posted
I like to muse myself with that age old mystery: The Elohim who created me after his image and likeness. I muse whether it holds the next rung or dimension, whereby the Ecclesia might make known unto the principalities and powers in heavenly places; the manifold wisdom of God as intended in Eph. 3:10. So I reason on this wise: If I am made in the image and likeness of Elohim, it must stand on its own self-preserving truth, that in the how of how I am made, I can also percieve the making of Elohim. I am created 3 beings in 1. Elohim in likewise reflection. Of course I am referring to Spirit, Soul and Body; howbeit, Elohim is spirit in all aspects of his being, and infinite while we finite. Then there is the mystery of looking thru a glass darkly. Makes me wonder how spiritually distorted or veiws might be..hmmm. I am aware of the "apparent" separation and no way I will be able cover my reasoning here. But in few words as possible here is one thread. The transgression of the first man Adam, was paid for and restored by the last man Adam. Soul death was restored to life by the abundance of grace we recieve in Jesus Christ the righteous. See Romans 5. Elohim to my thinking can be broken down as thus. God the Father is the Spirit and Will of Elohim, God the Son, as Mind and Body, and the Holy Spirit as the Soul and Feelings of the Godhead. I'm really wanting to say something here and no, this is not meant to be read as a self-grandizement of blowing my own horn. To a great extent I say theology -smyology, but when this process is followed out, of which I feel I'm only looking into, there is a certain training in the spirit of our reflective likeness. We are to learn to realize the Will of God in relative participation of our own. "Thy kingdom come, thy Will be done, on earth as it is in heaven". And how the (Soul of God) Holy Spirit takes from the Mind of Christ and 'shows' it unto the many membered Body. This all needs expounding from the scriptures, but because I personally never heard of anyone equating the Holy Spirit to the Soul of God, let me give some reasoning here. In Isaiah 53 a segment of scripture says, "he poured out his soul unto death". This to me is speaking of the suffering servant, the "son of man" Jesus. The Christ who embodied Jesus was the Son of God, or the Mind and Body of God. Also known as the Word or Logos that created all things. Sorry, I have a hard time staying with my subject because it can flow out in many directions. At present I aim to distinguish Jesus and the part his soul played, as the son of man, from that of the Christ and his role, particularly during the passion event. To be continued...on next post
Many of you ideas I can say "Amen" to but I am a bit lost as to the general direction or purpose of your post! For simple folks like me, if you could focus on your main idea or explain how your thoughts contrast with commonly held views...we would find it much easier to respond.
Also how does your view affect or encourage house church gatherings? Are you part of one or wish to be? Hope we can be of mutual help and encouragement one to the other!
Your servant for Jesus' sake, Bruce Woodford Norwich, Ontario, Canada
soulman
posted
Hi Bruce, thanks for your reply. First off- I use to attend house gathering here, but the person who held them is now gone, along with most folks who attended. So I'm kinda on my own right now. About contrasting veiws..well their is alot from technical terms standpoint. I myself have not chiseled anything in stone, but I'm using this forum (I know, I'm sticking my neck out) to write some thoughts I have in assessing some veiws that might hold some deeper understanding of our relationship with Elohim. But for your sake, let me try to put it in the church house context. The bodily members of Christ assemble under the headship of Christ. Now what is meant here? How do we assemble under the headship of Christ? I would say we need to realize how we are made, so we can come to an understanding of how to access the mind of Christ. I see it in 3 cooperative levels. Mind, Feelings and Will. The Word of God serves as the foundation. The Word of God is the Mind of God, Jesus Christ our righteousness. Most teaching I know of in christian circles, may under-value the soul nature of man as being 'soulical', soulish and therefore not spiritual. I would say that although this may be true, it is, at the same time, that agent that longs for the beloved and hungers and thrists for the the things of the Spirit or the Will of God. So soul, as being the realm of our life of feelings, is the realm of reverance and devotion, that longs and thrists, is where the Holy Spirit, the Soul of God lives. I question this? This engagement becomes operative as an act of Will, but technically our wills do not feel. It is the anchoring factor in the face of temptation, when our feelings want to engage in appetites of flesh. At will, we do not have to be moved. Scripture says, "Be still and know that I am God". We, 'Be still', at the level of our will. In the stillness of our will, both thoughts (mind) and feelings (emotion) must cease and come to rest. The soul in reverence and devotion comes a kind of holy awe. The will to me is mysterious. It could very well be the pivitol point that opens the door to the spiritual. I would not suggest that the gathers come together and be still at the level of their will right off. But once the praises and longing and whatever outward participation is given, and the presence of the Holy Spirit comes, why then it's his body, isn't it? Sorry to be unable to make it simpler, it's really not that complicated, but my time spent in the "institution" has always left me with the impression to try break things down so it might make more sense to the intellectually unsaved. All this and I still feel as though I'm only scratching at what could be 'out there'. Peace Soulman.
