Chapter 3
BODY, SOUL AND SPIRIT
By
The Man Who Saw God Face To Face
Raphael Okechukwu Nweze
INTRODUCTION
Every living human being has body, spirit and soul. The body and spirit are interdependent, but they do mix. Each needs the other in order to exist in the Physical Plane of life. There is a symbiotic relationship between the two.
THE BODY
In this world of earth, the body is not the real man. It is a garment or dress. You can as well call it a personal and mobile house for the spirit. The real man is spirit. That is why after creating the body, the body did not become a living being until God breathed into it. The breathe of God was spirit from God Head; the spirit became man. And Jesus testified that “the flesh is of no avail…” John 6:63. The flesh is nothing but corpse.
Unfortunately, majority of mankind perceive (see, understand) themselves as human flesh instead of spirit which indwells the human flesh. The belief that man is flesh is a serious problem, because it hinders man from growing spiritually. Only very few who are lucky to understand that man is spirit benefit therefrom. It is a law of spirituality that what you get is exactly according to your faith. This faith works best when it is based on knowledge (Truth).
Now, you have to remark this fact. All the while, from your childhood to the present, you have regarded yourself as being a human flesh. Therefore, nature has been treating you according to your beliefs. Henceforth, know it that you are a spirit in a human dress. You are a spirit! That is the great awakening. That is one difference between the ignorant and the mystics.
Your belief is a key.
It either opens the door for you,
or locks you out.
Hence, those who are excluded,
exclude themselves.
THE SPIRIT
Spirit is life. The same spirit is light. A light can appear and disappear. Spirit is light, and that is why spirit can appear or disappear.
There are different spiritual bodies. One for the plants. Another for the animals. A different type for mankind. There is a spirit body for the Angels, and another one for the Archangels.
Several Bible quotations will help you understand what you are. It is high time you stopped seeing yourself as an ordinary human being (flesh), sinful and worthless. Ask yourself “Will God, who is perfect, make a sinful and worthless being?” It is not possible, and it is not necessary.
Henceforth, begin to see yourself differently: as a child of God, endowed with power, glory, intelligence, riches and greatness. Your shortcomings do not disqualify you. They only serve as indications that you are growing, and are the steps to mastery.
THE SOUL
Some have defined the spirit as if it is the soul, while some defined the soul as if it is the spirit.
Every person, - each human being - is a spirit wearing about seven different bodies. The soul is the first body of the spirit self. For the time being, regard it as the personal essence and the seat of consciousness. The soul is to the spirit body what the heart is to the body. Yet, it is equally present in every part of the body and spirit. It is the soul that experiences whatever you encounter, whether it is joy or bitterness, love or hatred; freedom or bondage etc. Wherever the soul is, there your heart is; and wherever your heart is, there you are! That was why Jesus advised,
Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal: But lay up for yourselves treasures in Heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal: For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also. Matthew. 6:19-21
More over, wherever you heart is,
there yourself is present.
A living soul means a separate spirit from God and exactly like God. It is not the whole God, but only a small part of God. A living soul, also, means that the soul has life, authority and power, just as God is life and has authority and power. That explains why God calls His sons “mighty”, while Himself is Almighty.
THE MEANING OF DEATH
The living soul is life and it does not die. It is indestructible. What people call death is not actually death. It is simply a separation of the body from the living soul (spirit). When the separation takes the place, the body becomes inactive because it cannot live or operate itself. Then the soul or spirit returns to its source, God. Jesus explained the same in John 6:63,
63 The Spirit gives life; the flesh counts for nothing. The words I have spoken to you are spirit and they are life. John 6:62-64