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Question: The question has arisen, or perhaps the statement, that we are all spirits having been created all at once in the beginning (Genesis 1:1) and have then come to earth to return to heaven. I do not believe this in that context, but am at a loss as to how to answer. I believe that I am an eternal spirit, created at the instant of conception, rather than a spirit sent at conception from a heavenly pool of spirits. Please clarify for me.

Answer: You said: "I believe that I am an eternal spirit, created at the instant of conception, rather than a spirit sent at conception from a heavenly pool of spirits." You are accurate in believing this way. Consider the following....

The concept of man or woman existing pre-mortally is not a Christian belief, and it is not one that can be found within the context of the Bible. Religions that teach this do not adhere to the Bible as the only inspired Word of God, and therefore promote teachings such as this to give an apparent validity to other false teachings. One of the quickest ways to identify a false religion is to see what they teach concerning the Bible. If they say that "the Bible is God's Word, BUT..." then you need to immediately be leery about any further involvement in such a faith. They may attempt to convince you that the Bible is God's Word, BUT... you need their "book" or "notes" to interpret what it is really saying.

There is one religion that seems to stick out most readily as proponents of the "pre-existent spirit" of mankind and that is the Mormon church. Another that clearly embraces this idea is the author of the book "Embraced by the Light" (Betty Eadie). The Mormons teach that a pre-mortal spirit is brought about by God through a process called "spirit birth." In this process, human spirits are somehow produced through literal sexual relations between the Heavenly Father and one or more mother gods. They are in this way conceived and born as spirit children prior to entering the mortal realm. They believe that all human persons prior to spirit birth existed as intelligences in some other state. (See Mormon Doctrine by Bruce McConkie.)

Betty Eadie has evidently been strongly influenced by the Mormon teachings because she adheres to these beliefs. She may even be a Mormon, but she has been made very popular, even among Christians, by her book "Embraced by the Light" which speaks of her experience of dying and going to Heaven and returning. In fact, many Christians seem to think that her experience is just wonderful. However, when you dig in to what she believes and teaches, it becomes quite clear that she is not a true follower in the Jesus Christ of the Bible, but another Jesus.

She repeatedly teaches the pre-existence of the soul in "Embraced by the Light." She even claims to have known Jesus from a time before her physical birth. She also talks about spirits awaiting and choosing their physical bodies prior to coming to earth. (This is where she differs from the Mormon teaching.)

What does the Bible teach? The Bible indicates that a person begins to exist at the moment of physical conception, not before (Psalms 139:13-16; Zechariah 12:1). The only One to ever exist before coming to earth as a man was Jesus Christ (John 1:1-3, 14).

You may want to research this further.


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