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NASB | Genesis 2:7 Then the LORD God formed man of dust from the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living being. |
AMPLIFIED 2015 | Genesis 2:7 then the LORD God formed [that is, created the body of] man from the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and the man became a living being [an individual complete in body and spirit]. [1 Cor 15:45-49] |
Bible Question:
Hi I was thinking about fear. I herd that fear thrives on emotions, is this true? If so, what is an emotion, and what is it's purpose? Also I was thinking about human souls or spirits. What is a soul and what is it's purpose? My faith in Christ grows everday I seek for him. It's a growing experience for me and for all. ALso what is the difference between emotions and soul if any? Thanks all for replying.. God bless through Christ. |
Bible Answer: Hi Webster's defines emotion as 'A moving of the mind or soul; excitement of the feelings, whether pleasing or painful; disturbance or agitation of mind caused by a specific exciting cause and manifested by some sensible effect on the body.' Thus fear itself is an emotion. We must not allow ourselves to be controlled by our emotions. We are to control them by the attitude of our minds and by looking to Him. Faith and love must be in control, not our emotions. Christian faith and love come from the will. The word for 'soul' refers to the inner life imparted by the breath of God (Genesis 2.7) but it should not be too closely defined as its use varies from place to place. It can be thought of in terms of 'the inner man', and it is the inner man that experiences emotions, but they are very much affected by the state of our bodies as well as our minds. We must not allow our emotions to be the test of our spiritual state, although they often eventually result from our spiritual state. But it is Jesus Christ regnant within us as Lord that determines our spiritual state, and that can be equally true when we are feeling 'low'. The Shepherd does not desert us because of our feelings. If we keep our eyes fixed on Him and continue trusting Him good emotions will eventually break through. They are, however, very much dependent on make up and circumstances, and even in the valley of deep darkness we can know that our Shepherd is with us (Psalm 23.4). The soul has a spiritual side to it and a fleshly side to it. Thus Paul could speak of 'spirit, soul and body' as the make up of man (1 Thessalonians 5.23). However Jesus spoke of 'heart, soul, mind and strength' (Mark 12.30). These are really all aspects of the inner man. We must not make the divisions too specific as if man were not a unity. On the other hand within that unity there is undoubtedly strife (e.g. Romans 7.25; Galatians 5.16) because of what we are. That is why we must hand over our lives to the Holy Spirit and walk step by step with Him (Galatians 5.23). We must let Christ dwell in our inner man by faith (Ephesians 3.17). We must allow Him to live out His life through us (Galatians 2.20). We must continually let Christ hold the reins. It is good to know that you are growing daily. Keep your eyes fixed on Him, and then even when it gets dark you will 'fear no evil' (Psalm 23.4). Best wishes Jonp, |