- As we have throughout this series, this morning I want to look at the connection between a passage early in Genesis and one late in John. We’ll start in Genesis 2:7.
- In that verse it tells us that the “Lord God . . . breathed in [the man’s] nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living being.” Our focus is on that breath of life from God.
- Adam was not alive and then he was alive thanks to the breath of God.
- As we turn over to John 20, we have a parallel, as we have found in previous weeks as well.
- Let’s read John 20:21-22. In the latter verse, it’s after the resurrection and Jesus is meeting with the disciples. It’s Easter evening. As Jesus is meeting with them, He says something that might seem a bit unusual. Verse 22 picks up the story: Jesus “breathed on them and said, ‘Receive the Holy Spirit.’” What is that about?
- There’s more to it than this, but this morning I want to focus on it as a parallel to what we read in Genesis.
- Let me give you the point in the sermon outline and then we’ll unpack it.
THE BREATH OF LIFE: Adam was dead and then alive (physically); we are dead and then alive (spiritually).
- Genesis 2:7; John 20:21-22.
- Romans 8:9.
- Let’s start by thinking back to Genesis. Adam was dead and then the breath of life from God made Him alive physically. It happened because of the breath of life from God.
- We also know (in general and from previous weeks in this sermon series) that the Fall quickly follows in the Genesis story. We don’t know exactly how much time expired in Eden before they got there, but man receives the breath of life at the beginning of chapter 2 and by the end of chapter 3 everything has fallen apart because of sin and the Fall.
- That, of course, brought physical death into the world. More important for what we want to talk about in John, it also brought spiritual death and separation from God.
- That takes us to John 20. We’ve all heard enough Easter sermons to know that Jesus’ death and resurrection brings forgiveness of sin and the hope of eternal life.
- What we read here gives us another way to understand what Jesus has accomplished. To go back to the outline, we are dead and then alive (spiritually). We were dead spiritually. That is, we were separated from God. But when Jesus gives us new spiritual life, one of the defining characteristics of it is that the Holy Spirit will be within us.
- Let’s pause to unpack the importance and presence of the Holy Spirit.
- Many people, even many Christians, don’t really understand the place or importance of the Holy Spirit. They understand that God the Father is over all. They understand the mission and purpose of Jesus. But they are confused about the Holy Spirit.
- He is within us to guide and direct us through this life. When you compare Him to the Law, it’s an amazing thought that we have God within us. He is the proof of God’s presence in our lives. (See Romans 8:9 on both points.) He is within us to empower this new life.
- We are alive spiritually because the Holy Spirit is within us.
- I am alive in the Holy Spirit.
AN INITIAL REACTION: We should rejoice in our rebirth.
- John 3:3-5, 16; John 20:22; 2 Corinthians 5:17.
- Let’s talk about three pictures the Scriptures give us on this count:
a. Born again.
- John 3:3-5, 16.
b. New creation in Christ.
- 2 Corinthians 5:17.
c. New breath.
- John 20:22.
- The first two are more familiar phrases, but the third is equally Biblical.
- Take a deep breath and think of the newness of your spiritual life.
- God has done something new within us. We have been reborn. We were dead spiritually and now we have been brought to life.
- Before I get into some of the implications of that, let’s just take a moment to rejoice in this rebirth.
- We were dead and we have been given life.
- I have a “son in the ministry” who did a church plant in Charleston. He called it “Resurrection Church.” He called it that because he wanted to emphasize the idea that we aren’t just adding a little spiritually onto our already fine lives. No, we are being resurrected. We are being brought to life.
- This should be a source of great amazement and joy.
WHAT IF WE LIVED THAT OUT?
1. OUR TRUE IDENTITY IS THAT WE ARE A NEW BEING.
- 1 Corinthians 10:13; Ephesians 4:22-24.
- We often say that we are “just a sinner, saved by grace.” It is true that is what we have been saved out of. But it’s not true that continues to be our true identity.
- When I become a Christian, the things we just talked about have happened to me: I’ve been born again, I am a new creation, I have a new breath of life. Through the sacrifice of Jesus and the indwelling of the Holy Spirit after salvation, I am a new being, spiritually speaking.
- That’s why it’s ok for us to say, “I was just a sinner, saved by grace,” but not “I am just a sinner, saved by grace.” My new identity – my true identity – is that I am a new creation in Christ. I am born again, I have a new breath of life. That’s who I am at my core through what Jesus has done for me.
- Now, that’s not to say that we don’t still struggle with sin. We do because we are still in our Fallen, fleshly bodies. But the core of who we are has been transformed.
- The choice we need to make is whether to live that out. Ephesians 4:22-24 is crucial on this point. It reminds us that we have to choose who we will “put on” each day – our old self or our new self. It’s a choice.
- But it’s a choice that, when we embrace all that God has done for us, has amazing implications.
- This is how we get the incredible statement in 1 Corinthians 10:13. It tells us that God will provide a way out of temptation when we face it as new creations. Before we were (according to Romans) slaves to sin. Now, thanks to what Jesus has opened up, we have the ability to always overcome sin.
- A key piece of this is grasping this new breath of life we have within us. The Holy Spirit has come within us and given us new breath and we are spiritually alive again.
- Again, I was dead and now I have the breath of life in me. That picture of who we now are should define how we see ourselves.
2. EMBRACE THE CLOSENESS OF THE HOLY SPIRIT.
- 2 Timothy 1:14.
- A second implication of this truth is something that you can either see as really good news or really bad news. This has to do with how close God is.
- When it comes to spiritual things, many people happily embrace a distant God. They like the idea of God forgiving them (so they don’t feel as guilty) and then staying way off somewhere in heaven. You know, way far away. Why? Because they don’t want a God who is close by because they don’t really have any desire to be like Him. They just want to be forgiven and then left alone.
- If that’s your situation, this truth is bad news.
- This truth we are talking about this morning, though, emphasizes the reality of the closeness of God.
- When we are saved, God the Father gives us the Holy Spirit to live within us. That provides us with the internal guidance and direction to be able to live out a life for God that was never possible before.
- If you want to actually live for God, if you believe that there is no better life than following Christ, if you want all of God that you can get, then this is great news. God is always with you, there and eager to help.
- A great thought in this regard is the phrase we’re using today: the breath of life. Take a deep breath and notice how that feels so close, so internal. Now, think about the fact that the Holy Spirit is the breath of life to us spiritually. Grab onto that phrase and that image.
- Now let’s use an imperfect analogy to show how much better this is than the old way of the Law.
- Imagine that you’re trying to get to an obscure spot somewhere in southern WV that you’ve never been to before. You’re not familiar with the area. Now think of two scenarios of traveling there.
- The first is that someone who knows the way gives you a map and explains the path. There’s no cell signal out there and often times roads might no longer be marked. You’re not always sure where you are and you’re guessing.
- The second is that someone who knows the way and has been there dozens of times gets in the car with you and says, “I’ll go there with you.”
- The second way is so much better. Your help is right there beside you the whole way.
- This analogy falls short in multiple ways but it does bring out a simple truth: it’s a wonderful and comforting thing to know that you have an expert right there with you.
- If you want to live a life that’s close to God, if you want to experience as much of His love, joy, and peace as possible, the Holy Spirit within you as the breath of life is a wonderful thought.
AN ANSWER TO A DEEP QUESTION: How can I see God as being closer to me?
- As we close this morning, I want to ask a deep question that people have struggled with down through the years: how can I see God as being closer to me?
- Many see God as being distant.
- Everything we’ve talked about this morning provides us with a compelling answer to that question. These truths about the Holy Spirit being our spiritual breath of life show us how close He desires to be.
