What Is a Human Being? An Explanation of How and Why Intelligent Creatures Succeed and Fail Eternally

By Wyne Ince

What Is a Human Being?

Humans are fascinating beings that have captured the interest of philosophers, contemporary thinkers, great theorists, and others for centuries. However, despite unending research and the many theories that abound, we continue to wrestle with the how, why, when, and where of humanity. Who are we? Are we merely biosocial beings more highly intelligent than other living organisms? Or is there more? Why are we here on Earth? Where were we before conception? What happens with us after our earthly departure? What is, indeed, the true essence of a human?

In a direct answer to these and other pertinent questions, this supernaturally inspired book demystifies the nature, origin, purpose, and destiny of humans. Detailed and exceptionally written from a Bible-respectful perspective, the author engages in a compelling discourse on the makeup, behaviors, and eternal prospects of human beings. Discover who you are, whose you are, and why your eternity is non-trivial. Learn more about the foundational topics of intelligence, foolishness, repentance, wisdom, love and hate, good and evil, Heaven and Hell.

Each chapter is designed as a self-contained unit of timely information that motivates, enlightens, and fosters spontaneous devotional reading.

Also discover
• How to live and effectively interact with God and fellow earthlings
• How to make the right choices between the trajectories of love and hate, good and evil.
• How to successfully make your journey back to Heaven • The importance of managing life and time
• The “Once Saved Always Saved” doctrine―wisdom or folly?
• And more

• Language: English
• Publisher: Wyne Ince
• Release date: Jul 13, 2022
• ISBN: 9781005145385

Wyne Ince

Wyne Ince doesn't consider himself a theologian, preacher, or even formally trained in delivering God's instructions. However, he believes that developing and maintaining a timely relationship with Jesus is the wisest engagement of a lifetime. Logically, Ince concludes that since God owns everything, humans can own nothing, so, as intelligent beings, why go to Hell for nothing? He also reckons that God loves everyone, including those in Hell. Therefore, we escape eternal destruction with God’s help but also with our involvement.He received his Bachelor of Computer Information Systems degree from the City University of New York (CUNY). He then pursued his Master of Telecommunication and Information Management degree from the Polytechnic Institute of New York University (NYU). He has been a follower of Jesus Christ for many years. To remain persistent and focused on the narrow road, he regularly practices praising, praying, fasting, and what is pleasing in the eyes of God.

Book preview

INTRODUCTION

GOD SEES YOU

Lord, I thank You for this opportunity to offer words of guidance and encouragement to my fellow brothers and sisters through Jesus Christ, our Lord. Amen.

A WORD OF THANKSGIVING

The Lord is gracious and full of compassion, slow to anger, and great in mercy. The Lord is good to all, and His tender mercies are over all His works. (Psalms 145:8-9 NKJV)

Humans arrive on Earth in various colors and shapes and are endowed with inalienable intelligence to accomplish God’s will on Earth. Take a look around at your family members. Think about the joys, smiles, and challenges, as well as other tangibles and intangibles they deposit in the household.

It may be surprising that, according to Ephesians 1:4, each member is a unique fallen being, older than Earth, and an immigrant on this terrestrial ball we call home. Living in this sin-wrecked world is a blessing and a curse. Blessedly and tangibly, we are not in Hell—though that option is not off the table—and neither are we in Heaven, though we are from there as Jesus Himself is.

For He chose us in Him, before the foundation of the world, to be holy and blameless in love before Him. (Ephesians 1:4 CSB)

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For I, [Jesus], have come down from Heaven, not to do my own will but the will of Him who sent Me. (John 6:38 ESV)

No one wants to be identified as the weakest link in any engagement. Moreover, no one would willingly pursue a prospect that would yield nothing, especially in the long run. Anyone living outside of a relationship with God is not profitable to His kingdom—this book can help repair that issue.

Everyone strives for material or visible profit. However, the real you and I are spiritual. Hence, neglecting our true selves will most assuredly have a disastrous end. You have the power to avoid that. You can choose. Your true worth is internal, not external, and God, by His Spirit inside of you, is ever working to transform your soul into an eternal being of value.

