Living by

The Spirit






What Does Soulish and Spiritual Mean?



“So also it has been written: "The first man Adam became into a living soul; the last Adam into a life-giving spirit."

(1 Cor 15:45) Berean Literal Bible




Nab B. 

Feb 20, 2023

(Updated April 28, 2025)




Stage One – Soulish Earthly!


Man was potentially created to reflect the image of God but automatically. As an honourable creature, he was given the choice between reflecting God’s image or his own.



I will spare you the details of how man, in the end, chose his image! Ever since, he struggled to reflect the image of God and was caught in a beginner’s stage figuratively called a soulish, earthly, natural state of being. As a breathing lump of flesh with feelings and intellect, man was cut off from the life of God, only to die within a few decades of being born!


This was and still is the most tragic event in man's history. If anything, it shows God’s power when he utters a word!



“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 being.” (Gen 2:7)


“For out of it (ground) you were taken; for you are dust, and to dust you shall return.” (Gen 3:19 ESV)



A “soul” is called ‘nephesh’ (in Hebrew). It means breath or God’s breath blown into Adam’s nostrils. The ‘breath of life’ sustained his flesh even after his disobedience, but only for a very short life span and in a lower state of existence, that is being more soulish rather than spiritual!


Cut off from God's spiritual sustenance, man was in urgent need of a RESCUE!




All Souls Decay and Die!


People speak highly and favourably of being connected to their inner souls rather than to their Creator God! They speak of soul connection, soul searching, and all that. You only need to check some book titles about the ‘soul’ to see that this lie – believing in self – is alive and kicking! 



But what is God’s view of souls? In a nutshell, all earthly souls (unborn of the spirit) must decay and die! The death of souls is a fact every human knows so well and must experience once.



The death of souls is an unmistakable proof that humans cannot and will not exist apart from God! Rather than seeing the futility (or the aimlessness) of soulish earthly lives, humans continue, knowingly or unknowingly, to rebel and believe in themselves— their souls!



Let me show you how all souls—by God’s decree—were determined to decay and die:



“For in the day that you eat of it, you will surely die (Literally death you will die), from dust to dust you are and to dust you shall go”. (Genesis 2:17) 


“The soul who sins shall die” (Eze 18:4, 20)


“For the wages of sin is death.” (Rom 6:23)


“For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” (Rom 3:23)



When man’s heart fell, God subjected all creation on earth to corruption and futility as well. 


The following might explain the Second Law of Thermodynamics, which (in my opinion) was forced on all created things by God upon the fall of man. This discovered Law states that if things are left alone, life will always become less structured and less organized. Unless action is taken, most things will go wrong rather than right. There are hints of this law in the scriptures:



“For the creation was subjected to futility [The Greek word, mataiotés, means aimlessness, lacking purpose or any meaningful end; nonsense, not permanent ].” (Romans 8:20)


“Because you have listened to the voice of your wife [instead of God’s voice] and have eaten, cursed is the ground because of you [your choice].” (Gen 3:17)



At death, the breath of life comes to an end. There are no other parts that leave the body at death. Man does not have three distinct parts (body, soul, and spirit) that can be separated at death, as some teach. Body, soul, and spirit simply describe our physical, soulish, and spiritual make-up. What leaves (or rather stops) at death is the breath of life, the life force which God gave. There is nothing a human can do after death. Only while alive, a human has the chance to choose to join himself to God or not. If not, he is permanently separated from the life of God at death!



“The dust returns to the earth as it was, and the spirit [God’s breath which animated him] returns [taken back, seized] to God who gave it.” (Ecc 12:7 ) 



The above verse does not describe a separate part of a person (the spirit) going back to God. Rather, it describes God's action of taking back the 'life' or 'spirit' He has given to man, resulting in death.




Why Many Humans Remain Soulish!


Dying is a process which I will call LSD (lust, sin, death)! 


James 1:15 gives us the answer as to what makes us die. It goes something like this: 


“When Lust (desire) hath conceived (Gk: actively lay hold), 


It bringeth forth (begets) Sin,


And sin, when it is finished (completed),

 

Bringeth forth (gives birth) Death.”



That passage, succinctly, describes why the fall of man, from the beginning till now, held us captive! James uses the Greek word epithumeó translated as ‘lust’, which can also mean ‘desire, 'focused on' or 'passionate desire'. 



