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Does the soul die?
Can the soul be separated from the spirit?
What happens after death?
Do the dead dream?
What is the difference between spirit and soul? 1 Thes 5:23 May the God of peace Himself purify you completely; and may your whole spirit, soul, and body be preserved blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Above is the only time spirit, soul and body are mentioned in the same verse. It is a common theme throughout the Bible, Heb 4:12. We can see and touch our body. The spirit and soul are invisible. God says we do have spirit and soul. What is the difference?
Where are the spirit and soul located?
The location of the soul and spirit in the body is not known. Philosophers, theologians, and other folks have debated and researched the subject of man, spirit and soul for thousands of years, without a conclusion. God created all things, and He tells us that not all things are to be known now. In heaven we will know 1 Cor 13:12.
The Soul
What is a soul? The soul is invisible and best described as our breathing, will, appetite or desires, likes, dislikes (mind capable of decision making/ learning), emotions. These traits are developed as we grow from childhood into adults. The soul is our personality and character. These capabilities mixed with our environment form our character and personalities.
Do animals and plants have a soul?
Animals know that the spirit world exists. Many of us have seen our pets or heard of animals with seemingly unexplained sensitivities. In the bible a donkey sees an angel; the man did not Numbers 22:21-33. God even caused the same donkey to speak 2 Pet 2:16. Studies have shown plants have learning, memory, decision-making, and intelligence just like in animals. Plants are conscious of their environment, even responding negatively or positively to human voice or contact, music, smells, etc. There is no scripture that says animals do or don’t have a soul. God made animals from dust and dust, they will return. Animals do not have a spirit and it is the spirit that returns to God, Ecc 12:7.
The Spirit
What is the spirit man? God created man in His likeness? The spirit is invisible and eternal. Like God our spirit man has intelligence, emotions, will, mind, appetite or desires, love, hate, decision making of God Himself. The spirit has all the character traits of God: love, joy, peace, righteousness, long-suffering, etc, Gal 5:22-23. In the garden the Adams soul communicated with his spirit, he recieved knowledge from his spirit man. Adam was a “living soul” 1 Corinthians 15:45. Adam walked and lived according to his spirit. The spirit is life, “the body without the spirit is dead” Jam 2:26. After the fall God cutoff mankind; mans soul could no longer commune with the Spirit.
See what happened to man in the next message “The Fall“.
Man’s soul is eternal
Jesus makes it clear the soul is eternal. The bible says many times that the soul of man is eternal. Jesus shows the choices we make now determine our eternity, Mar 9:43-48.
Mat 25:46 “These will go into eternal punishment. The righteous into eternal life“. Some say a righteous and loving God cannot send most people to eternal damnation. The scripture repeatedly says differently. The door to heaven is narrow and the road is constricted Mat 7:14. God, for sure, will be sending many to eternal punishment and bring others to Himself Mat 7:21-23.
Dividing Soul from body and Spirit from soul
God can separate the soul from the spirit, and soul from the body. The bible says as Rachel was dying in childbirth, her soul was “departing” her body Gen 35:18. Solomon says in Ecc 12:7 “mans spirit returns to God”. The spirit is life; all spirits belong to God. The soul of man either goes to heaven or hell. God told to Noah, His spirit will not stay forever with man his lifespan will be 120 years Gen 6:3.
Death is like being asleep
“Many of those who sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt” Dan 12:2.
Jesus, Paul, Daniel, and others tell us the body returns to dust from where it came, and the soul enters a sleep state. Solomon says like a sleeping person, the dead have no knowledge, Ecc 9:5. In his description of the rapture, Apostle Paul compares believers who have died as being asleep, 1 Thes 4:13-18.
Sleep or Dream
Sleeping folks, have no knowledge of what’s going on around them. The bible compares death to sleep. Do we dream? Paul describes a believer’s death as being “absent from the body is to be present with the Lord” 2 Cor 5:8. Jesus gives us a parable describing the dead believers’ and unbelievers’ being in a dreamlike state. Luke 16:20-31. After death, will be as if we were asleep.
After death a believers soul will be in the presence of the glorious light, warmth and love of Jesus (Good dreams). The unsaved will be thirsty in a cold dark place without God (Bad dreams). See what happened to man in the next message “The Fall“.
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