The Real New Testament Church
  • Home
  • Contents
  • Preface
  • Real Plan
    • Chapter 1 - In the Beginning
    • Chapter-2-After the Beginning
    • Chapter 3 - Kingdom
    • Chapter 4 - Earth in the Kingdom or Kingdom on Earth
    • Chapter 5 - Original Earth in the Kingdom
    • Chapter 6 - Renovated Earth in the Kingdom
    • Chapter 7 - Kingdom on the Degenerated Earth
    • Chapter 8 - Tribulation
    • Chapter 9 - Kingdom on the Regenerated Earth
    • Chapter 10 - New Earth in the Kingdom
    • Chapter 11 - Covenant
    • Chapter 12 - Major Covenants of the Bible
    • Chapter 13 - Eternal Covenant
    • Chapter 14 - Renovation Covenant
    • Chapter 15 - Covenants for Israel
  • Real Church
    • Real Fundamentals >
      • Chapter 16 - Real Church
      • Chapter 17 - Church Covenant
      • Chapter 18 - Calling
      • Chapter 19 - Parables
      • Chapter 20 - Kingdom of Heaven Parables
      • Chapter 21 - Description
    • Real Legality >
      • Chapter 22 - Law
      • Chapter 23 - Transgression
      • Chapter 24 - Justification
    • Real Life (zoe) >
      • Chapter 25 - Life (zoe)
      • Chapter 26 - Progression of Life (zoe)
      • Chapter 27 - Birth
      • Chapter 28 - Dependent Life
      • Chapter 29 - Sanctification
      • Chapter 30 - Rule of Life
      • Chapter 31 - Return to Law
      • Chapter 32 - Faith
    • Real Composition >
      • Chapter 33 - Headship
      • Chapter 34 - Body
      • Chapter 35 - Women
    • Real Incarnation >
      • Chapter 36 - Function and Form
      • Chapter 37 - Purpose and Mission
      • Chapter 38 - Manifestation
    • Real Doctrine and Practice >
      • Chapter 39 - Apostolic Teaching
      • Chapter 40 - Apostolic Tradition
    • Real Apostolic Teaching >
      • Chapter 41 - Values
      • Chapter 42 - Prayer
      • Chapter 43 - Works
      • Chapter 44 - Giving
    • Real Apostolic Tradition >
      • Chapter 45 - Governance
      • Chapter 46 - Simplicity
      • Chapter 47 - Gatherings
      • Chapter 48 - Supper: Celebration and Sign
      • Chapter 49 - Supper: Apostolic Tradition
      • Chapter 50 - Practice
    • Real Growth >
      • Chapter 51 - Growth
      • Chapter 52 - Exponential Growth
    • Real Warfare >
      • Chapter 53 - Temporal Simulation
      • Chapter 54 - Confirmation of Scripture
      • Chapter 55 - Sovereignty of God
      • Chapter 56 - Warfare
      • Chapter 57 - Utter Defeat
      • Chapter 58 - Freedom
      • Chapter 59 - Incomparable Power
      • Chapter 60 - Armor
      • Chapter 61 - Full Armor
  • Real Reformation
    • Chapter 62 - Law and Life
    • Chapter 63 - From Law to Life
    • Chapter 64 - Divine Reformation
  • Conclusion
    • Chapter 65 - Real New Testament Church
  • Endnotes
  • About
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Chapter 27 - Birth
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Life (zoe) shared with God is freely available from the Father, through the Son, by the Spirit. Fulfilled by means of regeneration and spiritual birth, shared life with God is received by grace through faith alone through instrumentality of the real New Testament church.    

                                            Shared Life
 
God initiated a selfless, irrevocable covenant before the foundation of the world by which He could justly share His life (zoe) with undeserving, fallen man. (Isaiah 53:10; John 6:39; Titus 3:5-7; Hebrews 6:19-7:3; 7:11-8:6; 9:11-17, 23-28; 10:5-10, 19-25; 12-14; 29-39; 11:1-12:17; 12:22-29; 13:10-14; 20-21; etc.) Though not mentioned by name in the Bible, it is not difficult to discern its presence in both Old and New Testaments. Recognized
as the Eternal Covenant, its fundamental stipulations included the sacrificial death of the Son for the payment of all human transgression of divine law and His resurrection to new life by the Father. Its benefit is applied to the elect by the Spirit of God.
    
