The Human Soul Part One
The real you is your soul. It is the immaterial part of your being.
Our soul — Psuche in the Koiné Greek — is designed by God to respond to Him.
How do we know?
“Psuche” is in the feminine, meaning responder. God is an aggressor, as in He designed man to respond to Him.
In man’s relationship with his right woman, he is the aggressor, and the woman is the responder.
When God created man in His image it was a “soul image” (Genesis 2:7; Psalm 42:1). The soul is eternal, but its temporary abode is in the body.
Now, let’s look at the characteristics (essence) of our soul. What makes up our soul? To answer this question we need to look at the soul before the fall (as God created it) and after the fall, which was when Adam went on negative volition resulting in man’s first sin.
Man was originally created trichotomous—body, soul & spirit.
The soul when God originally created it consisted of:
- SELF-CONSCIOUSNESS — life. We are aware we exist (Genesis 2:7).
- MENTALITY — We think (Luke 12:19; Ephesians 4:18).
- VOLITION — We will; we won’t. Free to chose; make decisions (Acts 3:23).
- EMOTION — The appreciator; responder (Song of Solomon 1:7; Luke 12:19; John 12:27; 2 Peter 2:8).
- CONSCIENCE — Norms & standards (Acts 24:16; Romans 2:15; 9:1,2).
- HUMAN SPIRIT — For worship of and fellowship with God (John 4:24; Job 32:8). The Bible distinguishes between the soul and spirit (Hebrews 4:12).
God carefully instructed Adam and Eve not to eat of the tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil: “for in the day that thou eateth there of thou shalt surely die.” In the original language, the word for die is in the plural, meaning two deaths. It should be translated “dying thou shalt die.” Dying (spiritual death) thou shalt die (physical death).
At the Fall, humanity died spiritually. Immediately acquiring the human nature, the sin nature (Leviticus 5:1; Psalm 58:2-5; Ezekiel 18:4; Jeremiah 17:9; Matthew 15:19; Romans 5:8), man became dichotomous (body and soul only). His human spirit died and was instantly replaced by the human nature having the knowledge of good and evil (Genesis 3:7). “And the eyes of them both were opened, and they knew that they were naked.” They were dead, spiritually, and they now had a sin nature.
Just before the Fall in Genesis 2:25, we read, “And they were both naked, the man and his wife, and they were NOT ashamed.” They had not sinned yet, so they didn’t know they were naked (innocence).
Notice the contrast between Genesis 2:25 and Genesis 3:7, before sin and after sin. Now, how does the Fall affect you and me and every person born into the human race since Adam?
The answer is found in (Romans 5:12).
“Wherefore, as by one man sin (sin nature) entered into the world (kosmos – whole world, all creation), and death by sin (as a result of sin), and so death passed (was imputed) upon all men, for all have sinned.” The entire human race was forever affected at the fall.
“For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive” (spiritually alive) (1 Corinthians 15:22).
Christ Himself said “YOU MUST BE BORN AGAIN” (John 3:3; 3:7) (a spiritual rebirth).
“And you hath He made alive, (spiritually) who were dead (spiritually) in trespasses and sins” (Ephesians 2:1)
“Even when we were dead in sins, hath made us alive together with Christ” (Ephesians 2:5).
A proper understanding of man’s soul, his spiritual death as a result of the original Fall, and the new birth (spiritual), are not only critical, but an absolute imperative if man is to fully realize his need for salvation. “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved.”
Now, let’s examine exactly what happens to the body and soul of the unbeliever. Remember, the unbeliever has no human spirit and is therefore separated from God, “dead to God” (Ephesians 2:1).
DEATH OF THE UNBELIEVER
The human race is divided into two groups: Believers — those who have RECEIVED Christ as Saviour. Unbelievers — those who have REJECTED Christ as Saviour.
The unbeliever goes through life (physical life) with only ONE birth (physical). He has only a human body and a human soul. No spiritual life, therefore no human spirit. His human spirit is dormant.
