Is it possible that our conscience is our soul?

[biblestudent78]

From the outset of Christianity, a core belief is that something in us is eternal. It is not our physical body including our brain. Over time, little ground has been gained about understanding exactly what our soul is. To almost all christians it is invisible, untouchable and emotionally and intellectually distant and indistinct. I have been thinking alot lately, as people about to become 80 do, about the possibility that our conscience might be our soul or connected to our soul. By the time we can walk, youngsters exhibit an inherent understanding of what is right and what is wrong. Of course, they frequently test their emerging ideas of the rules of life. Once established, the single human trait of every human ever born is a sense of right and wrong as defined by our conscience. As we begin to grasp the will of God through Christ, our conscience is further developed. To the degree we live in harmony with what we know or believe to be God's will our conscience becomes our guide. Our pre-conversion conscience is remapped toward a harmony with the will of God as we learn it and apply it our conscience has a new north star. Our conscience is separate from our intellect. We can accept something as being true intellectually, but is has no impact on our conscience.

Perhaps more importantly, our conscience can be corrupted. I am thinking now of the ancient prophets and their ranting about how the Hebrews had lost their Godly conscience. Isaiah, one of the earliest prophets railed at the loss of conscience by the people.
The prophet Isaiah spoke out against the deep spiritual decay and social corruption in the Kingdom of Judah during the 8th century BCE. His primary targets were spiritual rebellion, systemic injustice, empty religious hypocrisy, and the arrogant pursuit of political alliances instead of trusting in God. Exploitation: He condemned leaders who "grind the faces of the poor" and devour the houses of widows and orphans (Isaiah 3:14-15). Judicial Corruption: He spoke out against judges and officials who accepted bribes and denied justice to the marginalized (Isaiah 1:23, 5:23).Land Grabbing: He pronounced "woe" on the wealthy who bought up all the land and houses so that there was no room left for the poor
Meaningless Rituals: He declared that their prayers, offerings, and festivals were detestable to God because their hands were "full of blood" from oppressing others (Isaiah 1:11-15) Human Pride: He continually attacked the pride, haughtiness, and self-sufficiency of the nation, warning that all human arrogance would be humbled (Isaiah 2:11-17)
Hypocrisy: The people committed rampant sins—stealing, murder, adultery, and lying—while still claiming they were safe merely because they attended the temple. Isaiah was attempting to embarrass the Hebrew into resetting their conscience.

When the Hebrew went astray it was because they felt no guilt doing wrong..ie their consciences (souls) were corrupted.
Jeremiah
Oppression of the Vulnerable: Jeremiah 5 and 7 specifically condemn the rich and the judges for exploiting the poor, taking advantage of widows, and ignoring the needs of orphans and foreigners. Deception and Bribery: Truth had perished in the streets. Society was marked by deceit, slander, and a total inability to trust one another.
Ezekiel
Social Oppression and Violence: The shedding of innocent blood, extortion, and the systemic abuse of the vulnerable, including widows, orphans, resident foreigners, and the poor.
Corruption of Leaders: Princes and government officials acting like predatory wolves to gain dishonest wealth, and priests disregarding the Law and failing to distinguish between the holy and the profane. Corruption of Leaders: Princes and government officials acting like predatory wolves to gain dishonest wealth, and priests disregarding the Law and failing to distinguish between the holy and the profane.
In a famous passage (Ezekiel 16:49), Ezekiel attributed the destruction of Sodom to pride, abundance of food, idleness, and failing to help the poor, using it to parallel the arrogance of Jerusalem.
Amos
Often called the prophet of social justice, he fiercely denounced the elite for luxurious living built on the backs of the poor. He famously condemned those who "buy the poor for silver and the needy for a pair of sandals". He fiercely criticized the wealthy for exploiting the poor, trampling on the needy, and taking bribes. He famously declared, "Let justice roll on like a river, righteousness like a never-failing stream!"

Even before moving on to Jesus who attacked the lack of conscience of the religious leaders of His time. All these Hebrew Bible examples equate fallen humans to those whose consciences had been corrupted.

It seems possible to me that the purity of our conscience toward God and our fellow man lies at the center of our most inner self...soul.

 

[GWH]

From the outset of Christianity, a core belief is that something in us is eternal. It is not our physical body including our brain. Over time, little ground has been gained about understanding exactly what our soul is. To almost all christians it is invisible, untouchable and emotionally and intellectually distant and indistinct. I have been thinking alot lately, as people about to become 80 do, about the possibility that our conscience might be our soul or connected to our soul. By the time we can walk, youngsters exhibit an inherent understanding of what is right and what is wrong. Of course, they frequently test their emerging ideas of the rules of life. Once established, the single human trait of every human ever born is a sense of right and wrong as defined by our conscience. As we begin to grasp the will of God through Christ, our conscience is further developed. To the degree we live in harmony with what we know or believe to be God's will our conscience becomes our guide. Our pre-conversion conscience is remapped toward a harmony with the will of God as we learn it and apply it our conscience has a new north star. Our conscience is separate from our intellect. We can accept something as being true intellectually, but is has no impact on our conscience.

