bios is the natural human life in me which, left by itself leads to two deaths, one physical (the separation of my body from my soul) and one spiritual (which results in the never ending separation of my soul from God). i was born dead spiritually and have probably lived that way up until a few years ago even though i have many years been religious...then Jesus found me! now i'll never die! what i'm saying is that my physical death, which i am anticipating with an ever growing joy, (for at the moment i see Jesus, I john 3.2 says that, i will be like Him for i will see Him as He is) it will be like passing through a now closed door into endless, incomparable bliss.
jude 24-5 says, 'now unto Him that is able to keep you from falling and to present you faultless before the presence of His glory with exceeding joy, to the only wise God our saviour, be glory and majesty, dominion and power, both now and ever. amen'.
so for a person who used to have only natural, human life, bios, now i also have been blessed by uncreated life, zoe. this latter life could only come to be by being united with Jesus whereby i now possess Jesus' never ending, eternal life. He never had a beginning, will never have an end. i had a beginning, but will never have an end!
but these two lives tangle. they are at odds. galatians 5.17 says that the flesh sets it desire against the spirit and the spirit against the flesh, for these are in opposition to one another so that you can not do what you would. there's a war going on. this brings me to something i read of c.s. lewis this morning from his 'mere christianity'.
..'the present state of things is this. the 2 kinds of life are now not only different (they would always have been that) but actually opposed. the natural life in each of us is something self-centered, something that wants to be petted and admired, to take advantage of other lives, to exploit the whole universe. and especially it wants to be left to itself; to keep well away from anything better of stronger or higher than it, anything that might make it feel small. it is afraid of the light and air of the spiritual world, just as people who have been brought up to be dirty are afraid of a bath. and in a sense it is quite right. it knows that if the spiritual life gets hold of it, all its self-centeredness and self-will are going to be killed, and it is ready to fight tooth and nail to avoid that'.
one thing i'm asking God about right now is for a deeper infilling of Him, His Spirit so that i don't find myself hating people, etc, etc. oh for His heart of love! if i could only relate to others as He relates to me in all my sin! last night i was looking at 4 verses: romans 6.6, 8.13; galatians 2.20, 5.24. the first three i can fit into my pea brain understanding. it's the last one that really bothers me, especially the words 'HAVE CRUCIFIED the flesh (self nature, bios) with its passions and desires'.. i wonder if i have ever done that...is that why i struggle so much against sin in my life..so my inner mind queries. i asked the Lord to bring me to this point. i don't know if i have ever consecrated myself completely to do whatever He wants. if any other believer would ever read this...would you ask God to help me to take that step. i want to live all out for Jesus but it always seems like one step forward and two steps back. may You help me to give You my all, Lord.
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