When Adam and Eve ate of tree of knowledge of good and evil, they died spiritually.  We can also say they became void of spiritual life.   They eventually died physically, but immediately died spiritually.  We can read about this in Genesis chapters 2-3.  Unfortunately, all of mankind born today, as descendants of Adam, inherit this same spiritual void.  I like to call this having a hole in ones heart, a void that once was filled by God, but now is empty.  Man senses this emptiness and starts searching in life to try to fill this void.  It starts at a young age, and continues for ones entire life.  Man is on an endless search.  Man tries to fill his void with things of the world, which will never satisfy.  What man needs is spiritual life.  Paul understood this when he preached a message to Greek philosophers in:

Acts 17:26-28 (NASB)
²⁶ and He made from one man every nation of mankind to live on all the face of the earth, having determined their appointed times and the boundaries of their habitation, ²⁷ that they would seek God, if perhaps they might grope for Him and find Him, though He is not far from each one of us; ²⁸ for in Him we live and move and exist, as even some of your own poets have said, ‘For we also are His children.’

From these verses we see God has an appointed a time in history men are born, as well as the location on this planet men will live.  Paul describes man’s search for God and that man is seeking and groping for God.  The word groping in the Greek has a sense of, feeling for or reaching out to.  The hope is man finds God in his search to fill his spiritual void.  God is not far from each one of us.  This begs the question, what if man doesn’t find God,  is he doomed for life?  It is my conviction that if man sincerely desires in his heart to find God, the sovereign God of the universe, will provide a way for man to hear and respond to the Gospel of Grace, and have his spiritual void filled.  Man with a sincere desire to know God, will hear the Gospel of Grace, somehow and in some way.  This is a work of the Holy Spirit.  Man will hear, but will he respond?  This is man’s choice.  If man puts his faith in Christ’s death, burial and resurrection for the forgiveness of his sins, he instantaneously gets spiritual life.  Man gets a new identity, he moves from being in Adam, to being in Christ.  Man is now in Christ, or in Him.  Him being Christ.  Man’s spiritual void is filled, his searching ends, and now he can rest in the finished work of Christ.  How cool is that?

Isn’t Christ the answer to man’s searching and problems?  You bet He is.  Once man has spiritual life, verse 28 says for “In Him” we live and move and exist.  Man in a sense is an extension of Christ.  Man is in Christ, and Christ is in man.  Man is living in Him (in Christ).

Because man is in Him, man also obtains many spiritual realities.  There are too many to list here, but the below verse will give you a fantastic snap shot of what man has because he is in Christ.

1 Corinthians 1:30 (NASB) ³⁰ But by His doing you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, and righteousness and sanctification, and redemption,

Christ in man becomes man’s wisdom, righteousness, sanctification and man’s redemption.  The search to fill the void in man’s heart has ended.  Once man is in Christ, he has all that he needs to live life on this earth and his future is secure.

Seek and you will find!

If you would like to learn more about the concepts discussed here, you can respond to this Blog, or come visit Grace Christian church any Sunday morning, in Freehold New Jersey.  Everyone is welcome to come and experience the Life of Christ.
In Him,
Rob Parlante
Elder / Grace Christian Church