The Ontology of the Spirit

Live from Planet Earth, this is HEART OF THE MATTERTGNN’s original show where Shawn McCraney deconstructed religion and developed fulfilled theology. RADICALIZED and I’m your host, Shawn McCraneyFounder of TGNN and developer of the fulfilled perspective—calling people to faith outside of religion.. If you are inclined, join with me in prayer to our living God YAHAVAH.

Upcoming Events

9 September The Ontology of the Spirit September 2nd 2025. Of all the Radicalized shows this year, tonight is going to take us into the furthest depths of radical ideas – the Ontology of the Spirit. Before we dive deep, there are a few things to quickly say.

FIRST, our first annual Cult-Proof conference sponsored by Sarah Young’s Check my Church outreach is next Saturday, September 13th starting at 8am. It will be held broadcast here in our studio in Murray Utah and speakers will include – Sarah Young, Chris Shelton, Jordan Tanksley, and myself. Then in November, we will be hosting our Second annual Christian Peace Initiative where we gather in the spirit of unity among Christ affirming religions on earth.

And with that, let’s quickly do our September 5 X 5 where we introduce some cultural suggestions for people looking to enjoy life outside the confines of bad religious culture that seeks to appropriate Jesus into everything making the faith a culture instead of what it is – the means by which God saved the world.

GRAPHIC OF 5X5 (but because of time I am only going to give you 5×1’s tonight. Read

ONE INSPIRING MUSICAL ARTIST to consider

(GRAPHIC)

1. Blonde Redhead

ONE MIND-EXPANDING BOOK (GRAPHIC)

1. The Giver – a children’s book of immense worth.

ONE STIRRING FILM (GRAPHIC)

1. Sorcerer 1977 Film

ONE ARTIST (of any kind) (Graphic)

William Freidkin (Filmmaker)

ONE MODERN HERO (Graphic)

1. Adam Sandler

Important Announcement

Okay and finally, mark your calendars, tell your friends because if you have ever been LDS, are currently LDS, are interesting in LDS things and if you are a lover of God through Christ in this world today, you are going to want to watch our Tuesday January 6th 2026 Heart of the Matter show, the title and many other things explained and introduced then. If you have EVER watched us, considered us, known of us, used to watch us, turned on us, love us or hate us you are going to want to tune into this two hour, once in a lifetime show-special.

Why? Because it is where twenty years of dedicated efforts come to an end, and where we explain what all of our findings amount to relative to the world of Christianity including the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. Tell Radio Free Mormon. Tell John Dehlin. Tell Russel Nelson. Tell your Bishop, your families, anyone who is part of the LDS tradition – tell them – January 6th 2026 8pm Live where all of it comes to fruition. May God bless us in these efforts.

So, to the Ontology of the Spirit. Because we have already done the ontology of God, followed by the ontology or make-up of Christ, you might already know that we do not agree with the man-made doctrine of the Trinity. We teach, amidst all the nuances of the scripture, that the living God is one perfect plural of two, perfect masculine and perfect feminine, in whom He made man (male and female in His image) and that He seems to have manifested Himself more from “the masculine” in the Old Testament and more from the feminine in the New through the incarnation of His Word.

So, what are we to say about the Spirit of God, called the Holy Spirit in scripture, or the Holy Ghost if you prefer King’s English. We’ve noted in the past several things about God being two in that man is also two (not three) and that marriage is two (not three or more) and that there are far more contextual supports for two in the scripture as the proper model of all God does than three. We say three is polytheism, that three is polygamy, that three is a crowd.

To rightly approach the make-up of the Holy Spirit, I think it’s important to first discuss spirit or spirits in general (you know, in the universe/world) and compare it with the Spirit of God. From a sort of universal understanding of spirit, we might suggest that “Spirit” has numerous meanings in the material world today but generally refers to the non-physical part of a person or being that is commonly associated with its “life force, mind, soul, or supernatural existence – if such a realm exists as most pure materialists deny this metaphysical reality. Spirit can also describe a person or a being’s temperament, disposition, or

Understanding the Concept of Spirit

Remember being at high school and the cheerleaders chanting, “We’ve got spirit, yes we do. We’ve got spirit, how bout you!” In this sense, spirit is associated with force, drive, and tenacity, the general feeling or attitude of a group or a situation where there exists “cooperation” denoting qualities like courage, enthusiasm, and determination. In the Apostolic Record, it is not by mistake that the Spirit is often and perhaps best described as powerful, through the Greek term dunamis, where we get the English words, dynamite and dynamo. Hand in hand with power the use of “spirit” also speaks to the mental and/or emotional state of people or persons in terms of temperament, mood, or disposition. In legal or philosophical contexts, “spirit” can refer to the deeper meaning or intention behind something, as opposed to the literal words or actions.

