There are parallels between the physical and the spiritual. Here's how the 'new birth' sheds light on the vexed question of when human life begins
Bill Faith: Abortion is a contentious issue, often focusing on the question, When does life begin? Does human life begin at conception, or does it begin at birth?
To answer the question, let's look at the question from a different perspective. In Romans 1:20 we are informed that there's no excuse for denying the existence of God. The reason being that God created the world in such a way that the hidden things of God, even His attributes, can be clearly seen by the things that He created.
We should, then, be able to understand the physical creation better by looking at the 'hidden things' of God. As an example, to better understand when physical life begins we can examine the Scriptures to see when our spiritual life begins.
The New Birth
Some Christians believe that being born again refers only to the conversion process that we go through after believing in and accepting Jesus as our Savior. However, this is not the understanding we come to if we read of Jesus' conversation with Nicodemus.
In that account we find Jesus telling Nicodemus, "...unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God" (John 3:3). To that comment Nicodemus replied, "... Flow can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter a second time into his mother's womb and be born" (v.4)?
Notice carefully Jesus' reply, "That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is .spirit..... The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear the sound of it, but cannot tell where it comes from and where it goes. So is everyone who is born of the Spirit" (vv.6-8).
After Jesus was raised from the dead, he could truly come and go as the wind. This is clearly revealed in the following scriptures: "Then, the same day at evening, being the first day of the week, when the doors were shut where the disciples were assembled, for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood in the midst, and said to them, 'Peace be with you'..... And after eight days His disciples were again inside, and Thomas with them, Jesus came, the doors being ,shut, and stood in the midst, and said 'Peace to you"' (John 20:19, 26). Jesus had been born of the Spirit and could now come and go as the wind.
We have now been born of the flesh and await the time when we will be born of the Spirit. That will occur when Christ returns. Jesus was the firstborn from the dead (Colossians 1:18, I Corinthians 15:20). We who are Christ's will be born of the Spirit when Jesus returns: "For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ all shall be made alive. But each one in his own order: Christ the firstfruits, afterward those who are Christ's at His coming" (1 Corinthians 15:22-23).
Life - now
We will, then, be spiritually born again at the resurrection. But we need to ask the question, Are we spiritually alive now, or must we wait until the resurrection? John the Apostle answers that question specifically. In I John 5:11-12 we read, "And this is the testimony: that God has given us eternal life, and this life is in His Son. He who has the Son has life....." If we have the Spirit of Christ in us, we have eternal life - now. That's why John was also able to write, "He who believes in the Son has everlasting life..." (John 3:36). Notice it says that if we believe on the Son we have life. It does not say that we will have life only in the future.
We can conclude that our spiritual life begins when we receive God's Spirit - also referred to as 'the Spirit of Christ'. In fact, we are "sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise, who is the guarantee (deposit, down payment) of our inheritance" (Ephesians 1:13-14). The Spirit of God dwelling in us is our guarantee of eternal life.
Mother and Child
We can compare the Spirit of Christ dwelling in us to the umbilical cord which connects the unborn baby to its mother. All the nutrients including oxygen to sustain life is furnished to the unborn child through the umbilical cord.
Likewise, we have spiritual life only because we are connected to God through Christ. As the Apostle Paul wrote, "if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he is not his" (Romans 8:9).
Through His Spirit, we are furnished the spiritual food that we need. The Apostle Paul even went so far as to say: "The Spirit also helps in our weaknesses. For we do not know what we should pray for as we ought, but the Spirit Himself [Gk. Itself] makes intercession for us with groanings which cannot he uttered" (Romans 8:26).
The life of an unborn child, however, can be terminated preventing it from being born. And while we have life through Christ yet our spiritual life can be terminated preventing us from being spiritually born at the resurrection. If we before our spiritual birth commit the unpardonable sin, our eternal life will be terminated (Hebrews 10:26-29).
Our spiritual life begins when our spirit is impregnated by the Spirit of God, and not when we are finally spiritually born. As we read in Romans 8:16: "The Spirit bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God."
If we take this understanding of spiritual life and apply it to our physical life, then we can understand that life begins at the time of conception and not at the time of our birth.
To comment on this article or request more information, please contact James McBride by e-mail at the comment form below.
For PDF or mailed copy, see CGOM. Excerpt from New Horizons Issue 33, May/June 2002. Edited by James McBride of the Churches of God, United Kingdom.
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