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About Numbered Notation

Numbered Notation (also called Jianpu, 简谱) writes each melody note as a number from 1 to 7 instead of a note on a staff. The number shows the note's position in the song's scale -- not its exact pitch -- so the same tune looks identical no matter what key it's sung in.

Within one octave, the numbers 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 correspond to the familiar do re mi fa sol la ti. A dot above a number raises it an octave higher; a dot below lowers it an octave lower -- no dot means the middle, as-written octave.

A plain number lasts one beat. A dash (-) right after a number holds that same note for one more beat. A line underneath a number shortens it instead -- one line is half a beat, two lines a quarter of a beat. A 0 is a rest: silence for one beat.

The label at the top of the sheet, like "1=C" or "1=Ab", shows which pitch scale degree 1 ("do") is tuned to. A song in a minor key is labeled "6=X" instead -- scale degree 6 ("la") is the true tonic. Chord names printed above the notes (like "C" or "G7") always use their familiar letter names, never numbers.

For example, under a "1=C" heading, the numbers 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 sound as C D E F G A B. Under a "1=G" heading, those very same numbers sound as G A B C D E F# instead -- same shape, different key.

Born of my father, descended from Adam

The Church Building by the Growth in Life

New Song178
1
Born of my father, descended from Adam,
A life in my flesh is God’s enemy.
I have inherited God’s condemnation,
Death and sin were reigning in me.
2
But love eternal appeared and He called me,
Out from the lost and hopeless race.
Into His Son now I have been transferred,
Born of the Spirit, into His grace.
3
I am God’s child now, free to enjoy Him.
The Spirit of Life is reigning in me.
Christ is my walking, my living, my breathing,
All that I have and ever will be.
4
Chosen and guided into His purpose,
From individual to corporate man.
Now in His Body, we can experience
All the unlimited grace of His plan.
5
This is the mystery hidden from ages.
For this God brought us from sinner to son.
Practical church life, daily transforming
Into the oneness, God’s expression.

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Glenn Haman

Herndon, VA, United States

Mar 15, 2026

This song reflects my testimony. On March 12, 1972 I heard the Good News, and was transferred out of darkness into God's marvelous light and eternal Kingdon. Right away, I began to read the Bible and the mystery was gradually being made know to me by revelation; that is, the mystery of the church, which is His Body. The word of the cross touched my heart and sometime in the fall of 1973 I began to see the church practically in local expression. That was a read dealing of the cross, which was the working of the Spirit to bring me from individual to corporate man, the One New Man!

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Maurice Ward

Columbus, Ohio, United States

Feb 9, 2022

Lord grant me this vision:

Christ is all I have and ever will be

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Ricardo Sosa

Charlotte, NC, United States

Oct 5, 2021

Amen Chris, I am also God's child now, free to enjoy Him!

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J.B.

Zürich, Switzerland

Oct 7, 2020

Amen! Into His Son now I have been transferred!

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Eleanor Wakou

Austin, Texas, United States

Aug 8, 2019

Hallelujah, I am God’s child now, free to enjoy Him! Christ is my walking, my living, my breathing, and all that I have and ever will be!

Recently we had the north America college training, and the topic was the jubilee! I really feel like stanza 3 of this song is a proclamation of the jubilee! We’re free to enjoy God as our possession! As our all-inclusive land! He’s everything to us! Death and sin are no longer reigning in us, but the Spirit of Life is reigning in us!

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Chris Abraham

Calgary, Alberta, Canada

Oct 28, 2018

I am God’s child now, free to enjoy Him!

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Julia Jones

Austin, TX, United States

Oct 18, 2013

I love this hymn because the first verse is the worse news ever unveiled to us, but the rest is of this glorious Christ who did everything for us, and is the best news ever unveiled to us.

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