In other words, you do not have to die spiritually or become a useless being in Hell after your final breath. You can live now victoriously and forever with the likes of Solomon, the wisest person ever known, Moses, the man God used mightily against the rebellious Pharaohs to relieve the Israelites from over 400 years of bondage, and certainly, with the disciples of Christ. Of course, this is not to exclude members from your ancestral pool who may be now inside the Pearly Gates.

To the disbelief of some, God and Jesus exist, and Earth is the place He wants us to develop an eternally-enduring relationship with them. However, this concept is not unbelievable, when you know your value. You are more than anyone can see, even more than you know. You are not just flesh and blood. You are soul and Spirit. In fact, perfection lives within you through the Spirit of God. Do you know that?

Do you know there are two types of death? Yes, there is physical and spiritual death. Would you like to understand more about them? Read this guide to examine the critical perspectives of what a human being is and to answer your questions about both deaths, what they are, and which one occurs first. Also, discover why the once saved always saved doctrine is utter nonsense.

In some solid words of wisdom in Proverbs 31:30, Solomon warns that Charm is deceitful and beauty is passing. In other words, everything we see does not possess the value it immediately projects or proposes. The challenge this presents for most of us is we cannot readily differentiate truth from falsity due to spiritual immaturity, native Adamic inabilities, and blurry spiritual vision as described in 1 Corinthians 13:12.

For now, we see in a mirror, dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part, but then I shall know just as I also am known. (1 Corinthians 13:12 NKJV)

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And Jesus answered and said to them: Take heed that no one deceives you. (Matthew 24:4 NKJV)

As I explained in the preface, I was instructed by the audible voice of God to write this book, so you are in for a treat. As you may have sensed already, I will introduce things you have possibly never heard. But they are believable and logical. Bear in mind as you read that I could not have written this guide without God’s impartations. I am happy to share what I have learned with you.

In Scripture, God says His people are destroyed for lack of knowledge. To that end, this writing aims to fill that gap. It will equip you with information to help you understand and appreciate who and whose we are, as well as to identify and defeat the Adversary, Satan. I aim to prepare your soul for a life of bliss in eternity and to demystify what constitutes a human being.

I believe far too many of us have an insufficient understanding of and appreciation for the privilege and weightiness of what it means to be a human being. This attitude can be everlastingly devastating. I don't like disaster or failure, and I am sure you don't either.

God created us for His pleasure, not to give Him pain. We practically recognize and observe the said truth when we avoid sinful engagements because, since God is our only life source, it takes His strength or energy to do good or evil. Eternal ruin is in the future for a soul that causes Him discomfort and refuses to repent or change its behavior. We are more than what is seen by the naked eye, and you are as important to God as Christ Jesus is to Him (Romans 8:16-17).

The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, then heirs—heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, provided we suffer with him so that we may also be glorified with him. (Romans 8:16-17 ESV)

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God is faithful, by whom you were called into the fellowship of his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord. (1 Corinthians 1:9 ESV)

Jesus’ life is the perfect example of what it takes to reenter Heaven. There is nothing trivial about your eternal worth. I ask you to read this book with care and an attitude of due diligence so you can understand how valuable you are. The spiritual insights in these writings keep me in check as I ponder each day on the God-given impartations on what it is to be a human being. I am amazed, and I hope you will be, too.

Serve the LORD with gladness: come before His presence with singing. Know ye that the LORD He is God; it is He that hath made us and not we ourselves; we are His people and the sheep of His pasture. (Psalms 100:2-3, KJV)

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As for man, his days are like grass; as a flower of the field, so he flourishes. For the wind passes over it, and it is gone, and its place remembers it no more. But the mercy of the LORD is from everlasting to everlasting on those who fear Him, and His righteousness to children's children. To such as keep his covenant, and to those that remember his commandments to do them. (Psalms 103:15-18, NKJV)

KEY TERMS

A QUICK LOOK

Devil (Satan) — Slanderer and accuser. Chief of evil spirits and wicked angels. If God permits, he can afflict human beings with physical and spiritual suffering for their sins, but only to the extent that God allows. For example, in Psalm 103:10-11, we find out that [God] has not punished us as we deserve for all our sins, for His mercy toward those who fear and honor Him is as great as the height of the heavens above the earth. Being himself sinful, Satan instigates us to sin and tempts us to do evil. But if believers resist his appeals, he will flee from them. Death was brought into the world by sin; thus, the Devil has the power of death, but Christ has triumphed over him through His death, lovingly and mercifully equipping us to do the same.

