Psalm 139:14. “I will praise Thee; for I am fearfully and wonderfully made: marvelous are Thy works, and that my soul knows right well.”
Of all God created, humans are the most wonderful of all because we are spirit, soul, and body. I am a soul. My body is a substance. My spirit is my connection with God.
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Bones form the framework of my body. Muscles hold them together, and tendons and muscles work together to produce movement. Blood vessels and nerves run through the flesh, tissues, bones, and muscles, nourishing and maintaining every part of my body. The digestive system functions like a factory that takes raw materials and processes them for my body’s use.
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There are two remarkable bellows that move the oxygen I breathe into my bloodstream to keep all parts of my body working as the Great Designer intends.
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From the control tower of my three-pound brain, all of my body is directed to do what it is supposed to do; from avoiding danger and feeling pain to the active power of moving my feet and, consequently, my whole body from one place to another.
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About 250 bones are all connected, supporting and enabling the function of my 205-pound body. My spine is made up of 33 vertebrae, my upper limbs contain 62 bones, my lower limbs have 62 bones, and 24 ribs protect my major organs. The 22 bones in my head are all connected, nourished, and cared for to keep my body functioning. Each part of my body depends on the others, forming my entire physical self.
God created the whole person:
This body is one-third of what makes me who I am. Its purpose is to allow my soul, my personhood, to function through the five senses in this body. It is the intangible part of me that hears, sees, touches, tastes, and smells using the body parts God created from dust. The parts of me that cannot be destroyed are my soul and spirit. Our life is not a physical thing that can be measured or weighed. God “breathed into man the breath of life and man became a living soul.” Because the Life-Giver gave life, that soul-life never ceases to exist. All that changes and ends are the physical movements and functions of the body. The soul-life is intangible, and once it begins, by its very nature, it never stops.
The third part of my personhood is my spirit. It too lacks physical attributes but is real and distinguishes human beings from other creatures. The ability to reason, not just react; to know, retain, and use knowledge; and to draw conclusions is part of the function of the human spirit. That is the part of us that makes us unique. We have a mind that we can know, emotions that we can express, and a will that we can make decisions with. It is actually the way humans were meant to be when God “made man in His own image,” with a mind like His, so we might know Him; emotions like His, so we can love Him; and a will, so we can choose to be like Him and do what He knows is best. The purpose of creating human beings initially was to share life together. The gift of eternal life is offered to us and can be accepted or rejected. It is not forced on anyone; otherwise, humans would be no more than robots without a “mind of their own.”
God reveals Himself in the whole Bible as One we can know personally.
There is unity throughout the entire Bible so that we can learn about God and come to know Him personally through faith. The Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are all One in every way regarding personhood, while each has a distinct personality and works in unique, purposeful ways to bring us humans into a relationship with God. To know God is to share life with Him now in a relational way and experience fellowship and joys through shared events in a life that has meaning and purpose. These first few years of our existence serve as training for the true purpose of being a person and existing in a meaningful way, forever.
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The Beginning of the Human Race, 1:26-2
Four methods God used to get mankind into the universe
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Direct creation: Adam – “dust of the ground” suggests that there is nothing overly important about our bodies. Our life and worth come from God’s Spirit. The value of our life doesn’t come from our personal achievements but from God Himself.
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Indirect creation: Eve
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Virgin birth: Jesus Christ
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Natural generation: all the rest of humanity
Adam was placed in the garden:
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Under the law of Gen.2:16
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With a suitable help-meet: the essence of marriage – it was in God’s original plan, 2:18. Marriage is God’s idea [Gen. 2:18-24]; commitment is essential to successful marriage [Gen. 24:58-60]; romance is important [S. of S. 4:9-10]; marriage holds times of great joy [Jer. 33:10-11]; marriage creates the best environment for raising children [Mal. 2:14-15]; unfaithfulness breaks that bond of trust [Mat. 5:32]; ideally, only death should dissolve marriage [Rom. 7:2-3]; marriage is based on the practice of love, not feelings [Ep. 5:21-33]; marriage is a living symbol of Christ and the church [Ep. 5:23, 32]; marriage is good and honorable [Heb. 13:4]
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With the capacity to multiply
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His food was fruit
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His work was to dress and guard the garden, 2:15
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An enemy was near even at the creation: note the words – guard, 2:15; subdue, 1:28; evil, 2:9
CHARACTERISTICS OF GOD REVEALED: Genesis 1. “God said…”
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v.3. Illumination: Who God is. “God is Light…”; “I am the Light of the world.”
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v.6. Separation: What God says. “You cannot serve two masters.”
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v.9. Manifestation: What God is like. “Order; “By their fruits, ye shall know them.”
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v.11. Production: What God intends. Results from a life given. “What shall it profit a man…”
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v.14. Indication: What God designed. “If any man be in Christ, he is a new creation.”
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v.20. Multiplication: Plans God has made. “Follow me and I will make you fishers…”
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v.24. Reproduction: Provisions of God for the future. “Ye must be born again.”
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v.26. Identification: People in God's image. “The disciples were called Christians.”
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v.28. Benediction: Purpose of God to be fulfilled. “Go ye into all the world …”
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v.29. Satisfaction: Peace with God the result. “Come unto Me all ye that labor…”