The existence of our soul is in the Bible. However, this is uncertainty for many people. Most humans fear death because they think that it is the end of life. However, contrary to their thoughts the existence of our soul is clearly testified about in the Bible and death is not the end of life. For us to confirm the existence of our soul we must first see how it is that God formed mankind.
Genesis 2:7 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.
God took the dust from the ground and formed the human body. Then he took the breath of life and gave us our soul. When these two elements come together a living being is created. In other words, life is the coming together of the body and soul. Then what happens when a man dies?
Ecclesiastes 12:7 and the dust returns to the ground it came from, and the spirit returns to God who gave it.
Death is the separation of the soul from the body. When this occurs, the body returns to the ground it came from. We have witnessed this when a man is buried or cremated. Furthermore, the soul that is testified about in the Bible returns to God who gave it. In summary, death is the separation of the body and soul and not the extinction of the soul.
The Existence of Our Soul After Death
Those who do not believe in the existence of the soul think that our body itself is our soul. However, Jesus teaches us that the life of our soul continues living after the death of our body.
Matthew 10:28 Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather, be afraid of the One who can destroy both soul and body in hell.
Here Jesus explains that man can kill the body but not the soul. This means that the soul can live even though the body ceases to exist. This proves that the soul continues living even though the body exists no longer. We can further confirm this through an example found about the soul in the Bible.
Job 19:25-26 I know that my redeemer lives, and that in the end he will stand on the earth. And after my skin has been destroyed, yet in my flesh I will see God;
The destruction of the skin refers to the death of the body. Job said that after his body is destroyed, he will see God. However, how can Job see God if he is no longer alive? This can only be possible because the soul continues to exist after the body is no longer. It is Job’s soul that saw God in the above verse.
The Life of Our Spirit and the Life of Our Body
Next, let us understand what it means that our soul can exist apart from our bodies.
Hebrews 12:9 Moreover, we have all had human fathers who disciplined us, and we respected them for it. How much more should we submit to the Father of spirits and live!
Just as we have a physical life we also have a spiritual life that we will live in the Kingdom of heaven. Our human fathers referenced in the book of Hebrews refers to our physical fathers that have given us our body. On the other hand, our spiritual Father is God our Father who gives life to our soul. This is teaching us that we have a physical life because we have a physical body. Similarly, we have a spiritual life because we have a spiritual body. The fact that our souls continue to live even though our bodies die indicates that we have a spiritual life for which we must live.
1 Corinthians 15:44 it is sown a natural body, it is raised a spiritual body. If there is a natural body, there is also a spiritual body.
The natural body is the body that we can see and can feel and the spiritual body refers to our soul. Our physical life is temporary and eventually comes to an end. On the other hand, if we receive salvation while we are on this earth our spiritual life will be eternal and our soul will live forever in heaven With God. For this reason, it is very important we understand that our spiritual life is more important and valuable than our physical life.
1 Kings 17:21-22 Then he stretched himself out on the boy three times and cried out to the Lord, “Lord my God, let this boy’s life return to him!” The Lord heard Elijah’s cry, and the boy’s life returned to him, and he lived.
When the boy’s soul left him, he died. this marked the end of his physical life. Afterward, Elisha prayed for him, and God allowed his soul to return. When his soul returned the boy was able to live. Therefore, the essence of our life is our soul. As much of an effort we make to live good physical lives, in the end we all come to die. However, our soul continues to live. This means that every effort that we make for our spiritual life will result in the eternal blessing of salvation. If we receive salvation, we can live in the spiritual body forever enjoying the angelic world that is the kingdom of heaven. Let us see one more point about our soul in the Bible through the book of Revelations.
Revelations 20:11-12 Then I saw a great white throne and him who was seated on it. The earth and the heavens fled from his presence, and there was no place for them. And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and books were opened. Another book was opened, which is the book of life. The dead were judged according to what they had done as recorded in the books.
We are all familiar with judgment day. On that day there will be a separation of people. On one side will be those who lived only for their physical life and on the other side will be those who lived for their spiritual life. As our soul is the essence of life, we want to be those who make every effort for hour spiritual life. In this way, we can be the ones that live happily ever after in the Kingdom of Heaven.