Perhaps more importantly, our conscience can be corrupted. I am thinking now of the ancient prophets and their ranting about how the Hebrews had lost their Godly conscience. Isaiah, one of the earliest prophets railed at the loss of conscience by the people.
The prophet Isaiah spoke out against the deep spiritual decay and social corruption in the Kingdom of Judah during the 8th century BCE. His primary targets were spiritual rebellion, systemic injustice, empty religious hypocrisy, and the arrogant pursuit of political alliances instead of trusting in God. Exploitation: He condemned leaders who "grind the faces of the poor" and devour the houses of widows and orphans (Isaiah 3:14-15). Judicial Corruption: He spoke out against judges and officials who accepted bribes and denied justice to the marginalized (Isaiah 1:23, 5:23).Land Grabbing: He pronounced "woe" on the wealthy who bought up all the land and houses so that there was no room left for the poor
Meaningless Rituals: He declared that their prayers, offerings, and festivals were detestable to God because their hands were "full of blood" from oppressing others (Isaiah 1:11-15) Human Pride: He continually attacked the pride, haughtiness, and self-sufficiency of the nation, warning that all human arrogance would be humbled (Isaiah 2:11-17)
Hypocrisy: The people committed rampant sins—stealing, murder, adultery, and lying—while still claiming they were safe merely because they attended the temple. Isaiah was attempting to embarrass the Hebrew into resetting their conscience.

When the Hebrew went astray it was because they felt no guilt doing wrong..ie their consciences (souls) were corrupted.
Jeremiah
Oppression of the Vulnerable: Jeremiah 5 and 7 specifically condemn the rich and the judges for exploiting the poor, taking advantage of widows, and ignoring the needs of orphans and foreigners. Deception and Bribery: Truth had perished in the streets. Society was marked by deceit, slander, and a total inability to trust one another.
Ezekiel
Social Oppression and Violence: The shedding of innocent blood, extortion, and the systemic abuse of the vulnerable, including widows, orphans, resident foreigners, and the poor.
Corruption of Leaders: Princes and government officials acting like predatory wolves to gain dishonest wealth, and priests disregarding the Law and failing to distinguish between the holy and the profane. Corruption of Leaders: Princes and government officials acting like predatory wolves to gain dishonest wealth, and priests disregarding the Law and failing to distinguish between the holy and the profane.
In a famous passage (Ezekiel 16:49), Ezekiel attributed the destruction of Sodom to pride, abundance of food, idleness, and failing to help the poor, using it to parallel the arrogance of Jerusalem.
Amos
Often called the prophet of social justice, he fiercely denounced the elite for luxurious living built on the backs of the poor. He famously condemned those who "buy the poor for silver and the needy for a pair of sandals". He fiercely criticized the wealthy for exploiting the poor, trampling on the needy, and taking bribes. He famously declared, "Let justice roll on like a river, righteousness like a never-failing stream!"

Even before moving on to Jesus who attacked the lack of conscience of the religious leaders of His time. All these Hebrew Bible examples equate fallen humans to those whose consciences had been corrupted.

It seems possible to me that the purity of our conscience toward God and our fellow man lies at the center of our most inner self...soul.

Well, the soul is the body and Spirit.
Conscience (MFW) and God-consciousness would seem to be that which God gave humanity to make them in His image
and above animals.

 

[Ceph]

It seems possible to me that the purity of our conscience toward God and our fellow man lies at the center of our most inner self...soul.

That is the case.

 

[Gideon300]

From the outset of Christianity, a core belief is that something in us is eternal. It is not our physical body including our brain. Over time, little ground has been gained about understanding exactly what our soul is. To almost all christians it is invisible, untouchable and emotionally and intellectually distant and indistinct. I have been thinking alot lately, as people about to become 80 do, about the possibility that our conscience might be our soul or connected to our soul. By the time we can walk, youngsters exhibit an inherent understanding of what is right and what is wrong. Of course, they frequently test their emerging ideas of the rules of life. Once established, the single human trait of every human ever born is a sense of right and wrong as defined by our conscience. As we begin to grasp the will of God through Christ, our conscience is further developed. To the degree we live in harmony with what we know or believe to be God's will our conscience becomes our guide. Our pre-conversion conscience is remapped toward a harmony with the will of God as we learn it and apply it our conscience has a new north star. Our conscience is separate from our intellect. We can accept something as being true intellectually, but is has no impact on our conscience.

Perhaps more importantly, our conscience can be corrupted. I am thinking now of the ancient prophets and their ranting about how the Hebrews had lost their Godly conscience. Isaiah, one of the earliest prophets railed at the loss of conscience by the people.
The prophet Isaiah spoke out against the deep spiritual decay and social corruption in the Kingdom of Judah during the 8th century BCE. His primary targets were spiritual rebellion, systemic injustice, empty religious hypocrisy, and the arrogant pursuit of political alliances instead of trusting in God. Exploitation: He condemned leaders who "grind the faces of the poor" and devour the houses of widows and orphans (Isaiah 3:14-15). Judicial Corruption: He spoke out against judges and officials who accepted bribes and denied justice to the marginalized (Isaiah 1:23, 5:23).Land Grabbing: He pronounced "woe" on the wealthy who bought up all the land and houses so that there was no room left for the poor
Meaningless Rituals: He declared that their prayers, offerings, and festivals were detestable to God because their hands were "full of blood" from oppressing others (Isaiah 1:11-15) Human Pride: He continually attacked the pride, haughtiness, and self-sufficiency of the nation, warning that all human arrogance would be humbled (Isaiah 2:11-17)
Hypocrisy: The people committed rampant sins—stealing, murder, adultery, and lying—while still claiming they were safe merely because they attended the temple. Isaiah was attempting to embarrass the Hebrew into resetting their conscience.