Soulman
posted
In continuation of trying to biblically base my reasoning..well first let me give a little background. In my early years, I was raised in a denomination and when the word of faith movement came in, you might say my bags were already packed and I was ready for more revelation knowledge. Well it happened that upon attending a Bible School, I came to find out this college was anti word of faith. I went to talk with a professor who seemed to spearhead this movement among the faculty. And he seemed quite animate about Adam being created body and soul, with spirit fused inseparably in that soul...'and man became a living soul. Well word of faith thrives on, you are a spirit, you have a soul and you live in a body. So having an inquistive nature, and one that seeks to find a bridge as a peacemaker, was the begining of some things here, I propose suggestively. Also there was a book they endorsed at this college called, "a different gospel" and was a full-fledged attack on the teachings of the word of faith, which I read. I since this other teacher in the bookstore one day, who said it is a good book. I happened to be standing where this particular book was on the shelf and he was standing next to me. So I said, "I read this book". He goes, "Oh yeah, what did you think of it", I go, "negative superstition" and with no response turned and walked out. One of the 'heresy points' they brought out was the teaching that Jesus died spiritually in hell, when he took upon himself sin in our stead. So I go to analizing over scripture about first man Adam a living soul and the last man Adam, a quickening or life-giving spirit. I tend to think the first Adam was created body and soul with his spirit infused or indivisible. Heres why. The garden of Eden was known as the dispensation of innocence by one source I read. Adam was a innocent living or spirit/soul. This innocent spirit/soul before the transgression was clothed in the glory of God. As such, free-will was key to Adam's choosing. We know how the story goes, but in disobeying God was driven out of the garden and scripture says something to the tune of: 'lest he now take of the tree of life and become like us'. So an angel with a flaming sword which turned every which way was placed..'to keep the way of the tree of life'. In other words I gather that since he had already transgressed Gods word and eaten of the tree of knowledge of good and evil; that if he were to now partake of the tree of life, you would have had a fallen man that would have lived in a cursed state of being forever. That was a side note, but in keeping the way of the tree of life, being one of the two trees in the midst of the garden, set forth before mans free-will, while in an innocent state of being; was as such, to see what choice Gods man would commit. What would have happened if he ate of the tree of life? Next posting I will follow up on the second man Adam and the bringing into being the new covenant and how I believe it came to pass that upon the new birth, man has now become to be spirit, soul and body. Soulman
posted
I would ask rather - what would have happened if Adam had eaten from the tree of life before he ate from the tree of knowledge? Answer - we would have had the best of both worlds. Life first and then knowledge.
