Where does the will sit in a person?
“Now may the God of peace Himself sanctify you completely; and may your whole spirit, soul, and body be preserved blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.”
1 Thessalonians 5:23 NKJV
Spirit / soul / body.
The body is the flesh. Easily understood. The body has appetites and needs.
The soul is often defined as the mind, will, and emotions.
But I’ve begun to think that the soul is actually the mind / brain and emotions but our will …our ‘chooser’ …is actually sitting within our spirit.
We can choose to override our mind. To govern its thoughts by our will.
…casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ,”
2 Corinthians 10:5 NKJV
How are our wills and minds ‘renewed’ once we become ‘born again’?
Simply … by the indwelling Presence of the Holy Spirit. He guides and instructs us. It’s learning to distinguish His Voice within our mind and spirit. The Holy Spirit introduces ‘new programming’ within us. But if we don’t nurture that relationship our will becomes adrift in indecision which often leads to allowing the brain to float in all sorts of directions which allows the flesh to take over with all of its vices and appetites. So then a person becomes driven by their most primal appetites. This is part of the road leading to addiction.
To say that our will is part of the mind … makes all our decisions an academic one, a science rather than including the spirit of a person. The spirit then becomes undefinable in any fashion and just plain mystery.
To say and believe that the will resides within the spirit of a person … means our real decisions are part of the very core of ourselves. Free will … and the ability to choose is a massive freedom and great responsibility. It comes from God which makes real love possible.
To set our ‘will’ to do something is greater than setting our ‘mind’ at something. Our will CHOOSES to do something. Our brain tries to figure everything out… to think it through. Yet we still have to choose … and make a decision. This I believe is our will …and part of our spirit.
So why is this important?
Is the mind the pinnacle of a person or is the spirit? How do you define the spirit of an individual? What exactly is it?
How do we then make the ‘right’ decisions? If the mind is the pinnacle… then it’s all a matter of reason. But if it’s the spirit… then it’s being led / hearing the Holy Spirit which gives us the proper decision and ‘path’ to walk.
Most of industrial institutional Church systems are built on reason and academia. So going to seminary makes one a ‘spiritual leader’, because you’ve jumped through all the academic learning hoops. Instead of the Holy Spirit teaching and empowering, and confirming the individual as … ready to help equip the Body of Christ.
We’ve basically said by adopting this method of only academic learning that the mind is the pinnacle of a person … rather than the spirit.
Basically … now if we come to understand that the spirit is the pinnacle of a person then we need a new way of designating spiritual leaders. Because it’s not just an academic exercise. A seminary degree does not automatically make a person a spiritual leader OR ready to equip the Body of Christ.
An only academic method leads to usurping and pushing aside the work of the Holy Spirit in a person.
So how does one measure then if one is ready to be a spiritual leader?
“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law. And those who are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit. Let us not become conceited, provoking one another, envying one another.”
Galatians 5:22-26 NKJV
Here is my opinion the ‘guide’ of measurement.
Are they displaying the fruit of the Holy Spirit? In their family life? In their work life? In their spiritual life? Is there evidence that they are not ruled by their fleshly appetites? Have they showed a good discipline within their lives? Is there evidence that their will is strong enough to overcome temptation, success, and adoration? Have they shown an ability to hear the Holy Spirit for themselves? And shown evidence in their lives to walk out in obedience to His leading and Rhema instructions?
It’s certainly more important that the person’s character is mature than their intellect, or their ‘spiritual’ gifting. Character is 24/7. A spiritual gift by the Holy Spirit is a ‘moment’ of obedience to Him.