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The Word tells us that God breathed into man the breath of life. In the original,
this word is plural, as man was intended to live on two different levels of life; the natural in relation to the earth, and the spiritual in relation to God.
On the first level, Adam was formed of dust, which has no shape or form within itself. A sand castle cannot be built from dry sand. Our natural lives, apart from God, are that way, and therefore, the world is as it is, unable to cling together in any lasting harmony.
On the second level, we were created to be dependent, not independent. The breath (spirit), which God breathed into us, can only be maintained by Him. Had we been formed of clay, we would have been molded in a particular image which could maintain itself.
But we were created of dust, which tells us that something external must be added, before we can have shape and purpose in life, "being conformed to the image of His Son."
"Then Israel sang this song, Spring up, O well;
sing ye unto it." Num 21:17
"But whosoever drinks of the water that I shall
give him shall never thirst;
but the water that
I shall give him shall be in him a well of water
springing up into everlasting life." John 4:14
Through transgression, man lost the higher form of spirit life. Some say that man fell. He did not fall, rather, he died. Had man fallen, he could be picked up and put back together again. Worldly education and modernistic religion attempts to do this through reform and refinement. But it will never work. Man died, and the higher spiritual life can only be restored through a new birth.
"In the day that you eat thereof, you will
surely die." Gen 2:17b
After the transgression, Adam continued to physically live. Peter said, "A day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as a day." Methuselah, the oldest man who ever lived, died short of that thousand year day.
There was an immediate death of the higher state of spiritual life that took place. Now Adam and Eve lived only in the lower realm of earth life. As a temporal (earthly) being, we have certain abilities and giftings which preserve our lives and enable us to function.
We either suffer or prosper because these natural faculties vary greatly. The comforts we have and the cars we drive are a result of these natural giftings and abilities. The natural man does not have the opportunity to enter the spiritual realm, as he is locked into the earth realm of life.
But there is a higher life that we were created for, and into which we are called to live. Adam, through the breath of God, had been given spiritual faculties, or abilities, to enable him to relate to and function in this spiritual realm. But these were forfeited through spiritual death.
When we come to the Lord through salvation, we become a new creation and these abilities, through regeneration, are re-birthed within us. Now we are back to the place that the Lord intended for Adam. But there is a difference.
Through the new birth, we become a spiritual baby. There is reborn within us spiritual faculties and giftings to enable us to relate to and function in the realm of the Spirit. But these spiritual abilities to which we have been reborn, are "potentially" available to us to develop and use.
"As newborn babes, desire the pure milk of the word,
that you might grow thereby." I Peter 2:2
These spiritual talents, or abilities, which enable us to relate to and function in the realm of the Spiritual must be developed. We must both learn to use and exercise them, as we grow in our new creation life. This takes place in a similar way to a baby developing his natural abilities.
The natural inclination of a baby is to put into its mouth whatever it has in its hand. So also, as a spiritual baby, we need to eat the Word. If our main interest and emphasis is on the development of our natural abilities, in order to make our temporal life more comfortable, our spiritual faculties will remain undeveloped and unable to function in the spiritual realm.
But if the focus and inner desire of our heart is toward eternal things; there will result the development of that which is of eternal value and purpose.
The amazing and marvelous thing is this. If we choose the spiritual, and place our emphasis there, our lives with be greatly improved on every level of life.
"Seek ye first the Kingdom of God, and His righteousness;
and all these things shall be added unto you." Matt 6:33
When we make the spiritual the goal in our lives, we will not only go further in things spiritual, but also, much further in the earthly realm.
It is important that we maintain our priority to seek after the spiritual; continuing to cultivate a personal relationship with the Lord and staying in the place of dependence upon Him, rather than independently seeking our own way.
Now we can step into and develop our spiritual giftings.
Wade Taylor is the Founding
President of Pinecrest Bible
Training Center, in Salisbury Center, N.Y., and editor of The Banner, a
quarterly publication produced by the school. He travels throughout the United States, ministering to church groups on
God's presence. He has authored numerous articles and several books.
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