The Soul

As you read a book, listen to a speech, or watch a movie, you may not give much thought to your ability to follow the train of thought, and you may not give much thought to how your mind works within the brain to accomplish this amazing process. The ability to read text or listen to words, and to be able to follow along and understand them is a function of your conscious awareness. We are aware of our being, in this reality that is life, and our interaction is controlled and processed by our consciousness awareness. This article is a collection of words, organized in sentences and paragraphs. The words on each page enter your consciousness, or mind, through physical components, which is our body. These components are the interface with our world filled with information. In fact, this world in which we live may be able to be described by a mathematical formula. We are connected to our world by sensory receptors, including ears and eyes, which are connected by nerves to memory cells in the brain. This information is then processed in these cells and then “planted” into our memory, as a seed is planted in soil.
There are three types of memory; sensory, short-term, and long-term. Short-term memory is used to “follow” a sequence of information, such as words in a story, or information in a textbook or lecture, giving our minds the ability to sequence visual images and information, such as a movie, play, or sporting event. Short term memory allows us to follow a train of thought or plot in a play. Long-term memory is where we purposely put those things that we need for continued processing of information, and its future use. The education process is designed to use the short-term memory, in conjunction with long-term memory, to produce the desired outcome of retaining the knowledge acquired. Knowledge, applied with understanding, determines how we interact with and view the world every day of our life.
The soul, also known as the spirit, is the consciousness awareness in each person, and is the quantity and quality of information acquired throughout the course of life. The “body of flesh” was designed specifically to support the consciousness awareness and afford humanity the ability to interact with and function in this world. Humankind were created for the noble purpose of maintaining God’s creation here on earth, they were given the command to be the husbandmen of earth.

God said, ‘Let us’ make man in our own image, in the likeness of ourselves, and let them be masters of the fish of the sea, the birds of heaven, the cattle, all the wild beasts and all the reptiles that crawl upon the earth’. Genesis 1:26 (JB)

