Soul Vacuum

Scar tissue results in a vacuum in the frontal lobe or mentality of the soul. The first symptom of this vacuum is boredom. “Dull of hearing” in Hebrews 5:11-14 is νωθρός (nōthros) in the Greek and means dull, slow, sluggish, lazy, and not interested in the things of the Lord. Going to church is a chore.

“Concerning him we have much to say, and it is hard to explain, since you have become dull of hearing. For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you have need again for someone to teach you the elementary principles of the oracles of God, and you have come to need milk and not solid food. For everyone who partakes only of milk is not accustomed to the word of righteousness, for he is an infant. But solid food is for the mature, who because of practice have their senses trained to discern good and evil.” (Hebrews 5:11-14, NASB)

The second symptom is making the details of life more important that spiritual growth. The third symptom is false teaching that produces blackout of the soul where Bible doctrine becomes replaced with false doctrines that completely oppose God and His plan. There are many areas of false doctrine. Some are presented below.

Areas of False Doctrine

Demonology

Casting out demons. Cooperation with demons in faith healing. Casting out a demon from a person with a demon-induced illness. Some in the Tongues movement are involved in this. 1 Tim. 4:1; 2 Thess. 2; Isaiah 29; Matt. 7:21-23.

“But the Spirit explicitly says that in later times some will fall away from the faith, paying attention to deceitful spirits and doctrines of demons,” (1 Timothy 4:1, NASB)

“ “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father who is in heaven will enter. “Many will say to Me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and in Your name cast out demons, and in Your name perform many miracles?’ “And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; DEPART FROM ME, YOU WHO PRACTICE LAWLESSNESS.’ “ (Matthew 7:21-23, NASB)

Emotionalism

Praying to the Holy Ghost, etc. We are commanded to pray to God the Father, in the name of Jesus Christ and in the power of the Holy Spirit. “I felt, I saw, I sensed the power on me.” This is the Tongues movement at best and is satanic. This involves a false means of spirituality and so-called second blessing experiences.

Devotionalism

This involves the “Dear Jesus speak to me today” approach. The “Jesus, help us today” crowd. The “Jesus, please forgive me” approach. The “I’d like to speak to you from my heart” approach. The “quiet time” approach. The “pleading the blood” approach.

Church Programs

This may involve obtaining certain number of points for selected behavior or works such as tithing, being on time, bringing a visitor, having your lesson prepared, or bringing your Bible. This may involve programming spirituality such as church loyalty month, celebrating anniversary week, old timers Sunday, Sunday school contests, and you are not spiritual if you don’t come to prayer meeting, ladies aid society, “win ‘em all club,” etc.

This may involve programming gimmicks such as pins for perfect Sunday School attendance, giving bicycles away for the one who brought the most outsiders to the revival, Mother’s Day for the youngest mother and the oldest mother, and the public relations approach - getting news in the paper. This may involve gimmicks to get people saved or saved people to grow such as walking aisles, raising hands, dedicating your life to full time Christian service, lighting candles and giving a testimony, dedicating your life to the missionary field, and vowing to win more souls.

The Liberal Church Approach

More business contacts. You should know the right people. It is the “in” church in town. Although the pastor does not preach the Word, I do in my Sunday school class. We’ve gone there so long that my children don’t want to leave. We’re all going to the same place and we’re all working for the same man. We’re all brothers and if the churches in town can’t get along, how in the world are we going to stop wars?

The “Live it Up” Approach

Find a prostitute, get drunk, get rich, and find “playboys” for friends. Prov. 23:27-28; Prov. 23:29-35; Prov. 23:1-4; Prov. 23:6-7.

“For a harlot is a deep pit And an adulterous woman is a narrow well. Surely she lurks as a robber, And increases the faithless among men.” (Proverbs 23:27-28, NASB)

“Who has woe? Who has sorrow? Who has contentions? Who has complaining? Who has wounds without cause? Who has redness of eyes? Those who linger long over wine, Those who go to taste mixed wine. Do not look on the wine when it is red, When it sparkles in the cup, When it goes down smoothly; At the last it bites like a serpent And stings like a viper. Your eyes will see strange things And your mind will utter perverse things. And you will be like one who lies down in the middle of the sea, Or like one who lies down on the top of a mast. “They struck me, but I did not become ill; They beat me, but I did not know it. When shall I awake? I will seek another drink.”“ (Proverbs 23:29-35, NASB)

“When you sit down to dine with a ruler, Consider carefully what is before you, And put a knife to your throat If you are a man of great appetite. Do not desire his delicacies, For it is deceptive food. Do not weary yourself to gain wealth, Cease from your consideration of it. “ (Proverbs 23:1-4, NASB)

“Do not eat the bread of a selfish man, Or desire his delicacies; For as he thinks within himself, so he is. He says to you, “Eat and drink!” But his heart is not with you.” (Proverbs 23:6-7, NASB)

The “Detail Lust” Approach

This what Solomon did to the maximum. Get an advanced degree like a Ph.D. because it’s the answer. Get two. Grab pleasures. Laugh a lot, get drunk, build things, grow things, get a ranch, collect coins, get into music, live for your children, try humanism, collectivism, and socialism, make a lot of money, be a social climber, be known as a man of reputation, get a different wife or get married, etc.

A Soul Vacuum Scars the Soul

In Ephesians 4:18, “being darkened in their understanding” is the perfect passive participle of σκοτόω (skotoō) in the Greek and means to darken or blind the mind. The believer receives this from the emptiness of their mind, a mind on negative signals. This is common throughout the human race. Thus, they become disoriented to the plan of God and the grace of God.

