The Heretical Non-Christian

I want to first note that Jesus in the gospels, especially in John, represents the soul, so when I say Jesus, I’m also talking about the soul and vice versa.

The self is associated with the world and the soul is associated with heaven. There is an unbreakable bond between the self and the soul like a marriage between a bride and a groom, which is why Jesus calls himself the bridegroom when he is with his disciples who represent the self. The self is also associated with sheep and the soul with the shepherd.

Now, the self is divided between what I call the pure and holy (PH) sheep, the lost and scattered sheep, and the sheep caught in between the two. The PH sheep have a fragile faith and are associated with the child / feminine. They will never get their hands dirty and never leave the comfort zone unless the path has been completely cleared and the destination has been illuminated.

In the story, when the bridegroom / soul leaves to prepare the way, heaven is ripped away from the self. Since the PH self cannot handle the fall, a counterfeit bridegroom is left behind to provide an approximation of heaven for the PH self.

Unlike the PH sheep, the lost and scattered (LS) sheep have a strong faith. Because of this strong faith, they want nothing to do with this counterfeit heaven and fake bridegroom, despite being shattered by the fall. In the story, when Jesus, as the good shepherd, says he has other sheep he must gather in the wilderness, he is talking about the LS sheep.

Finally, there are the sheep caught in between. These are the sheep who are initially identified with the PH sheep, but in the story, when the shepherd calls out to the sheep in the pen to follow him out into the wilderness, these are the sheep that will follow him. These sheep are willing to get their hands dirty and willing to test their faith.

It’s important to realize that all these sheep, all these parts of self, are like twin brothers. Meaning what one experiences the other also experiences. Because of this, the LS sheep must be suppressed down, outside of conscious awareness, so the PH sheep can feel secure in the counterfeit heaven. Otherwise, due to their fragile faith, they will experience constant identity crisis.

Now that the self is mapped out, I can explain the difference between Christians and Non-Christians. The Christians are the pure and holy sheep / self. Their most important relationship is with the soul and they exist in a state of permanent reconciliation with the soul / Jesus. For them, none of the blame for the fall is placed on the soul or God.

The Non-Christian is more identified with the lost and scattered sheep / self. For the Non-Christian the primary allegiance is to the self. When the soul left the self and ripped heaven away, the soul committed an unforgivable sin against the self punishable by death. The soul / Jesus must face justice in the eyes of the Non-Christian. In the story, the soul tells the Non-Christian, “Yes, you’re right about the sin I’ve committed and I will die for it, but in the meantime, do my will and give me a chance to reunite the entirety of the self with a new kingdom of heaven.”

Many Christians who don’t want to be betrayed by the soul / Jesus will feel threatened by the Non-Christian. Still, despite any persecution, the Non-Christian serves the Christians by clearing the path for them as the good steward and seeking justice on their behalf. Because, as I mentioned, the Non-Christian is first and foremost an advocate for the self.