Anthropology -- The Study of Man
Introduction
The process of systematically organizing the truths found in the Bible is called systematic theology. There are many basic categories. I have decided to use the 9 most common categories. So far we have touched on three of them.
Theology Proper which deals with the existence and nature of God
Christology which deals with the person and work of Christ
Pneumatology which deals with the person and work of the Holy Spirit
The category for organizing the Biblical truths concerning man is called Anthropology or the study of humanity.
The official C&MA doctrinal statement regarding man.
Man was originally created in the image and likeness of God: he fell through disobedience, incurring thereby both physical and spiritual death.
All men are born with a sinful nature, are separated from the life of God, and can be saved only through the atoning work of the Lord Jesus Christ.
The portion of the impenitent and unbelieving is existence forever in conscious torment; and that of the believer, in everlasting joy and bliss.
There are basically three aspects to this study.
The original design
The distorted design (the Fall)
The restored design
I. The Original Design
God created man a perfect, sinless being. He provided a perfect environment. He instilled the capacity to enjoy full, meaningful and unencumbered relationship with God. God intended man and woman to live forever in mutual harmony with God and each other in an environment positively responsive to their rule and cultivation.
A. Man was a divinely created being
One’s view of the origin of man will affect his entire understanding of and attitude toward man. If, for instance, man is the product of evolution, then the extent of the effects of sin and the need of a Saviour are played down, if not eliminated. If, on the other hand, man was created by God, then this concept carries with it the companion idea of the responsibility of man. If God created man, then there is someone outside of man to whom he becomes responsible. He is not in and of himself the master of his own fate or completely at the mercy of fate; he is neither the final authority nor the only one to whom he must ultimately answer. A doctrine of creation implies creatures who are responsible to that Creator. The evolutionary origin of man relieves man of responsibility to a personal Creator outside of himself.
Purpose in life can only be drawn from the concept of God’s unique Creation of man in His image. An evolutionary view of our existence provides no ultimate purpose. We evolved by chance and therefore have no specific or meaningful purpose to our life. Animals don’t sit around contemplating their purpose in life. They just live for the moment. An evolutionary view that lumps all living creatures together cannot address the unique characteristics of man that go beyond the physical makeup. Genesis asserts God as the Creator at least seventeen times in the first chapter alone. The Genesis account also informs us something of how God created humans.
The verb used in Genesis 1:1, 21, and 27 indicates a great, new, and epoch-making creation.
In Genesis 1:1 creation ex nihilo is taught, since no preexisting material is mentioned or implied. Other verbs in the chapter say that God “made,” “called,” “set,” “formed,” “caused,” “took,” “planted,” etc. Out of the whole created universe and all the things in it, God established a special relationship with humans. Such relationship is recognized throughout Scripture and the Bible identifies Adam as the FIRST man and Eve as the first woman.
No evolutionary development. Adam enjoyed a conscious and meaningful relationship with God from the beginning.
When I consider Your heavens, the work of Your fingers, The moon and the stars, which You have ordained; What is man that You take thought of him, And the son of man that You care for him? Yet You have made him a little lower than God, And You crown him with glory and majesty! You make him to rule over the works of Your hands; You have put all things under his feet, All sheep and oxen, And also the beasts of the field, The birds of the heavens and the fish of the sea, Whatever passes through the paths of the seas. Psalms 8:3-8
David used the Hebrew word for God “Elohim” (????????) which is generally translated God (2,326 times) or gods (204 times).
B. Man was created in the likeness and image of God
What makes man special is that he alone is said to have been created in the image of God.
Then God said, "Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; and let them rule over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the sky and over the cattle and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth." God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them. God blessed them; and God said to them, "Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth, and subdue it; and rule over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the sky and over every living thing that moves on the earth." Genesis 1:26-28
Then the LORD God formed man of dust from the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living being. The LORD God planted a garden toward the east, in Eden; and there He placed the man whom He had formed. Genesis 2:7-8
Whatever likeness God instilled into human beings remained even after the fall.
For a man ought not to have his head covered, since he is the image and glory of God; but the woman is the glory of man. 1 Corinthians 11:7
With it we bless our Lord and Father, and with it we curse men, who have been made in the likeness of God; James 3:9
God emphasized this special likeness as a reason to respect human life.