When the Hebrew went astray it was because they felt no guilt doing wrong..ie their consciences (souls) were corrupted.
Jeremiah
Oppression of the Vulnerable: Jeremiah 5 and 7 specifically condemn the rich and the judges for exploiting the poor, taking advantage of widows, and ignoring the needs of orphans and foreigners. Deception and Bribery: Truth had perished in the streets. Society was marked by deceit, slander, and a total inability to trust one another.
Ezekiel
Social Oppression and Violence: The shedding of innocent blood, extortion, and the systemic abuse of the vulnerable, including widows, orphans, resident foreigners, and the poor.
Corruption of Leaders: Princes and government officials acting like predatory wolves to gain dishonest wealth, and priests disregarding the Law and failing to distinguish between the holy and the profane. Corruption of Leaders: Princes and government officials acting like predatory wolves to gain dishonest wealth, and priests disregarding the Law and failing to distinguish between the holy and the profane.
In a famous passage (Ezekiel 16:49), Ezekiel attributed the destruction of Sodom to pride, abundance of food, idleness, and failing to help the poor, using it to parallel the arrogance of Jerusalem.
Amos
Often called the prophet of social justice, he fiercely denounced the elite for luxurious living built on the backs of the poor. He famously condemned those who "buy the poor for silver and the needy for a pair of sandals". He fiercely criticized the wealthy for exploiting the poor, trampling on the needy, and taking bribes. He famously declared, "Let justice roll on like a river, righteousness like a never-failing stream!"

Even before moving on to Jesus who attacked the lack of conscience of the religious leaders of His time. All these Hebrew Bible examples equate fallen humans to those whose consciences had been corrupted.

It seems possible to me that the purity of our conscience toward God and our fellow man lies at the center of our most inner self...soul.

Man is a tripartite being, spirit, soul and body. (1 Thessalonians 5:23). The spirit of man is the part of us that is in the image of God (John 4:24). The conscience is, for the believer, in his spirit, along with his intuition and ability to fellowship with God. God is Spirit and we fellowship in spirit.

The unbeliever's spirit is dead to God. Children are sensitive to their spirit but that is overridden as they mature. Education, family and peer pressure replaces conscience with whatever the prevailing morality happens to be in their society. So Muslims can cheerfully murder someone who leaves Islam with no conscience. Slavery used to be completely acceptable. Slavery is commonplace even today. Conscience may well convict people, but they refuse to listen and so justify their unacceptable behaviour.

When the gospel is preached, the conscience may be awakened. The vast majority of people claim to be good, no matter what they've done wrong. An awakened conscience brings conviction of sin, an awareness of God's judgement and the desire to be saved.

​

 

[Magenta]

From the outset of Christianity, a core belief is that something in us is eternal.

Scripture says God alone is immortal. Those who are born again attain to life ever after, not dying
the second death. Augustine was primary in cementing the concept of Eternal Conscious Torment
into Western Christian orthodoxy. Through his highly influential writings, he shifted the church away
from earlier, diverse views to establish unending, literal torment as the defining fate of the wicked.

 

[Gideon300]

Scripture says God alone is immortal. Those who are born again attain to life ever after, not dying
the second death. Augustine was primary in cementing the concept of Eternal Conscious Torment
into Western Christian orthodoxy. Through his highly influential writings, he shifted the church
away from earlier, diverse views to establish unending, literal torment as the defining fate of the wicked.

He had a certain amount of justification for his point of view.

"And they will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.” Matthew 25:46

And the smoke of their torment rises forever and ever. Day and night there is no rest for those who worship the beast and its image, or for anyone who receives the mark of its name.” Revelation 14:11

I've heard the arguments for universal salvation. I wish that they were true. I don't want to see the people I care about perish. But that's their choice.

"The one believing in the Son has eternal life; but the one not obeying the Son will not see life, but the wrath of God remains on him.” John 3:16 literal translation.

 

[Magenta]

He had a certain amount of justification for his point of view.

"And they will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.” Matthew 25:46

And the smoke of their torment rises forever and ever. Day and night there is no rest for those who worship the beast and its image, or for anyone who receives the mark of its name.” Revelation 14:11

I've heard the arguments for universal salvation. I wish that they were true. I don't want to see the people I care about perish. But that's their choice.

"The one believing in the Son has eternal life; but the one not obeying the Son will not see life, but the wrath of God remains on him.” John 3:16 literal translation.

Sure, and the early church had justification for their other views as well. Universalism was not all other views.
Nor is natural man's will innately free. That is why he is called a slave to sin. Consider also that Paul never
mentioned the word hell and he told us to follow his example, assuring us he had given us the full council
of God straight from Jesus. Paul said we should do as He did, and how many times in all his books (28% of the NT)
did he preach eternal conscious torment via hellfire damnation? Did he ever even use the word hell? No, he did not.
Paul, who claimed he was caught up into heaven and given the Gospel directly by Jesus, that all men would be judged
according to his gospel, that he had declared to people the whole counsel of God, that he kept back nothing profitable
from the people he taught, and that he was the apostle to the gentiles... never once used the word hell. Paul uses the
Greek word "Hades" in 1 Corinthians 15:55, where it is translated "grave." (KJV) O death, where is thy sting? O grave,
where is thy victory? In Galatians 1:8, he says: But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel
unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed.

 

[PaulThomson]

From the outset of Christianity, a core belief is that something in us is eternal.

Well, that sentence seems wrong from the get-go. A core belief of the apostles was that something in us can become everlasting. Not that everyone already has something in them that has no beginning and/or no end.

 

[Gideon300]

Sure, and the early church had justification for their other views as well. Universalism was not all other views.
Nor is natural man's will innately free. That is why he is called a slave to sin. Consider also that Paul never
mentioned the word hell and he told us to follow his example, assuring us he had given us the full council
of God straight from Jesus. Paul said we should do as He did, and how many times in all his books (28% of the NT)
did he preach eternal conscious torment via hellfire damnation? Did he ever even use the word hell? No, he did not.
Paul, who claimed he was caught up into heaven and given the Gospel directly by Jesus, that all men would be judged
according to his gospel, that he had declared to people the whole counsel of God, that he kept back nothing profitable
from the people he taught, and that he was the apostle to the gentiles... never once used the word hell. Paul uses the
Greek word "Hades" in 1 Corinthians 15:55, where it is translated "grave." (KJV) O death, where is thy sting? O grave,
where is thy victory? In Galatians 1:8, he says: But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel
unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed.

