Is God really spirit?

Question

Note to Christians: This is no bashing. A genuine question and I am sorry if you will feel offended by it.


QUESTION: Despite the bible saying we are made in the image of God, after which he breathed his breath into us and we became "living souls". Despite the same bible saying that God sent his only son (in flesh) to the world (as he is the father, the son must be like him - you cannot have a lamb to a cow). You still say that God is not physical. Now, how spirit is he, given that according to the Bible there is the Holy Spirit, which is one of the Trinity? How does the two spirits (the father and holy spirit) relate to the physical son (Jesus). You should remember that the bible says Jesus (not his spirit) ascended to heaven. Why didn't the body perish in the grave and the spirit ascend to the father?

Answer 1

Understanding the dimension of the spirit and the parallel corporal dimension is difficult to convey because of the relationship of time and eternity that also come into play. The easiest way to ease into the concept, I believe, is to have a better understanding of the nature of Man.

Here is a synopsis of a great work of Watchman Nee THE SPIRITUAL MAN. The entire work is available online at http://www.ministrybooks.org/

The body is the "world-consciousness," the soul is the "self-consciousness," and the spirit is the "God-consciousness." There are five organs in the body which afford man the five senses. This physical body enables man to communicate with the physical world. This is why it is called the "world- consciousness." The soul comprises that part in man known as the intellect, which makes man's existence possible. The part of love generates affections toward other human beings or objects. Affections originate from the senses. All these are parts of man himself; they form the personality of man. Hence, they are called the "self-consciousness." The spirit is the part with which man communicates with God. With this part man worships God, serves Him, and understands his relationship with God. Hence, it is called "God-consciousness." Just as God dwells in the spirit, the self dwells in the soul, and the senses dwell in the body.

The soul is the meeting point; here the spirit and the body join. Man communicates with God's Spirit and the spiritual realm through the spirit and receives and expresses power and life in the spiritual realm through this spirit. He communicates with the outside world of senses through the body; the world and the body interact with one another. The soul lies in between these two worlds and belongs to these two worlds. On the one hand, it communicates with the spiritual realm through the spirit, and on the other hand, it communicates with the physical world through the body. The soul has the power of self-determination; it can make decisions concerning the things related to it in the environment and can choose or reject them. It is impossible for the spirit to control the body directly; it requires a medium. This medium is the soul, which was produced when the spirit touched the body. The soul is in between the spirit and the body; it binds the spirit and the body together as one. The spirit can rule over the body through the soul and subject it under God's power. The body can also induce the spirit through the soul to love the world.

Among the three elements of man, the spirit is joined to God and is the highest. The body is in contact with the material world and is the lowest. In between the two is the soul. It takes as its nature the nature of the other two. As such it becomes the linkage of the other two parts. Through the soul the two parts can fellowship with each other and can work together. The function of the soul is to maintain the spirit and the body in their proper order so that they will not lose their proper relationship with one another. In this way, the body, which is the lowest, will submit to the spirit, and the spirit, which is the highest, will be able to control the body through the soul. The soul is indeed the chief element in man. The soul looks to the spirit for the supply which the latter has received from the Holy Spirit and communicates to the body what it has received so that the body may partake of the perfection of the Holy Spirit and become a spiritual body.

Man's spirit is the noblest part of man; it dwells in man's innermost part. The body is the lowest and remains outside. The soul dwells between the spirit and the body and is the medium of the two. The body is the outer shell of the soul, while the soul is the outer shell of the spirit. When the spirit tries to control the body, it has to do so with the help of the intermediary soul. Before man fell, it was the spirit (through the soul) that controlled the whole being. When the spirit wanted to do something, it communicated to the soul, and the soul activated the body to follow the order of the spirit. This is what it means for the soul to be the medium.

The soul is potentially the strongest part because both the spirit and the body are incorporated into it, take it as their personality, and are affected by it. But in the beginning, man had not sinned, and the power of the soul was fully under the control of the spirit. Hence, the power of the soul was the power of the spirit. The spirit could not drive the body by itself; it had to do so through the soul. We can see this from Luke 1:46-47: "My soul magnifies [present tense] the Lord, and my spirit has exulted [perfect tense] in God my Savior." Here we see the change in tense according to the original language, which indicates that the spirit must first exult before the soul can magnify the Lord. The spirit first communicates the exultation to the soul, then the soul expresses this exultation through the organs of the body.

