Soul Construction

Have you heard the definition of HELL, that is making the rounds in Christian circles? HELL is the person you are encountering the person you could have been? The definition hooks into our emotions more than it expresses our theology, but it is a sobering thought.

The part of us that lives for eternity is the immaterial part of ourselves, our soul. The person you are is the person you are on the inside and that is your soul. How are you doing in constructing your soul? How would you feel if the soul you have today, were to be compared to the soul you could have constructed? SOUL CONSTRUCTION presents the concept that what you make of your soul has eternal implications and is important to God.

The soul is that immaterial part of each human being that lives for eternity either with God or separate from God. Every human being who has ever lived had a soul; every human being who is alive today has a soul and every individual who will live in the years to come will have a soul. The human soul is what came into being when God breathed into Adam (Genesis 2:7) and it is that part of you that will live for eternity.

The human soul consists of all the invisible aspects of who you are. It includes your mind (thinking abilities), your emotions and feelings, your memory, your imagination, and your will. Most people are picturing the soul when they use the word "heart" to identify the material part of a person. ("He is all heart"; "She sure has a good heart." etc.) The soul is that unique part of each individual, created in the image of God. No two souls are alike, but each is a divine unique original. There will never be another soul just like your soul.

Each individual soul is created to represent a unique aspect of God's nature, His character and attributes. When the Spirit in a person shines through his or her soul, it shines with a unique flavor...expresses a uniqueness that God intended for that soul to present to the world. Every human being is developing, constructing, growing his own personal unique soul, and God is using all of the events and influences of life in the construction process (Romans 8:28-29).

TREASURES IN HEAVEN

What does a person take into eternity when he or she dies? Obviously the body does not go. None of his or her material possessions make the trip. So what lives in eternity when a person dies? Only the soul, the immaterial part of the person, lives for eternity.

Read this passage from the Gospel of Matthew in light of the idea that your soul lives for eternity:

"Do not store up for your self treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also." Matthew 6:19-21

Perhaps the treasure a person is storing up is his or her soul which is where the heart is.

Paul wrote in I Timothy 4:8 that what we do now has implications for the future. "For physical training is of some value, but godliness has value for all things, holding promise for both the present life and the life to come."

Jesus said, "The Kingdom of God is within you." Perhaps we need to reread some of the Gospels looking at the inner man instead of the outer world. For example, how does the meaning of the Parable of the Talents change if you see the talents as the individual's soul and the capacity of that soul? Were the servants complemented about what they did in the development of their own souls?