God fashioned from the dust of the soil a “body”. This body was specifically designed to support the consciousness, and conscious activity of each being. The physiological processes that are supported and maintained by the flesh, function to sustain the “life” of each human being. The “breath of life” is the gift that God gave to humankind that causes the ‘body-soul’ connection to exist. This “breath of life” is not an independent consciousness, or each person would have the “mind or consciousness” of God. “Life” began when God started the physiological process in the body of flesh, and humanity became consciously aware of their being. The body of flesh and the consciousness awareness, which is the soul/spirit, are NOT two separate, distinct, and unique entities. When God breathed the “breath of life” into humanity He did not place a preexisting consciousness (or “conscious spirit”) within an independently self-aware body. The body does not have a consciousness that is separate from the mind, or an inherent propensity to action that is separate from that of the soul/spirit; nor does it have a consciousness of being that is separate from the physiological processes of the physical brain cells. The body is the interface for the consciousness to function in the physical world, therefore the consciousness must learn through education and experience. The information accumulated through the learning process builds the knowledge base required to perform a chosen task or vocation.
Everything and every being made of the ground or the sea of this planet, has a body of flesh. Created beings NOT from this earth do not have a body composed of the dust. The beings created in the heavens have a body of light/energy. Light has two physical measurable properties, and exist both as a wave and as a particle; these two properties are only exhibited when measured. Spiritual beings are immortal, because that they do not have a body of flesh and blood which “wears out”. A flesh and blood body eventually wears out. When the cells are no longer capable of supporting the physiological processes that maintain the consciousness awareness and the vital physiological processes needed to maintain life, death occurs because these processes can no longer function in the cells of the body. God preserves the consciousness of the person in a state of “sleep”, or hibernation. At the end of time, when the resurrection takes place, all consciousness awareness of those who are deemed righteous in deed will be “awakened” from their sleep and given a “new body”, one which will support the life processes and consciousness awareness of each unique individual. This will be realized when the King of the kingdom of God returns to call those who have “fallen asleep” in death.
Stop for a moment and take notice of your thoughts. Note how your mind is responding to the information presented here. The conscious and/or sub-conscious response to information is conditioned by our biases or paradigms. Bias is defined as a predetermined conclusion that is the result of incomplete, misinterpreted, skewed, or false information. A strong bias will always prevent any information (whether true or false, it matters not) from ever becoming a part of functional memory or thought. Functional memory is used to determine how we view, interact with, and understand our reality.
Any being, or group of beings, that control the information for any reality, controls everything and everyone in that reality. The most difficult action for anyone to take is to clean their mind of all preconceptions; no one will ever learn the truth unless they take this action. If your knowledge is based on truth it will be verified by the testimony of truth. Nothing will be lost or put at risk by acting in self honesty. Truth allows for scrutiny and testing, because truth can afford to be fair. Truth can lose no argument, can never be exposed as error, and is never proven wrong. The one thing truth can never do is overcome the strong bias of the obstinate. The Truth has no power to disprove what someone has already chosen to believe.
There are two realities in this world, and as odd as it may sound one has always been real, and the other has not. Yet since it’s introduction into this world, this ‘unreal’ reality that is based on ‘false truth’ has continued to operate as the widely accepted and most reasoned system of understanding. The actuality of truth is real and is represented as light. The reality of that which is not truth is only virtual reality, and this reality is represented as darkness. Light and darkness cannot (and will never) find common ground in a place where both realities exist together in a state of equilibrium or balance, a twilight zone. A “consciousness awareness” operating system determines the reality that it experiences. If the functions of this operating system are are based in lies it can only operate in the darkness. The greatest deception of our human experience is to believe that our reality is truth and light when in fact it is lies and darkness. Therefore, it is possible for an individual to firmly determined in their own mind that light is darkness and darkness is light when they choose (either consciously or unconsciously) to exist in the reality based in darkness. A lie only works in the dark, it finds no success in the light.
The Truth is based in FACT, lies are based in faith. Faith is belief not supported by facts and reliable testimony. For example; “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever puts their trust in Him should not perish, but have eternal life.” John 3:16 (NASV) (Italics mine). What the Son of God told Nicodemus involved trust in a testimony. The Son of God made an important point to Nicodemus; in John3:12 Jesus makes this statement, “If I told you something that you can easily check out, and you won’t believe Me, how can you believe Me about information from the heavens (which you are unable to “check out)”. Jesus stated that Nicodemus and the rest of the religious leaders refuse to believe His words, even when they can verify His words from their Law, and see that they are true. The religious leader’s problem with the message of Jesus was not the clarity of His words, it was the fact that they had a strong bias, and this strong bias prevented the truth from entering their consciousness/spirit. There appears to be a misunderstanding among many people that God rewards belief that remains anchored in Him. This is a lie. God rewards belief that is anchored in truth, because He is the truth. The scribes and members of the Sanhedrin believed that their understanding was anchored in the Law, and this is the same group who condemned the Son of God to death by misinterpreting that very Law.
There is a reality in the Bible that suggests that the Christian religious experience is based in truth. This occurred because the Great deceiver tampered with the reality of truth, supplanting it with virtual truth. Virtual truth is preference based, and those who live according to this virtual gospel prefer to stay where they are. When informed that they need to “turn off” their surreal world they refuse to acknowledge they are wrong. The world of this virtual truth is based on the concept of Sola Scriptura, that the Bible alone is the corpus of faith. When advised that it is only in a virtual reality that the Bible has no contradictions, they state quite matter-of-facty, there are no contradictions in the Bible. Those in the world of virtual truth are convinced that faith trumps facts every time, this makes it particularly difficult, even impossible, to have an intelligent discussion with them on spiritual matters. When the Son of Man returns, and He will return, He is not coming to inform those in the world they are living in darkness because He did that two thousand years ago. When the Son of Man comes again He comes to those who have awakened to the fact that they are living in a cleverly constructed virtual reality. Those who realize this then “turn off” their bias, allowing the testimony of Jesus to lead them into the reality of truth, where God dwells. The kingdom of God is light and truth, only those who have found their way out of the darkness (maintained by a virtual reality) will enter the kingdom of God.
A critical component of reliable and true information is that it gives the ability to recognize information detailing foretold events. God has given information concerning the future, and this information only operates within the framework of truth. Consider this statement given by the Son of God to John, James, and Peter on their way down the mountain where He had been transfigured in their presence:
And the disciples put this question to Him, ‘Why do the scribes say then that Elijah has to come first?’ ‘True’; He replied ‘Elijah is to come to see that everything is once more as it should be; however, I tell you that Elijah has come already and they did not recognize him but treated him as they pleased… Matthew 17:9-12 (JB) (underline mine)
Consciousness awareness gives the ability to recognize a person, event, or place. The scribes and religious leaders did not recognize the promised Elijah type prophet. Why? Because their bias prevented it. The disciples realized that their Master was speaking of John the Baptist, when He said “Elijah has come already”. It is His first statement that is most interesting, “Elijah is to come and will restore all things”. Here Jesus gives information concerning a future messenger/prophet that will accomplish the plan for restoration. So it stands to reason that the future Elijah type prophet that will appear at the end of days will be just as unrecognizable to most religious leaders/scholars as was John the Baptist to the scribes and religious leaders in Israel in Jesus’ day.
All of us (human beings) begin our life reality in darkness (please see my article “Escape from Darkness”). Everyone alive today must wake up to the fact that they do not know the truth. Everyone must “turn off” their bias, then learn the truth, or they will never make it into the kingdom of God. Don’t allow bias to dictate what you will believe, or permit spiritual or academic arrogance to keep you a prisoner in the virtual reality of darkness.

