The Physical Body, the Spiritual Body

By Ainsley Chalmers

I became a Christian in my fortieth year. Not long after, it dawned on me that there was a spiritual counterpart to some of my medical research findings and to what I had been teaching medical students. This research included my findings in the areas of cancer, renal stone chemistry, clinical biochemistry, and factors affecting immunity. This correlation between the physical and spiritual was exciting and enhancing to my Christian walk and is discussed in detail in this book. I have tried to remove any scientific terms and details which may confuse the reader and have written it in a simplified, hopefully more understandable, scientific language so that even those with limited scientific knowledge may understand it.

In my initial Christian walk, I was a theistic evolutionist for about twenty years. That is, I believed in God but went along with the evolution story as I had been taught in university studies. However, the first few chapters on Genesis in the bible didnt make much sense through the lens of evolution. So I brought my scientific knowledge to test these chapters of Genesis. To cut a long story short, I am now a creationist. The first few chapters on Genesis now make complete sense scientifically, as is discussed in this book. In this endeavor I had the considerable help of the Creation Science Group (Creation.com), and my thanks go to them. I should emphasize that my salvation as a Christian has little to do with my creation beliefs. However, my creation beliefs are a firm foundation of my cornerstone beliefs of salvation, justification, and redemption through the sacrifice of Jesus Christ on the cross of Calvary for my sins, two thousand years ago.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Balboa Press AU
• Release date: Aug 8, 2014
• ISBN: 9781452524993

Ainsley Chalmers

Ainsley Chalmers earned a PhD in medical science from Flinders University. He is a committed Christian and has worked in medical research in university hospitals for more than forty years. He’s written nearly one hundred publications on renal stones, cancer, medical biochemistry, and factors affecting immunity.

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Copyright © 2014 ainsley chalmers.

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The author of this book does not dispense medical advice or prescribe the use of any technique as a form of treatment for physical, emotional, or medical problems without the advice of a physician, either directly or indirectly. The intent of the author is only to offer information of a general nature to help you in your quest for emotional and spiritual well-being. In the event you use any of the information in this book for yourself, which is your constitutional right, the author and the publisher assume no responsibility for your actions.

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ISBN: 978-1-4525-2498-6 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-4525-2499-3 (e)

Balboa Press rev. date: 09/17/2014

CONTENTS

Chapter 1 Introduction

Chapter 2 Genes

Chapter 3 The Signicance of Blood

Chapter 4 Gasses of Life and Death

Chapter 5 Nutrition

Chapter 6 The Significance of Salt

Chapter 7 The Body as a Whole

This book is dedicated to the memory of my wife Denise who led me to Jesus Christ and went to be with the Lord in December 1991.

It is also dedicated to my children Joanne, Nicole, Jacqueline, John (deceased) and my grandchildren Joshua, Matthew, Isaac, George, Charles and Rubi Rose (great grandchild).

I would also like to acknowledge the many who have helped me in my Christian walk and finally to Creation Ministry International who helped by tying up a lot of theological loose ends in my journey with the Lord thereby helping to increase my faith in him.

To the ideas and inspiration for this book I give God the glory because without his help it would not have been.

CHAPTER 1

INTRODUCTION

I was asked to speak to a Christian group on Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS) because of my research activity in this area. The plan was to give a general address on the scientific aspects of AIDS such as how HIV virus (Human Immunodeficiency Virus) kills immune cells in the body, the epidemiology and spread of the disease. However whilst writing this talk, it seemed that the scientific /medical aspects of AIDS had a spiritual counterpart (this aspect is explored further in the chapter on Genes).

The concept that the physical and spiritual may be interrelated was a new concept to me. It probably would be true to say that most people including scientists believe that the disciplines of Science and Theology are two separate, unrelated (sometimes antagonistic) disciplines. Science is centered mainly on the physical or seeable dimension and Theology on the invisible or spiritual. The main area they meet, or rather clash, are in the ethical domain such as in vitro fertilization, stem cell research, cloning, abortion,euthanasia, evolution vs creationism and possibly others. However in scripture we find the apostle Paul had spoken on the physical/spiritual connection in his letter to the Corinthians (1 Cor 15: 44-49) which says in verse 44: It was sown a natural body; it is raised a spiritual body. There is a natural body and there is a spiritual body. This scripture changed the boundaries of my scientific and theological thinking allowing further scientific/spiritual insights to come and some of these are expressed in this book. In other words, my experiences in the scientific/medical area appeared to have a spiritual counterpart to them.

