THE USE OF THE WORD "SOUL" IN A "PHYSICAL" SENSE  

1. Gen. 2:7 "And the Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the BREATH OF LIFE; and man BECAME A LIVING SOUL."

A. "SOUL" . . . . . . Heb. (Strong's Concordance, Location Number--5315) --"Nephesh" (pronounced Neh'--fesh) (abstract--"Vitality")

2. Ezk. 18:4 "The SOUL THAT SINNETH, IT shall die. ( . . . the SOUL OF THE FATHER, SO ALSO THE SOUL OF THE SON IS MINE)."

A. "SOUL" . . . . . . Heb. ( Strong's Concordance, Location Number--5315) --Same as Gen. 2:7!

3. 1 Kings 17:21, 22 "And he stretched himself upon the child three times, and cried unto the Lord, and said, O Lord my God, I pray thee, let this child's SOUL COME INTO HIM AGAIN.
And the Lord heard the voice of Elijah; AND THE SOUL OF THE CHILD CAME INTO HIM AGAIN, AND HE REVIVED."

A. "SOUL" . . . . . . Heb. ( Strong's Concordance, Location Number -- 5315) --Same as Gen. 2:7 and Ezk. 18:4!

4. 3 John 2 "Beloved, I wish above all things that thou mayest prosper AND BE IN HEALTH, EVEN AS THY SOUL PROSPERETH."

A. "SOUL" . . . . . . Greek ( Strong's Concordance, Location Number -- 5590) --"Psuche" (Pronounced "Psoo-khay" -- "From 5594 -- BREATH . . . corresponding to Greek Dict. Location Number 4151 [which itself cross references to Number 5590] --"Vital Principle . . . Christ's spirit [with a small "s"], the Holy Spirit-ghost, life.")

Webster's Dictionary on the word "Vitality" we read:

A. "Mental OR PHYSICAL vigor; ENERGY."

Webster's Dictionary on the Term -- "Vital Force":

A. "Source and Cause of life in living organisms."

Summary of what Scriptures are telling us about our "Soul"

Comments by Health Instructors concerning health, vitality, strength:

Present Strength and Eternal Life:

1. "God has endowed us with a certain amount of Vital Force (Strength). . . . If we carefully preserve the LIFE FORCE, and keep the delicate mechanism of the body in order, the result is health, but if the Vital Force is too rapidly exhausted the nervous systems BORROWS POWER FOR PRESENT USE FROM ITS RESOURCES OF STRENGTH." Ministry of Healing, pp. 234, 235.

a. BORROWING POWER,

2. "Intemperance in eating and drinking . . . in labor, . . . in almost everything exists on every hand. . . . THEY ARE LIVING ON BORROWED CAPITAL (BORROWED STRENGTH, BORROWED POWER TO LIVE). They are expending the Vital Force WHICH THEY WILL NEED AT A FUTURE TIME. And WHEN the ENERGY they have so recklessly used IS DEMANDED, they fail for want of it. THEIR PHYSICAL STRENGTH IS GONE, the mental powers fail . . . THEIR TIME OF NEED HAS COME, BUT THEIR PHYSICAL SOURCES ARE EXHAUSTED. God has provided us with constitutional force (strength, vital power) WHICH WILL BE NEEDED AT DIFFERENT PERIODS OF OUR LIVES. If we recklessly exhaust this force by continual over-taxation, we shall sometime be losers."

AN ANALOGY!
MAN'S "STRENGTH", "LIFE FORCES" AND A "DUO-BATTERY FOR A CAR:

AB

Rom. 6:23 "The gift of God is ETERNAL LIFE. . . . " Which means that man was created to live forever! With that purpose in mind God installed in man a "Duo Battery" --power for living here on earth, and ALSO power to live throughout eternity!

Counsels on Health, p. 99 "God has provided us with constitution force (strength) WHICH WILL BE NEEDED AT DIFFERENT PERIODS OF OUR LIVES."

