Spiritual Anatomy of man

(1 Thessalonians 5:23) speaks of God sanctifying our body, soul and spirit wholly. This shows that a man has a spirit, a soul and a body. Most believers tend to confuse the spirit and the soul.

Man is a spirit who has a soul and lives in a body.

1.) The Body

Genesis 2:7 says that God formed man of the dust from the ground, and when he breathed the breath of life into his nostrils, man became a living soul/being. This word (soul) is taken from the Hebrew nephesh which means man began to live bodily and mentally.

The body was created from the ground (humus) and when God breathed the breath of life (spirit), the soul was created and the body began to live.

2.) The Human Spirit

It is the spirit of man that contacts God. At conversion (when we are born of God through faith in Christ Jesus), God recreates our spirit and brings it to union with His Spirit so that we can effectively relate to Him.

God is Spirit who can only be related to through our recreated spirit, which is the candle of the Lord.

3.) The Soul

The soul is the seat house of your character. Most people when they think of a soul, see it like some force that can move around like the way angels move.

The soul is where you find the Mind, Will and Emotions of a person.

Remember the human spirit came from God, and the body from the ground. After the breath of life came into the nostrils of man, the man became a living soul.

At conversion of the spirit, that is when you are born again, the soul is not dealt with. This is why it has to be renewed through the Scriptures. (Romans 12: 1-2; James 1:21)

The body is not affected at conversion either. It will be changed into an immortal body when the Lord Jesus returns in His Glory from Heaven (1 Corinthians 15:50-54).

The body gets information from the physical world and transfers it to the soul to build the character. It does this with the aid of the 5 senses (touch, smell, sight, hearing and taste).

When you are born again, you become more inclined to the things of the Holy Spirit which come through your spirit.

The life of God then flows from your spirit to the soul, to the body and outwards, remember when Jesus said in John 7:38-39, “ He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water. (But this spake he of the Spirit, which they that believe on him should receive: for the Holy Ghost was not yet given; because that Jesus was not yet glorified.)”

That is how it works with even healing from God.

An unbeliever takes things from the world through gratifying the flesh and neglects the spiritual things which make no sense to that person.

Dear brothers and sisters; let us not walk according to the flesh but according to the Spirit, because the flesh things fight what God wants us to be (Galatians 5: 16-17).

May the Peace of God and the love of our Christ Jesus be with you brothers and sisters.

Article by Sheunopa Matambo

Speaking in tongues 2

Please note that the gift of tongues (as well as your prayer language) is a product of both God and man. Every believer has a part to play in speaking in tongues for the Spirit gives you utterance, and you do the talking. The Holy Spirit does not talk with tongues. In fact, nowhere in the Bible does it mention that the Holy Spirit ever talked with tongues. Instead, you will be doing the talking in the flesh; after all, God said He would pour out His Spirit on all flesh. Everyone who has ever spoken in tongues was in the flesh; however, he or she was inspired by the Spirit when they spoke.

• Many people inaccurately define speaking in tongues as "speaking gibberish" or "talking nonsense." The truth is, speaking in tongues is the most intelligent, perfect language in the universe. It is God's language.

• What language do you suppose is spoken in heaven? Languages are given their name based on the countries they come from. For example, French comes from France. Spanish comes from Spain. Italian comes from Italy.

• Where do you think tongues come from? They come from Heaven! Tongues are the heavenly language. It is what is spoken in heaven; the only difference is that the people in heaven understand what they are saying. Paul says, "For anyone who speaks in tongues does not speak to men but to God. Indeed, no one understands him; he utters mysteries with his spirit" (1Corinthians 14: 2).

Jesus says that those who believe in Him will "speak in new tongues" (Mark 16:17). The word "new" means appearing for the first time. No one had spoken these languages before. Contrary to bad theology tongues is not an ability given to preach the gospel in the language of foreigners. This would make tongues "old" languages. It is only appropriate that "new tongues" should be spoken by those of the "new birth." It is natural and normal to speak in the language of your birth. We are born again from above, therefore we should speak the language from above--that language is called "new tongues."

Someone may say, "How can you say that all Christians should speak in tongues considering the Apostle Paul's words, 'Do all speak in tongues?'? (1 Corinthians 12:30).

• In this passage, Paul is talking about public ministry gifts that are manifested in the church. He is not talking about tongues as the initial sign of the baptism in the Spirit, nor is he talking about tongues as a private, devotional, prayer language.

• You can recognize this by simply looking at the language Paul uses concerning speaking in tongues. In this chapter he calls speaking in tongues "different kinds of tongues" (1Corinthians 12:10, 28). "Different kinds" means "not the usual." The usual kind of speaking in tongues is a language no man understands or interprets. However, speaking in "different kinds" of tongues enables the speaker or someone else to recognize the meaning of the tongue and thereby interpreting it.

So when Paul ask the question, "Do all speak in tongues?", he is referring to the public manifestation of tongues which enables a person gifted in interpretation to speak out the meaning of the tongue. Not all have been given this gift of "different kinds" of tongues.

1 Corinthians 12:3 “Wherefore I give you to understand, that no man speaking by the Spirit of God calleth Jesus accursed: and [that] no man can say that Jesus is the Lord, but by the Holy Ghost.”

“For with stammering lips and another tongue will he speak to his people” (Isaiah 28:11).

More Scripture reference on speaking in tongues:

(Mark 16:17), (Acts 4:4), (Acts 10:44-48),

(Acts 19:1-7), (1Cor12:10, 13:1-3, 15:2, 4-22, 26-32), (Romans 15:30)

Article by Sheunopa Matambo

Speaking in tongues 1

• Speaking in tongues is the mystical (supernatural) utterance through the power of the Holy Spirit in a person that manifests as spiritual language.

• Through language and music, the Holy Spirit empowers the believer to be edified (built, restored, grow).

Jesus told Peter that upon the rock (upon the revelation hat Jesus was the Christ, Son of the Living God), He was to build His church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it (Matthew 16:18). We are part of the church and one of the ways God makes us grow spiritually is through speaking in tongues.

When the Holy Spirit enables you to utter in tongues, you speak in foreign language(s) that you have never learnt or studied, a language which those without the gift of interpretation could not understand. In (Acts 2) Day of Pentecost, When the Holy Spirit came upon the believers; they began to speak in foreign languages. God outpoured His Spirit so that we may be witnesses and prophesy (build the church).

• There are different gifts, yet only one Spirit; therefore, there is need for us all to be united. Some members of the church in Corinth uttered tongues that no man could understand (which led to arguments and disarray), and Apostle Paul attended to this (I Corinthians 12:4-11). This led to controversy and division. Paul tried to unite the church, assuring the church that there are different gifts but only one Spirit (I Corinthians 12:4-11).

There are 3 types of Tongues:

1. An unknown tongue unto God (I Corinthians 14:2).

• For self edification (I Corinthians 14:4; Jude 20).

• Aid in prayer (Romans 8:26-27).

• Increases the prophetic ministry when interpreted (I Corinthians 14:5).

• Revives your soul (Isaiah 28:11-12).

• Conquering the enemy (Ephesians 6:18).

• Helps you worship in the Spirit (I Corinthians 14:14-15). While singing in the Spirit,, God sings along and defeats the enemy (Isaiah 30:29-31).

• Breaking the yoke of bondage (Acts 16:25-26).

• Bringing you into the presence of God (Psalm 22:3).

• Aiding you in intercession (Romans 8:26)

2. A known tongue that is a sign to unbelievers (I Corinthians 14:2; Acts 2:6).

3. A tongue that is understood through interpretation (another gift if the Holy Spirit).

Article by Sheunopa Matambo