It was several years ago when thinking about this concept of
a spiritual gestation period that this diagram came to mind. Doing this lesson
will force me to think carefully about the diagram and provide others the
opportunity to point out possible problems or needed changes.
A person’s physical life begins at conception, but without spiritual
live. Because of Adam’s sin, everyone is conceived spiritually dead and is
shown by the black area on the diagram. Generally, after nine months of
gestation, there is physical birth, accompanied by a marked increase in
awareness. If the person was chosen by the Father to be adopted as his child,
then at some point there will be spiritual conception.
Spiritual conception begins the spiritual gestation period
and is shown as the gray triangle because of the sin nature we still have. After
a length of time known to the Father, spiritual growth and awareness will have
progressed through hearing the gospel and various other means to the point
where he causes spiritual birth. At this point there is a marked increase in
spiritual awareness. This point is commonly referred to as being born again. It
is the point where faith produces belief and like with physical birth, the
person knows it is time and yields to the work of the Holy Spirit.
Unfortunately, there are many in the west that think you can convince a person
to be born spiritually. In this way many are deceived into thinking they are
Christian when they are not.
After spiritual birth there will be change as we are
conformed into the image of Christ. His is a joint effort involving God and the
individual and continues in our body of sinful flesh until physical death,
which is a separation point for believers and unbelievers. Believers enter
heaven through the narrow gate and unbelievers remain under the wrath of God in
hell. Justice demands that everyone continue under the wrath of God, but Jesus
Christ drank the cup of God’s wrath on the cross for those chosen by the
Father, allowing him to show them mercy, removing the penalty of spiritual
death.
When we first enter heaven our salvation is still incomplete
as we do not yet have a new resurrected body. That will occur when all those
chosen by the Father have been born spiritually. When the body of Christ, his
bride, is complete at the end of the age when Christ returns, we will be given
our new bodies. After the new earth is created we will come to live there with
a God.
The plan of salvation is so wonderful as it is solely a gift
from God and will not exclude anyone who sincerely believes. I believe the Scriptures
are clear that salvation is based on the will of God, not on the will of man.
Prayer
Father, as I think about all that our salvation entails, I
am concerned that we might think it is simply free admissions into heaven. Paul
tells us in Philippians 2:12, to “work out your own salvation with fear and
trembling.” I wonder how many see spiritual growth as something this serious.
Father, you chose us and had Jesus die on the cross so you could pardon our
sentence of death. I am not sure our gratitude and sacrifice reflects how much
it cost you to provide this pardon and for us to enjoy the kindness of your
grace for an eternity.
No comments:
Post a Comment