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Eternal Birth |
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The distinct church of the New Testament has been eternally justified from sin by the redemptive work of Christ. As a consequence, it became legally suitable to share life with God. His life is shared with His church body by heavenly birth.
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Before the foundation of this present world, a large number of angelic beings made the unenviable choice to challenge the nature of God. It constituted a monumental act of rebellion.
Congruent with divine justice, the challenge to the divine nature necessitated rectification. Therefore, God judged the rebellious angels and sentenced them to eternal condemnation. According to eternal plan, however, the sentence was temporarily suspended. It allowed for the fulfillment of a greater purpose. During the suspension, the fallen angels would contribute, albeit unwittingly, to the revelation of the nature of God in both the heavens and on earth. Although God temporarily suspended their sentence, the fallen angels were not exempt from the immediate consequences of their rebellion. They experienced separation from the presence of God and banishment from His kingdom. It was a tragic reality that resulted in death, degeneration, and darkness. Renovation Concordant with His eternal plan, God renovated the earth in spatiotemporal form and populated it with a new type of creature; mankind. He renovated the earth and its new inhabitants to serve a dual purpose. They would provide God with an arena to demonstrate the true attributes of His nature and serve as a source from which He could replenish His kingdom with new citizens. Within the arena of space and time, the heavenly host, comprised of angels holy and unholy, would witness a progressive demonstration of the attributes of the divine nature and the gradual repopulation of the kingdom of God. For the holy angels, the fulfillment of God’s eternal plan would be nothing less than awe-inspiring (cf. 1 Peter 1:12). In contrast, the fallen angels would view it with burning anger and intense jealousy. Witnessing the plan of God unfold in the arena of time and space, the fallen angels could not simply remain passive. Therefore, they devised a scheme to cause further disruption. By the success of their scheme, they hoped mankind would look less favorable and, by comparison, the fallen angels less unfavorable. In other words, it would serve to “level the playing field.” As a result, the fallen angels believed that God would be forced to lessen the severity of their eternal sentence. The scheme of the fallen angels involved enticing mankind to join them in their rebellion against divine authority. In a fallen state, the human race would be incapable of contributing to the demonstration of the attributes of the nature of God on earth. Moreover, they would be equally unqualified for kingdom citizenship. Or so the fallen angels thought. Fall of Mankind Foreknown by God, Adam, the progenitor and covenantal head of the human race, fell for the devilish scheme. Like the fallen angels, he experienced legal alienation from God, organic separation from God, and banishment from His kingdom. Relative to the unity of the human race established by covenantal union, the entire human race experienced the same judgment. God created humanity to enjoy intimate fellowship with Him. However, Adam’s original sin and consequent fall caused discord and disharmony between God and mankind. Consequently, it served to disrupt the intimacy of their fellowship together. As a result of the discord, disharmony, and disruption, mankind not only struggled to fellowship with God on earth but even to discern His presence on earth. |
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Reconciliation
Despite the fall, God graciously chose to pursue reconciliation with mankind. His pursuit was not related to any apparent worthiness in the nature of the fallen. Instead, it was congruent with the attributes of His nature. According to the perfections of His nature, God provided fallen mankind with the revelation necessary to recognize His existence and perceive His offer of reconciliation. The revelation was both general and specific. Generally, God revealed Himself to mankind using His creation. “For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen, being understood through what has been made” (Romans 1:20). In addition, God provided specific revelation for the benefit of fallen man. The original manuscripts of the Holy Bible constitute specific communication from God in written form. Religion The path to reconciliation with God did not lead through the practice of religion. On the contrary, the Bible reveals that human religion is oppositional to the eternal plan of God. Fundamentally speaking, the practice of religion does not originate from God but from mankind. It constitutes a human attempt to appease and please God. No matter how elaborate, complex or diverse, the practice of religion is characterized by a presumptive flaw. It is founded on the errant presumption that man, in his natural condition, is capable of appeasing or pleasing God. In contrast, the New Testament clarifies that mankind in a fallen state is utterly contrary to God. Therefore, his religious effort is not capable of appeasing or pleasing God. Originating from a fallen source, the religious effort of fallen human beings is hostile to God. In fact, the primary opponents of the earthly ministry of Christ were religious human beings (cf. Matthew 3:7-10; 5:20; 6:5, 7, 16; 7:21-23; 11:16-19; 12:1-7; 15:1-14; 16:5-12; 22:15-23:12; etc.). Further, the religious opposed the earthly origination and subsequent growth of the New Testament church (cf. Acts 4:1-31; 5:17-42; 6:8-7:60; 8:1-3; 9:1; 14:2, 19; 16:22-24; 19:23-41; 2 Corinthians 11:22-28; Philippians 1:27-30; Hebrews 10:32-33; etc.). Derived from fallen man, the practice of religion is nothing more than an empty shadow of God’s desire for humanity. According to the Bible, the true substance of His desire for man is reconciliation through shared life, made possible on earth by the redemptive work of Jesus Christ (cf. John 5:39-40; 10:10b; 11:25; 14:6; Colossians 2:16-19). The Christ was not sent to earth to initiate a religious movement or participate in preexisting religious practice. Instead, the heavenly Father sent Him to share divine life with fallen, spiritually dead human beings (John 1:4; 3:16-17; 10:10; 14:6; 17:3; 1 John 1:1-3; 5:11-12). Relative to the Fall, spiritually dead human beings are characterized by a darkened mind, perverse will, and deceitful emotions. As a result, they are blind to the biblical message of life and, therefore, all too willing to stop short of the pursuit of the living God and settle for the practice of lifeless religion. Church For the past 2000 years, it has often been presumed that the church on earth is the true path to God and the means to fulfill the deep longing of the heart inherent in fallen man. Some joyfully testify that their church experience has succeeded in satisfying their deep longing. However, others indicate that it has only served to exaggerate it. The incongruity cannot be reconciled by human presumption but only by divine illumination. Scripturally speaking, the distinct church of the New Testament is indeed the chosen path to God and the vehicle for the fulfillment of man’s deepest longing in this present age. Unfortunately, however, the church on earth has not always shared the distinctiveness of the church of the New Testament. |
