₦airaland Forum

ijawkid: Now I will ask the same question I asked....

1...Is the spirit of man a person??
2....Is the worlds spirit or the spirit of the wo®ld a persoÑ??
3...Is Gods spirit a person??.......

In the common, non-spiritual usage of person, neither the spirit of man nor the spirit of the world is a person. But you make my point from Acts 5 when Peter told Ananias and his wife that they lied to the Holy Spirit. If the Spirit of God is like the spirit of man, it would make as much sense to say that one lied to the Holy Spirit as saying that one lied to the spirit of a human being. We don't use the latter, but Peter used the former. Because he recognizes that the Holy Spirit is more than a "force" or a "breath." He is a person that can be lied to.

frosbel: ^^^

I guess you can also pose this same question to you friends who are preoccupied with posting silly and baseless visions of hell , no ?

Not really. The people that post the visions of hell believe that the postings will benefit many - the multitudes that would be saved from eternal torment if they heed the message. Their messages call for a change in the heart and lives of the viewers. On the other hand, by your own account, your messages on hell hardly benefit anyone. Good people (christians) will escape hell under your message and be in Heaven. So, your message is of no help to them. Bad people will not burn eternally. But this would still happen whether you tell them or not. They do not need to make any adjustments to their life to receive or enjoy the outcome you predict. So, why the barrage of messages repeating the same thing over and over to people that need not do anything to enjoy it?

Back to the main question of this thread: Holy Spirit is God. The Bible does not need to say it directly that Holy Gpirit is God before we can find it in the Scriptures. In fact, calling Him God directly would make no difference to those who reject Him as God. After all, Jesus is called God, Mighty God and the "naysayers" claim that it does not matter; that stones and 'sticks' are also called gods; that god is merely a title.

But if you look closely at God's Word, you see that the saints of old understood and recognized the Holy Spirit as God. One example is in Acts 5: 3-9 [AMP], Peter referred to the same person with different terms. He used the same word - deceive - or a variation of it in v.3; v.4 and v.9 to say who Ananias and his wife lied to: Holy Spirit, God, and Spirit of the Lord, clearly showing that He was referring to the same person.

3. But Peter said, Ananias, why has Satan filled your heart that you should lie to and attempt to deceive the Holy Spirit, and should [in violation of your promise] withdraw secretly and appropriate to your own use part of the price from the sale of the land?

4 As long as it remained unsold, was it not still your own? And [even] after it was sold, was not [the money] at your disposal and under your control? Why then, is it that you have proposed and purposed in your heart to do this thing? [How could you have the heart to do such a deed?] You have not [simply] lied to men [playing false and showing yourself utterly deceitful] but to God.

5 Upon hearing these words, Ananias fell down and died. And great dread and terror took possession of all who heard of it.

6 And the young men arose and wrapped up [the body] and carried it out and buried it.

7 Now after an interval of about three hours his wife came in, not having learned of what had happened.

8 And Peter said to her, Tell me, did you sell the land for so much? Yes, she said, for so much.

9 Then Peter said to her, How could you two have agreed and conspired together to try to deceive the Spirit of the Lord?

ijawkid: Smdh!!!!!!.........

1 corinthians 15:27...

New International Version
(©2011)
For he "has put everything under
his feet." Now when it says that
"everything" has been put under
him, it is clear that this does not
include God himself, who put
everything under Christ.


When ever all is used as regards to Jesus it always excludes God who is the source of everything..........

Smh!!!!!....

And my problem is you still can't even grasp the basic truth of the 1 corinthians 8:6 you read......

Ben who is the one GOD that Jesus and all of us worship??.........is it a trinity ??.....

But when Jesus is called the VERY Source of Life in Acts 3:15, there's no qualification. And there was no need to exclude or include God. Because Jesus and God are one. What some of you are doing is refuse to separate Jesus the Man from Jesus the God. You use Scriptures talking about His role as man and transport that into discussion of Him as God. Doesn't work that way.

