Correct!

"Then the LORD God formed man of dust from the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living being." Genesis 2:7 (NAS)

God Breathes The Breath of Life

When God breathed the breath of life into Adam, perhaps this is when God imparted a mind, soul and spirit for the first time.   Paul, writing to the Thessalonians, talks about the preservation of man's body, soul and spirit when Jesus comes again.

"Now may the God of peace Himself sanctify you entirely; and may your spirit and soul and body be preserved complete, without blame at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ." 1 Thessalonians 5:23 (NAS)

Perhaps being made in the image of God also means that our spirits and souls are similar to that of God.  In addition to our ability to think and reason, we also are built with a capacity for love and compassion beyond any animal; especially a sacrificial love...where we are willing to give up the things we want or need for the benefit of others.  This type of sacrificial love is seen in Jesus' sacrifice for our sins:

"For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish, but have eternal life. John 3:16 (NAS)

Spirit, Soul and Mind

Throughout scripture, man is referred to as having a spirit (or heart), soul and mind.  Although the physical body is what you see...the physical body is not you.  For example, our love for God is not just the physical or external things that we do for God with our strength.  We love God with all of our spirit, soul and mind as well:

Jesus answered, "The foremost is, 'Hear, O Israel! The Lord our God is one Lord; and you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind, and with all your strength.' Mark 12:29-30 (NAS)

Physical Body

Our physical body is like a tent that covers the true person that we are:

For we know that if the earthly tent which is our house is torn down, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens.  For indeed in this house (or tent) we groan, longing to be clothed with our dwelling from heaven; 2 Corinthians 5:1-2 (NAS)

Each person's spirit, soul and mind are clothed by his or her temporary body.  When I die, my spirit, soul and mind are separated from my body...and I am set free from the outward body that is wasting away:

"...we are of good courage, I say, and prefer rather to be absent from the body and to be at home with the Lord." 2 Corinthians 5:8 (NAS)

Who will set me free from the body of this death? Romans 7:24b (NAS)

For just as the body without the spirit is dead, so also faith without works is dead.  James 2:26 (NAS) 

When We Are Raised From the Grave

The scriptures tell us that when Jesus comes again, our physical bodies will be raised from the grave and will be reunited with us (our spirit, soul and mind).  Those that are "in Christ" will go to meet Jesus in the air...and then all will face the judgment for the things that we have done in the flesh (in our earthly bodies).  Our physical bodies will be changed to immortal bodies.  Here are a few scriptures to consider:

For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trumpet of God; and the dead in Christ shall rise first. ¹⁷Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and thus we shall always be with the Lord. 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17 (NAS)

Behold, I tell you a mystery; we shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, ⁵² in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet; for the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we shall be changed. ⁵³ For this perishable must put on the imperishable, and this mortal must put on immortality. 1 Corinthians 15:51-53 (NAS)

"Do not marvel at this; for an hour is coming, in which all who are in the tombs shall hear His voice, and shall come forth; those who did the good deeds to a resurrection of life, those who committed the evil deeds to a resurrection of judgment. John 5:28-29 (NAS)

For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may be recompensed for his deeds in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad. 2 Corinthians 5:10 (NAS)

Spiritual Image Vs. Physical Image

As we noted above, each of us are spiritual beings made up of the mind, soul and spirit.  It is beyond the scope of this lesson to distinguish the differences between these three (if it is even possible for us to understand the differences).  However we can see the similarities between our spiritual image and that of God's.  God possesses an ability to think, reason and to love far beyond what we can even imagine...but He did bestow these same attributes to us in our spiritual makeup.

As we see above, the physical image or body that we have is just a temporary tent that clothes the real person that we are. 

Perhaps there are other ways in which we are made in the spiritual image of God?  Make a list of comments and suggestions to email to us at the end of this lesson.

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