Does the Soul exist?
This age old question is best answered through the examination of the purpose and work of the inner man.

The plain and obvious evidence of the existence of the inner man is found in the account of the garden in Eden; the Tree of Life, the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil and of course the physical garden are representative of the spirit, the soul and the physical body. Each of the three was created for good reason.

We are also clearly told that the spirit belongs to God and returns to Him, the soul stands in judgment in the presence of Christ Jesus and the body goes back to the earth. If so, man is to a large extent responsible for both the inner and the physical body.

What is the soul made up of?
The most plausible explanation that I have personally come across, suggests that the inner man is born of the coming together of the spirit and the physical body.

From such a description, one should have little problem in believing that the physical body does not understand the things of the spirit and that it indeed considers them to be foolishness. Yet, the essence understands and communicates with both the spirit and the body, thereby acting as a most desirable mediator.

Some of the primary functions of the inner man therefore are:

• To receive life and instructions from the Spirit of God.
• To communicate the same to the physical body.
• To stop that which is undesirable from entering into the inner essence of man. But this is only made possible by consciousness and knowledge.

What is spirituality?
Spirituality is simply the correct working of the whole man. Man is spirit first and foremost and it is from here that all his and her issues originate from. Everything, including the life of man comes from the spiritual realm.

The character of man.
Man as we know him is therefore the total sum of the state of the essence. We can therefore say confidently that the man who is spiritually inclined is able to operate at the closest that man was created by God to be. This ought to be the desire of all men.

Do you lack anything?
In looking at the garden, Adam and Eve were able to see themselves as one would behold himself in a mirror. All that is mentioned as being an attribute of the garden is reflective of the attributes of created man.

• Man is therefore created with plenty of riches within him.
• He is well watered, meaning he has a continuous flow of life and cleansing going through him.
• He has everything he needs for life.
• Man has the potential to multiply.
• God is interested in maintaining a continuing communion with man.

Materialism and idolatry are in direct collision with this important aspect of the relation between man and God. It remains the weapon of choice for the enemy as he lies about the Creator having left out this aspect up to the machinations and works of man.

The Characteristics of the Soul.

A deep well.
While speaking to the Samaritan woman at the well, our Lord Jesus Christ likened the source of life that is accessible to man, with a water well. He indicated clearly that the kind of water that he gave caused man to never thirst again. He is our source of life and the well is our inner man.

How healthy are you?
The state and health of the soul is directly commensurate to the state and health of the whole man including that of the physical body. Such state determines the effectiveness of the purposes of man on the physical plane.

Is your essence at its best?
The soul that God is interested in at the end is the one that is pure and without defects. The pure soul serves the purposes of God while the one with defects and blemishes serves the forces that give it life.

Where is your inner man leading you to?
By having the role of translating life from its source to the physical man, the essence is expected to bring a total balance inside out, with the basis and foundation of such balance being dictated by the Creator.

Does your inner man contribute to a healthy relation between you and God?
Communication that comes from the spirit to the soul is pure and true. It is therefore good for giving life to the physical man. At this point, such communication can and is distorted by the essence that is unhealthy.

The soul that is unhealthy is one that rejects the life that comes from the Spirit of God and instead chooses to derive its being from external forces. This is the continuing battle which started right at the garden in Eden.

Judgment Day.
It is the soul that stands to be judged by God who determines where it will spend eternity. It is the inner man that enjoys or suffers in the end. What great folly is it therefore, for this most precious part of our being to suffer for the desires and lusts of a physical body that counts for nothing?

Transformation by the renewal of the mind.
This work is inspired by Romans 12. I pray that the journey we take together will urge all of us to offer our bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God…may we no longer be conformed to the pattern of the world. May we choose to stand facing the Spirit of Life, as we decisively turn our backs on the world.

FaithWriters.com Christian Writers Group