Whoever sheds man’s blood, by man his blood shall be shed, for in the image of God He made man. Gen 9:6
Not since the original use of the word “bara” in verse one do we find it used again. Now it is used three times to poetically communicate the importance of this amazing act of God.
Ron Allen, Hebrew scholar from Dallas Seminary, makes three observations concerning this term “bara” in the Hebrew.
1 – There is nothing inherent in the word or in its usage to indicate a creation out of nothing.
2 – It has a base meaning of shaping, fashioning, or building.
3 – It is used with regard to a number of things produced often with the concept of newness and is used exclusively of the activity of God.
He summarizes his thoughts this way, “When we put all of these data together and compare and contrast them, we may suggest that the consistent meaning of the very “bara” is to fashion anew- a divine activity.”
The question then comes to us, “What is the “image” of God?” This has been a hotly debated and discussed subject for centuries. What does it mean that we are created in the image of God? The primary passage on the image of God employs two words. Even though there is no substantial difference between the two by using both words the writer seems to drive home the mystery of this concept.
God’s image in man at Creation, then, consisted (a) in man’s being a “soul” or “spirit” (Gen. 2:7, where the NIV correctly says “living being”; Eccles. 12:7), that is, a personal, self-conscious, Godlike creature with a Godlike capacity for knowledge, thought, and action; (b) in man’s being morally upright, a quality lost at the Fall that is now being progressively restored in Christ (Eph. 4:24; Col. 3:10); (c) in man’s environmental dominion. Usually, and reasonably, it is added that (d) man’s God-given immortality and (e) the human body, through which we experience reality, express ourselves, and exercise our dominion, belong to the image too.
Marred as man is, he still reflects His divine origins. Man, in his totality, reflects the decision of God to instill in a creature those characteristics that could best express His own nature. Both male and female are said to be made in the image of God. To be created in the image of God means that we humans have the ability and the privilege of knowing, serving, and loving God, and that we are most fully human when fulfilling our spiritual potential. An image or likeness is something that causes us to think about the original. An image stamped on a coin was intended to cause people to think about the emperor. God stamped humanity with His image to draw attention to Him.
What about man reflects the nature of God that animals don’t? What sets man apart from all of all of the other creatures? Since God is an immaterial being it does not refer to our physical attributes. Those were added. Most theologians refer to personality, rationality, will, emotion, innate moral conscience. The fact that we were created in God’s image enables us to relate to Him. The capacity for the above things became severely hampered after the fall.
God is in the restoring business.
Col 3 refers to a renewal to an original representation of God’s image.
Do not lie to one another, since you laid aside the old self with its evil practices, and have put on the new self who is being renewed to a true knowledge according to the image of the One who created him— a renewal in which there is no distinction between Greek and Jew, circumcised and uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave and freeman, but Christ is all, and in all. Colossians 3:9-11
C. Man is a multifaceted being
There are two main views related to our current makeup. Dichotomist (two parts) Material and immaterial. Trichotomist (three parts) Body, Soul, Spirit.
The difficulty arises because the Bible does not use the words soul, and spirit in a precise manner either in the Old Testament Hebrew of the New Testament Greek. They are often used interchangeably. The Bible does make a clear difference between material and immaterial. The best solution seems to divide between the material part and the immaterial part. Just as the material part may be subdivided into many other parts or members, so the immaterial part may be subdivided into several other aspects. A case could be made in regard to the leanings of the words used for soul and spirit. The soul leans toward man’s conscious function whereas the spirit leans toward a God conscious function. We cannot really compartmentalize any of these capacities because we function as a whole. What affects one, affects all. Only for the purpose of discussion can we separate and analyze the parts.
Consider the following verses.
Now may the God of peace Himself sanctify you entirely; and may your spirit and soul and body be preserved complete, without blame at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. 1 Thes. 5:23
For the word of God is living and active and sharper than any two-edged sword, and piercing as far as the division of soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow, and able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart. Hebrews 4:12
and you shall LOVE THE Lord YOUR God WITH ALL YOUR HEART, AND WITH ALL YOUR SOUL, AND WITH ALL YOUR MIND, AND WITH ALL YOUR STRENGTH.' Mark 12:30
Therefore, having these promises, beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all defilement of flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God. 2 Cor. 7:1
Considering all these things together, we come to the conclusion that we are simple yet wonderfully complex. There seems to be various capacities within us that all work together to form a whole.