Paul declared that all are dead in trespasses and sins. (Ephesians 2:1) "Once you were alienated from God and were hostile in your minds, engaging in evil deeds." Colossians 1:21

"Because of these, the wrath of God is coming on the sons of disobedience." Colossians 3:6

"The wrath of God is being revealed from heaven against all the godlessness and wickedness of men who suppress the truth by their wickedness. For what may be known about God is plain to them, because God has made it plain to them. For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen, being understood from His workmanship, so that men are without excuse." Romans 1:18-20


While Paul did not use the word hell, he certainly emphasised that mankind is alienated from God and spiritually dead. Lord Jesus told His disciples to teach others what He taught them. Lord Jesus was not shy about declaring the fate of those who rejected Him.

 

[Magenta]

Paul declared that all are dead in trespasses and sins. (Ephesians 2:1) "Once you were alienated from God and were hostile in your minds, engaging in evil deeds." Colossians 1:21

"Because of these, the wrath of God is coming on the sons of disobedience." Colossians 3:6

"The wrath of God is being revealed from heaven against all the godlessness and wickedness of men who suppress the truth by their wickedness. For what may be known about God is plain to them, because God has made it plain to them. For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen, being understood from His workmanship, so that men are without excuse." Romans 1:18-20

While Paul did not use the word hell, he certainly emphasised that mankind is alienated from God and spiritually dead. Lord Jesus told His disciples to teach others what He taught them. Lord Jesus was not shy about declaring the fate of those who rejected Him.

Never said otherwise. Free willers often deny that man is dead. Oh, well, that is a different issue altogether. I believe
we know each other's views on "hell." In fact I am pretty sure you did not speak to me for years due to our differences.

 

[Gideon300]

Never said otherwise. Free willers often deny that man is dead. Oh, well, that is a different issue altogether. I believe
we know each other's views on "hell." In fact I am pretty sure you did not speak to me for years due to our differences.

Not me. I have no issue with you, Magenta. I think it's possible, even necessary, to agree to disagree at times. I still speak to people I think are preaching heresy. There are a few I've given up on. You are not one of them.

 

[PaulThomson]

From the outset of Christianity, a core belief is that something in us is eternal. It is not our physical body including our brain. Over time, little ground has been gained about understanding exactly what our soul is. To almost all christians it is invisible, untouchable and emotionally and intellectually distant and indistinct. I have been thinking alot lately, as people about to become 80 do, about the possibility that our conscience might be our soul or connected to our soul. By the time we can walk, youngsters exhibit an inherent understanding of what is right and what is wrong. Of course, they frequently test their emerging ideas of the rules of life. Once established, the single human trait of every human ever born is a sense of right and wrong as defined by our conscience. As we begin to grasp the will of God through Christ, our conscience is further developed. To the degree we live in harmony with what we know or believe to be God's will our conscience becomes our guide. Our pre-conversion conscience is remapped toward a harmony with the will of God as we learn it and apply it our conscience has a new north star. Our conscience is separate from our intellect. We can accept something as being true intellectually, but is has no impact on our conscience.

Perhaps more importantly, our conscience can be corrupted. I am thinking now of the ancient prophets and their ranting about how the Hebrews had lost their Godly conscience. Isaiah, one of the earliest prophets railed at the loss of conscience by the people.
The prophet Isaiah spoke out against the deep spiritual decay and social corruption in the Kingdom of Judah during the 8th century BCE. His primary targets were spiritual rebellion, systemic injustice, empty religious hypocrisy, and the arrogant pursuit of political alliances instead of trusting in God. Exploitation: He condemned leaders who "grind the faces of the poor" and devour the houses of widows and orphans (Isaiah 3:14-15). Judicial Corruption: He spoke out against judges and officials who accepted bribes and denied justice to the marginalized (Isaiah 1:23, 5:23).Land Grabbing: He pronounced "woe" on the wealthy who bought up all the land and houses so that there was no room left for the poor
Meaningless Rituals: He declared that their prayers, offerings, and festivals were detestable to God because their hands were "full of blood" from oppressing others (Isaiah 1:11-15) Human Pride: He continually attacked the pride, haughtiness, and self-sufficiency of the nation, warning that all human arrogance would be humbled (Isaiah 2:11-17)
Hypocrisy: The people committed rampant sins—stealing, murder, adultery, and lying—while still claiming they were safe merely because they attended the temple. Isaiah was attempting to embarrass the Hebrew into resetting their conscience.

When the Hebrew went astray it was because they felt no guilt doing wrong..ie their consciences (souls) were corrupted.
Jeremiah
Oppression of the Vulnerable: Jeremiah 5 and 7 specifically condemn the rich and the judges for exploiting the poor, taking advantage of widows, and ignoring the needs of orphans and foreigners. Deception and Bribery: Truth had perished in the streets. Society was marked by deceit, slander, and a total inability to trust one another.
Ezekiel
Social Oppression and Violence: The shedding of innocent blood, extortion, and the systemic abuse of the vulnerable, including widows, orphans, resident foreigners, and the poor.
Corruption of Leaders: Princes and government officials acting like predatory wolves to gain dishonest wealth, and priests disregarding the Law and failing to distinguish between the holy and the profane. Corruption of Leaders: Princes and government officials acting like predatory wolves to gain dishonest wealth, and priests disregarding the Law and failing to distinguish between the holy and the profane.
In a famous passage (Ezekiel 16:49), Ezekiel attributed the destruction of Sodom to pride, abundance of food, idleness, and failing to help the poor, using it to parallel the arrogance of Jerusalem.
Amos
Often called the prophet of social justice, he fiercely denounced the elite for luxurious living built on the backs of the poor. He famously condemned those who "buy the poor for silver and the needy for a pair of sandals". He fiercely criticized the wealthy for exploiting the poor, trampling on the needy, and taking bribes. He famously declared, "Let justice roll on like a river, righteousness like a never-failing stream!"

