Holism

Biblical authors see the whole of reality as a single unity grounded in God, who created it all. The same applies to human beings. We consist of body, mind, and spirit. These are three separate elements, yet together they form an inseparable unit: a fully integrated person. We call this the holistic nature of human beings. A person cannot continue to exist if one of the three elements is missing. When the physical body ceases to exist, the whole human being disappears as well. We do not have souls that can remain as independent entities; rather, we are souls (Gen. 2:7), that is, we are living beings.

This way of seeing humanity changes the way we see both life and death. When we die, we simply stop thinking, wishing and wanting (Eccles. 9:5-6, 10). The dead are in a land of complete silence (Ps. 115:17). We “sleep” until the resurrection, when God will give us new life (1 Cor. 15:42). Our view of death changes, but so does our view of life. What we feel, what we appreciate, how we think and act, is all deeply affected by the quality of our spiritual life. Our inner life (our mind and spirit) is also closely connected to our outer life (our body). Thus, such elements of our life as our diet, our sleep patterns, and our sexuality deeply matter. These influence our inside, which is shaped by these external, fleshly aspects.

We have a great responsibility to take care of ourselves. We need to be intentional in the way that we treat our body, mind, and spirit. We should seek to keep these three in balance for the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ (1 Thess. 5:23). With all three parts together, we can look forward to that day when God will restore His likeness in us and makes us truly whole.