January 16
What Adam and Eve lost in the fall was life. Their souls were no longer in union with God. Then came the “last Adam,” and “In Him was life, and the life was the light of men” (Jn. 1:4). Notice that life produces light, and not vice versa. Like the first Adam, Jesus was both physically and spiritually alive. I believe in the Virgin birth, because I believe that what Jesus came to give us was life. Unlike the first Adam, Jesus never sinned, even though He was tempted in every way possible. He gave us an example to follow in His steps. Essentially Jesus showed us how a spiritually alive person could live a righteous life. What he demonstrated was a life that was totally dependent upon the Father. Be aware that temptation is an attempt to get us to live independently of God.
Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews, said to Jesus, “Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher come from God, for no one can do these signs that you do unless God is with him. Jesus answered him, Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God. Nicodemus said to Him, How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter a second time into his mother’s womb and be born” (Jn. 3:2-4). Nicodemus came at night and alone to ask these questions of Jesus. He was an honest man, but obviously concerned about his reputation with the Jewish establishment. The dialogue also reveals that the religious order of the day had little awareness of their spiritual plight. They were natural people trying to keep the law. Nicodemus was wondering about who this person was, and Jesus ignored his curiosity and went right to the heart of the matter.
Jesus said, “I came that they may have life and have it abundantly” (Jn. 10:10). There was a time in my Christian experience that I thought eternal life was something I was supposed to get when I physically died, but that is not true. “And this is the testimony, that God gave us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. Whoever has the Son has life; whoever does not have the Son of God does not have life. I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God that you may know that you have eternal life” (1 Jn. 5:11-13). Let me say it another way. If we don’t have eternal life before we physically die, all we can look forward to is hell. His desire is that we all repent and live an abundant spiritual life exemplified by the fruit of the Spirit.
Dr. Neil
For Spanish, see http://ficmm.org/blog
