In the last chapter, we saw four aspects of the divine Spirit, the all-inclusive Spirit of life, for the dispensing of God Himself as life into our being. In this chapter, we want to see more aspects of the Spirit of life.
John 3:5-6 tells us that the Spirit of life is the begetting Spirit. To be born again is to be born of the Spirit of life. “That which is born of the Spirit is spirit” (3:6). The Spirit of life brings Christ with the divine life into us, and we are born again. Then this begetting Spirit begins to dwell within us as the Spirit of life.
Strictly speaking, the term “the Spirit of life” is mentioned only in Romans 8:2 (Rev. 11:11 is more appropriately translated “the breath of life”). This Spirit of life has a law. A law regulates. The law is not only a regulating matter, but is also a power, an energy, and a spontaneous strength. A grain of wheat grows out wheat, and a peach tree brings forth peaches because there is a life law. This life law regulates. There is no need for a person to regulate the peach tree and tell it, “Peach tree, you should not bring forth apples. If you bring forth apples, you will be punished.” There is no need to teach the peach tree in this way because within the peach life is the peach law. The life law regulates the peach tree so that it brings forth only peaches. Within the life law there is the spontaneous power, the strength, and the energy to produce something according to the regulating law.
Scientists investigate the laws that operate in nature, such as the law of gravity and the law of aerodynamics. I think the Apostle Paul was the greatest “scientist” because he discovered the law of the Spirit of life. Within the life of the Spirit is a law. With every life, there is a law. Dogs bark according to the law of the dog life, and chickens lay eggs according to the law of the chicken life. We have the divine life, the life of the Spirit, and with this life there is also a law. This law regulates us from within and is powerful and spontaneous. This law sets us free from another law, a negative law, the law of sin and of death.
The law of gravity works to pull things down to the earth. By my effort, I may hold a book in the air with an outstretched arm, but eventually my effort will be exhausted. Because of the law of gravity, I will have to put the book down. A higher law is needed to overcome the law of gravity. Similarly, we need a higher law to overcome the law of sin and of death. As believers in Christ, we have this higher, positive law, the law of life, which is versus the negative law, the law of sin and of death. The unbelievers do not have this positive law within them, only the negative one. We have another law within us because we have another life, the divine life. With this life is the divine law that sets us free from the law of sin and of death.
Romans 8:9 tells us that the Spirit is the Spirit of God and also the Spirit of Christ. We may say that the Spirit of God and the Spirit of Christ are synonyms, but there is still some difference between these terms. The Spirit of God brings us the essence of all that God is with all God’s attributes. But the Spirit of Christ brings us all that Christ is. God is Christ, and Christ is God. But Christ is both God and man. We cannot say that God is God and man, but we can say that Christ is God and man. The Spirit of Christ is the Spirit, not only of God but also of man. God is the Creator, but Christ, as both God and man, is the Redeemer.
We may say that the Spirit of God is the Spirit of Christ and that the Spirit of Christ is the Spirit of God. But the Spirit of God does not include as much as the Spirit of Christ does. The Spirit of God and the Spirit of Christ are one Spirit but in different stages. The Spirit of God is in the first stage while the Spirit of Christ is in the second stage. The Spirit of God has the element of divinity and was active in God’s creation (Gen. 1:2b). In the Spirit of Christ we have Christ’s incarnation, humanity, human living, death, and resurrection. In the Spirit of God there is life, but in the Spirit of Christ there is life as well as resurrection. The Spirit of Christ dwells within us not only as God but also as Christ and comprises the divine nature of God and the human nature, incarnation, human living, crucifixion, and resurrection of Christ.
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