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Fundamental Beliefs of Seventh-day Adventists

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through Christ (Rom. 5:12, 19; 1 Cor. 15:21, 22).<br />

The Unity <strong>of</strong> Man's Nature<br />

What are the characteristic parts <strong>of</strong> human<br />

beings? Are they made up <strong>of</strong> several independent<br />

components, such as a body, a soul, and a spirit?<br />

The Breath <strong>of</strong> Life<br />

God "formed man <strong>of</strong> the dust <strong>of</strong> the ground,<br />

and breathed into his nostrils the breath <strong>of</strong> life; and<br />

man became a living being" (Gen. 2:7).<br />

When God changed the elements <strong>of</strong> earth into a<br />

living being, He "breathed" the "breath <strong>of</strong> life" into<br />

the nostrils <strong>of</strong> Adam's lifeless body. This breath <strong>of</strong><br />

life is "the breath <strong>of</strong> the Almighty" that gives life<br />

(Job 33:4)--the spark <strong>of</strong> life. We might compare it<br />

with the streams <strong>of</strong> electricity that, when they flow<br />

through various electrical components, transform a<br />

quiet, gray panel <strong>of</strong> glass in a box into a pulsating<br />

splash <strong>of</strong> color and action--when we flip the switch<br />

on a color TV. The electricity brings sound and<br />

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