The Apostle’s Doctrine Made Simple:
Introduction to Bible Doctrine
Lesson 3:
Getting Down to Basics
Some Important
Definitions
Two Basic Assumptions
Our Source of Authority
is the Bible
Our Methodology is Systematic and Scientific
The
Absolute Essentials of Christian Doctrine
The Attributes of G-d
The Person of Christ
The Nature of Man
The Requirements of Atonement
The Source of Revelation
A Brief Summary
of Biblical Doctrine
The Bible
Inspiration
Protected Transmission
Interpretation
Creation
Dispensations
God
Jesus
Christ
The
Holy Spirit
The Infilling
Sign Gifts
Angels
Holy Angels
Fallen Angels
Man
Sin
Salvation
Sanctification
Security
The Church
Authority in
the Church
Ordinances of the Church
Baptism
The Lord's
Supper
Stewardship in the Church
Future
Things
The Rapture of the
Church
The Tribulation Period
The Millennial Kingdom
The Final Battle
The Final Judgment
The Eternal State
Therefore leaving the
elementary teaching about the Christ, let us press on to maturity,
not laying again a foundation of repentance from dead works and of
faith toward G-d, of instruction about washings, and laying on of
hands, and the resurrection of the dead, and eternal judgment. And
this we shall do, if G-d permits. (Hebrews 6:1-3)
 Chapter
3
Getting Down to Basics
The Bare Essentials of the Christian Faith
Since we are about to embark upon the study of
Bible doctrine, also called the study of theology, it is appropriate
that we take just a few minutes to discuss the basic vocabulary of
the science of theology.
Theology is a science. And like all other
sciences, the science of theology is subdivided into areas of
specialty or concentration. The science of theology also has its own
unique vocabulary and, if we are going to be theologians, we need to
learn that vocabulary.
Doctrine: either the act of
teaching or that which is taught; the term is used both ways in the
New Testament.
Theology: from two Greek words-Theos,
G-d, and logos, word, that by which an inward thought is
expressed. Thus, theology is the collection of words and thoughts by
which the deep and wonderful ideas concerning G-d are expressed.
More specifically, theology is the science of the things of G-d.
Webster's defines theology as "the study of G-d and His relation to
the world, especially by the analysis of the origins and teaching of
an organized religious community (as the Christian Church)." [Webster's
New Collegiate Dictionary, 1981 edition, G & C. Merriam
Company, Springfield.]
Theologian: one who engages in
the study of the science of theology; in its loosest interpretation,
a theologian is one who thinks about G-d.
Theology Proper: the study of
the nature, offices, decrees, and works of the G-dhead (the Trinity)
taken together; also the study of the Person and works of G-d the
Father.
Christology: the study of the
Person, nature, works, and life of G-d the Son from eternity past to
eternity future. From Christos, the anointed one, and
logos.
Pneumatology: the study of the
Person, nature, and works of G-d the Holy Spirit. From pneuma,
breath or spirit (Hebrew Ruach).
Angelology: the study of angelic
beings including both holy angels and Satan and his demons. From
angelos, messenger.
Bibliology: the study of the
source and transmission of the Hebrew and Christian scriptures. From
biblios, book or scroll.
Anthropology: the study of the
origin, nature, and destiny of mankind. From anthropos,
man.
Hamartiology: the study of the
origin and results of sin. From hamartia, an archery term
which means to miss the mark.
Soteriology: the study of the of
the provisions, process, and promises of salvation. From
soterion, salvation.
Ecclesiology: the study of the
Church, which is the Body and Bride of Christ. From ecclesia,
the called out ones.
Eschatology: the study of the
doctrine of future events. From eschatos, last or
uttermost.
Theology is the most wonderful, exciting,
stimulating, and rewarding of all the sciences. The skeptic, the
unbeliever, the G-d-hater will tell you that theology is certainly
not a science, nor even a valid philosophy. but they are speaking
from a position of ignorance.
According to Webster's New Collegiate Dictionary
(1981 edition), science is:
possession of knowledge as
distinguished from ignorance or understanding; knowledge
attained through study or practice; a department of systematized
knowledge as an object of study <the science of theology>;
something … that can be learned like systematized knowledge. [Webster's
New Collegiate Dictionary, ibid.]