God — The self-existent, uncreated, immortal, invisible Creator and Sustainer of all. Effectively, He has no competition. Satan, for example, is just another of His creations. God does not send anyone to Hell; we make the decision to do so at the courtesy of free will.

Heaven — The eternal residence of all who refuse Satan's invitation to Hell. 

Hell — The abode of all who reject God's invitation to reenter and rejoin Him in Heaven.

Jesus — He is God Himself but in the role of Sonship. He differs from the Father in one way, according to Matthew 24:36: Concerning that day and hour [when Christ will return] no one knows, not even the angels of Heaven, nor the Son, but the Father [God] only.

Repentance — To change one's mind or purpose for the better. In a biblical context, it refers to rejecting sin and turning to God. Christ began His ministry with a call to repentance.

Salvation — Rescue from sin. It is the spiritual and eternal deliverance granted immediately by God to those who accept His conditions of holiness and faith in the Lord Jesus. It is in Jesus alone that repentance is obtained (and maintained) upon confession to Him as Lord. In other words, salvation is the blessings bestowed by God on us in Christ through the Holy Spirit.

Satan (the Devil, the Dragon, the Deceiver, the Serpent, the Accuser) — Chief adversary, rival, opposer, or competitor. Satan is not simply the essence of evil influences in our hearts but he is also a real danger to those who seek to reenter Heaven. However, he is doomed, and true believers are assured of victory over him.

Sin — Missing or losing sight of the mark and rejecting the will of God, choosing to live according to the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life. It also means working with Satan instead of God, siding with evil over good, or opting for Hell instead of Heaven.

Spirit (soul) — The nonphysical part of a person, also called the soul, mind, or heart is the seat of one’s emotions, character, and decision-making. Similar to the wind or breath, it is invisible, immaterial, and powerful. Spirit (capitalized) refers to the breath of life or Immanuel (God with us, in us).

Soul (spirit, not Spirit) — The image of God or the immaterial, inanimate, invisible part of a human being. It is the seat of rebirth, personality, appetite, perception, reflection, feeling, desire, and purpose. Both body and soul are the primary constituents of a person. The Spirit (or third member) is our life and represents God Himself in us (Immanuel). The soul is our imperfect or fallen state, while the Spirit is perfection, which is required to create and maintain life.

Test (trial, examination)— A check for or demonstration of performance, qualities, or the suitability of someone or something. The goal is never to destroy the subject, only to assess and reveal its readiness for an engagement.

Temptation (lure and snare)— The opposite of testing. Temptation is intended to harm or destroy the subject or target. God only tests us, while Satan and demons tempt us.

PRELIMINARY CONSIDERATION

WISDOM IS DOING GOD’S WILL

As a dog returns to his own vomit, so a fool repeats his folly. (Proverbs 26:11 NKJV)

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Because the sentence against an evil act is not executed quickly, the hearts of the sons of men are fully set to do evil. Though a sinner does evil a hundred times and his life [seemingly] is prolonged [in spite of his wickedness], still I know that it will be well with those who [reverently] fear God, who fear and worship Him openly [realizing His omnipresence and His power]. (Ecclesiastes 8:11-12, AMP)

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Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man. For God shall bring every work into judgment, with every secret thing, whether it be good, or whether it be evil. (Ecclesiastes 12:13-14, KJV)

ESCAPING THE TRICK WITH TRUTH

THE RUN FOR ETERNAL LIFE

This section aims to raise awareness of the life-giving truth that there is only one God, Who lives in all as the Spirit in everyone and provides life to perform His will on Earth. However, the cunningness of Satan and other dark beings has enlisted and trapped humanity in artful conduct through the millennia, which is still producing generations of damaged souls with blurry visions and overall spiritual sluggishness. These people are images of God who have been duped into thinking they are gods without accountability. What a wholesale lie to dispatch to intelligent beings.

