The Middle Life

A. ETERNAL SPIRITUAL LIFE

The true child of God has been "quickened" or made alive spiritually (Eph. 2:1-3) at the point of conversion to the gospel. This quickening brings present continuing possession of eternal life now - Jn. 5:24 in regard to the spirit of man (Jn. 3:6). Hence, when Jesus describes the physical death of the body in regard to saints, He denies that the saint dies when the physical body of the saint dies:

Jn. 14:26 And whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die. Believest thou this?

Much of professing Christen does not believe this! Much believe when the body dies the whole being of the saint dies. However, Paul defined the body as merely a "home" or a "tent" that the saint lived in and could continue to live "apart" from at the death of that home or tent and continued to exist "absent" from the body (2 Cor. 5:8-9; Philip. 1:21-23)


B. ETERNAL PHYSICAL LIFE

At the resurrection there is a quickening of the body, so that the body is made alive then and thus a future eternal life yet to be obtained.

Much confusion is avoided if the theologion distinguishes past life obtained by quickening of the spirit of man versus future life obtained by quickening of the body - both are "eternal life" - one a past reality the other a future hope. Both are instanteous. The first occurs at the point of new birth. The latter occurs at the point of resurrection. It is the first quickening that secures the basis for the future quickening, as the Person of The Holy Spirit is The Father's "seal....and ernest" for the second (2 Cor. 1:22) as it is "the firstfruit" (Rom. 8:23) of the future harvest of the body from the power of death (Rom. 8:24-26).



C. SAVING/LOSING THE SOULISH LIFE

However, it is the MIDDLE life between the two that is confused with the other two. The MIDDLE life has to do with the "soul" of man. Indeed the term "psueche" is translated "soul" and "life" in the common version.

Although the other two quickenings are instantaneous and irreversably permenant this is not the case with the MIDDLE life. The MIDDLE LIFE is much more complicated.

The simple definition is that "as a man thinketh in his heart (soul) so is he" in the LIFE expression of that soul. This is precisely why Paul exhorted his readers to THINK and set their AFFECTIONS on things above because that would dictate their life below which is nothing but the moment by moment expressions of those thoughts and affections in attitudes, words and actions.

It is in this MIDDLE LIFE that quickening is a daily, indeed a moment by moment repeatable necessity in order to save/redeem the time or the expressed life as it unfolds for the glory of God and for the temporal and eternal benefits of the born again man.

It is something that must be "put on" moment by moment in the daily routine of living while at the same time intentionally putting off the old man and his works as expressions of the daily life.

It is this MIDDLE life that David called upon the Lord for quickening - making his daily expression of the soul in his life alive unto God:

Ps 119:37 Turn away mine eyes from beholding vanity; and quicken thou me in thy way.

Ps 119:40 Behold, I have longed after thy precepts: quicken me in thy righteousness.

Ps 119:88 Quicken me after thy lovingkindness; so shall I keep the testimony of thy mouth.

Ps 119:107 I am afflicted very much: quicken me, O LORD, according unto thy word.

Here is a moment by moment day by day quickening that determines whether that portion of expressed life is redeemed or lost for time and eternity on a day by day basis. Not every moment expression, not every day of life is always quickened, redeemed, saved and made to count for God's glory. It is not the "soul" of David that is lost moment by moment but the LIFE expression of the soul that is lost or saved in a time continuum.

Hence, this MIDDLE LIFE is not about NEW BIRTH quickening as the New birth does not vascillate from moment to moment or day to day in a yo-yo lost/saved status in regard to ones relationship to God as a "child of God" or determinate of one's entrance into heaven but about a daily battle as a child of God to advance in spiritual maturity, victory and saving as much as the daily life on a day by day basis for the glory of God. Not for entrance into heaven but for pratical use, growth and blessings now and rewards in heaven (1 Cor. 3:11-15).


CONCLUSION

Each quickening has a different divine purpose:

1. Quickening of the spirit is an instanteous completed irreversable act that obtain entrance into heaven

2. Quickening of the soul is neither instanteous or completed in this life but is partial at best and therefore neither obtains entrance or fitness for heaven but only obtins present experiential blessings and eternal rewards in heaven.

3. Quickening of the body is a an instanteous completed irreversable act that obtains fitness to enter heaven.

 

I believe man is essential a dichotomy (1) material and (2) immaterial. However, the immaterial aspect of man can be and is divided by God's Word into "spirit and soul" (Heb. 4:12; 1 Thes. 5:23). The "soul" is "spirit" or immaterial and as such the born again man sins in "spirit" or the immaterial "soul" aspect of his being.

 

He instantly died in spirit just as we are instantly quickened (Eph. 2:1) in spirit. His soul expression is revealed by the pass the buck mentality.