November 15

Jesus, The Life-giving Spirit

So it is written: “The first man Adam became a living being;” the last Adam a life-giving spirit. — 1 Cor 15:45 BSB

Are you, my friend, in the first Adam or the second? This is a vital question, and it would be wise to pause and carefully consider the answer. What is the fundamental difference between the first Adam and the second? The Apostle explains it: the first Adam represents the soul-life, while the second Adam represents the spirit-life. This distinction, made by Jesus at the start of His ministry, runs throughout the New Testament. Christianity’s goal is to lift us from the soul-level to the spirit-level.

The soul is the center of our personality—it is you, it is me. From it, we look out on two worlds: to the material world through the senses of touch, sight, smell, taste, and hearing, and to the eternal world through the spirit, which may operate through the same faculties. We have the option of descending to materialism or ascending to fellowship with God. Alas, we often choose the immediate gratification of the world over climbing the spiritual ladder to heaven.

It’s clear that we must die to the self-life, to the promptings, suggestions, and demands of the ego that is entrenched in the soul. Self is the root of our alienation from God. All the evil in humanity and fallen angels stems from the pride of self. On the other hand, all the joy of heaven becomes ours when the self-life is crucified with Christ.

How do we bring the self-life to death? Only by being united with the Cross of Jesus. We were crucified with Him in God’s purpose, and by faith, we must accept that position. It was by the Holy Spirit that Jesus offered Himself to God, and it is by that same Spirit that we, too, can say, “I have been crucified with Christ; nevertheless I live, yet not I, but Christ lives in me.” This is the great exchange—from the self-life to the life of Christ, communicated to us by the Holy Spirit.

Prayer

Behold, O Lord, I am Your servant, prepared for all things. I desire not to live for myself, but for You. Oh, that I might do so worthily and perfectly! Amen.