If you discount the existence of the spirit realm, you need to discount God altogether. Atheists do that to their own peril. Man was created by God in His image and made him to be body, soul and spirit. The body and soul were made to relate to the material world but the soul and spirit were made to relate to the spiritual.
Consider this verse in 1 Corinthians 2:14 –
“But the natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him, nor can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.“
The “natural” man spoken of here is someone who lacks the interest to seek the truth about himself and his existence. In contrast, the spiritual man wonders about his existence, seeks to know his true origin, asks about his purpose in life and pursues the answers to his many questions about himself, his environment, the afterlife and the whys and hows of life. Jeremiah in Jeremiah 29:13 said “Thus says the Lord”…“And you will seek Me and find Me when you search for me with all your heart.” God wants to be found by you. He wants a relationship with you and to find Him you need to be in the spirit.
The Kind of Worshippers God is looking for
As a young boy, we usually prayed the rosary before bed with my mother. She will lead and we will respond. As obedient children we memorized the response in order not to offend mother. But, once we were too tired from playing and can hardly keep awake. In the middle of the rosary, my brother will doze-off and I will poke his side and he will quickly blurt out our response. But since there was a log for a bit, the sequence is no longer correct and we will all laugh. When I think about this story and consider John 4:23, I understand what the verse is really talking about.
“But the hour is coming and now is, when the true worshippers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for the Father is seeking such to worship Him”
Yes, we understand traditions and ceremonies and we did practice them. But, this verse tells us that is not what the Father is looking for-traditions, repetitive prayer and chanting. He seeks worshippers in spirit and truth. God sees the heart and He understands the spirit. So, why would He not create the spirit realm. It is the realm He operates. Indeed, the fullness of God’s plan for man cannot be completed if man does not have a spirit and if there is no spirit realm.
By faith not Sight
The way that God designed us to relate to Him is by faith, not by sight. When you do not recognize and accept that there is a spiritual realm, you will not sense God or experience Him. You therefore cannot have a personal relationship with Him, an aspect of faith which is vital for salvation.
It is no wonder the bible says:
“Without faith it is impossible to please God.” (Hebrews 11:6)
Faith is believing without seeing with our eyes. So, if you do not believe there is a spiritual realm, you cannot connect to the God who is spirit. We are commanded to ask, seek and knock. These are all referring to acts done in the spirit. So, without the spirit in you, there can’t be any spiritual progress of any kind.
In Galatians 5:16, Paul wrote to the Galatians:
“I say then: Walk in the Spirit and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh.”
Without the spirit in you, you can’t do this either. You will not know how or understand how. Our blog on Faith will expound on this topic with greater detail. We will see you there.
In the meantime. We conclude – Man is created by God in His image and He created his body, soul, and spirit. God also created the spirit realm and it is integral and foundational to our existence and spiritual well-being.