“For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world but forfeits his soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul”. Matthew 16:25 (NASB)

We will all be held accountable not only for what we know, but for what we refused to know. A soul/heart that contains bias that prefers lies over truth will be lost to oblivion; it will be as if it had never been. The second death is the payment for refusing to believe and practice the truth. Don’t think for a moment that you will be rewarded for just any unshakable and immovable faith/belief. Only those who have fidelity to truth will receive eternal life.
The text in Matthew 12:37 reveals that the fruits of the righteous are righteous words; therefore, by our words we will be acquitted, or by our words we will be condemned. Our words must be the truth to be righteous. Lying words delivered with the best intentions, for the best reasons, have no redeeming qualities and no place among the righteous; lies are not the words of righteousness.
Do you value your heart/soul/consciousness awareness? Do you want to receive eternal life? If you do, then you must lay aside your bias and learn the truth. The truth is always confirmed by the Law, Prophets, and the testimony of Jesus. Any testimony, gospel, or message that is not in complete and total compliance with these three standards is to be discarded forever. Remember, the Bible does contain the words of God, but it is of itself not the Word of God from cover to cover. Compare the teachings of Paul, James, and unnamed, or pseudonymous authors in the “New Testament” and you will see that they are not in compliance with the testimony of Jesus, and changed the wording of texts quoted from the Law. Matthew, Mark, and John are the only eyewitness testimony that can be considered as valid. Luke was not an eyewitness, and his account is not in agreement with the eyewitnesses testimony. Mark was not an eyewitness, but he was an associate of Peter, who was an eyewitness. Mark’s account is consistent with the eyewitness testimony of Matthew and John.
Part II of this article will take a look at the teaching of the Son of Man concerning the education and qualification of the human consciousness (spirit/soul) to know God in fact and not in faith. It will show what He meant by His statement, “You must be born of the water and the Spirit to enter the kingdom of God” and , “The true worshipers will worship in spirit and truth”.

Rick Sterling