What is the human soul?

 

The Bible is not perfectly clear as to the nature of the human soul. But from studying the way the word soul is used in Scripture, we can come to some conclusions. Simply stated, the human soul is the part of a person that is not physical. It is the part of every human being that lasts eternally after the body experiences death. Genesis 35:18 describes the death of Rachel, Jacob’s wife, saying she named her son “as her soul was departing.” From this we know that the soul is different from the body and that it continues to live after physical death.

 The human soul is central to the personhood of a human being. It is said, “You don’t have a soul. You are a Soul. You have a body.” In other words, personhood is not based on having a body. A soul is what is required. Repeatedly in the Bible, people are referred to as “souls” (Exodus 31:14; Proverbs 11:30), especially in contexts that focus on the value of human life and personhood or on the concept of a “whole being” (Psalm 16:9-10; Ezekiel 18:4; Acts 2:41; Revelation 18:13).

 The human soul is distinct from the heart (Deuteronomy 26:16; 30:6) and the spirit (1 Thessalonians 5:23; Hebrews 4:12) and the mind (Matthew 22:37; Mark 12:30; Luke 10:27). The human soul is created by God (Jeremiah 38:16). It can be strong or unsteady (2 Peter 2:14); it can be lost or saved (James 1:21; Ezekiel 18:4). We know that the human soul needs atonement (Leviticus 17:11) and is the part of us that is purified and protected by the truth and the work of the Holy Spirit (1 Peter 1:22). Jesus is the great Shepherd of souls (1 Peter 2:25).

 Matthew 11:29 tells us that we can turn to Jesus Christ to find rest for our souls. Psalm 16:9-10 is a Messianic psalm that allows us to see that Jesus also had a soul. David wrote, “Therefore my heart is glad, and my whole being rejoices; my flesh also dwells secure. For you will not abandon my soul to Sheol, or let your holy one see corruption.” This cannot be speaking of David (as Paul points out in Acts 13:35-37) because David’s body did see corruption and decay when he died. But Jesus Christ’s body never saw corruption (He was resurrected), and His soul was not abandoned to Sheol. Jesus, as the Son of Man, has a soul.

 There is often confusion about the human spirit vs. the human soul. In places, Scripture seems to use the terms interchangeably, but there might be a subtle difference. Otherwise, how could the Word of God penetrate “even to dividing soul and spirit” (Hebrews 4:12)? When the Bible talks about man’s spirit, it is usually speaking of an inner force which animates a person in one direction or another. It is repeatedly shown as a mover, a dynamic force (e.g., Numbers 14:24).

 It has been said that there are only two things that last: the Word of God (Mark 13:31) and the souls of men. This is because, like God’s Word, the soul is an imperishable thing. That thought should be both sobering and awe-inspiring. Every person you meet is an eternal soul. Every human being who has ever lived is a soul, and all of those souls are still in existence somewhere. The question is, where? The souls that reject God’s love are condemned to pay for their own sin, eternally, in hell (Romans 6:23). But the souls who acknowledge their own sinfulness and accept God’s gracious gift of forgiveness will live forever beside still waters with their Shepherd, wanting for nothing (Psalm 23:2).

What is the moment of death according to the Bible?

 The Bible says death is irreversible without a divine miracle (Hebrews 9:27; 1 Corinthians 15:22). What it does not say, explicitly, is when death becomes “official.” Medical developments have provided means to resuscitate those previously beyond hope. That has led to the question of where, exactly, the line is drawn between being “alive” and being “dead.” It has even raised the debate of whether a person’s body can be medically alive, while the soul and spirit have permanently departed. Such circumstances are rare but puzzling. While Scripture provides guidance, we cannot find absolute, black-and-white identifiers for declaring a person “really” dead.

 From a biblical perspective, “real” death occurs when the soul and spirit leave the physical body. Obviously, this is not an event that can be observed with the eyes or measured with medical equipment. Rather, a biblical approach would be to compare physical signs to the functions of the soul and spirit. When a person seems to irreversibly lose those functions, it’s reasonable to believe he or she is truly dead.

 There are many examples of those in a coma or persistent vegetative state who recovered, and even in the coma they sometimes showed signs of awareness. Biblically speaking, such persons were never “truly dead.” Spiritually, they were in a similar condition to someone who is sleeping: the soul is present but not actively aware of its surroundings. Those diagnosed with “brain death,” on the other hand, appear to be biologically alive, with cells that continue to function, but their brain has ceased all activity, and they lack any awareness of spirit; therefore, they are most likely devoid of a soul or spirit.

