The Bible: The Bible clearly distinguishes between man and beast:
On the sixth day, Adam was created “in the image of God” and quite apart from the land animals through a clearly distinguished separate act of creation. The Hebrew word bara (create) is used three times in Genesis 1:27 to emphasize this act of creation.
Only man received the breath of God. In this way, he was given a spirit (Eccles. 12:7; 1 Thess. 5:23) so that he transcends the world of the animals.
Only when Adam was created, did God “use his hands”: “The Lord God formed [Hebrew yatsar] the man from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life” (Gen. 2:7). In the Old Testament, the Hebrew word yatsar is used to describe the actions of a potter who skillfully and imaginatively forms his vessels. In the same way, God used earthly matter for Adam’s physical parts but he didn’t become a living person until God breathed his spirit into Adam. It was the spirit that God breathed into Adam that sparked the physical body made of earthly mass into a person who became alive.
Only man can actually communicate with God. Only he possesses the gift of speech and of prayer by means of which he can express all his thoughts before his Creator. Man was created to be near and close to God. He is dependent on communion with God.
Only man has a free will and possesses the faculty of creative thought. According to Psalm 8:5, man was made “a little lower than the heavenly beings.” Human beings possess gifts such as freely developing personalities, inventiveness, and the capacity for cultural development (writing, music, historical awareness).
Even the difference in flesh is mentioned in the Bible: “All flesh is not the same: Men have one kind of flesh, animals have another, birds another and fish another” (1 Cor. 15:39). This finding has consequences for molecular biology: Proteins comprise the major part of the body. The human body contains approximately fifty thousand different kinds of proteins, each fulfilling its own specific functions. They have different amino acid sequences. All organisms have certain amino acids in the same positions in the polypeptide chain, and they serve to establish and preserve the characteristic functions of the specific protein. In contrast to this precise positioning, there are other positions where the amino acids clearly differ from one kind to the other.
It is said only about man that he was not only created “by God,” but also “for Him” (Col. 1:16). This high purpose is only ascribed to man. Animals are also creatures of God, but they did not receive the calling to become children of God (John 1:12).
In contrast to the animals, man is an eternal being; this means that his existence never ends, even after the death of the body (Luke 16:19–31). An imperishable body will be raised from the perishable one (1 Cor. 15:42).
Man is also a bi-dimensional being. That is, man can connect to the unseen invisible world by his spirit, and “sense” or discern events that are occurring against him or for him, as well as be connected to the physical world through his physical fleshly body’s senses. Man is not a physical body with a spirit living on the inside, but rather man is a spirit, that lives in a physical body. The mortal body that you see in the mirror is not the real you. The real “you” is your spirit living on the inside of your earthly body.
When a person dies, the spirit of that man leaves the body and the body becomes an inert and lifeless body of dirt, and soon it will dissolve and return to the earth. It is the spirit of man that lives on for all eternity. The spirit of man is an indestructible spirit that can only be taken back by God who gave it.
It is only through your spirit that you can touch God. It is only through your spirit that God can receive your worship, God is Spirit, and those that worship him must worship him in “spirit.”
The next time you look in the mirror, look closely, for you might see a faint glimmer of “glory” which is already inside of you if you are born-again. It is interesting to note that in the early days of the apostles, the converts into Christianity began to be known as “the glorious ones” for the people said that a glowing was often seen radiating from their faces during their worship of the Lord. This is the same “glory” seen illuminating the face of Moses each time he was in God’s presence. This is the same “glory” seen on Steven, as he was being stoned to death.
Think on these things the next time you feel inadequate or unworthy to approach his holy throne of Grace to present your petitions. His word says we are to enter into his presence “boldly” and wait until we receive what we desired. You are a speaking spirit made in the image of God; in his likeness, and he made you “for Him.” God desires to fellowship with you, so go already….he’s waiting
The Genesis Oracles 
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