Quickened

Did you ever wonder how an animal such as a wood frog could survive through a long, cold winter without dying? As winter sets in these frogs will go into a deep, deep hibernation and their bodies will begin to freeze. Over two-thirds of their body will freeze, as their heart, muscles, and breathing movement all completely stop. In fact, it is only a special fluid inside of them that prevents them from fully freezing and dying from the cold. Then, when spring comes and the temperature begins to rise, the frog will begin to thaw out, and in a sense, “come back to life.” They have have, in a way, been “quickened.”

If you “quicken” something, or if something “is quickened,” it means “to give life to; to animate, make alive, or revive.” Also, “to come back to life, or to receive life.”

We are all like that frozen frog, only instead of the cold that has the possibility of killing us, it is sin that has produced this death inside. Each and everyone of us are sinners. We all have sinned at least once in our life, and even just one of those sins is enough to start the death process inside. 

Now, while we are all sinners, there are two different types: sinners who have repented and gotten forgiveness from Jesus, and sinners who have not. That is what separates the two. Repentance and forgiveness. 

We have all been “frozen” because of sin, but if we want to make it through we need to have that special Thing inside of us. We need to Holy Spirit so that we can be made alive.

Ephesians 2:1-6  “And you hath he quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins;

Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience:

Among whom also we all had our conversation in times past in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind; and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others.

But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us,

Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;)

And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus:”

True life is in Jesus, and when we have His Spirit inside of us we have life. Just before Jesus rose Lazarus up from the dead, He told Lazarus’ sister, Martha, that when one lives and believes in Him will never die, but will have life.

John 11:25-26  “Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live:

And whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die. Believest thou this?”

It is sin that kills us. It was sin that separated Adam and Eve from immortality, and caused their bodies to began to die. It is sin that kills a person spiritually as well. 

Sin will only lead to death, as “the wages of sin is death.” It is the reward for unrepentance. Jesus doesn’t want that for us. He wants to save us all from that death, and instead gve us life, but we need to go through Him first.

John 10:7-10  “Then said Jesus unto them again, Verily, verily, I say unto you, I am the door of the sheep.

All that ever came before me are thieves and robbers: but the sheep did not hear them.

I am the door: by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture.

The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.”

Eternal life sure sounds far better than eternal death, wouldn’t you agree? Just as that special fluid in those frogs saves them from death, we need Christ inside of us so that we can be saved from eternal death in hell. 

Romans 8:5-13  “For they that are after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh; but they that are after the Spirit the things of the Spirit.

For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace.

Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be.

So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God.

But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his.

And if Christ be in you, the body is dead because of sin; but the Spirit is life because of righteousness.

But if the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, he that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth in you.

Therefore, brethren, we are debtors, not to the flesh, to live after the flesh.

For if ye live after the flesh, ye shall die: but if ye through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live.”

In Christ we have life. In Christ, we have been quickened.

In Christ,

Andrew