The entire story of the Bible opens with the stunning picture of creation. At first, it seems Genesis 1 is simply an account of how God created the universe—from the stars in the heavens all the way down to the creatures of the ocean. Yet throughout this chapter, in each step of His creation, God also reveals to us the lifelong experience of our growth in the divine life. We begin with verse 1:
In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.
Genesis 1:1
The growth in life needs a beginning. A seed has life in it, but its growth does not begin until it sprouts. In the same way, Christians have the seed of life in them, but that seed needs to sprout for them to begin growing in life. It is God who initiates this beginning.
Titus Chu. A Sketch of Genesis, p. 4
Every life has a beginning, and the Christian life is no exception! This is a marvelous beginning, because from it God enables everything else to grow and develop. We are able to grow in the divine life because there was a beginning of that life. What is the source of this beginning? Who initiated it? The Bible is clear: it is God who initiates this beginning! When our lives as Christians began, it was because of something God accomplished. God orchestrated the beginning of creation by creating the heavens and the earth; He initiated your Christian life by placing His own divine life into you. This was the beginning of your regenerated life with God.
You never know how rich this beginning is to you. I got saved, I believed in Jesus, and I am a Christian now—hallelujah! You maybe didn’t realize just how rich that experience was. The moment I called on the name of the Lord, the moment I confessed I am a sinner, the moment I receive the Lord, I have the beginning.
In my Christian life there are many “the beginnings.” For instance I was born again in 1953. That was a beginning. Then in 1954 I really began to love the Lord. That was another beginning. So there is a beginning, then there is another beginning, and another, then another beginning. All these beginnings accumulate together to produce the totality of God. That is “beginning.”
Titus Chu. Winter Conference 2017 – The Marvelous Signs of the Divine Growth
It would be shallow of us to consider our regeneration the one and only beginning in our Christian life. We have many spiritual beginnings throughout our lives. One day, we were regenerated by the life of God; another, we begin to love the Lord; another, we begin to consecrate our life to the Lord; another, we begin to serve the Lord, etc. The more beginnings we have, the better! If we do not see this fact, it may become difficult or even impossible for us to grow spiritually. Brother Titus Chu writes the following:
It is possible for Christians to be regenerated for years yet never grow in life. This is because the divine seed within them has not sprouted. They need a beginning. They need God to touch them, perhaps through a Christian meeting or a hard environment. Then the Lord will become real, lovable, and touchable to them.
Titus Chu. A Sketch of Genesis, p. 4
Each “beginning” that we experience from God opens us up to deeper, richer experiences of Him. It is the many “beginnings” which God initiates in our life that enable our spiritual growth. Our Lord Jesus Himself is called “the beginning” (Revelation 21:6). Therefore, with each beginning we experience, we find ourselves experiencing more of Christ. A healthy Christian life is an accumulation of many such “beginnings.”
What are some experiences you’ve had of God beginning something in your life? How have such experiences helped you to find a deeper love for Christ? How have they made God more real in your own life? Share your testimony in the comments below!
