Photo by Priscilla Du Preez on Unsplash
“Signals of Life”
In the spring, certain forests seem to come alive all at once. After months of silence and stillness, tiny green shoots begin to break through the leaf-strewn floor. It’s not random—trees communicate underground through networks of fungi, signaling when conditions are safe for new growth. Even before our eyes catch it, life is already stirring beneath the surface. This quiet coordination below ground prepares the way for visible transformation above it.
Have you ever felt that kind of stirring—like something within you was beginning to wake up after a long spiritual winter? Maybe it came through a moment of unexpected joy, a renewed hunger for truth, or a relationship that reminded you what love feels like. These moments may seem small at first, but they signal that life is still present. Pause and consider: where have you recently noticed the quiet signs of God’s life breaking through your ordinary days?
Just as the forest responds to the invisible signals of change, our souls respond to the quiet invitation of grace. Spiritual resurrection is rarely loud at first. Often, it begins beneath the surface—with conviction, a whisper of hope, or a longing for something more. These are signs that the Spirit is already at work. Gratitude helps us notice them—and in noticing, we begin to truly live.
“And you were dead in the trespasses and sins in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience…But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved.” (Ephesians 2:1-2, 4-5 ESV)
This passage starkly contrasts our former spiritual deadness with the life-giving intervention of God’s mercy and love. By divine initiative (“But God”), we experience spiritual resurrection in union with Christ’s own life-giving power. This radical transformation from death to life showcases both the depth of our need and the extravagance of God’s grace, establishing salvation as God’s achievement rather than ours.
“We know that we have passed out of death into life, because we love the brothers. Whoever does not love abides in death.” (1 John 3:14 ESV)
This verse identifies sacrificial love as the definitive evidence of spiritual resurrection. By examining our capacity to love others authentically, we can confirm the reality of our passage “from death into life.” ( Genuine love for others stands as the clearest manifestation of Christ’s life operating in us, proving our spiritual status has fundamentally changed.
Spiritual Move: Gratitude—To regularly acknowledge and celebrate God’s life-giving work in our lives. Through intentionally recognizing our complete dependence on divine mercy, we counteract the tendency toward spiritual self-sufficiency. Consistent gratitude keeps us properly oriented to the grace that animates our new life in Christ.
Journaling Prompts:
1. When have you most tangibly felt the reality that you have “passed from death to life”? What circumstances made this transition especially apparent?
2. How does your capacity to love others serve as evidence of spiritual life? Where do you still see “death” operating in your relationships?
Thought and Discussion Questions:
1. How does understanding our former state as “spiritual death” reshape our view of salvation compared to seeing ourselves as merely “imperfect”?
2. What aspects of your life still require God’s resurrection power to fully transform?
3. Share about a time when you recognized God’s mercy as the only explanation for positive change in your life.
4. How might our community better demonstrate that we have “passed from death to life” through the way we love one another?
We’d love to hear from you! What stood out, and what would you add to the conversation? Drop your thoughts or questions in the “Leave a Reply” section below, (Click the Read in Browser link). — You never know what you might get started.