The primary benefit of the Eternal Covenant was twofold. Throughout history it has provided the redeemed with new law and life.
    
Suitable for intimacy of life shared with God in Christ, the new law of the Eternal Covenant is the “law of Christ.” (1 Corinthians 9:21; Galatians 6:2) It is also described as the “law of faith,” the “law of the Spirit of life (zoe) in Christ Jesus,” the “perfect law,” and the “law of liberty.” (Romans 3:27; 8:2; James 1:25; 2:12) The law of the Eternal Covenant is often referred to in this book as the “rule of life.”

The new life associated with the Eternal Covenant is life shared with Jesus Christ, the divine mediator of the covenant. There is no greater privilege.

 
                                         Regeneration
 

Sharing life with Jesus Christ necessitated the regeneration of fallen human life (psuche). Generally speaking, to generate means to create or produce. Therefore, to generate life is to create or produce life. In contrast, to degenerate means to decline or fall to a less desirable state. Degeneration of life speaks of a decline in quality of life. Regeneration means to reform or recreate in a new and improved state. To regenerate life is to reform or recreate life to a new and improved state.
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​In the Bible, regeneration is a gracious act of God by which He reforms or recreates degenerate man into a new state of life. It makes him suitable to accommodate the indwelling life (zoe) of God.
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                                           Spiritual Birth
 
Jesus said, “… unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God.” (John 3:3) The phrase “born again” can be translated from the original Greek language as “born from above” or “born of the Spirit.” In contrast to physical birth derived from human parents, it refers to spiritual birth originating from God.

Through the act of divine, spiritual birth, regenerate mankind is joined with Christ in an inseparable, spiritual union of life. (Romans 6:4-6; Galatians 2:20; Colossians 1:27; 1 Peter 1:23-25) United with Christ, he becomes a partaker of the divine nature. (2 Peter 1:4)
    
Sharing the eternal life of God by spiritual birth, mankind is provided with a new, righteous source of life (zoe) by which to live on earth. It is manifested within by the indwelling Spirit of God. (Romans 8:9; 14)
    
According to the Apostle Paul, to “live… according to the Spirit” (NIV), be “in the Spirit”; be “led by the Spirit”; and to “live by the Spirit” are synonymous. (Romans 8:4, 5, 9, 14; Galatians 5:18, 25) They are terms reflective of man in shared life union with God in Christ and as a result, existing in the sphere or realm of the Spirit of Christ. Paul proclaimed his recognition of his new, spiritual life source by stating, “….Christ lives in me ….” (Galatians 2:20); “To live is Christ” (Philippians 1:20); and “Christ…. is our life (zoe)….” (Colossians 3:4).
     
​                                               No Greater Privilege
 
Sharing life, God and man become one in the most intimate sense possible, yet without compromising the integrity of either. The heavenly, eternal life (zoe) of God indwelling man does not abolish, replace or even compromise the human personality. Rather, it is the path of recovery for fallen man, allowing him to experience life in fullness as God intended.
    
By His indwelling presence, God ensures the gradual transformation of regenerate mankind into the image of Christ. He does so through a progressive renewal of the human personality, gradually setting it free to express the attributes of His indwelling life (zoe). (Romans 8:29) Consequently, sharing life with God does not replace or reduce the human identity. Instead, it recovers mankind to a position of incomprehensible glory.
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There is no greater privilege for mankind than to know and enjoy God through an intimate union of shared life. As a result, mankind is utterly blessed to live and serve on earth with God by faith alone rather than for God by the performance of religious works.
    
“For the gate is small and the way is narrow that leads to life (zoe).” (Matthew 7:14)
 
 
 © 2022 James Hiatt
                                    
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