February 1st, 2026
by Lars Dahl
by Lars Dahl
Have you ever wondered what makes you uniquely *you*? Not just your personality quirks or physical features, but the deeper question of what it means to be human? The answer reveals one of the most profound truths in all of Scripture: you were created in the image of God.
Bearing the Divine Image
When Genesis declares, "Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness," it does not suggest that we physically resemble God. Scripture is clear that God is Spirit. Rather, being made in His image means we were designed to *reflect* Him, to represent His character, authority, and nature in the world.
In the ancient world, kings would place images of themselves throughout their kingdoms as symbols of their rule and presence. Similarly, God placed humanity in creation as His representatives. We were given the sacred responsibility of stewardship, moral accountability, and purposeful work. When God commanded us to "be fruitful and multiply; fill the earth and subdue it," He was commissioning us as His ambassadors in creation.
But the image of God goes deeper than authority. God exists eternally in relationship, Father, Son, and Spirit, and to bear His image means we were created for connection. We were made for a relationship with God Himself and with one another. "It is not good that man should be alone," God declared. Isolation damages the image; love for God and others reflects it.
Sin distorted this image, cracking and bending it like a damaged mirror, but it didn't erase it. Even after the fall, Genesis 9:6 affirms that humans still bear God's image. We're broken, yes, but not beyond redemption. And that redemption comes through Christ.
Three Parts, One Whole Person
Here's where theology meets everyday life in a powerful way. First Thessalonians 5:23 provides a framework that changes how we understand ourselves: "Now may the God of peace Himself sanctify you completely; and may your whole spirit, soul, and body be preserved blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ."
Notice the completeness. God doesn't redeem us in pieces. He sanctifies us *completely*, spirit, soul, and body working together as a unified whole.
Most worldviews get this wrong. Some treat humans as merely upgraded animals, focusing only on the physical body. Others drift into spiritual mysticism, forgetting we live in real, tangible bodies. Scripture refuses both extremes, presenting instead a holistic vision of human nature.
The Body: Your Physical Stewardship
"The Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living being." Your body isn't an accident of biology; it's formed by God, the instrument through which you live out obedience.
Paul asks a piercing question in 1 Corinthians: "Do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you?" Your body is valuable, though temporary. It's not evil, but it is fallen. It was meant for worship, service, and obedience.
Here's the balance we must strike: If the body is all you feed, you'll starve spiritually. If you ignore the body entirely, you'll burn out fast. Biblical stewardship matters, sleep, rest, discipline, and purity. God cares how we treat the house He lives in.
The Soul: The Seat of Your Inner Life
Jesus asked, "For what profit is it to a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul?" The soul encompasses your mind, will, emotions, and personality. It's literally what makes you *you*.
This is where the fiercest battles rage, fear, desire, shame, hope, and resolve all clash within the soul. The psalmist understood this when he wrote, "Why are you cast down, O my soul? And why are you disquieted within me? Hope in God."
Notice something profound: the psalmist talks *to* his soul. Your soul needs leadership, not permission to spiral. It must be shaped, not indulged. This happens through renewed thinking, disciplined choices, and surrendered emotions. As Romans 12:2 instructs, we must "be transformed by the renewing of your mind."
If you're exhausted, angry, numb, or distracted, don't just blame circumstances. Ask yourself: What's happening in my soul? What am I allowing to take root there?
The Spirit: Your God-Connection
"God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth." The spirit is the deepest part of a person—the place of God-consciousness.
Before Christ, the spirit is dead to God. But after salvation, Ephesians 2:1 declares a transformation: "And you He made alive, who were dead in trespasses and sins." This is where the Holy Spirit dwells, where conviction happens, where worship becomes real, and where prayer becomes a relational conversation between your spirit and God's Spirit.
Romans 8:16 beautifully captures this: "The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God." Your spirit doesn't need entertainment; it needs communion with the Creator through His Word, prayer, worship, and obedience. No shortcuts exist.
How They Work Together
Think of it like a smartphone. The body is the hardware, the physical device you can see and touch. The soul is the operating system that controls how everything functions. The spirit is the signal, the connection that gives everything purpose.
When the connection is strong (spirit), the system runs smoothly (soul), and the hardware responds properly (body). But disconnect any part, and frustration replaces function.
Here's the simple picture: The spirit connects to God. The soul decides direction. The body carries it out.
When the spirit leads, the soul aligns, and the body obeys—life works as designed. When the body rules, the soul follows cravings, and the spirit is silenced—chaos follows. Galatians 5:16 offers the remedy: "Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh."
God Wants All of You
God doesn't just want your Sunday morning worship. He wants your Monday body, your Tuesday thoughts, your Wednesday emotions, your Thursday habits, your Friday desires, your Saturday rest, and your forever spirit with Him.
"You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength." That's not pressure, that's freedom.
You don't need a new personality, a new body, or a new soul. You need a rightly ordered life under the lordship of Christ. When your spirit is connected to God, your soul is aligned with truth, and your body is obedient in action, life finally runs the way God designed it to.
