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the man was required to make a
choice. It was God's purpose that
the divine GOD-CHARACTER must
first be developed within MAN. He
was made in the form and shape of
God, unlike animals. But man was
first created with only an animal
(temporary) existence. His exis–
tence is sustained by breath of air,
like animals. His temporary life is
supplied by a heart circulating
blood throughout his body, like ani–
mals.
But, being made in the image of
GOD, man was given the power of
MINO! His mind, like God's, must
direct h is motions and actions,
whereas animals were equipped
with automatic INSTINCT.
Man's mind was supplied by a
spirit within man-a human spirit
that imparts the power of psychic
intellect to the physical brain.
Yet this spirit iinparts only the
mental ability to acquire material–
istic knowledge-knowledge to
work with matter from the ground.
But God created man to NEED
another Spirit-the Holy Spirit of
God- that can impart to the mind
power to comprehend SPIRITUAL
knowledge-knowledge to have a
relationship with the spiritual coo,
and to have a right relationship
with Other PEOPLE.
In many places of the Bible this
human spirit within every human is
mentioned. In Job 32:8, "there is a
spirit in man." In verse 18, "the
spirit within me constraineth
me"- and in
1
Corinthians 2:11, no
human could know, or have the
knowledge possessed by MAN,
except by the spirit of man which is
IN the man.
Likewise, no man can compre–
hend spiritual knowledge but by
the Holy Spirit of God-which
may be given to him as God's gift
upon genuine repentance and
belief. It is needed to comprehend
spiritual knowledge and character.
In verse 9, same chapter, spiritual
knowledge cannot enter the carnal
mind through the eye, ear or five
senses, but, in verse 10, God reveals
spiritual knowledge by and through
his Holy Spirit.
This Holy Spirit is the very
impregnating Spirit of eternal
life-coo-life-self-containing, in–
herent life. This was offered to the
2
first, created man and woman–
Adam and Eve, in the incident of
the tree of LIFE, and the forbidden
tree of the "knowledge of good and
evil."
When Adam rejected the tree of
LIFE, and took to himself the acqui–
sition of spiritual knowledge (good
and evil), God CLOSED OFF THE
TREE OF LIFE from mankind–
WITHHELD THE GIFT OF HIS HOLY
SPIRIT (Gen. 3:22-24)-until tbe
second Adam, Jesus Christ, should
come and pay the penalty of human
sin in man's stead!
So, starting with the human
Adam, man built the man-made
CIVILIZATION, swayed, inftuenced,
impelled by the invisible Satan the
devil!
Beginning with Adam, equipped
with acquirable materialistic
knowledge ONLY- lacking knowl–
edge for a right relationship with
human neighbor or with God, man
built his own system of teaching or
educating his children. Thus as the
system of education developed, it
remained limited to materialistic
knowledge. After tria! and error
man learned how to produce AwE–
SOME progress in materialistic and
mechanical fields . But he retro–
gressed in his ability to get along
with fellow humans- and he had
no clase relationship with his Mak–
er.
Man simply was NOT developing
the divine coo-character within
him!
Man developed his own RELI–
GIONS , swayed by Satan , who
appeared as an angel of light, but
deceived the whole world (Rev.
12:9). Man formed his own gods
out of wood, stone, other materials.
This world's religions were devel–
oped.
Man organized his own ideas of
GOVERNMENT-tO regulate the
lives of his fellows. Yet man was
impelled by self-centeredness, the
spirit of "GET"-of vanity, covet–
ousness, jealousy and envy, compe–
tition, strife, violence and wAR--of
REBELLION against the way of God,
or God's way of life. God's way is
LOVE-the way of "mvE" instead
of "GET"-the way of cooperation,
servillg, sharing. And so human
governments seek selfish advantage
over other governments and end up
in controversy, WAR and DESTRUC–
TION!
Man built his own economic sys–
tem-all contrary to God's way.
And the whole world's economy is
sick today. Half the world is illiter–
ate, destitute, poverty stricken , liv–
ing in filth and squalor- many
starving to death.
Man's social system is based on
"GET"-vanity, greed, self-interest
and self-gain at the expense of fel–
lowman.
Into such a world carne JESUS
CHRIST, the only begotten son of
coo- actually God in human
ftesh, yet capable of death.
Jesus said, "l WILL BUJLD MY
CHURCH."
WHY?
MAN's unhappy civilization of
discontent, unhappiness, frustra–
tion, human suffering, started with
the physical ADAM, inftuenced by
Satan.
The CHURCH is God's instru–
ment through which he is building
the NEW civilization of the KING–
DOM OF GOD-the WORLD TOMOR–
ROW-a world of humans changee
through God's power into GOD
BEINGS! A world of dynamic happi–
ness and PEACE!
But how did Jesus START God's
Church? In a sense, he had started
it long befare, through the prophets
of ancient Israel. They, with the
apostles, became the very FOUNDA–
TION of the Church, Jesus Christ
being the cbief cornerstone (Eph.
2:20). Tbe ·writings of tbe prophets
were already written and being pre–
served.
But Jesus now called DISCIPLES.
They were not apostles- ones
"sent forth in power and authori–
ty." A disciple is a student- a
learner being taught. And Jesus
called ;12 of them. Actually he
called 14- but only 12 were to
become official. The other two
were alternates, to be chosen later
if one of the official 12 dropped
out.
Jesus did not start the Churcb
through these students. He taught
them the doctrines of coo's world
to come, so that they, upon "grad–
uating" from his teaching after
three and a half years, could, with
the writings of the prophets,
(Continued on page 40)
The PLAIN TRUTH