"a brother or sister is naked and destitute of daily food, and one of you says to them, "Depart in peace, be warmed and filled," but you do not give them the things which are needed for the body, what does it profit"         (James 2:15-16 NKJV)

Why did God create us?

The short answer to the question “why did God create us?” is “for His pleasure.” Revelation 4:11 says, “Thou hast created all things, and for Thy pleasure they are and were created.” Colossians 1:16 reiterates the point: “All things were created by Him and for Him.”

Being made in the image and likeness of God (Genesis 1:27), human beings have the ability to know God—and therefore love Him, worship Him, serve Him, and fellowship with Him. God did not create human beings because He needed them. As God, He needs nothing. In all eternity past, He felt no loneliness, so He was not looking for a “friend.” He loves us, but this is not the same as needing us. If we had never existed, God would still be God—the Unchanging One (Malachi 3:6).

The I AM THAT I AM (Exodus 3:14) was never dissatisfied with His own eternal existence. When He made the universe, He did what pleased Him, and since God is perfect, His action was perfect. “It was very good” (Genesis 1:31).

Also, God did not create “peers” or beings equal to Himself. Logically, He could not do so. If God were to create another being of equal power, intelligence, and perfection, then He would cease to be the One True God for the simple reason that there would be two gods—and that would be an impossibility. “The Lord He is God; there is none else beside Him” (Deuteronomy 4:35). Anything that God creates must of necessity be lesser than He. The thing made can never be greater than the One who made it.

Recognizing the complete sovereignty and holiness of God, we are amazed that He would take man and “crown him with glory and honor” (Psalm 8:5), and that He would condescend to call us “friends” (John 15:14-15).

Recommended Resource: Knowing God by J.I. Packer.

How are human souls / spirits created?

There are two primary views on how the soul / spirit is created. (1) Traducianism is the theory that a soul is generated by the physical parents along with the body. Support for Traducianism is as follows: (A) In Genesis 2:7 God breathed the breath of life into Adam, something which did not happen again. (B) Adam had a son in his own likeness (Genesis 5:3). (C) God did no further creating (Genesis 2:2-3). (D) Adam's sin affects all men -- both physically and spiritually -- this makes sense if the body and soul / spirit come from the parents.

(2) Creationism is the view that God creates a new soul / spirit when a human being is conceived. Creationism was held by many church fathers and also has Scriptural support. First, Scripture differentiates the origin of the soul from the origin of the body (Ecclesiastes 12:7, Isaiah 42:5, Zechariah 12:1, Hebrews 12:9). Second, if God creates each individual soul at the moment it is needed, the separation of soul and body is held firm. The ultimate answer to the question is that the soul / spirit does not exist before it inhabits the body. Whether the Traducianist view is correct or the Creationist view is correct, both agree that the soul does not exist prior to conception.

Recommended Resource: In His Image by Brand & Yancey.


What does it mean that man is made in the image and likeness of God ?

On the last day of creation, God said, “Let us make man in our image, after our likeness” (Genesis 1:26). Thus, He finished His work with a “personal touch.” God formed man from the dust and gave him life by sharing His own breath (Genesis 2:7). Accordingly, man is unique among all God’s creations, having both a material (body) and an immaterial (soul / spirit) part.

Having the “image” or “likeness” of God means, in the simplest terms, that we were made to resemble God. Adam did not resemble God in the sense of God’s having flesh and blood. Scripture says that “God is a spirit” (John 4:24) and therefore exists without a body. However, Adam’s body did mirror the life of God, insofar as it was created in perfect health and was not subject to death.

The image of God refers to the immaterial part of man. It sets man apart from the animal world, fits him for the “dominion” God intended (Genesis 1:28), and enables him to commune with his Maker. It is a likeness mentally, morally, and socially.

Mentally, man was created as a rational, volitional agent—in other words, man can reason and man can choose. This is a reflection of God’s intellect and freedom. Any time someone invents a machine, writes a book, paints a landscape, enjoys a symphony, calculates a sum, or names a pet, he or she is proclaiming the fact that we are made in God’s image.

Morally, man was created in righteousness and perfect innocence, a reflection of God’s holiness. God saw all that He had made (mankind included) and called it “very good” (Genesis 1:31). Our conscience or “moral compass” is a vestige of that original state. Whenever someone writes a law, recoils from evil, praises good behavior, or feels guilty, he is confirming the fact that we are made in God’s own image.

Socially, man was created for fellowship. This reflects God's triune nature and His love. In Eden, man’s primary relationship was with God (Genesis 3:8 implies fellowship with God), and God made the first woman because “it is not good that the man should be alone” (Genesis 2:18). Every time someone marries a wife, makes a friend, hugs a child, or attends a church, he is demonstrating the fact that we are made in the likeness of God.

