As I finished the last blog entry I realized the diagram I draw always produces a response from someone that soul and spirit should not be drawn as two circles, but as one.
As I grew in my understanding of Eastern culture I began to understand why the one circle. Like joy and happiness, soul and spirit are considered the same here. Joy is a characteristic of love and is identified with God and not with external happenings as is the case of happiness. The spirit of man is a place where the Spirit of God dwells and when present gives life to man’s spirit, otherwise his spirit is dead. When soul and spirit are considered the same you are not confronted with the possibility of a dead spirit, resulting from initial disobedience.
The Biblical model of three parts, views God as a giver of life to those who believe and accept. Those who see it as two parts, see god(s) or spirits requiring sacrifice be made to them to diminish punishment. Man is constantly under bondage, unable to experience the characteristics of love that are provided by a loving, giving God. That is why in this culture those who possess these characteristics are recognized so easily.
Introducing the spirit circle as dead in the beginning for everyone is generally rejected here. When asked where death comes they have no answer. When asked why little children naturally know to do bad things and not good they have no answer. When we look closely at the spirit circle it causes them to think deeply, but they need time to process such a new idea. When asked where everything came from they have no reasonable answer. When asked where such marvelous design in the universe came from they have no answer. I love the conversations we have. I never take a position that might isolate them from me, I just keep them thinking and let God do the work and he does.
As I grew in my understanding of Eastern culture I began to understand why the one circle. Like joy and happiness, soul and spirit are considered the same here. Joy is a characteristic of love and is identified with God and not with external happenings as is the case of happiness. The spirit of man is a place where the Spirit of God dwells and when present gives life to man’s spirit, otherwise his spirit is dead. When soul and spirit are considered the same you are not confronted with the possibility of a dead spirit, resulting from initial disobedience.
The Biblical model of three parts, views God as a giver of life to those who believe and accept. Those who see it as two parts, see god(s) or spirits requiring sacrifice be made to them to diminish punishment. Man is constantly under bondage, unable to experience the characteristics of love that are provided by a loving, giving God. That is why in this culture those who possess these characteristics are recognized so easily.
Introducing the spirit circle as dead in the beginning for everyone is generally rejected here. When asked where death comes they have no answer. When asked why little children naturally know to do bad things and not good they have no answer. When we look closely at the spirit circle it causes them to think deeply, but they need time to process such a new idea. When asked where everything came from they have no reasonable answer. When asked where such marvelous design in the universe came from they have no answer. I love the conversations we have. I never take a position that might isolate them from me, I just keep them thinking and let God do the work and he does.
