Chapter 1. God's Earthly Home

Have you ever wondered how Henry Ford made his first car, how Steve Jobs made the first Apple Macintosh computer, or how Bill Gates coded the first Windows operating system? Have you ever wondered how God made you?

The Psalmist said, "I will praise thee; for I am fearfully and wonderfully made: marvellous are thy works; and that my soul knoweth right well." Psalms 139 14. God is the perfect workman. The making of the human being was a wonderfully thought-out process conceived in the infinite mind of Divine Love.

Let's begin at the beginning of time, when God said, "Let us make man in our image, after our likeness..." Genesis 1:26. What was God's intention through in this statement? Let's find out:

• Image: the word image was translated from the Hebrew word pselem which meant shadow, phantom or ghost. God's intention was for the inner unseen being of man, which we understand today as the soul, to resemble His own.
• Likeness: the word likeness was translated from the Hebrew word demuth which meant concrete model or solid shape. God's intention was that mankind's physical shape, which we call the body was to resemble His own.

In Genesis chapter 2, God expanded more on the creation of man. "And the LORD God formed man of the dust of the ground (demuth), and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul. (pselem)" Genesis 2:7.

However, we see an additional ingredient being put into Adam and that was - the Breath of Life. Before God breathed into his nostrils, Adam was just a humanoid-shaped collection of dust God constructed into a body. Like keys turning on a car's ignition mechanism, God's breath was the key ingredient for bringing Adam to life.

What is contained within God's breath? "All the while my breath is in me, and the spirit of God is in my nostrils." Job 27:3. "And when he had said this, he breathed on them, and saith unto them, Receive ye the Holy Ghost..." John 20:22. The breath of God contains His Spirit, the agency which brings into man His life-giving power.

Let's put it all together. From the facts above, we can conclude that man was made with three major faculties:

1. Spirit: this was given to man by God through the Breath of Life.
2. Soul: this was activated and brought to life when God gave his Spirit to Adam.
3. Body: this acts as the housing facility for the two ingredients above.

"Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you? For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God's." 1 Corinthians 3:16; 6:20.

Like a married couple in a house, the human body was designed as the home of God's home. The atmosphere of this home should be one of love between God the man and you, His wife. "For thy Maker is thine husband; the Lord hosts is His name; and thy Redeemer the Holy one of Israel; The God of the whole world shall He be called." Isaiah 54:5.

This marriage concept might seem strange to a lot of people, but as we make a deep study into it, we begin to fully understand that the marriage relationship between man and woman best describes God's love for mankind.

How does love work in this home? The answer is simple: freedom of choice. God created mankind to be a free moral agent, with the right to choose their own path. It was His desire that when mankind learns more about His character, their love for Him and for their fellow-creatures will grow. Mankind was made as an object upon which God should bestow the full measure of His love, and in return, He win the race's free will.

What an honour and privilege it is to host the King of the universe within our humble earthen vessels. What did we do to deserve such love? Then the tragedy happened.

The woman lost her love for her husband. By heeding the words of Satan, humanity made the choice to disobey God, throwing Him out of the temple He built, the home he made. Satan could not take on God so he went for the next best thing: His wife. He succeeded... or so he thought... because God had a plan to save his wife, His family, and His home. God is just defending what is rightfully His.

This is the essence of the great controversy between good and evil. The story is about a woman who is approached by two suitors. One who truly loves her, and the other, although claiming to love her, seeks to destroy her body, soul, and spirit. One of them will win the choice of your heart, and this choice will determine your destiny.