The major point is not even about the falsity or truthfulness of the doctrine. It's about its ubiquity here from you and others. Somethng that gets that much attention should be benefiting many, right? So, I tried to help you identify those it may be benefiting. On the other hand, if many do not need it, why the obsession?

shdemidemi: MOTIVATIONAL SPEAKERS IN THE CHURCH

We are in the days where every preacher/teacher of the word of God now study how to incite, impel and motivate the church for the purpose of staying relevant. Church leaders have become 'Mr Fix it' all of a sudden to satisfy relative and individual problems of their members.

A few of the problems any individual goes through are finances, marriage, fruit of the womb, success. The church have now found a way to accommodate people lusting after these things by creating different gospels (good news) for them. They start a ministry based on the people's lust, they teach and write books on ways to achieve and acquire these earthly desires. The devil has sneaked in to the church with subtlety and trickery by offering earthly absolutes.

1 Timothy 4
King James Version (KJV)
4 Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils;


There is no precedence of their gospel in the scriptures, everyone now comes with a mantra of 'God spoke to me'. A Christian and a non-christian now lust after the same things, the only difference is 'one calls Christ and the other does not'. The devil has come to attack the church through seducing and enticing spirits, working through hierarchs to say profane things that are very pleasing to the ears and to the body but directly against the will of God. Most churches have made the pastor and people's problems the subject when inviting people for their programmes (shows).

Because everyone need money, good marriage and general success, the gospel paraded by motivational speakers become so attractive but gradually deviate the church from the unadulterated and true gospel of Christ. If we continue with motivational speaking, we would gradually phase out the scriptures all together.

We must understand that every christian would lack some things here on earth, some would lack husband, some wife, some children, some money, some health to mention a few. All these problems can only be distractions, deviating us from our walk with God. Buying books (of) or listening to '10 ways to financial break through or 50 ways to a good marriage', or the doctrine of 'think it and get it' are all different good news which is different from the good news of Christ.

Peter started walking on water towards Christ but he started to sink when he got distracted by the wind. Our problems of any sort are similar to the boisterous wind that got Peter afraid, as soon as you focus on the problem(wind), you are caught up with finding solutions outside God but through man(devil).

We must learn to keep our mind at the same level, when we have and when we don't, by trusting God. Apostle Paul said -
'I know both how to be abased, and I know how to abound: every where and in all things I am instructed both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need.'

We must be careful of smooth talkers who speak eloquently with excellence of speech or the wisdom of this world without the substance of the true gospel of Christ.

Maybe, the motivational part is done in excess. I can't speak for any minister. Let each fufill his or her own calling.

But I should point out one or two things. I may be a bit wrong, but when I look at the life of Jesus, what I see is that all the sincere people that came to listen to Him left the meeting feeling better about their lives. That I think is what church meetings should be about. People should not come with burdens and leave the same way or worse than they came. To the extent that preachers introduce motivation into their preachings, they are following in Jesus' footprints.

Second, the Peter walking on water example you gave is basically taking a message out of the mouth of the "motivational" preachers. Some people here may confirm tat they've heard a preacher that may be labelled motivational say exactly what you said about Peter and the wind. Perhaps, you're guilty of what you accuse them of.

^^
Correct. It reflects your confusing position on hell. Glad I was able to clear that up for you.

Segeggs: The preaching against hell is to free fellow brothers from the satanic lie flowing in churches today and to make them realise that serving God shouldnt be out of fear (cos thats the essence of the hell doctrine) but out of love.

take away hell and see the number of people that will still serve God. That number will be those that love him for him.

OK. Let me get this right. A christian would serve God better when he knows he won't be in Heaven but would only be sent to hell where he would die once? You'd have made more sense if you say that the christian would go to Heaven no matter what. I would think that most people serving God out of fear of burning in hell fire would still serve God out of fear of missing heaven and being destroyed forever. Do you see how people don't even want to leave the earth?

