What makes us Human?

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Paul writing to the Thessalonian church says: "May God himself, the God who makes everything holy and whole, make you holy and whole, put you together-spirit, soul, and body-and keep you fit for the coming of our Master, Jesus Christ." (1 Thessalonians 5:23)

What is a human, and what do humans consist of? The atheistic and naturalistic theory denies the existence of a spiritual world and claims that our thoughts and feelings, love, fear, hatred and guilt are physical or chemical in origin. However, the Bible indicates that humans are composed of 3 parts - Body, Soul and Spirit. The spirit and soul are only separable in thought and are probably best seen as two separate dimensions of the non-material side of a person - the spirit relating to God, and the soul relating to earth. All three parts, spirit, soul and body have an important role to play in our human-ness.

• The spirit is our spiritual system, which is seen in our consciousness of God and in our faith and conscience.
• The soul is our psychological system, and is observed in our use of mind, emotions and will.
• The body is our physiological system, and is seen in the five senses - Sight, Sound, Taste, Touch, Smell.

It is important to note that the whole person is valuable to God, not just the spirit as Paul explains the Bible verse I read earlier. Other philosophies and religions have tried to portray the body as evil or irrelevant, and this has crept into some parts of Christianity, with the tradition of priestly celibacy and asceticism. A break down in any of these areas can cause imbalance in the other areas. For example, research has shown that, sometimes, physical sickness can be caused through emotional turmoil. Studies have also revealed that mental illness may occasionally be caused through guilt or unforgiveness.

Underlying all this, mankind has an inherently sinful nature. A nature, being as it is in conflict with God, that is self-centred and self-pleasing rather than a nature that is God pleasing and God centred. The resulting violation of God's spiritual order leads to many conflicts and imbalances. A prime example of this is observed when we have fits of rage, self-pity or worry.

For more to think about please read Psalm 139. Ask yourself the following questions, writing them down if you can, and see how you respond or react to them. Then why not share your answers with your spouse or a close friend, so that you can pray over any issues together.

Q1. How do the three parts, body, soul and spirit, interact with each other?

Q2. Why is the whole person important to God?

Q3. What is it about me that makes me, human?

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