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What is the Christian Life? - Vintage Church

Mark Driscoll

In chapter 1 of Vintage Church we tackle the question, "What Is the Christian Life?" We focus heavily on the person and work of God the Holy Spirit and the doctrine of regeneration whereby we are born again. The following excerpt is from Vintage Church page 27: Vintage Church is now availabile.

"Tragically, many Christians have lost the understanding of the new life of the Spirit. They do not preach or live the regeneration of believers. Rather than living out a joy-filled life flowing from their deepest desire to be like Jesus, they settle for being sinners saved by grace, obligated to do all they can to keep the law of God by duty rather than by delight. Subsequently, they have lost the double gift of imputed righteousness, which accompanies our justification, and the imparted righteousness of the indwelling Spirit, which accompanies our new heart and regeneration. On the cross God did a work for us by saving us through the death of Jesus in our place for our sins. At Pentecost we then see that God does a work in us through the Holy Spirit in our hearts for our regeneration. Together, both our eternity and every step along the way can be filled with hope, joy, purpose, and passion if we see the relationship between the cross and Pentecost. God promised a new covenant when the Messiah came: "I will give you a new heart, and a new spirit I will put within you. And I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. And I will put my Spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes and be careful to obey my rules" (Ezek. 36:26-27). The regenerating work of the Holy Spirit in the heart is the source of the Christian life and Christian church.

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