Saving the Soul

SOUL-

The natural life of the body; the immaterial, invisible part of man; the seat of personality; the seat of the sentient element in man by which he perceives, reflects, feels, desires; the seat of will and purpose; the seat of appetite.

Genesis 2:7

7 And the LORD God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul.

The soul is the essential part of man. The body is only the natural garment in which God gave to us to carry out its purpose. One day it will return back to the dirt from which it came, but the soul will live forever.

Man is made up of body, soul and spirit. For so long our focus and interest have been on the body first and then the spirit. We have not put enough emphasis on the saving of the soul, which reveals our true character, whether it be good or bad.

The soul is the medium of man. In other words, it sits in the middle of the spirit and the body.

Medium- middle position or degree; means of effecting or conveying something; means of communication, mode of artistic expression.

The soul has the ability to communicate with God and with the world through the five senses. The five senses are also known as the gates to the mind or soul: the eye gate (seeing), ear gate (hearing), mouth gate (taste), nose gate (smell) and our touch gate.

For years our soul has been tied to the world enjoying the pleasure of sin, but we know the Bible says the pleasure of sin only lasts for a season. However, after salvation we are still experiencing some negative expressions of the soul.

Philippians 3:15

15 Let us therefore, as many as be perfect, be thus minded: and if in any thing ye be otherwise minded, God shall reveal even this unto you.

We who are saved must identify and allow the Word to change the negative expressions of our soul, which God is revealing inside our situations, circumstances and relationships.

James 1:21-25

21 Wherefore lay apart all filthiness and superfluity of naughtiness, and receive with meekness the engrafted word, which is able to save your souls.

22 But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves.

23 For if any be a hearer of the word, and not a doer, he is like unto a man beholding his natural face in a glass:

24 For he beholdeth himself, and goeth his way, and straightway forgetteth what manner of man he was.

25 But whoso looketh into the perfect law of liberty, and continueth therein, he being not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work, this man shall be blessed in his deed.

The Bible says the Word is able to save our soul, and we must put our weaknesses, frailties, ugliness, negative mindsets and naughtiness to death so they no longer live in our soul. If we don’t, these deeds will cause our soul to be lost. We must receive the engrafted Word with meekness so we are able to produce and grow to the saving of the soul.

It is not what goes in that defile the body, but what comes out and these evil ways if not yielded to the Word emit from each one of us. If we want victory in our soul, we must become not only hearers of the Word but also doers of the Word.

Many people become excited when they hear the Word but forget that the Word must be applied in their lives in order for the Word to become the mirror for others to see their own negative, evil ways. The Lord says that “our ways are not his ways.”

3 John 1:2

2 Beloved, I wish above all things that thou mayest prosper and be in health, even as thy soul prospereth.

God wants us to become overcomers in our soulish realm, not just in the spirit, or the flesh, but He also wants our soul to prosper. The seat of our emotions, our will, appetites and desires, must prosper in the Word of God, and our greatest battle will not be in our flesh but in our MIND.

Our failure or success depends upon our thinking, and we must learn how to overcome the enemies of our mind. This means we have to break the soul ties of our mind. Over the years we opened our five senses and internalized all we saw, heard, touched, tasted and smelled and they have become a part of what and who we are today. We have to embrace and fight vigorously for our soul so we will not lust for the things of this world.

LOVE NOT THE WORLD

I John 2:15-17

15 Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him.

16 For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world.

17 And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever.

Love is an emotion that is produced in the soul realm. Do not allow your soul to become attached to the world, its lust and its pride. We have adapted more to the world than to the Word. If we do not put the Word into our soul, we will always be distracted by what the world says and does. We have soul ties with our family and friends, and these ties cause us to become entangled with the cares of the world.

Continually we rush into prayer lines and still go home with negative attitudes and mindsets; continuing in fornication, adultery or homosexual relationships; remain in depression, frustration, jealousy, obsessions, addictions and many other negative dispositions. God is demanding we settle the sin issue once and for all.

Oftentimes when we think of prosperity we think of materialistic gain according to the world's standards. However, we must also consider that with prosperity comes negative characteristics in our soulish realm such as those mentioned above.

Matthew 16:24-26

24 Then said Jesus unto his disciples, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.

25 For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: and whosoever will lose his life for my sake shall find it.

26 For what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?

In the above scripture Jesus is teaching His disciples the importance of denying themselves of the pleasures of this world. We, too, must deny ourselves of the negative mindsets which will influence our soul and produce ungodly characteristics. Following Christ means we are to take on His character and His mindset, which will cause suffering to our flesh. However, if we continue holding on to negative mindsets we will lose our own soul!

The lust of the eye, the lust of the flesh and the pride of life are in opposition to the Spirit of Christ working in us. The love of the world is the only thing that will cause us to lose our soul. WE MUST HATE IT!

We can be happy within our soul knowing that Christ lives in us. We do not always have to have someone around us in order to live. People who have “soul ties” are afraid of being alone because the door of opportunity opens. Because there exists a moment of no accountability, we are free to do what we want. But we have the responsibility to deal with ourselves. God wants us delivered. People are not our problem. The hurts of the past that we will not let go--these are our problems. In many cases, it was our own lust that caused them. Our soul has been attached to the past. We can pray for you till blood comes out of our fingers, but it is only when we deal with the lust in us that a change will begin to take place. It is time for us to look in the mirror of the Word and see the ugliness of our heart and desire to change.

Hebrews 4:12

12 For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.

The Word of God is the only power that can separate body, soul and spirit for it is a discerner of the soul and comes to bring life. The Word of God converts and restores by cutting away the attachments to the soul. Medical doctors, psychiatrists, psychologists or any other profession of the world cannot sever the soul ties in our lives, and without the application of the Word of God there will be no deliverance.

Psalm 23:1-6

1 The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want.

2 He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters.

3 He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name's sake.

4 Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.

5 Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over.

6 Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the LORD for ever.

We must become like David--the Lord must become our shepherd. The course He has for our soul we must follow, and the only way we become a follower is that we must rid ourselves of wantonness. God wants our soul to be restored in righteousness by resting in His Word.

I asked the Lord what is the standard set for our soul? What should we strive for?

Titus 2:1-11

1 . . . speak thou the things which become sound doctrine:

2 That the aged men be sober, grave, temperate, sound in faith, in charity, in patience.

3 The aged women likewise, that they be in behaviour as becometh holiness, not false accusers, not given to much wine, teachers of good things;

4 That they may teach the young women to be sober, to love their husbands, to love their children,

5 To be discreet, chaste, keepers at home, good, obedient to their own husbands, that the word of God be not blasphemed.

6 Young men likewise exhort to be sober minded.

7 In all things shewing thyself a pattern of good works: in doctrine shewing uncorruptness, gravity, sincerity,

8 Sound speech, that cannot be condemned; that he that is of the contrary part may be ashamed, having no evil thing to say of you.

9 Exhort servants to be obedient unto their own masters, and to please them well in all things; not answering again;

10 Not purloining, but shewing all good fidelity; that they may adorn the doctrine of God our Saviour in all things.

11 For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men,

The whole body of Christ must come to a place of spiritual maturity. Every member of the body is accountable one to the other. So let us strive not to be one another’s test but to esteem and exalt each man higher than ourselves.

Love , Bishop