So, are our spirits dead before regeneration or are they non-existant?

Question

Do non born again people have a spirit?

What is the condition of an atheist's spirit?

Answer 1

Hebrew Understanding of the Soul
The Hebrew word translated "soul" in the Old Testament is nephesh, which simply means "a breathing creature." Vine's Complete Expository Dictionary of Old and New Testament Words defines nephesh as "the essence of life, the act of breathing, taking breath ... The problem with the English term 'soul' is that no actual equivalent of the term or the idea behind it is represented in the Hebrew language. The Hebrew system of thought does not include the combination or opposition of the 'body' and 'soul' which are really Greek and Latin in origin" (1985, p. 237-238, emphasis added).

The Interpreter's Dictionary of the Bible makes this comment on nephesh: "The word 'soul' in English, though it has to some extent naturalized the Hebrew idiom, frequently carries with it overtones, ultimately coming from philosophical Greek (Platonism) and from Orphism and Gnosticism which are absent in 'nephesh.' In the OT it never means the immortal soul, but it is essentially the life principle, or the living being, or the self as the subject of appetite, and emotion, occasionally of volition" (Vol. 4, 1962, "Soul," emphasis added).

That nephesh doesn't refer to an immortal soul can be seen in the way the word is used in the Old Testament. It is translated "soul" or "being" in reference to man in Genesis 2:7, but also to animals by being translated "creature" in Genesis 1:24. Nephesh is translated "body" in Leviticus 21:11 in reference to a human corpse.

The Hebrew Scriptures state plainly that, rather than possess immortality, the soul can and does die. "The soul [nephesh] who sins shall die" (Ezekiel 18:4, 20).

The Old Testament describes the dead as going to sheol, translated into English as "hell," "pit" or "grave." Ecclesiastes 9:5-6 describes sheol as a place of unconsciousness: "For the living know that they will die; but the dead know nothing, and they have no more reward, for the memory of them is forgotten. Also their love, their hatred, and their envy have now perished ..."

King David laments that death extinguishes a relationship with God. "For in death there is no remembrance of You; in the grave who will give You thanks?" (Psalm 6:5).

The immortal-soul concept isn't part of the Old Testament, but it began to make inroads into Jewish thought as Jews came in contact with Greek culture. In the first century the Jewish philosopher Philo taught a Platonic concept: "... The death of a man is the separation of his soul from his body ..." (The Works of Philo, translated by C.D. Yonge, 1993, p. 37). Philo followed the Hellenistic view that the soul is freed upon death to an everlasting life of virtue or evil.

The Apostles' View
In the New Testament the Greek word translated "soul" is psuche, which is also translated "life."

In Psalm 16:10 David uses nephesh ("soul") to claim that the "Holy One," or Messiah, wouldn't be left in sheol, the grave. Peter quotes this verse in Acts 2:27, using the Greek psuche for the Hebrew nephesh (notice verses 25-31).

Like nephesh, psuche refers to human "souls" (Acts 2:41) and for animals (it is translated "life" in the King James Version of Revelation 8:9 and 16:3). Jesus declared that God can destroy man's psuche, or "soul" (Matthew 10:28).

If the Old Testament describes death as an unconscious state, how does the New Testament describe it?

No one wrote more about this subject than the apostle Paul. He describes death as "sleep" (1 Corinthians 15:51-58; 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18).

Many people are surprised to find that the term immortal soul appears nowhere in the Bible. However, though the Scriptures do not speak of the soul as being immortal, they have much to say about immortality. For example: "You know that no murderer has eternal life abiding in him" (1 John 3:15).

Paul told the members of the congregation in Rome to "seek" immortality (Romans 2:5-7). He taught Christians at Corinth that they must be changed and "put on" immortality (1 Corinthians 15:51-55). Paul proclaimed that only God and His Son possess immortality (1 Timothy 6:12-16) and that eternal life is a "gift" from God (Romans 6:23).

The most powerful words come from Jesus Himself: "And this is the will of Him who sent Me, that everyone who sees the Son and believes in Him may have everlasting life; and I will raise him up at the last day" (John 6:40).

True Origin of Immortal-soul Teaching
We've seen in this brief look at the supposedly immortal soul that the Bible teaches no such concept. The idea filtered into Western thought through Greek philosophy. Its origins are older than Athens, in fact as old as man.

The concept of the immortal soul was introduced into man's thinking at the earliest beginnings of human history. God told the first human beings, Adam and Eve, that if they sinned they would die and return to the dust from which He had created them (Genesis 2:17; 3:19). Satan, the embodiment of evil, the powerful entity who opposes God, assured them they wouldn't die (verses 1-5).

