There have been many attempts over the years by evolutionary scientists to create life from non-life. Why? It’s actually a requirement if you remove God from the picture. The scientific term for this is abiogenesis (the theory that the earliest life forms developed from nonliving matter).

Perhaps you’ve heard of Francesco Redi. He was an Italian physician who lived in the 1600’s and he has the honour of being described as “the founder of experimental biology”. One of his most well-known experiments was conducted to refute “spontaneous generation” – a theory in his day that suggested maggots arose spontaneously from rotting meat (life from non-life).

In short, Redi put fresh meat in the bottom of jars. Some of the jars were covered with gauze and some were left open. The ones with gauze let the air in but not the flies. The open ones obviously allowed the flies in. And they came! When they did, they laid their eggs on the decomposing meat. Soon maggots appeared, followed by a new crop of flies. None appeared on the meat inside the covered jars.

Redi concluded that the Bible’s narrative is true, that “all life comes from life”.

Paul makes a similar claim when writing to the Corinthians. He compares the old covenant with the new. “[We are] ministers of the new covenant, not of the letter but of the Spirit; for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life” (2 Cor. 3:6). What Paul is saying is that it’s impossible to get life out of something that was never intended to produce life. The law was given to condemn us, to lay on us the death penalty. It can’t do anything else for us. We are guilty before the law.

On the other hand, God’s Spirit has life in Himself and is therefore able to give life. “Through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit who gives life has set you free from the law of sin and death” (Rom. 8:2).

This is so well illustrated in history. Jewish Rabbis consider the first Pentecost to be when the children of Israel received the law on Mount Sinai. Remember, Paul called the law “the ministry of death, written and engraved on stones ...” (2 Cor. 3:7). That’s exactly what happened on the first Pentecost. The children of Israel grew impatient when Moses was on the Mountain of God to receive the law. When Moses finally descended, God’s people were already breaking the law he had just received. They were singing and dancing before a calf they had just made out of gold. Not good! As a result, the Bible says, “... about three thousand men of the people fell that day” (Exodus 32:28). The letter kills!

Fast forward to the New Testament and we are told about another Pentecost. There’s the sound of rushing wind and what appeared to be tongues of fire resting on the disciple’s heads as they are filled with the Holy Spirit. A crowd gathers. The disciples begin to speak, praising the Lord. Everyone hears the good news in their native language. Then Peter preaches and the Spirit of God (the Spirit who gives life) moved mightily. “And that day about three thousand souls were added to them” (Acts 2:41).

Do you see it? Francesco Redi was right. “All life comes from life.” Paul makes it clear that “if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he is not His” (Rom. 8:9) and if you don’t belong to Jesus you’re still dead. Do you have the Spirit who gives life?