“being darkened in their understanding, excluded from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them, because of the hardness of their heart;” (Ephesians 4:18, NASB)

In Ephesians 4:18, “ignorance” is ἄγνοια (agnoia) and means no knowledge, ignorance. “Hardness of their heart” is πώρωσις (pōrōsis) and means to be covered with callous, dulled perception and is the Greek word for scar tissue.

As long as a believer out of fellowship remains on negative signals towards Bible doctrine, there is a permanent spiritual blackout in the mind as far as spiritual growth is concerned. Without Bible doctrine, you can’t love the Lord. A blackout of doctrine affects relationships with your spouse and friends. The plan of God is the learning of Bible doctrine and its application to experience. If a believer is not learning Bible doctrine, they have a blackout in their Christian life and alienate themselves from the grace of God.

The heart is the right lobe of the mentality of the soul. 1 Chron. 29:18.

““O LORD, the God of Abraham, Isaac and Israel, our fathers, preserve this forever in the intentions of the heart of Your people, and direct their heart to You;” (1 Chronicles 29:18, NASB)

The word “heart” is sometimes used of the old sin nature. Jer. 17:9; Matt. 12:34-35.

““The heart is more deceitful than all else And is desperately sick; Who can understand it?” (Jeremiah 17:9, NASB)

“ “You brood of vipers, how can you, being evil, speak what is good? For the mouth speaks out of that which fills the heart. “The good man brings out of his good treasure what is good; and the evil man brings out of his evil treasure what is evil. “ (Matthew 12:34-35, NASB)

The word “heart” is sometimes used of the whole soul. 1 Chron. 28:9.

““As for you, my son Solomon, know the God of your father, and serve Him with a whole heart and a willing mind; for the LORD searches all hearts, and understands every intent of the thoughts. If you seek Him, He will let you find Him; but if you forsake Him, He will reject you forever.” (1 Chronicles 28:9, NASB)

Ignorance of Bible doctrine alienates or estranges you from the life of God while on earth. Such alienation creates friction in the soul. The trend in the thought pattern of the soul is toward mental attitude sins followed by overt sins. These frictions of the soul cause scar tissue of the soul.

Scar tissue of the soul alienates from the life of God, His plan for you, and His grace. Scar tissue also destroys true love in all of its categories, from fellowship with God, from finding the right woman or right man, from finding the right friends, and from enjoying the details of life.

God wants you to be happy. Some of you will never believe that because you have been disciplined too long. Thus, scar tissue in the soul removes any possibility of happiness or capacity to love. Scar tissue can only be removed by reversing the process by confessing your sins to God the Father that returns you to fellowship with God and allows you to resume your daily intake and application of Bible doctrine.

Soul Vacuum Causes Hardness of Heart

A vacuum in the soul causes hardness of heart and an insensitivity to spiritual things. In Ephesians 4:19, “they” refers to the unbeliever or a believer negative to Bible doctrine. “Callous” is the perfect active participle of ἀπαλγέω (apalgeō) and means to cease to feel pain or grief, to become apathetic. “Have given themselves over” means to become obvious, to betray yourself. “Sensuality” refers to promiscuity, fornication, and adultery. See category on Hardness of Heart.

“and they, having become callous, have given themselves over to sensuality for the practice of every kind of impurity with greediness.” (Ephesians 4:19, NASB)

Ultimately a believer can get so messed up that they think ultimate happiness is going to bed with someone. Why do lonely men wander into bars and why do prostitutes make a killing? Because they think happiness comes this way. Why does that babe look so pretty? You have scar tissue on your soul. Scar tissue is developed by lasciviousness. It goes farther than the person who burns in his mind toward a woman, but hasn’t the nerve to do it. This refers to the believer who goes all the way to adultery. Exodus 20:14; Deut. 5:18; Prov. 6:32.

““You shall not commit adultery.” (Exodus 20:14, NASB)

“‘You shall not commit adultery.” (Deuteronomy 5:18, NASB)

“The one who commits adultery with a woman is lacking sense; He who would destroy himself does it.” (Proverbs 6:32, NASB)

In Proverbs 6:32, “lacking sense” means they lack Bible doctrine in their soul. Premarital sexual relations or extramarital sexual relations, thought or overt come from a lack of Bible doctrine. It is worth waiting to get the right person, not only for the sexual part, but for the conversation, soul rapport, and everything else.

Use faith-rest until the right person comes along. “Would destroy himself” means he betrays himself to lasciviousness. For example, in the soul of a teenage girl she is tempted to get into bed with some guy. It looks like a perfect situation. Unfortunately, no teenage girl has ever been truly in love, she just thinks she is.

In her self-consciousness, she is aware she is not bad looking and this guy really likes her. In her mentality, she is a believer, but has no Bible doctrine in her soul. She already has scar tissue on the soul through ignorance and she is about to get some more. In her volition, she has made a decision that she is going to go to bed with this guy. Her emotions carry her away with the idea that she is going to enjoy this. Her conscience with its norms and standards says it is wrong to go to bed with any guy, but probably not wrong if you really love him. That isn’t love at all. Her old sin nature tells her to absolutely do it and she has premarital sex with the guy.

Her soul can only be filled with the man that God intended for her. She can bring glory only to the right kind of man and only he can make her something absolutely fantastic and truly happy. A woman’s happiness is concentrated on the right kind of man for her. Therefore, these eyes of the soul are designed to be fulfilled by the right man. But, if she has scar tissue covering her soul, even the right man can’t fulfill her.

God didn’t command us to not commit adultery or fornication because He didn’t want us to have any fun. He wants everyone to have perfect happiness. Promiscuity makes friction in the soul and causes scar tissue.

The Church Age believer’s body is the dwelling place of God. A believer is to have fellowship with the Lord. Avoid fornication because it destroys the soul and seals it off from the body. It also puts up scar tissue, which is a horrible thing. There is no response to Bible doctrine. You become dull and insensitive.