| |
SOUL-COMPLETION
By Uriah J. Fields
The ultimate purpose for mortal existence, i.e.,for the existence of man is for him to be engaged in soul-completion. The soul had better things to do and was already at a better place in it preexistence state in Heaven than to mortally exist on Earth. However, actualization of the soul - soul-completion - required the soul to be released from "glory land" and abide on earth so that man could work out his soul salvation which could not be done when the soul was in preexistence.
The hypothesis: actualization of the soul working toward soul-completion is the primary reason a person is born. That is to say man's only reason for being alive is to work toward soul-completion.
What is the soul? In man there is an immaterial essence and animated spiritual principle which is the actuating cause of a human life. The soul is the spiritual part of a person. It is immortal and eternal.
The soul preexisted in God or with God before man. But the soul did not before, during or after creation, exist in plants, fowls, animals or anything else that God created. Only man "became a living soul." The soul is the spiritual part which includes the will, conscience, moral apparatus, and the capacity-potential for development and enlightenment, and once released from Heaven it ceaselessly yearns to be one with God, i.e., for soul-completion. The earthbound origin of the soul:
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.
-- Genesis 2:7
When God formed man out of the dust of the ground he was not a soul. It was only after God breathed into his nostrils the breath of life that "he became a living soul," a being capable of hearing the voice of God, receiving orders from God, possessing freedom to obey or disobey God and having the ability to love God. This is man.
As an earthbound creature man has the opportunity to do many things, almost everything he can imagine. But it is only things that enable him to advance toward soul-completion that matters. To reiterate, working toward soul-completion is the purpose for man being on Earth. To that end, the foremost thing a person can do is to "glorify God."John Wesley states it this way:
Do all the good you can,
In all the ways you can,
In all the places you can,
At all the times you can,
To all the people you can.
And may I add, do all the good you can, especially now and give all to love.
Although no earthly work, regardless to how noble it is, is sufficient to enable a person to achieve full soul-completion, when a person works ceaselessly toward soul-completion it is counted to him as having achieved soul-completion.
How can a person know that he is effectively working toward soul-completion? He can measure it by the amount or degree of joy he has in life. Even suffering cannot overcome joy. Jesus said:
These things have I spoken unto you, that
my joy might remain in you, and that your
joy might be full.
--John 15:11
Copyright 2015 by Uriah J. Fields
Follow me on Facebook and Twitter
|