Spirit in Different Contexts

We have all heard of the phrase, “the spirit of the law” which refers to the underlying principle or purpose of a law, rather than just the specific rules, known as “the letter of the Law.” Over time the term spirit or spirits were assigned to hard alcohol not because it makes people feel or do things under a different spirit than they normally do but because of the distillation process where the essence of the grain or potato or whatever is brought to an essence or the “spirit” of the thing. In the case of the scripture and “spiritual things, “spirit and spirits” refers to supernatural entities of some sort typically from “another dimension and/or being” and this includes what is in the mind and heart of a person guiding them. In this sense, spirits are thought of as supernatural beings or entities and are categorized as ghosts, angels, demons and are generally thought to be non-physical and possess powers, abilities and insights beyond readily available in the human realm.

Biblical References to Spirit

Paul addresses them in 1st Corinthians 8:4-6 saying: As concerning therefore the eating of those things that are offered in sacrifice unto idols, we know that an idol is nothing in the world, and that there is none other God but one. For though there be that are called gods, whether in heaven or in earth, (as there be gods many, and lords many,) But to us there is but one God, the Father, of whom are all things, and we in him; and one Lord Jesus Christ, by whom are all things, and we by him. The Apostle John wrote the following advice to the believers in that day, saying, 1st John 4:1 Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world.

Then there is the idea of man having a Spirit that animates, enlivens, and from which human beings understand and learn and grow on principles Man creates and lives by. This fact is underscored by passages like, Proverbs 20:27 which says: The spirit of man is the candle of the LORD, searching all the inward parts of the belly. Or Ecclesiastes 3:21: Who knoweth the spirit of man that goeth upward, and the spirit of the beast that goeth downward to the earth? Or Zechariah 12:1 where we read: The burden of the word of the LORD for Israel, saith the LORD, which stretcheth forth the heavens, and layeth the foundation of the earth, and formeth the spirit of man within him.

Concepts of Spirit and Man

And finally, where Paul plainly says in 1st Corinthians 2:11: For what man knoweth the things of a man, save the spirit of man which is in him? even so the things of God knoweth no man, but the Spirit of God. Thus far, we can definitively say from scripture (along with other places) that God is a Spirit. God has a Spirit. That Man has a Spirit. That there is a Spirit of Man. That there are “lords, gods and spirits many” And that humans are to not believe every spirit, but “to try or test the spirits to see whether they are of God.”

Okay, so here is we start to take the context of the scripture in an effort to try and understand if, how and when these concepts fit in the age where Christ has had the victory over all things – and that includes all Spirits. See, last month we explained how God had the victory over sinMissing the mark of faith and love—no punishment, just lost growth or peace., deathSeparation from God—now overcome. Physical death remains, but it no longer separates us from life with God., Satan and hell through the life, death, resurrection ascension and return of His Son. In the face of that victory, we repeatedly read in the scripture where Christ is said to have HAD all.

The Nature of Spirits and the Spirit

things placed under His feet. I mean, referring to “that specific day” nearly 2000 years ago and in reference to Christ, Paul wrote in Ephesians 1:19-23: And what is the exceeding greatness of his power to us-ward who believe, according to the working of his mighty power, 20 Which he wrought in Christ, when he raised him from the dead, and set him at his own right hand in the heavenly places, 21 Far above all principality, and power, and might, and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this world, but also in that which is to come: 22 And hath put all things under his feet, and gave him to be the head over all things to the church, 23 Which is his body, the fulness of him that filleth all in all.

People who read the scripture somehow dichotomously suggest that Christ has had the victory (as the scripture suggests), even to the point that they agree that all things have been subsumed under His feet by God, but they paradoxically add that Satan and his angels and demons are still at work stealing souls to a hell forever through their influence. It’s just not so. So we come to this impasse that cannot really, does not really, help us understand the Nature of Spirits today nor does it explain what Spirits remain operative in the world where Christ has had the complete victory, as He even said in the Great Commission.