Diane
Soulman
posted
Hi Diane, I can only imagine. We certainly wouldn't have been stripped of a glorious body! But needless to say, God in his foreknowledge knew that the history of our world would pass as it has and will continue to pass through those avenues of prophetic utterance. The story yet to unfold, leaves me a bit baffled in rightly discerning it. I mean we have the utterance from the mouth of Jesus to the tune of: "Because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold", and Paul talks about the "great apostay" (which we may be smack dab in the middle of right now) considering the waning of God, Jesus and even moral values, all but carpet-bagged in the institutions of our educational systems, and that is just one observation. What I am wanting to do on a forum such as this, is step to the plate and take my best swing at the why of the death-ridden mess so prevalent to living a life, and seek to give it as much justice as I may theorize to give it, in relation, or in consideration that a God of Love has so intended it, albeit, idealistically on a much higher level we seem to be still "workin it" out in our spiritual evolutionary journey onward and hopefully upward. Many people have a problem with what they would esteem as: "This so-called God of Love". As I consider it myself, there are still areas of problemability and many may say, it is not for us to understand, we just have to accept it. I understand that, still, every thing that the deceiver can find a weakness, he'll use as a weapon, so the soul of men will feel more appeased in unhooking from divine pursuits and accountability. I did not go where I exactly wanted to as mentioned in a previous posting, and some of what I've alluded to here, about this God of Love, and the plan of redemption, I shall collectively attempt on next post. Unless someone wants to jump in. God Bless. Soulman.
posted
Redemption? We have to go back to the garden to choose life before knowledge this time. That would indeed be a 'God of Love'.
Looking forward to your next post. But may I put in a tiny request? Break your writing up into paragraphs - it helps the ol' brain to assimilate forthwith.
Thanks.
Diane
Soulman
posted
To commence at once, lets begin with what I will call 'The dilemma of Love'. Suggesting that this 'dilemma' gave cause to 'Gods perogative', or Loves perogative. By the way, Diane, I'm a computer novice and ain't the slightest on how to break into paragraph form, it's enough for me to try to keep my sentences from 'running on' (ha) please bear with. Okay, so we have LOVE as Elohim, this tri-part being (if we can say without drawning it out into a lengthy theological discussion, I'm trying to get somewhere and my pointers given are by no means 'the truth' because I think these areas will only be truly known on the other side of the darkened glass). So Elohim is in complete harmony, enjoying the fellowship of Love in eternity past; when walla, a plan dawns upon the triune, and counsel is set forth to bring about a kind after his own kind. (this point as been taken from Gene Edwards "The Divine Romance" (book). Love desires to love another of his own kind. But there's a hitch in bringing this about. It can only be made possible by under-going death. Only through death can he reproduce 'a kind after his own kind'. Now Ezekial accounts the fall of lucifer, when 'self-exaltation is manifest within his being in his wanting to exalt his throne above the throne of God, being filled with self-intoxication of his unsurpassing beauty and musical being of magical proportions. It is here that I'm am stumped. How could a being perfect in all his ways, hovering over the throne of God, which was undoubtedly an atomsphere of pure holiness, be able to even concieve such a notion, when there is no sentiment of evil to even draw upon? I can only suggest that the 'lamb slain from the foundation of the world' is speaking of the slaining of innocence. The 'lamb' being symbolic language here, for the slaining of innocence. In other words, Love is guilty of the desire to love another after his own kind. So much so, that the same 'lamb' that when the fullness of time would come and die upon the cross etc., was slain symbolically from the foundation of the world. Was slain in the sense that the plan to bring about a kind after his own, was conceived and put in effect. Romans 5 speaks about the death that reigned from Adam to Moses, even after those who had not sinned after the similtude of Adam's transgression. And in the same passage about the first man Adams disobedience brought death, and the last man Adam's obedience bringing righteousness and just as we were born 'separate' from God, having inherited thye transgression of sin unto death, even so, it is the righteousness of he who lived a righteous life of innocence, that would die to take into himself that 'death reign'(sins of the whole world) whereby we once stand as righteous once again. (whew, can't seem to make my sentences shorter when trying to give fuller expression to what I'm trying to say). I kind of got off my initial tract, being...why would God wait so long, before bringing the remedy for a cure? Could it be that it would take such a great death, to fill with such a great life? A God-size kind after his own kind? Soulman
I will try to address a couple of questions here, but catching your main drift is difficult under the circumstances, you understand.
"How could a being perfect in all his ways, hovering over the throne of God, which was undoubtedly an atomsphere of pure holiness, be able to even conceive such a notion, when there is no sentiment of evil to even draw upon?"
