"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." -Hebrews 4:12
If you ever did a dissection in biology class, you know you need a sharp knife to do the job right. Well, according to this verse, the Bible is the sharpest blade there is. And by using it, you can even differentiate a person's soul from their spirit!Why is this differentiation important? Because if believers can't differentiate their soul from their spirit, they're going to have a tough time following God's will for their lives.
First, let's understand that people actually have three main aspects: a body, a soul and a spirit. This verse doesn't mention the body, because it doesn't take a very sharp knife to differentiate the body. The body is the material aspect of ourselves -- what we can see, touch, hear, taste and smell. The soul is our mind, will and emotions. And our spirit is where our conscience and out connection with God reside.
Everybody has experienced the difference between the three. Your body is tired in the morning and doesn't want to get out of bed. Your soul, however, kicks in and insists that you get up and get your day started. Unfortunately, your soul is also a bit miserable about the whole situation. That's when your spirit reminds you that life is a gift, that it's great to be alive, and that God has a plan for for you -- so be joyful and prepare yourself to be a light to the world!
These distinctions are enormously important in all areas of the believer's life. Take relationships with the opposite sex. The body is divinely programmed for sexual desire. But left unchecked, thsi desire could create all kinds of problems. So the soul applies a variety of criteria to determine the suitability of individuals for potential relationships and the appropriateness of potential actions. But it's the spirit that hears God say "This is the one."
In other words, if you don't know the difference between your soul and your spirit, you won't know when it's God talking to you and when you just came up with another one of your own great ideas -- not!
But don't get stressed about figuring out when it's your soul and when it's your spirit. That would just be your soul trying to do all the work again! Instead, Hebrews 4:12 encourages us to take full advantage of the word of God. Get into your Bible! It's a living intrument that will help you discern your own thoughts and intents -- while revealing to you what the Spirit wants to tell your spirit.
