What Is Man?

Hebrews 2:6

The writer raises a profound question in our text: What is man, that thou art mindful of him? It's a question that all should consider. What does man possess that would cause the sovereign God of the universe to give his only begotten Son as a payment for the sins of all of humanity? 

We should consider first some truths about man:
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• Genesis 2:7; Man Is A Created Being. "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 1:26; Man Is A Complex Being. "And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness..." Meaning man is a triune being, in that, he possesses a body, a soul and a spirit. 
• Genesis 3:17-18; Man Is A Cursed Being; "And unto Adam he said, Because thou hast hearkened unto the voice of thy wife, and hast eaten of the tree, of which I commanded thee, saying, Thou shalt not eat of it: cursed is the ground for thy sake..." Man became alienated from God under the curse of sin.

But what is man at the very source? Strip away the flesh and what can we see? The answer to that question is found in the first verse we cited... At the very essence of man lies a soul. The soul is the immaterial aspect that gives man his ability to connect to his surroundings through emotion; its where thought, reason, and rationalization takes place. The soul is what makes us who we are both male and female. The body (flesh) is the vehicle to which our soul moves around in the world. The spirit is the immaterial aspect that allows man to be connected with God. That spirit is born dead in sin, but quickened (made alive) at the time of salvation. So with that in mind; God sees a soul. If we are to be true in our witnessing and spreading the gospel message of Christ we must see the soul of man in light of how God sees the soul of man and at that point we can see why God would love us so much he would give his only Son in our stead.  So consider this about the soul:

1. The Soul Has No Expression - the soul itself has no color, creed or predisposed condition. Though, veiled in a body that does, God sees beyond who and what we are. He loves us in spite of us. As we go through life telling others about Jesus we cannot look at the person for who or what they are on the outside; but realize that beneath all of what we see lies a soul that needs a savior. 
2. The Soul Has No Extermination - the soul will never die. It does not matter the condition of man's soul at death; it will live for all eternity in heaven or hell. There's no ceasing in the soul. 
3. The Soul Has No Expectation - outside of the grace of God in salvation there's no hope for a soul. The only way for a soul to be made right in the eyes of God is through the salvation of Jesus Christ. He alone satisfied the holy demand of God. 

So in closing; man is a living soul. When you encounter people, look not on their outward appearance but remember that beneath all of what we can see lies a soul in need of salvation!