Physical Senses & 5 Others
They say that humans have five physical senses: They are Sight, Hearing, Smell, Taste, and Touch. It’s these amazing abilities that greatly help us humans to interact with our world. But nearly all animals also have the same five senses. Shouldn’t the human being “created in the image of God” have extra or Other senses also?? Of course, we do. Humans also have at least five senses of the Soul & Spirit. They are Reason, Imagination, Memory, Conscience, and the Heart stuff – Affections & Emotions:
-- Reason – how about that famous French statue (Le Penseur 1901) of a man sitting with elbow on knee, & head resting on his fist deep in thought. Animals might think a little, but they don’t think a lot – (typically animals don’t worry much either like we do.)
-- Imagination – Unger’s Bible Dictionary; “It’s the image-making, pictorial faculty of the mind . . . It illustrates, adorns, and illuminates our speech and writing by presenting new views . . . It is the artist’s great qualification . . .”
-- Memory – According to Webster; the power, act, or process of recalling to mind facts previously learned or past experiences. Young people typically take this for granted, while older folks can be in real trouble here.
-- Conscience – Unger again; “Conscience is not so much a distinct faculty of the mind, like perception, memory, etc., . . . as (it is) employed with reference to moral truth. It implies moral sense “to discern both good and evil.” (Hebrews 5:14 & 1 Timothy 4:2)
-- Affections/Emotions – These are accompanied by strong feelings or trembling in the heart – opposed to Reason, which goes on in the head. A brief list of emotions could be love, hate, fear, gladness, sorrow, shame, anger, etc. – all of which flow from the heart, which is the "center" of the Soul & Spirit. And the pain of a broken heart is where too many disappointments with life & love have left one with a damaged Soul & Spirit. In fact, that is when a lot of people entertain thoughts of suicide, or turn to God.
So, what’s the point of this “Gospel-note”. Just this – humans should be grateful for the five additional senses beyond what animals have. We should acknowledge those senses of the Soul & Spirit as coming from Above. We should nourish & cultivate those Divine senses & not abuse them living in “youthful passions” and sin. The best way I know (from experience & about 50 years of study), is to be Born Again (John 3:3), & Transformed by God’s power (Romans 12:2). God’s salvation is an enhancer/
expander of those senses of the Soul & Spirit. But denying that salvation can stunt the growth & control of those Other senses. What a waste of the most beautiful part of humanness.
-- Genesis 1:27 “So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them.”
-- Job 32:8-9 “It is the spirit in a man, the breath of the Almighty, that makes him understand. It is not the old that are wise, nor the aged that understand what is right.”
-- Psalms 5:12 “For thou dost bless the righteous, O Lord; thou dost cover him with favor as with a shield." (That blessing itself is an enhancer of the senses of Soul & Spirit.)
-- John 3:3 “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born anew, he cannot see the kingdom of God.”
-- Romans 12:2 “Do not be conformed to this world but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that you may prove what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.”
-- 2 Timothy 2:22 “So shun youthful passions and aim at righteousness, faith, love, and peace, along with those who call upon the Lord from a pure heart.”
Choose Jesus, He is Alive. And one of the questions we may hear from a Big Voice on Judgment Day is this, “What did you do with your extra senses??” It will feel good to answer, “I used them wisely, Sir.” See also “What’s In The Blood?” link 96.
Many other titles: www.gospelnotes.org * * F. J. Stone * *
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