“The Need for Balance in Spirit, Soul and Body”

by T. Austin_Sparks

We have been occupied with the inward nature of that which issues with the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and we have been looking again into the nature of man as he is by reason of the fall; what it is that the cross of the Lord Jesus does with him, and what it is that comes out in the resurrection of the Lord Jesus to be the material of the church which He said: “I will build”. The constitution of man is very largely the subject of consideration and while we have said very little about his body (there may be something yet to say on that) we have been mainly occupied with the other two aspects of his being: soul and spirit.

Just to take that up now with a view to saying a few further things, let us remind ourselves that the Scripture teaches us quite plainly that the soul, or ‘psuche’ is the sum total of man’s natural powers – the life as born into the world, and all that it contains or can attain unto. That is man, of course, since the fall. But the spirit, the ‘pneuma’ is not only that which lies behind the soul, just as the soul, or ‘psuche’ lies underneath the bodily organism, the spirit is that part of man which is unable to expand of itself, or to attain to its proper end in consequence of the fall. The Scripture tells us that there is a spirit in man, there is a ‘pneuma’, but that in consequence of the fall it is, for all divine purposes, as though it did not exist; what the Scripture calls ‘death’ has taken place, and that is that part of man by which he was joined to the Lord. The Lord being a Spirit, has fallen out of that relationship so that man is no longer a spiritual man, but a soulical man [1 Cor. 2:14].

Further, the Word of God makes it perfectly clear that man does not know that he is in that state. If man could know his own spiritual powers, or even know how lamentably he has lost their use by the fall, he would not be as fallen as he is. The root of his trouble is that he knows not that he has got it, and the work of the spiritual Physician is primarily not that of removing something, but making the patient know that he has a function of which he is altogether unconscious, and that that function is not functioning. He has to disclose the function, the healthy enjoyment of which has never been known, and therefore it is hardly suspected. It is that organ and function of the ‘pneuma’ which is basic to everything in relation to God…

(bold, italics and bracketed words added for clarity)
from The Nature of that which Issues in the Resurrection of Christ 
by T. Austin-Sparks, Chapter 4. Courtesy of https://www.austin-sparks.net
Full Chapter 4 document – “The Need for Balance in Spirit, Soul and Body”:
Balance in Body, Soul and Spirit_TAS

The highly respected pastor, radio preacher (Love Worth Finding) and author taught the biblical perspective of man as spirit, soul and body. Here is an excerpt from one of his books that reveals the clarity this model of man brings to the nature of the fall and of redemption.

God said Adam and Eve would die the very day they sinned [Gen. 2:17]. And yet strangely the Scripture records that they lived for many centuries and had sons and daughters. It this a contradiction? Not at all. Remember that man is body, soul, and spirit. Let me tell you how Adam died as a result of his sin.

*He died immediately in his spirit. The Lord of life moved out of Adam, and now he was dead in his trespasses and sin. Death is not primarily the separation of the soul from the body, but the spirit from God.

*He died progressively in his soul. His mind now had become a garden of weeds. Among his first uttered words after the transgression were these, “I was afraid.” Shame, fear, negativism, and neuroses filled his mind. God, to him now, was no longer someone to walk with but someone to hide from. Now God has to chase us to save us.

*He died ultimately in his body. Adam’s body, with the seed of death in it, existed for 930 years, but there is a sense in which it was already dead. Adam was very much like a Christmas tree cut off from its roots, brought into the house and decorated. In some ways, it may look better in the house than it did out in the wild. But what happened when it was cut from the source of life will show some time after New Year’s. The truth of the matter is, that it is often called a living tree, but it was dead when it was cut off from the source of life. So it is with man.

Keep this in mind when you consider what God has done for us and will do in salvation. When you were born from above, Almighty God began a reverse process in your life.

1. Whereas Adam died immediately in his spirit, you were instantaneously justified in the Spirit. In Jesus, “ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God” (1 Cor. 6:11). Our Lord paid the price for your righteousness in full…

2. Next, remember that whereas Adam died progressively in his soul, you are progressively sanctified in the soul. John 17:17 says. “Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth.” Philippians 12—13 Says, “Work out your own salvation with fear and trembling. For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure.” God is working in you throughout your life to present you faultless and perfect before his throne (Jude 24). Day by day we should grow in Christlikeness.

3. Joyfully, this process culminates when we are ultimately glorified in the body—called the redemption of the body. This third stage is what we’re waiting for, it is the “not yet” part: “For we know that the whole creation groaneth and travaileth in pain together until now. And not only they, but ourselves also, which have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting for the adoption, to wit, the redemption of our body” (Rom. 8:22—23)…

Our full inheritance is the redemption of the body and all that comes with this redemption. Until that time we live in a world saturated with sickness, war, hate, riots, and confusion. Without proper perspective, we could easily become confused and discouraged and wonder if We have any authority at all. But we are not helpless. Although the trinity of evil—the world, the flesh, and the devil—wages war against us personally, it has no real power over us in this present age…

Adrian Rogers, The Incredible Power of Kingdom Authority. Broadman & Holman, 2002. pp. 71-73. (bold font added for emphasis – JBW

Bloom in the Dark is ministry that promotes healing and hope to hurting people through therapeutic discipleship resources. They produce programs on BloomTodaytv.com and offer a year-long weekly recovery curriculum–RS4L.

