Our Human Spirit

"The Bible reveals that man is a tripartite being possessing a spirit, and a soul, and a body (1 Thes. 5:23). It makes a clear distinction between these three parts (Luke 1:46-47; Heb. 4:12; Phil. 1:27). Having a body, man possesses world-consciousness and is able to contact the material world. Having a soul, man possesses self-consciousness, which gives him his personality, his self (Matt. 16:26; cf. Luke 9:25) and is able to reason, choose, and respond emotionally. Having a spirit, man possesses God-consciousness and is able to contact, receive, and worship the Triune God (John 4:24; Rom. 8:16; 2 Tim. 4:22). God is Spirit (John 4:24), and when He formed man (Gen. 2:7), He created him with a spirit (Zech. 12:1). If man did not have a spirit, he would be unable to contact God.It is in our spirit that we were born again (John 3:6); it is in our spirit that we were made alive (Eph. 2:5; Rom. 8:10); it is in our spirit that God dwells (Eph. 2:22; 2 Tim. 4:22; Rom. 8:16); it is in our spirit that we are joined to the Lord (1 Cor. 6:17); and it is in our spirit that we contact and worship God (John 4:24). Now we must walk and have our whole being according to our spirit--serving in our spirit (Rom. 1:9), praying in spirit (Eph. 6:18), being filled in spirit (Eph. 5:18), seeing God's revelation in spirit (Eph. 1:17; 3:5; Rev. 1:10; 4:2; 17:3; 21:10), having fellowship with the brothers and sisters in spirit (Phil. 2:1); and being built together with others into a dwelling place of God in spirit (Eph. 2:22)."