Satan slyly injected into Eve's consciousness the notion that God was lying and that she and her husband would not die, thus ingraining the unscriptural teaching of the immortality of the soul into human thought. Satan has since deceived the world on this important understanding as well as many other biblical truths (Revelation 12:9). Much of the world, including millions of people in religions outside of traditional Christianity, are convinced they have—or are—immortal souls and hope they will go to a happy place or state of being immediately after they die.

The Biblical Answer to Death
Yet the Bible plainly teaches that the dead lie in the grave and know nothing, think no thoughts, have no emotions, possess no consciousness. Does this mean death, the cessation of life, is final, the end of everything?

The Bible answers this question too. Although mankind is physical, subject to death, the good news is that God promises a resurrection to eternal life to everyone who repents, worships God and accepts Jesus as the Messiah and His sacrifice. The first resurrection to immortality will take place when Christ returns to establish God's Kingdom on this earth.

Later will come another resurrection—to physical life—for people who had never had a relationship with the Father and Jesus Christ. They, too, will gain the opportunity for immortality. The true final answer is not death but resurrection. GN

Answer 2

spirits are eternal, even dead ones. A dead spirit will go to hell and later to the Lake of Fire.

This death, is very different than physical death as a dead spirit can be affected by things like demons and God. The deadness means that God can no longer commune with the person, and they are separated from God.

Adam's spirit was alive in a different way than a born again christian. God lives in a christian's spirit, but God did not live in Adam, because he had not eaten of the Tree of Life which would have made that happen, however, Adam was able to commune with God, his spirit was alive, until he sinned.

Answer 3

Spirits do exists. They are part and parcel of the mortal body. But the body is mortal, the spirit is not. All the spirits may not necessarily be reborn, but all spirits have definitely reborn. I mean, every spirit has to pass through all the life forms like worm, beetle, rat, dog, cow, monkey, human; just to name a few. If anyone commits more sin that good, that person is reborn into an inferior life form and if he commit more good than sin, he is born in a superior life form. He might as well be born in the same life form in better or worse conditions. This way the spirit travels up from a worm to human and in the human birth is the spirit perform exceptionally well, it will get freedom of the cycle of birth and rebirth and are united with the universal truth.

Now you might ask where do spirits originate from? Well they originate from the supreme being. That is the Brahman, the ultimate knowledge or mother nature.

Answer 4

Before we are born again, our spirit is of Satan by inheritance, because Eve taken the word of Satan over Gods Word, and made God a liar, and believed by eating the forbidding fruit would make her and Adam to become as God. Some religions today believe man will become as God.
Without a regenerated spirit, your spirit cannot enter into Heaven, no part of Satan can dwell in Heaven.That is why we must be renewed.

Answer 5

No. Some suppose that in view that God "knew" us earlier than we had been born that implies we existed in a few 'ether' house earlier than being given a human frame. The Bible does not describe this sort of previous lifestyles. He created angels with distinctive personalities, different heavenly creatures, earthly animals and crops, and He created the primary guy and lady, giving each and every a spirit-soul to occupy their our bodies. Except for heavenly creatures all others had been reproducing, loss of life, and carrying on with their type as good as viable, a few fitting extinct. Each human is given a distinctive man or woman hood, a spirit like that of God, to fill each and every little flesh frame, a being within the snapshot and likeness of God with a unique task on Earth. Animals do not show a human-like distinctive man or woman hood. None are remembered for his or her inward "self" like we will establish departed individuals by way of their former contributions in artwork, poetry, speeches, expressions of genius, and many others. Once created, the "spirit-guy" on no account ceases to exist, dwelling perpetually gift and long term.

Answer 6

Spirits, plural, refer to Law and Grace.
We're told to try(test) the spirits: 1Jn4:1.
Of the twain Law is the mortal, and dies.
Grace(God) is immortal, and cannot die.

Die to Law is become alive to God(Grace).
Die by Law is have a dead end, till the end.

In the end written none perish by pure grace.
So let us go on unto the perfection of God thereof.

The GRACE of our Lord Jesus Christ with you all. Amen.

Answer 7

Our spirits cannot die. They are immortal. This is what Jesus referred to when He said that those who follow Him "will never die". When we die physically, our spirits remain fully alive, and are judged and admitted to heaven or sent to hell, where they will be reunited with our bodies at the final resurrection.

Answer 8

they are in a state of limbo
think of it as an area of rest where a soul goes to recuperate
sometimes this recuperation is short, other times it can last for centuries
our bodies die, but our souls live on

Answer 9

spirit never dies