When you are born-again, you know it because of the peace and assurance that the Lord gives you to know that you are saved. When you are baptized in the Holy Spirit, you know it because you will speak in new tongues and move in the gifts of the Holy Spirit. However, to move in the Holy Spirit requires learning how to be led or directed by the Holy Spirit. Learning to hear or discern the voice of the Spirit is the key to an overcoming life in the service of our King, King Jesus. Philippians 1:6, “being confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ;” The Lord will complete the work on your character as well as your mission or assignment.
We often use the word “saved” to describe someone who has been born-again. The original Greek for saved is “sozo” which means to be made safe, delivered from destruction, or made whole. That means you are completely saved, and 1 Thessalonians 5:23 tells us that we are Spirit, Soul, and Body. “Now may the God of peace Himself sanctify you completely; and may your whole spirit, soul, and body be preserved blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.” It is important to look at the differences between these three aspects of every human being: spirit, soul, and body. Show More
The Body
Our physical body communicates with the physical realm or the physical world we live in. The body uses the five senses: hearing, seeing, tasting, smelling, and touching. Through these senses, we communicate with the physical realm. Our hearing responds to sound waves that fall within specific frequencies. We hear loud sounds, soft sounds, and low—and high-pitched sounds. Our vision allows us to discern shapes, shades, colors, and movement. Our taste buds detect sweet, sour, and bitter flavors. Our nose distinguishes odors, from the pleasant scent of flowers to the smell of rotting eggs. Finally, our sense of touch allows us to distinguish cold, heat, pain, and pleasure.
Now, the body itself doesn’t evaluate the source, danger, or pleasure of the stimuli. The body simply alerts the brain, which is part of the soul, to be aware of the stimuli; then the brain reacts. Since we live in the world, God has given us the ability to detect and react to the world we live in.
The Soul
Notice that the body is not responsible for interpreting or evaluating the meaning of all the stimuli. All the body knows is, “That hurts!” or “It is sweet!” or “That is loud!”
The soul is where all the stimuli that the body experiences are put into context. That is, the soul assigns meaning to the stimuli. For instance, the soul “learns” that the sound of a gunshot means danger and reacts accordingly by telling the body to run or hide. This learning process in life shapes our emotions (feelings), our will (the ability to choose), and our intellect (intelligence).
Our personality is shaped by our soul. Just as the soul interacts with the physical world through the body, the soul also interacts with other souls or people through the body as well.
To sum up so far: The body interacts or communicates with the physical world. The soul also interacts with the physical world. More importantly, the soul can interact with the souls of others. In other words, the soul of one person “communicates” with the soul of another person with the words and responses of everyone. Relationships are built on this type of “soul” communication.
It is worth noting that when the Bible uses the word “flesh” in reference to a person, it can refer to one of two things. It may refer to the body alone, or it may refer to the union of the body and soul. “Watch and pray, lest you enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak” (Matt 26:41). The Scriptures often use the term flesh to distinguish between the carnal person and the spiritual person. A carnal person is one who is immature and/or influenced more by the things of the world than by the things of Spirit (1Cor 3:1-4).
The Spirit
If the body communicates with the physical world, and the soul communicates with the “soul” world, with what or with whom does the spirit communicate? The answer is obvious, isn’t it? The spirit of man has the potential to communicate with the spiritual realm.
If we carefully study 1 Corinthians 2:9-16, it should become evident that God has given us, as believers, the ability to do what was not possible before Jesus Christ and the Cross of Calvary: to see, hear, and comprehend spiritual things on an individual level. We have been given the “mind of Christ” (v.16). Verse 12 states, “Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might know the things that have been freely given to us by God.”
When we communicate with the physical world, we use our senses and interpret them with our minds. It is a body-and-soul experience. If we read something, we use our sight (body) and perceive the meaning of what is read (mind or soul). When someone speaks to us, we hear with our ears (body) and understand with our mind (soul.)
Now in the spiritual realm, a similar operation takes place. The spiritual can operate through the body (the five senses), through the mind (impressions, thoughts, images), or directly through our spirit. The fact that God may use our body or soul to communicate with us from His Spirit makes the communication no less spiritual (1Cor 14:2).
