[Odinachi Onyemkpa]

Through scripture, it is clear that God always hears our prayers and will respond when we approach Him with unwavering faith and sincere intent aligned with His will. Deep down, we know that He hears us, and this conviction brings a profound sense of peace and calm.
Isaiah 65:24, “Before they call, I will answer; while they are still speaking, I will hear.” This verse powerfully illustrates that God’s response is immediate; He anticipates our needs and answers even before we fully articulate them.
1 John 5:14-15, “And this is the confidence that we have in Him, that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. And if we know that He hears us, whatever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we have asked of Him.” These verses make it abundantly clear: when we pray according to God’s will, we can be confident that our prayers are heard and answered. This assurance compels us to praise Him, even before we see the tangible results of our prayers.
Praising God is not optional; it is essential. Here’s why:
It expresses our faith and confidence in God.
Praise boldly demonstrates our belief in God as the All-Sufficient provider who meets our needs.
Psalms 21:13, “Be exalted, O Lord, in your strength! We will sing and praise your power.”

It is a command.
We are instructed to: “Praise the Lord! Praise God in his sanctuary; praise him in his mighty heavens! Praise him for his mighty deeds; praise him according to his excellent greatness! Praise him with trumpet sound; praise him with lute and harp! Praise him with tambourine and dance; praise him with strings and pipe! Praise him with sounding cymbals; praise him with loud, clashing cymbals! Let everything that has breath praise the Lord! Praise the Lord!” Psalm 150:1-6. We must pray with thanksgiving—not just when it suits us, but as an act of our will and obedience. Regardless of our circumstances, we are called to thank God.

It alters our perspective.
It shifts our focus from our problems to the greatness of God.
Philippians 4:6-7, “Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”

It honours God
Giving thanks is a powerful act of worship and reverence, honouring God for who He is and what He has accomplished.
Psalm 100:4, “Enter His gates with thanksgiving, His courts with praise; give thanks to Him, bless His name. For the Lord is good; His loving kindness is everlasting, and His faithfulness to all generations.”

It focuses on God’s goodness and love
Psalm 59:17, “O my Strength, I will sing praises to you, for you, O God, are my fortress, the God who shows me steadfast love.”
Praise decisively shifts our focus from our own needs and problems to the undeniable goodness and sovereignty of God.

[Odinachi Onyemkpa]

Throughout history, there have been three primary views on the origin of the human soul: Pre-existence theory, Creation theory, and Traducian theory.
Pre-existence Theory
Ancient Greeks and Hindus have upheld pre-existence theory, and even forms of it can be found in Islamic thought. This view posits that God created several souls, and these souls are joined to human bodies at conception. There is no clear statement in Scripture supporting this view. This perspective, rooted in ancient Greek philosophy and some early Christian thought, suggests that souls exist in a pre-corporeal state before being united with a physical body, implying that souls may have lived in a spiritual realm before incarnation. Some Christian traditions have considered this view heretical, challenging the idea that the soul is a creation of God rather than something that pre-existed creation.
Creation Theory
Creation theory teaches that while the human body is inherited from the parents, the soul, being immaterial, is created by God. At conception, God creates a soul and places it within the developing baby, as noted in Psalm 139:13: “For You formed my inward parts; You covered me in my mother’s womb.” Support for this theory is found in the biblical account of God breathing life into Adam’s body, thereby giving him a soul (Genesis 2:7). Numerous Scriptures highlight God’s ongoing involvement in the creation of humans, including their spirits. Consider the following verses:
– “The revelation of the word of the Lord concerning Israel: The Lord—He who stretches out the heavens and lays the foundations of the earth, who forms the human spirit within a person” (Zechariah 12:1).
– “And the dust returns to the earth as it was, and the spirit returns to God who gave it” (Ecclesiastes 12:7, ESV).
These texts clearly indicate God as the Creator of the immaterial aspect of humans, emphasizing His role as the ultimate creator of the soul. Some argue that creationism avoids the complication of the soul being passed down from parents, which might suggest a pre-existing and potentially flawed soul.

Traducian Theory
Traducian theory, also found in some Christian circles, proposes that both the soul and body are passed down from parents through natural generation. This perspective argues that God’s direct creation of new beings ceased on the sixth day of creation, as evidenced by His resting on the seventh day. While God remains involved in the creation of human bodies and souls, this involvement occurs through secondary means—specifically through human parents. Some theologians find this view more consistent with the concept of humanity inheriting a fallen nature from Adam and Eve.

One strength of the Traducian theory is its acknowledgment of hereditary factors—just as we inherit physical traits from our parents, we also commonly share personality traits, intelligence, and emotions. If God directly created the soul independently of the parents, these similarities might not be as pronounced. John MacArthur supports Traducian theory, stating that while several verses mention God creating a person’s soul or spirit, the same is true for the body1. He cites Psalm 139:13-15, which underscores that the body is formed through natural procreation, indicating that God is the Creator, yet He ordained human reproduction for populating the earth (Genesis 1:28). Thus, although God uses natural means for procreation, He remains the ultimate cause of the process.

In conclusion, it is essential to recognize that God is the Creator of humans. I choose to align with The Creation Theory, which clearly instructs that God is the Sole Creator of humanity, but every other creature that exists came to be through Him.

[Odinachi Onyemkpa]

Your post gladdened me, Victor. Sin effects the Christian walk with the aim of crippling and disabling one from victorious christian living. The believer cannot trifle with the place of renewing the mind consistently. I, however, wish to add that sin does not spring a surprise. It tickles the fancy and puts pressure on the believer’s mind while it lurks and prowls in its darkness for the believer to swallow its bait.

Romans 6:12-13 NLT says, “Do not let sin control the way you live, do not give in to sinful desires. Do not let any part of your body become an instrument of evil to serve sin. Instead, give yourselves completely to God, for you were dead, but now you have new life. So use your whole body as an instrument to do what is right for the glory of God”. Paul says, “Do not let” which I can say means do not agree, give in, yield to its pressure. This is a command that puts the mandate and responsibility on us to “resistantly” refuse to yield to the perceived gains or the lack of it of sin.

Just like you buttressed, we can come to the place of peace by understanding our place and position in Christ, and continuously yielding our lives to Him, and refusing to accept any offers that tempt us to do contrary.

[Author]

Posts