I. LET’S TRY A MERGER
It was stated earlier that: “psychological and behavioral studies of recent years have underscored the fact that now human beings can be studied from different vantage points, but they must be seen as total interacting components with all the functions interfacing with each other and behaving as an individual entity of entirety.” Perhaps, we can gain a helpful insight into the nature of humans if we merge the “duplex” (dichotomy) and “triplex” (trichotomy) concepts together. That would give us a different vantage point and at the same time allow us to stress the importance of the unity of the individual through studying the interacting and interfacing of the components or functions and then, determining the characteristics of each of those functions.
To enable us to visually see how this merger might work, let’s go back to the diagram used earlier to demonstrate how the spoken or written Word of God can saturate our lives. I like this simple diagram that is sometimes used in educational settings or business management projects. It demonstrates well the phenomenon of interaction and interfacing circles of complimentary components.
In the previous section where we discussed the “triples” concept, it was stated that from a functional point of view, an individual could be described as :
Now, let’s consider each function (Body, Soul, and Spirit) and determine which characteristics
apply to each.
We will begin with the Body:
II. THE BODY / PHYSICAL
But this precious treasure . . . is held in a perishable container, that is in our weak bodies. . . (II Corinth. 4:7 TLB).
The Body is amoral. In and of itself, the body is neither righteous nor evil. The Bible calls it “dust” that will one day return to the earth.
Then the dust will return to the earth as it was . . . (Eccles. 12:7 TLB).
The body is subject to malfunctions, infirmities, and final decay. But, in the scriptural sense is not in and of itself sinful. It is the amoral vessel which houses the other functions.
The Body is imperfectible. Someday you will exchange your earthly body for a perfect “soma pneumatikon” or spiritual body (I Cor. 15:44). But until that happens, count on putting up with such imperfections as sickness, weakness and fatigue. One day, however, things will be different!
For this perishable must put on the imperishable, and this mortal must put on immortality. (I Cor. 15:53)
The Body is mortal. Maybe you will live out your “three score and ten years” . . . maybe you will not. But this you can know: one day your body will die.
And inasmuch as it is appointed for man to die once, and after that comes the judgement. (Heb. 9:27 KJV)
III. THE SOUL / PSYCHICAL
Next, let’s consider the Soul:
The Soul is comprised of:
The Mind The capacity to think and reason
The Emotions The capacity to experience feeling
The Will The capacity to desire and choose
The soul is the psychical nature of the person. The absolute action interaction, dependence and interdependence of one soul function upon the other two is portrayed in the diagram by the overlapping of each. Earlier, we referred to this as intersection or “interfacing”.
Your desires or volition interlock with your emotions and intellect. Your thinking and reasoning are definitely influenced by your emotional and volitional functions. Your emotions are most certainly affected by your desires and your intellect. It is unrealistic to think that these functions can be totally separated in everyday life.
The Soul functions are amoral.
The Mind is the capacity to think and reason. There is a part of your mental capacity that has nothing to do with morality. On the scale of morality there is nothing righteous or evil about your capacity to learn that two times two equals four. There is nothing righteous or evil about learning to tie your shoe. This portion of your mental capacity is amoral.
The Emotion is the capacity to experience feeling. There is part of your emotional capacity that has nothing to do with morality. It is neither righteous nor evil to be grieved when you lose your favorite pet or when you cheer loudly when your team scores a point.
The Will, or volition, is the capacity to desire or choose. There is a part of your volitional capacity that has nothing to do with morality. Choosing to buy a green car instead of a gray one, or deciding to eat the onions with your hamburger are simply amoral actions of the will.
2. The Soul functions are imperfectible.
In this life, you will experience impaired judgement and faulty understanding. That is because your mind will always be imperfect. There is no such thing as deliverance from occasional ignorance and mistake. You will never know everything about everything in this life. The function of the brain has suffered equally with your other body members.
Due to stress and pressures of everyday living you will now and again realize that your emotions are not as stable as you had hoped. When you least expect it, your snagged emotions will develop a runner, and you will be embarrassed.
