Welcome to day 6! Today we will focus on understanding who God says we are and the nature of His design within us. My current church has a saying "Created On Purpose, For A Purpose," and I love that because of the amount of truth this little saying carries. I cannot express to you the importance of understanding that you were never a mistake–God knows and loves you. Since this is true, let's explore what Scripture has to say about this.

He knows the number of hairs on your head...
Luke 12:7 - Indeed, the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Don’t be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows. 
 
You were created on purpose and God has always known about you...
Psalm 139:13–14 - For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb. 14 I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well.
 
The Lord gives life to our TRUE purpose, to those who know him...
Psalms 57:2 - I cry out to God Most High, to God who will fulfill his purpose for me.

He cares about your worries and burdens and doesn't want you to carry the brokenness of this world...
Matthew 11:28-30 - Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.

God created us, and we know this because of Genesis 1 & 2. It describes the creation of the world and gives us the understanding that God created the world and all things in it (Colossians 1:16). In addition, we can recognize that He has made us in His own image (Genesis 1:27).  You and I were made to bring glory to God through perfect union and relationship with Him. The whole reality before sin entered into the world is that we would experience the full expression of God in perfect union. So what does it mean to be created in the image of God and be human?

There is an interesting phrase that encompasses who we are as humans, it derives from the Latin phrase, "Imago Dei", which means “image of God.” This concept sheds light on us as humans; we are "God's image bearers". Since we are made in his image, God has clearly defined who we are as his children, and although we are not equal to God, He has made us with similar capacities and abilities that He possesses and wants us to have.

• Physical Body: The Bible teaches that humans have a physical body formed from the dust of the ground. Genesis 2:7 states, "Then the LORD God formed a man from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living being."

 

• Spirit: God breathed the breath of life into the physical body, giving humans a spirit or life force. Ecclesiastes 12:7 says, "the dust returns to the ground it came from, and the spirit returns to God who gave it."

 

• Soul: The soul represents the innermost part of a person, encompassing emotions, intellect, and will. Matthew 22:37 describes aspects of the soul. "Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart (will/emotions) and with all your soul (will/emotions) and with all your mind (intellect)."

1 Thessalonians 5:23 - Now may the God of peace Himself sanctify[a] you completely; and may your whole spirit, soul, and body be preserved blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.
 
In summary, according to the Bible, humans are composed of a physical body formed from the dust, infused with the spirit from God, possessing a soul representing their inner being, made in the image of God, and having the capacity for a spiritual connection with God.

One of those characteristics he has given us is authority or dominion over the earth (Genesis 1:26; Psalms 8:6). You and I have been entrusted with great power and privilege on this earth to rule it. Unfortunately, because of our sinful nature, we all know that there has been great abuse of that privilege over time in many ways. He has given over ownership and authority to us to manage everything from plants and animals to human life. In Genesis 1 it says multiple times that what God created was "good". All created things are important in God's eyes, especially human life. No matter the stage of life (conception through old age), every soul matters to God because He created us all. Through scripture, we see different roles for men and women, but we are equal in God's eyes. In the same likeness, there are many ethnicities, but no race is superior, we are all equal (Romans 2:11 Proverbs 22:2 Acts 10:34-35 Genesis 1:27-28).

Next, we also have the ability to create, and we can see the truthfulness of this concept by simply looking at how man is driven and motivated to build. We greatly desire to create amazing buildings and structures, music and art, businesses, transportation, technology, etc. We have even been given the power of creation through procreation, to create life (Genesis 1:28)! These are some of the amazing gifts and blessings that God has given to mankind. The most important aspect to humans is how we are going to manage this great privilege and trust that God has given to us. As Christians, we must allow the Bible and the Spirit of God to shape our identity in how we are to steward, create, and live our lives (Romans 12:1-3). We are a new creation in Jesus Christ, and we have a new life now, which is why the gospel is such great news for those who have Christ! (2 Corinthians 5:17)

When sin entered the world, sexual identities and many other aspects of human sexuality were distorted. We see that God said it's not good for man to be alone (Genesis 2:18) so he created Eve. This exclusive union between man and woman was formed, but it was broken through the fall of man. We read various passages of sexual perversion addressed throughout the Bible, for example (Leviticus 18:22, Romans 1:26-28, to select a few). Even in a natural sense, two males cannot have babies (naturally speaking), nor can two females have babies (without the help of a doctor). Please understand that the goal of this short section is not to tell people that God doesn't love them because of sexual struggles, but to allow scripture and the Spirit of God to inform us who we are. Scripture clearly states two types of genders (male & female), and sin has twisted that truth for unnatural relationships. We can see in Genesis 1:27 that God made both male and female only, with no other variations. This has become a big battle over the last several years, but please understand the Bible is very clear on these matters, this will never be a popular view within the world around us, but it is the truth, and it's important to know where scripture stands.