“Unlike traditional recovery programs that only address the soul and body, RS4L combines healing strategies for all three parts of our being: spirit, soul, and body. It is specifically developed for individuals who are looking to get to the root of their pain. Whether coming out of abuse, addiction, or a painful loss, RS4L promises a journey that will completely transform how you see healing and recovery.” bloominthedark.org

Their foundational Scripture is 1 Thessalonians 5:23: “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. He who calls you is faithful, who also will do it.”

Lester F. Sumrall (1913 -1996) was an American Pentecostal pastor and evangelist. He founded the Lester Sumrall Evangelistic Association (LeSEA) and its humanitarian arm LeSEA Global Feed the Hungry, World Harvest Radio International, and World Harvest Bible College [Wikipedia]. He ministered in over 100 countries and wrote many books.

His book, The Total Man, was retitled Spirit, Soul, and Body and published by Whitaker House in 2002 (254 pages). Sumrall sought answers about the soul/spirit distinction for twenty years, asking many different leaders with little benefit. After his discoveries about biblical psychology, he concluded that discerning the spirit/soul/body design of man is very important.

The volume is written at a popular level; it is not an academic work. (There is no bibliography or footnotes.). But the author’s goal was pastoral and practical. He introduces the book, “In this study, I am going to help you understand yourself and therefore know how to live. I want to make you aware of the three-dimensional nature of the human personality. As long as you treat the human personality as a dualism [body and soul], you will never discover it. A psychologist or psychiatrist might be able to pick you to pieces, but he will not be able to put you back together again… He does not even know that man has a spirit. This is a very sad situation because man’s biggest problems are spiritual” (p. 15,16).

The practical aim may explain some lack of clarity at times. For example, early in the book, he stated that the unsaved person only has a body and soul, and gets a human spirit at regeneration (p.24). But later he ends up with the mainstream trichotomist view that the unsaved person has a human spirit that is dead toward God and needs to be regenerated (p.224,231). Similarly, he initially assigns the role of conscience to man’s soul (p.187,195). But later in the book, he agrees with the majority trichotmist view that the conscience is a faculty of the human spirit (p.230, 252).

Sumrall gives seven of the book’s forty chapters to the function of imagination, describing it as “the hidden force of human destiny.” Although he identifies imagination with the conscious mind (p.138), as a facet of creativity, he also affirms its role in Adam before the fall and in the regenerate human spirit (p.155,170).
Admittedly, sometimes the role of conscience and imagination overlap soul and spirit, like links in a chain. The case can be made that conscience is a faculty of the spirit (an aspect of being made in God’s image), yet the function of conscience is processed in the soul (and, therefore, can be desensitized or sensitized). We have the “mind of Christ” [in the new human spirit], but also need to “renew” our minds [in the soul] (1 Cor. 2:16; Rom. 12:2).

Although Sumrall doesn’t quote sources, he refers to Watchman Nee’s writing (p.227). It seems obvious that he alludes to the content of Nee’s The Release of the Spirit and probably the larger volume, The Spiritual Man (which details the faculties of soul and spirit).

The author’s pastoral concern is evident in the many practical points he makes about avoiding defeat and living a Spirit-filled, God-designed life. Discipleship Counselors appreciate the relevance of an accurate, biblical model of man to personal ministry. As a leader who ministered in over one hundred countries, Sumrall’s diagnosis is worth noting: In many churches as much as a third of the whole congregation is depressed and sad. They are not living in their spirit; they are [primarily ]living in the soulical realm…God’s kingdom., which is in you, is God’s righteousness, peace, and joy” [Rom. 14:17].

The book is available from the publisher here:
https://www.whitakerhouse.com/product/spirit-soul-body/

– J.B.W.

“Reverend Doctor George Campbell Morgan D.D. was a British evangelist, preacher, a leading Bible teacher, and a prolific author.  A contemporary of Rodney “Gipsy” Smith, Morgan preached his first sermon at age 13. He was the pastor of Westminster Chapel in London from 1904 to 1919, pausing for 14 years to teach at Biola in Los Angeles, and returning to the Chapel from 1933 to 1943 when he handed over the pastorate to the renowned Martyn Lloyd-Jones, after having shared it with him and mentored him for some years previous. From 1911-1914 he was the president of Cheshunt College, Cambridge.” [Wikipedia]

His book, Christian Principles, was based on a series of lectures that he gave at 5th Avenue Presbyterian Church under the auspices of Bible Teacher’s Training School. In it he presents what this site terms “holistic trichotomy.” Here are sample pages from chapter 1 – “The Spiritual Nature of Man.”

