God, through the Spirit, embodies himself in the spirit of all mankind.
2 Timothy 1
14That good thing which was committed to
you, keep by the Holy Spirit who dwells in us.
Jesus himself told us that the Kingdom of God is within[1]. This unique and special gift to mankind, from God and through the Spirit, is what we call our Soul. Within our soul is a piece of virtue given to us from God, through His Spirit, giving us some understanding of God that is unique to man and supplies us with an internal moral compass. This Spirit moves all of us from within to seek out the highest possible morals and values from God, and seek out the highest possible integrity we can attain.
The Soul is where all of our deep heart felt feelings arise from and are neither right or wrong, they just are. I do not speak of feelings of the flesh or desire, but the righteous and passionate ones deep within our heart. Our feelings are what move us, and it is this that brings life to the living, and departs the flesh upon death. Our deepest feelings, both good and bad, are vital for our character so that we can truly become that which God intended for us to become. It is up to each one of us to discern these feelings so that we may act accordingly in the direction God chooses, which is often the more painful, long and difficult path.
The Spirit within desires a passionate and personal relationship with the Spirit of God. Gods Spirit within has given us all the knowledge of knowing the difference between right from wrong. Yet, being born in the flesh, we struggle with this and become diverted finding other paths, which is only an illusion. This virtue God gave to us, and the flesh, are in constant turmoil with each other and constantly compromising the integrity that our Spirit truly seeks. This struggle causes mankind to have intense, conflicting, and powerful emotions. This gift of Gods virtue and the internal turmoil that occurs is one major difference that separates us from the rest of Gods creation here on Earth. All other creation knows its purpose here on Earth better than mankind. And mankind spends a life time trying to figure his purpose out. Yet, when one finds and accepts Gods love through the love of God’s Spirit, this turmoil can truly subside.
Being made in Gods image the soul has the same desire to create which is the same as that of the Creator. Although the animal kingdom can create a den or nest, none has the abilities and imagination as people do. We create and imagine in all we do. It truly flourishes when it transforms into the spiritual passion of Gods love, whether it is art, music, or even dancing. The list is endless. All the things we have today, the Internet, buildings, vehicles, everything around that has been built by mankind is a result of this passion and imagination for they all were imagined first, and then developed from the raw materials of this world. This creative Spirit inherit in mankind is the reflection given to us in our Spirit from our Creator.
The Soul attempts to achieve a personal oneness with God, yet this is proportionate to ones own awareness of its existence within them. The soul is everlasting and in both life, and after life, we will always be on the path to find a oneness with God through the Spirit. The key in life is to find our path while at the same time knowing we will never complete it. Once we find our path, we find our destiny. There is a paradox that enters once this path is found, for each step one takes down this path, two more are added and this journey is truly endless.
God made man in his image, a representation of himself. God made mankind to be both Man and Woman to reflect both God and Spirit. When the unity between Man and Woman comes together, they become the full representation of God in their Spirits. The two Souls become as one in Spirit in the same way that the Spirit is in oneness with God.
The closer one comes to this knowledge of the Spirit within, the more empathy, compassion and understanding one will have for others, and the more love one feels within their own heart. God gave man free will because He knew that he could only love us proportionately to our willingness to love Him through His Spirit.