As long as I am being judicious about the use of the strength God has given me--I can run on the main battery. (And because God is "all-knowing", He has given me enough to handle all "Legitimate" emergencies).

BUT through "intemperance in eating and drinking . . . in labor . . . in almost everything . . . " I begin to live on "BORROWED CAPITAL (BORROWED STRENGTH) which I "WILL NEED AT A FUTURE TIME."

THEN "if the vital force (strength) is too rapidly exhausted--the nervous system BORROWS POWER FOR PRESENT USE FROM ITS RESOURCES OF STRENGTH" --meaning by reserve source of power.

BUT--DIFFERING FROM A CAR--MY "RESERVE BATTERY" IS NOT FOR THIS LIFE--BUT FOR LIFE ETERNAL! So when I so recklessly use up my present source for strength here on earth, and begin to borrow in order to keep going--I am creating a NEGATIVE AMOUNT in my eternal battery!

And the sad fact is that as I borrow from my "heavenly battery" for my present lack--I will go throughout ETERNITY experiencing a DEFICIT!

And since this "Power"--or "Strength" that we are looking at is both MENTAL AND PHYSICAL--so our deficit will be noted in our SPIRITUAL CAPACITY, OUR MENTAL CAPACITY, as well as OUR PHYSICAL CAPACITY!

Listen to the words from research on this subject:

1. "In this world men and women are to fit themselves to take their place among the nobility of heaven. In this world they are to prepare for translation into the courts above. Those who take up this work as the Bible directs, will, through the grace of Christ become examples of what all must be who enter in through the gates into the city.
PHYSICAL, MENTAL, AND SPIRITUAL GIFTS HAVE BEEN PLACED IN OUR POSSESSION." ( This Day With God, p. 137).

2. "The truth must sanctify the WHOLE MAN, his MIND, his THOUGHTS (MOTIVES), his HEART (spiritual capacity, since mind is already listed), HIS STRENGTH. His Vital Powers (Mental or Physical) will not be consumed upon his own lustful practices. These must be overcome, or they WILL overcome him.

MENTAL

1. "We ourselves will become complete in Christ in this life AND WILL TAKE WITH US TO THE COURTS ABOVE OUR INCREASED CAPABILITIES--THERE TO CONTINUE OUR HIGHER EDUCATION." ( This Day With God, p. 253).

2. "Let none say my way is hid from the Lord; God taketh no knowledge of my ways. Now it may be its not too late, now it may be you can repent. BUT--
even if PARDON IS WRITTEN AGAINST YOUR NAME, you will sustain terrible LOSS; FOR THE SCARS YOU HAVE MADE UPON YOUR SOULS WILL REMAIN." ( TESTIMONIES TO MINISTERS, p. 447).

PHYSICAL

"Every time one of the glorious faculties with which God has enriched man is abused or misused, THAT FACULTY LOSES FOREVER A PORTION OF ITS VIGOR--AND WILL NEVER BE AS IT WAS BEFORE the abuse it suffered. Every abuse inflicted upon our moral nature IN THIS LIFE is felt not only for time (on this earth) BUT FOR ETERNITY. Though God may forgive the sinner, yet ETERNITY WILL NOT MAKE UP that voluntary loss sustained in this life. (And please note the difference between "voluntary" and "involuntary" so as to correctly understand what God is telling us!)

To Go forth INTO THE NEXT, THE FUTURE LIFE, DEPRIVED of half the POWER WHICH MIGHT BE CARRIED THERE (which means you already possess it!) it is a terrible thought. The days of probation lost HERE in acquiring a fitness for heaven, is a loss which WILL NEVER BE RECOVERED. The capacity of enjoyment will be less in the FUTURE LIFE for the misdemeanors and abuse of moral POWERS IN THIS LIFE. However high we might attain IN THE FUTURE LIFE, we might soar higher an still higher IF we had made the most of our God-given privileges and golden opportunities to improve our faculties HERE IN THIS PROBATIONARY EXISTENCE . . . " ( This Day With God, p. 350).

