By Jim Mettenbrink
In our search to determine the traits of you, i.e., the invisible spirit that is you, we concluded last week, that our spirit makes decisions – one’s rational process. Since we can not see it nor, is it tangible, we are not even aware we have a spirit. However the Bible alone informs us that we have a spirit, actually that the “you” are a spirit in a body of flesh and that it is eternal. Upon conception, you are that God-given eternal spirit. In calling Jeremiah to be a prophet, God declared to him, “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you; before you were born I sanctified you; I ordained you a prophet to the nations” (Jer 1:5; cf Isaiah 44:2, 24). God created you as a spirit. What are the traits of your spirit?
When the fledgling nation of Israel, essentially several million people, wandering in the desert with no imperial army conquered several nations east of the Jordan River and were about to enter Canaan, the record states, the Canaanites “heart melted; and there was no spirit in them any longer” (Joshua 1:5). Note the spirit is used to describe their despair. Despair begins in a person’s spirit. Hannah being unable to conceive, declared, “I am a woman of sorrowful spirit” (1 Samuel 1:15), her emotional state came from her spirit. Suffering the loss of his family, wealth and health, Job bemoaned, “I will speak in the anguish of my spirit” (Job 7:11). And expressed his hopelessness –“My spirit is broken” (17:1). Israel’s King David also expressed this in a Psalm “Therefore my spirit is overwhelmed within me” (Ps 143:4). King Solomon wrote, “Do not hasten in your spirit to be angry” (Ecclesiastes 7:9). From these examples, we conclude that our emotions arise in the spirit. Many of us have the sorrow of spirit over the state of evil in the nation. Worse, many like ancient Israel, do not see the evil – “…those who call evil good, and good evil” (Isaiah 5:20). Nor do they want to hear it, “…“Do not prophesy to us right things; speak to us smooth things, prophesy deceits” (Is 30:10).
David also revealed in his Psalms the sense of right and wrong (morality and ethics) are seated in one’s spirit. Expressing sorrow about sin, he wrote that God, “saves such as have a contrite spirit” (Ps 34:18; 51:7). And that a person makes a choice of righteousness vs sin – “And in whose spirit there is no deceit” (Ps 32:2). God declared, “Woe to the foolish prophets, who follow their own spirit and have seen nothing!” (Ezekiel 13:3). “O Lord, by these things men live; and in all these things is the life of my spirit….” (Is 38:16). So to restore the biblical heritage, the foundation of our country begins with you, yea each of us. Each must have the commitment to righteousness in depths of his spirit. Necessarily that means turning to God, yea submitting to His will. Have you? If not will you?