Book Five - Earthly Life And The Spirit World
Chapter One - The Existence of Human Beings in the Physical and Spirit Worlds
Section 3. The Essence of Life

3.1. Spirit is the essence of life

Where there is a nucleus, there must be a reciprocally related being to revolve around it. As electrons revolve around protons, human beings are meant to revolve around God. God can pursue the providence of restoration because the human mind, which is like an electron, naturally relates to God's mind, which can be likened to the nucleus.

When we seek the word of truth, we can feel God's life pulsating and the harmony of His love. Similarly, by seeking God's life and love through the path of truth, we become people of value.

The truth is eternal and unchanging. Then how can we find the truth while distinguishing between good and evil in this fallen world? We do it through eschewing selfishness and through constant self-effacement.

The Bible also teaches us that those who exalt themselves will be humbled and that those who humble themselves will be exalted (Matthew 23:12; Luke 14:11; 18:14). We are essentially spiritual.

Therefore, when you go to the next world, you will realize more deeply that the essence of being human is in living for the sake of others. Yet why do people persist in living selfishly in all things? It is because all humanity became bound in blood ties to the angel, namely Satan, who contravened heavenly law. (2-137, 1957.3.17)

We must now eat spiritual food. Which should be tastier: physical food or spiritual food? In order to survive and stand on God's side, you need to train yourselves to enjoy the taste of spiritual food more than physical food. The taste of a life centered on spiritual power should far exceed that of a life based on physical might. (131-210, 1984.5.4)

3.2. The meaning of lord of all creation

What is meant by the term lord of all creation? Who is the lord of all creation? Some say human beings, but the fundamental lord of all creation is God. You all know that spirits exist. We all have spirits and, as we are the leaders among the spirits, in the final analysis, we are lords of all creation directly connected to God. Human beings cannot become the lords of all creation on their own. How can they, as created beings, become lords of all creation? Being created makes them reciprocal and resultant beings; as such, they can neither communicate with nor possess the origin, but rather exist to be possessed by it.

Clearly, we are all resultant beings. The lords of all creation I am referring to are those occupying the central position in the spirit world. I am talking about the originally intended relationship of oneness between God and humankind. Those lords of all creation are in the position to communicate with God. Although human beings are called the lords of all creation, not everybody is actually qualified to be one. Those who live individualistically are ineligible to join the club of the lords of all creation. And those who have distinguished themselves by seeking the greater good are eligible. God seeks to fulfill His wishes through such people. When that happens, whose heaven will it be? Not His but theirs. (32-136, 1970.7.5)

How should people live? Eternally. Living some eighty years in this evil world, some people may see no difference between the death of an ant and that of a human being; yet there is a difference. We are different because we are spiritual beings. How is it that we can become the lords of all creation? It is because our mind does not age; it is immutable and therefore carries the highest authority. All other things undergo change; even pure gold weathers away. (159-277, 1968.5.19)

Based on what promises can we be called the lords of all creation? It is neither money, nor knowledge, nor power, but rather God's sublime love. (210-308, 1990.12.27)

3.3. Inner person and outer person

What is the original destiny of humankind? It is to enjoy perfected love and extol the values of praise and respect within the realm of God's absolute love. Humanity emerged amidst the complete union and harmony of the destinies of heaven and earth. Hence, we have an invisible mind and a visible body. If we had been born according to our original destiny, would our body and mind be divided in conflict or would they be in total unity? They would be in total unity.

Your inner person and outer person are in conflict. When will this conflict end? After ten years? Or not even by the time you die? If God had created human beings in that way, then He would not be a god with a single purpose but a god with dual purposes. Such a god would be a chaotic god. All the laws of the universe systematically pursue a distinct purpose without being at cross-purposes. From that perspective, we know that we were not originally created in this way. Let us, therefore, cast our body aside and seek our original mind. (44-494, 1971.3.1)

Which is more important, our physical self or our spirit self? Not the flesh, but the spirit. Our flesh has a shelf life averaging seventy to eighty years, within the limited realms of time and space, before disappearing into nothingness. But our spirit has the power to transcend both time and space. Accordingly, it is our original purpose to recognize our historic responsibility and fulfill it.

However well you may live physically, in the final analysis you will all die. Our bodies will perish in any event. That is how we are made. Then which are more important: spiritual standards or physical standards? Our lives are not meant to be based on physical standards. The flesh exists for the spirit and vice versa. Do not get stuck in the rut of a secular lifestyle. You must become entities that combine the spirit and flesh in a position of saving the flesh, and begin from a position of greater worth. (203-21, 1968.7.14)

3.4. The purpose of life on earth is mind-body perfection

What is the purpose of the Will? It is to perfect humankind spiritually and physically. Individually, our spirit represents the past and our body the present. Both worlds were invaded. We are to conquer the present satanic world physically and the past satanic world spiritually. When you triumph over both past and present by upholding the standard of mind over matter, your future will be blessed. (73-96, 1974.8.4)

We need to know that it is the physical world, not the spirit world, which is the subject. The physical world, not the spirit world, is the subject in achieving perfection. The perfection of the physical world encompasses the perfection of both the spiritual and physical worlds. Thus, life on earth is precious. (91-177, 1977.2.6)