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 |