We posses a self consciousness.
We posses a material world consciousness.
We posses a people consciousness.
We posses a God consciousness.
We posses a moral consciousness.
We posses a emotional consciousness.
We possess and intellectual consciousness.
Before the fall, all of these capacities harmonized perfectly in both human and divine relationship.
D. Man was created for intimate relationship with God
God created us for Himself. Although little is said of the kind of relationship enjoyed by Adam in the garden, Genesis implied a daily natural communion between God and Adam. “Walk in the cool of the day.” Paul focused on Christ as the Creator in his letter to the Colossians and provided insight into man’s purpose.
He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. 16 For by him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things were created by him and for him.
John, in revelation, shared his vision of future worship, a return to worship of God as Creator.
Worthy are You, our Lord and our God, to receive glory and honor and power; for You created all things, and because of Your will they existed, and were created.”
John earlier in his Gospel revealed the longing in the heart of God for those who would respond to Him in spirit and in truth.
But an hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for such people the Father seeks to be His worshipers.
E. Man was created to multiply (procreate) and rule the earth
God made the earth as a dwelling place for man to enjoy and rule. In reverencing the created rather than the creator, man missed a blessing.
For thus says the LORD, who created the heavens (He is the God who formed the earth and made it, Isa 45:18
He established it and did not create it a waste place, But formed it to be inhabited), "I am the LORD, and there is none else.
David, in Psalm 8, revisits the theme originally penned in Genesis.
Rule the earth as image bears of the one who created all things for us to enjoy.
F. Created for community
All through the Scriptures, God communicates an intense desire to commune with His creatures. There is an intense love relationship. The whole marriage relationship functions as an illustration of relationship with God Himself. It seems that just as God enjoyed perfect community within the Godhead, He designed man to enter into that community with Him and each other. There is then a vital connection between God and man, and man and man, and man and God. We were designed to be connected, to live in community. The fall and sin brought disruption to that community. Satan attempted to persuade man to break community based upon loyalty and trust in order to establish community on his own terms.
It is what Satan did in the beginning.
There is a profound yet mysterious interconnection between man and man and God and man. Before Eve, God commented on the fact that it was not good for man to be alone. Although there was a connection between God and man (they walked in the cool of the garden), something was still missing. God created Eve to establish relationship with one “corresponding to Adam’s nature”. Genesis 1 hints that the union of the man and the woman together best reflects the image of God. The original design modeled marvelous community; a unified family of connectedness and bliss.
II. The Deformed Design
A. The Willful Disobedience of mankind (Fall)
Genesis 3 provides the narrative describing the descent into disobedience. Satan first approached the woman in the disguise of a pleasing animal. The core of the temptation was to experience life apart from continual dependence upon God. Satan offered Eve the opportunity to be a god in her own right. The means was to rebel against a clear dictate of God and eat from the forbidden fruit. The appeal was to the lust of the eye, lust of the flesh and the pride of life apart from dependence. Eve listened to the serpent and then convinced Adam to join her thus bringing severe consequences upon all concerned as well as upon the very creation itself. God designed us with a capacity and desire for pleasure, possessions, prominence. Fulfillment comes as a result of our devotion and pursuit of Him. Anything short can never truly satisfy for the fleshly part of us is NEVER satisfied.
Our ultimate pleasure comes in the course of pleasing God rather than pleasing self.
Our ultimate enjoyment of the earthly things is in sharing with others rather than acquiring.
Our ultimate prominence comes from serving others rather than being served.
Satan designed, directs and energizes a world hostile to God that includes an environment, culture, philosophy that encourages pursuit of these desires as the highest value without limitation and, most importantly, WITHOUT GOD!
The longings instilled by God and stirred by His spirit are ultimately realized when He becomes our ultimate pursuit and not the desires. Yes we have desires for pleasure, possession and prominence. These desires must remain desires for which we pray rather than goals which we pursue.