This to me is fairly simple. There was evil to draw upon, even then. Nothing exists outside of God.
"...why would God wait so long, before bringing the remedy for a cure? Could it be that it would take such a great death, to fill with such a great life? A God-size kind after his own kind?"
I believe the result had to match the desire - according to the degree (volume, vastness) that God detected it in himself. In order for God to come forth with the partner that was worthy of himself, he had to reach down into the very depths of himself and release her from that source.
But the reason he had to wait so long is not really a valid question, for we (you) would be asking under the assumption that you would know all that God had to do in order to accomplish that goal. The children (again, all part of himself) had to go through the learning process that they have been throughout history, in order to produce the feedback that was necessary for God to work with. In other words, God had to learn through his children, over the passage of time.
Diane
PS - You are working on a keyboard, are you not? Have you tried pressing the 'enter' button, after you figure you've finished a paragraph? Or you could try after a paragraph.
posted
Sorry, I forgot that < br > does not show up after it is posted - it simply breaks up the line. Anyways you could try this after a paragraph. Only leave no spaces between the symbols and the letters.
Soulman
posted
Diane, I appreicate your comeback. I am intrigued with how or from what source your reply is given. You are saying that evil has always existed in God? It runs cross-wise to my conception of God if so. In Isaiah 45:7 just after saying: "there is none beside me. I am the Lord, and there is none else", he says, "I form the light, and create darkness: I make peace, and create evil: I the Lord do all these things". He forms the light as having come of himself, he makes peace with that substance of himself; but he creates darkness and creates evil.
To my understanding, to create something out from the great original (God) is to give existence to something that wasn't there before. In 1 John we read, "in him is light, and no darkness at all". It boggles my mind to think that holiness and evil co-exist in God. Sin is separation from God, is it not?
Quite frankly, I am lost on the result having to match the desire, statement. Is this just what you believe, or is there any biblical references, or any other belief system (religion) wherewith you would believe so? I ask this in all sincereity because I do not have anything against most of the mayor religions, I tend to think that they could have possibily flowed into the meaning of Christ and the Golgatha event. God having saved his best for last. Which would mean that since the Islam faith came after Christianity, (I say this loosely, because I try to look for ways of peace) but there are certain scriptures in the Koran that speak of Christians and Jews as being of the infidel and must be taken care of by the sword of Alla. I could be misunderstood, but thought I read something along these lines. It would be a rather harsh statemnet if that wasn't the case, in which case please forgive me.
Diane, as for as the time length goes before the appearing of Christ in flesh and blood, I only question it in light of scripture that refers to 'the fullness of time' or once when they tried to kill him it might say they could not 'for his time was not yet'. Beside deary, who's to say it is not a valid question? And I don't think we should have to assume to know everything God had in mind to ask it. I don't mean to sound defense, cause I realize it isn't my responsibilty to be God. I ask it in a spirit of wonderment thats all. There are implications of a set time and I wonder why. I think God likes the reaching of our wanting to know, even if knowing will always be beyond us.
A question is the begining of a quest and his ways are past finding out, I like that, there is always room to improve our knowing.
Before we go further, I have to ask you - are you not a Christian?
Diane
Soulman
posted
Yes Diane, insofar as I believe the Bible is the inspired Word of God and Jesus the Christ as both redeemer and revealer of that Word.
Lets see if I can head-off where your going with this question. Most Christian folk believe that because Jesus the Christ said: "I am the way, the truth and the life, no man comes unto the father but by me", is a biblically exclusive message. And I agree, but do not rule out the truth in the teachings of other religions, and believe Christians, if they can take from let's say Buddism, the teaching on meditation, and apply it to meditating upon the indwelling Christ, our churches would be able to distinguish 'that which is flesh is flesh', from, 'that which is spirit is spirit'.
To me, Jesus was 'the son of man', the Christ who indwelt him, 'the son of God', or the Word that became flesh and dwelt among us. As you follow the gospel of John thru from there, you'll find Jesus saying, "I of myself can do nothing" ..well, 'the way, the truth and the life' -can do much.