For the study of Bible doctrine, it should be
clearly evident that the Bible itself is the only valid and
acceptable source of information. If the infinite G-d of the
universe has not chosen to reveal Himself through the Scriptures,
the finite mind of man can never hope to comprehend Him, or even to
discover much at all about Him.
Although G-d is disclosed in His creation ["The
heavens are telling of the glory of G-d; and their expanse is
declaring the work of His hands." (Ps. 19:1)], history teaches us
that relying on the declaration of creation for our information
about G-d almost without exception results in the worship of that
creation rather than in the worship of the Creator.
Relying on human reasoning and logic results in
man creating idols for himself and worshipping them.
Relying upon the opinions and emotions and
experiences of men results in false doctrine and heresy at worst,
faulty and inconsistent doctrine at best. The holy Scriptures, and
they alone, provide a reliable, authoritative revelation of G-d.
Though we will touch on some of the evidences for
the inspiration and infallibility of the Scriptures in this study,
the in-depth investigation of those proofs is well documented in
numerous other works. [For example: Science Speaks by Peter
W. Soner, Moody Press, Chicago, 1963; Science and the Bible
by Henry M. Morris, Moody Press, Chicago, 1986; Evidence That
Demands a Verdict (1979) and More Evidence That Demands a
Verdict (1981) by Josh McDowell, San Bernardino, Here's Life
Publishers; The Signature of G-d by Grant R. Jeffrey,
Frontier Research Publications, Toronto, 1996; Yeshua by Yacov
Rambsel, Frontier Research Publications, Toronto, 1996;
Theomatics by Jerry Lucas (need publisher information);
Reasons Skeptics Should Consider Christianity by Josh McDowell
and Don Stewart, Wheaton, Tyndale House, 1986; Why I Preach that
the Bible is Literally True by Dr. W. A. Criswell, Nashville,
Broadman Press, 1969.
The inspiration, reliability, absolute accuracy,
and final authority of the Bible is therefore the basic assumption
of this series of studies.
"The laws of methodology are as essential in the science of
systematic theology as in any other science. The theologian creates
none of his materials any more than the botanist creates the flowers
or the astronomer orders the stars. It is given to the theologian,
as to other scientists, to recognize the character of his material
and to give to it an orderly arrangement. … The importance of
ascertaining and holding the truth in its absolute purity and right
proportions cannot be overestimated. This end can be secured only by
a systematic method, a scientific attitude, and extended labor. …
the science of Systematic Theology will be incomplete and misleading
to the extent that it disregards or misinterprets any portion of the
divine revelation." [Chaffer, Lewis Sperry. Systematic Theology,
vol. 1. Dallas: Dallas Seminary Press, 1980, p. 7f.]
As we studied in our last lesson, Jesus warned us that in the
last times there would be many false teachers and false Christs in
the world. And they all have one thing in common: they all want to
be called Christian while they continue to teach their false
doctrines. They claim to value Christian morals and ethics while
they take evangelical Christian vocabulary and redefine the terms to
fit their false teachings.
They talk about G-d, about Jesus, about atonement and salvation,
even about Scripture. But in their false religions, those words have
totally different meanings than they have in the Bible. Then they
point to the redefined "God-words" they use and claim that their use
of those words make them Christian.
Bob Larson, a leading evangelical teacher of cults and false
religions, has this to say about the deviations that the cults make
from evangelical Christianity: [Larson, Bob. Larson's Book of
Cults. Wheaton: Tyndale House, 1983, p. 32f.]
Compatibility to Bible doctrine, not social
respectability and the usage of evangelical clichés, should
determine whether or not any religious body is truly Christian.
When making this evaluation, test these five areas of teaching:
(1) the attributes of G-d,
(2) the Person of Christ,
(3) the nature of man,
(4) the requirements of atonement, and
(5) the source of revelation. …
[There is] a simple, alliterative way to
concisely express the basic faults of most cults: Cults
generally:
demote G-d,
devalue Christ,
deify man,
deny sin, and
denigrate Scripture.
