Always carrying about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus, that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our body. For we who live are always delivered to death for Jesus' sake, that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our mortal flesh (2 Corinthians 4:10-11).
As I mentioned yesterday, Zoe is the Greek word for the life of God manifested in the believer in the new birth. It is the nature of God placed within the believer. If it is given opportunity, this life will begin to crowd out the works of the flesh, and will produce stability and fruitfulness in the believer.
This life must be nurtured and not ignored. Believers that ignore this Zoe and refuse to do the things necessary to cause it to grow remain spiritual infants, with fleshly habits ruling their lives.
The food that nurtures this life of God is God’s Word! As newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the word that you may grow thereby (1 Peter 2:2). Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every Word that proceeds from the mouth of God (Matthew 4:4). I have not departed from the commandment of His lips; I have treasured the words of His mouth More than my necessary food (Job 23:12).
The Word causes us to be partakers of God’s Divine Nature. And because of His glory and excellence, He has given us great and precious promises. These are the promises that enable you to share His divine nature and escape the world’s corruption caused by human desires (2 Peter 1:4 - NLT).
The Word causes the life of God that comes in at the new birth to grow. Doubt, fear, selfishness, unforgiveness, irritability, worry, lusts of the flesh, uncontrolled anger, lack of self-control, unrest, impatience etc., are all signs of spiritual malnourishment. If you have these symptoms, the cure is a rich diet of the Word so you’ll grow spiritually!
If you allow this Zoe, or this Divine Nature as Peter calls it , to grow and rule you, it will work its way into the fabric of your life and change your habits, your dominant thoughts, your desires, your relationships, your interests, and your job performance. It will move you to be a better father, mother, husband, wife, employee, manager, friend, and you’ll be motivated by love in how you think about others and how you respond to them. This Zoe will move you to love and forgive, to be pure in your words, thoughts, and habits. It will move you to think of others before yourself. It will affect every crack and crevice of your life.
When thinking about this Zoe life, the Lord reminded me of some centipede grass I planted in the yard of a house I had built years ago. I sowed the centipede grass seed in along with the fescue that I had planted for quick ground cover. Centipede grass grows flat and long, and crowds out weeds and other grasses. It takes over! It took some time, but the centipede eventually crowded out the fescue, and hindered weed growth too! And that’s what Zoe will do if you allow it to grow in your life. It will begin to choke the “weeds” of the flesh and the world that seek to rob you of spiritual vitality! In fact, it will not cease to worm its way into all your dealings in life, and will move you to change the areas of life where you’re slack.
Zoe, the life God, brings a major life change. Let it loose in you today by treating the Word as the spiritual food that it is to you. Read it and think about it. Spend time in prayer, worshiping God as your Father. In prayer, talk to the Father and share with Him your challenges, your difficulties, and ask Him to help you in your areas of weakness and compromise. If you will do these two things regularly, then this Divine nature called Zoe will rise up and eventually overwhelm the weaknesses in your life so that the kind of life that Jesus lived while on earth will begin to be seen in you!