We are going to continue our discussion on our human spirit today. Last week we learned that there is a difference between our souls and spirits. I pray you have spoken to the Lord regarding these truths. I encourage you to continue to seek the Holy Spirit as we continue this discussion.
The Second Hurdle – You Pre-Existed Your Conception
Believe it or not, the Bible teaches that you were in existence before your conception and birth.
Cherise wrote a fantastic post describing how God knew us before the foundation of the world and chose in Christ to be holy and blameless, preparing for us a Kingdom (Ephesians 1:4, Matthew 25:34).
“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places, even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him. In love he predestined us for adoption to himself as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will.” Ephesians 1:3-5 (ESV)
One fascinating point is the Greek word translated “foundation.” It can also mean “conception.” So He chose us in Him before the conception of the earth. That’s a unique way of looking at it: before the earth became physical, God had plans for us. He thought about us. He wrote books about us (Psalm 139:16).
These ideas prove the point that God foreknew us, or thought about us before we existed.
But they don’t necessarily prove that we existed before our own conception apart from the thoughts of God.
For that, we look first to Jeremiah. God gave him a bombshell prophetic word:
“Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, and before you were born I consecrated you; I appointed you a prophet to the nations.” Jeremiah 1:5 (ESV)
Jeremiah pre-existed his formation in the womb of his mother. God knew Jeremiah in this state and consecrated him, set him apart for His good purposes, and appointed Jeremiah as a prophet. It’s hard to consecrate and appoint a ‘non-entity.’ It’s hard to set apart an ‘idea’ for service. No, you do those things with a living being.
Jesus is Our Example
No Christian doubts the existence of Jesus Christ before His birth. Verses like John 1:1-3, 14 show us that Jesus existed before His physical appearance in the womb of Mary.
“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made. … And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.” John 1:1-3, 14 (ESV)
His entire life is an example for us, as indicated by Jesus’ act of washing His disciples’ feet.
“For I have given you an example, that you also should do just as I have done to you.” John 13:15 (ESV)
Jesus said that He has given us an example. Was He only talking about physically washing each other’s feet? I don’t think so.
I believe He was passing along to the Apostles an important truth: His entire life was given to us as an example of how we should live and how we should interact with God, with each other, and with the spiritual realm.
One of the men in the room, the Apostle Peter, picked up on this truth and echoed this principle. In one of his letters, he wrote:
“For to this you have been called, because Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example, so that you might follow in his steps.” 1 Peter 2:21 (ESV)
So the thought process goes, if Jesus pre-existed His physical life on earth, so we also pre-existed our physical life on earth through our human spirits.
Of course, we’re not Jesus, and Jesus isn’t us. But we are created by Him and in His image. In fact, we were “created in Christ” (Ephesians 2:10). We existed in Him before our physical existence, and according to this verse, He planned beforehand activities or works for us to do in Him and with Him.
“For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.” Ephesians 2:10 (ESV)
Two Other Examples
Other examples show up in the Bible, and they’re both a bit mysterious.
The first is from this verse:
“One might even say that Levi himself, who receives tithes, paid tithes through Abraham, for he was still in the loins of his ancestor when Melchizedek met him.” Hebrews 7:9-10 (ESV)
The context of this chapter is in the comparison between Jesus and Melchizedek. But the writer of Hebrews says something interesting about Levi, who the Levitical priesthood was named after. The writer says Levi actually paid tithes through his great-grandfather Abraham. Was Levi physically in existence when Abraham walked the earth? No, Abraham died when Levi’s father Jacob was just 15 years old.
The language here indicates that Levi pre-existed his conception event, and that the actions of his ancestor were credited to him or passed down to him when he was alive later on.
And speaking of Melchizedek, the writer of Hebrews has this to say about him:
“For this Melchizedek, king of Salem, priest of the Most High God, met Abraham returning from the slaughter of the kings and blessed him, and to him Abraham apportioned a tenth part of everything. He is first, by translation of his name, king of righteousness, and then he is also king of Salem, that is, king of peace. He is without father or mother or genealogy, having neither beginning of days nor end of life, but resembling the Son of God he continues a priest forever.” Hebrews 7:1-3 (ESV)
Melchizedek does not have beginning of days. He is described as having no end of life. How is this possible? Many have postulated that Melchizedek is actually Jesus. I don’t believe he is Jesus, but I think Melchizedek had a special place and assignment in the Kingdom of God. I believe he was originally responsible for building Jerusalem and establishing it as a place for God’s glory. He had a pre-existence as a spirit, became a physical human for a time on earth, and continues to live in Heaven, performing the priestly function God has for him right now.
