The Education and Training of the Soul

The Education and Training of the Soul

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Greetings, brothers and sisters. This is Dr. James Perry continuing with our series where we seek to

explore the deeper meanings of our relationship with Jesus Christ. Over the years, the heavenly

Father has revealed many revelations of spiritual truth to me, and I want to share them with you. This

morning we seek to understand the education and training of the soul.

And now, sit back and listen to today's message.

The Education and Training of the Soul

"But without faith it is impossible to please him; for he that cometh to God must believe that

he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him." Hebrew, Chapter 11, Verse

"He will guide us with his eye,

And we'll follow until we die,

We'll understand it better by and by"

Brothers and sisters, in today's broadcast, we shall examine the education and training of the soul

The Father has commanded our souls to be perfect even as he is perfect. As we contemplate this

command we realize that there must be some educational and training program to bring all of this

to fruition, must be some disciplinary measures to keep the soul on track. We shall see how the

educational process works, and how the soul is trained and disciplined.

But before beginning let us look at a working definition of education and training. We define

education as imparting knowledge by instruction, study, and displaying (testing). These methods are

designed to make the information imparted a definite part of our souls. This requires effort as we

grapple with the new concepts that are imparted, reflect upon them, and test them. We define training

as the process of displaying this knowledge repeatedly until it moves from the conscious mind, upon

execution, to the unconscious mind. It is like driving a car. After awhile the new driver automatically

makes the decisions that are involved in the routine operation of a motor vehicle.

We define discipline as the process whereby what we have learned is displayed consistently under

any and all circumstances, be they pleasant or difficult. This process of acquiring, displaying, and

adhering to the course is repeated over and over again. This environment of imperfection in

ourselves and in others provide the stimulus and inspiration for the discipline. Those above us

provide the inspiration for our continued struggle, while those below provide the irritating stimulus

for our forward motion. As Jesus instructed us: In the world you shall have tribulation but be of good

cheer for I have overcome the world. Jesus completed all of the education and training of his soul

in perfection. But for what is the soul being taught and trained? The soul must obey the Father's

Command: "Be you perfect even as the Heavenly Father is perfect." All education, training and

discipline is designed to accomplish this divine perfection.

The soul is the creation of the Father's spirit and our mind. It is created in an moral environment. Our

souls will survive mortal death, and provide for us to continue on living in heaven. But since the soul

is a new creation in our minds, it must be taught, trained, and disciplined even as our material minds

were was taught, trained and disciplined. The soul must be taught and must learn divine values and

meanings. Even as the material mind has mastered the living of the material life, the soul must

master the living of the spiritual and divine life. But the mortal mind must consent to the education

and training of the soul. It must subject its will to the Father's will in order for the training to

proceed. Its final attitude must always be "not my will, but your will be done."

Divine values and experiences that contain them must be acquired by the soul. The soul must learn

to have faith and trust in the Father's goodness. What the Father is about to impart to the soul has

eternal value. And this impartation is strange to the soul at first. It must acquire a taste for the divine

values, must diligently study the divine values, that have been revealed by the divine spirit, must

make the values a part of itself, that is worship, and must diligently meditate on the meanings of

these values, that is to pray, and must diligently display these values once they are acquired, that is

provide service, more, service, difficult, service, adventurous service, and ultimately perfected

service. It must adhere to the service with the display of the divine values in the face of increasing

resistance (discipline). It must continue to provide this service until all signs of internal resistance

collapse and the soul surrenders completely to the Father's will.

Prayer is the technique whereby the meanings of the divine values are made clear to the soul, and

worship is the technique whereby the divine values are incorporated into the soul. The greatest divine

value is love. This value once fully incorporated into the soul eradicates all animal fear from the

soul. This training is conducted by the angels and their helpers. They plan and execute the external

and practical aspects of the training so that the soul really comes to know these values of eternal

import. They are the children of mercy who have been dispatched from on high to accelerate and

facilitate our transit from animals to spirits. And it is under their wise tutelage that the soul

eventually passes from the dark night of evil to the brilliant light of goodness, from whence it cries,

immersed in the Father's goodness, "Yea though he slay me, yet will I serve him."

Forgiveness and repentance are essential tools the immature soul must possess in order to progress

because initially some souls are likely to stumble or rebel against the Father's plan of divine

perfection. When there is rebellion or ignorance, the divine light of love and mercy is interrupted and

repentance and forgiveness are necessary to re-establish the soul in the divine light of love and

mercy. In the truest sense rebellion (sin) is a conscious excursion into the realms of unreality, while

ignorance (evil) is an unconscious excursion into the same realm. Both of these states hinder and

retard the growth of the soul because they derail the educational and training program. But the

program has provisions for those who repent and seek forgiveness. This program has wide latitude,

and only persistent rebellion (inequity) can permanently dismiss the soul from the training program

(one has to be living in order to continue the training). Persistent rebellion is spiritual death.

Ignorance--on the other hand-- is eradicated by truth, and truth delivers all of its proponents into the

clear light of divine goodness and beauty.

Justice, mercy and grace are also essential to the process of education and training. Justice sets the

standards, while mercy provides the necessary allowances made necessary by the imperfections of

the soul. Grace provides the additional help that the soul needs to continue the educational and

training process. Grace is the assurance from God that all true souls of good and sincere intent will

complete the process no matter how long or arduous. The standards set by justice ensures the

development of discipline, for without it, the standard of divine perfection can never be reached. And

last but not least, there must be faith. Faith is absolutely essential to progress safely and quickly. The

potentials of growth only unfold in response to that persistent living faith. Without faith it is

impossible to comprehend the divine values. It must be used religiously in the pursuit of divine

perfection. It is the one thing that must be practiced at all times.

This concludes today's message on the education and training of the soul. We hope you find

something in this message to ponder and pray about as you go about your day.

Until next time, this is Dr. James Perry.

Inspirational Messages

By Dr. James Perry

Your Kingdom Come, Your Will Be Done!

The Education and Training of the Soul