All three rely on direct sensing, independent of any outside influence. They represent a kind of knowledge which comes to us without any help from the mind, emotions, or will. We really know through intuition; the mind helps us to understand what we know. All the movements of the Holy Spirit on our human spirit are known through conscience, intuition, and communion.
The soul -- that is, the mind, the will, and the emotions -- is incompetent to worship God, according to Jesus' words in John 4: Those who worship God worship in spirit and in truth. This does not mean what we are "taught" to worship according to doctrine -- in fact, Jesus addresses that question when He tells the woman, "You Samaritans worship what you do not know; we worship what we know, for salvation is from the Jews. Yet a time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks. God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in spirit and in truth."
"I know that when the Messiah comes," said the woman, "He will explain everything to us." In other words, with the Messiah's explanation, she will begin to understand (with her mind) that which she worships with her spirit. In fact, one of the functions of the spirit is to enlighten the mind through communion with the Divine Presence, Who teaches us and explains reality to us.
We will never reach communion by thinking, by reasoning, by philosophy. God is not apprehended by our thoughts, or by our feelings, or by our intentions. He can be known directly only in our spirits. Communion with God takes place in the inner man, and not in the soul, or outer man. It is in the spirit that the Holy Spirit regenerates us, teaches us, and leads us into peace.
I have written before about my own efforts to find peace in the midst of chaos by transcendental meditation, Unitarianism, and yoga -- thinking "positive thoughts," closing my eyes and humming, or whatever. None of these things really worked beyond the moment I was actually engaged in the practice. Then a wise nun said to me, "Gayle, you cannot give yourself peace." Her words struck home; for the first time, I realized that peace is not within reach of human nature--- it is a gift from the Holy Spirit. For the first time, I looked "up" instead of "within" myself -- and the Holy Spirit was swift to descend in answer to my prayer. ( No wonder He is portrayed as a dove.)
If we remain in bondage to the soul -- the mind, the will, the emotions -- we will never experience the life of the Spirit/spirit.. That is why Jesus said, "Unless you are born again of water and the Spirit, you cannot see the kingdom of heaven." Before re-birth, we are so sunken and surrounded by Soul that we cannot tell whether our spirit is alive and well or not. The spirit feels dead to God and to the things of God. We are controlled daily by what is in our heads, in our emotions, and in our decisions -- self-consciousness, in other words.
Our personalities will be influenced either by the Spirit of God or by the world around us, as it shapes and molds our opinions. One of my favorite Psalms is 32:
I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go;
I will counsel you and watch over you.
Do not be like the horse or the mule,
which have no understanding
but must be controlled by bit and bridle
or they will not come to you.
Many are the woes of the wicked,
but the Lord's unfailing love
surrounds the man who trusts in him.
Rejoice in the Lord and be glad, you righteous;
sing, all you who are upright in heart!
Here we see that one who listens, or communes with, God receives both understanding to the mind and joy to the heart. As Mary said, "My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit has rejoiced in God my Savior." Once the spirit connects with God, the soul is also enlightened and lifted. Strength pours out of the spirit into the soul, and from there into the body also.
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