The third part of our being is our spirit. Our spirits and our souls are inseparable. Our spirits are what make us alive. James 2:26 says, "As the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without deeds is dead." Physical death is the separation of the spirit from the body. Our spirits also allow us to connect with God. Genesis 2:7 says, "Then the Lord God formed a man from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living being." The word "breath of life" refers to the spirit and soul. When God made Adam and Eve alive, they had a great relationship with God; however, when Adam disobeyed God, he died spiritually. As a result, we died spiritually, too, because we inherited Adam's sin. Since we died spiritually, we were separated from God. And the only way for God to make us alive is to give us a new spirit. We receive our new spirits when we genuinely believe in Jesus as our Lord and Savior. Ezekiel 36:25-26 says, "I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you will be clean; I will cleanse you from all your impurities and from all your idols. I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh."
When believers die, their spirits and souls will be immediately in the presence of God in Heaven. 2 Corinthians 5:8 says, "Yes, we are of good courage, and we would rather be away from the body and at home with the Lord." However, those who died and did not genuinely believe in Jesus as their Lord and Savior, their spirits and souls will be in a place called Hades. It is a temporary place before the unsaved dead are delivered to hell. Hades is also a place of torment (Luke 16:23-24). When unsaved dead enter Hades, there is no way out. The Bible does not mention any purgatory, the spirits floating around in this world, or reincarnation. The Bible teaches that there are only two places where people die. They will either go to Hades or Heaven. The only place for people to be saved is here on earth while they are still alive. They have to genuinely believe in Jesus as their Lord and Savior because Jesus died for the sins of the world.
When we believe in the Lord Jesus, we receive a new spirit and the Holy Spirit indwelt in us, and this is when we become alive spiritually. Let us thank the Lord for giving us a new spirit.
Questions for application: (Think through these questions carefully, meditate on them while answering them, and let the Spirit of God speak to you). What happened to my spirit when Adam disobeyed God? How do I receive a new spirit? What happens to my spirit when I die?
Write down all the worries you face today and lift them up to God.
Prayer:
Father in Heaven, thank you for giving me a new spirit when I believed in Jesus as my Lord and Savior. Thank you for the wonderful hope that I have in you and that when I die, my spirit and soul will be with you forever. Please help me to live a life that honors you in my body, soul, and spirit. In the name of Jesus, I pray. Amen.