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Temporal or Eternal
The New Testament and church history reveal the existence of two vastly different types of churches on earth. Fundamentally, they can be distinguished by their differing source of origination, animation, function, and form. Despite various denominations, doctrines, and dispositions, the church on earth originated from only two sources: God or mankind. Therefore, its source of origin is either eternal or temporal. The eternal church is heavenly in origin. It was conceived in the heart of God and finished in the eternal realm before the foundation of the world (cf. Hebrews 4:3). Mankind did not serve a role in the origination of the eternal church on earth. It was originated by the will and work of God alone. The eternal church on earth was designed for animation by a distinct life source; the heavenly life of God (Galatians 2:20; Philippians 1:21; Colossians 1:27; 2:13; 3:4). Rather than comprised of human beings living for God, it was given the gracious privilege of living with Him, cooperating by means of faithful submission to His indwelling life. Corresponding to its eternal source of origination and animation, the eternal church is characterized by a simple, organic function and form. The function of the eternal church is to facilitate fellowship between God and man. Its supportive form is a spiritual body. In contrast to the eternal church, the temporal church was originated by mankind. It was conceived and developed by man within the earthly confines of space and time. Characterized by a beginning and an end, it is temporal. The temporal church is the fruit of human religion. Derived from the heart of fallen man, it is characterized by a complex, organizational structure subject to animation by human effort for its operation and development. Corresponding to its temporal source of origination and animation, the function of the temporal church is to perform religious activity for God. It is accommodated by the form of a physical congregation. The eternal church is the distinct church of the New Testament. It is a gracious work of God for man. In contrast, the temporal church is a presumptive, religious work of man for God. New Testament Church Life Life is a major theme in the Bible. In brief, the word of God emphasizes the incompatibility between the heavenly life of God and the earthly, fallen life of mankind. As a consequence, it reveals that the fundamental need for fallen humanity is new life. Therefore, the Bible clarifies that the acquisition of new life compatible with divine life is the sole means by which mankind can enjoy the intimacy of personal fellowship with the living God. The New Testament contains several Greek words translated into the English word “life.” Two of them are used most frequently; zoe (dzo-ay’)(135 times) and psuche (psoo-khay’) (103 times). Context of usage serves to reveal an interesting relationship between zoe and psuche. The Greek word zoe is often used in the New Testament in reference to life in fullness or the absolute sense. In the absolute sense, it refers to the perfect, eternal, higher life of God. The Greek word psuche is most often translated as “life” and “soul” in the New Testament. When context dictates an interpretation of “life,” psuche generally refers to the temporal, earthly life of mankind that is shared in common with the animals. Psuche is interpreted as “soul” in the New Testament only when its context is more specifically related to the immaterial part of man, the seat of his personality. Regardless of whether interpreted as “life” or “soul,” psuche is commonly used in the New Testament to refer to man’s earthly, temporal, lower life. The Greek words zoe and psuche are sometimes used together in the New Testament in contrast to one another. For example, “He who loves his life (psuche) loses it, and he who hates his life (psuche) in this world will keep it to life (zoe) eternal” (John 12:25). The contrast between psuche and zoe can be distinguished as follows: |
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According to the Bible, if mankind is to move beyond the mere practice of religion and enjoy the fullness of God, he must receive new life that is heavenly or eternal in nature. Thus, the new life that mankind must receive is the very life (zoe) of God.
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.). Known 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 Eternal Covenant is the sole basis for reconciliation between God and man. The ultimate benefit of the Eternal Covenant is new life. By grace through faith alone, the New Testament church is privileged to share life with the Mediator of the covenant, Jesus Christ. Regeneration Concordant with the stipulations of the Eternal Covenant, the sharing of divine life (zoe) necessitates the regeneration of fallen mankind. Generally speaking, to generate means to create or produce. 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. The new state of life is suitable for accommodation by 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 a 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, man is provided with a new, righteous source of life (zoe) by which to live. 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, thus, 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). Fundamental Need In light of his natural, lifeless (zoe) state, the fundamental need for mankind is not the practice of religion. Instead, it is the reception of new life. According to eternal plan, God longs to share His life with undeserving, fallen man. It is a wondrous, undeserved gift. 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 the nature of His indwelling life (zoe) (Romans 8:29). Therefore, 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 knowing and enjoying God through an intimate union of shared life. Consequently, 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. In this present age, the life (zoe) of God is shared with mankind through the person and redemptive work of Jesus Christ alone. It is originated on earth through the instrumentality of His eternal body, the distinct church of the New Testament. “For the gate is small and the way is narrow that leads to life (zoe)” (Matthew 7:14). © 2018 James Hiatt |