 The medical community considers death a process, rather than a single moment. Measurements used to diagnose death have varied throughout history. For many centuries, breathing was considered the litmus test for life. Those not apparently breathing were declared dead. As medical equipment improved, that standard shifted to the heartbeat. Today, it’s possible to measure breathing, heartbeat, and brain activity on a scale imperceptible to the unaided eye. As a result, medical professionals today distinguish between “clinical death,” “biological death,” and even “legal death,” depending on the topic of conversation.

 We can be certain that death, when it truly occurs, cannot be undone by medicine or technology. Once a person is “truly dead,” his soul and spirit are entirely separated from the body. That separation can only be undone by the direct intervention of God in a true miracle. So, when people speak of being “brought back” from death in an ambulance or being “dead for ten minutes,” they are using biblically inaccurate terms. In such cases, those persons came very close to death, but they were not truly dead.

 Humanity has long recognized the complexity of recognizing when real death occurs. To the casual observer, it’s possible for a person to appear dead but actually be alive. That awareness is reflected in prophecy and miracles in the Bible. For example, Jesus deliberately delayed resurrecting Lazarus until the fourth day after his death (John 11:17). This delay precluded any possible claim that it was a trick or that Lazarus was merely in a coma or sleeping. In fact, by the time Jesus arrived, Lazarus’s family was concerned about the stink of decomposition (John 11:39).

 Likewise, Jesus prophesied that He would be in His grave for “three days and three nights,” since that was the customary waiting period after which death was considered official (Matthew 12:40). Not that this was absolutely necessary—Jesus was killed by professional executioners (John 19:13–18), stabbed through the heart (John 19:33–34), and buried in a guarded tomb (Matthew 27:62–66). The three-day time period, in Jesus’ case, was more for prophetic reasons than “proof” reasons.

 In the cases of Jesus and Lazarus and most people in history, defining the exact moment of death is unnecessary—they were unmistakably dead. Debates over when exactly death occurs involve a very thin “gray” area and don’t apply to most of human experience. Most controversial are instances when a person’s body exhibits biological signs of life but there is doubt about brain function. Comas, vegetative states, and “brain death” encroach into this territory.

 For the most part, those in comas and vegetative states are still considered “alive,” albeit with limited awareness. Allowing such a person to die by removing life support or withholding care would presumably cause the separation of the soul and spirit from the body; that is, it would cause “true” death. A body exhibiting brain death, on the other hand, would appear to be one that the soul and spirit have already left behind. Removing mechanical support from a body diagnosed with brain death would not appear to cause death, in the biblical sense, since that line has already been crossed.

 For this reason, most Christians are opposed to ending the life of a person in a coma or vegetative state. In cases of brain death, or when life is only possible with extreme measures, Christians are often split on the morality of allowing a person to die naturally. Living wills were created specifically to address these concerns. Obviously, this is a topic open to considerable differences of opinion. When discussing or deciding such a topic, Christians should prioritize the sanctity of life while being graceful with and forgiving of others.

What does the Bible say about near death experiences?

 

 A near-death experience (NDE) is when a person is at the brink of death and, upon recovery, reports an unusual occurrence, generally an out-of-body experience or some sort of vision of heaven or hell. There is no specific scriptural support for near-death experiences. Many people use 2 Corinthians 12:2-5 as a biblical proof text of near-death experiences. However, this is taking great liberty with interpretation and makes the assumption that the man (presumed to be Paul) was either near death or actually dead when he found himself in heaven. The passage nowhere states that the man had died or come close to death. It was a vision that God gave the man of heaven, not a near-death experience.

 That being said, it is not impossible for God to give someone near death, or anyone for that matter, a vision of heaven. However, with the completion of the biblical canon, visions are not a normative experience for Christians.

 We need to be extremely careful in how we validate our experiences. The most important test of any experience is comparing it with the Bible. Satan is always ready to cause deception and twist people’s thinking. "But I am not surprised! Even Satan can disguise himself as an angel of light. So, it is no wonder his servants can also do it by pretending to be godly ministers. In the end, they will get every bit of punishment their wicked deeds deserve" (2 Corinthians 11:14-15).

