In The Master's Service

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THE GIVER OF LIFE

Elder Wayne Crocker

Life is precious. It is miraculous. This is true in regard to natural life. It is just as true in regard to spiritual life. With all the amazing technology and innovations that baffle our minds, scientists have been unable to create the most elementary form of life.

As we observe the complexity and variety of the billions of life forms on earth, the idea of spontaneous, accidental evolution as the source of natural life is ridiculous. Even the conditions that exist on planet earth that permit life to be and to continue could not have come about by random chance. Any person who is completely rational would of necessity have to believe that there is a Creator God who has brought the universe and all therein into existence. You may say you know of atheists who are very intelligent and most certainly rational. This may appear on the surface to be true. But the Bible says, "The fool hath said in his heart, There is no God" (Psalm 14:1).

We know that all Bible believing people believe that God is the only source or giver of natural life. However some of these same good people, somehow think that man can and in most cases must help God bring spiritual life to individuals who are dead in sin. They believe there are certain steps one must take in order to be born again.

Primitive Baptists believe that life must precede action in the spiritual realm just as surely as it does in the natural realm. This realization by Primitive Baptists is not because we are more intelligent than those who think man is involved in this process. Rather, it is by the special blessing of God that has permitted us to rightly divide the word of truth. Reason seems to demand our conclusion, but more importantly, the Bible teaches this to be the fact.

Jesus lists no activity on the part of a man when teaching Nicodemus about the new birth. "The wind bloweth where it listeth, and thou hearest the sound thereof, but canst not tell from whence it cometh, and whither it goeth: so is every one that is born of the Spirit" (John 3:8). This lets us know that in the same manner we have no control on the wind, we have no influence on the Spirit. The Holy Spirit breaths life into an individual who is dead in sin in a like manner as the wind blows as it wills, pleases, or intends. Obviously, the wind blows in accordance with the will of the Creator God. The new birth is the sovereign work of this same true and living God who is the giver of all life.

If we accept the truth that man is truly spiritually dead due to original sin, it will prevent us from accepting the false idea that man can do something in order to receive spiritual life. There is overwhelming scriptural evidence that all mankind was affected by the fall of Adam, resulting in a spiritual death. Adam was told that in the day he disobeys God he will die. He was given permission to eat of every tree of the garden except the tree of knowledge of good and evil. Adam was told to not eat of that tree, "for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die" (Genesis 2:17). Sin brought about an immediate separation or death to innocence and fellowship with God.

Our condition resulting from the fall caused us to be "by nature the children of wrath, even as others” (Ephesians 2:3). Our total depravity is described in detail in Psalms 14:2-3 and Romans 3:10-18. Paul tells us that "by one man sin entered the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned" (Romans 5:12). In I Corinthians 15:22, we see again that "in Adam all die." Some might say that Adam's sin brought about the condition of natural death only. But Ephesians 2:1 states that we "were dead in trespasses and sins" prior to being made alive by the Spirit.

If man in his fallen, sinful, natural state has a spark of divinity or life that can respond to the offer of salvation; then he was never dead in the first place. That condition could be described as being sick and almost dead, but the scriptures say we were dead in trespasses and sins. I Corinthians 2:14 says: "But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned."

The only person who can respond favorable to the gospel message is one who has already received eternal life in the new birth. Jesus said, "He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passeth from death unto life. Verily, verily, I say unto you, The hour is coming, and now is, when the dead shall hear the voice of the Son of God: and they that hear shall live" (John 5:24-25). Notice again the plain teaching of scripture. The person already has everlasting life before believing on the Son of God. Life precedes action!

Recently, I was surprised to find one who advocates gospel regeneration (Chuck Colson) admit that there are some cases when God saves a person without the aid of the gospel. If he would go back and carefully consider what Jesus said in John 3:8, he should realize that the manner of the new birth is the same to every child of God. As the wind blows without the aid of man, "so is every one that is born of the Spirit." Indeed, the experience relating to the individual is felt in many different degrees of power and does occur at various ages and conditions of life. But in every case, it is by the same sovereign work of the Holy Spirit without the aid of the gospel or any other work of man.

In Colson's book, Being The Body, he gave an example of a little girl in Russia who was blessed to know the Lord without the aid of the gospel or other works of man. He then mentioned that his wife and Ruth Graham could not point to a time when they did not love the Lord. I appreciate the fact that he admitted there are no doubt millions who are born of the Spirit without going through the processes that many claim are necessary to receive Christ. However, he points to the time in prison when he followed the usual manner proposed by the advocates of gospel regeneration, and evidently believed that this action helped bring about his new birth.

Let us rejoice that God is the only giver of life. We in nature had no desire or understanding regarding the things of the spirit. Life is totally by the grace of God bestowed upon undeserving sinners. Due to Jesus paying our sin debt on the cross, God "hath delivered us from the power of darkness and hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son, In whom we have redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins" (Colossians 1:13-14). May we walk more faithfully in the life and light He has given us.