I recently came across something written by a chinese woman, sorry, forgot which site; anyway, she said that the word, 'Word', that Is in the begining of Johns gospel, is translated in the chinese Bible as 'Tao'. It has been said that the word messiah is found under different names in other religions as well.
The thing that sets the Bible apart, in my opinion, is the death of the soul of the 'son of man' in the 3 day burial mode. I'll attempt to scripturally expound this on next post, it has been my intent to go there from the begin, but was trying to lay a background basis for my understanding. I should mention also, the significance of what it meant, or maybe better put, what it could mean.
Let me conclude this post with a thought that comes to mind in the light of this supposition. In Isaiah 14:16 just following the passage of Lucifers fall and being cast down to hell, we read, "They that see thee shall narrowly look upon thee, and consider thee, saying, Is this the man that made the earth to tremble, and that did shake kingdoms". It continues on, but it makes me think, that that ole fox, the deceiver and 'accussor of the brethren', has done his level best to pit brother against brother, nation against nation, and religion against religion and has done such a crafty job that, well consider the world we live in. Language barriers, the time religions were birthed in the earth, and self-righteous belief systems seemed to have contributed to this. Having said that, once again, the Christ story of the Bible is to me the last and crowning jewel, and of the most significance ion its impact of 'heavenly power and grace' to effecting not only the souls of men, but also creation itself. The next post will have my scriptural reasoning to this end. Peace, Soulman
You bring up many interesting points which I have delved into myself in the past. However, the Spirit asks that I discontinue this conversation. Mixing other religious beliefs with my own has the effect of weakening the Spirit's power over me. And since I have only just come out of the mind-set that you are projecting, I had best leave you - at least for now.
posted
Soulman, There are many who believe the Bible is the Word of God and that Christ is the redeemer etc who are NOT Christians, who are NOT in right relationship to God through Christ. Even the demons "believe" and they tremble!
Have you ever trembled before God realizing that, as a guilty sinner before God, you were under the wrath of God and needed a Savior? Have you ever been "saved"? That is, have you ever confessed with your mouth Christ Jesus as your Lord and believed in your heart that God raised Him from the dead? Romans 10:9
I myself believed the things of which you speak, I was raised in a very religious home, I was ordained as "Christian minister of the Gospel" and even went as a missionary to the West Indies. But all that time I was not a Christian! Not until I was almost 29 did I personally (1)acknowledge to God that I was a sinner in need of God's salvation and (2)come to rest by faith in the finished work at Calvary as the only basis by which I could be made right with God.
In that instant God saved me! What a difference I found between HAVING religion and KNOWING Christ!
Your servant for Jesus' sake, Bruce Woodford Norwich, Ontario
David Anderson
posted
Hi Soulman, Bruce, Di, sisters, brothers, and others:
Just one thing you brought to my mind by your usage of the word "muse."
Again, welcome and may Jesus be your/our Guide in all things, being transformed by his work in you.
Check this: Ps. 143:5 I remember the days of old; I meditate on all thy works; I MUSE on the work of thy hands.
Meditation, which you ascribe to other religions is OUR (Hebrew) birthright, far more than theirs:
Ps. 5:1 Give ear to my words, O LORD, consider my meditation.
Ps. 19:14 Let the words of my mouth, and the meditation of my heart, be acceptable in thy sight, O LORD, my strength, and my redeemer.
Ps. 49:3 My mouth shall speak of wisdom; and the meditation of my heart shall be of understanding.
Ps. 104:34 My meditation of him shall be sweet: I will be glad in the LORD.
Ps. 119:97 O how love I thy law! it is my meditation all the day.
Ps. 119:99 I have more understanding than all my teachers: for thy testimonies are my meditation.
One more gem: Ps. 63:6 When I remember thee upon my bed, and meditate on thee in the night watches.
The same thing is seen in the NT as well where the ungodly are described here: Rom. 1:28 And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not convenient; etc.