 Because the Bible is silent regarding near-death experiences, and scientific research has not been able to be performed reliably, we simply cannot accept the legitimacy of near-death experiences on their face value. It would be too strong to state that all near-death experiences are faked, imagined, or Satanic, but there are still serious concerns, biblically, about the validity of near-death experiences. Again, any description of a near-death experience should be validated against the truth of Scripture. If such an experience comes from God, it will line up with what He has already revealed in His Word and ultimately bring Him glory in the name of Jesus Christ.

What is the second death?

 

 The second death is mentioned on multiple occasions in the book of Revelation and is synonymous with the lake of fire. It is a “death” in that it is a separation from God, the Giver of life. It is called the “second” one because it follows physical death.

 Revelation 21:8 explains the second death in the most detail: “The cowardly, the unbelieving, the vile, the murderers, the sexually immoral, those who practice magic arts, the idolaters and all liars – their place will be in the fiery lake of burning sulfur. This is the second death.”

 Three other places in Revelation also mention the second death. The first is Revelation 2:11: “He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. He who overcomes will not be hurt at all by the second death.” In this verse, Jesus promises that believers (“overcomers”; see 1 John 5:4) will not experience the lake of fire. The second death is exclusively for those who have rejected Christ. It is not a place believers in Christ should fear.

 Revelation 20:6 speaks of the second death in relation to a future period called the Millennium: “Blessed and holy are those who have part in the first resurrection. The second death has no power over them, but they will be priests of God and of Christ and will reign with him for a thousand years.” This verse notes three important facts. First, those who die for their faith in Jesus during the Tribulation will later be resurrected to enter the Millennium and live with Him. Second, these martyrs will escape the lake of fire or second death. Third, they will reign with Christ.

 The second death is also mentioned in Revelation 20:14-15: “Then death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. The lake of fire is the second death. If anyone’s name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire.” At the end of time, even death and the grave (Hades) will be thrown into the lake of fire. In addition, every person not included in the book of life will be thrown into the lake of fire. This condition will be final; the destination is permanent.

 In summary, the second death is a reference to the lake of fire where those who are separated from God by their sin will dwell for eternity. This judgment was recorded in Scripture as a warning to unbelievers to seek the salvation that Jesus Christ provides. The coming judgment should also challenge believers to share their faith. There is a vast difference between the final destination of those who know Christ and those who do not.

Is there life after death?

 

 Job, speaking out of his despair, asked, “If a man dies, shall he live again?” (Job 14:14, ESV). All of us have been challenged by this question. Is there life after death? What happens to us after we die? Do we simply cease to exist? Is death a revolving door of departing and returning to earth? Does everyone go to the same place after death, or do we go to different places? Is there really a heaven and hell?

 The Bible tells us that, yes, there is life after death. This world is not all there is, and mankind was made for something more. At death, the body ceases to function and begins the process of returning to the earth, but the spiritual part of man lives on: “The dust returns to the ground it came from, and the spirit returns to God who gave it” (Ecclesiastes 12:7; cf. Psalm 146:4).

 To those who are redeemed and have their sin forgiven, God gives eternal life, an existence so glorious that “no eye has seen, no ear has heard, and no mind has imagined what God has prepared for those who love him” (1 Corinthians 2:9, NLT). This eternal life is inextricably linked to the Person of Jesus Christ: “Now this is eternal life: that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent” (John 17:3). In Jesus’ prayer in this passage, He equates “eternal life” with a knowledge of God and of the Son. “Whoever has the Son has life” (1 John 5:12).

 Jesus Christ, God incarnate, came to the earth to pay for our sins and give us the gift of eternal life: “He was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon him, and by his wounds we are healed” (Isaiah 53:5). Three days after His crucifixion, Jesus proved Himself victorious over death by rising from the grave—He is life personified (John 11:25) and the ultimate proof that there is life after death.

 The resurrection of the Christ is a well-documented event. The apostle Paul invited people to question the over 500 eyewitnesses who saw Jesus after His resurrection (1 Corinthians 15:6). All of them could bear testimony to the fact that Jesus is alive and that there is indeed life after death.

