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To: Iscool
The soul of a man is immortal and exists after death in eternity, separate from the decay of death, until the return of Jesus in glory and the Resurrection of the dead. The body does not exist without the soul: in Scripture it only existed without the soul when God wanted to prove a point. There was the story of Ezechiel and the valley of dry bones; the bodies of the dead that spoke to many after Jesus' death. Samuel's spirit was illicitly summoned from eternity (although it could not have happened without God allowing it to be so) while his body was a'moldering in the grave without it.

We are each one person; uniquely created and given a soul by God Himself at the moment of our conception. God in the Trinity is a deep mystery which humans may only understand in a limited way. St. Athanasius wrote of It well, against the Arian heresy:

"And the catholic faith is this, that we worship one God in Trinity, and Trinity in Unity; Neither confounding the Persons, nor dividing the Substance. For there is one Person of the Father, another of the Son, and another of the Holy Ghost. But the Godhead of the Father, of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost is all one: the glory equal, the majesty coeternal. Such as the Father is, such is the Son, and such is the Holy Ghost. The Father uncreated, the Son uncreated, and the Holy Ghost uncreated. The Father incomprehensible, the Son incomprehensible, and the Holy Ghost incomprehensible. The Father eternal, the Son eternal, and the Holy Ghost eternal. And yet they are not three Eternals, but one Eternal. As there are not three Uncreated nor three Incomprehensibles, but one Uncreated and one Incomprehensible. So likewise the Father is almighty, the Son almighty, and the Holy Ghost almighty. And yet they are not three Almighties, but one Almighty. So the Father is God, the Son is God, and the Holy Ghost is God. And yet they are not three Gods, but one God. So likewise the Father is Lord, the Son Lord, and the Holy Ghost Lord. And yet not three Lords, but one Lord. For like as we are compelled by the Christian verity to acknowledge every Person by Himself to be God and Lord, So are we forbidden by the catholic religion to say, There be three Gods, or three Lords.

The Father is made of none: neither created nor begotten. The Son is of the Father alone; not made, nor created, but begotten. The Holy Ghost is of the Father and of the Son: neither made, nor created, nor begotten, but proceeding. So there is one Father, not three Fathers; one Son, not three Sons; one Holy Ghost, not three Holy Ghosts. And in this Trinity none is before or after other; none is greater or less than another; But the whole three Persons are coeternal together, and coequal: so that in all things, as is aforesaid, the Unity in Trinity and the Trinity in Unity is to be worshiped. He, therefore, that will be saved must thus think of the Trinity.

Furthermore, it is necessary to everlasting salvation that he also believe faithfully the incarnation of our Lord Jesus Christ. For the right faith is, that we believe and confess that our Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of God, is God and Man; God of the Substance of the Father, begotten before the worlds; and Man of the substance of His mother, born in the world; Perfect God and perfect Man, of a reasonable soul and human flesh subsisting. Equal to the Father as touching His Godhead, and inferior to the Father as touching His manhood; Who, although He be God and Man, yet He is not two, but one Christ: One, not by conversion of the Godhead into flesh, but by taking the manhood into God; One altogether; not by confusion of Substance, but by unity of Person. For as the reasonable soul and flesh is one man, so God and Man is one Christ; Who suffered for our salvation; descended into hell, rose again the third day from the dead; He ascended into heaven; He sitteth on the right hand of the Father, God Almighty; from whence He shall come to judge the quick and the dead. At whose coming all men shall rise again with their bodies...

It isn't easy, but we're only human, and God built into us a mind that is finite. Only He is infinite. Only He can create from nothing. We just do the best we can with what He gives us. (That last part I learned as I got older and became all the more finite! The older I get, the more I realize I don't have the answers - or the ability to remember them! 😀 )

Joy is a Fruit of the Holy Spirit, 'Cool: take it from an old campaigner- rejoice in it! Allow yourself to feel God's Love around you, as a loving Father's arms around His Child! He'll give you all you need to know; the opportunities to use it; the discernment to know when; and everything you need in between. From experience- try not to overthink things: follow Him, and you'll get all the info you need. It's human nature to want to know more- but it's God's Nature to be more than we can ever comprehend! May He bless you always!

218 posted on 08/23/2015 9:30:42 AM PDT by Grateful2God (Those who smile like nothing's wrong are fighting a battle you know nothing about. -Thomas More)
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To: Grateful2God
From experience- try not to overthink things

I am not overthinking things but some are under thinking things...Like, 'how can Jesus be the one mediator between man and God when Jesus IS God'...

Can you answer that???

231 posted on 08/23/2015 11:52:07 AM PDT by Iscool
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