Ever since the sinful turn from God’s guidance in the Garden of Eden, most of our relationships with God have suffered a death-like sleep with a lack of interaction. (a) [see endnotes for Scriptures] We tend to lean toward what our natural senses observe and dismiss the insights our spiritual senses provide. (b)
While the insight gained from natural experience should not be ignored, God wants to guide us through this temporal life with insights that help to ease our overall experience. “Christ was raised from the dead…so we too might walk in newness of life.” (c) So, how do we arise in newness of life?
Our Soul’s Repentant Attitude
The spirit of life that is in everyone comes from our Eternal Father. It equips us with the ability to sense God’s guidance. However, we must rise out of our inaction and become more responsive. As we repent from our spiritual slumber, we can arise and partake of the awareness God provides.
We understand our physical body eventually wears out and returns to dust. We also understand our spirit (breath of life) returns to God, its source. (d) While our physical health and well-being is important to us and to God, He is more concerned about the “salvation of your souls.” (e)
This is because our soul is a combination of what we think (mind), feel (emotion) and believe (will). Our soul’s consciousness affects everything we say and do, for good and for bad. It is our soul’s conscious mind, will and emotion that perceives, receives, and enables us to follow God’s guidance.
When we acknowledge our need for God, our soul’s repentant attitude allows us to perceive and be responsive to His insightful guidance. This is how we partake of the Tree of Life – source of spiritual life. As we receive God’s input, we can arise daily and become more mature expressions of Him. (f)
Jesus lived as a man ‘in’ fellowship with his heavenly Father (this is resurrection life). He displayed the “peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension.” (g) When Peter changed his restrictive attitude toward God and others, he began living above the separating and restricting mindset of his day. (h) The biblical examples of people arising and walking with God’s enabling insight are endless.
When we become aware of God’s life improving insight and arise from our slumber, we experience resurrection life. (i) While our circumstances may not immediately improve, our soul receives an inner peace and levels of confidence that enable us to get up each day and learn to live better.
When we become aware of God’s life improving insight and arise from our slumber, we experience resurrection life.
Defining the Greek Words for “Life”
Bible translators hide a lot of meaning by rendering 11 different Greek words into English simply as “life.” Most come from three Greek words that precisely address different aspects of our life.
One Greek word is bios. This is where we get our English biology. It is used 11 times to speak of the temporal issues of our physical life. A few examples are: “That prayers…made on behalf of all…that we may lead a tranquil and quite (physical) life.” (j) “The seed (of God’s word)…are chocked with the worries, riches and pleasures of this (physical) life.” (k) It is the pleasures and worries of our natural physical life that tend to complicate our receptive response to God’s guidance.
Another Greek word is psuche. 
This is where we get our English psychology. This is used 101 times to address the issues of our soul’s conscious mind, will and emotion. A few examples are: “They are seeking my (conscious) life.” (l) “Whoever wishes to save his (conscious) life shall lose it, but whoever loses his (conscious) life…shall save it.” (m) It is our soul’s conscious perceptions that generally need to “be transformed by the renewing of your mind.” (n)
The Greek word zoe, speaks of our spiritual vitality. It occurs 135 times to address the activity of our spirit. A few examples are: “Jesus…brought (spirit) life and immortality to light.” (o) “I came that they might have (spirit) life and have it more abundantly” (p) “We have passed out of death into (spirit) life, because we love the brethren.” (q) The abundant use of the Greek word zoe in Scripture amplifies the importance of our active spiritual life.
It is our natural (bios) and spiritual (zoe) activity that feeds and develops the consciousness of our (psuche) soul. The influence of our natural experience is temporal because natural things eventually pass away. However, the influence of our spiritual life on our consciousness is an ongoing factor.
It is our natural (bios) and spiritual (zoe) activity that feeds and develops the consciousness of our (psuche) soul.
Fruits of the Spirit
Everyone is invited to be “born from above.” (r) Our spiritual rebirth restores what was lost in the Garden of Eden – fellowship with God. When we maintain an attitude of repentance, our soul’s consciousness is able to arise and restore our communion with God. Our repentant attitude allows us to be more responsive to eternal insights and begins to untangle us from this life’s restricting ways.
When we interact with the Spirit of God, our spiritual activity influences and improves each of our soul’s developing perceptions. While in this life we are appropriately more conscious of natural activity than spiritual; no one is void of spirit and can receive from the ever-present Spirit of God.
Scripture encourages us to “taste and see that the Lord is good.” (s) So, “we might bear fruit for God …that we serve in newness of the spirit and not in oldness of the letter.” (t) We want to remember, “as Christ was raised from the dead…we too might walk in newness of (spirit) life.” (u)
In nature, fruits are the lush expressions of trees and plants that are edible and usually quite pleasant. Fruits contain a seed or many seeds that can reproduce more fruit and increase their life-giving value.
Many of the fruitful effects of our interaction with God’s presence are identified in Scripture as Fruit of the Spirit. Some of these life-improving benefits are listed as “love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control.” (v)
Jesus prayed that we all arise and in fellowship with our Eternal Father, be fruitful; “As Thou didst send me into the word, I also have sent them.” (w) As the Fruits of the Spirit mature in us, they become pleasant expressions that can plant seeds in others, so they can also become fruitful.
As we arise and consciously walk in this better way of life, we partake of the productive benefits of resurrection life. The Fruit of the Spirit helps us to fruitfully display heavenly attitudes. Let’s daily resurrect and arise from our unproductive slumber to share this enlightened way of life.
Many of the fruitful effects of our interaction with God’s presence are identified in Scripture as Fruit of the Spirit.
a) Genesis 3:7-8; Romans 5:12; b) Psalms 34:8; Matthew 11:4-5; 13:16-17; c) Romans 6:4; 7:6; d) Ecclesiastes 12:7; e) 1 Peter 1:9, 22; Psalm 6:4; 119:81; f) John 17:3, 18; 3:16; g) John 1:4; Philippians 4:7-8; h) Acts 11:2-18; i) John 10:10; j) 1 Timothy 2:1-2; k) Luke 8:14; l) Romans 11:3-7; m) Matthew 16:25; 10:39; Luke 17:33; Mark 8:35; John 12:25; n) Romans 12:2; o) 2 Timothy 1:10; p) John 10:10; 5:40; q) 1 John 3:14; r) John 3:3, 7-8, 15 s) Psalm 34:8; t) Romans 7:4-6; u) Romans 6:4; v) Galatians 5:22-23; w) John 17:18
Keith Carroll, “The Relationship Guy”
Relational Gospel Founder
Created To Relate author