Genesis 2:7 The LORD GOD formed man of dust from the ground and breathed into his nostrils, the breathe of life; and man became a living being.
Verse 7 describes man being formed like that of an artist or a potter. God’s divine plan fashioned man. Man was made from the earth, he was to subdue and rule over it. He was given stewardship and was to care for the earth. Animals were made from the earth, but we are different in that we are made in the image of God. Part of us was made out of existing material and part of us was made out of non-existing material. Could the non-existing material be the breath of God? Could it be that God breathed into man and where there was nothing, then there was something? Something that was Spirit, after the image of God. Now, I do not know about this. It is something to think about. Now God is Spirit, and man has a spirit, man can serve and fellowship with God. With the fall of man, that spirit was marred. That is why we need the Holy Spirit to breathe in us. The Holy Spirit will help us to fellowship with God once again. No animal has the uniqueness of after God’s own image. Also, I believe, that we have spiritual DNA that we pass down to our children upon conception just like the DNA for a physical body. This is when the sin nature is passed down. Also, I believe that there is not some room up in heaven filled with spirits waiting to come to earth to quickly jump in a baby’s body when they are born. I believe all of these things happen at conception.
I do not know when a pre-born baby becomes self-conscious, but they do. Some mothers-to-be complain about a baby kicking when they go to bed. Of course, they do. They do not hear their mother’s voice which brings them comfort. They do not hear your music. If your little one keeps you up, listen to your music or read scripture aloud.
I was told that during an abortion, a baby may try to escape the vacuum, which ripes a baby apart. This is not only self-aware but self-preservation.
So we are made in the image of God of great importance to God with intelligence and self-awareness. We may have a relationship with God and have a fulfilling relationship with Him, but even with the Holy Spirit within us, our image is still blurred. We will not reflect God I’m the way He intended until we join Jesus Christ in heaven in our glorified bodies.
We have emotions like God, but for now, they have a relationship with sin too. We can grow in emotions like God. We can love like Him, but not fully. We can delight in working for Him. We can enjoy His peace by being secured in His care. These are just a few of the emotions we share in our personalities.
One thing we have in our emotional personality is free will. We may choose to obey or disobey God. This affects not only us as individuals but all of earth. Romans 8:19-22 talks about the whole creation groans and suffering because of sin. The earth will be freed when man is set free to the glory of the children of God.