There are many religious groups today "which adhere to major
doctrines which are pointedly contradictory to orthodox
Christianity." These are easily identifiable by a cursory review of
their teachings, and can quite neatly be classified as cults,
according to Dr. Walter Martin's definition of a cult: [The Rise of
the Cults, p.12. Cited by Josh McDowell and Don Stewart in
Understanding the Cults. San Bernardino: Here's Life Publishers,
1982, p. 17.]
A cult, then, is a group of people polarized
around someone's interpretation of the Bible and is
characterized by major deviations from orthodox Christianity
relative to the cardinal doctrines of the Christian faith,
particularly the fact that G-d became man in Jesus Christ.
There are many other groups, however, whose
deviations from "orthodox Christianity" are more difficult to spot.
For example, within the group of those who
consider themselves "evangelical Christians" there is a major
division on the doctrine of eternal security. On one side of the
dividing line are those Christians who believe that the work of
salvation is totally dependent upon G-d, and since G-d cannot change
His mind, once they have been saved they can never lose that
salvation. On the other side of the line are many devout Christians
who reason that since salvation is dependent upon their faith, then
if they allows their faith to waiver, or demonstrates lack of faith
by a willful act of disobedience (sin), then that their salvation is
lost until their faith is regained or they have properly repented of
their sin.
The question then becomes whether what we believe
about the doctrine of eternal security, although terribly important
to our Christian liberty and our peace of mind, is in fact critical
to the fact of out salvation.
What, then, are the absolutes? What teachings
must a person positively believe in order to be saved?
The Scriptures plainly teach the tri-unity of
G-d. There are within the one G-d of the Bible three distinct
Persons who are eternally the same in substance and equal in power,
yet eternally distinct in Person and work: G-d the Father, G-d the
Son, and G-d the Holy Spirit, each of Whom is infinite, eternal,
unchangeable, omnipresent, omnipotent, omniscient, personal, and
perfect in wisdom, power, holiness, righteousness, justice,
goodness, truth, mercy, and love.
If anyone is absolutely correct in all other
points of doctrine but in error on this one point, he is hopelessly
lost because he (or she) is worshipping a G-d other than the G-d of
Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob — the G-d of the Bible.
Unlike any other religion known to man,
Christianity stands or falls on the Person of its founder. Just as
there is only one G-d of the Bible, so also is there only one Christ
of the Bible, Who was always one with G-d the Father from eternity
past. He is the Creator of everything that is created. Besides the
triune G-d, there is nothing that exists that was not created by
Christ. He has always been fully G-d and He will always be fully
G-d.
Out of love for a lost creation, He became fully
human without giving up anything of His deity. He was born of a
virgin; lived a perfect, sinless, human life; voluntarily gave up
His life to fully pay the penalty of sin for all mankind; was
crucified, died, and was buried; was resurrected from the dead and
ascended into heaven in the same body in which He died; He will
return in that same body to gather His saints, judge the world,
reign physically over all of creation; and ultimately create an
entire new heaven and earth.
Any Jesus or any Christ that does not match the
description of the Jesus of the Bible is one of the false Christs
that Jesus predicted would appear in the last days (Matthew 24:5,
23-26; Mark 13:6, 21-23; Luke 17:23; 21:8; cp. Acts 5:36). The Jesus
we serve absolutely must be the same Lord Jesus Christ presented in
the Bible, because:
-
If Jesus is not G-d, then He holds no power
to save, for only G-d can provide salvation.
-
If He is not one with the Father, then He is
a liar, for He clearly claimed deity for Himself. If He is a
liar then He surely cannot be G-d.
-
If He did not become fully human, then His
death did not satisfy the judgment of G-d against the sin of
humankind.
-
If he was not virgin-born then He inherited
the sin nature of Adam, was therefore sinful Himself, and His
death did not satisfy G-d’s requirement for a spotless
sacrifice.
-
If He sinned, then He was Himself in need of
a Savior.
-
If He did not die, then He did not pay the
penalty for sin. ("The wages of sin is death.")