 The resurrection of Christ, which gives us the sure hope of life after death, is the cornerstone of the Christian faith (1 Corinthians 15:12–19). Because Christ was raised from the dead, we have faith that we, too, will be resurrected. As Jesus told His disciples, “Because I live, you also will live” (John 14:19). Christ was only the first of a great harvest of those who will be raised to life again (1 Corinthians 15:23). Just as God raised up Jesus’ body, so will our bodies be resurrected upon Jesus’ return (1 Corinthians 6:14).

 The fact of life after death does not mean everyone will go to heaven, however. People will continue to exist after they die, and there will be a resurrection someday, but God makes a distinction between the resurrection of the just (those who are in Christ) and the unjust (those who die in their sin): “Multitudes who sleep in the dust of the earth will awake: some to everlasting life, others to shame and everlasting contempt” (Daniel 12:2). Paul put it this way: “There will be a resurrection of both the righteous and the wicked” (Acts 24:15).

 Each person must make a choice in this life, a choice that will determine his or her eternal destination. It is appointed for us to die once, and after that will come judgment (Hebrews 9:27). Those who have been made righteous by faith in Christ will go into eternal life in heaven, but those who have rejected Christ as Savior will be sent to eternal punishment in hell (Matthew 25:46). Hell, like heaven, is a literal place. It is a place where the unrighteous will experience the never-ending, eternal wrath of God. Hell is described as a lake of fire where the inhabitants will be tormented day and night forever and ever (Revelation 20:10). In hell, there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth, indicating intense grief and anger (Matthew 13:42).

 God takes no pleasure in the death of the wicked but desires them to turn from their wicked ways so that they can live (Ezekiel 33:11). But He will not force us into submission; if we choose to reject Christ, the one and only Savior, we reject the heaven that He has prepared, and we will live eternally apart from Him. Life on earth is a preparation for what is to come. Faith in Christ prepares us for life after death: “Whoever believes in [God’s Son] is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because they have not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son” (John 3:18).

 Everyone will experience life after death in some manner. For believers in Christ, life after death is eternal life in heaven with God. For unbelievers, life after death is eternity in the lake of fire. How can we receive eternal life and avoid hell? There is only one way—through faith in Jesus Christ. Jesus said, “I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me will live, even though they die; and whoever lives by believing in me will never die” (John 11:25–26).

 The free gift of eternal life is available to all. “Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life, but whoever rejects the Son will not see life, for God’s wrath remains on them” (John 3:36). We will not be given the opportunity to accept God’s gift of salvation after death. Our eternal destination is determined in our earthly lifetimes by our reception or rejection of Jesus Christ. “I tell you, now is the time of God’s favor, now is the day of salvation” (2 Corinthians 6:2). If we trust in the death of Jesus Christ as the full payment for our sin, and we believe in His resurrection from the dead, we are guaranteed eternal life after death, in glory (1 Peter 1:3–5).

What is the indwelling of the Holy Spirit?

 

 

The indwelling of the Holy Spirit is the action by which God takes up permanent residence in the body of a believer in Jesus Christ. In the Old Testament, the Spirit would come and go from the saints, empowering them for service but not necessarily remaining with them (see Judges 15:14; 1 Chronicles 12:18; Psalm 51:11; Ezekiel 11:5). Jesus revealed to His disciples the new role the Spirit of Truth would play in their lives: “He lives with you and will be in you” (John 14:17). The apostle Paul wrote, “Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have from God, and that you are not your own? For you are bought with a price; therefore glorify God in your body” (1 Corinthians 6:19–20).

 

These verses are telling us that the believer in Jesus Christ has the third Person of the Trinity, the Holy Spirit, living in him. When an individual accepts Christ as personal Savior, the Holy Spirit gives the believer the life of God, eternal life, which is really His very nature (Titus 3:5; 2 Peter 1:4), and the Holy Spirit comes to live within him spiritually. The fact that the believer’s body is likened to a temple where the Holy Spirit lives helps us understand what the indwelling of the Holy Spirit is all about. The word temple is used to describe the Holy of Holies, the inner sanctum in the Old Testament tabernacle structure. There, God’s presence would appear in a cloud and meet the high priest, who came once a year into the Holy of Holies. On the Day of Atonement, the high priest brought the blood of a slain animal and sprinkled it on the mercy seat of the Ark of the Covenant. On this special day, God granted forgiveness to the priest and His people.