The Spirit of God

Matthew 28:18 All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth. Or as Paul said in Philippians 2:10 That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. So, what do we say in the face of all of this relative to spirits and the Spirit? We depart readily from all Christian traditions on earth today, from the Catholics to the LDS, from the Anglicans to the Evangelicals and suggest the following;

That God is one perfect plural of masculine and feminine and that this perfect plural has a Spirit – His Spirit – and that His Spirit is not a spirit person, separate and distinct from the Father and separate and distinct from the Son but that it was first the Spirit by and through which God worked in and around His human creations. Interestingly, this Holy Spirit had the capacity to dwell in humans even before the incarnation, as we read in the first chapter of Luke with respect to John the Baptist where it reads, Luke 1:15 For he shall be great in the sight of the Lord, and shall drink neither wine nor strong drink; and he shall be filled with the Holy Ghost, even from his mother’s womb. Then, twenty-six verses later Luke adds, Luke 1:41 And it came to pass, that, when Elisabeth heard the salutation of Mary, the babe leaped in her womb; and Elisabeth was filled with the Holy Ghost:

The Change in the Holy Spirit

What else do we know about this Spirit of God at that time? We know that since the Spirit of God was able to indwell human beings without Christ’s offering, both in utero and the mother of John as an adult, that something about the Holy Spirit of God functioning in the Old Testament underwent a change by virtue of the finished work of Christ. What? I know. But as radical as this sounds, especially to a Trinitarian who claims that God is three in One and that the three all are individuated uncreated persons, co-equal, and co-eternal and unchanging, we maintain that when it comes to the Spirit of God, it, not He, did change.

How so? We have to appeal to the through line of scripture and “contextual reason” to see and understand this as a means to overcome false traditions. And the reasoning is found in and through the incarnation of Christ Himself. See, the writer of Hebrews says, speaking of Yeshua the Christ: Hebrews 5:7-8 Who in the days of his flesh, when he had offered up prayers and supplications with strong crying and tears unto him that was able to save him from death, and was heard in that he feared; Though he were a Son, yet learned he obedience by the things which he suffered; and being made perfect, he became the author of eternal salvation unto all them that obey him; How do we obey Him, Yeshua. By His Spirit, which speaks.

The Incarnation and Its Impact on the Spirit of God

To the Spirit of the incarnate God, not the God of the Old Testament. Paul helps us understand this when he wrote, describing Christ to the believers at Philippi: Philippians 2:5 Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: 6 Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: 8 And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross. 9 Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name: 10 That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; 11 And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

Changes in the Spirit from Old to New Testament

Why or how did the incarnation of Christ change the Spirit of God that operated in the Old Testament? In a couple of ways. First, the Spirit in the Old Testament was never called the Spirit of Christ before His resurrection. But after the incarnation and only after the resurrection was the Spirit of God made synonymous in the text with the Spirit of Christ. Secondly, the writer of Hebrews explains why Christ became incarnate and learned obedience through the things He suffered, saying, Hebrews 2:18 For in that he himself hath suffered being tempted, he is able to succour them that are tempted.

Can you see that the writer of Hebrews tells us the reason that Christ became flesh? So that “he is ABLE to succor those who are also tempted.” We do not read this ability in the Holy Spirit 1.0 of the Old Testament – only after the incarnation and only after His victory could Christ (through His Spirit that fell at Pentecost) succor (aid/help) through His personal understanding having been one of us. This plainly suggests that the Spirit that the Apostles went to Jerusalem as instructed “to be endowed from on high” was of a different version of the Spirit – it was, apparently a far more adept spirit, a spirit that perfectly understood the human experience and was then able to aid or help man in a way that it never could before.

The Spirit of Christ

The Greek term for succor is BO AYE THEO and it means “to aid or help man,” which is why Yeshua told His disciples that He would send “the parakleitos, translated the comforter, which is calls, the Spirit of Truth. Being that Christ also called himself, the Way, the Truth and the Life, we might be able to see how this Spirit that Christ promised to send would be His victorious Spirit, the Spirit of Christ, which would be equipped, BECAUSE Christ was once one of us, to aid and help us.

No matter how we look at it, the Spirit of YAHAVAH in the Old Testament was updated and made the Spirit of Christ, a title after the ascension that Paul made synonymous with the Spirit of God or Holy Spirit from before. It is for this reason Christ said in John 16:7 to His apostles “Nevertheless I tell you the truth; It is necessary for you that I go away: for if I go not away, the Comforter will not come unto you; but if I depart, I will send him unto you.” Notice the “I”s that Christ uses there to them?

These observations are utterly overlooked by religious tradition lending to much of the confusion about the Make up of God, Christ and “their (can I say, evolving) spirit over the ages. No, my friends, the Holy Spirit 2.0 is an upgrade to the Spirit of God that worked among men before Christ for the simple reason without Christ, “learning (as a man) obedience by the things he suffered,” therefore “equipping that former spirit of God with what was before a non-existent capacity to succor us,” as the writer of Hebrews declares.