We desire pleasure but are not to pursue it.
We desire possessions but are not to pursue them.
We desire prominence and recognition but we are no to pursue it.
Satan stirs the flesh to pursue…
Pleasure without self-control or boundaries
Possessions without sacrifice or contentment
Prominence without service or humility
This is the basis on which Satan tempted Eve to resist God’s authority and convinced Adam to do the same.
B. The Consequences of the fall
1. On the original players
a) The Immediate consequences
Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together and made themselves loin coverings. Genesis 3:7
(1) Eyes were opened to guilt and shame
(2) Self-consciousness
And they heard the sound of the LORD God walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and the man and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the LORD God among the trees of the garden. Then the LORD God called to the man, and said to him, "Where are you?" And he said, "I heard the sound of Thee in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked; so I hid myself." Genesis 3:8-10
(3) Fear
(4) Cover-up
And He said, "Who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten from the tree of which I commanded you not to eat?" And the man said, "The woman whom You gave to be with me, she gave me from the tree, and I ate." Then the LORD God said to the woman, "What is this you have done?" And the woman said, "The serpent deceived me, and I ate." Genesis 3:11-13
(5) Denial, self-protection and blame
b) The Curse imposed
(1) The Serpent
And the LORD God said to the serpent,
"Because you have done this, cursed are you more than all cattle,
And more than every beast of the field; on your belly shall you go, and dust shall you eat all the days of your life;
And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your seed and her seed; He shall bruise you on the head, and you shall bruise him on the heel."
Here is an early indication of God’s redemptive plan right from the time of the fall.
(2) The Woman Gen 3:16
To the woman He said, "I will greatly multiply your pain in childbirth, in pain you shall bring forth children; and he shall rule over you."
(3) The Man Gen 3:17-19
Then to Adam He said, "Because you have listened to the voice of your wife, and have eaten from the tree about which I commanded you, saying, 'You shall not eat from it'; Cursed is the ground because of you;
In toil you shall eat of it all the days of your life.
"Both thorns and thistles it shall grow for you; and you shall eat the plants of the field; by the sweat of your face you shall eat bread, till you return to the ground, because from it you were taken; for you are dust, and to dust you shall return."
The curse of death is graphically illustrated both in chapter four with the murder of Abel but also with the genealogy of chapter five. Notice the frequency of the phrase “and he died”.
c) The Exile enforced Gen 3:24
So He drove the man out; and at the east of the garden of Eden He stationed the cherubim, and the flaming sword which turned every direction, to guard the way to the tree of life.
2. On creation itself Rom 8:18-23
For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory that is to be revealed to us. For the anxious longing of the creation waits eagerly for the revealing of the sons of God. For the creation was subjected to futility, not of its own will, but because of Him who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself also will be set free from its slavery to corruption into the freedom of the glory of the children of God. For we know that the whole creation groans and suffers the pains of childbirth together until now. And not only this, but also we ourselves, having the first fruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting eagerly for our adoption as sons, the redemption of our body.
It seems that at the fall, even some of our basic understanding of how the world works changed.
Physics and some of what we have come to know as natural biological occurrences in our world have not always been that way. We changed from a living perfect environment based on life to a harsh, difficult environment based of death and decay.
3. On future generations
a) Imputed sin
This is a word that describes the fact that we were “IN” Adam when Adam sinned and therefore became directly culpable for his sin at the time he committed it as THE representative of the human race. This is most clearly taught in Paul’s letter to the Romans chapter five although the principle of “imputation” is taught in both Old and New Testaments.
Adam’s sin was directly imputed to us.