Even before moving on to Jesus who attacked the lack of conscience of the religious leaders of His time. All these Hebrew Bible examples equate fallen humans to those whose consciences had been corrupted.

It seems possible to me that the purity of our conscience toward God and our fellow man lies at the center of our most inner self...soul.

I would suggest that our conscience is our innate sense of whether an action by us in our past, present or intended in future, is something we would accept someone doing to us. Maybe I am planning to steal from someone, I understand that I would not want someone to steal that from me. Or maybe I am having an affair with someone else’s wife, but I know I would not want that husband to have an affair with my wife.

I would suggest that our conscience is “seared", when we invent reasons that rationalise behaviour we would not accept from others toward us, and justify it by citing extenuating circumstances. They won't miss a few dollars. They can afford another car. They have had more breaks than me, so they don’t deserve that TV as much as I do. He doesn’t treat his wife properly, so he deserves to lose her. She wants our affair too. I’m giveng her what she wants, etc.

 

[reneweddaybyday]

I have been thinking alot lately, as people about to become 80 do, about the possibility that our conscience might be our soul or connected to our soul.

I believe God placed the conscience within mankind because He knew before Adam and Eve were created that satan would entice Eve and she would transgress ... and that Adam would sin ... and they both would partake of the fruit of the tree of knowledge of good and evil.

Every single descendant of Adam is born with a conscience ... the conscience recognizes good and evil and tells us right from wrong.

In Romans 2:15, we see that "the work of the law written in the heart" allows mankind to "do by nature the things contained in the law" (Rom 2:14) and the conscience either accuses or excuses when we fail to heed what we know by nature:

Romans 2:14-15

14 For when the Gentiles, which have not the law, do by nature the things contained in the law, these, having not the law, are a law unto themselves:

15 Which shew the work of the law written in their hearts, their conscience [Greek = syneídēsis] also bearing witness, and their thoughts the mean while accusing or else excusing one another; )

The conscience is easily ignored and overcome if/when we desire to act against it. That's why our conscience can "excuse" when we do wrong.

God's purpose was that Holy Spirit within was to guide mankind. However, Adam and Eve fell and Adam's children were begotten in the image and likeness of Adam ... and all succeeding generations were begotten in the image and likeness of their father and mother.

Holy Spirit within the born again one is so much greater than the conscience at leading us. Holy Spirit guides us into all truth and glorifies the Lord Jesus Christ (John 16:13-14). When our conscience is aligned with Holy Spirit, we will happily do those things which are right and which give glory to God with no regret.

I cannot imagine what it would be like to have a conscience which is seared with a hot iron ... reminds me of the verse where God says those who have been given over to a reprobate mind ... they know the judgment of God, that they which commit such things are worthy of death, not only do the same, but have pleasure in them that do them ... yuck ...

.

 

[Researcher]

From the outset of Christianity, a core belief is that something in us is eternal.

Yes, it is our spirit. Since it comes from God, our spirits have always existed and always will.

God does not destroy himself. As you stated, we are tripartite. All life is.

Over time, little ground has been gained about understanding exactly what our soul is.

Actually, a lot of ground has been gained. There are those that know exactly what a soul is now. I happen to be one of them. I am referring to the Biblical definition of a soul by the way. I have spent a few decades on various forums discussing it in depth.

To almost all christians it is invisible,

The above is partly correct. In some ways, the soul is invisible. Yet, at the same time, the soul of a living organism can be written down on a piece of paper. The soul is basically information. It can be quantified with enough time and patience and with the right technology. We can already achieve this with many organisms. The soul lives on after death since information cannot be destroyed except by a very specific process outlined in a few places in Scripture.

I have been thinking alot lately, as people about to become 80 do, about the possibility that our conscience might be our soul or connected to our soul.

Consciousness is our spirit, and it is tied to the soul. This next verse teaches us that there is a dividing line between the two:

Hebrews 4:12 - For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.

A major clue to revealing of the mystery of what a soul is may be found in the above verse.

By the time we can walk, youngsters exhibit an inherent understanding of what is right and what is wrong.

You are on the right track. What you wrote is a very important. Note that all life is created with a sort of 'hard wired' built-in code so to speak. That is the soul.

Of course, they frequently test their emerging ideas of the rules of life. Once established, the single human trait of every human ever born is a sense of right and wrong as defined by our conscience. As we begin to grasp the will of God through Christ, our conscience is further developed. To the degree we live in harmony with what we know or believe to be God's will our conscience becomes our guide. Our pre-conversion conscience is remapped toward a harmony with the will of God as we learn it and apply it our conscience has a new north star. Our conscience is separate from our intellect. We can accept something as being true intellectually, but is has no impact on our conscience.

I will post this verse as a response to the above:

Galatians 5:17 - For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary the one to the other: so that ye cannot do the things that ye would.

Hebrews 4:12 teaches us where the dividing line is and how they are connected and related to one another. Soul is tied to the flesh which can be a big problem. Once you know what a soul is, it will make sense.