Part of being made in God’s image means that Adam had the capacity to make free choices. Although he was given a righteous nature, Adam made an evil choice to rebel against his Maker. In so doing, Adam marred the image of God within himself, and he passed that damaged likeness on to all his children, including us (Romans 5:12). Today, we still bear the image of God (James 3:9), but we also bear the scars of sin. Mentally, morally, socially, and physically, we show the effects.

The good news is that, when God redeems an individual, He begins to restore the original image of God, creating “the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness” (Ephesians 4:24; see also Colossians 3:10).

Recommended Resource: In His Image by Brand & Yancey.

Do we have two or three parts? Are we body, soul, and spirit - or - body, soul-spirit?

Genesis 1:26-27 declares, “And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth. So God created man in His own image, in the image of God created He him; male and female created He them.”

These verses indicate that there is something distinct about humanity from all the other creations. Human beings were intended to have a relationship with God, and as such, God created us with both material and immaterial aspects. The material aspects are obviously those that are tangible: the physical body, organs, etc. and are considered to only exist as long as the person is alive. The immaterial aspects are those which are intangible: soul, spirit, intellect, will, conscience, etc. These characteristics are considered to exist beyond the physical lifespan of the individual.

All human beings possess both material and immaterial characteristics in their existence. It is clear that all mankind has a body, containing flesh, blood, bones, organs and cells. However, it is the intangible qualities of mankind that are often debated. What does Scripture say about these? Genesis 2:7 - states that Man was created as a living soul. Numbers 16:22 - And they fell upon their faces, and said, O God, the God of the spirits of all flesh, shall one man sin, and wilt thou be wroth with all the congregation? This verse names God as the God of the spirits that are possessed by all Mankind. Proverbs 4:23 - Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life. This verse indicates that the heart is central to Mankind’s will and emotions. Acts 23:1 - And Paul, earnestly beholding the council, said, Men and brethren, I have lived in all good conscience before God until this day. Romans 12:1 - I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God. It can be seen that there are various aspects of the immaterial part of humanity, and that all human beings share both material and immaterial qualities. This list of references just scratches the surface.

So, while much of the discussion of the immaterial aspect of humanity focuses on the soul and spirit, Scripture outlines far more than those two. Somehow, the aspects mentioned above (soul, spirit, heart, conscience, and mind) are connected and interrelated. The soul and spirit, though, definitely are the primary immaterial aspects of humanity. They likely comprise the other aspects. With this is mind, is humanity dichotomous (cut in two, body / soul-spirit), or trichotomous (cut in three, body / soul / spirit). It is impossible to be dogmatic. There are good arguments for both views. A key verse is Hebrews 4:12, “For the word of God is living and active and sharper than any two-edged sword, and piercing as far as the division of soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow, and able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart.” This Scripture tells us at least two thing about this debate. (1) The soul and spirit can be divided. (2) The division of soul and spirit is something that only the Word of God can discern. We can be sure that as human beings, we possess a body, a soul, a spirit, and much more! However, rather than focusing on these aspects, it is better to focus on the Creator, because of Whom we are “fearfully and wonderfully made” (Psalm 139:14).

Recommended Resource: In His Image by Brand & Yancey.


Question: What is the difference between the soul and the spirit of man?



Answer: What is the difference between the spirit and the soul? The word "spirit," refers only to the immaterial facet of man. Mankind has a spirit, but we are not a spirit. However, in Scripture, only believers, those who are indwelt by the Holy Spirit, are said to be "spiritually alive" (1 Corinthians 2:11; Hebrews 4:12; James 2:26). Unbelievers are "spiritually dead" (Ephesians 2:1-5; Colossians 2:13). In Paul's writing the "spirit" was pivotal to the spiritual life of the believer (1 Corinthians 2:14; 3:1; 15:45; Ephesians 1:3; 5:19; Colossians 1:9; 3:16). The spirit is the element in man which gives him the ability to have an intimate relationship with God. Whenever the word "spirit" is used, it refers to the immaterial part of man including his soul.

The word "soul" refers not only to the immaterial part of man but the also material part. Unlike man having a "spirit," man is a soul. In its most basic sense the word "soul" means "life." However, the Bible moves beyond "life" and into many areas. One of those areas is to man's eagerness to sin (Luke 12:26). Man is naturally evil and his soul is tainted as a result. The life principle is removed at the time of physical death (Genesis 35:18; Jeremiah 15:2). The "soul" as with the "spirit," is the center of many spiritual and emotional experiences (Job 30:25; Psalm 43:5; Jeremiah 13:17). Whenever the word "soul" is used, it can refer to the whole person, alive or after death.

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, both material and immaterial.

Recommended Resource: In His Image by Brand & Yancey.