Therefore, just as through one man sin entered into the world, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men, because all sinned-- for until the Law sin was in the world; but sin is not imputed when there is no law. Nevertheless death reigned from Adam until Moses, even over those who had not sinned in the likeness of the offense of Adam, who is a type of Him who was to come. But the free gift is not like the transgression. For if by the transgression of the one the many died, much more did the grace of God and the gift by the grace of the one Man, Jesus Christ, abound to the many. And the gift is not like that which came through the one who sinned; for on the one hand the judgment arose from one transgression resulting in condemnation, but on the other hand the free gift arose from many transgressions resulting in justification. For if by the transgression of the one, death reigned through the one, much more those who receive the abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness will reign in life through the One, Jesus Christ. So then as through one transgression there resulted condemnation to all men, even so through one act of righteousness there resulted justification of life to all men. For as through the one man's disobedience the many were made sinners, even so through the obedience of the One the many will be made righteous. And the Law came in that the transgression might increase; but where sin increased, grace abounded all the more, that, as sin reigned in death, even so grace might reign through righteousness to eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. Romans 5:12-21
We sin because we are born sinners. The Alliance statement teaches this in the idea that all men were born with a sin nature separated from God. We are not sinners because we sinned after we were born. We are sinners by nature from birth. As sure as Adam passed on his physical characteristics to al men, we were all born with a sinful nature. The better you understand the gravity of IMPUTED sin by reason of being IN Adam, the more deeply you will appreciate the greatness of IMPUTED by reason of being IN Christ.
b) Inherited or imparted sin
The results are the same but the transmission is different. Instead of sin directly imputed from Adam, sin is passed on from our parents who got it from their parents and so on all the way back to Adam. 1 Peter 1:18-19 speaks of redemption from a “futile way of life inherited from our forefathers.” Ephesians 2 talks about being “children of wrath even as the rest.” David talks about the fact that “in sin his mother conceived Him.”
The following chart demonstrates this process.
c) Intentional (personal) sin
The Bible is equally clear about the fact that each person has committed and is responsible for their own sinful choices. Romans 3 is most clear in this regard.
What then? Are we better than they? Not at all; for we have already charged that both Jews and Greeks are all under sin; as it is written, "There is none righteous, not even one; There is none who understands,
There is none who seeks for God; All have turned aside, together they have become useless;
There is none who does good, There is not even one."
"Their throat is an open grave, With their tongues they keep deceiving," "The poison of asps is under their lips";
"Whose mouth is full of cursing and bitterness"; "Their feet are swift to shed blood, Destruction and misery are in their paths,
And the path of peace have they not known." "There is no fear of God before their eyes."
Now we know that whatever the Law says, it speaks to those who are under the Law, that every mouth may be closed, and all the world may become accountable to God; because by the works of the Law no flesh will be justified in His sight; for through the Law comes the knowledge of sin.
But now apart from the Law the righteousness of God has been manifested, being witnessed by the Law and the Prophets, even the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all those who believe; for there is no distinction; for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, Romans 3:9-23
No matter your position on inherited or imputed sin, the fact is clear from Scripture and the absolutely irrefutable and unarguable truth is that ALL have sinned against God and are condemned, deserving of death and eternal punishment. Because of Adam’s sin compounded by our own intentional sin, we are in desperate need of rescue from our miserable state. Scripture declares that every facet of our being is affected by sin.
Our intellect is blinded (2 Cor 4:4).
Our mind is reprobate or disapproved (Rom 1:28).
Our understanding is darkened (Eph 4:18).
Our emotions are degraded and defiled (Rom 1:21,24,26; Titus 1:15).
Our will is enslaved to sin and therefore stands in opposition to God (Rom 6:20; 7:20).
Without recognition of our grave state, there is no appreciation of our glorious Salvation.
C. The Nature of sin
It would be beneficial to take a brief look at the nature of sin as defined and described in the Bible.
1. Compiling the data
We gain an understanding of sin by observing the words used to describe it. Both Old and New Testament are amply scattered with words related to sin. We are impacted right off by the variety of words necessary to convey the problem. Since this is only a basic survey of the doctrine, I offer Ryrie’s conclusions from an extensive word study of the words for sin.
Regarding the Old Testament words:
1 – Sin may take many forms, and because of the variety of words used, an Israelite could be aware of the particular form his sin took.
2 – Sin is that which is contrary to a norm, and ultimately it is disobedience to God.
3 – While disobedience involved both positive and negative ideas, the emphasis is on the positive commission of wrong and not merely on the negative omission of good. Sin was not only missing the mark, but hitting the wrong mark.