My guess is that your message benefits:

1. The active christian who expects to go to Heaven?

2. The lukewarm christian who is worried he might end up in hell and burn forever?

3. The atheist who does not believe in God, heaven or hell?

4. The follower of another religion who doesn't accept Christian concepts of heaven and hell?

5. The murderer or rank sinner who is scared of burning in hell if he dies in his sins?

Certainly, there must be many other groups I missed to justify this barrage of messages on hell?

[quote author=frosbel][/quote]Why are you so obsessed with the topic of hell? If nobody is going to hell, why bother them with this deluge of information? It's like saying everybody would pass an exam whether they study or not. And then, every day you keep on reminding them of it. What sense does that make? Perhaps, you don't really believe in what you're preaching.

ijawkid: and where did i say Jesus is the source of life in any of my statement??...

did you by any means not read john 6:57??

You didn't say Jesus is the Source of Life and I never said you did. But you did say that God is the Source of Life. And Peter says Jesus is the Source of Life. What is the connection between the two statements: that there are two sources of life? Or that one can be the source of life and not be God? The thing is that the truth is starring you guys in the face but you would rather engage in endless and meaningless intellectual discussions that, as Paul said, are profitless.

ijawkid: And where are you coming from??.......

Interesting question. I'm glad you wrote clearly here that God is the Source of Life. And when shown that the Bible says that Jesus is also the Source of Life, which equates to saying that Jesus and God are one and the same, you pretend you don't understand and ask me where I'm coming from?

I take it that everybody now accepts the irrefutable fact that Jesus is the Source of Life. And that can only mean that He is God. I wonder why the continued waste of space arguing on the issue of His divinity.

truthislight: Absolutely mavelose!

Beautiful!

Again, thanks for all the reactions to my question.

1. I agree that the Source of ALL life is God.

2. The Bible also makes clear that Jesus is the Source of ALL Life.

"But you killed the very Source (the Author) of life . . . ." Acts 3:15 AMP.

"You killed the author of life . . . ." Acts 3:15 NIV.

Is there a contradiction there? No. There is only ONE Source of life. If two people are described as the Source of life, it means they are the same person.

It also indicates that Jesus has been in existence all this while. Since angels, plants, animals, and humans all have life, and since angels at least probably have been here for millions of years, it means Jesus has been here longer and did not just show up.

Further, the other portion of Acts 3:15 says God raised Jesus from the dead. That's where the mistake of those who fail to understand that Jesus is God lies. They see Scriptures and do not look at the context. As man, Jesus died and was raised from the dead. But as God, He is the author or source of life.

As I mentioned earlier, I'll show more Scriptures that can ONLY be explained from the angle that Jesus (and the Holy Spirit) is God. Whether you call that Trinity or not is immaterial.

shdemidemi: I never made or insinuated the bolded. An example of what I am saying is, if I suddenly walk in to a white garment or catholic or any denomination's gathering. Based on my understanding of the church age gospel, I might find their ways a far cry from the gospel of Christ. I would not then get there to scream them down but I would see them as carnal believers that need a gradual renewal of mind. This was what the apostle did at the church in Corinth.

The scriptures says 'For Jews request a sign, and Greeks seek after wisdom'. Christ's primary reason for performing miracles was to convince the Jews that he is their king, he gave apostles and believers of the messiah similar powers too but something changed after Christ died. The gospel changed from 'believe Christ is the messiah' to 'believe Christ died, was buried and he resurrected for the propitiation of the sin of mankind'-

I believe putting a time to when miracle stopped is not the issue, the issue would rather be understanding that miracle , signs and wonders are not the gospel. They were only signs directing men to the gospel.