Sometimes we try to mystify or “spiritualize” the ability to communicate in the spirit. Spiritual communication was never meant to be unique or special to only certain individuals. Spiritual communication with God was meant to be normal Christianity!
An unfortunate mistake that many individuals make is to associate “how one feels” with spirituality. How you feel is a reaction of the body or mind, but not necessarily of the spirit. For example: Jesus desired to have his disciples keep watch while He was in prayer in the Garden of Gethsemane. The disciples kept falling asleep. Jesus says, “Watch and pray, lest you enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak” (Matt 26:41). Notice that Jesus says that the spirit is willing, but the flesh (mind and body) is weak or tired. You see, your spirit never tires or becomes weary. Your spirit never is distracted, or unwilling to do those things it was designed to do. It was designed to communicate with the spiritual realm, God.
The Word of God the Bible Is Spiritual
Most of us would not like to admit that sometimes we find ourselves bored, distracted, disinterested, or too tired to read or study the Word of God. We might go through the motions but often feel guilty and condemned for not being more eager to seek the Lord in the Word.
The truth is that while we may not seem to be benefiting in our minds and intellect, our spirit is never tired, bored, or distracted. When we study the Bible, we are feeding our minds, yes – but more importantly, we are feeding our spirits. Remember, the spirit does not depend upon the emotions or clarity of the mind.
For example, have you ever had the experience of having the knowledge of a Scripture verse while at the same time being unaware of where or how you learned it? It could have been while reading the Bible or hearing a sermon or message when the mind was not paying attention, but our spirit was hungry for the Word!
The discipline of spending time reading the Word of God cannot be over-emphasized and should not be connected to how you feel. The Bible is food to the spirit! The study and devotional time we spend in the Word of God should be a time we eagerly seek, for the sake of our spirit as well as for the mind. The spirit is always willing; it is the flesh that may be weak. Therefore, the spirit always benefits from the Word of God, even when the flesh seems unwilling. That is not to say that reading the Scriptures does not benefit the mind. For it is clear from the Word that our minds must be renewed. “And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God” (Rom 12:2; see also Ephesians 5:26).
We must be careful at this point. Many fall into the error of thinking that they can change only through intellectual knowledge of the Word. Many try to live by the standards of the Bible through self-discipline and outward behavior. However, God seeks a change of heart, a change of our inner nature. That can be accomplished only by the Holy Spirit.
The Bible has the power to show us God’s expectations or standards. At the same time, it shows us how helpless we are in our own strength alone to fulfill the standards of the Word of God. We are unable in our natural strength to be conformed to the image of His Son, Jesus. Yet we have the supernatural ability, through the Holy Spirit, to accomplish what is impossible in our own strength!
On the one hand, the Bible reveals everything about us. We may hide our secret thoughts and motives from other people. But nothing is hidden before God. His Word reveals that truth to us: “For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. And there is no creature hidden from His sight, but all things are naked and open to the eyes of Him to whom we must give account” (Heb 4:12,13).
The Bible also reveals God’s expectation that we would conform to the image of His Son – in other words, that we would be like Jesus. “And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose. For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren” (Rom 8:28, 29).
Finally, the Bible reveals how God will do this work. “Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling; for it is God who works in you both to will and to do for His good pleasure” (Phil 2:12,13). It is the Lord Himself who wills or gives you both the desire and the ability to do, or the empowerment to fulfill His good pleasure. His “good pleasure” consists of the plans and purposes for your life. This is God’s grace or favor.
As we have established earlier, it is God’s intent that we be led by the Holy Spirit. That means that He is directing our paths. I have heard it said, “When you walk with God, you get to where He is going.” That rather obvious statement is true, isn’t it?
Just as we can be assured that God has plans, purposes, and pursuits for us to walk in, we can also be sure that God speaks to or communicates with us. One reason that God speaks to us is to guide us in lifed.
In the next several messages, I will look at six ways in which we often receive guidance from God.
