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TOWARDS
A BIBLICAL UNDERSTANDING OF SELF
What
follows is a viewpoint and model about the make-up of
a person. The understanding comes from scriptures and
will differ greatly from humanistic psychology and
thought. You will not find in these writings the
conclusions of individuals who deny or do not
understand the power and wisdom of the Holy Bible. You
will find an opinion based on God's word and the
divine revelation it teaches.
In His wisdom, our Lord made some things abundantly
clear. The following verses give little leeway about
their message if you believe Scriptures are holy and
God influenced. For instance, these verses about Jesus
are unambiguous;
"No
one comes to the Father but by Me" John 14:6
"There is no other name under heaven given
among men whereby we must be saved." Acts 4:12
"At the name of Jesus, every knee shall bow, ..
and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord
to the glory of God the Father." Philippians
2:10-11
I realize
everyone doesn't believe the truth contained in Holy
Scriptures. It is clear however, what meaning these
verses have for the faithful believer.
The Bible however is not always so specific about some
truths, leaving the door open for dialogue and
discussion, a sharing of ideas and concepts. This is
the case I believe with how God has put us together.
If you have different thoughts or conclusions, the
Body of Christ will benefit from your input, but it
doesn't help to say, "What you wrote or say isn't
true", without giving your own opinion.
My conclusions follow with examples and a
model/paradigm that helps to understand how a
believing person differs from an unbelieving person
and how believing people can not be on the same wave
length even though they love and trust the same God.
Here we go.
SPIRIT
- SOUL - BODY
The model
on the following page is one of a whole person. We
consist of spirit, soul, and body, three separate
identities within one person. The body is the easiest
of the three identities to understand, possessing the
five senses of sight, sound, smell, touch and taste.
We also display the characteristic of a sixth sense,
called intuition or insight, but for now we want to
concentrate on the big 5. The Bible teaches that the
body is a marvelous work of God.
Everyone has a soul, that part of us that shows
intelligence, recognizes others, has personality,
displays will and determination, and has desires that
are sometimes hard to control, is humorous, etc.
A medical doctor once told a Priest that he had
operated on a lot of people, cutting into the body in
various places and had never seen a "soul".
"I didn't know what to say to him", said my
friend.
"How would you have responded"? he asked me.
I would have asked the doctor if he had ever had a
thought. Is a thought real, I would have asked?
"Of course they are real", he would have
replied.
Well, I would have concluded, the soul is like a
thought. We know thoughts are real but we can't see
them. The soul is just as real as any thought but no
one has seen a soul".
The Bible teaches that Adam was created a living soul
and that there were eight souls on the ark. There are
many other references, but you get the idea. You have
a soul, I have a soul, and all of God's human
creations have a soul.
The spirit in humankind is more controversial. The
model that follows gives a few Bible references and a
general description of the human spirit. Through and
by our spirit, we are aware of God, His presence, His
word, His actions in history, and His plans for the
end of time. The spirit in us is born when we believe
the Gospel of Christ. Without this personal
experience, the spirit remains dormant and
inaccessible to us. When our spirit is given life, we
desire God, his word, we love to talk about Him and
hear His stories. An entirely different world of
reality is available to the believer than that which
is available to the unbelieving person. This spiritual
world is unique, the Holy Spirit is the Spokesperson,
and the Word of God is its Constitution. This
spiritual world has nothing to do with witchcraft,
naval gazing, voodoo, astrology, or a whole host of
gimmicks advertised on TV, the internet, and in some
local shops in your home town.
You will be invited to study yourself based on this
model. If you aren't interested or don't have time to
examine yourself, the loss is yours. What a pity to
ignore a unique creation of God, unlike any other in
the world. No one has had the same emotions,
sensations, or reactions to personal experiences that
you have had. You owe it to yourself and to those
around you to take the journey.
MKC
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