So, in the face of all this, what can we conclude about the Spirit of God which after the resurrection and ascension of Christ is called the Spirit of Christ? That the Spirit of God in the Old Testament got an upgrade, becoming able to do something it could not do before and therefore that spirit changed or was modified. That the Spirit of God is not a person because if the Trinity is true, then the Spirit person of the Trinity cannot change.

The Spiritual Garden of Eden

and this is proven by scripture to be an incorrect teaching. Now, having said all of this, what can we reasonably, contextually say about the biblical declaration of there being gods and lords and spirits many in the world – especially in the face of Christ having overcome all things and all things being placed under His feet. We would suggest something that you might kick against – but for your consideration – We maintain that because the scripture says that all things have been victoriously “put under His feet,” and that “God is now all in all,” and that “the world has been reconciled to God,” and that Satan and his angels have been cast into the Lake of Fire prepared for them,” that . . .

The Spirit of Christ

READY? We maintain that the world has been taken by the last Adam, Christ, and returned to a Spiritual Garden of Eden. That in the victory all human beings now possess the Spirit of Christ and not just those what believe. This indwelling Spirit of Christ is calling to all to receive and believe on Him, and come into a direct relationship with His Father. And we maintain that all of the Spirits many, that Paul instructs the believers in that day “to test and try” appear to have originated from an otherworldly realm, were dark and demonic, and have utterly been put under the feet of Christ.

And here is the kicker – but it is important – We also maintain that what remains operative in the world “tempting us, seducing us and leading us away from the gentle invitations of Christ?” (beat) Is simply, the Spirit of Man, which exists and governs this world and those who have their citizenship in it.

The Spirit of Man

Here is where we are going to push the limits. See, in our estimation, because we are made in God’s image, and because God put this world in our care, telling us to exercise dominion over it and to subdue it, because we have given so many of His communicable attributes, we suggest that there is not only a Spirit of Man in each individual but there is also a collective spirit of Man in the world that evolves, lives and thrives IN THIS WORLD.

We maintain that this collective of the human spirit evolves and adapts as each human being contributes to it and decides how much of it they will allow in their earthly lives. Just like the tree of knowledge of Good and Evil the Spirit of Man is both good and evil, depending on what a person desires to seek from it in their heart as it proffers up all sorts of intuition, insights, and information a human being desires to follow. The Spirit of Man that feeds into the Light or Good serves humanity well, the Spirit that feeds on and contributes to the Evil lends to our suffering and demise.

Goethe, Hegel, and Carl Jung and those who follow him and his insights – tapped into the idea of the Spirit of man and made astute observations relative to its forces and influences around us with profound clarity. I do not see their findings from God nor do I see them as applicable to the heavenly realm after this life but I do see the Spirit of Man they described as having great power in this world, and perhaps lingering in influence outside the heavenly city.

Philosophers like Goethe contributed to this idea with profundity as Goethe viewed this spirit as “a dynamic and transformative force,” closely linking it to human experience and creativity. He saw the spirit of Man as something that could be both liberated and constrained, emphasizing the need for self-control to harness its potential for great deeds. Goethe also believed that the spirit is an organ through which the world’s occult powers are revealed, and that humanity’s role is to manifest these powers through “self-awareness” and “understanding.” Such beliefs caused Goethe to famously say, “Whatever liberates our spirit without giving us self-control is disastrous,” highlighting the importance of balance and discipline in spiritual development. He also said, “Love and desire are the spirit’s wings to great deeds,” which suggests that passion and longing are fundamental to human achievement. He saw humanity as an instrument through which the world’s hidden forces could be revealed. He believed that man’s capacity to control and modify nature is what allows for the manifestation of these forces. In his poem “Spirit Song Over The Waters,” Goethe uses water as a metaphor for the soul, suggesting its cyclical