Don’t be too shocked when your imperfect human judgement has you turning left when you should have turned right. You may even today, be kicking yourself for having made some regrettable choices this past week. No one in this life will experience exemption from faulty amoral choices – because, your soul functions are imperfectible in this life.
3.The Soul functions are mortal.
The capacities of the mind, emotions, and will, as you know them today, will one day quit operating as they do today. One day the electrical currents between the cerebrum, cerebellum, and medulla will cease, and a halt will come to receiving, interpreting, and sending of messages based on generated stimuli. One day all that gray matter corralled by your skull bones will return to dust.
My soul cleaves to the dust. . .” (Psa.119:25 KJV)
At that point, the mind, emotions, and will, shall then take on different characteristics resulting from an immortal, glorified source (Phil. 3:21).
IV. THE SPIRIT OR HEART / SPIRITUAL
Finally, let’s consider the Heart:
The function of the spirit or heart includes the interfacing and interdependent functions of the mind, emotions, and the will in regard to moral matters, i.e., matters that deal with “rightness”, “wrongness” and “oughtness”.
The Spirit is the function of an individual that deals with the moral issues.
Throughout the Scriptures the terms spirit, and heart are usually used interchangeably. The fact that the soul and spirit are not identical is best found in the fact that the Bible states that they are divisible.
For the word of God is living and active and sharper than any two-edged sword, and piercing as far as the division of soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow. . . (Heb. 4:12 NASB)
Every person is created with a spirit or heart. It is the spirit or heart that gives an individual the capacity to deal with moral issues and separates the human species from all the rest of the creation. It is this spirit that leaves the body and returns to God -- as the body returns to the dust (Eccl. 12:17). The book of James informs us that the body without the spirit is dead (Jas. 2:26). Daniel says that:
I, Daniel was grieved in my spirit in the midst of my body. (Dan. 7:15 KJV)
When Christ came to the place of death, He:
Cried out with a loud voice and yielded up His spirit. (Matt. 27:50 NASB)
The spirit or heart is the function of a person’s nature, where moral business takes place. It is the center or citadel of the moral affections of an individual:
MIND: As a man thinketh in his heart, so is he. (Prov. 23:7 KJV)
EMOTION: Love the Lord thy God with all your heart. (Mark 12:30 KJV)
WILL: And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely. (Prov. 22:17 KJV)
Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life. (Prov. 4:23 KJV)
There are some functions of the mind which are amoral and have nothing to do with righteousness or evil. There are, however, some other functions of the mindthat have everything to do with morality.
There are certain emotions which are not tied to morality, and there are other emotions which are involved in moral issues.
Many desires and choices have only to do with amoral decisions. There are, however, certain choices where volition, or the will, is activated regarding issues which are totally moral.
The Heart is the moral command post or control room, where either Christ or sin is in control, (after all, that’s where Lucifer and all his fallen angels are busily involved in taking over control). The domination of either Christ or sin, over the spiritual nature of an individual, will determine the observable and unobservable moral behavior of that person.
2. The spirit or heart function is perfectible.
We will investigate this concept more completely in a later chapter on the “Spirit-Filled Life”, but it needs to be stated briefly here that Christ commanded: “Be ye therefore perfect even as your heavenly Father is perfect.” (Matt. 5:48).
What on earth do you suppose he meant by that? (Just a quick forecast) . . .the good news is that in the moral areas of the spirit or heart; i.e., in matters dealing with moral intent and love, there is a possibility of purity based on the purity and love of Jesus Christ living His life through you via the Holy Spirit.
God is love. . . if we love one another, God abides in us, and His love is perfected in us. By this we know that we abide in Him and He in us, because He has given us of His Sprit. . . God is love, and the one who abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him. By this, love is perfected with us, that we may have confidence in the day of judgement; because as He is, so are we in this world. (I John 4:8-17 NASB)
3. The spirit or heart function is immortal.
It is the part of a person’s nature that will last eternally. How it will be re-housed is not known to us. It is known, however, that the spirit or heart will live on forever, and forever, and forever!
Review:
Let’s review here, the Function of the Spirit as it interfaces with the Functions of the Mind, Emotions, and Will in regard to moral matters:
Next Week: What’s with this Sin Stuff?