Body, Spirit, Soul, and Struggle

ByMatt Fitzwater

Galatians 2 is our New Testament reading today. Verse 20 caught my heart while I drank my coffee.

‘My old self has been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me. So I live in this earthly body by trusting in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. ‘Galatians 2:20

Christ Lives In Me. Christ Is With Me.

I have a hard time remembering that; I fall short and wonder how Christ can live with me. That’s not something a Christ follower would do! That’s not a thought a true Christian would have. I have to remember that even though I’m a simple man, God has made me wonderfully complex.

‘Thank you for making me so wonderfully complex! Your workmanship is marvelous—how well I know it. ‘
Psalms 139:14

God created each of us with three aspects: Body, Spirit, and Soul.

We are spiritual beings, having a physical experience.

  • Our body is the physical container that houses our spirit.
  • Our spirit is the part of us that connects with God.
  • Our soul interacts with the world around us. Our souls also have three aspects: mind, will, and emotions.

I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of the Living God. He lived, was crucified, died, was buried, and resurrected so that we could have a relationship with God through him. I’ve been baptized. I have the Holy Spirit, who leads me along the best pathway for my life, advises me, and watches over me.

My mind, will, and emotions also affect how I interact with myself and the world around me. And battling my desires, my compulsions to do the wrong thing, my feelings of being unlovable, is a cross I carry daily. But my spirit is already secure with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me. I am so grateful, Christ loves me. He gave his life for me, and I live in this earthly body by trusting Jesus.

My spirit is united with Christ in the heavenly realms.

‘For he raised us from the dead along with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms because we are united with Christ Jesus. ‘
Ephesians 2:6

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