Doctrine of the Human Soul
(1) - In every human being the real person, the real you is located in the soul. (Gen
2:7; in the Hebrew). The physical body that the human possesses is only a temporary
dwelling place for the human soul (II Cor 5:1-4). Everyone can see the body, but no
one can see the soul that dwells inside the body. The soul is located in the cranium, or
the skull, of everyone. It is invisible but real, and it is actually the essence of the
individual.
(2) - The essence of the human soul refers to that which the soul is composed of. After
we are born and receive human life there are at least five parts which comprise our
soul.
(A) - Self-consciousness: this means that we are aware of our own existence.
(B) - Mentality: this includes the mind and the heart of the soul. (Luke 12:19 & Acts
15:24). Your ability to think increases in direct proportion to the increase of your
vocabulary. In the mentality of the soul there are at least four areas:
(a) - Frame of reference: this refers to the categorical library that is located in the
mentality of the soul.
(b) - Vocabulary: this refers to the meaning of words, concepts and ideas.
(c) - Norms and standards: this refers to our conscience. Our conscience is simply the
accumulation of all the standards and policies and ideas that we have learned
throughout our life.
(d) - Viewpoint: this refers to the sum total of the knowledge in our frame of reference
plus our norms and standards. In other words, knowledge plus conscience equals a
viewpoint in life.
(C) - Volition: this refers to our free will. Volition includes the positive and the
negative. Volition is the one thing we have in common with the angels. This is the
area where decisions are made in our lives (Acts 3:23).
(D) - Emotion: this is basically an empty vessel designed to respond and is designed
to respond to what is in the mentality of the soul. The emotion has no capabilities of
thought and only responds. When the emotions run the soul there is confusion in the
soul and that individual is moving into degeneracy and apostasy.
(E) - Conscience: the conscience is where the norms and standards is located (Acts
24:16; Rom 2:15; Rom 9:1-2).
(3) - The soul breathes and this is analogous to our physical body breathing.
Therefore, the soul has something similar to lungs as the physical body. All normal
souls must breath. But soul breathing refers to learning and growing in knowledge and
various types of information. The type of things the soul takes in determines the status
of the soul, i.e. sensitive or insensitive, possessing weak or strong norms and
standards or no standards at all, etc., etc.
(4) - The Bible distinguishes between the human soul and the human spirit. The
original man, Adam, was trichotomous, meaning "that which is composed of three
parts, body, soul and spirit." In Genesis 2:7 it says in the Hebrew , "and God
breathed into man the breath of lives." Not "life" (singular), but "lives" (plural).
This refers to the human soul and the human spirit. Breath is invisible, but real. Man
has two nostrils. Into one nostril, God breathed a soul; into the other nostril He
breathed a human spirit. Thus man was originally created as body, soul and spirit.
The human spirit is designed for spiritual phenomenon. Before the fall of man Jesus
Christ would come into the garden and talk with Adam, and because of his human
spirit Adam understood what the Lord taught him. Now when Adam sinned he died
spiritually. When he died spiritually he lost his human spirit, and at the same time he
picked up a sinful nature. Since that time all human beings born, are born
dichotomous, meaning, "consisting of two." Therefore, all human beings are born
with only a body and soul, but no human spirit. Adam acquired his sinful nature
through negative volition toward God's Word, but everyone else in the human race
acquires their sinful nature through physical birth. In other words, we are born
physically alive, but spiritually dead.
Many times the Bible distinguishes between the believer and the unbeliever by saying
that the believer possesses a human spirit, and unbeliever does not possess a human
spirit. In Jude 19 for example, the unbeliever, not having a spirit, is
called "natural" or "sensual." In I Corinthians 2:14 it says that "the natural man
receives not the things of the Spirit of God." The believer is said to have a body,
soul and human spirit in I Thessalonians 5:23, ".......and I pray God your whole
SPIRIT and SOUL and BODY be preserved blameless unto the coming of our
Lord Jesus Christ."
(5) - Only the soul not the body was made in the image of God, (Gen 1:26-27; 2:7).
These verses tell us that man was made in the image of God. It is the invisible part of
man that is in the image of God. God does not have a body. Human beings were given
a physical body to house the human soul.
(6) - Only the soul, not the body is saved at the point of salvation, regeneration or
faith in Jesus Christ. (Psalm 19:7, 34:22, Mark 8:36-37, Hebrews 10:39, I Peter 1:9).
(7) - The soul must be saved because of the presence of spiritual death in the soul.
(8) - Since the soul contains knowledge (Prov 19:2), it is subject to Satanic attack
(Matt 10:28; Eph 4:17-19). When a believer goes negative toward the Word of God
scar tissue (hardness of heart) develops on the lungs of the soul which makes spiritual
breathing very difficult. When scart tissue (hardness of heart) develops, it opens up a
vacuum in the soul, and this vacuum sucks in human and Satanic viewpoint.
(9) - The soul is the battle ground for phase II (the Christian life). (Psalm 140:3).
(10) - The soul is the area of the worst type of sinning. In fact, there at least two
categories of sins involved in the soul:
(A) - Mental attitude sins such as pride, jealousy, bitterness, vindictiveness, hatred,
etc., etc.
(B) - Sins of the tongue, which manifest the mental attitude sins in an overt manner.
(Job 21:25; Zechariah 11:8).
(11) - Because of scar tissue (hardness of heart) accumulating, the soul becomes the
seat of misery (Psalm 6:3; 106:15; 119:25, 28 & 81). In other words, true misery is
found inside of the soul.
(12) - The soul is the area for capacity for life. It is also an area for great happiness (I
Sam 18:1; I Pet 1:22). Since the soul is the area for capacity for life, that is why
certain things are forbidden in the Bible. Drugs and alcohol can destroy the function
and development of the soul chemically. Therefore, things like drugs and alcohol can
destroy the capacity for life. Satanic policies, principles, concepts and doctrines can
also destroy the development and function of the soul, and in turn destroy the capacity
for life. The Bible teaches in Matt 10:28 to "fear not them who can destroy the
body, but fear them who can destroy the soul." Who should we fear and who and
what should we oppose? Religionism, communism, legalism, universalism, liberalism
(political and religious), environmentalism, progressivism, appeasement, etc., etc.
These things and more like them can and do destroy the normal function of the souls
of individuals, and in so doing they destroy the capacity for life. But a soul that is
saturated with the Word of God has protection from all that is evil and corrupt and has
the potential for great happiness and great capacity for life.
(13) - Physical death is the departure of the soul from the physical body (Job 27:8;
Psalm 16:10; II Cor 5:8). When the soul leaves the body the individual is physically
dead. The soul of the unbeliever goes immediately to HADES (hell) and is in the
torture of fire until the Great White Throne Judgment (Rev 20:11-15). The soul of the
believer in Jesus Christ goes directly to God's throne room in the third heaven and
lives in the presence of the Lord until the resurrection and rapture of all Church Age
believers (I Cor 3:11-15; I Cor 15:51-53; II Cor 5:8; I Thess 4:11-18).