Chapter 7c

Physical Man is a Spirit Being

 

As a person, who are you? Who are you really?

It was the Psalmist David, who asked the very same question?

"WHAT IS MAN, that thou art mindful of him? and the son of man, that thou visitest him? For thou hast made him a little lower than God (or the "angels") (Psa 8:4 and Heb 2:6,7).

Here one more fundamental issue will be examined that relates to the discussion of the past two chapters. We discussed the issue of God creating man—from God's perspective, and the risks involved. Then we came to the conclusion that the only thing that matters in all the universe is a proper relationship between the Creator and those whom He created in His own image. No one will be allowed to enter into heaven who does not love God and have the right relationship with his Maker.

Now in this chapter, we will discuss the one issue of substance—what we really are as conscious humans beings. This is very important because it relates to everything, including our eternal destiny.

It states in Proverbs 23:7, that as a man "thinketh in his heart, so is he."

When it comes right down to it, all we are as humans is thoughts. As a famous philosopher once stated, "We are because we think." Putting it another way, as human beings we are simply spiritual beings having a physical experience.

The subjects of how we understanding things, how we think and reason, what we ultimately believe, and what our world view is—it all has to do with what goes on in the mind and in our thoughts. We are ultimately the product of our thoughts. The thoughts that reside in your heart—that is the real you.

 

Lying Still in the Night

Here is something interesting to contemplate. Have you ever laid in bed at night in absolute solidarity stillness. The room is pitch black (you see nothing). The silence is eerie quiet (you hear nothing—not even the slightest noise). Even your body feels like it has vanished (you are not immediately aware of any sensory feeling). You are simply lying there all alone—only the thoughts swirl around in your mind.

Hypothetically, if your body were to vanish, you could conceivably still be laying there with just your thoughts (of course without a body there would be no vehicle for expressing one's self in the physical dimension, or receiving information). Yet your thoughts could still exist within your "spirit being."

So coming back to the point made above, all we are as humans is simply thoughts. Our thoughts essentially—is us. The difference between a living person and a corpse, is that all thoughts have left the corpse. Our spirit is what really makes the body alive and our spirit is the essence of our thoughts.

Take a trip to your local State penitentiary. If you look at the inmates, many of them seem like just ordinary people. You ask yourself, what heinous crimes caused them to be incarcerated? Many for the rest of their lives. The answer is simple. No matter what the action committed, it always had something to do first with thoughts in the mind. The actions carried out by the body were simply the end result of what was first in a person's heart and mind. The law makes a great distinction between involuntary manslaughter and pre-meditated murder. In both cases, someone is equally dead. But the difference can mean either probation for 18 months, versus spending life in prison, or event the death penalty. Feelings of anger, hatred, revenge, reckless disregard for the civil rights of others—all these emotions begin with thoughts and breed actions that lead to criminal acts. A good example would be Timothy McVey and the Oklahoma City bombing. Everything that happened that day, when the bomb went off, began as thoughts in the mind.

 

The Issue of Religion

Consider all the religious belief systems that are out there. All of these are the product of how people think. Each system demands that its adherents think and believe a certain way. Each system is different only in the realm of thoughts.

As the second chapter of this website on religion pointed out, all belief systems certainly cannot be right. The world is infested with hundreds of religions, churches, new age concepts, each proposing a different avenue of truth and road to salvation.

If the Bible is true, and Jesus is the only "way, truth, and life," then that means that every other thought system can only be false.

 

Satan and the Devil

Theomatics will prove that the real definition of Satan and the devil—is something considerably different than what most every Christian believes. Satan is obviously not some super evil being running around in a red suit with a pitchfork—the devil is something that we create within ourselves, by having thoughts that are opposite the Word of God.

Note: Satan and the devil in the Bible is symbolic personification for matters related to spiritual warfare and "he" is a spiritual force and power that lives within the realm of thoughts. This issue of who the devil and Satan is, is just one major area of understanding contained on this web site, that will require a person to adapt to a completely new way of thinking. Religious tradition does not die easily. We must come to the point of realizing that God's thoughts on many things in the Bible are far more symbolical and spiritual than many people want them to be. And when the chips are down, it is only God's interpretation that counts. Our overwhelming conclusion is that there is no such thing as a super being, fallen archangel, etc.—a specific individual "person" named Satan. It should be emphasized however, that there is a whole world of demonic spirits out there who ARE actual beings (another class of fallen angels), and these beings CAN and do have a tremendous evil influence over the thoughts and lives of individuals.

There is an enormous theomatic structure (see Chapter 9a) that shows convincingly, that the evil serpent of Eden originated within our own mind and thoughts—it is not something external that came uncontrollably upon us. In the day of judgment no one will be able to point their finger and say "the devil made me do it." We did it to ourselves and the real enemy is us. God nowhere commands sinners to repent for someone else's sins, including the devil's. We will all stand guilty before God on account of our own thoughts and actions.

