By Herbert W. Armstrong
Why cannot the greatest minds solve world problems? Scientists have said, “Given sufficient knowledge, and we shall solve all human problems and cure all our evils.” However, as the world’s fund of knowledge rapidly increases, so too do humanity’s evils.
Why? Is something wrong with the human mind? Is something missing? There most certainly is a missing dimension in human knowledge. A human manufacturer sends along with the instrument or device he manufactures an instruction booklet describing what his product is intended to do with full directions for accomplishing its purpose. The most perfect mechanism ever designed and made is the marvelous mind and body that is man. And it is also only natural that our Maker sent along His instruction manual—revealing for our good what we are, why we are, where we are going, and what is the way.
That instruction book is the Holy Bible. Yet man has made this the most misunderstood, misinterpreted and maligned book that ever came into human hands.
Nevertheless, the missing dimension in knowledge is all there revealed. The incredible human potential is there revealed and made plain—if man would only read it—and believe what it says!
It is our source book. It reveals to us why we humans were put here on Earth—what we are—where we are going—the unrealized incredible human potential—how to operate this human mechanism of mind and body to live happily in peace and to achieve that awesome potential.
But the greatest human minds have never comprehended that divinely revealed knowledge. It is as if God our Maker had sent His message to us in an unbreakable secret code.
And the greatest human minds have never cracked that secret code. Modern science cannot understand it. Psychologists do not themselves understand of what the human mind is composed.
Something of supreme importance is missing from the greatest of human minds! That something is revealed within this instruction manual. It is not taught in any college or university. It is hidden from the worldly wise and prudent. The greatest mind which ever lived said of it, “I thank you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that You have hidden these things from the wise and prudent and have revealed them to babes” (Matt. 11:25, New King James Version).
But to the spiritual babe, our instruction manual reveals that originally from eternity, there existed God and with Him there coexisted, also from eternity, “the Word,” a second person who also is God. God created all things by and through this coexisting Spirit Being called “the Word” (John 1:1-4).
In Genesis 1:1, the Hebrew word translated “God” is Elohim, a uniplural name meaning one God who is composed of more than one person. In other words, a divine FAMILY, of which the God mentioned in John 1:1 is Head.
God first created angels—also composed of spirit, though lesser beings than God, and lacking in creative power.
Next, God created—brought into existence—the physical universe, including the Earth. At Earth’s creation, a third of the angels were placed here. They were put under rule of the government of God, administered by the great archangel Lucifer, a cherub. Under the government of God the Earth was filled with wonderful peace, happiness and joy. But ultimately Lucifer led his angels into rebellion. The government of God was rejected, no longer enforced. The Earth, as a result, became waste and empty, in confusion and utter darkness.
Then in six days God renewed the face of the Earth. During this “creation week” of Genesis 1, God formed the first life-forms that reproduced themselves—the flora and then the fauna—without the thinking, reasoning, decision-making process, and without ethical, moral or spiritual capabilities.
Finally came the creation of man—created in God’s own image and likeness—form and shape—but like animals composed of physical matter from the earth. Man, to be born ultimately into the very God family, was designed to have godly-type mind—ability to think, to reason, to make choices and decisions, capable of forming ethical, moral and spiritual attitudes.
Remember, God’s purpose in creating man is to reproduce Himself—with such perfect spiritual character as only God possesses—who will not and therefore cannot ever sin! (1 John 3:9).
Such perfect spiritual and holy character cannot be created by fiat. It must be developed, and that requires time and experience.
Such character is the ability in a single entity to come to comprehend and distinguish the true values from the false, the right way from the wrong, to choose the right and reject the wrong, and, with power of will, to DO the right and resist the evil.
Animals are equipped with brain and instinct. But they do not have power to understand and choose moral and spiritual values or to develop perfect spiritual character. Animals have brain, but no intellect—instinct, but no ability to develop holy and godly character.
And that pictures the transcendental difference between animal brain and human mind.
But what causes that vast difference?
There is virtually no difference in shape and construction between animal brain and human brain. The brains of elephants, whales and dolphins are larger than human brain, and the chimp’s brain is slightly smaller.
Qualitatively the human brain may be very slightly superior, but not enough to remotely account for the difference in output.
What, then, can account for the vast difference? Science cannot adequately answer. Some scientists in the field of brain research conclude that, of necessity, there has to be some nonphysical component in human brain that does not exist in animal brain. But most scientists will not admit the possibility of the existence of the nonphysical.
What other explanation is there? Actually, outside of the very slight degree of physical superiority of human brain, science has no explanation, due to unwillingness to concede even the possibility of the spiritual.
When man refuses to admit even the very existence of his own Maker, he shuts out of his mind vast oceans of basic true knowledge, fact and understanding. When he substitutes fable for truth, he is of all men most ignorant, though he professes himself to be wise.
When man, in the name of science, denies—or by indifference, ignores—his Maker, he blinds his mind to what he is, why he is, where he is going, and what is the way! No wonder this world is filled with evils! There has to be a cause for every effect!
But when our minds are opened to the knowledge of our God and His purposes, then we have glorious access to the vast missing dimension of knowledge: the very knowledge that God is the divine family—that God is reproducing Himself—that He is using matter in the process, and that He opens our understanding to vast vistas of new knowledge.
So now consider. God is composed of spirit. God is Creator, Designer, Ruler, Educator. God has supreme mind. He IS the perfect holy and righteous character!
But He is using material substance from this physical Earth with which to reproduce Himself. Out of physical earth He has formed man in His image and likeness (form and shape).
But if man is to become God, in the process of God reproducing Himself, then the character that is to be built in him must emanate from God—and the spirit life that is to be his also must emanate from God.
In other words, God has had to plan to bridge the gap between matter (of which man is now wholly composed) and spirit (which God now is, and man must become).
Matter is not spirit—cannot be converted into spirit. How, then, can God change mortal, material man into immortal, spirit-composed God?
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WHAT SCIENCE CAN’T DISCOVER ABOUT THE HUMAN MIND
by Mr. Armstrong
