The Operation of the Law of Divine Life

Romans 6:3-5; 8:2, 29-30; 12:2

What is the law of divine life? In its essence, life is God, and God is life. While it’s not entirely incorrect to say that the law of divine life is simply God or life itself, it’s more accurate—based on the biblical revelation—to describe it as the automatic function of the divine life.

A law signifies a natural, unchanging regulation or principle. Therefore, the law of any life form is its inherent characteristic, an innate and automatic function. The higher the life, the more elevated its law. The law of divine life is the innate function of God’s life, and because God's life is the highest life, its law surpasses all others.

When I first encountered the phrase "the law of life," my natural understanding led me to associate it with rules meant to curb wrong actions. This view, while not entirely incorrect, falls short of the true biblical meaning. The law of divine life is not merely a regulation to keep us from error. Instead, it is the spontaneous, inherent function of the divine life we receive through spiritual birth. Every life has its own natural function, and for divine life, that function is its law.

To illustrate the working of the law of divine life, consider the process of grafting. Grafting is the cutting and merging of two similar life forms. If I have a tree that produces fruit that I do not desire, I can graft a branch from a tree that yields the desired fruit onto the original tree. The branch, when joined to the tree, causes the tree to bear fruit in accordance with the nature of the grafted branch, not the original tree. The tree, in essence, now draws from the life of the branch. Similarly, when God grafts His divine life into us through Christ’s death and resurrection, we are transformed to bear fruit that is pleasing to God, in accordance with His divine nature.

Our old life, on its own, could never produce fruit that aligns with God's purpose or taste. But through Christ’s crucifixion, both we (the old tree) and Christ (the new branch) were "cut," as Galatians 2:20 declares, "I am crucified with Christ." Through regeneration, the divine life of God was grafted into our being. Since then, the law of divine life has been working within us—not to regulate our actions externally—but to transform us from within. This law operates by eliminating the old Adamic nature and infusing us with the new life of Christ.

The function of the law of divine life is twofold: it eradicates the old, natural elements of Adam within us, and at the same time, imparts the new element of Christ. This ongoing process brings about a profound internal transformation, known as the renewal of life (Romans 12:2). As this divine law works within, it metabolically replaces the old creation with the new, gradually shaping us into the image of Christ.

The result of the operation of this law is our transformation and eventual conformity to Christ's image (2 Corinthians 3:18; Romans 8:29; Galatians 4:19). Far beyond merely regulating right and wrong, the law of divine life changes us fundamentally from the old creation to the new. This transformation leads to Christ being formed in us, bringing us into the fullness of our glorified state (Romans 8:30).

"The law of divine life is not a mere restriction but the very force that transforms us into the likeness of Christ, enabling us to live out the highest life—God’s own."

#Discp.Samuel  ✍