 

The Stairway to Heaven

The Bible makes it unambiguously clear, how a person thinks and believes (or doesn't believe), has everything to do with where they will spend eternity. When it comes to what the Bible teaches, how we understand reality determines everything. No one will enter eternity and live in heaven, who has not surrendered His own thoughts to the Creator and allowed them to be sanctified by God's precious Holy Spirit—conformed to the image of Christ, God's only begotten Son.

In today's society, try telling people that if they are not willing to think like God thinks and do things according to what the Bible teaches, they will not be allowed into heaven when they die… (mention something like this on one of the "politically correct" talk shows and you can just feel the warm reception!!!)

There is one watershed question that will always bring a great divide in any religious debate. Ask a person if they believe that when it comes to a God, "Are there any absolutes?" Or as most people in our "enlightened" society would like to believe, everything is relative. Man is the sole determiner of right and wrong, and we can look within ourselves in order to discover truth.

Let's look now at a few verses that will show God's requirement for entering heaven—it all has to do with thoughts.

"Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven" (Mat 7:21).

To state that the Father has a will, means that He must certainly have an opinion about things, i.e. He knows what is right (and wrong). To do the will of the Father in heaven requires a person to learn to know what pleases God, and to adjust his or her thoughts and actions accordingly, so as to obey that revealed will. To do the will of the Father demands that we learn how to think and act as the Father would have us think and act.

"Neither pray I for these alone, but for them also which shall believe on me through their word; That they all may be one; as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us " (Joh 17:20.21).

The one thing that Jesus constantly emphasized was the fact that He came to do the will of His Father, so that all who belong to Him may become one. He was always an obedient Son to His heavenly father. And why was that? He and the Father were always thinking on the same page. And that is why we are admonished to have the same mind which was also in Christ. Look at these verses!

"Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus" (Phil 2:5).

"But we have the mind of Christ" (1 Cor 2:16).

The one thing that makes a little child so different, is that they usually do not have strong opinions on philosophical matters, i.e. their minds are not made up. They are flexible and willing to be taught. In order to enter heaven we must be willing to think like a beginner.

"And said, Verily I say unto you, Except ye be converted, and become as little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven" (Mat 18:3).

Here is another verse that has to do with thoughts and entering into heaven. The scribes and Pharisees had their own thoughts of self righteousness—they could justify everything they believed (which was obviously full of legalistic error).

"For I say unto you, That except your righteousness shall exceed the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, ye shall in no case enter into the kingdom of heaven" (Mat 5:20).

A rich young ruler came to Jesus one day, and he wanted to know what he must do to inherit eternal life. Jesus gave him a test and he answered all the questions splendidly. Yet one thing was lacking. When the Lord told him to go and sell everything he had and give the proceeds to the poor, he turned and walked away very sad, "for he had many possessions." His love and affection—and thoughts—were with his riches. His refusal to give up his thoughts of covetousness and obey Christ, kept him from inheriting eternal life. These are the words that Jesus spoke.

"But Jesus answereth again, and saith unto them, Children, how hard is it for them that trust in riches to enter into the kingdom of God! It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God" (Mar 10:24,25).

To be "born of the Spirit" means allowing God's Holy Spirit to influence and control our thoughts according to the new birth.

"Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God" (Joh 3:5).

As Christians, our faith has everything to do with what we believe and how we think. Our faith is our believing thoughts. To persevere in the faith simply means to believe the truth in our thoughts.

"Confirming the souls of the disciples, and exhorting them to continue in the faith, and that we must through much tribulation enter into the kingdom of God" (Act 14:22).

 

The Only Thing that Separates

The only thing that separates sinners from saints, the only thing that determines life from death, the only thing that determines heaven from hell—is how a person thinks and believes in their heart. Our thoughts will determine everything, because our thoughts are encapsulated within the fallen nature of our bias. The Bible teaches that the Word of God,

"… is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. Neither is there any creature that is not manifest in his sight: but all things are naked and opened unto the eyes of him with whom we have to do" (Heb 4:12,13).

So God will ultimately judge us by His Word, according to our thoughts which results in the INTENTIONS of our heart. Which is reflected in our attitude towards everything—both towards God and men.

 

The Rebellion in Heaven

Sin and evil did not originate in the earthly garden of Eden. It began in heaven. This fact is unambiguously stated all through the Bible.

The fall that took place did not begin with a being called the devil or Satan or Lucifer. Theomatics will also prove that fact overwhelmingly. The rebellion began in the mind of Eve with thoughts (the female nature within the persona of each angel)—thoughts that were in disagreement with God's thoughts, thoughts that began in the minds of the angels when they disobeyed God's revealed will and eventually turned against their Creator in full force and fury.

Again, we ourselves created the serpent within ourselves and that is when we were seduced. Much more will be discussed on this (again, see Chapter 9a).

Because of the rebellion that took place prior in heaven, when we are born into this world each one of us individually will carry with us the same preponderant attitude and thought pattern. Nothing has changed from there to here. We are the same individual person—only the specific memory of prior events has been temporarily wiped out. And unless God changes us by His supernatural power during this lifetime, we will die and go into eternity as the same old rebellious soul. Only worse. With no possibility of redemption (Heb 9:27).