From the above, I believe there is no such thing as ‘inherited sin’. Such an expression isn’t found in the Bible. Rather than 'inherited', Paul said, "Sin ENTERED into the world through one man." (See Rom 5:12)


Sin is what every human primarily experiences and learns from birth, being exposed to it in a fallen world. The attraction of the sinful nature is so powerful, there is nothing a human can do by their own merits to be freed from it. It’s what carnal and soulish man desires foremost. A human is not coerced into sin; he or she chooses it as naturally as taking a breath! We all do!



Ever since Adam lied to himself by desiring to follow his way, most humans followed this learned mindset (the lie) which can be traced back to the deceiver's claim, “You shall surely NOT die!” (Gen 3:4)



It was not God who inflicted suffering and death on humans. It was a choice by man alone to be a slave to his sinful nature—the deceiver within him! 



If there was nothing in man which could save him, he then needed a Saviour! But until such time, humans were restricted to this earthly and soulish state of being by God's order: “You Will Surely Die”! 



Thanks to God that such a fate was bundled in hope, or the assured expectation of a release. This was clearly expressed in Paul’s words here:


“For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of him who subjected it, in hope [Gk. elpis: assured expectation] that the creation itself will be set free from its bondage to corruption and obtain the freedom of the glory of the children of God.” (Rom 8:20-21 ESV)



This predicted release spoken of thousands of years ago has arrived! It is God’s gift to humanity in the person of Jesus Christ, the Saviour or Rescuer, to bring the lost back to God if they so choose through faith (complete trust).




Man Can Conquer His Very Depth 

Through The Word of God


The very depth of man (portrayed as soul, spirit, and joints in Hebrews 4:12) could not be altered or permanently changed unless God’s Living Word penetrates and transforms his fallen nature into a new divine one. 



When the Word (through Christ) fully penetrates the inner being of a human, the old soul dies (spiritually slain or sacrificed). 



You must understand that the living Word of God is not limited only to the ‘Scriptures’. It encompasses all that God intended, wrote, revealed, and is still revealing through Jesus Christ, who embodies “The Word”. When the Word enters a believer, a spiritual death occurs, and a new spirit is given. It marks a new birth through the Holy Spirit.



Note how Hebrews 4:12 shows this transformative process or how the Word of God can spiritually heal us from within:




A true believer will think seriously about losing his soulish, earthly, or natural life to gain the real Life! Scripturally, souls are a hindrance to the true life of God in the Spirit. Although man conquered many things outside of himself, he could not conquer his sinful nature or surrender it to God. When he does, the flesh will raise the greatest battle, making the surrender of our souls a lengthy process.



No new birth begins with adulthood! As one grows from a child to a mature adult, so does the spiritual birth. Time is required to grow into a mature spiritual believer in Christ. Although saved, many of Paul's writings were addressed to carnal-minded believers in the churches, urging them to mature spiritually.



Christ's messages to the seven churches were filled with counsel against the prevailing soulish attitudes among many. For the individual believer, this sanctification or cleansing can span his or her entire lifetime here on earth.



What is not desirable is when a believer lingers in a soulish state, never maturing spiritually or taking hold of the true life in Christ Jesus. Some try to have a foothold in this present life when Christ considers it a waste of life, not only of this life but also of the one to come, as seen by these verses:


“For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world, but loses his soul? Or what will a man give as an exchange for his soul?” (Matt 16:26)


“For whoever desires to save [to rescue] his life [Lit psuché: soul] will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it.” (Matt 16:25)


“The one loving his life [soul] loses it, and the one hating his life [soul] in this world will keep it to eternal life [zoen aionion - ‘age-long life] (Note: zóé: real life, fullness of life).” (John 12:25)



This eternal life (aiónios: age during) is already available during this age of grace. Note how the next few verses use the correct Greek present tense (‘has’, instead of ‘will have’) in the Concordant Literal NT Translation:


“He who is believing in the Son has life eonian.” (John 3:36)


“He who is hearing My word and believing Him Who sends Me, has life eonian.” (John 5:24)


“I am saying to you that he who is believing in Me has life eonian.” (John 6:47) 


“For the ration of Sin is death, yet the gracious gift of God is life eonian, in Christ Jesus.” (Rom 6:23)




Aionios Word Study: 


The Greek words #166 (aiṓnios) and #165 (aiṓn): These words do not focus on the future per se, but rather on the quality of the age. 


