Stillborn
by Jack Gibbert
via Sentry Magazine, Vol. 17 No. 1, 31 March 1991
Paul says the purposes of the offices listed in Ephesians 4:11 are so that we would no longer be children (Ephesians 4:14), but would grow up in all things into Him who is the head, Christ (Ephesians 4:15). Many New Testament passages address the need for Christians to grow. In Luke 8, we find the parable of the sower and his seed, which illustrates the different outcomes depending on the type of soil the seed falls into. Only in the first example was there no growth because the seed was snatched away before it could take root. Perhaps it’s this type of soil I am addressing in this article.
The problem that eventually confronts every sower of the gospel seed is the person who has been (we think) carefully taught and expresses a desire to obey the gospel. We are cautious to stress the responsibilities of being a Christian and try to ensure they understand what they are doing, having them affirm their understanding. We assist them by immersing them in accordance with Jesus’ clear teaching, and then we watch anxiously to see what kind of personality and what place in the body God has in store for this one. And then, alas, from the very beginning of what was to be their new life, there is no action, no growth, no interest. What went wrong?
The teacher does much soul searching, did I say something? Did I do something? Did I fail them in some way? Was it something another brother or sister did or said? Why can’t I get them past this problem?
Water and Spirit
The new birth is to consist of two things, "water and the Spirit" (John 3:3-5). If this "birth" lacked the "Spirit," it would appear they "got wet" and were "stillborn." Remember what James said about death? "For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also." (James 2:26 NKJV) I suspect in some of these cases we may be dealing with a body without the Spirit. Trying to get them to grow in Christ is as ludicrous as trying to get a stillborn baby to grow up and play football. That lifeless (spiritless) little body will not, nay, cannot, respond to the pleas, tears, and proddings of its brokenhearted parents. So, too, my brothers and sisters, when you try to get a spiritually "stillborn" person to partake of spiritual food, (attend classes, worship God, seek Christian association) it’s really pointless, for they have been born again from death unto death and seeking the things above (Colossians 3:1) holds as much interest for them as learning to walk does for a stillborn baby.
What to do with the stillborn. There is only one thing to do: recognize they are dead in their sins and begin anew to teach them the first principles of the oracles of God. Do as Paul did with Agrippa and make an attempt to throw the fear of God into them (Acts 24:25) and then show them the love of God in Jesus (John 3:16). They must be pricked in their hearts and brought unto repentance, or they will perish (Luke 13:5).
I write this for the souls of those who have been stillborn. Do not deceive yourselves into thinking that because you "got wet," you are a child of God. I write to caution those who would continue to attempt to get a dead body to grow up. Do not deceive yourself into thinking that if they come to the assemblies and warm a pew, they will grow in Christ. And finally, I write to help those who may be wondering how to determine the true condition of a supposed Christian. You have only to read and apply I John 3:24 to safely conclude whether there is any spiritual life in them.
"Now he who keeps His commandments abides in Him, and He in him. And by this we know that He abides in us, by the Spirit whom He has given us" (NKJV).
If there is no Spirit, they are dead. Look for signs of life. Do they keep His commandments? Do they even try to keep His commandments? Are they seeking the things above? Is there any spiritual movement at all? How about a spiritual groan or two, maybe a gasp? Any sign of life calls for our attempting to nurse them back to health, but if there is none, you need to go back to the beginning and that calls for a funeral (Romans 6:1-7).
