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God created the eternal New Testament church before the foundation of the world with distinct function and form. The function of the eternal church was to facilitate shared life fellowship between Himself and mankind. God provided the New Testament church with a form that was suitable. Thus, He made it in the form of a spiritual body.
The heavenly New Testament church did not change when God originated it on earth. It retained its distinct function and form. Heavenly or eternal in function and form, God created the New Testament church on earth to accommodate His life (zoe). It was His chosen instrument for sharing life (zoe) and fellowship with the elect of the Church Age. Concordant with its eternal function, the message of the New Testament church proclaimed the possibility of life shared with God. (cf. Philippians 2:16; 1 John 1:1-2) Thus, the message of the ecclesia of God was a “message of…life (zoe).” (Acts 5:20; cf. 2 Timothy 1:8-11) The shared life message of the New Testament church is the Gospel or “Good News” of Jesus Christ. Demonstrating the attributes of God in an unbiased, concurrent manner, its willing reception by fallen mankind serves to vindicate His nature from angelic scheme and accusation. Relative to the role of the New Testament church in the vindication of the divine nature, the heavenly host offers a varied reaction. The holy angels rejoice when a fallen human being repents and receives eternal life (zoe) through the Gospel of Jesus Christ. (Luke 15:7) Conversely, Satan and his angels cringe when they see man, a lesser, undeserving creature, gain through the church what they lost; citizenship in the glorious kingdom of God. For the devil and his angels, the New Testament church serves as a public reminder of their judgment and condemnation. Therefore, it is for them an ever-present source of embarrassment, humiliation, and shame. As a result, the devil and his angels view the New Testament church with fiery hatred. |
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© 2023 James Hiatt
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