Paul did more than point out carnality in the Corinthian Church. He took a whole passage to talk about spiritual gifts, including gifts of healing. The analogy with a white garment church is completely inapt. If you go to such a church and see they are carnal, you don't introduce a subject that you do not believe in or that you consider inapplicable to them or other christians. You need to do much better than this to explain away the gifts of healings and miracles. I thought your argument all along was that (1) healing does not apply in an age of grace and (b) Paul allowed healings to operate in Corinth because they were spiritual babes. Both of which make sense as a point of argument but are not based in Scripture. Now, you're moving to a different terriory. I'm unable to follow your train of thought this time.

ijawkid: the source of all lives with that of Jesus inclusive is Yahweh whom all of us(including Jesus) are image of...

Thank you. Do you have a scripture to back your position on this? By ALL lives, do you include both spiritual and physical lives, i.e. being alive physically and being saved?

Also, I'll like to hear from others, so I can give a more comprehensive response. It's not a hard question, so I expect more answers soon.

I have a very simple question for ALL: Who is the Source of Life?

So, when did the gospel of grace start? So we can subject your claims to factual analysis. It's not enough to say that Paul started writing letters. At what point in His ministry did he receive and start propagating this gospel of grace? So, what you're saying is that the Corinthian Church was pre-Grace? Yet, it's in the Letters to Corinth that we see a huge reflection and exposition of the message of grace. Paul not healing Timothy has nothing to do with anything. It's not everytime people fall sick that we call for prayers. If pain medication will do the job, many people reach for the medicine cabinet.

frosbel: ask in his NAME to GOD , no ?

"Whatever you ask in my name, this I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son" - John 14:13

or

"that time you won't need to ask me for anything. I tell you the truth, you will ask the Father directly, and he will grant your request because you use my name." - John 16:23


Our Prayers are always to GOD in the name of JESUS.

How about the answer part? How can one be asking God for something and a man undertakes to answer it? No man has such power. So, it's clear He's saying He has a role in prayer. And if you look at the whole context of the discussion, you'll see that He was trying to explain Himself and His relationship to the Father to them.

frosbel: Show me where Jesus was prayed to, even Jesus told SATAN that we should worship GOD only and him only should we server.

"replied, "The Scriptures say, 'You must worship the LORD your God and serve only him.'" - Luke 4:8

This is further buttressed by Revelation 1v1 which goes :

"1 The revelation from Jesus Christ, which God gave him to show his servants what must soon take place." - Revelation 1v1.

Jesus made clear to His disciples that HE would answer to the demands they make - ask in His Name. How can somebody not God do what the disciples asked? He didn't say the Father will do it. He said, Jesus will do it. John 14.13-14.

frosbel: Daniel 7 : 13 “In my vision at night I looked, and there before me was one like a son of man,[a] coming with the clouds of heaven. He approached the Ancient of Days and was led into his presence. 14 He was given authority, glory and sovereign power; all nations and peoples of every language worshiped him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion that will not pass away, and his kingdom is one that will never be destroyed.

v13 totally destroys any error regarding the Trinity, here Jesus the Son of MAN is brought into the presence of the Everlasting Father, Ancient of Days, the one and only true GOD who know MAN can see.

I thought you argued here only recently that Jesus did not exist until he appeared in the Gospels? That aside, so when Jesus existed in Daniels, He existed as a man? Pray, who gave birth to this man or can one exist as a man without human parents? And where did He live as a man in the Old Testament days- Israel, Babylon, Heaven? Straight answers would be appreciated.

shdemidemi: I never said christians in Corinth could heal, nothing of such was recorded. Like I said before of all the churches that Paul and his helpers, Barnabas, Silas, and whoever, dealt with, none were as carnal and filled with problems as this Corinthian Church.Paul said to them-
I Corinthians 3:1,2
"And I, brethren, could not speak unto you as unto spiritual, but as unto carnal, even as unto babes in Christ. I have fed you with milk, and not with meat: for hitherto ye were not able to bear it, neither yet now are ye able."