 

The Heart is the Central Issue

There are many hundreds of verses in the Bible that speak concerning the heart of man. This is an area of research that theomatics reveals a tremendous amount of information concerning. The heart is the seat of the emotions. It is the central core of our very being. It is the place where our deepest thoughts reside. What is in a man's heart controls his thoughts, and the condition of his heart is shaped by his thoughts. Much more will be said on the subject of the heart.

Any verse you read in the Bible concerning the heart, always involves thoughts.

 

A Personal Experience

Have you ever noticed how when people are confronted with Christianity, they suddenly become very nervous? They don't really want to think about God. A personal story will illustrate.

Right after my wife and I married back in 1985, we lived for three years in a senior citizens mobile park. As the only young people living there, we were somewhat celebrities. The old folks loved us and we developed many friendships. An elderly Quaker lady across from us was a Christian, and it was discussed how nice it would be to have a Christian fellowship in her home. We would invite the people who lived in the Park to come.

We passed out some attractive flyers on the doors of 113 homes. The gatherings were to be undenominational, low key, simply a reading of the Bible and praying for people's needs, etc. There would be refreshments and a social time afterwards.

Most of the folk who lived in the park were extremely friendly. And everybody, so it seemed, loved any social occasion. Whenever something was happening people would come in droves, whether the event was a potluck, a bridge party, special music entertainment, whatever… certainly many would be interested in Christian fellowship (so we thought?) They all seemed like such clean descent moral people.

The response astounded us. After weeks of effort, even going back and personally inviting people to come, only half a dozen people showed up over the course of two to three months. The fellowship was eventually abandoned.

When we had gone back and personally invited people to come, many who were typically very friendly and outgoing—they became nervous and stiff. Their personality and attitude was quite different. You could see the "polite" resentment in their eyes and even hear it in their voice. They were simply not interested in any sort of religious gathering because we were (apparently) interfering with their world view—anything "Christian" that might upset their philosophical comfort zone. Some stated openly that their minds were already made up about God and religion, and one or two even stated they did not believe in any religion.

 

A Story of Doris

Doris was a lovely lady that lived in the same Park. Everybody loved Doris. Her home was immaculate and the exterior was surrounded by the most beautiful flower beds and gardens imaginable. It was a joy to walk past her place each day and witness the labor of love.

Doris was fighting breast cancer and it had spread through her upper body and down her arm. My wife tried to minister to her on one occasion and even offered to pray for her. She was not very receptive.

Finally Doris had to be hospitalized. Everybody in the Park kept up with the news as her condition was the source of concerned gossip. One day Darlene said to me, "I really feel the leading of the Holy Spirit that we must go to the hospital and confront Doris. She is not going to live long and I want to be sure she is ready to meet the Lord."

As she lay there in her bed she was so happy to see us, even though she was on severe pain killers. We talked small talk for some time until the conversation changed to more serious matters. My wife gently, and in the most loving and compassionate way, told her that we were so concerned about her and wanted to make sure if this were her time to go, she was ready to go to meet the Lord.

She stared at us with the most cold piercing look in any person's eyes I have ever seen. There was a long silence after we finally got done talking. Then the words came out of her mouth. "I am not interested in any of that religious stuff. I just want to get up from this bed and go home to my flowers."

At that point I personally spoke up and pleaded with her. "Doris, you are probably not going to be going home. Are you ready to meet God? Don't you realize that heaven awaits you? Won't you please ask Jesus into your heart?"

The cold stare continued. We were making no progress. It felt like trying to talk through a stone wall. After she refused even prayer we finally told her good-bye. The last words out of her mouth again, as we were walking out of the room, "I just want to get home to my flowers." A few days later Doris slipped into eternity.

 

Conclusion

As we walked sadly that day from the hospital, all we could do was pray that maybe something had been said that would make a difference at the last moment. Only God knows. The thing that hit us so hard was the fact, that here was a person whom God created in His very own image. God had even created the beautiful flowers that Doris enjoyed so much. Yet she had no desire to know the God that created either. Even to the point of refusing eternal life and heaven. How could something like that possibly be? How could someone's heart be so cold and their mind so unreceptive, even on their death bed?

There is only one explanation. Doris' life on earth was the result of the fall from heaven. She had so long ago turned against her Creator that now, at the very moment of facing her eternal destiny, she had no comprehension of heaven. No comprehension of eternal judgment. No comprehension of accountability. No comprehension of anything except her earthly flowers.

"As for man, his days are as grass: as a flower of the field, so he flourisheth. For the wind passeth over it, and it is gone; and the place thereof shall know it no more. But the mercy of the LORD is from everlasting to everlasting upon them that fear him" (Psa 103:14-17).

Sadly, the story of Doris will be the ultimate story of every person who ultimately dies without knowing God. They have no fear of God left in their hearts.

Yes, It is all spiritual. It all has only to do with thoughts.

"For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal (earthly and material), but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds; Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ; And having in a readiness to revenge all disobedience, when your obedience is fulfilled" (2 Cor 10:4-6).