The concept of being “quickened” shows up in several places throughout the Bible, both in the Old and New Testaments. At its core, being “quickened” refers to being made alive, animated, or given life. When something is quickened, it is vivified and energized by God’s power and grace. Let’s take a closer look at how this term is used in Scripture.
Quickening in the Old Testament
In the Old Testament, the Hebrew word “chayah” is often translated as “quicken” in the King James Version. It literally means to live, revive, or recover. Here are a few examples of how it is used:
- “You shall increase my greatness, and comfort me on every side.” (Psalm 71:21)
- “The hand of the Lord was upon me, and carried me out in the spirit of the Lord, and set me down in the midst of the valley which was full of bones…and the breath came into them, and they lived, and stood up upon their feet, an exceeding great army.” (Ezekiel 37:1,10)
- “O spare me, that I may recover strength, before I go hence, and be no more.” (Psalm 39:13)
In these passages, being quickened is associated with renewed strength, restoration, and even resurrection from the dead. When God quickens someone or something, He breathes new life into them by His power.
Quickening in the New Testament
The New Testament also picks up on this theme of quickening, using the Greek word “zoopoieo.” It means to make alive or give life. Let’s look at some examples:
- “It is the spirit that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing: the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life.” (John 6:63)
- “And you hath he quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins.” (Ephesians 2:1)
- “Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved).” (Ephesians 2:5)
Here we see that God quickens us by His Spirit, giving new life to us when we were dead in sin. He resurrects our soul, restoring our relationship with Him through the power of Christ’s redemptive work on the cross.
The Quickenings of Salvation
Now that we’ve surveyed the main uses of “quicken” in the Bible, let’s discuss this concept further as it relates to salvation and the new birth. Based on Scripture, we can highlight several “quickenings” that take place in the life of a believer:
- Quickening from spiritual death. When we come to saving faith in Christ, we are quickened and made spiritually alive after previously being dead in sin (Eph 2:1). Our souls are revived.
- Quickening of our spirits. God breathes new life into our inner man, quickening our spirits to resonate with His Spirit and experience intimate communion (John 6:63; Rom 8:10-11).
- Quickening of our moral nature. Our affections, desires, and dispositions are renovated, quickened, and oriented toward God’s truth and righteousness (Ps 119:37-40).
- Quickening of our obedience. We receive power through God’s grace to obey His commandments with newfound energy and zeal (Ps 119:149-151). The practice of holiness is quickened.
- Quickening of our resurrection hope. We joyfully anticipate the future quickening of our mortal bodies when Christ returns (Rom 8:11). Our resurrection hope is made lively.
Charles Spurgeon once said “The words ‘quicken,’ ‘quickeneth,’ ‘quicken me,’ and the like, are used in the Psalms as the pleading of the saint for reviving, stimulating, invigorating grace.” As believers, we can continually pray for fresh quickenings from the Holy Spirit!
Additional Examples of Biblical Quickenings
The concept of quickening shows up in other interesting ways throughout Scripture. Here are some additional examples:
- God told Adam and Eve to “be fruitful and multiply” (Genesis 1:28). He quickened their natural procreative abilities to populate the earth.
- The process of conception and gestation is sometimes described as God “quickening” the womb to bring forth life (Psalm 51:5).
- Isaac pleaded with the Lord to quicken Rebekah’s womb so she could conceive children (Genesis 25:21).
- Samson’s mother had been barren, but the angel of the Lord appeared and quickened her womb (Judges 13:3-5).
- Elijah and Elisha both quickened dead children back to life through the power of God (1 Kings 17, 2 Kings 4).
- Elisha’s bones had quickening power even after his death! (2 Kings 13:21).
As you can see, the concept of quickening applies not only to spiritual revival but also to physical resurrection, reproductive abilities, healing, miracles, and restoration of all kinds. God is the author and giver of life!
Key Gospel Truths Related to Quickening
In conclusion, here are some key gospel truths connected to the biblical theme of quickening:
- We were all dead in our sins before being quickened by God’s grace (Eph 2:1).
- Quickening is a sovereign act of God, not something we can produce ourselves (John 6:63).
- Only the Holy Spirit has power to quicken souls; the letter of the law cannot give life (2 Cor 3:6).
- Quickening instills endless joy, comfort, and abundant life in believers (Ps 71:20-21).
- Future bodily resurrection is our assured hope through Christ’s quickening power (Phil 3:20-21).
The theme of quickening highlights our dependence on God’s life-giving Spirit to save us, sustain us, sanctify us, and one day glorify us. It brings great encouragement to know that even when we feel spiritually dry or deadened, the Lord can powerfully quicken and revive us by His endless supply of grace. He is the great Quickener!
