Like all of the rest of creation, man was created to show forth the glory of God. However, the means by which man shows God's glory is unique in creation.

"The heavens declare the glory of God" (Psa 19), demonstrating "the eternal power and godhead" of the One who created them (Rom 1:20). Indeed, all of creation is designed to declare His glory, as spelled out in:

God created man in His image and likeness. Man's similarity to his Creator can be seen in the characteristics which distinguish man from the rest of creation and from other creatures.

1. Man was given intellectual and creative abilities. He is able to think, design and build (applying the abstract concepts generated by his mind to the physical world in which he lives). We have previously seen that it is beyond the realm of possibility that life should arise from random chaos (as atheistic evolutionists would have us believe, contrary to the law of biogenesis), but rather life always comes from that which is already alive. This is seen even more clearly, when we understand that life does not result from chance interactions of amino acids, but rather is always based on the instructions written with words in DNA. Such language based instructions could not have arisen out of chaos, but must have originated in the mind of a Person with supreme intelligence. The intelligence, with which He has endowed man, allows us to comprehend the laws of nature which govern our universe, and to conceive of things which have not previously existed. The creative abilities of man seem boundless, encompassing literature, the arts, and technologies of various kinds. Our intelligence is far above that of other creatures on earth. Yet, it is far beneath that of our Creator. While man has recently identified the language of DNA, its complexity remains beyond his comprehension.
2. Man was created in three parts. The Tri-unity of the Godhead (Father, Son and Holy Spirit) is mirrored in the three parts of each man: body {GK=soma}, soul {GK=psuche} and spirit {GK=pneuma} (1The 5:23). These parts are distinguished in and by God's Word (Heb 4:12). The diagram, by Clarence Larkin (c. 1919), shows these parts in relationship to one another, and to the entities with which they interact.
        Plants have bodies, but not souls. Animals have bodies, and 'living souls' by which they have consciousness of other creatures (eg., Gen 1:21,24 where 'creature' is translated from HB=nephesh, soul; 7:21,22 where 'breath' is HB=neshamah, often translated as 'soul'; 9:4,5,10,12,15,16 where HB=nephesh is translated: life, lives, or creature; Job 12:10; Rev 16:3). Man is distinguished from the animals, in that God has also given to him a 'spirit,' which is eternal, and which has an innate consciousness of responsibility toward his Creator. (This distinction is implied in Gen 2:7, where man is differentiated from the other creatures, in that he alone was imbued with a spirit of life which came directly from God.)
    

   
   1. The spirit of man - is the essence of his eternal person. No other man can know the spirit of a man directly, for it was designed to interact with God, who is Spirit. Man's spirit was equiped with "sensors" which relate to God consciousness, and the comprehension of God's Word. However, at man's fall into sin, man became spiritually dead, and therefore, is unable to understand, to seek after, or to fellowship with God. The natural man, while spiritually dead toward God, and unable to comprehend the deep things of God, naturally turns his attention to investigate and explore the natural world, with which his spirit has an affinity (1Cor 2:9-14).
           Through faith in Christ, and the resulting new birth by which God's Spirit dwells within the believer, we who were once dead are made alive, and have the privilege of relationship with God (1Cor 2:15,16; Eph 2:1-5; Joh 3:6). The state of man's spirit (whether dead in sin, or alive unto God) affects the other parts of the man (Rom 8:16; Rom 1:9; Heb 12:9).
       
   2. The soul of man - is distinct from the spirit of man (Heb 4:12). The soul is the seat of man's emotions (eg., Gen 34:8; 1Sam 18:1). Man's emotions are influenced and can be controlled by either the spirit or the body of a man (1Pet 2:11; Luk 1:46,47). For example, much, that passes for the worship of God, is fleshly exuberance, driven by things which appeal to the physical senses (eg., music, visual display, etc.). A man may "feel" that he is drawing near to God, while in reality, he is far from Him. True worship is the moving of the inner spirit of man, by God's Spirit to understand and to respond aright to God's Word which is Truth (Joh 4:23). Together, the spirit and soul of man are often referred to as his "heart" (Psa 34:18; 1Cor 2:9).
           At physical death, the spirit and soul are separated from the body, but the inner man remains conscious and is able to recognize and interact with other men in a similar state (Luk 16:19-31).
       