THE TRUTH

There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called in one hope of your calling; one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all. (Ephesians 4:4-7 NKJV)

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I am the LORD, and there is no other; there is no God besides Me. I will gird you, though you have not known Me. (Isaiah 45:5, NKJV)

THE TRICK

And the woman said to the serpent, We may eat the fruit of the trees of the garden, but of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God has said, 'You shall not eat it, nor shall you touch it, lest you die.' Then the serpent said to the woman, "You will not surely die. (Genesis 3:2-4, NKJV)

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For God knows that on the day you eat from it, your eyes will be opened [that is, you will have greater awareness], and you will be like God, knowing good and evil. (Genesis 3:5, AMP)

As it was for Adam and Eve, the same desire to be god still resides in everyone. Without having to bow their knees or visit a place of worship, members of the human race create different gods. Some of these gods are family members, wealthy and renowned people, sports teams, education, or anything or anyone that takes center stage in one’s life, including the adoration of oneself. Adam and Eve were deceived beyond measure by the prospect of being equal to God. They wanted to be God. Anyone saying, I don’t want to be God, is lying unless they can demonstrate total obedience, as Jesus did. That said, disobedience or willingness to oppose God is an expression of interest in dethroning God in one’s life or altogether.

Nonetheless, how do we account for or interpret the following verses in which humans are named gods? Let us first turn to a dictionary: 1) a god is a superhuman being or spirit worshipped as having power over nature or human fortunes, and 2) an adored, admired, or influential person. Because of the Adamic fall, a separation occurred between God and His human creation. That disconnection oversaw the departure of the first couple’s souls into darkness, where they were removed from the light of God’s presence and subjected to repentance to regain the lost paradise.

God stands in the congregation of the mighty; He judges among the gods. (Psalms 82:1, NKJV)

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I have said, ye are gods, and all of you are children of the Most High. (Psalms 82:6, KJV)

As it was in the beginning, modern humans still have a mission-critical problem or issue of finding their way back home to the heights and lights of Heaven. They aspire to reenter Heaven but on their own terms, which is an unprofitable undertaking from all angles.

The similarity between God and god is likened to a parent-child, master-servant, producer-product, and Creator-creation relationship. Interestingly, since we are images of God, Psalms 82:1 makes sense. However, even if you are considered a god, the challenge of humbling and subjecting oneself to the God of gods and Lord of lords is still required.

THE ESCAPE

And blessed is he who is not offended because of Me. (Matthew 11:6, NKJV)

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For now, we see in a mirror, dimly, but then face to face. (1 Corinthians 13:12 NKJV)

Disobedience is proof of being offended by God’s purpose for one’s life. One potential fallout of the power to choose granted to use by the privilege of free will is the unchecked use or abuse of logic. Having the capability to conclude after analyzing one or more options is a responsibility that must only be used with sustained caution. The more information one has on hand or in mind, albeit correct or incorrect, the greater the probability of spiritual error or sin and even idolatry. Therefore, it is crucial to know the Word of God. When we do, we don’t need sophisticated thoughts, only obedience or adherence to the written truths or commands. Sometimes, we don’t even have to reason out biblical instructions because our imperfect souls may lean toward self-gratification. This is usually the path of least resistance. Our thoughts are not higher than God’s precepts. Even if you are a god, it is wise and beneficial to submit to the God of gods.

Now concerning things offered to idols: We know that we all have knowledge. Knowledge puffs up, but love edifies. (1 Corinthians 8:1, NKJV)

We escape the trick by demoting or resisting prideful attitudes. Why? Pride aggressively defends its host, even in irrational, reckless, and hellish ways.

