1) Man, a unique and relational being to God:
According to the Scripture, man was created uniquely in the image and likeness of God, Genesis 1:26-27. His being created in the image and likeness of God implies among other things that he is first and foremost a spirit being since God his Creator is Spirit (John 4:24). As a spirit being, man has all the spiritual organs needed to relate and have fellowship with God. Man as a spirit being is to live according to the dictates of the spirit and for God; this implies setting their whole heart only on God and on the things of the spirit and not on the flesh and the physical world around them, 1 Corinthians 2:10.

In creating man, God made a physical form with the dust of the ground to house the spirit man to enable him to stay in the physical world. This form is known as the body or flesh (Genesis 2:7). Man’s body is a wonderful, beautiful and complex entity with different parts, bones, muscles and sensory organs of which some are internal while some are external. Although the organs are many, yet, they all work and function perfectly well together as one body to the extent that any malfunction of the tiniest organ affects the whole body. Among the external organs are the skin, eyes, nose, ears and mouth. These are known as the sensory organs; the skin feels touching, eyes to see things in his surroundings, ears to hear sounds, nose to smell things and breath, mouth for taste, means of expression, and communications with others. With all these he could relate to the physical world and other creatures he lives with.

After God made the body of man using dust from the earth, He breathed unto his nostrils and man’s physical body and organs became a living soul (Genesis 2:7). This is his self-consciousness that involves his mindset, emotions, feelings, and power of choice (Gen. 2:19-20; 3:6-7; 9:6). The soul is the mustering point of the flesh and the spirit. With the spirit, man relates in the spirit realm and relates his experience to the soul. The sensory organs in his physical body relate his experiences to the soul; the soul then considers these experiences and responds back in actions, deeds, thoughts and words. By God’s design, all parts of man’s body are indivisible; they all work together in unity, so no organ can be underrated.

Man being created in the image and likeness of God also implies he possesses certain of God’s attributes most especially His moral attributes (characters) though to a lesser degree. Man being made in the likeness and image of the Omniscient God, the only wise God is intelligent; he has high mental capabilities; he can know, reason, meditate, comprehend, understand, assimilate, create, memorize, and imagine things. His being made in the image and likeness of The Omnipotent God implies he is also endowed with great potential, powers and capabilities. His being made by the responsive God implies he is responsive too; he can respond to things and situations from the physical surroundings with the aid of the outward body sensory organs; he can also respond to things happening in the spirit realm. His being made by a living personal God (Genesis 2:7) implies he is also a personal being with mindset, emotions, self-consciousness, and power of choice. His being made in the likeness of God who speaks; whose Word is Life and Spirit and who operates with the words of His mouth and spoke everything into existence implies man can also do likewise with his words. His being made by a God who appraised everything He created each day and declared them good, appreciates by commendation, rewards and praises good works, condemns and punishes indolence means he too can appraise, appreciate, condemn, reward and also punish. All these are pointers to the fact that man is a relational being to God his creator, Psalm 100:3.
TO BE CONTINUED...
GOD LOVES YOU AND SO DO I.