Featured Spiritual Life

There have been several threads lately about “spiritual death”. In discussing the topic I believe that it is necessary to first define terms, starting with “spiritual life”. As @Martin Marprelate pointed out on another thread, darkness is the absence of light. Scripture seems to speak in the same terms (those who are condemned have rejected the Light).

The basis for my definition of spiritual life: I believe Scripture testifies that it is the Spirit who gives life, that the gospel (specifically, Christ) are spirit and are life (John 6), that we are of the Spirit if the Spirit of God dwells in us (Romans 8). I believe that the spiritual is not first, but the natural and then the spiritual (1 Corinthians 15), that the Lord is the Spirit (2 Corinthians 3) that this is Christ in us (Romans 8), that the one who joins himself to the Lord is one spirit with Him (1 Corinthians 6), that God has sealed us and given us the Spirit in our hearts (2 Corinthians 1:22; 2 Timothy 1:14; Isaiah 63; Ezekiel 36; 1 Corinthians 6), that in Christ is life, and this life is the Light of men (John 1:4), that whoever has the Son has the Life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have the life (1 John 5:12), that we have been born again not of seed which is perishable but imperishable (1 Peter 1:23); that this perishable must put on the imperishable and this mortal must put on immortality (1 Corinthians 15:53).

My definition of spiritual life: So I define “spiritual life” itself as Christ and being “spiritually alive” as being sealed by God with the Spirit of God dwelling in us, that is, Christ in us which is being born again of seed which is imperishable.

The question of the OP: So how do you define spiritual life? How does Scripture define spiritual life?

 

Why do you believe that there would be two definitions of "spiritual life"?

(I disagree because I believe Christ is the Life, and Christ is God and eternal, so my definition would not fit into yours).

 

So you believe that "spiritual life" means something different pre-fall (to Adam when he was created) than it does to us and and for eternity hereafter??

How do you explain Scripture's claim that God is immutable, and John's claim that Christ was always this Life (in John 1)?

 

That is not the question. The question is how we define spiritual life. I believe that Scripture defines spiritual life one way - that is Jesus Christ, and being spiritually alive is being in Him, sealed with His Spirit.

Show us in Scripture another definition (a pre-fall definition).

Thanks.

 

Was Israel in a Covenant relationship with God?

The things you mention are a part of what those who have spiritual life enjoy.

But are you saying spiritual life is fellowship with God?

 

So Abraham either had spiritual life when leaving Ur or that covenant relationship was fake?

 

So you believe when God walked between the cut up animals and entered into the covenant with Abraham he received spiritual life?

 

I agree. I think the issue is mostly one of definition (we agree on a lot here but define terms differently).

 

I disagree (I believe they looked forward to that time, that this Life is the Promise that was to come).

 

I believe there is only one definition of spiritual life (Christ) and being spirituality alive is "Christ in us". So prior to the work of Christ (prior to Christ becoming "a life giving Spirit") I do not believe it correct to say these men were spiritually alive.