There are scientists who deny men and animals for having a soul. They tell us we're just a collection of bones, muscles, organs and brains. I don't believe them, I think that without a soul we would be quite similar to a computer: capable of great things, but within limits. Mankind however is capable of reaction, variaton, creation.
What does the Word of God tell us about the soul?
Already in the first book, Genesis, the soul is mentioned:
“And the LORD God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul.” (Genesis 2:7 KJ21)
So man became a living soul. Not some sort of robot or something like that, no - a living soul!
A remarkable passage about the soul can be found in the story about Rachel's death:
“And they journeyed from Bethel. And there was but a little way to come to Ephrath; and Rachel travailed, and she had hard labor. And it came to pass, when she was in hard labor, that the midwife said unto her, "Fear not. Thou shalt have this son also." And it came to pass as her soul was in departing (for she died), that she called his name Benoni [that is, The son of my sorrow], but his father called him Benjamin [that is, The son of the right hand]. And Rachel died, and was buried on the way to Ephrath, which is Bethlehem.” (Genesis 35:16-19 KJ21)
Here we see that Rachel's soul was departing, leaving the body. Apparently when we die it's not just "lights out forever" but our soul will leave our body. When it leaves, it can also return:
“So he arose and went to Zarephath. And when he came to the gate of the city, behold, the widow woman was there gathering sticks; and he called to her and said, "Fetch me, I pray thee, a little water in a vessel, that I may drink." And as she was going to fetch it, he called to her and said, "Bring me, I pray thee, a morsel of bread in thine hand." And she said, "As the LORD thy God liveth, I have not a cake, but a handful of meal in a barrel and a little oil in a cruse. And behold, I am gathering two sticks, that I may go in and dress it for me and my son, that we may eat it and die." And Elijah said unto her, "Fear not; go and do as thou hast said, but make me thereof a little cake first, and bring it unto me, and afterward make for thee and for thy son. For thus saith the LORD God of Israel: ‘The barrel of meal shall not waste, neither shall the cruse of oil fail, until the day that the LORD sendeth rain upon the earth.’" And she went and did according to the saying of Elijah, and she and he and her house ate for many days. And the barrel of meal wasted not, neither did the cruse of oil fail, according to the word of the LORD which He spoke by Elijah. And it came to pass after these things that the son of the woman, the mistress of the house, fell sick; and his sickness was so sore that there was no breath left in him. And she said unto Elijah, "What have I to do with thee, O thou man of God? Art thou come unto me to call my sin to remembrance and to slay my son?" And he said unto her, "Give me thy son." And he took him out of her bosom, and carried him up into a loft where he abode, and laid him upon his own bed. And he cried unto the LORD and said, "O LORD my God, hast Thou also brought evil upon the widow with whom I sojourn by slaying her son?" And he stretched himself upon the child three times, and cried unto the LORD and said, "O LORD my God, I pray Thee, let this child’s soul come into him again!" And the LORD heard the voice of Elijah; and the soul of the child came into him again, and he revived.” (1 Kings 17:10-22 KJ21)
The soul didn't die after leaving the body of the child, it returned to where it came from.
Jesus teached His disciples the difference between body and soul:
“And fear not them that kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul; but rather fear Him that is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.” (Matthew 10:28 KJ21)
We don't need to be afraid of men: they can kill our bodies but can't touch our souls. The Creator of heaven and earth however can destroy our souls too, in the socalled second death:
“But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone, which is the second death."” (Revelation 21:8 KJ21)
Other people can't harm our souls, but we can "lose" our own soul:
“For what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world and lose his own soul? Or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?” (Matthew 16:26 KJ21)
Our souls will be damaged by sin, by not keeping all Gods commandments and I mean one hundred percent!
"Yeah", many will say, "no one can do that."
That's correct!
The apostle Paul, writer of the book Hebrews, tells us:
“For the Word of God is living and powerful and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.” (Hebrews 4:12 KJ21)
The Word of God, Jesus (John 1), sees everything, everywhere, even the most hidden thoughts of our souls.....
Because no one is without sin, Jesus came to earth:
“even as the Son of Man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give His life as a ransom for many."” (Matthew 20:28 KJ21)
Jesus was without sin but gave His life for many.
Pay attention: not for "all" but for "many".
There were and are who can't value the sacrifice of our Saviour Jesus. He came to earth to save us, to heal us:
“who His own self bore our sins in His own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness; by whose stripes ye were healed.” (1 Peter 2:24 KJ21)
Paul describes the position of the unbelievers very clearly:
“I have not written unto you because ye know not the truth, but because ye know it, and that no lie is of the truth. Who is a liar but he that denieth that Jesus is the Christ? He is antichrist who denieth the Father and the Son. Whosoever denieth the Son, the same hath not the Father; he that acknowledgeth the Son hath the Father also.” (1 John 2:21-23 KJ21)
When someone willingly denies Father and Son there's nothing else left for him/her than the last judgment. I already wrote that in the article "The millenial Kingdom and eternity". The following verse of the book of Daniel says it all:
“And many of those who sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt.” (Daniel 12:2 KJ21)
That last judgment comes with a resurrection. Those who have accepted Jesus as their Redeemer will be with God forever, those who have denied Him, will forever be without Him.
About the residence of the soul, after leaving the dying body, we find two indications:
1. hell - the place where the unbelievers will stay, awaiting the last judgment:
“The wicked shall be turned into hell, and all the nations that forget God.” (Psalms 9:17 KJ21)
2. paradise - not the garden of Eden, the earthly paradise. No, this is the heavenly paradise where all children of the God of Israel will be:
“And one of the malefactors who was hanged railed against Him, saying, "If thou be Christ, save thyself and us!" But the other answering rebuked him, saying, "Dost not thou fear God, seeing thou art under the same condemnation? And we indeed justly, for we receive the due reward of our deeds. But this Man hath done nothing amiss." And he said unto Jesus, "Lord, remember me when Thou comest into Thy Kingdom." And Jesus said unto him, "Verily I say unto thee, today shalt thou be with Me in Paradise."” (Luke 23:39-43 KJ21)
“He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches. To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the Tree of Life, which is in the midst of the Paradise of God.’” (Revelation 2:7 KJ21)
In the book of Revelations Jesus tells His beloved disciple John:
“I am He that liveth, and was dead; and behold, I am alive for evermore, Amen, and have the keys of hell and of death.” (Revelation 1:18 KJ21)
Jesus can give us access to Paradise and He also has the keys of hell and death.
The question is:
where will your soul be?
Can you, in all sincerity, sing the words of the song below?
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