The Saving of the Soul

It is common for Christians to talk about the saving of souls. For example you might have heard a fellow Christian asking you something like this, "How many souls were saved in the Evangelistic Meeting last night?" Another might say, "This brother is a good soul winner."

What this Christian brother means, without any doubt is how many lost persons were saved, how many were born again or how many gave their life to Jesus. But if you ask him how many lost souls were regenerated he might think you are weird or even crazy.

The Nelson Bible Dictionary defines "regeneration" as the spiritual change brought about in a person's life by an act of God. In regeneration a person's sinful nature is changed, and he is enabled to respond to God in faith. "Regeneration" comes from the Greek word "Paliggenesia" which means spiritual rebirth, spiritual renovation or messianic restoration. Therefore, the true meaning of regeneration is the new birth or the born agin experience. Regeneration is an instant act of God. There is no such thing as a gradual birth or rebirth!

The apostle Paul wrote to Titus, "But when the kindness and the love of God our Savior toward man appeared, not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us, through the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit" (Titus 3:4, 5, NKJV, emphasis added).

Notice that the work of the Holy Spirit, among other things is the regeneration and renewing of man's spirit. Do not confuse this act of the Holy Sprit with the "washing of water by the Word" (Eph. 5:25, 25) which means "sanctification" by the Word of God.

The truth of the matter is, salvation of the whole person involves three stages - Regeneration of the human spirit, saving of the human soul and the transformation of the human body. There is no confusion provided we understand the fact that every human being is a spirit being. He has a soul (mind, will, and emotions) and he lives in a body.

I suggest my readers refer to my earlier postings before they continue to read this - "The Three Type of Man" (28th. Feb 2005) and "Christian's New Heart" (10th. March 2005).

The Impotance of the Right Teaching

Some Local Churches fail to give the right teaching and as a result many Christians still think there is no difference between the spirit and the soul in a person. But the Scripture is very clear.
Paul said, "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" (1 Thess. 5:23, emphasis added).

In other words, in our earthly life (Christian's journey of salvation) our whole spirit, soul, and body need to be set apart (sanctification) so as to remain blameless before God till the second coming of Jesus Christ.

The writer of Hebrews said, "For the word of God is living and powerful, an 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, emphasis added).

In other words, any Bible teacher who teaches that there is no difference between the spirit and soul is ignorant of the Word of God. He has in effect blunted the two-edged sword of the Spirit. The result is those who submit themselves to such teaching are easy targets for Satan.

Division of Spirit, Soul and Body

Very briefly, here are the functions of the whole nature of man:

The spirit of man relates man to the spiritual realm. It give man the ability to know (not just knowing about) God (1 Cor. 2:11, 12 and John 17:3). This is only possible after the spirit of man has been quickened by the Spirit of God (ie after regeneration). Conscience is a function of the human spirit. It has been created with the ability to "see" general moral truths. Therefore even before the act of regeneration the natural man has a measure of conscience (Romans 2:14, 15). The natural man is not totally immoral and has some natural desire to do "good". Otherwise, he would behave like a wild animal!

The soul of man relates man to the interllectual and emotional realm. The soul is that part of man consisting of mind, the will, and the emotion. The soul makes a man self-conscious.

The body of man relates man to the physical realm. It relates to the world with the five senses. Notice that with our body we contact the world where Satan is god (2 Cor. 4:4). Therefore unless our soul and body are under the subjection of the regenerated spirit of man, we are in danger of demonic attack. More on this in my next posting.

The True Meaning of Saving of Soul

When a person is born again by the Spirit of God only his spirit is regenerated. The new birth is a spiritual rebirth and not a "soulish" rebirth or a physical rebirth. There is no change in his soul or body. If he was baldheaded before he was born again, he is still baldheaded. He still sins sometimes when he is tempted and if he fails to let his regenerated spirit takes control of his soul-life (please read my previous posting - "Christians do Sin"). But, the difference is, after rebirth he has the right spiritual man inside him to control his soul and his body. In other words, after rebirth he still has his outword man (soul and body) to deal with; but now he has the power to put his fleshly carnal nature (his unredeemed soul) under subjection of his regenerated spirit throughout his Christian walk. His soul needs to be saved because of this.

How the Soul of Man Saved

1. James wrote to born again believers:

"Therefore lay aside all filthiness and overflow of wickedness, and receive with meekness the implanted word, which is able to save your soul. But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves" (James 1:21, 22, emphasis added).

In other words, a Christian's soul is saved by the implanted word. He must also be a doer of the Word and not a hearer. So, according James the Word of God is the only thing that will save the believer's soul - his mind, will and emotion.

Someone correctly said that it is either the Bible keeps us from sin or sin keeps us from the Bible. But some Christian are persuaded that it is either the Church keeps them from sin or sin keeps them from the Church! Pastors who convey such message to the members of the congregation would find their Churches always growing!

2. Peter wrote to Christians:

"Since you have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit in sincere love of the Brethren, love one another fervently with a pure heart, having been born again, not of corruptible seed but incorruptible, through the word of God which lives and abides forever" (1 Peter 1:22, 23, emphasis added).

Notice that after having been born again, the soul (mind, will and emotion) of the Christian needs to be purified (saved, renewed, protected, healed, preserved, made well and whole) through (by recieving and by doing and unholding) the truth of God's Word. In other words, compromised or man-pleasing "truth"will harm the soul instead of purifying it!

3. Paul wrote to the Roman Christians:

"I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service. And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of you mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God" (Romans 12:1, 2, emphasis added).

The mind is part of a man's soul. The Christian mind needs to be renewed, renovated or to be restored or to be made like new again. The way to have the mind renewed is to "present the bodies as living sacrifice to God". God wants submitted bodies and transformed minds. When our mind is renewed with the Word, our thinking is transformed. When our thinking is transformed, our acting is transformed. When our acting is transformed we (our entire life) are transformed. The result is knowledge of the perfect will of God. No one knows the perfect will of God without the transfomation of the mind and thinking by the Word of God.

4. David's Psalm 23

Let us look at another verse in connection with the saving of the soul. Most Christians are familiar with Psalm 23 (the Shepherd Psalm):

"The Lord is my shepherd ..... He restores my soul; ...." (Psalm 23:1, 2, 3, emphasis added).

Notice that Psalm 23 is a prophetic Psalm written by the psalmist David for the Church. We are living in Psalm 23 right now because it says, "The Lord is my shepherd" and in the New Testament Jesus called Himself the Good Shepherd (John 10:11). Once again it is the Word (Jesus is the Word) who restores or renews our soul.

Conclusion

Man's spirit is not restored or renewed; it is instantly recreated in rebirth. But, man's soul (mind, will and emotion) needs to be restored (or saved) with the Word of God.

Jesus says His Words are Spirit and Life:

"It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh profits nothing. The words that I speak to you are spirit, and they are life" (John 6:63, emphasis added).

The "flesh" comes from the unsaved or unrestored soul (the old Adamic nature) which "profits nothing".