When the unbeliever dies (physically) his body goes to the grave. His soul (eternally alive) leaves the body and goes to a place called Hades-Sheol, a place of Torments (Luke 16:23; Revelation 20:11-15) across the Great Gulf Fixed from Paradise (which is now empty).
Hades-Sheol is a temporary place of suffering of the soul (no second chance—no purgatory) until the final disposition of the body at the last judgement and the resurrection of the dead (unbelievers). This is the second resurrection (Revelation 20:5) for unbelievers only. The first resurrection is for believers only. “Every man in his own order” (1 Corinthians 15:22,23). The time lapse between the two resurrections is given in Revelation 20:4,5.
For the believer in eternity, there is no more sorrow or tears. In the case of the unbeliever, the soul will sorrow eternally (Luke 16:19-31. See also Matthew 22:13; 24:51; 25:30; Luke 13:28). At the second resurrection unto damnation, “The Great White Throne Judgement,” the soul will be brought out of Hades-Sheol, and the body from out of the grave, to stand before the LORD JESUS CHRIST. They shall be judged for their works, not their sins (Psalm 62:11; Proverbs 24:12; Matthew 16:24-27; Revelation 20:12,13). Sins are not the issue at the Great White Throne Judgement for the unbeliever because all sin was paid for and judged through Christ on the cross. Works and disbelief are the issues for the unbeliever.
All believers’ names are written in the “Lamb’s Book of Life” (Revelation 20:15). The unbeliever’s name is not in the Book because he has not believed in the name of the only Begotten Son of God (John 3:18). All sins were paid for on the cross — past, present, and future sins, once and for all. Therefore if all sins were paid for (and they were) sin is not and cannot be an issue in salvation. Sin is an issue only in morality, as we live in this life.
When we sin, God disciplines us as children. If we break the law, we could go to jail. Or, even worse if we murder someone we could be executed. In other words, salvation is not subject to morality.
If we break the law (sin) the law will punish us, believers and unbelievers alike. For under the law there is no difference — we’ll all go to jail.
The ten commandments were given by God not so man could try to earn his salvation. Rather, the commandments were given as a set of specific, detailed laws and principles designed for the protection of life, liberty, and property of a people within a national entity. Humanity cannot survive without a system of norms and standards — a basic system of morality. If these Laws of Divine Establishment are violated by a maximum number of people, that nation will be destroyed.
Remember there must be freedom if the Gospel is to be proclaimed.
Preservation of freedom is contingent upon respect for and obedience to the law. Our nation (the U.S.) has had a tremendous impact on the world and on history. Preservation of this nation, of any nation (and the human race, for that matter) depends on respect for and obedience to morality, as described in the commandments established by God.
We have not gotten off the subject (too much). Suffice to say, morality is an issue in life, especially the Christian life, but it is never an issue in SALVATION. Morality is a system of laws requiring obedience. Salvation is God’s system of grace requiring faith. They are MUTUALLY EXCLUSIVE. Religion always distorts grace with morality, that’s why religion is the worst thing that ever happened to the human race. Christianity is NOT a religion, it is a RELATIONSHIP to GOD through His SON, JESUS CHRIST.
Morality tries to make salvation a REWARD. Grace (God’s plan) is a FREE GIFT (Ephesians 2:8,9).
Unbelievers are cast into the lake of fire (Revelation 20:14,15) this is the “second death,” which is eternity in the lake of fire and eternal separation from God.
In John 5:29 the 2nd resurrection is called a resurrection of damnation (CONDEMNATION). The unbeliever is condemned because he has relied on “not sinning”; “good deeds”; “baptism”; “joining the church”; “keeping the law”; or in some way “adding to the finished work of Jesus Christ on the cross” for salvation. In other words, the unbeliever has trusted in himself, his church, or some system of works to get him through the pearly gates.
This is the epitome of stupidity. It is human-viewpoint religion, and totally contradictory to divine viewpoint.
The unbeliever will stand before the Lord without excuse, without merit, without a human spirit, and without hope.
In closing, let me leave you with this absolute guarantee of assurance from God Himself: “He that believeth on Him (Christ) is not condemned; but he that believeth not is condemned already (why?), because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God” (John 3:18).