How do you see the Holy Spirit working in your life?

victoria

How about some discussion about on Holy Spirit. How do you think He works in the lives of people today. Do you think he works and aids non-christians? Do you think He works differently with Christians? How do you see the Spirit working in your own life?

I have heard so many different beliefs on this subject. I just wondered what ya'll (Texas talk) believe?
Blessing,
Victoria

Heavenly Home

God has been soooo good to me.. the last few weeks.. i have noticed a change in my prayer life and everything.. God has done so much for me and for many around the world.. and i wanna thank him for that
praise God
God Bless

Van

If you break Christians down into their component parts, do you end up with two pieces or three? You are of course a fleshly being, born of this earth and barring the Second Coming, your body will return to this earth. But what about your soul? And your spirit? And the Holy Spirit that dwells within you? Are there three separate pieces in the puzzle of self? Does the flesh have a mind of its own, with fleshly desires that war with your soul or your spirit or the part of the Holy Spirit that dwells within you. Who are you anyway?

Lets start with the Holy Spirit. A personality separate from the Son (Jesus), and separate from the Father within the Trinity (Acts 13:2). Some part of Him dwells within each Christian because Jesus sent Him to help Christians walk the talk. Since holy means set apart, I like to think of the Holy Spirit as a separate entity that dwells within me. He does not control me but he helps me understand God’s will as revealed in the Word of God. When I study the Word or ponder a future action I often pray, asking the Holy Spirit to guide me. Not that I never get it wrong, because I do. But I think I get it right (or closer to right) more often than I would if the Holy Spirit did not help. In fact, I am so sure of the help I receive that I count it as evidence that I am saved. (Roman 8:16)

Your spirit is the non-physical part of your being that goes to be with Jesus immediately after you die or goes to Hades to await judgment. Thus it can separate from the flesh (Luke 8:52-55). It is the part of you that is converted at conversion. It is the new creature. More than anything else, it is you! It is more than your mind because your mind cannot function without the brain. Neither an aborted baby nor an Alzheimer’s victim in the final stages has much of a mind, but both have a Spirit as valuable as yours or mine.

The term Soul is used for several different aspects of human existence. Sometimes it is used where Spirit would be a better translation, sometimes it is used where life or life force would make as much sense, but most of the time it refers to our core attitude, mood or frame of mind, our conscious awareness.

The flesh, which the NIV poorly translates in many verses as “old nature”, usually refers to our body and how its built in corrupted instincts for survival influence us. The battle that Christians wage each day is to control or limit these influences and to expand the influence of the Holy Spirit by choosing to follow Christ and the guidance of the Holy Spirit.

To confuse the situation even more, the Bible uses figurative descriptions like heart or bowels when referring to strong emotions, feeling or attitudes.

Lets see if we can unravel the text and come up with a clear understanding.

In the NIV version of the Old Testament the Hebrew word Nepes is most often translated “life” (129 times) or “soul” (105 times). Frequently it is used with another Hebrew word (leb or lehab) in the figure of speech “with all your heart and with all your soul.” Less figuratively, this term could be rendered “with all your intellect and with all your desire.” The concept being communicated is a complete and total commitment.

Nepes is also used with bitter, bitterness, anguish and grief to illustrate deep inner pain. Alternately, Nepes is used to illustrate deep inner joy. For example, “Praise the Lord, Oh my soul.” Again, a less figurative translation would be “core attitude.” Often, the idea is that the Lord can lift our core attitude, changing our mood from downcast to joyful peace. On the other hand, Sin can turn our core attitude toward grief, turmoil and bitterness. For example, “My soul is weary with sorrow.”

Another frequent usage of the Hebrew word Nepes concerns the well being of the individual. These verses should perhaps be translated “spirit” because they have eternal implications. For example “…and his lips are a snare to his soul” or “He who gets wisdom loves his own soul.”

If these three translation choices for the word Nepes were made the beauty of the Old Testament text might be diminished. But the confusing double usage of the word soul, referring both to our temporal frame of mind and our eternal essence would be eliminated.

The NIV Old Testament translates two other words as soul and both should be changed.
In one verse “harmless soul” should be rendered as the NAS does “innocent without cause” because the idea is that bad people are waylaying someone who has done no wrong. The other verse uses a figure of speech “heart and soul” and would be better translated “wholeheartedly.” The idea being communicated is that the armor bearer will stay with Jonathan even if it costs him his life.

