The Real New Testament Church
  • Home
  • Contents
  • Preface
  • Plan
    • Kingdom >
      • Chapter 1 - Beginning
      • Chapter 2 - Errant Reasoning
      • Chapter 3 - Consequence
      • Chapter 4 - Adaptation
      • Chapter 5 - Original Earth
      • Chapter 6 - Renovated Earth
      • Chapter 7 - Degenerated Earth
      • Chapter 8 - Time, Space and Representation
      • Chapter 9 - Early Ages
      • Chapter 10 - Israelite Age
      • Chapter 11 - Gentile Age
      • Chapter 12 - Tribulation
      • Chapter 13 - Regenerated Earth
      • Chapter 14 - New Earth
    • Covenant >
      • Chapter 15 - Covenant
      • Chapter 16 - Major Covenants
      • Chapter 17 - Eternal Covenant
      • Chapter 18 - Renovation Covenant
      • Chapter 19 - Old Covenant for Israel
      • Chapter 20 - New Covenant for Israel
  • Church
    • Preparation >
      • Chapter 21 - Parables
      • Chapter 22 - Kingdom of Heaven Parables
    • Foundation >
      • Chapter 23 - New Testament Church
      • Chapter 24 - Church Covenant
      • Chapter 25 - Eternal or Temporal
      • Chapter 26 - Calling
      • Chapter 27 - Description
    • Legality >
      • Chapter 28 - Law
      • Chapter 29 - Transgression
      • Chapter 30 - Justification
    • Life (zoe) >
      • Chapter 31 - Life (zoe)
      • Chapter 32 - Progression of Life (zoe)
      • Chapter 33 - Birth
      • Chapter 34 - Perfect Example
      • Chapter 35 - Church Life
      • Chapter 36 - Sanctification
      • Chapter 37 - Rule of Life (zoe)
      • Chapter 38 - Life According to the Spirit
      • Chapter 39 - Return to Law
      • Chapter 40 - Faith
    • Composition >
      • Chapter 41 - Covenantal Headship
      • Chapter 42 - New Covenantal Headship
      • Chapter 43 - Practical Headship
      • Chapter 44 - Body
      • Chapter 45 - Women
    • Incarnation >
      • Chapter 46 - Function and Form
      • Chapter 47 - Purpose and Mission
      • Chapter 48 - Manifestation
    • Doctrine and Practice >
      • Chapter 49 - Apostolic Teaching
      • Chapter 50 - Apostolic Tradition
    • Apostolic Teaching >
      • Chapter 51 - Values
      • Chapter 52 - Prayer
      • Chapter 53 - Works
      • Chapter 54 - Giving
    • Apostolic Tradition >
      • Chapter 55 - Governance
      • Chapter 56 - Simplicity
      • Chapter 57 - Biblical Gatherings
      • Chapter 58 - Practical Gatherings
      • Chapter 59 - Supper: Celebration and Sign
      • Chapter 60 - Supper: Apostolic Tradition
      • Chapter 61 - Assembling Together
    • Growth >
      • Chapter 62 - Biblical Church Growth
      • Chapter 63 - Practical Church Growth
      • Chapter 64 - Exponential Growth
    • Simulation >
      • Chapter 65 - Temporal Simulation
      • Chapter 66 - Simulated Church History
      • Chapter 67 - Confirmation of Scripture
      • Chapter 68 - Sovereignty of God
    • Warfare >
      • Chapter 69 - Warfare
      • Chapter 70 - Utter Defeat
      • Chapter 71 - Freedom
      • Chapter 72 - Position
      • Chapter 73 - Descriptive Armor
      • Chapter 74 - Cooperative Armor
      • Chapter 75 - Armor Abridged
      • Chapter 76 - Armor Paraphrased
      • Chapter 77 - Armor Appropriated
      • Chapter 78 - Full Armor
      • Chapter 79 - Power of Position
  • Reformation
    • Chapter 80 - Formation, Deformation and Reformation
    • Chapter 81 - Law and Life
    • Chapter 82 - Practice of Law
    • Chapter 83 - Practice of Life
    • Chapter 84 - From Law to Life
    • Chapter 85 - Doctrine, Desire and Dependence
    • Chapter 86 - Design, Decentralization, Demonstration and Divestment
  • Conclusion
    • Chapter 87 - The Real New Testament Church
  • Endnotes
  • About
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Chapter 33 - 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, it is received by grace through faith alone through instrumentality of the 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)
 
 
 © 2023 James Hiatt
                                    
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