The Apostle Paul in 1 Thess. 5:23 prays that the saints would be preserved spirit, soul and body until the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ. Man is a tripartite being, a composite of spirit, soul and body. We read that God breathed into man's nostrils the breath of life and man became a living soul (Gen. 2:7).
The spirit of man differentiates him from animals, because it is God-conscious and communicates with God, which animals cannot do. (Job 32:8; Prov. 20:27.) Man, therefore, is responsible to God for his whole life. "Remember now thy Creator in the days of thy youth." Eccl. 12:1. When a man dies, the body shall "return to the earth as it was: and the spirit shall return unto God who gave it." Eccl. 12:7. "For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad." 2 Cor. 5:10.
God has created all men and He has redeemed some. We, as believers in Christ, are not only to recognize God's claim on us as our Creator, but to recognize His claim on us as our Redeemer too. He has a double claim on us. Therefore we do well to seek God's direction in each decision of our life, and ask ourselves if it pleases and honors God, or does it please self? If our will is at work, God cannot bless our actions and, though it may seem to work at the time, we will definitely be the losers in the end. "He cannot deny Himself." 2 Tim. 2:13.
The next consideration is the second part of man, the soul. It is the seat of affections, desires, emotions and the will (in man). God is a God of variety and makes no duplicates. Each of us has a personality that is unique and has a special place in God's creation. We cannot all be farmers, or salesmen, or teachers, or doctors. We cannot all live in the same place nor can we all marry the same person. We all have different tastes and abilities, and God does not expect us to do something we do not have the ability to do, but to use our ability for Him in whatever capacity we are able.
The Lord Jesus Christ, of course, is our primary example. "Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that ye should follow His steps." 1 Peter 2:21. He had feelings and emotions too: He wept, He rejoiced, He hungered, and He was thirsty, to name a few. See Matt. 11:29 (meekness and lowliness), Matthew 26:38 (sorrowful), and John 12:27 (troubled). His whole life was to the glory of God, and God declared Him as His own Son in whom He was well pleased.
The body is the vehicle that carries the spirit and the soul. The present body is strictly for the earth and is subject to decay as referred to earlier. It gives expression to what is in the heart (Mark 7:21-23). The Spirit of God in Rom. 12:1 beseeches us by the mercies of God to present our bodies as a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God.
In 2 Cor. 5 we read that "we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad.”
In summary, the spirit always is to have the first consideration, because our ultimate end is to stand before Him. The soul ought to follow in conformity, not to please ourselves, but to please Him who died for us and rose again. This, of course, will be displayed in the body in a happy countenance, a godly walk, selflessness, a love for all saints, and a concern for the lost.
These are things for which we are to aim. May "the very God of peace sanctify you [us] wholly; and I pray God your [our] whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ." 1 Thess. 5:23.
R. Klassen