Essence of Christianity : Soul and Spirit

James 1:21.
"So get rid of all uncleanness and the rampant outgrowth of wickedness, and in a humble (gentle, modest) spirit receive and welcome the Word which implanted and rooted [in your hearts] contains the power to save your souls." (Amplified)

In Matthew 7 Jesus said: “Judge not, that you be not judged. For with what judgment you judge, you will be judged; and with the measure you use, it will be measured back to you”

Jesus was talking about human soulish judgement. We are never supposed to judge in this way, but from the spirit.

Paul says in 1 Cor 2:15 “But he who is spiritual judges all things, yet he himself is rightly judged by no one. For “who has known the mind of the Lord that he may instruct Him?” But we have the mind of Christ. (NKJV)

Paul was talking here about Spirit filled believers who walk in the spirit and are lead by their spirits, joined with the Spirit of God, not by their souls.

Galatians 5:16 Paul says “Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh” and also in verse 24 “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”.

Romans 8:1,2
“There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh but according to the Spirit. For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has made me free from the law of sin and death”

For more about the soul and the spirit of man, refer to:
-Series from Shamah-elim (Recommended!!!)
-As well as “Healing the Broken Spirit” from John and Paula Sandford
-And teachings from Aurthur Burke from Plumline ministries

How deep the scars of sin are engraved in all of us!!! God wants to fix the cracks in the foundations. All the sin that brings forth death.

Healing means not only forgiveness through the blood of Christ, not only death on the cross to practice built in childhood in the hidden inner nature, not only resurrection to new life. It also means simple comfort and balm which repairs and restores. Is 53:4-6, 1:5,6.... From teachings - John and Paula Sandford,
See also section on the Dividing Axe
A life lead by the spirit or the soul

Refer : Table below, scroll down...

