“For you will not leave my soul among the dead or allow your Holy One to rot in the grave.”
Evidence of God’s creation (Psalm 19:1; Romans 1:18-20), the events and miracles recorded in the Bible (John 5:33-40), scientific evidence of design, and the reality of logic all point to the existence of a spiritual realm—and human beings have a part in that world too in the form of souls.
George MacDonald, a Scottish author and poet, once said, "You don’t have a soul. You are a Soul. You have a body." I love this! Being a person is based on being a soul—not having a body. Our personhood is not dependent upon a body, but we do need a soul.
Throughout the Bible, humans are continually referred to as "souls" (Exodus 31:14; Proverbs 11:30; Psalm 16:9-10; Ezekiel 18:4; Acts 2:41; Revelation 18:13 ESV). While the Bible isn't super clear as to the creation of the human soul, we can learn a lot from the way God's Word talks about them.
Your Soul is Immortal
“For then the dust will return to the earth, and the spirit will return to God who gave it.”
We know that the soul is distinct from the physical body. The soul is our "spiritual" self or the non-physical part of us that lives forever. At the moment of death, the soul leaves the body and moves to an eternal space. In Genesis 35:18, Rachel’s soul is said to be “departing” from her dying physical body, yet her soul continues to exist.
Your Soul's Final Destination
“Truly, I say to you, today you will be with me in paradise.”
Those who place faith and trust in Jesus Christ will live forever in paradise with God (Luke 23:43; John 3:16; 1 Corinthians 2:9). Those who reject Christ will live forever in eternal punishment for their sins (Matthew 25:46; Matthew 10:28; Romans 6:23).
God wants all human souls to receive salvation through the sacrifice of Jesus Christ, who is the atonement for our sins (2 Peter 3:9; Leviticus 17:11). We can only do that by accepting His free gift of salvation and forgiveness (John 3:16; Acts 2:37-41).
The Truth About Souls
“Once you were like sheep who wandered away. But now you have turned to your Shepherd, the Guardian of your souls.”
The human soul is created by God (Jeremiah 38:16).
The human soul is separate from the human spirit (Hebrews 4:12).
The human soul is separate from the heart (Deuteronomy 26:16).
The human soul is separate from the mind (Mark 12:30).
The human soul can be strong or weak (2 Peter 2:14).
The human soul is either saved or not (James 1:21).
Saved human souls are purified, sealed, and kept safe by the power of the Holy Spirit (1 Peter 1:22).
Jesus is the Great Shepherd of our souls (1 Peter 2:25), takes care of us completely (Matthew 6:25-34), and gives rest to our weary souls (Matthew 11:29).
Jesus also has a soul (Psalm 16:9-10; Acts 13:35-37). Because Jesus' soul was in a body at one time, He knows the pain our souls can feel (Hebrews 4:15-16). He wants us to come to Him and find relief from the struggles of life (1 John 2:1).
Soul vs. Spirit
“For the word of God is alive and powerful. It is sharper than the sharpest two-edged sword, cutting between soul and spirit, between joint and marrow. It exposes our innermost thoughts and desires.”
The human soul should not be confused with the human spirit. The Bible uses the terms "soul" and "spirit" interchangeably sometimes, but they are subtly different in different contexts. There's a clear distinction between soul and spirit in Hebrews 4:12. That means that humans are souls with a spirit and a body.
While there's no direct "scientific" evidence of a soul, that doesn't mean that souls don't exist. Just because there's no direct "visual" evidence of magnetic fields, that doesn't mean magnetic fields don't exist. There are many aspects of who we are—things like emotion, love, beauty, art, morality, personality, etc.—which cannot be explained by physical evidence.
Evidence for God's existence and the existence of a spiritual realm suggest that human beings are more than "just" moving bodies of flesh and bone.