Dust of the ground
It’s interesting that the word “dust” is used. Did you know that when you have to dust a room, much of that is dead skin or hair? Of course, pollutants and other things can come in from outside with the windows open. But, some of that is still be dead skin.
Of course, we are much more than dead skin. We have amazing DNA, which is so complex that it could never have come about by chance. Remember, genes are never added; it’s always the same number. They’ll change over time, but the number will never expand. God made each person special. And, when people rebelled against Him, He knew just what to do. The first Adam was made a living soul, but the second Adam was made a quickening spirit. That means a Spirit that is not only alive, but continues to make all things new. Because that last Adam, Jesus Christ, makes that change to anyone who is in Christ, and continues working in them.
Breath of life…A living soul
We must have Christ make us new, because we are dead in our sins. However, that was not the case with Adam and Eve before they sinned.
Man being made a living soul doesn’t just mean that he was alive. Everything living is alive. However, the type of soul was special. This was a soul which had spiritual life. Because man was alive spiritually, he could fellowship with God. That’s what the breath of life was all about. It is a different Hebrew term, according to Strong’s concordance, than is used in Genesis 6:17. That term simply refers to the breathing of all creatures, and can be related to wind. However, this breath of life relates to that living soul which man became. If God had not wanted man to be special, He would have simply said “let there be man” and that was it.
That living soul could fellowship with God because God had breathed into the man the breath of life. When man brought sin into the world, he brought death because of it. (Rom. 5:12) This was a separation from God. When a person trusts Jesus Christ as their personal Savior, though, they get quickened. They are made alive. In a way, it’s as if God performs mouth to mouth on our souls. That quickening Spirit – which makes us alive – resuscitates us. He restores life to us. In the same way that God breathed life into the first man, he gives us Spiritual life now, whenever we seek Him.
While we might fail to make use of that life, we can never lose that life. To do that, we would have to totally reverse the process. That would be like when George Bailey, in “It’s A Wonderful Life,” wishes he’d never been born. One might be able to imagine the effects. But, a person can never be unborn. Nor can a person ever have that new birth in Christ taken away.