Hypocrisy: The people committed rampant sins—stealing, murder, adultery, and lying—while still claiming they were safe merely because they attended the temple. Isaiah was attempting to embarrass the Hebrew into resetting their conscience.

Galatians 5:17. The spirit lost the battle against the flesh, which again is deeply tied to the soul.

It seems possible to me that the purity of our conscience toward God and our fellow man lies at the center of our most inner self...soul.

Genesis teaches us about how the soul became corrupt in the Garden of Eden. The rest of the Bible teaches us how it will be repaired. The specifics are mind blowing. Those with a layman's understanding of genetics are able to see it.

 

[GWH]

He had a certain amount of justification for his point of view.

"And they will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.” Matthew 25:46

And the smoke of their torment rises forever and ever. Day and night there is no rest for those who worship the beast and its image, or for anyone who receives the mark of its name.” Revelation 14:11

I've heard the arguments for universal salvation. I wish that they were true. I don't want to see the people I care about perish. But that's their choice.

"The one believing in the Son has eternal life; but the one not obeying the Son will not see life, but the wrath of God remains on him.” John 3:16 literal translation.

Your wish reflects God's per 1Tim. 2:3-4, John 3:16, etc.,
but He allows souls not to cooperate.

 

[Researcher]

Rather than simply blurt out the answer as to what precisely a soul is, I will lay some important groundwork.

This is the verse that you need to get interpreted correctly, or you will never figure it out:

Genesis 2:7 - And the LORD God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul.

Most everyone on the planet has it wrong. @biblestudent78 Since you understand man as to be tripartite, you are way ahead of those that do not. Here is the Key. The above verse describes only *two* of the three components to the tripartite being. One of those components is a soul. The other is spirit. That narrows things down a bit as the body is something that God creates later in Genesis.

In other words, this First Adam is spirit and soul only, hence he is called a 'living soul'. Again, he has no physical body at this point. The breath of life is the spirit that animates and 'quickens' that which is dead or asleep. The Bible later describes spirit as a form of Electromagnetism, but that's for another post.

So, where does that leave us? The answer as to what a soul is lies in what God formed man out of:

...And the LORD God formed man of the dust of the ground...

A living organism's soul is the so called 'dust'. Meditate on that for a moment. What exactly is dust? The only way to answer that question is to do some basic exegesis on that word. I'm not talking about a ten second Google search or a quick look in a concordance.

You must do the homework on this. What is dust symbolic of in the Bible? Find the answer and you will know exactly what a soul is.

 

[Researcher]

Of course, Scripture gives us all kinds of clues as to what a soul is. A good student of the Word will gather the clues together to see where they lead. Let us continue gathering said:

Deuteronomy 4:29 - But if from thence thou shalt seek the LORD thy God, thou shalt find him, if thou seek him with all thy heart and with all thy soul.

Deuteronomy 6:5 - And thou shalt love the LORD thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might.

Deuteronomy 10:12 - And now, Israel, what doth the LORD thy God require of thee, but to fear the LORD thy God, to walk in all his ways, and to love him, and to serve the LORD thy God with all thy heart and with all thy soul,

See the pattern? Heart and soul. Over and over. They are connected. God is telling you something. There are many verses like this. Keep going...

Deuteronomy 11:18 - Therefore shall ye lay up these my words in your heart and in your soul, and bind them for a sign upon your hand, that they may be as frontlets between your eyes.

What an incredible verse. Who can understand its deep meaning? Look...

• Hand
• Forehead

Sound familiar? What is it about the hand, (e.g. right hand) and forehead that we have heard before? Yes, the Mark of the Beast has to do with the right hand and forehead. It has to do with a person's SOUL.

Look at Deuteronomy 11:18 carefully. WORDS are involved. The soul has to do with words! As I mentioned earlier, a living organism's soul is *information*. It can be precisely quantified. It can be SOLD to the highest bidder. Jesus made a purchase, remember? What does blood have in it that is like words?

Does this verse remind you of a sort of opposite version of the Mark of the Beast?

2 Chronicles 15:12-13 - And they entered into a covenant to seek the LORD God of their fathers with all their heart and with all their soul; That whosoever would not seek the LORD God of Israel should be put to death, whether small or great, whether man or woman."

Look at the Keys:

• Heart
• Soul
• Covenant

Not only is the soul linked to the heart, but it is linked to a covenant. This is extremely important as each covenant will ultimately alter one's very soul. Our very souls will be rewritten some day depending on the covenant that we choose to accept.

How does wisdom enter the heart?

Proverbs 2:10 - When wisdom entereth into thine heart, and knowledge is pleasant unto thy soul;

The covenant, that is how. It will be a rewrite of the 'code' a rewrite of the soul.

One last set of clues for today as to what a soul is...

2 Corinthians 3:3 - Forasmuch as ye are manifestly declared to be the epistle of Christ ministered by us, written not with ink, but with the Spirit of the living God; not in tables of stone, but in fleshy tables of the heart.

Tables, as in WORDS. The tables of the heart is your soul!

Look:

Proverbs 3:3 - Let not mercy and truth forsake thee: bind them about thy neck; write them upon the table of thine heart:

The soul is something that can be written on paper or written symbolically in the 'tables'. What is that?!?! Come on OP, tell me you know the answer. You can do this. We know exactly what a soul is now thanks to Scripture. I am not going to give you the answer until I can see you did your research first.

 

[JustThinking]

From the outset of Christianity, a core belief is that something in us is eternal. It is not our physical body including our brain. Over time, little ground has been gained about understanding exactly what our soul is.

It seems possible to me that the purity of our conscience toward God and our fellow man lies at the center of our most inner self...soul.

