Biola University - Biolan Yearbook (La Mirada, CA)

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The Soul as the Whole Being If we consider the soul in this broader sense as being the inner self or the whole being, loving God with our whole soul becomes a much less nebulous task. Rather than being separate from practical Christian living, the soul generates the activities and decisions in the believer's life, and is necessarily active as he strives to love God with his mind and strength as well. If it is true that the expression Hsouli' can refer to the whole person, then how does loving God from the soul differ from loving Him from the mind or heart? In the first place, the soul stands apart as the eternal element of man. Unlike the body, the soul does not deteriorate with age. The fact that the soul remains constant both throughout earthly life and after gives the Christian a much greater wealth of responsibility to love God. C.S. Lewis has said, A A... Christianity asserts that every individual human being is going to live forever. . .Now there are a good many things which wouldn't be worth bother- ing about if I were going to live only seventy years, but which lid better bother about very seriously if I am going to live forever. With this in mind, loving with the soul suddenly becomes a matter of much greater concern. The soul's capacities for the characteristics of the whole beingl transcend mere thought or emotion and include man's ultimate spiri- tual responsibility. Though some men will choose to employ their minds in the worship and service of the King, and though many through His grace will feel His presence, men as whole beings will inevitably confess that Jesus Christ is Lord. Tertullian has said, There is not a soul of man that does not from the light that is in itself proclaim Godf, Expressions from the Soul For those who have realized the Lordship of Christ, loving Him with all their souls means more than following a well-reasoned method or depending on irregular emotions. i'For the word of God is. , .sharper than any two edged sword, and piercing as far as the division of soul and spirit . . The believer needs to worship and obey from his whole being. He does this by employing his particular talents, be they artistic, athletic or social. Perhaps the most wondrous 'Asoul expressions are those dealing with the arts. These gifts represent a special aura of love, and though one may inherit the capacity to do well in a given field, he must choose to reflect God,s own creative attribute. The pro- ducts of artistic expression are precious in- deed, be they paintings, symphonies, photo- graphs, poems or other forms. What is essen- tial is the motivation behind each creative act, the desire of the Christian to fully com- municate love to his Lord. If Christians fully realized the implications of the charge to love God with all their souls, what a tremendous showcase of abilities and talents would the body of Christ be. And as each member devotedly expresses his whole self to his Savior in love, he can proclaim, It is well, it is well, with my soul. Lyn Miller is a Senior English,'Print Media major and served this year as editor-in-chief of the Chimes. 15

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COMMANDMENT CONCEPTS The Soul: The Seat of Creativity and Worship By LYN MILLER or many of us, the term soul is a somewhat shadowy one. ln the continu- ing aftermath of the high emphasis placed on science and technology in the last several years, the immaterial elements of our envi- ronment have been largely discredited. Ra- tionalism and scientific discovery have been idolized, and as a result the church has ne- glected to make clear just what the soul is. ln Christian circles, it seems that the soul is most often seen as the distinctly non-physical, eternal element of each man. When we say i'He saved my soul, we usually are speaking of the fact that we have secured an entrance into the presence of God after death. We often view the soul as the part of us that receives eternal blessings, while vaguely feel- ing that it has little to do with current day-to- day living. The fact that Christians have been commanded to love God with their souls as well as with their hearts, minds and strength, though, dissolves the idea that the soul is not active in the here and now. The words translated in scripture as 'gsoul are used in a variety of ways, The Psalmist says, My soul, wait only upon God, and silently submit to l-lim, for my hope and expectation are from Him lPsalms 62:5l. Here the soul is referred to as David's inner self, his being, and is active in submitting to God. In Proverbs 25:25, the soul takes on physical qualities: i'As cold waters to a thirsty soul, so is good news from a far coun- try. The soul is also referred to as the seat of the emotions, as when Jesus, aware of his impending death, told his disciples, 'Amy soul is exceeding sorrowful, even unto death . . . Wlatthew 26:38l. Chapel provides daily nourishment for the soul through a variety of speakers, musicians and special presentations. 14

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, ,044 f- L-'J 'k5N.z 135 a i K now that wisdom is this for your soulg if you find it then there will be a future, and your hope will not be cut off. Proverbs 24:14 16 Chapel Hn N, slip Ili x pqi 4 I -Q. ,,,,,.,1 'll pw 4 M95 ,,.,,,.-Q- W V' Vit +1 4 .V Q? uf 'X LA. ,,,r, vb y 122.1 1 -W 1 .1-fl i ,Tb-, L ' 1 ,L . fr-mgffi. . .. , ' jg: gi: , 5 Q - .f 1, . 2