The Holy Spirit is a Spirit

The Holy Spirit is a spirit. Now, God is a spirit (John 4:24), the angels are spirits (Hebrews 1:13-14), and even humans are spirits. That means that we have something in common with the Holy Spirit. It also means that the Holy Spirit has something in common with angels and with God.

God created human beings with three dimensions, and the first of those dimensions is the spirit, otherwise known as the heart. Study this chart, if you will:

Paul, Moses, and Jesus each address the three dimensions of our being. According to them, the most reliable sources in history (with Jesus as the foremost), every human being consists of a spirit, a soul, and a body. The fundamental reason why we consist of three dimensions is because God made us like him. In other words, God has a spirit, soul, and body.

Let’s wrap our heads around this great truth: God was first to have his own spirit, soul, and body. As the Bible puts it, he created us in his own likeness and image. Likeness means similarity. We are similar to God. He wanted to make us like him. We reflect what he is and what he looks like. This is why all human beings are worthy of honor and should be treated with dignity. Even a dead man's body should be treated with dignity, and be given a proper burial.

Each of us has our own spirit. If Jesus is with our spirit, then our spirit will be strong and blessed. That’s why Paul wished this blessing upon his disciple Timothy:

The Lord [Jesus] be with your spirit (2 Timothy 4:22).

The Lamp of Yahweh

Our human spirit is a living entity—as such, it probes the rest of our being. God uses our human spirit as a flashlight to search the deepest parts of our being: our emotions, our thoughts, and our mind. Your spirit knows what’s behind your thoughts. God uses your spirit as a lantern to your soul.

The spirit of man is the lamp of the LORD, searching all the innermost parts of his being (Proverbs 20:27; NASB).

The spirit is superior to all other facets of your being: the body, the soul, the emotions, thoughts, and mind. The human spirit acts as their examiner, their judge, and their lord. It governs the rest of our being.

A Fine Line

You’ve probably noticed that there’s a fine line between your soul and your spirit. Indeed, it’s very difficult to discern between the two. Psychologists, with their multitutes of theories on the nature of man, have not yet come to agree on whether we even have a soul and a spirit.

We don't need psychologists. We can go to the Scriptures for the answers to life’s deepest questions. The Word of God is the sword of the Spirit, and it cuts deep inside our being when we read it. The Holy Scriptures cut so deep, that they cut down to the dividing line between a man’s soul and spirit.

For the Word of God is living and active and sharper than any double-edged sword, and piercing as far as the division of soul and spirit (Hebrews 4:12; LEB).

Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God (Ephesians 6:17).

Don’t Think

Do you know when your spirit is functioning? Do you know when it’s at work? Here’s a big clue: When you’re using your mind, your spirit is not guiding you. When you’re thinking things through, you’re not using your spirit.

Paul paints a stark contrast between the mind and the spirit in the following passage. He uses the word but to demonstrate that they oppose each other, saying:

… if I pray in a tongue, my spirit prays, but my mind is unfruitful. So what shall I do? I will pray with my spirit, but I will also pray with my understanding; I will sing with my spirit, but I will also sing with my understanding (1 Corinthians 14:14-15).

Spirit to Point of Contact

The Bible tells us that God’s Spirit testifies together with our spirit. In other words, the Holy Spirit confirms truths in conjunction with our spirit. The two interact in this way: Our spirit is the point of contact (POC) for the Holy Spirit for when the Holy Spirit wants to communicate something to us.

The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God (Romans 8:16; NKJV).

How can you open your heart so that your spirit cooperates better with the Holy Spirit? If you want them to work together, you have to “let go and let God.” You have to stop worrying, stop analyzing things, and refuse to use your mind.

If you let him, the Spirit will act and speak through you. The key is to operate by your spirit—in conjunction with the Holy Spirit. In other words, don't think. Just let the Holy Spirit guide your expression. Let him inspire you.

When they bring you before the synagogues and the rulers and the authorities, do not worry about how or what you are to speak in your defense, or what you are to say; for the Holy Spirit will teach you in that very hour what you ought to say (Luke 12:11-12; NASB).

Conclusion

What we’ve just learned is that your body, soul, and spirit are each magnificent aspects of your being. Each one plays an important role in your life. All have been created by God so that together they would fulfill their ultimate purpose—serving God.

Among the three, your spirit has the deepest purpose and the greatest potential. If you tap into it, it will connect you to the Spirit of God. In the Bible, tapping into your spirit is called being in the spirit.