“Now may the God of peace Himself sanctify you through and through [that is, separate you from profane and vulgar things, make you pure and whole and undamaged—consecrated to Him—set apart for His purpose]; and may your spirit and soul and body be kept complete and [be found] blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.” (1 Thessalonians 5:23 AMP)
“For the word of God is living and active and full of power [making it operative, energizing, and effective]. It is sharper than any two-edged sword, penetrating as far as the division of the soul and spirit [the completeness of a person], and of both joints and marrow [the deepest parts of our nature], exposing and judging the very thoughts and intentions of the heart.” (Hebrews 4:12 AMP)
“The spirit of a man is the lamp of the LORD, Searching all the inner depths of his heart.” (Proverbs 20:27 NKJV)
The Bible uses 3 words which are vital in my understanding of the power of scripture memorization and meditation – heart, spirit, and soul. While there is a degree of overlap in how these words are presented, they are actually distinct in meaning.
My soul is my natural mind, and is made up of my emotions, intellect, and will. Left to itself, my soul is a mess. It is darkened by sin, constantly bombarded with thoughts and ideas from the world around me, and the primary front of attack by the fiery darts (thoughts and temptations) of the Enemy. The Bible is referring to my soul when it commands me to take every thought captive. It is being saved.
My spirit is the “real me” that is created in the image and likeness of my Heavenly Father. My spirit is born again and possesses the mind of Christ. It is seated in the Heavenlies, one with Christ, a new creation, and unlimited in spiritual understanding and discernment. It is saved.
My heart is the core of my being and consists of both my spirit and my soul. These two parts are so intertwined that apart from the supernatural operation of the Word I cannot tell them apart. This is where scripture memorization and meditation stand out in their great value.
When I memorize a verse it is immediately embraced by the mind of Christ in my spirit because my spirit is always in line with the Word. My soul however, will many times be out of sink with the Word. My spirit thinks like my Father, but my soul thinks like man. The Word exposes my soul’s faulty thinking. It makes my soul’s errors obvious. When I hide the Word in my heart it separates my soul from my spirit and gives me the opportunity to change my mind. This results in a renewed mind that is no longer conformed to the world. It is the beginning of lasting transformation.
It is time to move on to a new topic. I pray that the Holy Spirit will use in our lives…
…Eric’s Life Lesson # 128: ” “Scripture Memorization and Meditation feed my spirit and renew my mind.” Part 4: Divide and Conquer