Summary:

There is a difference between believing with the heart and trying to understand spiritual things with the intellect. Believing with the heart is what gets results in the kingdom of God.

  1. We believe with the heart; the word heart is often used to describe the core of something (Mark 11:23; Romans 10:10).

    1. The heart of a person is his or her spirit; the words heart and spirit are sometimes used interchangeably in the Bible.

  2. Humans are tri-part beings; each of us are a spirit, who has a soul, and lives in a physical body (1 Thessalonians 5:23; Romans 2:28-29; 2 Corinthians 4:16; 1 Corinthians 9:27; Luke 16:19-25).

    1. The spirit has a soul attached to it. Both the spirit and soul are intact when we die, even though the physical body becomes lifeless.

      1. The soul consists of the mind, will, and emotions.

      2. The spirit of a man is the hidden part of him, which cannot be seen (1 Peter 3:4; Romans 7:22).

      3. Our bodies are referred to as our earthly houses (2 Corinthians 5:1-8).

    2. Only humans are made in the likeness of God. Animals do not have spirits, and they do not have an eternal destination.

      1. Throughout the Scriptures, it is revealed (in more detail) the manner in which God made us in His image.

      2. For example, His face and hands are often mentioned in the Scriptures (Exodus 33:11-23).

      3. Angels are also spirits, and as God allows, they can be seen. They can also take on the form of human beings (2 Kings 6:17).

  3. Confused about the term born again, the Pharisee Nicodemus asked Jesus, “Can he (a man) enter the second time into his mother’s womb, and be born?” (John 3:4-7)

    1. Jesus explained to him that a person’s spirit can be born again (or made new).

  4. We make contact with God with our spirits, not the human intellect or our five senses.

    1. God is a spirit; therefore those who worship Him must worship Him in spirit and in truth (John 4:24).

      1. We can pray to God in the spirit. When we pray in the spirit, we don’t understand what we are saying (1 Corinthians 14:14-15).

      2. The natural man (or the person without knowledge of spiritual things), will consider spiritual things foolish (1 Corinthians 2:14).

    2. We must trust the Lord with our spirits, not the understanding of our natural minds (Proverbs 3:5-7).

      1. We have peace within when we believe, trust in, and rely solely on God (Hebrews 4:3; Philippians 4:7; Isaiah 26:3).

    3. We walk by faith and not by sight.

      1. We must transform our minds by gaining knowledge of the Word of God; this feeds the inner man (Romans 12:1-7).

      2. We have a free will; therefore, we can make the choice to renew our minds with the Word.

      3. Just as we are responsible for changing our thinking, we are also responsible for bringing our bodies under subjection to God’s Word.

Scripture References:

  • Mark 11:23

  • Romans 10:10

  • 1 Thessalonians 5:23

  • Romans 2:28-29

  • 2 Corinthians 4:16

  • 1 Corinthians 9:27

  • Luke 16:19-25

  • 1 Peter 3:4

  • Romans 7:22

  • 2 Corinthians 5:1-8

  • Exodus 33:11-23

  • 2 Kings 6:17

  • John 3:4-7

  • John 4:24

  • 1 Corinthians 14:14-15

  • 1 Corinthians 2:14

  • Proverbs 3:5-7

  • Hebrews 4:3

  • Philippians 4:7

  • Isaiah 26:3

  • Romans 12:1-7

Pastor Robert Bagonza

Senior Pastor Redeemed Church

www.mrolec.org