The Spirit of Man: A Philosophical Perspective

Journey from heaven to earth and back again, reflecting the transformative nature of the spirit or what I believe is again, the Spirit of Man. Goethe seemed to focus on the world spirit, as did Jung, and contributed to an unfolding system of theories on how we can tap into this Geist to better ourselves. In Hegel’s philosophy, “objectified Geist” refers to the process where the “Geist” (Spirit or Mind) manifests and externalizes itself in the objective world, creating social structures, institutions, and cultural products. This objectification is not a one-time event but a continuous, historical process where the Geist shapes and is shaped by the material and social realities it creates. Hegel’s concept of the mind or Spirit of Man is complex because it encompasses both individual and collective consciousness, reason, and spirit. What made him unique is it was not just a human mind, but also the underlying force driving historical and cultural developments. For him, the Geist doesn’t just exist as an abstract idea, but it actively shapes (and is shaped) by the world around it on both an individual and a collective basis. Goethe, Hegel, Jung all contributed their insights into the Spirit of Man and have constructed all sorts of ideas that it is by and through this evolving individual and collective Spirit that “justice is objectified into legal systems, the concept of family into family structures, and the idea of governance into political institutions.” Art, religion, and philosophy are all examples of Geist being objectified into concrete forms, reflecting the Geist’s self-understanding at a particular time. “Even material objects like buildings and tools can be seen as objectifications of human ideas and intentions.”

Spiritual Forces and Free Will

So, again, we maintain that all spiritual forces afflicting Man described in the Old Testament and Apostolic Record are over and no longer have any power or influence over man any longer. But because God made Man in His image and gave us free will, it seems that the only thing not under His feet is the Spirit of Man operating in this world and possibly in the world outside the heavenly realm. This suggests that what remains operative in the lives of people today is the Spirit of Christ (indwelling in all souls) and the Spirit of this world (or the Spirit of man) which is naturally doing in and around us what it does, leaving every individual with the decision “to choose this day whom they will serve.” Before wrapping up, let me bring this all together as we ardently maintain that the Spirit of Man operates on a continuum – from a very dark (and destructive) side (Evil) out to a very light and constructive side (good), and that all the works we do from the Spirit of Man can be found along this continuum. So let’s go – because “Religion is all from the Spirit of Man.”

Cultural Manifestations

The justice systems, the governments, the corporations, the sports leagues, entertainment, education, gangs, drugs, darkness and light of this world – all of it exists on and through the Spirit of this world or the Spirit of Man. And at the far bright end of religion, constructed by the Spirit of Man, is Mormonism, as its entire approach to God is based on the Good end of the spectrum. It certainly promotes and does good in this world, for the betterment of men and women and because of this people think they are Christian, and are doing and following God. No, they are merely choosing Light Lusts from the Spirit of Man over Dark lust from the same. Now think about this – John warned believers in his say of the Spirit of Man in the world when he said, “all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, (which John said) is not of the Father but is of this world.”

The Spirit of Man in Religious Contexts

The LDS collectively shun, in the most general sense, dark themed profiles like pornography, sexual deviancies, R-rated movies, substances, violent crime, poverty, uncleanliness in the home or body, liberal agendas or politics, heavy metal allegiances, masks – stuff like that. If someone is of this ilk (driven too by the Spirit of Man in them) is LDS somehow they will never find a home in the LDS Church or culture. This makes their members believe that they are Good and that they follow the Spirit of Christ. And this is the very reason I could never last as a member –

The Spirit of Man in the Dark Realms

I relate to the Spirit of Man in the dark realms. What is often overlooked is the lust that the LDS do endorse (which too is of this world and from the Spirit of Man) is what I call Light Lust – which is more than obviously seen in things like their corporate and individual cases of lust for positions of power, lust for control, lust for material representations, lust for money, lust for health and vibrancy, lust for growth and dominion, lust for recognition in this world, lust for intelligence and education. There is even lust for humility, self-effacing confessions, lust for emotionalism run amok, for a celestial kingdom, lust to become a god.

Lust and Pride in the World

In this world, the LDS permit lust and pride which are still from the Spirit of the World and are not of the Father. But do not be deceived because while they do promote good and growth and health on this earth, which dark lusts do not, THEY HAVE NO WEIGHT in the heavenly realm. None. Why? Because,

The Nature of Lust and Pride

“all that is in the world, the LUST of the flesh (dark or light) the LUST of the eyes (dark or light) and the PRIDE of life (in anything, dark or light) is not of the Father but is of this world.” And in this way, from these things, we understand the Spirit, the Holy Spirit, the Spirit of Christ, (whose fruit is real selfless, sacrificial, insufferable, humble, contrite love for God and others and is NOT of this world at all) and the Spirit of Man that governs all that is here.

We’ve sought to know. We’ve sought to discover. We have learned the truth from the biblical text led of the Spirit of Christ. Now, you decide how you will live. Remember, all of this, for forty years, has been building up to a major realization which we will drop on January 6th 2026, right here on Heart of the Matter. Love YOU, greatly. Love Him above all.