   3. The body - is the means by which the inner man is able to interact with the physical world and with other men. The body is a temporary dwelling (a 'tabernacle' or 'tent') which will be laid aside when a man's earthly life is done (2Cor 5:1-4). It is an instrument or tool, by which the inner man can serve his own pleasures, or by which he can serve God, and make Him known to others (2Pet 1:13-15; Rom 6:12,13).

   
   Man's three parts can be viewed in comparison to the three parts of the OT Tabernacle, where the innermost compartment, the Holy of Holies, was reserved for the Presence of God. Prior to the dedication of the Tabernacle (and the Temple), this was just an empty room. Upon its dedication, the Spirit of God filled it with His Presence, and the Mercy Seat became the place of communion between God and man (Ex 25:22). So, Christ indwells and communes with the hearts of those who have been made alive by the Spirit of God (Rev 3:20).
        Just as the Holy of Holies had no windows, and only one entrance, so, man's spirit has no direct interaction with the world. Likewise, while in its natural state of spiritual deadness, man's spirit has no communion with God. The center of man's being, guarded by its own will, is closed to the voice of God. Therefore, before the inner man can respond to the Gospel of Christ, the message must be presented through his body and soul (2Cor 5:20). He must hear (with the physical senses) and believe in his heart (with the soul and spirit). The reality of true faith is displayed to others through the body (by confession of the mouth, and by change of life). (See Rom 10:8-14; Luk 8:12-15).
    

   Man was created for relationship with God - as the three Persons of the Godhead commune among themselves, so, Adam and Eve communed with God, before their fellowship was broken by their turning, from submission to Him, to follow their own way.

   • For those who are "in Christ," that relationship has been restored (1John 1:3).
   • Those, who are in Christ, are indwelt by the Holy Spirit, who enables us to live according to His way, and to have victory over the flesh (Gal 5:16-25; 2Cor 3:18).

That first question is at the root of the conflict over abortion. But it is also important for understanding our individual origins and condition. As we saw in the section about the Three Parts of Man, there is more to man than the body. Man is distinct from other living organisms, such as plants and animals, in that he has a soul and spirit, through which he posseses a consciousness of God and a conscience of moral right and wrong. Since this distinction is the essence of being human, we can logically say that a human person begins when he or she is imbued with a human soul and spirit. But when does this occur?
     The biblical teaching, that every human being has inherited a sin nature from Adam, provides a key for discerning between the common theories concerning when a human life begins.

• Biological Theory - We have already seen that biology offers no explanation for man's moral conscience and God consciousness. If, as evolutionists assert, man's cognitive abilities are simply the product of chaotic forces and chance accidents of nature, how could our brains be programmed with right and wrong? Why should we sense a need to worship something higher than ourselves? Yet, people everywhere, even in the most isolated places, bow to divinities and recognize certain activities as good and commendable, while condemning other actions as evil and unacceptable. Humanity shares a common morality, with only slight cultural variations. In this, humans are set apart from the animals because they have a soul and spirit, which are able to recognize a reality that transcends the physical realm. It should be self-evident that mankind, at every stage of human life, is more than biological tissue.
   
• Pre-existence Theory - Those who hold this view believe that human souls / spirits exist in a bodiless form in some heavenly realm, where each soul waits to enter a human body. This is thought to occur either at conception or at birth. However, this view contradicts the biblical teaching that sin came upon all men when Adam fell (Rom 5:12-19; 1Cor 15:21-22). Bodiless souls in a heavenly realm could not be implicated in Adam's sin in the Garden of Eden on Earth, since they were completely independent of, and not derived from Adam.
   