Accordingly, this life of God (translated incorrectly as "eternal life") is NOT far in the future. It is available already for anyone who chooses to believe.




Three Words For Life in the Bible 

— Bios - Psuché - Zoé —

What is the Difference?


The word ‘life’, which appears in our English Bibles, has different shades of meaning in the original Greek. ‘Life’ is shown as (1) Bios, (2) Psuché, and (3) Zoé. These three are often lumped together and translated as life without considering their subtle differences. By knowing their meanings, you will appreciate the TYPE of life God offers to those who truly believe:



Bios: Inaccurately translated as ‘life’. It refers strictly to the biological or physical body. For example, Luke 8:14 speaks of the word being “Choked with the cares and the pleasures of this life [bios]”. These are the ones who live solely for the desires of the flesh.



Psuché: Inaccurately translated also as ‘life’. Psuché refers to the soul-life as lived by a person who is absorbed with his breath of life (his self-made fleshly intellectual treasures) apart from God! For example, in Matt 16:25 Jesus said, “Whoever loses his soul [Psuché] (for my sake) shall find it.” Jesus is not asking us to kill ourselves but rather to lose our self-absorbable, self-achieved kind of life to find the real life (or zoé). Just think about it: If souls were any good, why does one need to lose them as Jesus said?



Zoé: This also is inadequately translated as ‘life’. ‘Zoé here refers to the divine life of God which is given through Christ Jesus who is “The Life-giving Spirit” according to 1 Cor 15:45. 


“In it [God’s good news about Christ] was life [zoé], and the life [zoé], was the light of men.” (John 1:4)



“And the life [zoé] was made manifest, and we have seen and bear witness, and proclaim to you the eternal life [zoé aionion], which was with the Father and was revealed to us.” (1 John 1:1)


“Now this is eternal life [aionion zoé]”. (John 17:3 )


“I have come that they may have life [zoé] and may have [zoé], abundantly.” (John 10:10 )


“Through which He has given to us the precious and magnificent promises so that through these you might become partakers [sharer, partner, companion] of the divine nature [physis: inner nature, the make-up of someone or something], having escaped the decay in the world in desire.” (2 Pet 1:4)



To simplify, consider how the three types of life apply to humans:




Perhaps at this point, we could ask ourselves: Which of these three stages am I at? Well, take your pick: 




To be sure, both stages are soulish, carnal, and earthly and carry very little, if any, of the life of God. 






To Remain Soulish is Not a Good Thing!


Being soulish is the opposite of being spiritual! It is not a desirable trait—not a good thing!



“The natural [Literally: soulish] man does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God. For they are foolishness to him, and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually discerned.” (1 Cor 2:14)



The next passage clearly describes being soulish as undesirable! A soulish person is actually in a state of corruption, dishonour, weakness, natural, earthly, and dust. Souls are destined to decay and die. This is hardly news to us, for we all decay and die! 



But one can change this destiny. To be rescued or saved, we need the life-giving Spirit, Jesus Christ, to recreate us anew. There is no other way, no matter how clever we are! By faith in what God has done through His Son, we are transformed into the final stage of being born of the Spirit! 


Pay close attention to 1 Corinthians 15:42-49, quoted below, as it shows the stark difference between those who are soulish and those who are spiritual:



“The body is sown in corruption, it is raised in incorruption."


"It is sown in dishonour, it is raised in glory.


"It is sown in weakness, it is raised in power. 


"It is sown a natural (literally: soulish) body, it is raised a spiritual (relating to the realm of the spirit – invisible sphere) body. 


"There is a natural (soulish) body, and there is a spiritual body. 


"And so it is written, “The first man Adam became a living being (lit. Soul: psuché).” The last Adam became a life-giving spirit. 


46 However, the spiritual is not first, but the natural, and afterward the spiritual. 


"The first man was of the earth, made of dust; the second Man is the Lord from heaven. As was the man of dust, so also are those who are made of dust; and as is the heavenly Man, so also are those who are heavenly. 


"And as we have borne the image of the man of dust [the 666 or the number of human], we shall also bear the image of the heavenly Man.” (1 Cor 15:42-49)




How The Soul Must Be Spiritually Sacrificed


“The soul that sinneth, it shall die,” says the Lord (Eze 18:4). The way out of this is by spiritually putting to death our old soul before our time on this earth is up and choosing the new life of God (Zoé). 