Corinth was probably the most immoral, wicked, corrupt city in the Roman empire. It was part and parcel of their religion to be involved in immoral practice with the prostitutes of the city. So now here comes Paul to that wicked city of Corinth with the Gospel of the Grace of God. You see, anything but Grace would have never succeeded, but it was only by Grace that God began to save these wicked Corinthians, but remember the spiritual life is a parallel with the physical. You do not get born into the family of God a full mature spiritual person. We all come into a salvation experience as "babes in Christ." Spiritual gifts of healing or tongues was never spoken about in the other churches the Apostle went, Contentment and patience in hope was the crux of Paul's message to the rather more spiritually matured churches.

Hebrews 6

King James Version (KJV)

6 Therefore leaving the principles of the doctrine of Christ, let us go on unto perfection; not laying again the foundation of repentance from dead works, and of faith toward God,

2 Of the doctrine of baptisms, and of laying on of hands, and of resurrection of the dead, and of eternal judgment.

3 And this will we do, if God permit.

The only way we can get to perfection is by hearing, studying this apostle's doctrines, like it is written up there 'not even the principles of the doctrine of Christ's earthly ministry can take us to the point of perfection.

Ok, maybe I misunderstood your position. So help me understand. Apart from referencing the carnality of the Corinthians, what is the relevance of the Books of Corinthians to a discussion on healing? Paul clearly stated there that there are gifts of healings and miracles. Did he mean that literally or was he speaking figuratively? What I understand you to be saying is that under the dispensation of grace, the gifts of healings have ceased. Did Paul make an exception for the carnal Corinthians or are you saying that the gifts of healings also did not apply to the Corinthians?

frosbel: Again, you fail.

God has made himself known to US. What makes you think only you and your cohorts have the Spirit ? Is this not spiritural arrogance ?

Scriptures have been written with simplicity and ease of understanding , it contains no complex made up dogma called the Trinity.

If Scripture has been made as simple as you claim, why are you spending countless hours discussing its contents? Aren't your time and treasure better spent distributing Bibles so people can read it for themselves and find the truth in it by themselves?

lanrexlan: Simple questions for you bro.
If God is one and three simultaneously, then none of the three could be the complete God.Granting that such was the case,then when Jesus was on earth, he wasn’t a complete God,nor was the "father in Heaven" a whole God.Doesn’t that contradict what Jesus always said about His God and our God in heaven,his Lord and our Lord?Does that also mean that there was no complete god then,between the claimed crucifixion and the claimed resurrection?
If God is one and three at a time,then who was the God in heaven when Jesus was on earth? Wouldn’t this contradict his many references to a God in Heaven that sent him?
If God is three and one at the same time, who was the God in Heaven within three days between the claimed crucifixion and the claimed resurrection?.....Peace

You're making my point! You're using your natural mind. Why does it matter to you whether God is complete or not, if Scriptures make clear that the Father is God, Jesus is God and the Spirit is God? You can accept that based on His Word, without understanding all the details. Do you know where Heaven is from your home? Do you need to know that and how to travel there before you believe it? Do you know when God came into existence and where He was before He created His present abode or if He met the abode already in existence before Him? These are questions to which we have no answers and yet we believe there is a God, etc.

The simple concept I was referring to was not the Trinity but the idea that something can be scripturally sound even though that particular word is not used in the Bible. I don't see the word "Church" used in the Bible in reference to a building where the saints gather, but I doubt there's any serious question that christians can have a meeting place they call church. Of course, I agree that every doctrine has to be in the Bible to be Biblical, but that's different from saying that the word used to describe that doctrine has to be in the Bible. Not even a kid would say that. So, let's understand where each person is coming from. The human mind is too small to comprehend the notion of the Father, Jesus and the Holy Spirit being one God. Heck, the human mind only 200 years ago could not even grasp some things we take for granted today,such as flying in airplanes.