• Creation Theory - Those who hold this view believe that each human soul / spirit is created directly and individually by God. This special creation is thought to occur somewhere between conception and birth.
       Jer 38:16 and Zech 12:1 are frequently cited in support of this view. These verses affirm that the LORD "made our souls" and "formed the spirit of man within him." While it is true that we are His creatures, it must be remembered that the LORD's creative work was completed in six days and He rested on the seventh (Gen 2:1-3). He created Adam and Eve, and told them to be fruitful and to multiply. It is evident that the human race is physically descended from our original parents. Yet, each of us should recognize that our lives are a gift from God (as Job did, in Job 33:4). In the Hebrew text, this is the probable sense of Jer 38:16 and Zech 12:1.
       However, if God does create every soul individually, all would enter this world in a sinless state, since the Holy God would not create sinful beings. If God continues to create souls, the sinless souls created after Adam's fall could not be implicated in his sin. Yet, the scriptures indicate that all mankind is corrupt by nature (Rom 3:9-23; 5:19; Eph 2:1-3), and that this is our state from conception (Psa 51:5). Since our innate sinful condition cannot come from God, it must come from mankind.
   
• Traducian Theory - The word "Traducian" comes from a Latin word meaning "inheritance."
       According to this view, each descendant of Adam receives a nature like his, at the moment of conception. Through the union of a man and a woman, each child is produced as a unique being, distinct physically, mentally, and spiritually from its parents, and yet, bearing traits that are similar to theirs in all three areas. These conveyed (or inherited) characteristics are present at conception and are developed and manifested throughout the child's life.
       This view fits perfectly with the biblical teaching that "sin and death passed upon all men because all sinned... by one man's offense..." (Rom 5:12-19). The verb tense of the phrase "all have sinned" in v.12 indicates that all human beings were active participants in Adam's sin, and therefore share in his guilt and penalty. As mentioned previously, in Psa 51:5, David says that a sinful nature was conveyed to him at conception. In the same verse, he confesses that he was guilty of iniquity from the time of his birth. Before he had opportunity to do anything good or bad, he was already a guilty sinner. This corrupt condition was not primarily due to imperfections in his fleshly body, because he prayed for cleansing of his inner being, the creation of a clean heart, and the renewing of a right spirit within him (Psa 51:6-12). Yes, David did personally commit gross sin. But his sinful acts were rooted in the sinful condition of his heart (as Jesus explained, in Mat 15:19).
       David was guilty from before his birth, because he, like all of us, was "in Adam" (1Cor 15:22). He was personally present, in seminal form, and participated in Adam's sin.
       This concept is present elsewhere in scripture. Examples:
  • The 'souls' of Jacob's sons "came out of his loins" (Gen 46:26). This word for 'soul' is used elsewhere to refer to the non-physical essential life of a person (Gen 35:18; 1Kin 17:21-22). The clear implication is that through the act of procreation, Jacob conveyed far more to his sons than biological life.
  • Likewise, Levi paid tithes to Mechizedek, while he was still "in the loins" of his ancestor, Abraham (Heb 7:9-10).
  
    Some argue that if this view is true, then the Lord Jesus Christ, would have been born with a sinful nature, since He also is a son of Adam (Luk 3:38). They would be correct, if Jesus had entered into the world in the way that every other human does, through natural procreation.
       However, by means of His unique virgin birth, He was conceived by the Holy Ghost within the womb of a human mother. He received flesh and blood through his mother, but His inward being was not of man, but of God, so that He was born "that holy thing... the Son of God" (Luk 1:35).
       Because His essential nature was not of Adam, but of God, Jesus was the only "holy... undefiled" man (Heb 7:26). No other man is qualified to mediate between the Holy God and sinful men. All other men, being in Adam, are born sinners. But He came as "a quickening {life giving} spirit." Through His sinless life, and His substitutionary death and subsequent resurrection, He became the second Adam (1Cor 15:45-49). Those who are descended from Him (through trusting in Him, unto new birth) receive (or inherit), from Him, a new nature (Joh 1:11-13).
   
  Return to the related point in Understanding the Bible, Lesson #4 - Bible Themes: Man