The Daily Word of Righteousness

The Brain and the Mind, #2

Therefore judge nothing before the appointed time; wait till the Lord comes. He will bring to light what is hidden in darkness and will expose the motives of men's hearts. At that time each will receive his praise from God. (I Corinthians 4:5—NIV)

If during our lifetime we have sown righteousness, holiness, and obedience to God, serving the Lord cheerfully in the good times and the bad, then we have a rich storehouse of consciousness to bring with us into the spirit world when we die.

But if we have sown unrighteousness, moral filth, and rebellion against God, then this is the storehouse of consciousness we bring with us when we die.

This is why aged and infirm Christians, although having lost part of the use of their brain, come alive when they hear the Bible read or the hymns sung. Their mind is intact. It is their physical brain that has failed. When they pass into the spirit realm they will have wherewith to respond knowledgeably and joyously in the Presence of God.

But when the individual who has lived an evil life, betraying those who trusted him, refusing to forgive, cheating, lying, stealing, undercutting, slandering, stepping on others to get ahead, reveling in the lusts of the flesh, surrounding himself with material wealth and refusing to assist those in need, passes into the spirit realm, then he brings a cloud of evil with him. Perhaps this is where the demons come from, for they do not appear to be fallen angels. (There is no Bible basis for this thought, it is merely speculation on my part. I would not attempt to defend it if someone chose to object.)

Think about it. Your brain has been buried with your body. What is left of your consciousness? Your mind. If you have filled your mind with Christ's righteousness, holiness, and obedience to God, look what a treasure you are bringing with you! You are at home with the saints and the holy angels who do God's will.

But if you, Christian or not, have allowed your mind to be filled with bitterness, hatred, lust, treachery, deviousness, worldliness, disobedience to God, you will bring evil with you. You will not be at home with the saints and the holy angels who do God's will. You have lived in death and you will bring death with you. You will be assigned a place with the spiritually dead, Christian or not.

Paul tells us this in many passages:

For if you live according to the sinful nature, you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the misdeeds of the body, you will live, (Romans 8:13—NIV)

The Apostle Paul, speaking in the name of Christ to the saints in Rome, warns that if they live according to their sinful nature they will die. What does he mean "die"? Everyone dies whether or not he lives according to the sinful nature. Paul means the Christian has rejected the eternal life offered by the Holy Spirit each day. When he or she passes into the spirit realm there will be no mind of the Spirit, no mind of Christ, to bring the individual into the Presence of God and His saints and angels.

To be continued.