Part 4 - The Third Level of Life - Spirit Life
| This Article is part of a multi-part Study Series called The Life That is Real Life. |
Now we come to the last and highest level of living. This level is like the soul-level of life in that it is both non-physical and eternal. The human spirit (of man) is that part of our creation that the Father designed to allow us to have relationship with Him. Our spirit part is the seat of our intuition, fellowship and conscience. These are all attributes that allow us to relate with God. It was for this purpose that the Father created us with a spirit part: "This is the word of the LORD concerning Israel. The LORD, who stretches out the heavens, who lays the foundation of the earth, and who forms the spirit of man within him, declares:" (Zechariah 12:1).
I believe that the Father creates each human being with a spirit part for two reasons. The first reason is that the word "spirit" in both the Old and New Testaments is closely coupled with the concept of life. In the Hebrew the word for spirit is ruwach which carries the idea or connotation of breath. This word is used to describe the "spirit of the living, breathing being in man and animals."[1]
In the New Testament Greek the word for spirit is pneuma. This word carries the same connotations in the Greek as the word ruwach carries in the Hebrew. This is the word which forms the root of our English word 'pneumatic' referring to air, wind or breath. This Greek word also speaks to a vital life force: "the spirit, i.e. the vital principle by which the body is animated."[2] In both the Hebrew and the Greek the words for "spirit" indicate a basic component of living things. The word itself is neutral and is always defined as to what type of spirit, exactly, is being referred to - Spirit of God, spirit of man, evil spirit, unclean spirit, spirit of stupor, etc.
The second reason that we were created with a spirit part was to fulfill the plan of God for the creation. God's plan was to create a family of children who were birthed by His life (Spirit) being placed in them to be their life. Further, these children of God were to receive His life by the operation of God's love and their own free will.
Because the Father's plan for His creation centers around the birthing of a family, the creatures who are the candidates for this birthing must have the ability to choose God and to then receive His life (Spirit). In the fulfillment of this plan humanity had to have a part in their makeup that could contain the Spirit life of God. This container is our human spirit.
Real Life
This type of life is referred to by the Greek word zoe. This word carries the understanding of: "the absolute fullness of life, both essential and ethical, which belongs to God,"[3] Zoe life is the life of God and is the true and absolute expression of life. The Father is the author of all life and therefore, it is natural that His life should be the ultimate expression of all that can correctly be called 'life'.
Many people may agree with the above statement but also hold to the belief that the life of God is unattainable by humans. Such a belief is not consistent with biblical teaching. The word zoe is used to refer to life 133 times in the King James New Testament. Many of these references speak to this God-life being available to people: "For you granted him authority over all people that he might give eternal life (zoe) to all those you have given him." (John 17:2, parenthesis mine).
The whole purpose of the Father in creating the universe was to this end. As we have said before, what God has always wanted was a family of children who carry His life (zoe) in them as their only life. This is the central truth of creation along with the acceptance of the fact that the placing of God's life in us is done through Christ. These two facts make up both the what and how of reality.
Living Yet Not Alive
If we can allow the Father to show us the truth of His plan and purpose for creation we can see how people can be alive at one level of human existence but dead at another. This goes back to what we spoke of earlier about reality and perception. When we are open to the Father's revelation of the true nature of reality, the things in our lives start to become clear. When we see that the purpose of the creation is the creation of a family of birthed children for God we can see how people do not become spiritually alive until the Father animates our spirit with His Spirit.
The unredeemed person is certainly alive biologically. They are also, just as obviously, alive psychologically. But bios life and psuche life are not the total sum of living. Without the animation of the human spirit by the Spirit of God a person is stone dead at the most fundamental level of living - spiritually. As we spoke of earlier, because the ultimate level of reality is spiritual, the person that is spiritually dead is dead indeed. Without spiritual life there is no eternal hope and there is no possibility of experiencing or expressing true goodness.
The hard truth of life is that without the spiritual life of God there is no good thing in a person's life. We have this from the best possible authority - Jesus Christ. Jesus made it very clear that apart from the Father there is no good: "Why do you call me good?" Jesus answered. "No one is good -- except God alone." (Luke 18:19). Without a spirit life whatever other life we may think we have is at best, incomplete life.