The Soul has been a complex topic that many people have confused. We are looking at what The Soul is as defined by The Bible. We are looking at The Soul in cause and effect ways. Imagine a white board in a classroom. Take a black marker and draw an outline of a person. Not a stick figure, an outline like the police chalking a body. The outline of a person on the whiteboard may represent a Soul when a person is born. Why white? White like "Sins made white." White like a virgin bride on her wedding day. White like Jesus will dress us in white. White represents innocence, and the person may not have made any decisions, or experienced anything.
When a person experiences something, or makes a decision, that may leave a mark on the soul. A mark on the soul may be a teacher giving a compliment that builds someone up. It may be a bully at school being abusive. It may be celebrating Christmas with family. Both good and bad things may have left some sort of mark on the soul.
Have you seen the movie "The Butterfly Effect?" In the movie, the main character has the ability to time travel, and start all over. He was working to stop a horrible event that scarred some people he cared about. Every time he did, things became worse. One tragedy lead into another. The main character's main love interested had The Same Soul. Due to environment factors, things she experienced, and decisions made after, she was a little different each time. During one time travel, she may have been a pretty regular person. During another, due to things she went through and environmental factors, she ended up on drugs and a prostitute.
In the DC Universe, there are other dimensions or Universes. Superman in one Universe is for Truth, Justice, and the American Way. In another Universe Superman loses Lois Lane, and he loses his head. He experienced something that was traumatic to him, and became evil and Totalitarian. Superman losing Lois Lane left some sort of mark on Superman's soul. He ended up making decisions afterwards in sin and anger that also left things on his soul. The problem may have been a wound. It hurt to lose Lois. Superman's decision making afterwards was off when he lost his head, and allowed anger or rage to fuel him.
There are two Concepts here:
Decisions made. Freewill.
Things experienced that someone may not have had control of like a tragedy or an authority figure. It may have been something that just happened by fate, coincidence, or God?
Man makes a decision to go have ice-cream at the ice-cream store one day. He made a decision that he believed would make him feel good. He ends up meeting his future wife. He made a decision. Something unexpected happened?
Spirits
The Bible mentions Spirits. Spirits effect motivation. Here is a short list of some spirits mentioned.
Deaf and dumb spirit (Mark 9:17-29)
Lying spirit (II Chronicles 18:20-22)
Perverse spirit (Isaiah 19:14; Romans 1:17-32)
Seducing spirit (I Timothy 4:1)
More at: https://www.christcenteredmall.com/teachings/evil-spirits.htm
What are these Spirits doing? They are influencing. They are effecting motivations. Someone with a seducing spirit or spirit of prostitution may have been on tinder in the wrong way? Someone with a lying tongue may have been a habitual liar? Someone with one of these spirits, their character may have been molded a certain way. Their soul, who they are, may have been molded to something. Part of their identity, even if it was subconscious, may have been molded to something. Some Spirits are generational. They may have been passed down from Generation to Generation. There may have been generational curses on some families. (Deuteronomy 5:9) Some spirits someone may have picked up by being in sin, and being unrepentant. Someone's Soul or character may have been molded around something.
In Christianity, keeping this non-denominational as much as possible, in general, a Christian to be is repenting of their sins, they go to Church and do what the pastor guides them into, such as baptism, and accepting in The Spirit of God. They are being cleansed, and their souls may be refreshed. Jesus heals people of their wounds, and the bad marks on the soul. When someone repents, and accepts in The Spirit of God, they are praying, they are studying their Bible, and they working to develop Godly character. Those other spirits are exorcised, and someone has The Spirit of God. They work to develop Godly Character. The Spirit of God wraps or entwines into someone's soul.
I have liked the concept of Thumos as a holistic way of looking to develop Godly Character.
Post: "Thumos and Holy Fire."
Thumos as described by Plato get deeper into what it means to be a man. Someone is doing a character study of God in the Bible. They are seeking God with all their heart, and SOUL,(Identity) and strength and mind. They are growing in Reason and Faith. Part of thumos being how a man reasons.
One of the reasons
thumos has been most profound has been "Spiritual Warfare" attacking
men, and what it means to be a man. Identity politics and Political
Correctness have been form of Spiritual Warfare attacking how men view
themselves and view God. Man is THE GLORY of God. What is Glory?
Something glorious may have been David standing up to Goliath. Glory
may be a man producing a work of art through God. Glory may be a new
born child. Getting into Thumos, a man may be developing the creative
energies of Logos through God's Holy Spirit in meekness to God.
Heart and Soul and Strength and Mind
- 5 And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might.. (Deuteronomy 6:5)
- He answered, "'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind'; and, 'Love your neighbor as yourself.'" (Luke 10:27)
Song to Preface this: Heuy Lewis "Heart and Soul."
A year and a half ago I lived in walking distance from Duke University. Given someone was a Duke fan, or Duke Alumni, or had a lot of Duke Paraphernalia, they may have loved Duke University. How did they love Duke University? They loved Duke with their Soul or Identity. When Duke wins or has done well, they rejoice? They feel good? In their soul, they rejoice. That is where the soul is. Given anyone has been a sports fan at some point, and has identified as a fan of ___________ their soul rejoices when their team does well.
What is a soul? A soul is a person. In the Bible, given a King has fifty souls, he possibly has fifty servants or subjects. How do those subjects or servants identity themselves? Part of their identity may have been “A servant or subject of King Solomon” or “member of the Tribe of Judah.” They loved something with their Soul. Given someone loves or identifies with one Political Party of the other strongly in 2019, they may be loving something with their identity. Someone identifying with The Democrats, regardless of if they have believed in Jesus or not, may care more about what their friends think, and be prone to certain attitudes that lean towards ungodliness. Are their bad people on The Right? Yes. The State of Tennessee has been known to be Conservative. It is also the most politically corrupt state in the Union, and has accepted more liberal views on morality? There may have been ugly things going on behind closed doors in the State of Tennessee? What was the root of the problem? False teachers and false Prophets promoting sin and immorality, like “Sex Week” at the University of Tennessee, and societies general acceptance of it, in a “Whatever floats your boat” way.
There is a stripping process to growing in Faith. Someone growing in Faith should identify as a child of God, and work to build God’s Kingdom. Someone rejecting the world, and working to please God may end up hated. Faith is not easy.
The Soul and Identity.
The Song of Songs is in the Bible as a representation of God's Love for Israel.
In the New Testament, The Church is a Bride for Christ.
Christ is to man as a man is to woman or Christ is the head of man as man is the head of woman. (1 Corinthians 11:3)
Marriage has been an important part of The Bible and Faith and growing in understanding.
Wives, in the same way submit yourselves to your own husbands so that, if any of them do not believe the word, they may be won over without words by the behavior of their wives, (1 Peter 3:1)
Woman is meek before her husband. Man is meek before God. A woman loving her husband with her heart and soul may have taken his name. She is forging a new identity as Mrs. _____________. Someone with a Hyphenated last name is one foot in, one foot out. Who or what does she love more? Her husband or Feminism? Feminists tend towards socialism. Is a woman really married to her husband or more married to The State? Woman is meek before her husband. A man is meek before God.
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