	Spirit living, lead by the Holy Spirit	Soulish living
Fruit fed from	Tree of Life	Tree of knowledge of good and evil
Righteousness	Live from the righteousness and in the righteousness of Christ	Self-righteous
Productivity	Measured in relation to spiritual calling	Measured in relation to material things and worldly standards and norms
Bones (spiritual calling and destiny)	Gets strengthened	Eventually gets burned (1 Kings 13)
Judgment	Done from the Spirit	Done from the Soul
Love	Agape, Holy love	Eros, soul bonding love
Focus	Christ	Self
Worship	In Spirit and Truth	Based on mental constructs of God. Worshipping golden calf/historical Jesus (The cross minus)
Goal	To glorify God in everything	To try and be a good or godly person (Perception of what is godly is based on religious understanding)
Joy	Bubbling from the spirit	Dependent upon what is fed to the soul
Drinking	From the Holy Spirit, from the Throne room	From what is fed by people and circumstances
Decisions made by	The prompting of the Holy Spirit predominantly	Based on what is seen, heard and observed by the senses predominantly
Upset by	Unrighteousness of any kind. Hate sin. Fiery love for God.	People judging unrighteousness and disturbing the unity and peace. Also by people acting out of the boxes they have been placed in. Also when God moves out of the box He was placed in. Things that unfamiliar are generally offensive for example feathers falling from heaven in a church.
Control	Allow the Holy Spirit to be in control, even when we do not understand to trust in Him.	Want to control everything and everyone. Finds safety in predictability and manageability. Trust in own understanding and knowledge
Law	Live by the law of life in Christ Jesus (Romans 8:2)	Live by the Law of sin and death (Romans 8:2)
Love works	Is a natural outflow from the fruit of love	Is something to be strived towards
Live by	Inspiration	Perspiration
Standard used to judge others	Judge not anything, except in the Spirit when it is in love for the person himself or those who he or she is influencing due to deceptions being introduced (which could hurt them) or unrighteousness (which hurts God). Sometimes respond with an holy anger of God. The zeal for God, the love for Him, causes a hate for sin and unrighteousness like a consuming fire.	The standard we feel we are put under we put on others also, whether we can meet it ourselves or not.
Sin	Hate sin passionately. Deeply disturbed by people hurting or dishonoring God.	Mostly passive about sin in others except if it results in some personal threat or loss, which then causes offense and fear to judge.
How we see others	With the eyes of Jesus. Not looking for faults. Carrying truth with mercy around the neck (Proverbs 3)	Sin conscious. Irritated or upset by what is perceived as shortcomings in others, especially those claiming to live intimately with God or are spiritual.
Supernatural manifestations	Discern with the leading of the Holy Spirit prophetically what is from the Holy Spirit and what not. Is not contrary to Gods word	Usually see all such as demonic or fake or alternatively embraces all as from God and looking for thrilling experiences that could be soothing to the soul.
Longing from God	For even deeper revelation about who He is. To know Him more intimately.	For soulish experiences with God. To be blessed. Or to have a successful ministry, work, family life etc.
Boasting	In Christ alone	In subtle way to boast in self when rules are being kept, especially if it is being done better than peers, or when supernatural experiences are enjoyed. A sense of spiritual accomplishment is nurtured.
Knowledge	Is used to help in developing understanding and growing in Wisdom, but in itself it is not enough.	Puffs up
Need approval of	The Spirit of God	People and church systems
Submission	Submitted to the Holy Spirit firstly	Submitted to soulish structures, people, systems, hierarchies etc.
Self-improvement programs	Appalled by it. Feel like a weight being put around the spirit.	Delighted by it, drawn to it, gives a sense of control.
Soulish conversations	Frustrated and feel contaminated by it	Delights and participate kindly
Sees love	As an outflow of a life of intimacy and love for God firstly. Receiving His love and giving it then away. Sometimes love hurts, because it cares more about the long term calling and destiny of a person than about it soulish comfort and delight. Is often considered rude when it loves the most and the deepest.	As accommodating all people, not stirring, making room for all people, never upsetting anybody or giving offense in any way, suppressing one’s own feelings for the sake of keeping the peace is often considered the ultimate of love.
Unity/ Oneness	Oneness with the Father and Jesus in the Holy Spirit, results in oneness with others who are also one with the Father and Jesus in the Holy Spirit. It is not a work of man, but a work of God.	Unity is aspired to with soulish efforts.
Resting in God	Means living from a place of intimacy with Him, resting in His life within us, laboring from the place of that rest, doing only what the Father shows.	Means to them to be relaxed and not to get worked up or disturbed about anything.
Covenant	Live in New Covenant	Live in Old Covenant even when not realizing it
Measure my life against	The Word of God, as the Spirit leads, with inspiration and grace, not condemnation and burdens.	Other people
Yoke	Soft	Hard
Burden	Light	Heavy
Marriage	In tune with the Holy Spirit, in tune with one another. Divine Oneness.	Look for recipes to apply and rules to follow to work at my marriage and make my partner more happy
Authority	Living under the authority of the Holy Spirit	Places people on pedestals. Love to teach others how they need to respect others and honor people according to their positions. Always feel one needs human covering and condemn those who don’t.
Tithing	Free to follow the Holy Spirit in finances as He leads.	Teaches rules about tithing. Condemns those who don’t give “appropriately” within the system or alternatively offended by any mention about money or giving.
Church	Focus on the Holy Spirit as teacher. Open towards people He wants to use in the process of teaching us.	Need other people (almost like mediators) to hear for me what God has on His heart and how He wants to teach me.
Membership	To the body of Christ	To a religious organization
Sheep	The Sheep of Jesus Christ	The Sheep of Pastor or Reverent so and so.
Titles	Are not affected by human titles but look from a spiritual perspective	Influenced by human titles and positions.
Doctrines	Welcome sound doctrine in order to promote a sound mind through which the Spirit of God can move and bring about the mind of Christ to be revealed.	Look for doctrine to help us understand the rules
Judging mainly based on	Lie or Truth	Good or evil (based on our knowledge of good and evil) * see tree of knowledge of good and evil
Stability	Stable in the spirit. But due to upset about sin and unrighteousness could be judged by soulish people as unstable at times.	Tossed by different teachings and streams or tossed by emotions or tossed by different intellectual convictions
Pattern or code of conduct (music etc.)	Judge not by natural eyes.	Limiting the Spirit to what is perceived to be orderly or acceptable by preconceived ideas. Style for example will be a consideration. Easily offended. Anything out of the “norm” for example clothing or overweight are immediately condemned.