The Creature (2)

Often the topic of salvation is discussed in terms of how it is accomplished, and that is definitely an important consideration.  However, before moving into that subject it would be good to consider why we need to be saved first.  

The biblical account of the creation of man will lend helpful insight in order to grasp the why of salvation.  Without going into great detail it is clear to see that the creation of Adam was a two part event resulting in a three part creature who had the image of God upon him. 

“And 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 soul.”  (Genesis 2:7)       

God first formed man from the elements, making for him a physical “house” for the Spirit to enter.  Then God breathed the breath (spirit) of life into that house (body) He had just made, which was the second of the two part act of the creation of man.  The two actions (forming and breathing) of God in the creation Adam resulted in a third entity; the bible called it a living soul.  The end result was a creature made in the image of God who was a composition of three parts: body, soul, and spirit.

The body being the earthly house, or physical body of Adam.  The spirit of Adam was the breath of life, which came directly from God.  The soul was essence of the creature God had made.  The essence of a living soul is three part as well:  the conscious, the subconscious, and the will.  The will is the center of the soul and out of it the choices of life come forth.  The conscious mind is the seat of man’s thinking and logic; it exerts influence on the will.  The subconscious mind is the seat of man’s emotions (feelings) and it exerts influence on the will.

Adam then could be described as a creature made in God’s image.  He had a body made of the physical elements present on earth.  His life was sustained by breathing.  And he had the ability to choose by exercising his own will, upon which his thinking and feelings were influencers.  In short, Adam was a composition of parts that meshed together according to the creation and design of God.  But… he was alone.

“And the LORD God caused a deep sleep to fall upon Adam, and he slept: and he took one of his ribs, and closed up the flesh instead thereof.  And the rib, which the LORD god had taken from man, made he a woman, and brought her unto the man.”  (Genesis 2: 21 & 22)   

To bring a companion into Adam’s life God would do a unique creative work, which came forth from his creation, Adam.  God caused a deep sleep to come upon Adam (a typology of death), removed from him a rib, and then closed up the flesh of the man.  In might be wondered if there would remain a scar in the side of the Adam?  So we see a bride is brought forth from the side of Adam… from a rib that is removed.

It is interesting to note the similarity (typology) to Christ’s acquisition of His bride (the church).  He was put into a deep sleep (death) and his side was opened (by the soldier’s spear) and blood and water came forth.  John declared that those born of God came forth by blood and water… the bride of Christ.  Maybe Jesus and Adam will bear the scars of matrimony in their sides eternally.

It might be wondered why God used a rib from Adam.  It has been pointed out that God chose a bone from his side so she could walk beside him, not over him and not under him.  There seems to be more to be gleaned from the account as well.

As we have seen, the creation of Adam was a composition of parts.  The creation of Eve would logically seem to need to be in the same order.  Adam would have to give of himself (sacrifice) in order to have a bride… God chose a rib.  One reason a rib was used could be the fact that it is one of the most expendable bones… the loss of a rib would very minimally affect the quality of Adam’s life, if it affected it at all.  We now understand that within the rib a genetic code was present to form a new body… with some tweaking so that the Garden of Eden didn’t end up with two males inhabiting it, (thank God for tweaking!).  However, perhaps the most significant reason was not so much the rib itself, but what the rib contained… bone marrow. 

The new person, Eve, would need the basic processing center for the life giving blood (which carries oxygen to all the body… which is the breath of life!).  Bone marrow is where the blood cells are produced!  It is the center of the physical body that enables a continued distribution of the spirit of life throughout the body.

All of that may seem quite detailed, but it will come back later as important concepts to the question at hand, i.e. the need for salvation.  In summary, God created a man and a woman by a process of composition… putting parts together to make a whole being, which is greater than the sum of those parts.  The creation of mankind was after the image of the creator Himself.  In the original state of creation the composition “worked” perfectly… as it has been said, “God doesn’t make junk!” 

What would happen, however, if something was added to the composition?  Or, what would happen if something was taken from the composition?  Would it be God’s design any longer?  How would it function?  And how could it be brought back to its original condition?  Or… could it be brought back to an even better state?

Does man need salvation?  The answer is forth coming and its more than you might think!