Regarding the New Testament words:
1 – There is always a clear standard against which sin is committed.
2 -- Ultimately all sin is a positive rebellion against God and a transgression of his standards.
3 -- Evil may assume a variety of forms.
4 -- Man's responsibility is definite and clearly understood.
The most common word used for sin in the New Testament has to do with missing the mark but also includes the positive idea of hitting some wrong mark. When we look at teaching of Christ concerning sin we are struck with the sheer number of references he makes the sin as well as the detail he provides regarding it. Our Lord used all the major words were sin and in so doing the specified a number of sin's. Following are just some of the sin mentioned by Jesus. Sacrilege, hypocrisy, covetousness, blasphemy, transgression of the Law, pride, being a stumbling block, disloyalty, immorality, fruitlessness, anger, sins of speech, showing off, lack of faith, irresponsible stewardship, prayerlessness.
2. Crafting a definition
The nature of sin is so all-encompassing and therefore a specific definition that seeks to incorporate all that we understand of sin from Scripture is difficult. Whatever definition one crafts from data gathered from Scripture it must include the chief characteristic of sin as an offense against God first. Even win team David sin against another woman his convention focus on the fact that he had sinned against. One writer defines sin in this way: Sin may be defined ultimately has anything in the creature which does not express, or which is contrary to, the Holy character of the Creator.”
Let me try a general definition that I think covers all the bases.
Sin is a conscious or unconscious failure to properly relate to God
or His stated standard
by thought, attitudes, motives, words or deeds.
Ephesians clearly communicates the seriousness of sin against God.
And you were dead in your trespasses and sins, in which you formerly walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, of the spirit that is now working in the sons of disobedience. Among them we too all formerly lived in the lusts of our flesh, indulging the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, even as the rest. Ephes. 2:1-3
Therefore remember, that formerly you, the Gentiles in the flesh, who are called "Uncircumcision" by the so-called "Circumcision," which is performed in the flesh by human hands-- remember that you were at that time separate from Christ, excluded from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers to the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world. Ephes. 2:11-12
It is a glorious grace that reached to us while we were hostile and alienated from God and draws us into His family as those dearly loved and accepted. We will look more deeply into what it took to restore relationship with God under the section of theology called “Soteriology.”
III. THE RESTORED DESIGN
A. Spirit regeneration
Jesus answered and said to him, "Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God." John 3:3
He saved us, not on the basis of deeds which we have done in righteousness, but according to His mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewing by the Holy Spirit, Titus 3:5
But God, being rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in our transgressions, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), and raised us up with Him, and seated us with Him in the heavenly places, in Christ Jesus, in order that in the ages to come He might show the surpassing riches of His grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. Ephes. 2:4-7
God’s first priority is to restore the part of our nature that connects with Him.
Our Godward receptors and transmitters are renewed and energized.
B. Soul transformation
I urge you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship. And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect. Romans 12:1-2
From the new core established at salvation, God begins a restoration process of the other parts of our being .
We are continually transformed by looking into the Word, looking unto Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith and by beholding his true image.
C. Body glorification
For we know that the whole creation groans and suffers the pains of childbirth together until now. And not only this, but also we ourselves, having the first fruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting eagerly for our adoption as sons, the redemption of our body. Romans 8:22-23
For our citizenship is in heaven, from which also we eagerly wait for a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ; who will transform the body of our humble state into conformity with the body of His glory, by the exertion of the power that He has even to subject all things to Himself. Philip. 3:20-21
The body is important. Somehow it is vitally linked. The body became subject to death at the fall and know the effects of sin most graphically. God will gather the molecules of this body at the resurrection and transform it into a glorious body. There is a great mystery concerning the body but it is in for a grand renewal.
D. Renewal of the heaven and earth
19 For the anxious longing of the creation waits eagerly for the revealing of the sons of God. 20 For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of Him who subjected it, in hope 21 that the creation itself also will be set free from its slavery to corruption into the freedom of the glory of the children of God. 22 For we know that the whole creation groans and suffers the pains of childbirth together until now. Romans 8:19-22
And I saw a new heaven and a new earth; for the first heaven and the first earth passed away, and there is no longer any sea. Rev. 21:1
