The Difference Between The Intellectual Realm & The Spirit Realm

Posted by Rev. Mark Slay

In Matthew the 15th chapter starting with the 7th verse Jesus begins to address the Pharisees. Keep in mind the Pharisees are not dead; they're still alive and you don't want to be one. What made a Pharisee a Pharisee was their frame of mind, they're way being, their way of thinking, existing, and functioning.

Matthew 15:7-9 - You hypocrites, rightly did Isaiah prophesy of you: 8 'This people honors Me with their lips, but their heart is far away from Me.'

This verse means, that if you listen you their words, if you listen to what they say, it sounds like they really love God, but they don't. They're heart is far from Him. He just distinguished your lips and what your lips can say from another part of you called your heart. We can see that evidently He's not listening to what you say, He's looking at your heart.

I Thessalonians 5:23 - Now may the God of peace Himself sanctify you entirely; and may your spirit and soul and body be preserved complete, without blame at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.

This verse just got done telling you what you're made of and all three parts are different. You're body is pretty easy to identify but the other two are not that easy because they are both in the invisible realm. In the same way, the intellectual realm is not the spirit realm and most people confuse them because they are both invisible and they both have thoughts; however, they are distinctly different.

Hebrews 4:12 - For the word of God is living and active and sharper than any two-edged sword, and piercing as far as the division of soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow, and able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart.

I want to direct your attention to the last part of this verse it says, "able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart." You mean to tell me that the heart has thoughts and intentions? Yes, that's what I'm trying to tell you. You have thoughts that come out of your head, but you also have another set of thoughts that come from your heart and the Spirit of God can help you discern the difference.

When God is going to deal with you, He's not going to deal with your head, He's going to deal with your spirit. If you are going to be successfully led by the Spirit of God, you must know the difference.