Here is a cut / paste from my commentary on the Book of Daniel - chapter 9:


Part 1


Daniel 9:24 - To Bring in Everlasting Righteousness

Reconciliation, however, is not the final goal. God does not merely bring us back to neutral. He restores what the Fall stole: righteousness itself—life in harmony with His holiness. That is why Gabriel’s next words rise higher than forgiveness. “To bring in everlasting righteousness” is the climax of the sequence: the Messiah not only deals with sin; He returns righteousness to humanity through His own perfect life, His atoning death, and His indwelling Spirit.

In Daniel 9:24, God names transgression, sin, and iniquity—three expressions of humanity’s fallen condition, each describing a different depth of rupture with Him. They are not merely poetic variations. Together they trace the unraveling of righteousness that began with Adam. When Adam disobeyed, humanity was driven from the Garden—not only as a change of location, but as a spiritual severing from God’s presence. What was lost in that moment was greater than a home.

Righteousness itself was lost: the harmony of a life in union with God, the holiness of an undivided heart, and the divine life God had breathed into humanity at the beginning. Since that loss, no human effort—no system, ideology, or moral code—has been able to restore what was forfeited.

Human beings have always tried to define righteousness through human lenses. Societies often reduce it to moral decency—fairness, kindness, or living by some form of the golden rule. Such virtues can be admirable, but they fall short of God’s standard. Biblical righteousness is not merely being “good” by earthly measurement; it is being in complete harmony with God’s holiness, will, and character. It is not a cultural ideal. It is God’s own life and likeness expressed in the human soul.

That is why Scripture can say, “All our righteous acts are like filthy rags” (Isaiah 64:6). Even our best intentions are mingled with pride, self-interest, and imperfection. Human morality is relative and fluctuates across cultures and time. God’s righteousness is absolute, eternal, and rooted in His unchanging nature. And this is why Paul can declare the universal verdict: “There is none righteous, no, not one” (Romans 3:10).

The fall produced spiritual death—separation from God that no amount of effort can undo. Sacrifices, rituals, religious zeal, and moral striving can expose the need for righteousness, but they cannot manufacture it. What humanity needed was not more instruction, but intervention. Not more law, but life. Not moral improvement, but spiritual rebirth.

This is why God’s plan always pointed to the Messiah. Jesus did not come merely to teach righteousness as an ideal; He came as righteousness incarnate. He lived in perfect alignment with the Father. In His life we see what righteousness truly is. In His death, sin is atoned for. And in His resurrection, the way back to what Adam lost is opened—not by human climbing, but by divine gift.

At the cross, an exchange took place that is almost beyond comprehension: “He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him” (2 Corinthians 5:21). This is the power of the gospel. Righteousness is not earned; it is received. It is not a reward for obedience, but the gift of grace. The righteousness of Christ is credited to those who place their faith in Him, so that God no longer regards the believer through the lens of sin, but through the perfect obedience of His Son.

And Daniel does not say simply “righteousness.” He says everlasting righteousness. This is not a temporary covering, and it is not a symbolic gesture. It is the restoration of what was lost in Eden—the reopening of the way back to the presence of God, not through ceremony, not through human effort, but through union with the One who fulfilled both the Law and the sacrifice.

Yet this everlasting righteousness unfolds in two movements. It is already present now as a declared reality: those who believe are justified and accepted, clothed in Christ’s righteousness, and given the Spirit who begins transforming them from within. And it is not yet revealed in its final fullness: the complete manifestation awaits Christ’s return, when sin and death are destroyed and God’s people are made whole in His presence. Until then, believers walk in a righteousness that is both given and growing—declared by faith and developed by the Spirit. Everlasting righteousness has been brought in. And when the Messiah returns, it will be seen without remainder.

In Genesis 2:7, we are given a clear and profound formula for how God created Adam as a living soul:

“And the Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul.”​

This verse reveals two essential components in the creation of humanity:

A – Dust from the ground (the physical body, with senses and the natural capacity for mind and consciousness)​

​

B – The breath of life (God’s Spirit / His holiness / His righteousness)​

There are only two components involved in making Adam: the dust of the earth and the divine breath of God. Nothing else. It is a simple equation: A + B = C, where C represents the living soul. This soul is not a third, separate entity that exists independently of A or B. If either component is removed, C ceases to exist. The soul does not fly away to another realm or continue to live in another form—it simply no longer is. Adam was a living soul only because the Spirit of God was placed by God into the dust.

Importantly, the “breath” that God breathed into Adam was not mere air or oxygen to jump-start a heartbeat. It was God’s Spirit, His righteousness, His holiness, His very presence.

This divine union is what set humanity apart from the rest of creation. It reflected God's image and likeness—not in biology, but in spiritual design and relational capacity. God placed His holiness within Adam. But when Adam disobeyed and sin entered the world, the consequence was not immediate physical death—but spiritual death. Adam was cast out of the Garden, not only physically removed from Eden but separated from God’s presence. The Spirit that once dwelled in him returned to its source, for there is no other place that can contain God’s holiness but God Himself. Adam had no holiness of his own—it was God's righteousness within him, and when that Spirit departed, he was left spiritually barren. This is the core of God’s plan of salvation: How will He place His righteousness—His Spirit—back into us so we can once again dwell in His presence?

Sin caused the divine-human relationship to fracture. Humanity lost its standing as “living souls” and became simply “living beings”—animated by breath, but lacking the indwelling Spirit of God. Every person born after Adam—born outside the Garden—is born into this condition: physically alive, but spiritually empty. This loss of spiritual life is precisely what happened to the Jews who rejected their Messiah. When they crucified Jesus, they rejected the One who came to restore the Spirit within them. In response, God allowed desolation to fall—not just upon their city or Temple—but upon their spiritual relationship with Him. For 2,000 years (the time of the Gentiles), this estrangement has remained in place. Yet God’s mercy did not end there. His plan of salvation, fulfilled in Jesus Christ, was always about restoring what was lost in Eden. Through Jesus’ sacrificial death and resurrection, He made a way for us to be reconciled to God. Through faith in Christ, we receive the gift of the Holy Spirit, who now dwells within us and empowers us to live in righteousness—not by our strength, but by His.