Here are excerpts from chapter one, titled The Spiritual Nature of Man. See also page 3: G_C_Morgan_pg_3.

Here is a PDF copy of the complete book: https://babel.hathitrust.org

Nearly all seminaries seem to avoid the basic distinction between spirit, soul, and body.
Distinctions that the Apostle Paul and the writer of Hebrews clearly pointed out as an
underlying force in the personal understanding of what God has done on our behalf, and
how he is always pressing us forward toward maturity on the path of righteousness. This is
not something that we must wait for in the age to come, but much of that completeness
is for God’s people right now, today, as we rest in his faithfulness and promises of the
wholeness that he has given his children for this life. We must learn to express our trust in
God by releasing ourselves to follow through with the actions that are necessary to validate and express our true identity to the world around us.

… let us press on to maturity, not laying again a foundation of repentance from dead works and of faith toward God...(Hebrews 6:1).

This new book is available via Amazon.com here.

Pastor Jeff Barbieri of Mountainview Bible church preached a message that accurately parses the biblical psychology of Mark 12:28-34:

“One of the scribes came and heard them arguing, and recognizing that He had answered them well, asked Him, “What commandment is the foremost of all?” Jesus answered, “The foremost is, ‘HEAR, O ISRAEL! THE LORD OUR GOD IS ONE LORD; AND YOU SHALL LOVE THE LORD YOUR GOD WITH ALL YOUR HEART, AND WITH ALL YOUR SOUL, AND WITH ALL YOUR MIND, AND WITH ALL YOUR STRENGTH.’ “The second is this, ‘YOU SHALL LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF.’ There is no other commandment greater than these.” The scribe said to Him, “Right, Teacher; You have truly stated that HE IS ONE, AND THERE IS NO ONE ELSE BESIDES HIM; AND TO LOVE HIM WITH ALL THE HEART AND WITH ALL THE UNDERSTANDING AND WITH ALL THE STRENGTH, AND TO LOVE ONE’S NEIGHBOR AS HIMSELF, is much more than all burnt offerings and sacrifices.” When Jesus saw that he had answered intelligently, He said to him, “You are not far from the kingdom of God.” After that, no one would venture to ask Him any more questions.” (NASB)

The (downloadable) audio message with notes is online here:
mountainviewbiblechurch.com/church-sermons

This excellent study on the Abundant Life is biblically sound, doctrinally accurate, and practically applied. The author (with RevivalFocus.com) uses an explicit spirit/soul/body model of man.

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Would you categorize your daily life as abundant? If not, why?

“Greater than any craving for food and water is the deep longing within the soul of many of God’s children to be like Jesus—to be holy and victorious over evil and to be loving and effective in service,” says John Van Gelderen. “In a word, to experience Christ’s life.”

If you’ve felt these longings, but are discouraged and defeated, separated from the life of Christ by the rising waters of failure, John provides hope and help. Laying down biblical stepping stones, he leads you on a journey to a life that overcomes sin and overflows into ministry to others—The Revived Life.

This book combines the brokenness truth of Roy Hession, the Spirit-filled life truth of Watchman Nee, and the spiritual warfare truth of Jesse Penn-Lewis.

from clcpublications.com

The premarital Counseling workbook from Victorious Christian Living features clear explanation of the spirit/soul/body perspective of man’s makeup. By revealing God’s design, the course teaches the three dimensions of the marital relationship:

Invitation 2 Intimacy
“This premarriage counseling course gives couples the essential tools for experiencing a healthy, long lasting and fulfilling marriage. It is based on the discipleship series entitled SALT (Seven Areas of Life Training®) and was written by ministry mentors and life coaches with over 30 years of experience in preparing couples for marriage. The lessons help couples communicate effectively, forgive each other, resolve conflicts, deal with finances and develop good parenting skills.”

Jesus Christ: The Greatest Life Ever Lived

“All four Gospels in the Bible describe the story of the life of Christ-Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John-are inspired, critically important and able to stand alone. Each was written to a particular audience to portray a unique aspect of Jesus’ life. When these four reports are combined into one complete flowing narrative, we gain new insights. This combined account gives us the chronological order of every known fact about Jesus’ life and the teachings found in the four Gospels. Including every chapter and verse with nothing added and nothing left out.”

This scholarly book combines two previously published volumes (that were copyrighted by Western Conservative Baptist Theological Seminary). Johnson Cheney made a detailed study of the Gospels in Greek. Stanley Ellisen Th.D  worked closely with him on the first edition. In the passage on the temptations Jesus encountered (Matthew 4; Luke 4), they authors refer to Christ being tempted in “body, soul, and spirit” (page 41). Note the correspondence: the temptation to make stones into bread (body), the temptation to throw Himself from the top of the Temple (for instant recognition–soul), and the temptation of being given rule over the kingdoms of the world if He would worship the Devil (spirit).