BODY, SOUL, AND SPIRIT

There is only one true God, but He expresses Himself in three Persons:  He is the Father to His only begotten Son, Jesus, and to all who believe in Him (Jn. 3:16; 17:5; 1 Jn. 3:2); He is Jesus, the Son of God who was manifested in the flesh (Mt. 1:23; Jn. 20:28; 1 Tim. 3:16); and He is God, the Holy Spirit, Comforter and Indweller of the children of God (Jn. 14:17, 26; 1 Cor. 12:7; Acts 5:3-4).

God's goal was for mankind to be made in His own image and likeness, and hence, man would also be a triune being.  Moses wrote:  "And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness..." (Gen. 1:26).  But notice the passage does not say He created man in His likeness, but only in His image:  "So God created man in His own image, in the image of God created He him; male and female created He them" (Gen. 1:27)!  Never fear!  God never fails to accomplish what He intends to do.  We read in Genesis 5:1-2:

"This is the book of the generations of Adam.  In the day that God created man, in the likeness of God made He him; male and female created He them; and blessed them, and called their name Adam, in the day when they were created."

But "the day" they ate of that fruit, they surely died; they died spiritually; only the spiritually dead hide from God (Gen. 2:17; 3:8).  From that moment on, mankind ceased to be like God.  Oh, we are still triune beings when we are born again of the Spirit (Jn. 3:3-8), as can be seen in the writings of the Apostle Paul, who wrote:  "And the very God of peace sanctify you wholly; and I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ" (1 Th. 5:23).

But, unlike God, born again believers still sin (Rom. 7:15-25; Jam. 5:13-16; 1 Jn. 1:8-10; etc.).  But our spirit groans, longing to be changed into His likeness; Romans 8:23 says, "And not only they, but ourselves also, which have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting for the adoption, to wit, the redemption of our body!"  Like I said before, God will complete the transformation needed for us to be like Him (Phil. 1:6; 1 Jn. 3:2)!

I live for God today, but I long to be like God forever!