Comparison Table of the Spirit of Christ, the Spirit, and the Life-giving Spirit
Rom 8:9 "But if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to Him"
2 Cor 3:17 "And the Lord is the Spirit; and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom"
1 Cor 15:45 "The last Adam became a life-giving Spirit"
|
Aspect |
Spirit of Christ |
The Spirit |
Life-giving Spirit |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Meaning |
Refers to the Spirit related to Christ Himself, emphasizing the relationship and identity of this Spirit with Christ |
Refers to the Holy Spirit, but particularly emphasizes that the Lord (Christ) is the Spirit |
Refers to Christ after resurrection becoming the life-giving Spirit, able to impart life to believers |
|
Function |
Enables believers to belong to Christ, becoming Christ's possession |
Brings freedom, liberating believers from the bondage of the law and the limitations of the old creation |
Imparts divine life into believers, enabling them to receive life |
|
Distinction |
Emphasizes the relationship of belonging, source, and position |
Emphasizes the sovereignty and work of the Spirit |
Emphasizes Christ's life-giving power and function after resurrection |
|
Application |
Enables believers to establish an unchanging relationship with Christ in an organic union |
Leads believers in their daily life and grants freedom |
Imparts life in believers' experience, enabling them to live out Christ |
|
Inter-relationship |
These three terms actually refer to different aspects and functions of the same Spirit. The Spirit of Christ reveals the relationship of belonging, the Spirit reveals sovereignty and identity, and the life-giving Spirit reveals the function of imparting life. Christ, through death and resurrection, became the life-giving Spirit, who is the Spirit, and also the Spirit of Christ. |
||
|
Related Scriptures |
• Rom 8:10 "If Christ is in you, though the body is dead because of sin, yet the spirit is alive because of righteousness" • Gal 4:6 "God has sent forth the Spirit of His Son into our hearts" • Phil 1:19 "Through the bountiful supply of the Spirit of Jesus Christ" |
• 2 Cor 3:18 "But we all...are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, even as from the Lord Spirit" • John 14:17 "The Spirit of reality...abides with you and shall be in you" |
• John 6:63 "It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh profits nothing" • John 20:22 "He breathed into them and said to them, Receive the Holy Spirit" • Rom 8:2 "For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has freed me" |
Conclusion:
These three terms actually describe different aspects and functions of the same Spirit. Christ, after going through death and resurrection, became the life-giving Spirit, who is the Spirit, and also the Spirit of Christ. These three terms emphasize different aspects: the Spirit of Christ emphasizes the relationship of belonging, indicating the believers' union with Christ; the Spirit emphasizes sovereignty and identity—"the Lord is the Spirit"; and the life-giving Spirit emphasizes Christ's function of imparting life after resurrection.
As the referenced scriptures show, if Christ were not the Spirit, He could not enter into believers; if He were not the life-giving Spirit, believers could not enjoy Him. This is the mystery of the resurrected Christ making Himself available to be experienced and enjoyed by believers.
*Please refer to the 2025 International Chinese Conference Romans 5-8 - The Core of the Bible Chapter 5: The Indwelling Christ
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