The Apostle Paul confirms this in Ephesians 4:24 when talking about what takes place in the born again experience of a Christian. He writes, "and put on the new man, which in the likeness of God has been created in righteousness and holiness of the truth." To be created in God’s Image means to be created in the image of His moral righteousness. The reason why Adam and Eve were able to have perfect unhindered fellowship with God was because they were ruled by the moral righteousness of God through their spirits; but it also means that God created man with a free will which meant if he so chose he could rebel against God and sever his relationship with God.

To be ruled by the moral righteousness of God means to be motivated and controlled by the Holy Spirit through one’s spirit⁸⁸ rather than by one’s soul,⁸⁹ through one’s intellect and feelings; or flesh,⁹⁰ through one’s physical lusts and desires. The Apostle Paul describes this clearly in 1 Corinthians 2:9-15 and 3:1-3,

"But just as it is written, ‘Things which eye has not seen and ear has not heard, and which have not entered the heart of man, all that God has prepared for those who love Him.’ For to us God revealed them through the Spirit; for the Spirit searches all things, even the depths of God. For who among men knows the thoughts of a man except the spirit of the man, which is in him? Even so the thoughts of God no one knows except the Spirit of God. Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might know the things freely given to us by God, which things we also speak, not in words taught by human wisdom, but in those taught by the Spirit, interpreting spiritual thoughts with spiritual words. But a man who is motivated-and-controlled-through-his-soul⁸⁹ does not accept the things of the Spirit of God; for they are foolishness to him, and he cannot understand them, because they are discerned¹⁶⁰ through the spirit. But he who is motivated-and-controlled-through-his-spirit⁸⁸ discerns all things, yet he himself is discerned by no man."

"And I, brethren, could not speak to you as to men motivated-and-controlled-through-his-spirit, but as to men motivated-and- controlled-through-his-flesh,⁹⁰ as to babes in Christ. I gave you milk to drink, not solid food; for you were not yet able to receive it. Indeed, even now you are not yet able, for you are still motivated-and-controlled-through-the-flesh. For since there is jealousy and strife among you, are you not motivated-and-controlled-through-the-flesh, and are you not walking like mere men?"

Jude also talks about this in Jude 1:19, "These are the ones who cause divisions, motivated-and-controlled-through-their-soul, devoid of Spirit." When a congregation of believers is allowing themselves to be motivated and controlled by the Holy Spirit through their spirits there is unity. This is because Jesus does not work against Himself. "Now the Lord is the Spirit; and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty." (2 Cor. 3:17).

This is why the secular humanistic Freudian approach to psychology is dangerous and in error; it only focuses on man’s soul and body and completely ignores the spiritual aspect of man. It is in error because it focuses on Man period. All of man’s problems center in what he allows to be the motivating factor in His life: God through his spirit, or man’s soul or his flesh. God never intended for man to be motivated and controlled through his soul or flesh but by the Holy Spirit through his spirit. He also intended for his ministers to only lead and teach by His counsel through His Holy Spirit.

"‘Woe to the rebellious children,’ declares Yehovah,⁹¹ ‘Who execute a plan, but not Mine, and make an alliance, but not of My Spirit, in order to add sin to sin.’" (Isaiah 30:1)

"But if they had stood in My council, then they would have announced My words to My people, and would have turned them back from their evil way and from the evil of their deeds." (Jer 23:22)

"‘Has a nation changed els [gods], when they were not els? But My people have changed their glory for that which does not profit. Be appalled, O heavens, at this, and shudder, be very desolate,’ declares Yehovah. ‘For My people have committed two evils: they have forsaken Me, the fountain of living waters, to hew for themselves cisterns, broken cisterns, that can hold no water. . . . Your own wickedness will correct you, and your apostasies will reprove you; know therefore and see that it is evil and bitter for you to forsake Yehovah your Elohim, and the dread of Me is not in you,’ declares Adonai-Yehovah-of-hosts.¹⁷⁰" (Jer 2:11-13, 19)

"And Yehovah Elohim said, ‘It is not good, Adam being alone; I will make a helper corresponding to him.’ . . . And Yehovah Elohim caused a deep sleep to fall on the man, and he slept. And He took one of his ribs⁹⁵ and closed up the flesh underneath. And Yehovah Elohim constructed the rib which He had taken from Adam into a woman, and brought her into Adam. And Adam said, ‘This now at last is bone from my bones, and flesh from my flesh! For this shall be called woman⁹⁶, because this has been taken out of man.’ Therefore a man shall leave his father and his mother and shall cleave to his wife, and they shall become one flesh. And they were both naked, the man and his wife, and they were not ashamed."

God first created man and woman for their enjoyment together. God is not against sex, He created it, but only between a man and a woman and then only as husband and wife. Children, the result of sex, are a secondary intention in the act of sex. Sex is God giving husband and wife a means of oneness in the greatest physical way for a man and woman to meet, ... and they shall become one flesh. The bible teaches us that the act of sexual intercourse makes the man and the woman one flesh, no longer two. This is why the Apostle Paul admonishes us in 1 Corinthians 6:15-16,

"Do you not know that your bodies are members of Christ? Shall I then take away the members of Christ and make them members of a harlot? May it never be! Or do you not know that the one who joins himself to a harlot is one body with her? For He says, ‘The two will become one flesh.’"

Sex in any other context except between a husband and wife, meaning between a man and a woman in marriage, is clearly condemned in the Bible.⁹⁷

"If there is a man who commits adultery with another man’s wife, one who commits adultery with his friend’s wife, the adulterer and the adulteress shall surely be put to death. If there is a man who lies with his father’s wife, he has uncovered his father’s nakedness; both of them shall surely be put to death, their bloodguiltiness is upon them. If there is a man who lies with his daughter-in-law, both of them shall surely be put to death; they have committed incest, their bloodguiltiness is upon them." (Lev 20:10-12)

"If there is a man who lies with his uncle’s wife he has uncovered his uncle’s nakedness; they shall bear their sin. They shall die childless. If there is a man who takes his brother’s wife, it is abhorrent; he has uncovered his brother’s nakedness. They shall be childless." (Lev 20:20-21)

"If there is a man who lies with an animal, he shall surely be put to death; you shall also kill the animal. If there is a woman who approaches any animal to mate with it, you shall kill the woman and the animal; they shall surely be put to death. Their bloodguiltiness is upon them." (Lev 20:15-16)

"You shall not lie with a male as one lies with a female; it is an abomination." (Lev 18:22)

"If there is a man who lies with a male as those who lie with a woman, both of them have committed a detestable act; they shall surely be put to death. Their bloodguiltiness is upon them." (Lev 20:13)