All that is going to happen when TIME ceases and ETERNITY begins is:

1. "When He (Christ) comes He is NOT to cleanse us of our sins, to remove from us the defects in our characters, OR to cure us of the infirmities of our tempers and dispositions. . . . When the Lord comes . . . those who have PRESERVED THEIR BODIES and SPIRITS in holiness, in sanctification and honor WILL THEN RECEIVE THE FINISHING TOUCH of immortality . . ." ( The Faith I Live By, p. 218).

2. 1 Cor. 15:54 "This corruptible shall have put on incorruption (which is just DIFFERENT, NOT NEW AS SOME SAY), and this mortal shall have put on immortality (which, again, is DIFFERENT, NOT NEW), THEN shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, DEATH IS SWALLOWED UP IN VICTORY."

3. "The resurrection of Jesus was a sample of the final resurrection of all who sleep in Him. . . . Though they may have been deformed, diseased, or disfigured in this mortal life, yet in their resurrection and glorified body their individual identity will be perfectly preserved, and we shall recognize, in the face radiant with the light shining from the face of Jesus, the lineaments of those we love" (3SP, 219).

4. "Our personal identity is preserved in the resurrection, though NOT THE SAME PARTICLES OF MATTER OR MATERIAL SUBSTANCES AS WENT INTO THE GRAVE. . . . The spirit, the character of man, IS RETURNED TO GOD, THERE TO BE PRESERVED. In the resurrection every man will have his own character. . . . THE SAME FORM will come forth, but it will be free from disease and every defect.

What is the message of all this?

1. "We should SEEK TO PRESERVE THE FULL VIGOR OF ALL OUR POWERS for the accomplishment of the work before us. WHATEVER DETRACTS FROM PHYSICAL VIGOR WEAKENS MENTAL EFFORT. Hence EVERY PRACTICE UNFAVORABLE TO THE HEALTH OF THE BODY SHOULD BE RESOLUTELY SHUNNED. We CANNOT maintain consecration to God and yet injure our health by willful indulgence to God and yet injure our health by willful indulgence of A WRONG HABIT. ANYTHING that lessens PHYSICAL STRENGTH enfeebles the mind, and makes it less capable of discriminating between right and wrong" (MIND, CHARACTER, AND PERSONALITY, p. 380-381).

2. "Even men and women professing Godliness give loose reign to their lustful passions and have NO THOUGHT that GOD HOLDS THEM ACCOUNTABLE FOR THE EXPENDITURE OF VITAL ENERGY which weakens their hold on life and enervates (Webster--'deprive of strength, force, vigor, etc.; weaken physically, mentally, or morally') the WHOLE SYSTEM" ( TESTIMONIES ON SEXUAL BEHAVIOR, ADULTERY, AND DIVORCE, p. 110, 111).

3. "We are to remember that man has a body (PHYSICAL) as well as a soul (MENTAL AND SPIRITUAL) TO SAVE" ( EVANGELISM, P. 260, 261).

4. "Will those who PROFESS TO BELIEVE that the end of all things is at hand be blind to their own spiritual interest--and live for THIS WORLD, AND THIS LIFE ALONE? Do they expect that their eternal interests WILL TAKE CARE OF ITSELF? THEY NEGLECT PREPARATION FOR ETERNITY WHICH SHOULD BE THE FIRST AND ONLY REAL WORK OF LIFE" ( TESTIMONIES FOR THE CHURCH, vol. 2, p. 574).

5. ONLY WHAT YOU INVEST FOR ETERNITY (BE IT HEALTH OR WEALTH, TIME OR MIND) WILL YOU BE REWARD FOR IN HEAVEN. "Every act casts its weight into the scale that determines life's victory or defeat. And THE REWARD GIVEN TO THOSE WHO WIN WILL BE IN PROPORTION TO the energy and earnestness with which they have striven" ( CONFLICT AND COURAGE, p. 351).

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