-
If He was not bodily resurrected, then He
does not have the power to resurrect the saints.
-
If He did not ascend into heaven, then He
cannot return for His own.
-
If He does not return then He is a liar and
not G-d. And if He is a liar, then the Bible is a lie and
mankind has no revelation and no hope.
God created man, male and female, in His own
image. Man chose to sin against G-d, and in so doing he became
alienated from G-d and inherited a sin nature, and is totally
depraved. He possesses no spark of divine life, and, of himself, is
utterly helpless to remedy his lost condition apart from the grace
of G-d.
-
If man is in fact not sinful, then Christ's
death was for nothing and G-d has wasted an awful lot of time
and energy in providing a means of atonement. Also, if man is
not sinful, then Jesus of Nazareth is a liar, and the entire
doctrine of Christ's person is jeopardized.
-
If man does not perceive of himself as
sinful, then he likewise perceives no need of a Savior. If he
perceives no need of a Savior, then he will never turn to Christ
for salvation.
-
If man already possesses the divine life,
then he too may be a G-d; yet the G-d of the Bible expressly
states that there is no G-d besides Himself, and that His glory
he will not share with another (Exodus 8:10; Deuteronomy 4:35,
39; 13); man is not, nor ever will be, G-d (Isa. 43:10).
-
If man is able to save himself, then Christ's
death was in vain, and man must work out his own salvation by
living out his life under the letter of the Law. Since Jesus of
Nazareth was the only one to every have lived up to the Law,
then no man can ever be saved.
The Old Testament sacrifices foreshadowed the
Lamb of G-d, "slain from the foundation of the world" (Revelation
13:8), Whose shed blood would be the final sacrifice and cleansing
from sin (1 John 1:7). Man, whose sinful rebellion has separated him
from G-d, can now have "peace through the blood of His cross"
(Colossians 1:20) and be "reconciled to G-d" (2 Corinthians 5:19)
because of His vicarious, substitutionary death.
For anyone who agrees with the essential elements
of the biblical doctrines of the Person of Christ and the Nature of
Man, the scriptural description of the atonement is the only means
by which sinful man can become reconciled to a Holy G-d. To reject
the doctrine of Atonement requires one to reject both the doctrines
of Christ and of Man.
Since our only reliable source of revelation is
the Bible, then we must look to the Bible to see what it claims for
itself. It claims that it is the Word of G-d, inspired (that is,
G-d-breathed), inerrant, complete (Deuteronomy 4:2; Proverbs 30:6;
Revelation 22:18, 19), and the only infallible rule of faith. It
reveals the origin and destiny of all things; records G-d’s dealings
with mankind in the past, present, and future; and focuses on the
Person and Work of Jesus Christ. The Bible inspires faith (Romans
10:17) and will make men "wise unto salvation" (2 Timothy 3:15).
The greatest possible evidence we can have for
the infallibility of Scripture is the fulfillment of Biblical
prophecy (Jeremiah 28:1-17; Hebrews 1:1-2:4). G-d places His
reputation on the line with Biblical prophecy. G-d requires absolute
accuracy from a prophet, and declares that if a single thing spoken
by a prophet in the name of the LORD fails to come to
pass, then everything that the prophet has ever said must be
disregarded (Deuteronomy 18:22, literal). By that criteria, if the
Bible claims to be the Word of G-d (and it does), then one single
error in the entire canon of Scripture would require us to discard
the entire Bible.
Therefore, by its own testimony, the Bible
declares that the Christian must accept the entire Bible ("every jot
and tittle") or must discard it entirely. That being the case, then
all other "revelation" must be weighed and evaluated in light of the
Bible.
These past few paragraphs, I believe, demonstrate
how terribly important it is for the Christian to have a firm grasp
of the essentials of Bible doctrine. Jesus plainly said: "I am the
way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father, but
through Me" (John 14:6). With the world full of false Christs, our
eternal destiny depends upon our ability to recognize the only true
Christ. And we can only recognize Him from among the impostors when
we know what the Bible says about Him.
