“In Him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind. 5 The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it. 6 There was a man sent from God whose name was John. 7 He came as a witness to testify concerning that light, so that through him all might believe. 8 He himself was not the light; he came only as a witness to the light. 9 The true light that gives light to everyone was coming into the world. 10 He was in the world, and though the world was made through Him, the world did not recognize Him. 11 He came to that which was His own, but His own did not receive Him. 12 Yet to all who did receive Him, to those who believed in His name, He gave the right to become children of God— 13 children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God.”
Key Points:
What does “In Him was life” mean?
We have learned to identify living and non-living things in various ways, either from science teachers, parents pointing living and non-living things out in nature, or we have had a pet that we loved and cared for that has died. We have learned the basic elements to sustain life just by being a living being ourselves - we are born from the same species, we grow out of clothing as we grow, our body needs food and nourishment, we need rest and sleep, we continue to develop in all aspects of life.
We also know that there is a difference between a dead person and a living one -
But, did you know that there is also a spiritually dead person and a spiritually alive person?
Is there a way we can tell the difference?
What does “In Him was life” mean if we are already living?
Here are four important things the bible teaches us that can help us answer this question.
1. Apart from Jesus we are spiritually dead. John 15:5
2. We can only receive spiritual life from Jesus with a spiritual birth. Colossians 2:13
3. God adopts us into His family. Ephesians 1:5
4. We simply need to put our trust in Jesus. John 3:16
1. Apart from Jesus we are spiritually dead.
We read in Genesis 3:6-19, that before Adam sinned, there was no death. After Adam and Eve disobeyed God, death entered the world causing a devastating effect on all living things. God’s command came with the warning that disobedience would result in death:
“You are free to eat from any tree in the garden; 17 but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat from it you will certainly die.” Genesis 2:16,17
When we read the phrase, "you will certainly die..." it literally means, “dying you shall die," which means a continuous state of death. From the moment Adam disobeyed God, separation between God and humans became a reality. Before this act, God and His newly created humans enjoyed fellowship amidst God's beautiful creation - with one act of disobedience that was gone and so began a spiritual death which continues throughout life gradually degrading one’s entire being, mind and body, until physical death. The relational connection with God died too, and since than man has been trying to find their way in this world without God. We can see this separation from God as we see Adam and Eve hiding from God in the garden Genesis 3:8.
We know when something is dead, it is lifeless, still, withered, and may even smell badly. Something that is dead cannot respond to any sort of stimuli like, light, sound, temperature, touch, etc. Timothy Keller says it best, “Dead people don’t see things, dead people don’t hear things, dead people don’t notice things, dead people don’t know they are dead.”
Likewise, with a person who is spiritually dead. We may feel like we are "spiritual" people or that spirituality is important to them - but the difference in being spiritual and being spiritually alive is very different.
Colossians 2:13 tells us “And you, who were dead in your trespasses . . . God made alive together with him, having forgiven us all our trespasses.”
Romans 5:12 says this, "Therefore, just as sin came into the world through one man, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men because all sinned..."
Spiritually dead people may know about Jesus, even respect and appreciate Jesus, but their hearts are not moved by Jesus, their minds are not captivated by Him, because they cannot see Jesus.
2. We can only receive spiritual life from Jesus with a spiritual birth. Colossians 2:13
Being spiritually dead has caused us to be unable to understand and personally know God or His Word.
1 Corinthians 2:14. It is only by the Holy Spirit and through the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ that we can come to Him. John 6:44. We also read in Romans 8: 7-8 that our natural minds will, always be hostile to God, never obey God’s laws, and we never will. That’s why those who are still under the control of their sinful nature can never please God.
God makes us alive through the working of the Holy Spirit and because of the finished word of Jesus death and resurrection on the cross Ephesians 2:5, Titus 3:5. It is truly as though we are being born a second time, as Jesus taught Nicodemus in John 3:3, 7. Having been made alive by God, we will never die – only enjoy all eternity with Him.
3. God adopts us into His family. Ephesians 1:5
Now this might be confusing for some, as many have heard throughout their lives that we are all "God's children."
But is that statement true for all humans?
If we take the time to read what God's word says, the Bible makes it clear that all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible by God, Colossians 1:16, and that God so loves the world John 3:16, but it is also very clear that only those who are born again are children of God John 1:12, Romans 8:16; 1 John 3:1-10.
We become God's adopted children when we are born again spiritually and we receive a new spiritual life from from God. Like Pinocchio, he was “living” but he was not a real boy. Until we receive Christ as our Savior, we are only “sort of living.” Once we receive Christ as Savior, God gives us the Holy Spirit which becomes our source of spiritual life – and He opens our heart to Jesus, our minds to Jesus, and our eyes to Jesus.
John 1:4 “In Him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind. 5 The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.”
Sadly, we read in John 1:9-11 that Jesus, “the true light,” came into the world that He created, yet that world did not recognize Him or receive Him.
Jesus is the true light,”
He gives us sight to see what we could only mimic before. He shows us our need for Him and that He is the true and only way to salvation. Many people want to believe that they are inherently good – but the Bible clearly shows that we are not. We learn to model behaviors. We know the “Golden Rule” of treating others as how you wish to be treated. Matthew 7:12 and Luke 6:31.
We are not born good, but only adopt good behaviors because we wish for good behaviors towards us.
Good behavior is much different than being born again and being “alive in Christ.”
“Just as everyone dies because we all belong to Adam, everyone who belongs to Christ will be given new life.”
4. We simply need to put our trust in Jesus. John 3:16
There is a beautiful old hymn that points to just how good it is to trust in Jesus...
’Tis so sweet to trust in Jesus,
Just to take Him at His Word;
Just to rest upon His promise,
And to know, “Thus saith the Lord!”
Refrain:
Jesus, Jesus, how I trust Him!
How I’ve proved Him o’er and o’er;
Jesus, Jesus, precious Jesus!
Oh, for grace to trust Him more!
Oh, how sweet to trust in Jesus,
Just to trust His cleansing blood;
And in simple faith to plunge me’
Neath the healing, cleansing flood!
Yes, ’tis sweet to trust in Jesus,
Just from sin and self to cease;
Just from Jesus simply taking
Life and rest, and joy and peace.
I’m so glad I learned to trust Thee,
Precious Jesus, Savior, Friend;
And I know that Thou art with me,
Wilt be with me to the end.
(song written by Louisa M. R. Stead.)