“And the very God of peace sanctify you wholly; and I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.” I Thessalonians 5:23.
Surely the title of this article is elementary. If terms did not precisely identify mental ideas and/or discriminately identify people, places, and things, then language would be meaningless, and civilization could not advance from what would surely be a pool of constant confusion. Even in an advanced society, the inadequacy of language, and/or the pollution of terminology continually hinders many efforts, giving rise to lawsuits in attempts to pinpoint precise ideas that weakened language produces.
It is of little surprise then that religious heresy, and many misunderstandings arise from failures to use terms of language more discriminately. In illustration of this point one need only to ask any number of people to define major doctrinal terms of the Bible such as salvation, baptism, church, etc. The degree of misunderstanding is staggering. Another such common usage error is the term “soul.” It is used indiscriminately in pulpit and pew, most often to convey the idea of the spirit of man. However, the trinity of man is soul (psyche, mind life), body, and spirit. I Thess. 5:23.
Precise terms for each of these are used in the scriptures. Nowhere does the Bible indicate that the soul is the spirit of man. The soul is defined as conscious life. Conscious life exists as a combination of the trinity of man, but it also exists without the body.
But wherein lies any danger in failure to use these terms discriminately? Wel , to use “soul” to mean “spirit” fosters powerful, erroneous ideas. For instance, both the Bible and God’s people promote evangelism with the goal being the initial bringing of men to Christ, or the new birth. But the clear teaching of the scripture is that being born from above is an event affecting the spirit of man for both time and eternity. Upon that foundation one may embark on a lifetime of winning his own soul by which life is disciplined into transformity to Bible doctrine. But when “Soul” is substituted for “Spirit,” the idea is inferred that the soul is complete in its salvation at the point of the new birth. Is it any wonder then that non-bible reading Christians easily sleep in fundamental error fostered by indiscriminate terminology? Moreover, that will cost them dearly, and forever at the judgment seat of Christ.
It must be understood that salvation for mankind is threefold. The spirit of man is saved and sealed in repentance of sin, and placement of trust in Christ Jesus as one’s personal Savior.The mind-life (soul,consciousness) is being saved progressively as one disciplines him/herself in conformity to God’s Word. Physical salvation will not come until the resurrection or rapture.Until then, it behooves all men to be discriminatory in the use of terminology lest destructive ideas find root and blossom into a successful undermining of one’s faith, or worse, into full blown heresy, affecting great numbers of people.
FOR THOUGHT: As a creature in the image of God, have you identified your likeness to Him as a mental entity (Father), a physical expression (like the Son), and an invisible, but very real spirit (like the Holy Spirit)? If sin affect all three aspects of your being, and it does, then all three aspects must be saved, but when are they saved? How do you understand the statement: I am saved; I am being saved; and I shall be saved?
THE “ITCH AND SWELLING” SYNDROME
“For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shal they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears;” 2 Timothy 4:3.
If ever the Lord’s churches lived in an “Itch and Swel ing” environment spiritually, it is now! The problem? How shall this itch be scratched and/or the swelling be dealt with?
It is lamentable that churches have lost, and continue to lose influence in their communities. There are desperate attempts to reverse the trend, but to little, or most often no avail. To appreciate this, let me inject personal experience of many years.
Ministers my age knew the joy of great revival meetings, both as children growing up, and as young ministers in high demand to break the bread of life. However, those times and environment are largely past. Few churches have revival meetings anymore. Those who do most often wind up with a meeting rather than a revival. Then enters the fleshly determination to reverse the trend. Larger churches cannot stand the thought of growing smaller, so they scour the countryside for the most eloquent clown to tickle the congregation in hopes of igniting a spark of personal outreach. If that fails, at least they have heard a speaker of great, eloquent humor, and a good time was had by all.
What a difference might be made if church leadership would cease running spiritual interference, and fervently pray for God to have His way, then be content with the way God has for the church. Has it been totally disregarded that God can use a small, dedicated, knowledgeable flock more readily than a large, mostly spiritually ignorant group that runs at the slightest scare tactic Satan throws? (He will throw them).
Let me Illustrate: A few years ago, Dr. Morris L. Cloud visited our church on Sunday night, which he did often. He brought family members with him, too. It was a time of attendance downturn, and I felt obliged to apologize saying, ”There wil not be a lot of people here tonight.”
Brother Cloud looked me in the eye and said, “Brother Dillard, has it ever occurred to you that I did not come here to see a crowd?” In our Bible discussion format in evening services, he wanted to feed and to be fed. It happened, and there was considerable rejoicing!
There is a story of a starving man who happened upon a Baptist potluck, but before he could be helped by the long line of casseroles, he died. It was a simple case of his tongue beating him to death in anticipation of being smothered by the food. He could be symbolic of some church folks today who are dying from the “Itch and Swell” Syndrome in the very face of God’s table of abundant, spiritual food.
Let those who claim the name of Christ, open His storehouse and feed on that which sustains both in times of feast and famine, of itching and swelling, and of peace that passes understanding when entire churches are troubled with anxiety.
FOR THOUGHT: Have modern day disciples forgotten that Jesus said, “Let not your heart be troubled: you believe in God, believe also in me.” Do you, dear reader, know and appreciate the difference between a congregation God has built, and in which He rules, and one that is planted and driven by the aspirations of men?