May the God of peace sanctify you completely, spirit, soul, and body, until that day when we see Him face to face.
Bearing the Divine Image
When Genesis declares, "Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness," it does not suggest that we physically resemble God. Scripture is clear that God is Spirit. Rather, being made in His image means we were designed to *reflect* Him, to represent His character, authority, and nature in the world.
In the ancient world, kings would place images of themselves throughout their kingdoms as symbols of their rule and presence. Similarly, God placed humanity in creation as His representatives. We were given the sacred responsibility of stewardship, moral accountability, and purposeful work. When God commanded us to "be fruitful and multiply; fill the earth and subdue it," He was commissioning us as His ambassadors in creation.
But the image of God goes deeper than authority. God exists eternally in relationship, Father, Son, and Spirit, and to bear His image means we were created for connection. We were made for a relationship with God Himself and with one another. "It is not good that man should be alone," God declared. Isolation damages the image; love for God and others reflects it.
Sin distorted this image, cracking and bending it like a damaged mirror, but it didn't erase it. Even after the fall, Genesis 9:6 affirms that humans still bear God's image. We're broken, yes, but not beyond redemption. And that redemption comes through Christ.
Three Parts, One Whole Person
Here's where theology meets everyday life in a powerful way. First Thessalonians 5:23 provides a framework that changes how we understand ourselves: "Now may the God of peace Himself sanctify you completely; and may your whole spirit, soul, and body be preserved blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ."
Notice the completeness. God doesn't redeem us in pieces. He sanctifies us *completely*, spirit, soul, and body working together as a unified whole.
Most worldviews get this wrong. Some treat humans as merely upgraded animals, focusing only on the physical body. Others drift into spiritual mysticism, forgetting we live in real, tangible bodies. Scripture refuses both extremes, presenting instead a holistic vision of human nature.
The Body: Your Physical Stewardship
"The Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living being." Your body isn't an accident of biology; it's formed by God, the instrument through which you live out obedience.
Paul asks a piercing question in 1 Corinthians: "Do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you?" Your body is valuable, though temporary. It's not evil, but it is fallen. It was meant for worship, service, and obedience.
Here's the balance we must strike: If the body is all you feed, you'll starve spiritually. If you ignore the body entirely, you'll burn out fast. Biblical stewardship matters, sleep, rest, discipline, and purity. God cares how we treat the house He lives in.
The Soul: The Seat of Your Inner Life
Jesus asked, "For what profit is it to a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul?" The soul encompasses your mind, will, emotions, and personality. It's literally what makes you *you*.
This is where the fiercest battles rage, fear, desire, shame, hope, and resolve all clash within the soul. The psalmist understood this when he wrote, "Why are you cast down, O my soul? And why are you disquieted within me? Hope in God."
Notice something profound: the psalmist talks *to* his soul. Your soul needs leadership, not permission to spiral. It must be shaped, not indulged. This happens through renewed thinking, disciplined choices, and surrendered emotions. As Romans 12:2 instructs, we must "be transformed by the renewing of your mind."
If you're exhausted, angry, numb, or distracted, don't just blame circumstances. Ask yourself: What's happening in my soul? What am I allowing to take root there?
The Spirit: Your God-Connection
"God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth." The spirit is the deepest part of a person—the place of God-consciousness.
Before Christ, the spirit is dead to God. But after salvation, Ephesians 2:1 declares a transformation: "And you He made alive, who were dead in trespasses and sins." This is where the Holy Spirit dwells, where conviction happens, where worship becomes real, and where prayer becomes a relational conversation between your spirit and God's Spirit.
Romans 8:16 beautifully captures this: "The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God." Your spirit doesn't need entertainment; it needs communion with the Creator through His Word, prayer, worship, and obedience. No shortcuts exist.
How They Work Together
Think of it like a smartphone. The body is the hardware, the physical device you can see and touch. The soul is the operating system that controls how everything functions. The spirit is the signal, the connection that gives everything purpose.
When the connection is strong (spirit), the system runs smoothly (soul), and the hardware responds properly (body). But disconnect any part, and frustration replaces function.
Here's the simple picture: The spirit connects to God. The soul decides direction. The body carries it out.
When the spirit leads, the soul aligns, and the body obeys—life works as designed. When the body rules, the soul follows cravings, and the spirit is silenced—chaos follows. Galatians 5:16 offers the remedy: "Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh."
God Wants All of You
God doesn't just want your Sunday morning worship. He wants your Monday body, your Tuesday thoughts, your Wednesday emotions, your Thursday habits, your Friday desires, your Saturday rest, and your forever spirit with Him.
"You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength." That's not pressure, that's freedom.
You don't need a new personality, a new body, or a new soul. You need a rightly ordered life under the lordship of Christ. When your spirit is connected to God, your soul is aligned with truth, and your body is obedient in action, life finally runs the way God designed it to.
May the God of peace sanctify you completely, spirit, soul, and body, until that day when we see Him face to face.
Lars Dahl
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