The Seed of Life

It is sown a natural body, it is raised a spiritual body. If there is a natural body, there is also a spiritual body. So it is written: “The first man Adam became a living being”; the last Adam, a life-giving spirit.

1 Corinthians 15:44-45

Have you ever thought about what Adam looked like? Envision him.

Now think about the last baby you met. Did he or she look like the parents?

Probably so, at least in a broad sense. Boil it down and we all look the same - nose in the center of the face, two eyes above, a mouth below, legs at our waist and arms at our shoulders. We all act alike too. We eat, we sleep, we sin, we hate, we love.

The reality is universally observable: Produced life is remarkably similar to the producer(s). Fish produce fish, birds produce birds, and humans produce humans. There’s no mistaking one for the other.

So we understand how we are born in a natural sense, but how are people born in a spiritual sense?

Jesus says, “Very truly I tell you, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless they are born of water and the Spirit. Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit gives birth to spirit.” (John 3:5-6) 

This Spirit that gives birth to our spirit is the Spirit of Jesus Christ. Therefore, just as we are like our parents (and by derivation Adam) in a physical sense, we are like Jesus Christ in a spiritual sense. Our spiritual lives reflect his character as defined in Galatians 5: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. And more than that, just as our natural bodies are mortal like Adam’s, our spiritual bodies are immortal like Christ’s!

“For as in Adam all die, so in Christ all will be made alive.” (1 Corinthians 15:22)

You are alive in a natural sense, but are you born again of the Spirit of Jesus Christ? And has this second birth into immortality changed the way you live your mortal life?

IT’S A MATTER OF BIRTH

Scripture reading: 1 Corinthians15:45-49

 

As I read this passage over and over, it remained a mystery to me. Finally, a pattern began to emerge that helps answer the question, “Where have we come from, and where are we going?”  It clarified for me who we are as humans and who we are in Christ. It’s a matter of birth and inheritance in both cases.

Our origin is from Adam, the first human being. We inherited from him our physical bodies, by

 

             means of which we live our earthly lives. We were born into this world and, therefore,

share life here with every other human being.

Our end is in Christ, the second Adam. We were given spiritual life when we were born again.

            We inherited from Him our spiritual being as we are born of the Spirit.

Sin was born in Eden through the first Adam. We inherited our sin nature from him.

Our sin was borne by Christ. We inherited His Spirit that we may bear His likeness and,

therefore, enter into His kingdom.

 

In John 3:1-9, Nicodemus was puzzled by this notion or being born again. He was told by Jesus (vs 3), “…no one can see the Kingdom of God unless he is born again.” Nicodemus asks (vs 4), “How can a man be born when he is old? Surely, he cannot enter a second time into his mother’s womb to be born!”

 

Perhaps our passage in 1 Corinthians sheds some light on Nicodemus’ dilemma. Because we are born into this physical world, we have borne the image of the earthly; likewise, because we have been born again (ie born of the Spirit), we shall bear Christ’s likeness and, therefore, enter into His Kingdom.

 

Adam became a living being from dust (Gen 2:7). Through him, we were given a natural body and earthly life. But being related to the first Adam is not nearly enough for us who want to be connected to God – we need relationship with the last Adam (Christ) who became a life-giving spirit (Jn 5:26) to His redeemed people!

Thank you, Jesus, for giving us an inheritance with you in your kingdom when we were born again by Your Spirit. Amen.

Overspray and The Son of Man

John 3:1-18

 

At work, I park my car, a 2011 red Mitsubishi Eclipse, at one end of the parking lot, right next to the fence that surrounds the dumpster. Three foot tall poles were recently installed at each corner of the fence, and today - a very windy day, they were spray painted yellow.

 

This was not a light pastel yellow like you would paint a bedroom wall; but a bright yellow like you would use to paint lines in a parking lot. My car was parked less than three feet from the pole. I couldn’t see the wind blowing, but I sure could see where it went by the bright yellow overspray all over the side of my car.

 

Nicodemus was a religious leader who seemed to be sincerely searching for God even though he met Jesus at night so that nobody would see him. Jesus tried to explain things to him. First he told him how to see the kingdom of God. Then he told him how to enter the kingdom of God. Nicodemus didn’t get it.

 

If you listen closely, you might hear Jesus’ voice raise an octave as he seemed to get more and more frustrated with Nicodemus. He even made fun of him when he said, “You are Israel’s teacher and do you not understand these things?” Keep in mind, Jesus was a poor, uneducated carpenter mocking a highly respected, religious leader.

 

Finally, Jesus got very direct. He pointed to himself – the Son of Man. “No one has ever gone into heaven except the one who came from heaven—the Son of Man.”  It’s as if He said to Nicodemus, “Alright, if you don’t understand this, how about this? Look at me. I’m standing right here in front of you. Do you get it now?”

 

In many ways, we’re no different than Nicodemus. We’re on a journey trying to find our way. Sometimes we stumble. Sometimes we don’t know where we’re going. Sometimes life feels out of control. We try to make sense of it, but we just don’t get it. Often times, it isn’t until after the fact, when we are looking back with twenty/twenty hind sight, that we can see how Jesus was at work in our lives.

 

We may not know where the wind comes from, or where it is going; but we can see the overspray. If we pick ourselves back up and keep following Him; if we return to Him when we miss the mark; if we reach for Him to hold us in His arms - there is hope. Jesus was the incarnation of the Living God. Let us continually seek the Son of Man.

https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=john%203%3A1-18&version=NIV;MSG
https://www.biblegateway.com/audio/mclean/niv/John.3.1-John.3.18

 

Romans 8:1-11

Since beginning this series on The Holy Spirit, I have been focusing on when the Holy Spirit first took me on as a candidate for Christianity. I have tried to rethink times in my life when I felt the presence of the Holy Spirit, if I recognized it then or not. I suspect it was way back when, as Psalm 139 verse 13 says, "For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother's womb. God has had a plan for me from the very beginning, just like He has for you.

I love to read the Genesis 1:2 verse, "Now the earth was formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters." The Spirit of God was hovering over the waters, isn't that an awesome picture? Before anything was anything, the Spirit of God was there. This Spirit is responsible for every 'born again Christian'. Then He gives this same Christian the ability or power to live a Christian life.

It is up to us to accept or reject the Holy Spirit's guidance. What a concept, to know that the moment we were baptized into Christ's family, the Holy Spirit took up residence in us.

For if you live according to the sinful nature, you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the misdeeds of the body, you will live, because those who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God. (Romans 8:13-14)

Read the text in Romans 8:1-11 here.

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The Mystery -- John 3:1-15

Flip a switch and we have the power we need to turn on a light, wash the dishes or vacuum the floor. We don't need to understand how electricity works. It's enough to know turning it on will help us accomplish many things.

Nicodemus didn't understand and wanted to know, "What are you [Jesus] saying with this 'born-from-above' talk?" (John 3:4 The Message)

There is a mystery to being born again by the Spirit. God's Spirit changes us and makes us new. We become more aware of God working in our lives guiding and directing, molding and making us the person He is calling us to be.

Jesus told Nicodemus being born of the Spirit is like the wind. We can't control it, know where it comes from, or where it is going. We just know it's there.

This tells me I have to be willing to admit and accept I don't know how the Spirit works. I have to humbly open my heart and mind to being changed. I have to believe, trust, and expect God's Spirit to make me a new person. Apart from His grace and Spirit I cannot be "born-from-above."

Prayer: Lord help me see and remove the obstacles in my life that block the work of your Spirit in my life. Strengthen my faith so I may allow Your Spirit to change me into the person you need me to be. Amen

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Read today's text on Bible gateway, John 3:1-15