We Are His Special Creation!

"The tragedy of life is not that it ends so soon, but that we wait so long to begin it." -Richard L. Evans, Bits & Pieces, March 4, 1993, p. 2.

The Bible tells us that every human is a special being (Genesis 1:26-28; Genesis 2:7). One of the primary truths that come from these verses is the fact that man is the product of God’s creative power and not the result of random evolution. Man did not evolve from a single-celled organism over the space of millions of years; he is the special creation of God. You will notice that all the other animals were spoken into existence by the Word of God!

Man, however, was formed by God out of the dust of the earth and God breathed life into the nostrils of man. The fact that God singled man out for special care in the creation lets us know that there is a vast difference between humans and the rest of the animal kingdom.

The Bible also teaches us that every human is a spiritual being. We are told that man was made “in the image” of God. This does not mean that man looks like God; or that God has a body like we do. It does mean that man was created like God in that man is a tripartite (adj. means: consisting of three parts) being.

In the Godhead, there is the Father, the Son and the Spirit. In a man, there is the body, the soul and the spirit. God is a three part being; man is a three part being. God has intellect, will and emotions, and so does mankind.

This is the primary way in which mankind can be distinguished from the members of the animal kingdom. Every person who ever comes into this world has three parts. They have a body, a soul and a spirit. Let’s take a quick look at each of these parts.

1. The Body - The body is the vehicle with which we move through and interact with our world. It is the body that provides a home for the soul and the spirit while we are in this world. Both humans and animals have bodies. When we die, our bodies return to the earth (Genesis 3:19; Ecclesiastes 3:20; Job 34:15).

2. The Soul – The soul is the seat of the will, the character, the intellect, the thoughts, and the emotions. The soul is where we reason, love, hate, want, etc. The soul is what we refer to when we speak of the mind. Your soul animates your body and allows you to interact with your world and with other people. In short, your soul is that part of you that makes you who you are. Your soul makes you self-conscious. There is a sense in which it can be said that animals have souls. That is, they have life within them and they are self-conscious and able to interact with the world around them.

3. The Spirit – Here is where the similarities between man and animals end forever. While the soul makes us self-conscious; the spirit allows us to be God-conscious. Every man that is born into this world, is born dead spiritually, (Ephesians 2:1). But, when the Spirit of God comes by and “quickens”, or brings to life, the spirit which is within a man, that person will find his spirit reaching out in faith toward God. After salvation, the new spirit of life within a person begins to transform the soul part of man. These changes within the spirit and the soul demonstrate themselves in the action of the body.

All of that is complicated, but think of it like this: “The "soul" and the "spirit" are similar in the manner in which they are used in the spiritual life of the believer. They are different in their reference. The "soul" is man's horizontal view with the world. The "spirit" is man's vertical view with God. It is important to understand that both refer to the immaterial part of man, but only the "spirit" refers to the man's walk with God. The "soul" refers to man's walk in the world.”[2]

When we leave this world, the soul and spirit return to God to be dealt with accordingly (Ecclesiastes 12:7). The redeemed to glory (John 14:1-3). The lost to Hell (Psalm 9:17; 2 Thessalonians 1:8-9).

Question: "What does this mean for us?" The fact that man is the special creation of God and that he was made in the image of God and has the capacity to know God proves that man is indeed a special creature in the eyes of the Lord. Simply put, God is sovereign in the creation of life!

Scripture references: 1 Peter 4:19; Romans 1:25; Isaiah 43:15; Matthew 19:4; Deuteronomy 32:6; Ephesians 3:9; Genesis 14:19

Let us pray: O God, our Creator, all life is in your hands from conception until death. Help us to cherish our children and to reverence the awesome privilege of our share in creation. May all people live and die in dignity and love. Bless all those who defend the rights of the unborn, the handicapped and the aged. Enlighten and be merciful toward those who fail to love, and give them peace. Let freedom be tempered by responsibility, integrity and morality. Amen

God bless you always,

Sarah