(This tangent is not to suggest that every other religion is mistaken on every single point, of course.) :-)
posted
David, An excellent post! Thank you. That reminds me of something I've often said to young people: "The amusement industry in North America is one of the biggest if not THE biggest business! Many people have an insatiable desire to be "amused"! But when we stop to think about the word, it is scary! To "muse" is to "think" or to "consider". But to be "a-mused" is to be made "not to think" or "not to consider"!!!
We have also been beguiled to believe that we are not responsible or accountable for our thoughts! Nothing could be further from the truth! As someone has said, "You are not what you think; but what you THINK, you ARE!"
Some have said that "meditation is a lost art!" CONTROLLING what one meditates (thinks) upon, may be a lost art, but every last one of us "meditates" 24 hours a day! Our thoughts are always considering something! But we choose the subject matter and must give account for our choices!
David, the writer of many oif the psalms from which you quoted knew what it was to control his meditations and to focus his mind on God and godly themes! We do well to learn from him!
Bruce Woodford
Soulman
posted
Diane, thanks for indulging me. Follow that inner leading of the spirit of truth. I esteem the Bible above all scripture, whatever maybe garnered from other 'sacred scripture' must aliegn with it, or it's water off this ducks back. 'Study to show thyself approved unto God,..rightly dividing the word of truth'. I tend to interpret this as, take notice of the inner motives that goes on inside you for everything is exposed before the eyes of him, with whom we have to do...accurately discerning the spirit of truth. For his words are spirit and they are life. The great advantage that followers of Christ have, is the riches of our inheritance that Jesus/Christ has gotten for us. I will start the scriptural unfoldment as I see it in this regard. But I want to say, that I try to keep myself child-like or innocent in reference to learning from the Word and Spirit. Okay, lets start with Jesus saying, 'It is necessary for you that I go away, for if I go not away, the comforter cannot come'. He also said: 'where I go, you cannot come'. Most folk reference this to meaning that he was to die the bodily death. I tend to believe it extends to the death of his soul. Here why. Jesus said, "Fear not him that can destroy the body, but fear him who can cast both body and soul in hell". Now when Jesus was in the garden of Gethesemne, he agonized somuch so that 'his sweat was as great drops of blood' and said 'Father if it be possible let this cup pass'. Was he fearing him who could kill his body? I don't think so. It may had been that an inner turmoil of separating his soul from his spirit, or the soul of the 'son of man' from the spirit of the 'son of God'. The last man Adam was made (emphasis on made) a life quickening spirit. Another inroad. Jesus said: "This evil and adulterous generation seeks after a sign but no sign will be given it, except that of the prophet Jonah. For as Jonah was in the belly of the fish 3 days and 3 nights, so must the 'son of man' be in the bowels of the earth". To be continued...
Soulman
posted
The brothers, amen, amen! And yes Bruce, I've been led thru the sinners prayer at the age of 12. I'm now 44. I put it the way I put it ( about believing the Bible as the inspired Word etc) because the new birth comes as a quickening of our degenerate spirits, when our faith believes from the heart and acknowledges from our mouth, that God raised Jesus from the dead. Thank you for bringing this up, because I feel we (christians) need to understand what is actually taking place in the spirit realm, when this process is under gone. We latch hold of that resurrection power, with our hearts, through an act of faith. For we are actually believing that in his rising from the dead, we ourselves are included. He made this power available for whosoever will call upon his name. We then rise up through his shed blood, as it were, and become alive in heavenly places in Christ Jesus, as a member of his body and all the angelic host breaks forth in jubliation. A child has come home! GLORY! I would mention a word here, that I feel the 'church' needs to better get hold of; and we find it in 2 Corinth. 