 

Today, there is no Jewish temple in Jerusalem, and the animal sacrifices have ceased. The believer in Christ has become the inner sanctum of God the Holy Spirit, as the believer has been sanctified and forgiven by the blood of Jesus Christ (Ephesians 1:7). The believer in Christ becomes the habitation of the Holy Spirit of God. In fact, Scripture also says that the believer is indwelt spiritually by Christ (Colossians 1:27) and by God the Father (1 John 4:15)—the Trinity is involved.

 

As the Holy Spirit lives in the believer, He brings about some life-changing results:

 

1) The indwelling Spirit comes to a soul dead in sin and creates new life (Titus 3:5). This is the new birth Jesus spoke of in John 3:1–8.

 

2) The indwelling Spirit confirms to the believer that he belongs to the Lord and is an heir of God and fellow-heir with Christ (Romans 8:15–17).

 

3) The indwelling Spirit installs the new believer as a member of Christ’s universal church. This is the baptism of the Spirit, according to 1 Corinthians 12:13.

 

4) The indwelling Spirit gives spiritual gifts (God-given abilities for service) to the believer to edify the church and serve the Lord effectively for His glory (1 Corinthians 12:11).

 

5) The indwelling Spirit helps the believer understand and apply the Scripture to his daily life (1 Corinthians 2:12).

 

6) The indwelling Spirit enriches the believer’s prayer life and intercedes for him in prayer (Romans 8:26–27).

 

7) The indwelling Holy Spirit empowers the yielded believer to live for Christ to do His will (Galatians 5:16). The Spirit leads the believer in paths of righteousness (Romans 8:14).

 

8) The indwelling Spirit gives evidence of new life by producing the fruit of the Spirit in the believer’s life (Galatians 5:22–23).

 

9) The indwelling Spirit is grieved when the believer sins (Ephesians 4:30), and He convicts the believer to confess his sin to the Lord so that fellowship is restored (1 John 1:9).

 

10) The indwelling Spirit seals the believer unto the day of redemption so that the believer’s arrival in the Lord’s presence is guaranteed after this life (Ephesians 1:13–14).

 

When you accept Christ as your Savior (Romans 10:9–13), the Holy Spirit takes up residence in your heart, bringing with Him an entirely new life of love, relationship, and service to the Lord.

What does it mean when the psalmist asks God to “lead me to the rock that is higher than I” in Psalm 61:2?

 

 In Psalm 61:2, the psalmist David pleads with God, “Lead me to the rock that is higher than I.” At several times throughout the psalm, the author cries out to God and seeks His help. He asks God to “hear” his cry and “listen” to his prayer (Psalm 62:1). Through these exclamations, the psalmist recognizes that he cannot trust in his own strength and pleads with God to be his “rock.”

The psalmist calls out to God from a place of dire need: “From the ends of the earth I call to you, I call as my heart grows faint” (Psalm 61:2). The writer feels isolated and weary; he is fast losing hope. Then comes the petition: “Lead me to the rock that is higher than I” (Psalm 61:2). As he makes the request, David remembers the past help he has received from the Lord: “For you have been my refuge, a strong tower against the foe” (Psalm 61:3). God’s goodness in the past gives David faith to pray in the present difficulty.

When David asks God to “lead me to the rock that is higher than I,” he’s asking God to be his place of refuge. The Bible frequently refers to rocky formations as places of safety and security where one could hide from an enemy. In 1 Samuel 13:6, some Israelite men hid in rocky caves to flee from the pursuing Philistines. In Psalm 18:2, David refers to God as “my rock, in whom I take refuge.” When God is referred to as a “rock,” the picture is not of a small rock that someone could hold in his hand. Rather, God is like a large boulder or even a rocky mountain that serves as a foundation and place of refuge.

When the psalmist asks God to “lead me to the rock that is higher than I,” he’s also asking God to lift him up to a place of shelter and protection. Some understand the phrase “the rock that is higher than I” as a reference to the city of Jerusalem, which sits atop a mountain ridge (see Jeremiah 21:13). However, David could simply be asking God to lead him to God Himself, who is the “highest ground” one could seek. Both in biblical times and today, higher ground is considered safe and secure because it provides a strategic vantage point and is easily defended. Think of how people seek out higher ground when flood waters begin to rise or how combatants in warfare seek to take the higher ground from their enemy.

When we ask God to “lead me to the rock that is higher than I,” we’re acknowledging that He is our refuge and security and that He will provide us protection and shelter in times of trouble.