What is the human spirit?

The Human Spirit as the Incorporeal Part of Man

What is the human spirit? We're going to answer that question. You can also discover more on GotQuestions .org. The human spirit is the incorporeal part of man. The Bible says that the human spirit is the very breath of Almighty God and was breathed into man at the beginning of God's creation.

Then the Lord God formed a man from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living being. It is the human spirit that gives us a consciousness of self and other remarkable, though limited, God-like qualities.

The human spirit includes our intellect, emotions, fears, passions, and creativity. It is this spirit that provides us the unique ability to comprehend and understand. The words spirit and breath translated from Hebrew and Greek mean strong wind, blast, or inspiration.

Life, Death, and the Image of God

This is the source of life that vitalizes humanity. It is the intangible, unseen human spirit that governs man's mental and emotional existence. The Apostle Paul said, Who among men knows the thoughts of a man except the man's spirit within him?

Upon death, the spirit returns back to God, who gave it. Every human being has a spirit, and it is distinct from the spirit or life of animals. God made man differently from the animals in that he created us in the image of God.

Therefore, man is able to think, feel, love, design, create, enjoy music, humor, and art. It is because of the human spirit that we have a free will that no other creature on earth has. The human spirit was damaged in the fall.

Spiritual Death, Salvation, and the Holy Spirit

When Adam sinned, his ability to fellowship with God was broken. He did not die physically that day, but he died spiritually. Ever since, the human spirit has borne the effects of the fall. Before salvation, a person is characterized as spiritually dead.

A relationship with Christ revitalizes our spirits and renews us day by day. Interestingly, just as the human spirit was divinely breathed into the first man, so the Holy Spirit was breathed into the first disciples.

And with that, Jesus breathed on them and said, Receive the Holy Spirit. Adam was made alive by the breath of God, and we, as new creations in Christ, are made spiritually alive by the breath of God, the Holy Spirit.

Upon our acceptance of Jesus Christ, the Holy Spirit of God joins with our own spirit in ways we cannot comprehend. The Apostle John said, This is how we know that we live in Him and He in us. He has given us of His Spirit.

When we allow the Spirit of God to lead our lives, the Spirit Himself testifies with our spirit that we are God's children. As children of God, we are no longer led by our own spirit, but by God's Spirit, who leads us to eternal life.

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