5: really 12-21, but I'll give you verse 14: "For the love of Christ constrains us; because we thus judge, that if one died for all, then were all dead". This whole passage is worthy of expounding, but for the sake of space. As Romans 8:34 says: "Who is he that condemns? It is Christ that died, yea rather is risen again'..etc. I point this out because I am concerned about what message us 'christ-followers' are giving to the world. I've been to a few sites and all I can say is, oh my God, we got our work cut out. If Christs' love can constrain us, as to judge all as dead, for it is Christ and his deal who has died on behalf of mankind, not ours, nor any affiliation of this world. I want to enter into fulfilling of the prayer of Jesus in John 17. "That they might be one, even as we are one, that the world may know that you have sent me". Most certainly I agree with those meditation scriptures Dave, thanks buddy. But I don't see a relevant contest between ours and theres. But because they were not born in the right geographical area and perhaps you can include even the time period; as a peacemaker, I will not judge them and say, because you do not believe as I do, you are going to hell. Suppose this living Word, the logos, was sent to them as well, we there own teachings and conceptions, and because 'we know what the truth is, they cannot possibly have it', become pitted against anything they stand for? Remember Paul on Mars hill? Upon reading an inscription that said, "To an unknown God", went on to tell them who this God is their looking for, in the person of Jesus. See Mark 9: 38-40 Also the scripture that says: Be still and know that I am God. It was and is not my intent to even reason this matter. But maybe like we have the old testament as a shadow of the new, they also have their shadow; which can be greatly enhanced by person knowledge of the risen Christ.
Soulman
posted
I realized I haven't finished the thought of the first paragraph on my last post. That being. Although our spirits become quickened upon the acceptance of Jesus' death for us, our souls are still in need of saving. A couple scriptures concerning this matter. Hebrews 10: 38&39 .."of them that believe to the saving of the soul". And James 1:21 ...'recieve with meekness the engrafted word which is able to save your soul". The conversion of our spirits is instantaneous, the conversion of our souls, progressive. Now about the sign of Jonah in the belly of the fish. Jonah chapter 2 is Jonahs prophetic prayer out of the fishes belly. A few phrases are: 'out of the belly of hell cried I', 'The waters compassed me about, even to the soul'. "the earth with her bars was about me for ever: yet you have brought up my life from corruption". In Isaiah 53 we read, "he was cut off, out of the land of the living" along with, "he poured out his soul unto death". There are other scriptures that say, 'He would not suffer or allow his holy one to see corruption". In Hebrews 9:14 speaking of Christ...'who through the eternal spirit 'offered himself' without spot to God..etc. So we have here, that his soul was poured out unto death, as he offered himself through the eternal spirit. So whereas the word of faith people say he died spiritually in hell, I say he died soulfully there in taking into his innocent (spotless) soul, the sins of the whole world. Jesus, the soul of the son of man, was the only soul to ever under-go death. In being cut off out of the land of the living, he experienced eternal aloness. Incomprehensible to any state of lonliness we could ever imagine. Perhaps you might say, emptier than empty. So it was a kind of spiritual death, but of a soulish nature.
This was the place he had gone to prepare, where man could not come. This was the cup he prayed to be removed. And because of his soul being sinless, gave vindication for the Holy Spirit, the soul of God, to fill that soul that ballooned out 'tasting death for every man', while in the 3 days and nights death mode. He was the only begotten from the dead in this sense. Having died on behalf of every soul on earth. We enter by grace through faith, on behalf of this death he died. It makes me wonder if our soul nature is in our dna or blood-stream. For Leviticus says, 'the life is in the blood'. Anyway, the blood cleanses us from sin and the Holy Spirit, whereby, 'where I am, you will be also' was the place prepared for us through the death of his soul.
This is rather deep and sometimes complex to really sort out, because like ourselves, these distinctions are essentially one. So why the differentiation? Because the Word of God, Jesus Christ is our foundation, and each man is to take heed as to how to build there upon. You might say, Jesus Christ, the revealed mind of God is the foundation; the Holy Spirit, the spirit of truth, as the Soul of God, is the building and body of Christ. We are to be built up as a holy habitation of the Lord and fitly framed together. So I am ending my thread on this theme. But I may soon try another on the Elohim in the Ecclesia. To try devise someways of building ourselves on the foundation of the Word.
Email this page to someone.