In conclusion, the soul is the seat of personality; man's will, intellect, and emotion all lie in the soul. The spirit is the part with which man communicates with the spiritual realm. The body is the part with which man communicates with the physical realm. The soul is in the middle of these two parts. It exercises its judgment to determine if the spiritual realm is to rule or if the physical realm is to rule. Sometimes the soul rules through its intellect and senses; when that happens, the psychological world rules. Unless the soul yields its rule to the spirit, the spirit cannot rule. Hence, the soul has to authorize the spirit to rule before the latter can rule over the soul and the whole body. The reason for this is that the soul is the origin of man's personality.

The soul is the master of a person because man's will is part of the soul. When the spirit controls the whole being, it is because the soul has yielded itself and has taken a lower position. If the soul rebels, the spirit will not have the power to control it. This is the meaning of "free will" in man. Man has the absolute right to make his own decisions. He is not a machine which turns according to God's will. He has his own faculty of deliberation. He can choose to obey God's will, and he can choose to oppose God's will and to follow the devil's will. According to God's arrangement, the spirit should be the highest part and should control the whole being. Yet the main part of man's personality, the will, is of the soul. Man's will (soul) has the power to choose to let the spirit rule, to let the body rule, or to let the self rule. Because the soul is so powerful, the Bible calls it "a living soul."

Answer 2

First get your ideals in line, The Holy Ghost is not the 3 person or spirit of the trinity, The Holy Ghost is God himself, only in another manifestations of the same spirit. Did you know that making God & the Holy Ghost 2 different spirits you walk over most of the bible without even knowing what you are doing, Jesus did not have 2 fathers, & yet the Bible says that Mary was conceived by the Holy Ghost, & in another place it says God is his father, how can jesus have 2 fathers.

Answer 3

The god is Spirit says the scripture.
But what is Spirit?
This word in the greek text of the New Test. is "Pneyma" which means AIR. At the ancient times when people died they thought that the spirit goes to god because their breathing was stopped . breathing is a property of living beings. And so the breath was considered that was the spirit of god or the spirit of life who is given by god. So the conclusion is that god does not exist and so the spirit is nothing to do with the truth it is a superstition.
so simple!
But there are some things that we need to believe for psychological reasons? because we need justice ? because we have complexes ? because it is easier than facing the truth and start having a life? For example everything that church (at the middle ages) claimed about the universe and the very earth .. everything were nothing but nonsense. (the age of the earth the universe e.t.c)

Answer 4

To me it's really simply. There's God, the Father. there's Jesus Christ, the only begotten son of God and savior, and the holy ghost/spirit. all three are different beings, or people. Just like you and I are different.

They Bible does say they are one. One in propose. Just like in English, one team is a single entity, even though it can have many individuals.

You are right, why would Jesus ascend to heaven with his body if he wasn't going to use it? Jesus still has it and uses it. Christ is flesh. If he is then God must be also. Both, God and Jesus, have bodies just like us; but perfected without flaw. The holy ghost however, does not have a body. he hasn't been to earth yet to gain one.

Answer 5

The bible says that God is a Spirit. Being made in God's image is a reference to his holiness. All that God creates is good and holy. It is sin that corrupts. When God created man he created him in holiness, but when Adam fell in the garden sin entered the world and the world along with man became corrupt. With this corruption can disease and death. Man went from being an immortal being to become a creature limited to 120 years of life. Eternal life can only come by way of the blood of Jesus, which is bestowed upon every believer. Jesus rose from the grave in body and spirit because he is God, and as a testimony of what awaits us on the day of the resurrection, that is all those who are sealed under the blood of Jesus. In Romans chapter 8 (please read this entire chapter, for it is the glorification of the gospel) that God, sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and for sin condemned sin in the flesh. Read also Issiah chapter 53 for the prophesy of the gospel, and 1Corinthians 15:1-8 for the gospel. It take study, meditation and time to understand all of this.

Answer 6

God is in three parts, God the Father, He is spirit, God the Son, who is Jesus , who came in the flesh and God the Holy Spirit.

Answer 7

When the bible refers to God creating man in the image of himself, why does that have to mean our physical appearance? I believe it refers to our spirits. I believe Jesus was the physical manifestation sent to show all people what they can become if they look inward to their spirit (a.k.a. God) as their guide. You have to remember when the bible was written these were all new ideas and probably a little frightening to those who heard them. As with any new ideas it would have to be explained and exampled in way that the people of that time could understand and not be frightened by.

Answer 8

Yes, it sure was God the Holy Spirit. All were present at creation, Father, Son and Spirit.

Answer 9

We are made after the image of God in that we are creators or we can reproduce.As far as what happened to Jesus body that I would say is one question to ask Jesus if you get to go home with him.

Answer 10

I tend to ignore the bible, I believe God is the spirit within all things, I am a Taoist.