rule.
 
Your soul (heart, mind and spirit) is the core of your being and the essential you. Your soul is what forms at the instant of conception and endures eternally. The destination of your soul depends on the decisions you make during life. It is your soul that slips into eternity at the moment your body dies.
 
Jesus, as you would expect, posed the most poignant question in regard to the soul when He challenged, " For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul." Mark 8:36
 
How is it with your soul?