Christ as the Author of Life vs. Christ as the Servant of God

 

Christ as the Author of Life vs. Christ as the Servant of God

Romans 14:9: "For this very reason, Christ died and returned to life so that he might be the Lord of both the dead and the living."

Acts 3:13: "The God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, the God of our fathers, has glorified his servant Jesus."

 

Aspect	Christ as the Author of Life	Christ as the Servant of God
Meaning	Christ is the source, origin, initiator, head and leader of life; He is the root of all life	Christ is the executor of God's will, the fulfiller of God's purpose, sent by God to serve humanity and complete God's redemptive plan
Core Emphasis	Emphasizes the imparting of life - As the source and initiator of life, He imparts divine life into believers	Emphasizes the pouring out of the Spirit - As God's servant, He pours out the Holy Spirit, bringing blessing to all nations
Efficacy	Able to impart divine life to believers, enabling them to receive eternal life, healing and resurrection from death	His service brings blessing to all nations, bringing God's blessing to people of all races, colors, and nationalities; He accomplishes redemption through His service
Mode of Operation	Through believers' faith in Christ, He imparts life into people, bringing healing and resurrection	As the resurrected and ascended Christ, He sends Himself back as blessing by pouring out the Spirit
Relationship between the Holy Spirit and Christ	The Spirit of Christ is the Spirit of life, enabling believers to experience Christ as the Author of life	The Spirit poured out by God is the Christ who was resurrected and exalted to the heavens - The Holy Spirit poured out at Pentecost is actually the ascended Christ Himself in another form coming to believers
Result	Produces the multiplication of life in believers, allowing Christ's life to expand and grow within people	Enables believers to receive the power of the Holy Spirit, allowing all nations to be blessed through Abraham's seed (Christ)
Distinction	Emphasizes the divine aspect of Christ, as He is the source and author of life, contrasting with the "murderers" who killed Him	Emphasizes the human aspect of Christ, as He submits to God's will, humbly serves humanity, and becomes a blessing to all nations
Purpose	For the multiplication of Christ, imparting life into people, allowing them to experience the healing and renewal of divine life	To fulfill God's promise to Abraham, that all nations would be blessed through Him, and to bring the blessing of turning away from wickedness
Application	Believers can experience Christ as the source of life, receive His life, and gain the power of healing and resurrection	Believers follow Christ's example as a servant, serving others, becoming channels of God's blessing, transmitting God's blessing to all nations
Spiritual Significance	Embodies Christ's identity as the source of divine life, able to give eternal life to people	Embodies Christ's identity as the executor of God's will, fulfilling God's promise to Abraham
Interrelationship	Christ is both the Author of life and the Servant of God, bringing life to people in His capacity as God's servant; as the source of life, He serves humanity and enables people to receive life	Christ fulfills God's will through service, thereby imparting life to people; His service is based on His position as the Author of life, enabling Him to give true life to people
Nature of the Holy Spirit	The Holy Spirit carries the essence of Christ as the Author of life, imparting life to believers	The poured-out Holy Spirit is essentially the resurrected and ascended Christ Himself, who as God's servant, imparts Himself as blessing to believers through the Spirit
Relevant Scriptural	• Acts 3:14-15: "You disowned the Holy and Righteous One and asked that a murderer be released to you. You killed the author of life, but God raised him from the dead. We are witnesses of this."  Acts 3:16: "By faith in the name of Jesus, this man whom you see and know was made strong. It is Jesus' name and the faith that comes through him that has completely healed him, as you can all see."	• Acts 3:25-26: "You are heirs of the prophets and of the covenant God made with your fathers. He said to Abraham, 'Through your offspring all peoples on earth will be blessed.' When God raised up his servant, he sent him first to you to bless you by turning each of you from your wicked ways." • Acts 2:33: "Exalted to the right hand of God, he has received from the Father the promised Holy Spirit and has poured out what you now see and hear."

 

Conclusion:

This spiritual perspective further clarifies the mysterious relationship between Christ and the Holy Spirit—the Holy Spirit poured out at Pentecost is actually the resurrected and exalted Christ Himself, coming to believers in another form. In this way, Christ not only imparts life as the Author of life, but also as God's Servant, imparts Himself as blessing to all believers through the pouring out of the Holy Spirit.

 

*Please refer to the April 2025 International Elders and Responsible Brothers Training General Topic: Oneness and Vital Aspects of Acts Chapter 4: Resurrection, Ascension, and the All-inclusive Christ