Alive to God

How is Christianity different from philosophies and religions in the world? What makes the Christian different from his neighbor? The answers to these questions are revealed in the Bible. Christianity is Jesus Christ, and Jesus Christ is life (Jn 14:6). The Christian is one who has the Son of God living in Him (Rom 8:9, 11), by the Spirit, and he who has the Son has life (Jn 3:36; 1 Jn 5:12).

The Bible teaches us that men are spiritually dead in trespasses and sins (Eph 2:1–3). This is from conception (Ps 51:5) because of their being sons of Adam, the first man and federal head of the company of sinners (Rom 5:12–21).

Being dead in sin is to be dead to God. Sin is lawlessness (1 Jn 3:4), and sinners are rebels against God (1 Tim 1:9), having a sin nature (Eph 2:3) that is hostile toward God (Rom 1:30). They feign allegiance to their Creator, but secretly they desire to be gods, themselves (Gen 3:5). This is the deception of the devil (Jn 8:44; 2 Cor 4:4), who enslaved humanity after the fall from Eden (Gen 3; Acts 26:18).

In the futility of their minds (Eph 4:17), and with wicked hearts (Jer 17:9), men think more highly of themselves than they ought (Rom 12:3). Ignorant of the truth about themselves, they can hardly imagine that every inclination of their hearts is only evil, all the time (Gen 6:5). Let God be true about this, and every man a liar (Rom 3:4)!

Men do not seek after God (Rom 3:11); rather, they love darkness because their deeds are evil (Jn 3:19). In the assessment of God, all the works of men are filthy rags (Is 64:6). The natural man loves the world and the things of the world (1 Cor 2:14), taking pride in all that he is, all that he does, and all that he has in his possession (1 Jn 2:15–17).

Being without God in the world, there is no hope for the reprobate (Rom 1:18–32; Eph 2:12). His soul is spiritually dead, and his body will soon follow in death. He has an appointed day for his death (Heb 9:27), which gives way to his appointment to stand before the judgment seat of Christ (2 Cor 5:10), on the Great White Throne of God (Rev 20:11). This man has lived under the condemnation of God (Jn 3:18), and his future is one of eternal punishment, in the fiery hell of the lake of fire (Mt 25:46; Jude 1:7; Rev 20:11, 14–15). Behold the plight of man and the consequences of sins against God (Rom 6:23).

Death and life are vivid contrasts in the physical world. Small children comprehend the difference. Because of the animating spirit in human beings, conversations regarding the soul typically lead to confusion about who is spiritual and who is not spiritual. He that is spiritual has been made alive to God (1 Cor 2:15; Eph 2:5; Col 2:13).

Taking something dead and making it alive is called, “resurrection,” when referring to one’s physical body. This has already happened to Jesus (1 Cor 15), but the promise of resurrection bodies is given to both believers and unbelievers (Jn 5:25–29). This will occur on the Day of the Lord, when Jesus Christ returns from heaven to earth, in His glorified body (Mt 24:29–31).

The resurrection of the body is preceded by a spiritual resurrection called, “regeneration.” God raises the dead soul to life, causing His elect to be born again (Jn 3:1–8; 1 Pet 1:3). He gives them new life (Rom 6:4), by transferring them into the kingdom of His Beloved Son (Col 1:3). They are said to be a new creation, that is, new creatures in Christ (2 Cor 5:17). They are grafted into Christ, the true and living Vine (Jn 15:1). Whereas they lived as lost sheep in the world of darkness, Jesus Christ, the Good Shepherd has called them by name, to follow Him (Jn 10).

This spiritual resurrection of the soul is exclusive to the chosen, redeemed people of God, who receive the life-giving Spirit of Christ (2 Cor 3:6), at God’s appointed time. Just as God breathed life into Adam’s physical body, and as Lazarus was summoned from his tomb of death, by Jesus, so the Spirit gives life to whom God wills (Jn 1:13; Rom 9:16) and by His gracious choice (Rom 9:11; 11:5, 28; 1 Thess 1:4). Obviously not everyone is a recipient, in fact, many are called but few are chosen (Mt 22:14). Called out of darkness, the remnant become the children of light in the world (Eph 5:8; Phil 2:15).

This new, spiritual life is abundant with spiritual gifts (Rom 12; 1 Cor 12; Eph 4) and spiritual fruit (Gal 5:22–23). The mind of Christ is the mind set on the Spirit, who is our Teacher, and who guides us into all truth (Jn 16:13). God’s Word is truth (Ps 119:160; Jn 17:17); and God intentionally matures His adopted children, by growing them in grace and the knowledge of the truth (2 Pet 3:18). Our hearts have the affection to learn of Christ, who loved us and gave Himself for us (Gal 2:20; Eph 5:25).

Christian, eternal life is now yours in Jesus Christ (1 Jn 5:13), who sent His Spirit to live in your heart (Rom 5:5). Christ in you is your hope of glory (Col 1:27). We have an assurance, of things not seen with our physical eyes, but with spiritual eyes we look to Jesus, the Author and Finisher of our faith (Heb 12:2).

Your faith sees the grace of God at work, as His Spirit accomplishes what concerns you (Ps 138:8), fulfilling all His holy will (Eph 1:11), as it has been purposed in Christ Jesus our Lord (Eph 3:11). God is directing your steps (Ps 37:5; Prv 3:5–6), causing you to walk in His statutes (Ezek 36:27), by His Spirit (Gal 5:1). Together, with all the saints, let us wait upon the Lord, giving thanks for the life of Christ now at work in us, praying without ceasing, and doing all things as unto the Lord, who has made us alive to God.

David Norczyk

Spokane Valley, Washington

September 26, 2022