Now lets turn to the New Testament. The Greek word Psyche is translated most often as life or soul in a similar fashion to the Hebrew word Nepes. And when it is translated soul, it is used for a range of meanings from our eternal essence to our mood. Most often when translated as soul, the usage refers to our core attitude and values. For example, in Hebrews 4:12, the dynamic Word of God penetrates our core attitude and enlivens our spirit. Again, in a similar fashion to Nepes, Psyche is also used in the figure of speech, “with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.” Less figuratively, the phrase could be rendered, “with all your intellect and with all your desire and with all your understanding.”

Complicating matters the Greek word Pneuma is used for a spectrum of meanings from Holy Spirit, to our eternal human spirit, to being in the spirit (i.e. behaving like someone or something else such as a “gentle spirit”) making confusion difficult to avoid. However, if we again try to change the translation of Psyche to “core attitude” when our eternal essence is not in view and to spirit when it is, we can reduce the ambiguity.

I am not advocating actually penciling out soul from our Bibles, but what I am suggesting is that we use Occam’s razor to interpret soul, not as a third entity, but simply as fuzzy way of expressing either our eternal spirit or our temporal frame of mind.

Lets look at one verse with our new perspective and see if it makes more sense. The NIV translation of 1 Thess. 5:23 says, “May God Himself, the God of Peace, sanctify you through and through. May your whole spirit, soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.” Since I believe we should always look at the NAS translation of the Bible for study purposes (along with the NIV and KJV), the NAS says, “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.” At the Lord’s second coming we will be made complete, with our spirit no longer struggling with the corrupted influences of our flesh, in the theater of our mind! Thank God Almighty, peace at last, peace at last. Whether we are asleep in Christ, incomplete because our mortal body has returned to dust, or a new creature alive within our mortal body and thus not completely sanctified because the flesh is impure, all that will be changed in the twinkling of an eye. Now, at the second coming, with our spirits joined with our glorified resurrected bodies, we will be complete, sanctified and with a core attitude of peace. I think that is the soul of the matter.

Tiger75

I have always inclined to the view that we are a 'dichotomy'. Thanks for your study very interesting.

Van

I thought some of you Sunday School Teachers or students might enjoy this Wall Street Journal story.
http://www.opinionjournal.com/columnists/bminiter/?id=110002570

Tiger75

Thanks Van. Praise God!

victoria

Thank you Van, what an excellent study you have brought to this question. I agree with you, there is so much confusion in the world about the nature and works of the Holy Spirit. Sadly, I do agree with you Van, some versions as related to this subject are way off. I am just a NAS girl. As I have said before, I am not into deep study of outside commentary sources as I try to use scripture to make the meaning clear. While to some that may seem like a narrow way to study, if I do get confused. However, my thought is that I know the Writer personally and so when I have a problem in understanding and application, I know where to go.

I grew up in a more legalist element at church. I believe that there was some truth there, but I do not see how beating up the sheep or robbing people of their security and joy on a weekly basis could grow a church. In the back of mind I questioned how I could be what God wanted of me, if I was always navel gazing and worried about every speck of dust in my life. For one, while doing that, I did not have time to seek and save the lost. Secondly, isn't the gospel, good news?

As a young adult,I did not know have a well developed understanding of who God was and what He really wanted from me. I knew the important things, but not the heart of it all. I had to develop my own relationship with Him and it was incredible how He began working in my life. I was no longer 'going' to church out of obedience or guilt. I was going to see God, to worship Him and to know Him more and more. To see His Will and Way. It has been the Spirit directing my path and it is only through His Power that I have what I have and am whose I am.

In childhood, I was told that the Spirit indwelled the Christian through the "Word" or bible. Looking at Act 2:38 and the following verses, you see that the Spirit was given to those afar off... also. You all know the numerous verses that say, He lives in you, child of God.

I am so thankful for God's eternal plan and for the gift of His Son and His Spirit. Without Him, I would be so lost on this earth. Thanks again Van for your wonderful study.

Victoria

Van

Sharing bible studies and building others up with encouraging words are part of the joy of being "in Christ." Thanks, you made my day.