We are about to embark upon a detailed tour of
all the major teachings of the Bible. As with any tour, it's nice to
have some kind of an idea of where we're going and what we can
expect to see when we get there.
This section of our study is like taking a brief
preview of our travel plans. We're planning an extended tour of a
beautiful, wonderful, and exiting country called Bible Doctrine.
That country is divided into states called
"doctrines." These states have names like The Doctrine of the Bible,
The Doctrine of G-d, The Doctrine of Angels, The Doctrine of Man,
and The Doctrine of Salvation.
Each of those states is further divided into
counties. For example the state called The Doctrine of Angels has
two counties: Holy Angels County and Fallen Angels County. The state
called The Doctrine of Salvation also has three counties: Atonement
County, Sanctification County, and Security County.
Each of those counties is further divided into
cities, towns, and villages, and so forth. In each of those cities,
towns, and villages there are a lot of fascinating places to visit
like museums, art galleries, souvenir shops, parks, and restaurants.
As Christians, we spend our entire lives living
in and traveling around this country called Bible Doctrine. Most of
us are pretty familiar with the area of the country where we live
and work. But we get so busy we don't take the time to visit places
right in our home town, like the Oil and Gas Museum, or
Blennerhassett Island, or North Bend State Park. And from time to
time we'll be driving down the Interstate and we'll look off to our
right and see a sleepy little village snuggled back in between the
hills. And we'll say to ourselves, One of these days when we're not
in such a hurry, we ought to pull off the Interstate and drive
through that village.
In this preview we won't take the time to go into
detail about all of the things we plan to see in all of the villages
we visit, but it should be kind of fun to just take out the map and
look at it for a little while.
While we're only planning our trip, we don't need
to go into a lot of detail. So in this overview of Bible doctrine,
we're not going to take the time to look up all the Scriptures to
support these doctrines. But believe me, when we stop to study each
doctrine in detail, we will be spending a lot of time in the
Scriptures.
The Bible is the literal written Word of G-d,
absolutely accurate and without any form of error in relation to any
subject with which it deals. The Bible was "breathed out" by G-d,
who directed specially prepared men to write down what they heard
from Him.
While allowing the human authors to bring their
own unique personalities and experiences with them to the task of
writing His word, G-d the Holy Spirit so directed the effort that
those men recorded the exact message that G-d intended to be
recorded, down to the very spelling of every word they recorded.
The same Holy Spirit who inspired and directed
the writing of the original autographs (the hand-written original
documents) has also preserved His word in such a manner that we can
be sure that the Bible we have today is of the same inerrancy and
authority as the actual parchments that the prophets originally
wrote.
The Bible can be properly interpreted only
through the enlightenment of the Holy Spirit and is to be understood
in its natural, historical, grammatical, and intended sense. It is
to be accepted as the full and final authority over Christian faith
and conduct.
Since the Bible is without error in any of its
parts, the creation account as described in the first two chapters
of the book of Genesis is to be accepted as factual, historical, and
perspicuous; all things in the universe were spoken into existence
from nothing by G-d in the six days of special creation. That this
knowledge is foundational in the understanding of every fact and
phenomenon in the created universe.
In His progressive revelation, G-d has entrusted
man with varying responsibilities in successive periods, or
dispensations. These dispensations are divine testing periods in
which the failure of man is consistently seen. Although these
dispensations span the history of mankind, seven are the subject of
extended revelation in Scripture: Innocence, Conscience, Human
Government, Promise, Law, Grace, and the coming age of the Kingdom.
Proper interpretation of the Sacred Text in its appropriate
historical context depends upon the understanding of this principle.
Although we will deal more in depth with this
subject later in our study, a brief interjection at this point is
important. There are some who reject the idea of dispensational
revelation because they erroneously believe that it means that "God
is capricious and changes his mind." Nothing could be further from
the truth. "God is the same yesterday, today, and forever." "In him
there is no shadow caused from turning." In fact, anybody who
accepts both the "Old Testament" and the "New Testament" as equally
valid Scripture is, in fact, admitting to at least two
dispensations.
As someone as said, "The New is in the Old
concealed; the Old is in the New revealed." The "New Testament"
simply continues G-d’s revelation and builds upon the foundation
laid in the "Old Testament."
