6. SPIRIT IN MAN
When God formed man from the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, man became a living being. But man also was given a spirit that made him far superior to the animal world, which operates solely on instinct and conditioned response. The human mind, coupled with the human spirit, gives man intelligence far above the animal kingdom. When a human is converted and is given the Holy Spirit from God, that Spirit combines with the human spirit to begin the formation of a new spiritual creature. Then, when a person dies, his spirit returns to God until the resurrection. In analogy the human spirit may be compared to a master recording device that records all of a man’s characteristics, intelligence, and experiences. If God so chooses, He can rebuild that man either from new physical material or from spirit (depending on which resurrection) from all the information contained in the human spirit. Scripture clearly speaks of two types of spirit a man can have: The spirit of man, “which is in him,” and the Spirit of God, which is given to him during the conversion process.

Genesis 2:7, Job 32:8, Ecclesiastes 3:21, 12:7
Daniel 45:28–37, Zechariah 12:1, Romans 8:16
1 Corinthians 2:11–15

7. ANGELIC REALM
God has created powerful spirit beings as His agents and messengers. Since man’s creation, these spirit beings have functioned as ministering spirits to help mankind attain salvation. Like man, angels have free moral agency. Although created to help God, some of them—led by Satan the devil—rebelled against God’s government, transforming themselves into demons.

Psalm 91:11–12, Ephesians 6:12, Hebrews 1:7

8. SALVATION
Salvation is the means by which God, through Christ, saves man from the penalty of sin and give him eternal life. This process includes one’s calling, repentance, baptism, justification, receiving of the Holy Spirit, life of faith and obedience, and final birth into God’s Kingdom as a spirit being. Salvation is a freely given gift from God through grace, with our ultimate reward given according to our works.

Matthew 16:27, John 3:16–17, Romans 6:23
Ephesians 2:8–9, Hebrews 6:1–2

9. FAITH
Faith is the sure knowledge that God exists, and that He will accomplish those things He has promised. Faith is necessary for salvation. The basic elements of faith are courage, action, and risk.

Romans 1:17, 10:17, Ephesians 3:17, Hebrews 11:1–2
James 2:22–24

10. REPENTANCE
Repentance is the act of acknowledging one’s sins, and resolving to fully obey God. It begins when God opens one’s mind to see himself in comparison with God and His law. True repentance is the first step toward reconciliation with God, and thereby toward ultimate salvation.

Acts 2:38, 3:19–21, 8:22, 1 John 3:4