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And the man became a living being (soul),
Genesis 2:7
Mankind is unique, being the only creature to possess a soul.
Angels are spirits yet they do not have a soul.
Animals physical bodies but again do not have a soul.
The word "soul" is mentioned over 450 times in the Bible.
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.
2 Thessalonians 5:23
Only man is made in three parts, of which the soul is largely considered as the second portion of a person. We generally declare each part in this manner: body, soul, spirit.
Your soul is the person that you are. Where the body is the shell that allows us to operate in the physical world, the earthsuit, if you will, the soul is literally "us."
We get the inkling that this is true when we feel as if we are watching a movie when something happens to our body. There is a part of us that is watching from another place, or inside, of our shell.
The soul is the sub-divided into three parts: the mind, the will, and the emotions.
How long shall I take counsel in my soul,
Psalm 13:2
The mind is the part of the soul where we reason, ponder, consider, and process knowledge. It is different than the brain as the brain is the physical organ, where the mind is the processor. Where the brain references the physical part of us, the mind is an indicator of the soul.
So that my soul chooses strangling
And death rather than my body.
Job 7:15
The will is where we make choices. We can reason about our options in the mind, but the mind can be overridden as is pointed to in the phrase, "willful" ignorance. This represents a purposeful veering away from what is known. We ignore the knowledge known and choose to go a different path. That is a willful ignorance.
My soul refuses to touch them;
They are as loathsome food to me.
Job 6:7
A child can be said to be "willful," which is that he or she is stubborn. They know the right way but refuse to walk in it.
The part of the soul that loves, hates, finds compassion, gets excited, and deals with depression is its emotions. Desire, grief, happiness are all emotions that are generated within our soul.
Therefore, our soul is the combination of the mind (reason), will (choice), and emotions. The phrase, "I think, therefore I am," is reflected int he idea that we become as we as process in our soul. It is here that we laugh and cry. The soul of a person is what gives commands for action to the body to interact with a physical world.
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.
Hebrews 4:12
Many Christians confuse the characteristics of the soul with those of the spirit. The two are vastly different but for those of us living in a material world, we find it difficult it comprehend the difference between the two.
The soul maintains awareness between our natural minds and this world, through the five physical senses.
The soul can also process interaction with the spiritual realm, God, devils, and angels but only as our spirit sends us that information.
This leads us to an important point. The soul can process information that he spirit sends us.
The Value of the Soul
The soul is the existence of who we are. It is our personality. It is our person.
For what profit is it to a man
if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul?
Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul?
Matthew 16:26
Jesus said that the soul is worth more than all the world.
There is no amount of wealth in all of creation, the physical world, that is equal to exchange for one's eternal soul. This is why Jesus came to offer Himself, a Person from outside of this realm, as a ransom. He came to save out soul. He came to save us.
The soul's value can also be measured by its eternal quality.
It will never die but live forever in the presence ofd the Lord or int he burning torment of the Lake of Fire.
It's worth is also calculated in the devil's interest in it.
We have a phrase in our culture called selling our soul to the devil."
It is based upon the tale of Faust, often called the Faustian deal.
It implies high stakes gambling where a risky bargain goes terribly wrong.
Faust is highly successful yet dissatisfied with his life, which leads him to make a pact with the Devil at a crossroads, exchanging his soul for unlimited knowledge and worldly pleasures.
We often hear tales of celebrities selling their souls to the devil to gain wealth, fame, and power.
If one makes a deal with the devil for their very own soul, the blood of Christ is a more powerful covenant with the power to undo previous agreements with unscrupulous benefactors.
Jesus came to save our soul.
Next Post: #5: Man's Unlimited Spirit
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