And so it is with the various dispensations. Each
builds upon the previous, "line upon line, precept upon precept."
This concept will be fully developed when we approach our study of
the Doctrine of the Bible (Bibliology).
There is only one living and true G-d, an
infinite and intelligent Spirit Who is the source of all being and
meaning, and Who is absolutely sovereign over all His creation.
Though the word "Trinity" appears nowhere in the Bible, the
Scriptures clearly teach that the one indivisible G-d eternally
exists as G-d the Father, G-d the Son, and G-d the Holy Spirit, one
in essence and attributes, yet three in distinct Person, work, and
purpose. Each Person of the G-dhead is infinite, eternal,
unchangeable, omnipresent, omnipotent, omniscient, personal, and
perfect in wisdom, power, holiness, righteousness, justice,
goodness, truth, mercy, and love. These are the very characteristics
of deity and are called the attributes of G-d. These attributes
apply equally to all three Persons of the Trinity.
The Father is all the fulness
of the G-dhead invisible, John 1:18; the Son is all the fulness
of the G-dhead manifested, John 1:14-18; the Spirit is all the
fulness of the G-dhead acting immediately upon the creature, 1 Cor.
2:9, 10. [Boardman. Cited by William Evans in The Great
Doctrines of the Bible, Chicago: Moody Press, 1912, p. 28.]
Jesus Christ is the second Person of the divine
G-dhead, Who always has been and always will be fully G-d. He is
just as much G-d as though He had never become man, and just as much
man as though He had never been G-d. He created, upholds, and
sustains the entire universe solely through the power of His
sovereign will. In order to redeem both man and creation, and
without either permanent or temporary loss of any of His divine
attributes, He became also fully man. He was conceived of the Holy
Spirit, born of the virgin Mary, lived a perfect and sinless life.
He was crucified, He died, and He was buried in a sealed tomb for
three days and three nights. His death was voluntary, vicarious,
substitutionary, propitiatory, and totally accomplished the work of
providing redemption for both mankind and for all of creation.
He descended into Sheol, the abode of the dead,
where He announced His victory over sin and death to both the
righteous and the unrighteous dead and to the fallen angels who were
then and are now being held in chains. He was literally and bodily
resurrected from the dead, He ascended into heaven and now,
glorified, He sits at the right hand of G-d the Father where He
carries out His ministry of intercession on our behalf. The Bible
clearly teaches His pre-Tribulational and pre-Millennial return for
the Church, His literal, bodily return to reign physically on the
earth for a thousand years, and His ultimate judgment over the
living and the dead.
The Holy Spirit is a divine Person, possessing
all of the attributes of deity. He is therefore fully G-d, and is
therefore coequal with the Father and the Son. With both the Father
and the Son, He was an active agent in the creation.
He is the Supernatural Agent in regeneration and
sanctification, baptizing all believers into the Body of Christ (the
Church), equally and permanently indwelling every believer, and
sealing them unto the day of redemption.
He is the Divine Teacher, Who inspired and
superintended the writing of Scripture, Who illuminates the
interpretation of Scripture, and Who guides believers into all
truth.
It is the privilege and duty of all the saved to
be filled with and controlled by the Holy Spirit. Each believer, at
the moment of salvation, is endowed by the Holy Spirit with one or
more special gifts (abilities) through which he or she is equipped
to minister to the Body of Christ for the work of the ministry.
During the period in which the New Testament was
being written and compiled, the Holy Spirit used certain "sign
gifts" (notably speaking and translating unlearned human languages,
speaking forth new revelation, and the working of miracles "on
demand") to confirm the message of the Apostles. Since the
completion of the Canon of Scripture and the cessation of all new
revelation, those "sign gifts" are no longer necessary or
appropriate for common practice within the Church today. However,
G-d is the Sovereign LORD Who still heals, Who still
performs miracles, and Who, on occasion, brings His message of
redemption to unbelievers through human languages that the speaker
has never studied.
Angels are created beings, not any form of deity.
