The life of God in the soul of man

I may be the only man ever to receive for a wedding present from his new bride the complete works of Henry Scougal. I read the book on our honeymoon, and have been greatly impacted by the short earthly life and long-lasting passion of this godly man.

The Scottish Scougal (1650-1678) (whom I’ve mentioned before) died of tuberculosis at 28 years old, yet his enduring legacy through from his most well-known book: The Life of God in the Soul of Man. The book is a description of Christianity to a friend with additional spiritual counsel for daily life. The title alone — that God’s very life can live in us people — is the best summary I’ve found of what it means to be “in Christ.” Few books affected the Puritans like this one, and our generation deserves to mine the riches of what it means to experience God’s life at work in us. We settle for so little of Him and so much of ourselves.

Here’s another great quote from Scougal deep in theology, but practical enough to apply to daily life: “The worth and excellency of a soul is to be measured by the object of its love.”

“In Christ” the change is so radical, for we are not just tweaking lives. We become enabled to love God first and completely. God doesn’t just do things for us (forgiveness), He actually shares with us His nature, residing in His Church (indwelling). In the process He “ruins” us for His glory. This change, though gradual, is God overwhelming our old nature with His, for we experience this:

“His divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of him who called us to his own glory and excellence, 4 by which he has granted to us his precious and very great promises, so that through them you may become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped from the corruption that is in the world because of sinful desire.” (2 Peter 1:3-4)

Or, as we will study this weekend in our church:

“8 See to it that no one takes you captive by philosophy and empty deceit, according to human tradition, according to the elemental spirits of the world, and not according to Christ. 9 For in him the whole fullness of deity dwells bodily, 10 and you have been filled in him, who is the head of all rule and authority. 11 In him also you were circumcised with a circumcision made without hands, by putting off the body of the flesh, by the circumcision of Christ, 12 having been buried with him in baptism, in which you were also raised with him through faith in the powerful working of God, who raised him from the dead. 13 And you, who were dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made alive together with him, having forgiven us all our trespasses, 14 by canceling the record of debt that stood against us with its legal demands. This he set aside, nailing it to the cross. 15 He disarmed the rulers and authorities and put them to open shame, by triumphing over them in him.” (Colossians 3:8-15).

We have been made alive, by God’s power, and live today in the energy of His glory (Col. 1:29).

The short video below beautifully illustrates life change — metamorphosis — from one form to another. In Christ we change from dead beings to completely alive, like a caterpillar becoming a butterfly.

Metamorphosis from Glenn Marshall on Vimeo.