In his book, Intellect: Mind Over Matter, Mortimer Adler emphasized four points. First, intellectual powers and operations of the human mind are immaterial, and the intellect functions with an entirely independent reality. Second, human beings can think about what is totally unperceived by the senses. Third, mind and matter, mental and physical, constitute two distinct realms, the one irreducible to the other. Fourth, an intellectual, rational mind is associated with having a soul that can be immortal, capable of existing apart from the perishable body.

When God created Adam He breathed “the breath of life” into him. (Genesis 2:7) It is this life from God that is identified with the eternal human spirit. It is the soul of Man that is the vehicle through which the mind’s will operates. If a repentant person’s soul wills to obey God, it will allow the human spirit to direct the mind and will of Man as counseled by the indwelling Holy Spirit. As the spirit acts upon the soul of Man, the soul in turn expresses itself through the human brain and body.

In 1 Thessalonians 5:23 it states, “May God himself, the God of peace, sanctify you through and through. May your whole spirit, soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.”

One may ask about the inclusion of scientific content in my books and blogs, “So what?” How will a description of the neurophysiological processes of synaptic transmission contribute to understanding the justification and sanctification of repentant individuals by the power of the Holy Spirit? In answer, dualist interactive mechanisms were created by God, and their understanding promises to give clarity to God’s love and grace offered for our redemption at the great cost of his Son, Jesus Christ. It can lead one to accept the reality that the Holy Spirit communicates in our time through the human spirit with the mind and soul of Man through the brain’s synaptic networks.

Paul taught that spiritual gifts are given to believers for the benefit of the Church. These Spirit-given abilities include wisdom, knowledge, faith, healing, miracles, prophecy, the discernment of spirits, tongues, interpretation of tongues, service, teaching, encouragement, sharing, leadership and showing mercy. (1 Corinthians 12:1-11)

The Apostle Paul admonished believers to walk by the leading of the Holy Spirit, and in so doing manifest the fruits of the Spirit. These include love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. (Galatians 5:22-23) The Source of theses effects is the character of Jesus Christ.

Paul says, “You, however, are controlled not by the sinful nature but by the Spirit, if the Spirit of God lives in you. And if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to Christ. But if Christ is in you, your body is dead because of sin, yet your spirit is alive because of righteousness. And if the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you, he who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his Spirit, who lives in you.” (Romans 8:9-11)

We believe that God - who is perfectly merciful and also very just - sent the Son to assume the nature in which the disobedience had been committed, in order to bear in it the punishment of sin by his most bitter passion and death. So God made known his justice toward his Son, who was charged with our sin, and he poured out his goodness and mercy on us, who are guilty and worthy of damnation, giving to us his Son to die, by a most perfect love, and raising him to life for our justification, in order that by him we might have immortality and eternal life. (Article 20, Belgic Confession)

Restitution of an intimate, direct, personal communion between the Holy Spirit and the human spirit and repentant soul of Man has been made available through the living Jesus Christ. Mankind is redeemed. Sin is forgiven. The penalty has been paid.

When the purpose of the Father for Jesus’ death had been accomplished, giving death to sin, the [human] spirit of Jesus was reunited with the Holy Spirit. So his spirit became again fully at one with the Holy Spirit in eternal triune communion with God the Father.