The Spirit of Wisdom
Did you know that Wisdom is a person? Perhaps not in the same way that you think of your parents or friends or spouse, but she is a person nonetheless. She has a mind, will and emotions (see Proverbs 8).
In the book of Proverbs Wisdom herself reveals to us (through the writings of Solomon) that she was in existence before creation as a spiritual being.
She says this to us:
“I, wisdom, dwell with prudence, and I find knowledge and discretion. … The LORD possessed me at the beginning of his work, the first of his acts of old. Ages ago I was set up, at the first, before the beginning of the earth. When there were no depths I was brought forth, when there were no springs abounding with water. Before the mountains had been shaped, before the hills, I was brought forth, before he had made the earth with its fields, or the first of the dust of the world. When he established the heavens, I was there; when he drew a circle on the face of the deep, when he made firm the skies above, when he established the fountains of the deep, when he assigned to the sea its limit, so that the waters might not transgress his command, when he marked out the foundations of the earth, then I was beside him, like a master workman, and I was daily his delight, rejoicing before him always, rejoicing in his inhabited world and delighting in the children of man.” Proverbs 8:12, 22-31 (ESV)
The Spirit of Wisdom makes it very clear that she was set up before the beginning, emphasizing it three different ways, “Ages ago I was set up, at the first, before the beginning of the earth” (Proverbs 8:23). A study of the three main Hebrew words in this sentence gives the idea of “from everlasting,” from the “head or beginning,” and “from the dawn of the ages of the earth (eastward).”
I believe the Spirit of Wisdom is a type of what our human spirits likely experienced.
God Spoke to Job
A few clues to our human spirits experiencing creation like the Spirit of Wisdom did are also found in the book of Job.
God shows up in a mighty whirlwind and starts speaking to Job after he has been discussing his plight of injustice with 3 friends. A 4th friend shows up and speaks on God’s behalf and basically introduces God to Job. In Job chapter 38, the Lord speaks to Job out of the whirlwind (Job 38:1).
Starting in verse 4, the Lord says some interesting words to Job:
“Where were you when I laid the foundation of the earth? Tell me, if you have understanding. Who determined its measurements–surely you know! Or who stretched the line upon it? On what were its bases sunk, or who laid its cornerstone, when the morning stars sang together and all the sons of God shouted for joy?” Job 38:4-7 (ESV)
I think when most people read this chapter, they think something along the lines of, “Whoa, God just put the smack down on Job and put him in his place!” It’s like we think God is publicly shaming Job. But I know God personally. He is not laying guilt or shame upon His own kids!
What if the Lord asked the question for Job to actually remember, to awaken his spirit to remembrance of the things that indeed happened at creation. If you allow me a little leeway, here’s how I see this passage.
[Job, don’t you remember?] “Where were you when I laid the foundation of the earth? [You were actually there.] Tell me, if you have understanding [because I have given you understanding and even remembrance of these things]. Who determined its measurements–surely you know! [You helped me measure it!] Or who stretched the line upon it? [It was us, together!] On what were its bases sunk, or who laid its cornerstone, when the morning stars [your brothers and sisters in Christ] sang together and all the sons of God shouted for joy? [Job, I can still hear your voice from that blessed moment!]” Job 38:4-7 (ESV) (words in brackets are mine)
Some may see this as a far stretch. But have you ever asked your human spirit if he or she was there at creation? I encourage you to ask now. If you’ve never communicated to your own human spirit, ask the Holy Spirit for help. Perhaps pray something like this, “Holy Spirit, I would like to ask my human spirit about his/her role during creation. Do I have permission? (Wait for the answer.) Human spirit, what was your role at creation? Were you there?”
For those of you who felt like you didn’t have permission, ask the Lord to lead you on a journey of inner healing to prepare you for this type of interaction with your own human spirit.
For those of you who asked and received something, what was it? Receive it and believe it by faith.
I recognize that this is a new idea for many of you. Again, I encourage you to seek out answers from the Holy Spirit. He will direct you to the truth as he is the revealer of all truth.
Next week I am going to tell you the story of my testimony. What happened when I asked the Holy Spirit these things? Was my human spirit there at creation? I hope you will join me next week!
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