When you read the Bible with a natural mind, the idea of Jesus being God does not seem to hold water. That's why you see people quoting Scritures that seem to contradict the notion. But when you let the Spirit open the Word to you, you see Scriptures that cannot be interpreted in any way besides acknowledging that Jesus is God. I'm hoping I'll find time soon to introduce and discuss some of these Bible passages.

shdemidemi: The mistake most christians make is thinking Abraham,Moses,Elijah,John the baptist and Jesus(in the flesh) were christians. Nooooooo, christianity only started after Christ was declared the son of God through the power of resurrection.
Always and always separate yourself from the jews and the jewish rituals/traditions. The relationship between Christ with the Jews is different from his relationship with a non-jew (gentile).The church came to break the barrier between these two different entities, threfore, when reading our bible we must study the whole of the bible but discern what was written to us as christians and that which is written to the Jewish believer.

If we rightly divide the word of God, we would understand a christian has no power through Christ to heal any man in this age of grace. Apostle Paul wrote to a church in Corinth about spiritual gifts, that partcular church missed every part of the gospel (similar to our contemporary churches today)of Jesus Christ, they were spiritual babies-they pride in speaking in tongues amongst all other gifts. He said to the church in 1 cor 13

8 Charity never faileth: but whether there be prophecies, they shall fail; whether there be tongues, they shall cease; whether there be knowledge, it shall vanish away.

9 For we know in part, and we prophesy in part.

10 But when that which is perfect is come, then that which is in part shall be done away.

11 When I was a child, I spake as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child: but when I became a man, I put away childish things.

As far as christians are concerned, the only gifts we have now are the gift of knowledge and prohesy(teaching) in parts. So, as christians, the word of God tells us

3 glory in tribulations(trouble) also: knowing that tribulation worketh patience;

4 And patience, experience; and experience, hope:

5 And hope maketh not ashamed; because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us.

to be continued.......

My brother, you contradict yourself big time. You say no christian can heal in the age of grace and then turn on to say that christians in Corinth may heal or receive healing. If no healing in the age of grace, there should be no exception to Corinthians or spiritual babes. You have to decide which one is it. Because if you make exceptions to Corinthians anad babes, you'll have to make exceptions to Nigerians and others under the age of grace. So make up your mind.

Yeah, I'm amazed he doesn't seem to grasp that simple concept. A word does not need to be in the Bible to be Biblical. Trinity is simply a short-hand to express an idea that is all over the Bible and tha an be easily seen by the spiritually alive. In the real sense, Trinity is not the issue. The real point is that Jesus is God. You can approach it any way you like - whether you call it Trinity or understand it any other way. (I attended a church for years in which the pastor did not believe in the trinity; as far as he believed Jesus to be God that was fine by me).But the moment you do not think that Jesus is God, that's when you should start questionining your own christianity.

So long as you approach it with a natural mind, the truth on this will continue to elude you.

^^

Good one. I don't know why people like to create unnecessary controversy around virtually everything Pat Robertson says these days.

^^
First, can you define a carnal soul and a spiritual soul for us?

Second, you have to understand the context in which words are used to fully grasp them. E.g., you wrote; "Not true, the bible does not say the spirit of MAN was made in the image of GOD , it says MAN himself as an entity was made in the image of GOD, and the definition of MAN can be found in Genesis 2:7" Bible said that man was made in the image of God, but it is stating it in terms people can relate to, not using exact terminology. Let's say you and I are in the same room and you're busy thinking of your next evangelism trip. You're not paying attention. I say to you: "Brother, you're not here. Where are you?" Do you think I don't know you're there with me? No, what I mean is that your mind is not there. Yet, that's not what I said. If you take my words literally or insist on exact terms, you can accuse me of saying you're not there while you're looking at me and so make it appear as if I'm a liar. But because I expect you to understand me, I can take the liberty to say that to YOU when I'm only referring to a part of you. That's the case with the Gen 2 example, as God expects anybody of moderate understanding to know he's not talking of the body of man or the total man or the parts of man that God does not share, i.e., those not in His image.