The restoration of God's righteousness and Spirit within us is the only way to once again become a living soul—a being in true communion with God. This is not just a future promise but a present reality for every believer. And one day, when Christ returns, the full restoration will be complete: no longer just the Spirit dwelling in us, but we will dwell with Him—face to face, just as it was in Eden. Consequently, we do not have His Spirit, His holiness, or His righteousness within us. There is nothing innate in us—nothing spiritual—that continues on after we die. Our body returns to the dust from which it came, and without the Spirit of God, we cease to be living souls.

This is the tragic result of sin: spiritual separation from the Giver of life. In response, God established the Torah and its sacrificial system as a temporary measure of reconciliation between Himself and His people. These rituals were not an end in themselves, but a foreshadowing of the ultimate sacrifice—the one that Jesus would offer on the cross. His death brought about a once-and-for-all atonement, offering everlasting forgiveness and spiritual restoration to all who believe.

 

[JustThinking]

From the outset of Christianity, a core belief is that something in us is eternal. It is not our physical body including our brain. Over time, little ground has been gained about understanding exactly what our soul is. To almost all christians it is invisible, untouchable and

It seems possible to me that the purity of our conscience toward God and our fellow man lies at the center of our most inner self...soul.

Part 2

Through the gift of the Holy Spirit, believers receive not only the assurance of God's presence but also the power to live transformed lives. The outpouring of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost was God's symbolic act of breathing His Spirit back into humanity—the first step in restoring what was lost in Eden. It was the spiritual re-creation of man, already begun but not yet completed. This restoration must happen within us before we can dwell in God’s presence again. But the full consummation of this work—our complete return to holiness—will not take place until the second coming of Christ. God’s entire plan of salvation is aimed at one goal: to restore each person to the very state in which He originally created Adam—filled with His Spirit, clothed in His righteousness, and able to walk with Him once more. Just before Jesus died, He made a deeply meaningful statement. In Luke 23:46, we read:

"And when Jesus had cried out with a loud voice, He said, ‘Father, into Your hands I commit My spirit.’ Having said this, He breathed His last."​

This final cry echoed David’s prayer in Psalm 31:5 and revealed a profound truth: Jesus had to release the Holy Spirit back to the Father. Having taken upon Himself the sin of the world, He could no longer retain the indwelling Spirit. Sin and the Holy Spirit cannot coexist. That Spirit, which had been given to Him at His baptism, returned to the Father at the cross. Yet on the day of His resurrection, the Spirit was restored to Him—symbolizing the victory of righteousness over death and sin. This act also served as a prophetic promise: at His second coming, God will once again breathe His Spirit fully into humanity, completing the restoration of His people. When He looks upon the redeemed at the end, He will not see sin—but rather His own righteousness covering them.

As Isaiah declared in Isaiah 61:10:

"I will greatly rejoice in the LORD, my soul shall be joyful in my God; for He has clothed me with the garments of salvation, He has covered me with the robe of righteousness, as a bridegroom decks himself with ornaments, and as a bride adorns herself with her jewels."​

Righteousness or holiness cannot be attained on this side of heaven. No act of human kindness, no moral effort, no ritual obedience can reach the height of God's standard. Righteousness belongs solely to God, the lawgiver, and is revealed through His laws. If He chooses to impart His righteousness to us, it remains His righteousness, not ours—a gift, not a reward. No one can justify themselves before God by their own works. As Isaiah reminds us in Isaiah 64:6:

"But we are all like an unclean thing, and all our righteousness are like filthy rags; we all fade as a leaf, and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away."​

Only the righteousness of Christ, not our own, will ever enter His kingdom. Salvation is not about becoming better people—it is about becoming new people, reborn by the Spirit and clothed in the holiness that only God can give.

 

[tablet123]

Ecclesiastes 12:7 Then shall the dust return to the earth as it was: and the spirit shall return unto God who gave it.

Psalms 51:10 Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me.

 Proverbs 20:27 The spirit of man is the candle of the LORD, searching all the inward parts of the belly.

 Romans 8:16 The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God.

Ephesians 3:16 That he would grant you, according to the riches of his glory, to be strengthened with might by his Spirit in the inner man.

All spirits go back to God who gave them regardless of how the person behaved on earth.

No person retains their spirit in the after life which it is not part of them.

The spirit is our connection to God.

Genesis 3:19 In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread, till thou return unto the ground; for out of it wast thou taken: for dust thou art, and unto dust shalt thou return.

The body will return to dust.

No person retains their body in the after life.

Genesis 1:27
So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them.

Romans 5:14 Nevertheless death reigned from Adam to Moses, even over them that had not sinned after the similitude of Adam's transgression, who is the figure of him that was to come.

Genesis 2:7 And the LORD God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul.

Hebrews 10:39
But we are not of them who draw back unto perdition; but of them that believe to the saving of the soul.

1Corinthians 15:44
It is sown a natural body; it is raised a spiritual body. There is a natural body, and there is a spiritual body.

The image of God is an innocent nature in flesh some image that can be seen by humans and angels.

Jesus came in the image of God and Adam was made in the figure of Christ.

The soul is what will be saved having a glorified body.

The soul makes the decision between the flesh and the spirit to live for God.

So the soul would be our thinking capacity.