A few years ago I went through a huge trial in my life that really shook me up. A lot of what I knew about myself got upended and I basically had to start over in terms of what I knew about my relationship with the Lord. The only thing that I really knew in those moments was that I was saved and that I was going to heaven. I knew that my spirit had been reborn but everything else seemed awash in doubt. My emotions and my thoughts were going haywire and I had to fight to learn how to get them under control.
It was during this time that I noticed something interesting in the Bible. I saw the Lord wasn't just interested in saving your spirit, He was also interested in saving your soul as well. Now, while your reading the Bible it almost seems like it uses the word soul and spirit interchangeably. Both seem to pertain to the life-force, or the alive part of a person but there are scriptures such as Hebrews 4:12 and 1 Thessalonians 5:23 that indicate that they are two separate things. In fact, according to Hebrews 4:12, the only thing that can separate the two entities is the Word of God. In general, everyday life neither you or I can tell where our soul ends and where our spirit begins.
When you get born again, its your spirit that is made alive (Ephesians 2:1-5, John 3:5-6) not your soul. But there are obviously lots of people walking around, very much alive, who are not born again. They still have personalities, still have emotions, still have thoughts and wills and can make choices. So if their spirits are dead, the left over part must be their souls. What I find interesting is that all of these leftover parts don't immediately change even for someone who has a spirit that is alive. So, something must need to happen to the soul as well as the spirit since they are essentially a packaged deal.
This phenomenon was obvious in my life because, as I said before, I knew I was saved in my spirit, but my soul was a mess. Even my body wasn't cooperating with me fully because my soul was a mess. The apostle John prayed that the recipients of his third letter would be in health even as their soul prospered (3 John 2). When I got a kidney stone in the midst of my trial, I knew that my soul was not prospering at all. So when I saw that the Word had the power to save my soul (James 1:21), and not just my spirit, my ears perked up. So, if my soul can also be saved, that must mean that my thoughts and emotions can be saved too. That's what I needed in my life.
As I began to study the Word in this area, I discovered that soul salvation is known by other things. Transformation, growth, character, are all ways in which our souls get saved. All of these are accomplished as we learn the Word and apply it in our thoughts (Romans 12:2). As we take the Word and use it to change our thoughts, we can use our new thoughts to change our words, and then our behaviors. As we apply the Word we slowly but surely change and transform into the outward expression of our spiritual selves. Eventually our souls reflect the salvation that has already taken place.
The catch is that it is not an automatic thing. It takes an effort on our part. The Lord has given us His Word, grace, and Spirit, but we have to be the one to apply and rely on them. I finally decided in my life that I wanted my soul to be saved and I was willing to do the things that I needed to do to get that done. It has taken time and it is a process, but I am continually making progress. I know that my soul will not reach the same state of perfection that my spirit now has until I am with the Lord, but I celebrate every victory in my life, no matter how small.
So, the next time you hear about salvation don't just think of it as something that takes place on a spiritual level because that is only the beginning. Embrace the journey that is the salvation of your soul and make the choice to grow. I guarantee that you won't regret it.
Phillip