Vivification refers to the process of being made alive or being brought to life. In Christian theology, it speaks specifically of the work of God in making spiritually dead sinners alive through the new birth. The concept stems from passages in Scripture that contrast spiritual death and life and describe salvation in terms of being made alive in Christ.
The biblical basis for vivification begins in the early chapters of Genesis. When God created Adam, He directly formed him from the dust of the ground and “breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living creature” (Genesis 2:7). This pictures God imparting life to Adam’s physically dead body. After the fall into sin, all human beings are born spiritually dead, inherited from Adam (Ephesians 2:1). Just as God once made Adam’s corpse live, He must now make dead sinners alive through spiritual rebirth.
Jesus told Nicodemus, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God…That which is born of flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit” (John 3:3,6). Those who have only natural physical life remain spiritually dead. But those born of the Spirit receive spiritual life from God. The new birth imparts spiritual life to those who were previously dead.
The apostle Paul expands on this in Ephesians 2, contrasting the former spiritual death of unbelievers with the new life of those saved by grace: “And you were dead in the trespasses and sins in which you once walked, following the course of this world…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 2:1,4-5). Unbelievers are dead in sin and can do nothing to give themselves spiritual life. But God mercifully makes dead sinners alive in Christ, granting new spiritual life as a gift of grace.
Paul further explains this vivification in Colossians 2:13 – “And you, who were dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made alive together with him, having forgiven us all our trespasses.” Conversion involves both forgiveness of sins and regeneration, or being made alive. Whereas we were once dead in sin, God has mercifully intervened to give us spiritual life in union with Christ.
The apostle John echoes the teaching on new birth in 1 John 3:14 – “We know that we have passed out of death into life, because we love the brothers.” Those born again have spiritually transitioned from death to life, evidenced by their love for fellow believers. The regenerating work of the Holy Spirit has imparted life where once there was only death.
This concept of being made alive reaches back to the Old Testament prophecy of regeneration in Ezekiel 36:26-27 – “And I will give you a new heart, and a new spirit I will put within you. And I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. And I will put my Spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes and be careful to obey my rules.” In the new covenant, God supernaturally changes hearts of stone into hearts of flesh by putting His Spirit within His people, causing them to walk in obedience.
Vivification occurs entirely through the sovereign regenerating work of the Holy Spirit, not through any human effort. As John emphasizes in John 1:13 – “Who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God.” The new birth comes about solely by the will and work of God, making spiritually dead sinners alive through the life-giving power of the Holy Spirit.
This supernatural event happens at the moment of conversion. When a sinner repents and believes in Christ for salvation, God instantly imparts spiritual life. The spiritually dead person transitions to being made completely alive in Christ. The 17th century Puritan Thomas Boston described it as “the production of a new principle of life and action in the soul, whereby the dead sinner is raised to spiritual life, and to holy and spiritual motion in the ways of God.”
Vivification results in an entirely new spiritual identity. Second Corinthians 5:17 declares, “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.” Those who were once dead in sin become new creations in Christ, identified with His resurrection life. They spiritually pass from death into newness of life through regeneration (Romans 6:4-5).
This new life bears spiritual fruit that was impossible in an unregenerate state. Galatians 5:22-25 describes the Spirit-produced fruit – “love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control.” Where once there was only rotten fruit or no fruit at all, the regenerate heart bears righteous fruit through the power of the indwelling Spirit. Vivification makes possible the spiritual growth and obedience that honors God.
The vivifying work of salvation also guarantees the bodily resurrection of believers. Having been made spiritually alive by the Spirit, Christians wait for the completion of their adoption into God’s family, “the redemption of our bodies” (Romans 8:23). When Christ returns, He “will transform our lowly body to be like his glorious body, by the power that enables him even to subject all things to himself” (Philippians 3:21). Vivification thus encompasses both spiritual regeneration in this life and bodily resurrection for eternity.
In summary, vivification refers to God’s sovereign work in making those who are spiritually dead alive in Christ. This happens through the regenerating power of the Holy Spirit at conversion. Whereas sinners can do nothing to give themselves spiritual life, God mercifully imparts His life to them as a gift of grace when they respond in repentant faith. The result is a new spiritual identity characterized by righteousness, obedience to God’s commands, and the certainty of bodily resurrection. Vivification offers hope to spiritually dead sinners, for “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.”