Meditate on the following scriptures that demand the spiritual sacrifice (killing) of the old self (Greek, ego), which stands in the way. Such an act cannot be accomplished through courage, intellect, or prowess alone. It requires faith and humility to surrender our old life to God for a glorious new one!



“Whoever loses his life for my sake and the gospel will save it.” (Mark 8:35)


“Whoever loves his life will lose it, but whoever hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life.” (John 12:25)


“Knowing this, that our old man was crucified with Him, that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves of sin.” (Rom 6:6)



“For in Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit of life set you free from the law of sin and death.” (Rom 8:2)




Am I Soulish or Spiritual? 

How Do I Know?


Please note that the expression "the flesh" does not mean our physical bodies, which were perfectly formed by our loving Creator. The flesh in the scriptures refers to the old nature within humans—the old corrupted mind. Any manifestation of sin through our physical bodies starts in the mind or heart—the very depths of man. 



Note how this human dilemma was pointed out in Romans 8:4-7:


“Those who live according to the flesh (self or carnal) set their minds on the things of the flesh,

 

"But those who live according to the Spirit set their minds on the things of the Spirit. 


"For the mind of the flesh is death; but the mind of the Spirit, life and peace,


"Because the mind of the flesh is hostile to God: It does not submit to God’s law, nor can it do so.” 



Soulish ones could perhaps ignore Christ for other unnecessary pursuits (occasionally or regularly). 


Note that even with Jesus present, Martha, at least on one occasion, acted soulishly (this is not a deadly sin but a spiritual weakness).


“And the Lord answering said to her, 'Martha, Martha, you are anxious (divided, distracted) and troubled about many things; but one thing is necessary, only one; for Mary has chosen the good portion, which will not be taken away from her.” (Luke 10:41-42)



A Soulish believer might also be more committed to the pursuits of this brief and fleeting life rather than things of the Spirit:


“And He said to another, "Follow Me." But he said, "Lord, allow me first, having gone away, to bury my father. Let the (spiritually) dead bury their own dead. You, however, go and proclaim the kingdom of God.” (Luke 9:60)



A soulish believer can become overly occupied and worried about what might seem to him legitimate pursuits, such as work, eating, and clothing. But, a spirit-born believer thinks differently by dwelling, trusting and relying more on God!


“Therefore, do not be anxious, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the Gentiles [soulish] seek after all these things, and your Heavenly Father knows that you have need of them all. But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.” (Matt 6:32) ESV



Soulish believers tend to make a big deal of external appearances such as religious rituals, fasting, or abstaining from certain things. Paul reprimanded the Corinthians who came together to have a good time instead of spiritually partaking of Christ’s body in spiritual fellowship. Church groups can easily become social gatherings to soothe and tickle ears rather than pursue the things of the spirit.


“For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking but of righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Spirit.” (Romans 14:17)



Those remaining in the flesh are slaves to the flesh and its desires:


“That having been born of the flesh is flesh, and that having been born of the Spirit is spirit.” (John 3:6 )



Finally, those born of the Spirit become more focused on spiritual things. Their previous soulish lives, slowly and gradually, are put to death.


“Set your minds on the things above, not the things on the earth. For you have died, and your life has been hidden with Christ in God…Therefore put to death members which are upon the earth: sexual immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry.” (Col 3:2,3,5)




Stage Two – Spiritual Heavenly!


For the first time, since Christ's death, humans can be reconciled to God and be saved from an inevitable death. This can only happen by faith in what God has done through Jesus Christ. Anyone wishing can obtain this spiritual renewal (or the life of God) by intimate knowledge of God and His Son.



"This is the life age-during, that they may know Thee, the only true God, and him whom Thou didst send – Jesus Christ." (John 17:3) YLT


“Let the one who wishes [choosing is required] take the water of life without cost.” (Rev 22:17)



Does God care which way we choose? Not only does He care, but urges all to choose life with Him. Each one is given ONE life to decide which way he or she would go, self or God! 



Be certain to choose ever so wisely before physical death comes.



“I call heaven and earth to witness against you today, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and curse. Therefore choose life, that you and your offspring may live.” (Deut 30:19) ESV



We have everything to gain and nothing to lose when we choose life and let God transform us:



“From a soulish body to a spiritual body, 

 From corruption to incorruption, 

 From dishonour to glory, 

 From weakness to power.” 

(1 Cor 15:42-49)






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