THE REALIZATION

There is one Person called Jesus or God, but billions of instances called humans, each with a unique ability to fulfill a divine purpose. Profitably manage yours while keeping in mind the brevity of time:

And cast the unprofitable servant into the outer darkness [or Hell]. There will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. (Matthew 25:30 NKJV)

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Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight and the sin that so easily ensnares us and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us. (Hebrews 12:1, NKJV)

I AM REAL, OR AM I REAL?

IMMEDIATE INSPECTION IS REQUIRED

But God, who is rich in mercy because of His great love that he had for us, made us alive (or profitably real) with Christ even though we were dead in trespasses. You are saved by grace! (Ephesians 2:4-5, CSB)

Ahuman being lives out two types of realities. One is physical and often visible; the other is spiritual and often invisible. One strives for life, while the other for death. Throughout a lifetime, each of us switches back and forth between life and death, good and evil, obedience and disobedience, as we struggle to maintain profitable realness. Doesn’t the word real imply life or wholeness?

Nonetheless, what is the essence of claiming the realness of the physical when the spiritual member is suffocating in the grip of deliberate sinful behavior? That’s quite a contradiction because humans are spiritual beings in a restricted container called the body. Death and life are real, but only life preserves the wholeness or completeness of the soul, which is the real, enduring person.

Even though our outer person [or body] is being destroyed, our inner person [or soul] is being renewed day by day. For our momentary light affliction is producing for us an absolutely incomparable eternal weight of glory. So we do not focus on what is seen but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal. (2 Corinthians 4:16-18, HCSB)

Perhaps the most critical piece of information that any mortal being must know is that I am real and the answer to the question Am I real? is an unequivocal yes. Recognizing and asserting I am real is not only beneficial and consequential, but it is also a priceless gem of information in plain sight, if only in a visually significant and accessible way. However, many often skim over that insight, searching instead for what might appear more sophisticated or enchanting. It’s similar to how we often reach for tomorrow, abandoning the requirements and necessities of today and ignoring the truth that today is the building block and cornerstone of every tomorrow. Humans have an unchecked preoccupation with the prospect of tomorrow, and they routinely overemphasize the visible and deemphasize the divinely spiritual through procrastination and complacency. The certainty of time running out leaves them groping in utter darkness forever.

While it is said, TODAY [while there is still opportunity] IF YOU HEAR HIS VOICE, DO NOT HARDEN YOUR HEART, AS WHEN THEY PROVOKED ME [in the rebellion in the desert at Meribah]. For who were they who heard and yet provoked Him [with rebellious acts]? Was it not all those who came out of Egypt led by Moses? And with whom was He angry for forty years? Was it not with those who sinned, whose dead bodies were scattered in the desert? And to whom did He swear [an oath] that they would not enter His rest, but to those who disobeyed [those who would not listen to His word]? So we see that they were not able to enter [into His rest--the promised land] because of unbelief and an unwillingness to trust in God. (Hebrews 3:15-19, AMP)

But what does it mean to be real? Simply, I exist, and my ultimate existence is not time-oriented or space-restricted and does not dissolve into nothingness after an allotted duration. I am eternal, an immortal being. My presence on Earth results from a detailed, divine plan, and I have the chief responsibility of respecting that plan in my thoughts and lifestyle effectively. The word effectively, in this instance, stresses the actuation and profitable performance of God’s will in one’s life. For example, many years ago, while taking an economics course, I came across the term effective demand. Ordinarily, everyone who owns a car has a demand for fuel, but effective demand is when the driver also has the money to buy it. The idea here is that talk is cheap.

Saying I am real and living as one who is spiritually dead, owing to a wanton, unrepentant lifestyle, is like declaring belief in the existence of God yet pursuing a devilish lifestyle, which includes any act of disobedience or sinfulness. If someone asked you whether you love God or believe in Him, and you said yes but still practiced sinful activities, then you have lied. To love and believe in God is more than words; it means actively pursuing His will. When we repeatedly sin, especially willfully, the forbidden act is not merely a slip-up but is the conduct of defiance, a treasonous measure of rejecting divine authority. God feels the pain of that rejection—no different from when a dating couple splits. When we say we love God and still indulge in sin, God’s question is, Why are you hurting and rejecting Me?