This view was exciting because it opened up a new panorama on the spirituality contained within the physical world, particularly in relation to certain aspects of biochemistry and physiology familiar to myself.

So the pages of this book have arisen mostly from talks given to Christian people in the Adelaide district many years ago. There always seems to be a few more insights/pearls which reveal themselves when one is asked to speak on this subject. As to whether this revelation is from God or not, only the reader can make that decision. However, my feeling is that the contents of this book are from God, as revealed by the Holy Spirit, because what is written concurs with God’s word as expressed in the Bible. Secondly it is inconsistent with my usual way of thinking which is far more scientific than theological. My hope for this book is that the reader finds this revelation challenging, enlightening, lifegiving and uplifting. Anyway it is the Holy Spirit’s job to convict the reader of this.

Why God may have motivated the writing of this book is a big question mark as it was never my intention to write a spiritual (or any) book for that matter. It cannot be because of my Christian walk as it is far from being as fervent or committed as it should be. To be honest, the author is an old cracked clay vessel but nonetheless still a work in progress for the Lord. On the positive side, Jesus Christ is my Lord and Saviour and, for those accepting him, salvation is through his sacrificial death on the cross of Calvary over 2,000 years ago. My experience, like many other Christians in this life, is that all blessings in this life and the next is through God’s grace, love and mercy as expressed through His son Jesus Christ. Most Christians, like me, would agree that without God’s grace and direction we’d have no chance of achieving anything worthwhile anytime, anywhere.

This book is written in a simple repetitive manner with much scientific jargon removed where possible, hopefully making it easily understood. Despite this simplification of science, an attempt has been made to be as accurate as possible without confusing the reader. Similarly, an attempt is made to present scriptural sayings as simply as possible but hopefully in a balanced way. May it reach the hearts, minds and souls of the people God may want to speak to through its pages.

A short biographical account of is given to allow the reader to assess my academic credentials in science. My birthplace was in Lucknow India in 1938, the eldest of five boys in our family. In 1948, we emigrated to South Australia where my parents sent me to both primary and secondary Catholic schools. After secondary school, work full-time as a laboratory analyst in the mining industry ensued whilst attending the University of Adelaide after hours in order to undertake a Bachelor of Science degree. After completing the degree, marriage to Denise followed in 1964 and we subsequently had three daughters and a son who unfortunately died stillborn in 1967. A position in the Department of Surgery at the University of Adelaide to set up a biochemistry research laboratory allowed me to fulfil a desire to do research in medical biochemistry. Whilst working full-time, I commenced a Master of Science programme in 1966. The research component of this degree entailed working on the mechanism of action of a clinical immunosuppressive drug called azathioprine which allowed clinical success in renal transplantation. Thanks to expert supervision by academic supervisors, the research went very well and a Doctor of Philosophy degree by Flinders University of South Australia was awarded in 1972. This was followed by a post-doctoral fellowship for 2 years in the cancer area and later a tenured position in clinical biochemistry in South Australian state government run laboratories.

My research publications have spanned a variety of diverse areas such as: cancer, immunodeficiencies, renal stone biochemistry, anti-inflammatory drugs, AIDS and the biochemical changes in psychological stress leading to impaired immunity . After about 75 research publications and 30 years experience as a Chief Medical Scientist in charge of a laboratory at Flinders Medical Centre retirement followed in 2003. My other work related responsibility was to teach medical students various aspects of medical biochemistry, immunology and haematology. For this activity, Senior Lecturer status was conferred on me by Flinders University of South Australia. Although retired there is still some teaching and research involvement in my life, in addition to writing this book.

My Christian training includes a Catholic school education as well as 4 years of experiences in various charismatic churches. On the 25th of July 1977, my Christian walk really took off following a personal touch from Christ after pray from a spirit-filled minister. That time saw a rededication of my life to Christ followed by an immediate life changing spiritual or born again transformation that only the Holy Spirit can effect in one’s life. Prior to this life changing experience my Christian walk was practically non-existent. At that time, God, if he existed, was more of a strict school master living up there in Heaven just waiting for me to make a mistake. One could never seem to do enough to please him or experience his reality. In the end there was one spiritually worn out person who quit going to church and began to doubt whether God existed. Obviously, his love was not evident to me at that time. The following scripture in 1 Cor 2:14 described me to a tee: But the natural man receiveth not the things of the spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them for they are spiritually discerned: that is discerned by the inner being of man. God however was very patient and it was the infilling of the Holy