Breath

I am currently reading a book entitled "Filled With the Spirit" by John R. Levison. Thus far it is a very intriguing read. These thoughts were inspired from my notes while reading through the book.

It's a jumbled disorganized mess, I am well aware... but I have to get this out before I explode.

If the spirit that gives life in the shadow of death is the font of the psalmist's life of worship; it is also the source of the sage's insight, the artist's intuition, the comedian's wit, the preacher's demeanor, and the courage of the soldier. It is the foundation of what it means to be human. But we have a broken view of ourselves, a broken sense of reality, creativity, thought, and emotion. And we are seeking that which gave the spirit of life in the first place... The breath of the Spirit of God.



I am intrigued by this concept. Adam was made as dust. Not "from" dust, but "of" dust. Adam was dust "from" the ground.

Some of you are thinking... What difference does that make? Plus, in my English translation it says "from dust".

In the original Hebrew there is no "from". It literally says, "God formed man dust from ground, and breathes into his nostrils spirit of life, and the man becomes a living creature."

There is SO MUCH there... Man IS dust. And all we are is dust. Until God breathes into our nostrils the breath (or spirit) of life.

God spoke all of creation into order and there was...
But God chose to be more intimate with humanity. God breathed into us... and we didn't just come into existence, we became truly alive.

God breathed something else... Scripture. (Yeah, it's THAT important, see 2 Tim. 3:16)

Adam was uniquely crafted by God from dust, and he intimately breathed into his nostrils this thing we call life.

And though we were formed in our mothers' wombs... the principle is the same for us too.

Humanity is precious because we are breathed upon. Breathed into. Breathed by God the spirit of life.
That is how majestic you are, daughter of God.
That is how significant you are, son of God.

We spend the rest of our time on earth seeking that second breath of life... seeking that breath of eternal life.

And we were given it with the final breath of Christ on the cross.

The light from the sun was gone. And suddenly, the curtain in the sanctuary of the Temple was torn down the middle. Then Jesus shouted, “Father, I entrust my spirit into your hands!” And with those words he breathed his last.

-Luke 23:45-46 (NLT emphasis added)

Reverse of Creation. The light goes away. There is darkness once again. Stillness.
The temple is torn.
The separation sin had caused for so long has been removed, everything is reversed to as it should be. As it once was. As it should have always been.

It is Genesis all over again. But instead of God breathing the spirit of life into us, we see God, wrapped in beaten, battered, bloody flesh giving His life up (releasing His spirit back to the Father) and breathing His last.

And out of this ordeal... we are grafted in... brought back... made new... given a second chance at life... life everlasting...

Out of death comes life.

Let's have this change the way we think about our broken world.

We were intimately fashioned and created... and God is still desiring that intimate relationship with us.

That is why Jesus came.

Run to him. Breathe. Find peace in the presence of the Spirit of God.

Because the story doesn't end with God dieing. It ends with breath coming back... It ends with the spirit of life returning... Jesus rose. God is surely not dead.

But this time the spirit came with the Spirit (God's Spirit, the Holy Spirit) filling up our lungs and giving us true life. Life to the full.

That's the power of Christ in us.


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Nathan Bryant

is a pastor and currently a Resident in the Leadership Institute in Phoenix, AZ. As a student at Ozark Christian College in Joplin, Missouri he majored in Biblical Leadership, New Testament Studies, and Missiology. Nathan has a combined passion for unity and discipleship in the global church.

Christ's Kingdom is bigger than our causes.

Christ's Kingdom is bigger than our boundaries.

Follow him on Twitter: Follow @nathanpbryant