James 1:21 Part 1—Spirit, soul, and body

Therefore, putting aside all filthiness and all that remains of wickedness, in humility receive the word implanted, which is able to save your souls. James 1:21

The first time I heard a teaching related to this verse I thought I was hearing false doctrine because I didn’t understand that I was a three-part being.

A preacher I had grown to trust said something like this: “As a Christian, your soul is not automatically saved. Your soul is only saved through reception and application of the Word of God.”

He’s wrong, God! I’m saved—what does he mean my soul’s not saved? But due to my respect for him and everything else I’d heard him say, I decided to put his teaching about this verse on the shelf until God made it clear to me one way or the other. That’s what you need to do with teachings you aren’t sure about—put them on the shelf and let the Holy Spirit sort them out for you later through the Word.

Over time—not immediately, mind you—I started realizing that, similar to God being a triune being, humans had three parts as well. Two Scriptures brought this understanding home to me.

The first verse that caught my eye was 1 Thessalonians 5:23. “Now may the God of peace Himself sanctify you entirely; and may your spirit and soul and body be preserved complete, without blame at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ” (emphasis added).

… spirit and soul and body… When I read this, I realized that I was not just a soul (or a spirit) and a body. Before that, I had used the terms “soul” and “spirit” interchangeably and thought they were synonymous, much like the words “groundhog” and “woodchuck”. But here, at least, the Bible put soul and spirit into two separate categories. Hmmm, I thought, if my soul and spirit aren’t the same thing, then could it be that the preacher was right and my soul might not be saved yet? To tell the truth, that thought bothered me, but it got me thinking—I am spirit, soul, and body, not just soul and body!

The second verse that made it even clearer to me about the distinction between soul and spirit was Hebrews 4:12. “For the word of God is living and active and sharper than any two-edged sword, and piercing as far as the division of soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow, and able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart” (emphasis added). My soul and spirit were indeed two different entities, and they could be separated by the Word of God.

The Greek word for “spirit” is pneuma (which is also used in the term “Holy Spirit”). On the other hand, the word for “soul” is psyche and is the base from which the English words “psychology” and “psychiatry” are derived. Both parts—soul and spirit—are unseen; both dwell within the body; both are said to be involved with the inner workings of a man. According to one source, pneuma (spirit) means “the rational spirit, the power by which the human being feels, thinks, decides” (see http://www.blueletterbible.org/lang/Lexicon/Lexicon.cfm?strongs=G4151&t=KJV ), and psyche (soul) means “the seat of the feelings, desires, affections, aversions (our heart, soul etc.)” (see http://www.blueletterbible.org/lang/Lexicon/Lexicon.cfm?strongs=G5590&t=KJV ). As you can see, these two—spirit and soul—are closely related; however, it is my contention that it is your spirit who receives Christ; it is your spirit that is born of God; and it is your spirit that becomes a new creation. Your soul, “the seat of your feelings, desires, affections and aversions” is also eternal; James says that it is by receiving the Word implanted that you—a Christian who is already saved—are able to save your soul.

My original problem with this verse was this: Why does a Christian need to save his soul? When I started viewing James 1:21 in light of the three-part nature of man, it began to make more sense to me. This is how I view the nature of man now:

• I am a spirit—once dead in sin, but now by virtue of faith in Jesus, I am a new creature in Christ, made righteous and clean before God.
• I have a soul—feelings, emotions, memories, thought processes, desires, tastes, inclinations, dislikes, and a will.
• I live in a body—as long as I live on the earth, I will live in a flesh and blood body.

James said “in humility receive the word implanted, which is able to save your souls.” He said this to believers—new creatures in Christ. Tomorrow we will look at this verse more closely in reference to James’ earlier statements about temptation and the sin/lust connection.

Until then,

Dorothy