First Memory - the Seed of Christ

 

Brother Royce Ellis - Assoc. Editor

We’ve all tried to recall our earliest memories, yet most of us are unable to summon up reminiscences before age three or four. Some say they remember nothing prior to age six! Memory experts suggest they can regress your memory through therapy all the way back to the womb to help you isolate the personality difficulties that may emerge in adulthood. Truthfully, the only isolation taking place there involves isolating money from wallets.

Alive, yet...

Not remembering anything in those formative years does not mean we were not alive. Researchers can’t say why we don’t recall all that time alive. We know we are growing, learning, adapting, adjusting and producing evidence of real life. We can look back on photographs or video and rely on the testimony of our parents and siblings for stories and exacting details. The scriptures teach the natural birth is the illustration or reflection of the manner in which our new birth comes about. It comes at a time we don’t know: Jhn 3:8 The wind bloweth where it listeth, and thou hearest the sound thereof, but canst not tell whence it cometh, and whither it goeth: so is every one that is born of the Spirit.

 Jhn 1:13 Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.

  1Pe 1:23 Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God, which liveth and abideth for ever.

Keep in mind this is a birth –

of the Spirit of God within us, as our inner “man,” enabling us to know the things of the Spirit. However, we may find ourselves, not able naturally to understand fully without spiritual and Scriptural knowledge to know, from whence it cometh (which is from God) or whither it goeth (which is to God), and how we have begun a new and inner life, where we have the laws of God written in our hearts and minds; ready to grow, understand and exercise in them day by day; as we are led by the promised Holy Comforter; even the Spirit of Christ, which leads us, and teaches us in the way of truth, by the Spirit.

We then, are given a full grown, mature spiritual inner man, (Christ within us) to help us and be our guide in our natural course; whispering the comfort of Divine Counsel to us, that we should walk in the right ways and stand in them.

However, the child of grace, without the humble receipt of the knowledge and counsel of the Spirit cannot grow in the grace and knowledge of Christ; for in order to grow, there is a need for the nourishment of spiritual milk, food and exercise.

The Seed of Christ

1Jo 3:9 Whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin; for his seed remaineth in him: and he cannot sin, because he is born of God. (There is now a life in us, which is eternally protected in Christ, which can never die. Our old nature, of our father Adam, is still bound to death by sin; which seems to make the light shine brighter still, from the victory in Jesus.)

This growth process in the Spirit appears also to last our lifetime: Phl 1:6 Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform [it] until the day of Jesus Christ:

In a grand sense, God is recreating the birth of Christ in each of His elect children. 1Cr 15:49 And as we have borne the image of the earthy, we shall also bear the image of the heavenly. 1Jo 2:29 If ye know that he is righteous, ye know that every one that doeth righteousness is born of him.

As children, we may show some attributes of our heavenly parent. 1Jo 4:7 Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God; and every one that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God.

Life, then ‘aha! I’m alive!

We use the example of being alive for several years before we realize it to convey the meaning of John 3:8. We have been born again and “alive” spiritually for a period of time before we can react to the gospel knowledge and begin to bear fruit. As we mature and grow, we show evidence of our birth by the Spirit into the Love, knowledge, belief in Christ, and the new desire as we live in the world, not to be of the world.

1Jo 4:7 1Jo 5:1,4 1Jo 5:18 Lev 19:23-25 Each one of these, is another lesson. How can we ever proclaim the sweet hope we have; but by Christ in us, the hope of Glory. Col. 1:27