Third, the only way we can be made in the image of God is to be of the same image. God is not man. God is not body. God is not soul. God is a Spirit, the Bible declares in John 4. If we're made in His image, we have to be what He is; otherwise, we're not made in the same image. That's elementary.

Nothing you wrote above challenges my assertion that some spiritual truths are hard to comprehend by carnal minds. If anything, they confirm what I said. If you let the Holy Spirit lead your Bible study, Trinity is one of the easiest things to see in the Bible. I don't even make efforts to look for it, yet I see it often in the Bible. That Jesus is God is not a hard fact to grasp by any real christian. In the past, people like the Oneness Pentecostals challenged the concept of Trinity. But they never doubted that Jesus is God. They only argued that God functions in multiple roles. The "new" or revived notion that Jesus is not God is hardly something you see in the Body of Christ, for the simple reason that it is inconceivable to consider oneself a christian without a realization that the God we serve is Jesus Christ. That's where christianity differs from other religions that recognize a Supreme Being they call by different names. It's not about being wise and clever. It's about being yielded to the Holy Spirit.

The trinity is NOT pagan. It is the Word of God. Many pagan cultures have ideas that are contained in the Word of God. Does not invalidate God's Word. It just shows that many ideas from God circulated before the Jews wrote them down.

I must say however that the concept of Trinity is hard to comprehend by the natural mind. When you study or even read the Bible with the Holy Spirit giving you revelation, it's so easy to see the Trinity in many portions of the Bible. God takes it for granted when He's dealing with His children who have revelation, but knows it is complicated for those outside.

frosbel: Straw man argument.

MAN is dust without the life ( spirit ) of God in him, with the life ( spirit ) of GOD , he is a SOUL.

Read Gen 2:7 again.

Also , to suggest that MAN is spirit , while illogical, presents more questions than answers.

For example :

If MAN is a spirit, what is the SOUL ?

If the Soul goes to Hell or Heaven, where does the spirit go to ?

It was not an argument, strawman or not. It was a simple request for clarification. Should know the difference.

Anyway, I see your position is that dust + spirit = soul. But that's not what the Bible says. When God breathe into the dust, Bible says he became a LIVING soul, not just a soul. You conveniently leave out the 'living' part as though it has no significance. The 'living' part is the spirit part of man. God would go ahead to shed more light on this in the New Testament. As some brethren have already said here, Thessalonians makes that distinction between spirit, soul and body and Hebrews speak to the spirit, soul and body (joints and marrows) being separated by the Word.

Also, when you look at Romans 12, it says that YOU should renew your mind. That's is clearly saying that You are separate from your mind. It tells YOU to present your body as a living sacrifice. That shows that You are separate from your body. The real YOU is the spirit part of you. It is that part that is created in the image of God, who is A spirit (John 4). That is, God is not the spirit, but a spirit, since there are other spirits, such as human beings and angels. It is this spirit part of you that gets born again. Paul says, if you believe in your HEART you'll be saved. Jesus said in Mark 11:23-24 that if you do not doubt in your HEART, you'll have what you believe. Jesus said you should love God with all your heart and mind, showing they are different. The heart is a metaphor for the spirit (not the physical organ that pumps blood). It is with the spirit therefore that you contact God and the spiritual world.

With your soul, you contact the intellectual, emotional and volitional realm. While your soul consists of your mind, will, and emotions, your mind consists of your intellect, memory and imagination. When you picture things in your mind, do you think it's coming from your body?

With your body, you contact the physical world. That is, the five senses.

Your approach muddles everything up and makes it difficult for spiritual growth as people would not know which is which and what to do to feed each part. When Jesus told the devil that man shall not live by bread alone but by God's Word, He did not mean that the Word would replace the bread in feeding the body. No, the bread continues to feed the body while the Word feeds the spirit, which in turns affects the soul. A fed spirit dominates the soul, leading to a victorious christian life. An unfed spirit is weak and allows the soul to dominate, leading to carnality or living like a natural man instead of a spiritual man that we are.