The Bible

 

Genesis 1:8

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8 And God called the firmament Heaven. And the evening and the morning were the second day.

Commentary

 

Spirit

  

There are two aspects to the life of each person. We might call them "heart" and "mind," a part of us that wants and feels and a part of us that thinks and knows. The Writings usually refer to these as the "will" and the "understanding." They are reflections, and receptacles, of the Lord's infinite love and infinite wisdom. Of the two, the heart or will is ultimately the most important. Who we actually are is determined by what we love, and the things in our heart ultimately determine our place in heaven (or hell). But the will is beyond our control; we can't force ourselves to want something good or to not want something bad; we can control our actions, but not our feelings. Because of this power, the Lord works subtly and carefully in our hearts, in ways we can't sense. Most of the work and interaction goes on in our minds through the working of what the Writings call "Divine Truth," which is essentially the Lord's entire essence expressed in a form that is compatible with our minds. When the Bible talks about the Lord's "spirit," it represents this operation of Divine Truth in our minds, the way he reaches out and embraces us, and invites us to embrace him back. And when the Bible talks about people having "spirit," it is talking about our minds when we embrace Divine Truth.

The Bible

 

Genesis 5:1-3

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1 This is the book of the generations of Adam. In the day that God created man, he made him in God's likeness.

2 He created them male and female, and blessed them, and called their name "Adam," in the day when they were created.

3 Adam lived one hundred thirty years, and became the father of a son in his own likeness, after his image, and named him Seth.