God is spirit and they that connect with God must connect with Him through worshipping Him in spirit and truth. One of the most effective ways for every Christian to better understand their God ordained purpose and destiny is to have a deeper understanding of who you really are and who you belong to.
To do this we must look at the material and immaterial make up of our existence from within the context of physical and spiritual.
Then the LORD God formed the man from the dust of the ground. He breathed the breath of life into the man’s nostrils, and the man became a living person (Genesis 2.7 – NLT).
Please note that in the creation of Adam [means mankind] God first formed the body He loaned to Adam body by telling the dirt to form his body. After the body was formed God then breathed the breath of life into Adam’s nostrils. In other words, God breathed the spirit of life into Adam.
From a theological standpoint concerning the terms spirit and soul, there is an ongoing debate; however, this article is not to debate about the terms but to educate on the terms and their usage.
The terms trichotomy and dichotomy are used in relation to the parts of our spiritual and physical being. Trichotomy or trichotomous is a division into three parts. Dichotomy or dichotomous is a division of a whole into two parts.
Some theologians believe that mankind is trichotomous – body, soul and spirit and some theologians believe that man is dichotomous – body and soul, stating that soul and spirit is used interchangeably as the same.
There are verses that use the terms soul and spirit interchangeably (Matthew 10.28; 1 Corinthians 5.3; 7.34) and there are passages that separate/make a distinction between soul and spirit (Romans 8:16; 1 Thessalonians 5.23; Hebrews 4.12).
I believe that whether one argues for trichotomy – body, soul and spirit or dichotomy – body and soul is not the most important matter. However, in my view the most important matter for the trichotomist and dichotomist is whether or not they understand what salvation is and that they have to place their trust in Jesus as Savior to receive eternal security.
My child, never forget the things I have taught you. Store my commands in your heart. If you do this, you will live many years, and your life will be satisfying. Never let loyalty and kindness leave you! Tie them around your neck as a reminder. Write them deep within your heart. Then you will find favor with both God and people, and you will earn a good reputation. Trust in the LORD with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding. Seek his will in all you do, and he will show you which path to take (Proverbs 3.1-6 – NLT).