We must be prepared to answer the question, Am I real? with the same level of understanding and expectation as the question, Do you believe in God? Saying that I believe in God means that I am aware He is watching me even now, and I am respectfully living a holy life in His sight. Anything short of this response is untruthful. If God appeared to you as a physical person for a day, would you have to radically change your thoughts and deeds to be a good, gracious host for that day? If you have to, then your soul is not ready to die or reenter Heaven.

But the wicked will perish; the LORD’s enemies, like the glory of the pastures, will fade away —they will fade away like smoke. (Psalms 37:20, CSB)

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The steps of a good man are ordered by the LORD, And He delights in his way. Though he falls, he shall not be utterly cast down; For the LORD upholds him with His hand. (Psalms 37:23-24, NKJV)

Let’s expand the scope of this matter with two more pieces of critical information. Do you believe that death and life are more than mere possibilities but are optional realities? I am using the word optional here because our lifestyles position our souls as the bearers or hosts of life or death without exception.

You are responsible for your eternal outcome. Look left and right and think wisely. Consider investing your time in real, profitable things.

And cast the unprofitable servant into the outer darkness [or Hell]. There will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. (Matthew 25:30 NKJV)

Do you wholeheartedly accept the active and inescapable roles of life and death? Life and death are spiritual members within each person, existing as perfection and imperfection. God, through His Spirit in us, is our life or perfection, while imperfection or death is the state or condition of a soul. A soul can shift from death to life or light, even as God is the Life and Light. A person can be physically alive and spiritually dead, heading straight to the underworld. Jesus came to save the soul unto eternal life, not to save the body, which only lives for a relatively brief moment.

Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! You are like whitewashed tombs, which appear beautiful on the outside, but inside are full of dead men's bones and every impurity. In the same way, on the outside, you seem righteous to people, but inside you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness. (Matthew 23:27-28, HCSB)

Accepting that I am real and an accountable spiritual being from the celestial world is more than a relaxing mental indulgence. The effort to remain spiritually viable for Heaven under the watchful eyes of God and angels, not to exclude Satan and his colleagues from Hell and other humans, must be a determined lifestyle of accepting the responsibility of caring for our souls. Our opponents live and operate around us in the invisible, dark realm. Through our thoughts and deeds, on a daily basis, we demonstrate our willingness, or the lack thereof, to maintain spiritual wellness before many onlookers. Again, we must be spiritually alive to reenter Heaven.

Be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might. Put on the whole armor of God that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. We do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places. (Ephesians 6:10-12 NKJV)

Often, the challenge is not dying or ignoring the reality of life. Humans do not have a problem dying or failing to support life. We are experts at killing ourselves as a result of our own selfish desires and ignoring God’s will, despite our inborn intelligence to do better. Unthinkingly, we prefer not to engage in the process of having God live through us. But to stay alive, we must ward off death, which arrives on our spiritual doorsteps, as it were, wrapped in tempting packages to release sin or destructive contaminants into our lives.

We maintain authenticity by living profitably to arrive in God’s kingdom. When we think and live in the correct way, we do not murmur, complain, backbite, gossip, fornicate, or engage in other sinful activities. We effectively respect the rights of others to live or survive by helping them, not chopping them down with our words and other responses. We give thanks to God in everything because He is not excluded from anything. Everything we do is unto Him. With every action, we must ask: do we honor or dishonor Him? Our readiness to recognize God only in matters that gladden our hearts, but never in those that cause us discomfort, only stifles our spiritual growth and leaves us in the land of spiritual infancy, unwilling to pursue life, settling for eternal death.

Knowing that you are real and that life and death are like neighbors whom we cannot and should not ignore will position a soul to reach productive heights. This nugget of information is more important than the sum of every nonhuman thing on Earth. Yes, more than all the cars, houses,