Answers

Q:

What is your definition of the soul? And how do we know we even have one? In my view, we aren't any different from other animals, except for having some abilities they don't have.


A:

Our soul is that part of us which can know God and have communion with Him. It isn’t tangible; that is, you can’t see it or detect it in a laboratory. But that doesn’t mean it isn’t real. You can’t put beauty or love in a test tube but we all know they exist — and the same is true of the soul.

Where did our souls come from? They came from God, who gave us our souls so we could know Him and have fellowship with Him. An animal doesn’t think about God or wonder if it can know Him — but we do, because God put something of Himself in us. And because our souls came from God, they will not die, but will live forever — either with God in heaven, or without Him in that place of absolute despair the Bible calls hell.

With our souls, we worship God and love Him, and with our souls we not only know He exists, but also that He loves us because of Christ. And He wants us to know Him and love Him, and has made it possible through Jesus Christ. We are separated from God because of our sin, but through His death on the cross Jesus Christ made it possible for us to be reconciled to God.

Don’t ignore your soul, but put your life into Christ’s hands and begin to follow Him. Jesus said, “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength” (Mark 12:30).