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, 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.

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.

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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