By Pastor Chinedu Emmanuel

“1 Thessalonians 5:23 “And the very God of peace sanctify you wholly, and I pray God your whole Spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.”

In the last blog post, we talked about how humans are made up of three parts: the spirit, the body, and the soul. We discussed the body and the soul. Now, let’s focus on the spirit.

It’s important to understand that our natural intellect and mental abilities can’t fully grasp everything about God. Only our spiritual selves can truly understand things in the spiritual realm. God’s words are spirit too not just ordinary knowledge.

Eph 3:19 “And to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fulness of God.”

The understanding of spiritual matters comes through a process of spiritual discernment. It’s the Holy Spirit who reveals these truths to our inner being, illuminating our intellect supernaturally even though we may not see it physically. This is what we call having faith in the Word of God. Our human spirit is the essence that gives life to our physical bodies. When it departs, we cease to exist. It provides insights to our intellect, and through the supernatural work of the Holy Spirit, we gain an understanding of unseen things.

For instance, in Luke 24:45, it says, “Then he opened their minds to understand the Scriptures. And he said, ‘Yes, it was written long ago that the Messiah would suffer and die and rise from the dead on the third day.”  This shows how Jesus helped his disciples understand spiritual truths, revealing the deeper meaning behind the Scriptures.

Understanding God’s ways is beyond the capacity of our human intellect. Our minds were not designed to comprehend the spiritual realm. As Isaiah 55:8-9 tells us, “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the Lord. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts.” 

When we attempt to approach God using only our intellect, we often end up with a mental assent to concepts we don’t truly understand or believe in. Many people operate from this standpoint, leading to frustration when they don’t see the results they expect from their faith. This mental assent acknowledges that the Word of God is true but lacks genuine faith in it. Such individuals may speak about faith but fail to act on it when faced with challenges. Instead, they rely on their senses and experiences, judging the word of God based on their feelings rather than the revelation of the Holy Spirit. Abraham, on the other hand, exemplified true faith. He not only believed God’s promises but also acted upon them without wavering. His actions demonstrated his unwavering faith, proving that faith without corresponding actions is ineffective.

The devil has effectively deceived many by leading them to believe that relying solely on their feelings and intellect is faith. However, this approach has proven to be detrimental and has caused much harm. Attempting to connect with the spiritual realm of God using only our feelings and intellect is ineffective. True faith involves recognizing that we are spiritual beings and depending on the witness of the Holy Spirit, who communicates with our spirit and enlightens our intellect.

Genuine faith is rooted in the spirit and relies solely on the Word of God, which is confirmed by the Holy Spirit’s witness. By understanding this truth and relying on the guidance of the Holy Spirit, Christians can truly exercise faith and act upon God’s Word with confidence. Paul understood this truth well and emphasized it in Galatians 6:18, Paul concludes his letter by saying, “Brethren, the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit. Amen.” 

We serve God not with our flesh or intellect, which cannot truly connect with Him. Instead, we serve Him with our spirit. Romans 1:9 “For God is my witness, whom I serve with my spirit in the gospel of his Son, that without ceasing I make mention of you always in my prayers.” 

Jesus Himself affirmed this principle in John 4:24, saying, “God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.” Our flesh contributes nothing spiritually. Therefore, we are called to live a spiritual life and be led by the Holy Spirit, not by our flesh or human wisdom.

Proverbs 3:5-7  “Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths. Be not wise in thine own eyes: fear the Lord, and depart from evil.” 

How then should we live our lives? According to 2 Corinthians 5:7, “For we walk by faith, not by sight.” This means we should trust in God’s guidance rather than relying solely on what we can see with our eyes.”  Additionally, Galatians 5:18 reminds us, “But if ye be led of the Spirit, ye are not under the law.”

When we are led by the Holy Spirit, we naturally seek to please the Lord and bear fruit that lasts. It’s important to recognize that our efforts are only meaningful if the Lord is the one guiding and building our lives. Conversely, if we walk according to the flesh, relying on our feelings and sight, we fall into a world of vanity, as Solomon discovered in Ecclesiastes 2:10-11. Despite indulging in all his desires, Solomon found it ultimately led to emptiness and dissatisfaction.

Living a life guided by the Holy Spirit revelation resulting in heart faith leads to fulfillment and fruitfulness while pursuing the desires of the flesh ultimately leads to emptiness and futility.

Pastor Chinedu Emmanuel is the Senior Pastor of Fountain Of The Living Word Church, New Jersey.