They were created by G-d to serve and worship Him, and for that
purpose they are organized into different ranks and orders. Though
all angels were originally created holy, there was a revolution in
heaven and there are now both holy and fallen angels. Fallen angels
seek the worship of men in order to take that which belongs only to
G-d. Holy angels do not allow themselves to be worshipped, for only
G-d is worthy of worship.
Holy angels are "ministering spirits, sent out to
render service for the sake of those who will inherit salvation"
(Hebrews 1:14). They ministered extensively to Christ during His
earthly life and ministry, and are involved in a general ministry to
believers. Toward unbelievers, angels announce impending judgments,
and will be actively involved in the judgments of the Great
Tribulation.
Originally know as Lucifer the Light-Bringer,
Satan the Deceiver is an angel, a cherub of the highest rank of all
angelic creatures. He sinned through the pride of self-will, led a
revolutionary war in heaven, and was cast out of heaven along with
one-third of the angelic host, who had joined in his revolution. He
thereby became the author of sin and the cause of the fall of man.
He is the open and declared enemy of G-d and man, and with his
fallen angels (demons) is in a state of present and open warfare
against G-d and His saints; they will be eternally punished in the
Lake of Fire.
Man was originally created in the image of G-d,
by G-d’s own hand and not by any process of evolution or natural
selection, and was given the authority and ability to exercise
dominion over the created world. Adam chose to disobey G-d, and
because of his disobedience, Adam, all of his descendants, and all
of his entire dominion fell under G-d’s curse. Sin, sickness, and
death entered the world.
Man became alienated from G-d and inherited a sin
nature, and is therefore totally depraved, without the slightest
measure personal merit, possesses no spark of divine life and, of
himself, is utterly helpless to remedy his lost condition apart from
the grace of G-d.
The word "sin" is an archery term which means "to
miss the mark." Since the target is the perfect example set by
Christ, that is, the very nature of G-d Himself, then anything that
falls short of that goal misses the mark and is by definition sin.
There are two classifications of sin: original (imputed) sin, that
sin nature which every man inherits from his father Adam, and
personal sin, the individual choices each man makes to either
willfully or ignorantly disobey G-d.
The penalty for sin is separation from
fellowship, which takes one or more of three forms: separation from
G-d (spiritual death); separation from the Body of Christ through
discipline and "excommunication," and separation from man and from
the physical body through physical death. The physical illness and
death of all earthly creatures is the direct result of Adam's sin.
Salvation is the free gift of G-d brought to
sinful man by the unconditional grace of G-d and received solely by
faith in the LORD Jesus Christ (Rebbe Yeshua
HaMashiach), Who accomplished complete redemption by His
substitutionary death and shedding of His precious blood and His
bodily resurrection. Salvation comes by faith alone in the Person
and work of Christ, plus nothing else! Because of his total
depravity, man does not possess even the weakest spark of saving
faith, and so it also is provided as the gift of G-d. Man therefore
is not in any way a participant in his salvation, only the recipient
of the unmerited grace of G-d.
Directly associated with salvation,
sanctification is a setting apart of redeemed man unto G-d for His
purpose. Sanctification consists of three steps or stages in the
believer's life: positional sanctification, progressive
sanctification, and ultimate sanctification.
Every believer, by virtue of his or her position
"in Christ" and thus partaking of all that He is, has a complete
standing before G-d. Yet every believer, because he retains a sin
nature which cannot be changed nor eradicated in this life, lives in
a present state that is imperfect to the extent that he fails to
appropriate the power of the Holy Spirit by which to live the
Christian life, and is therefore in need of a progressive
sanctification by growing in grace unto spiritual maturity. Every
believer will be fully and completely sanctified when we shall see
the LORD and shall be like Him.
Because of the eternal promise of G-d, because of
the nature of the Word and promise of G-d, because of the
immutability of the unchangeable covenants of G-d, and because
salvation and sanctification are all the work of G-d and none of the
work of man, every redeemed, blood-bought, regenerate, and
sanctified child of G-d has entered into a relational covenant with
G-d, is permanently indwelt by the Holy Spirit, and is constantly
interceded for by Christ. He or she is therefore absolutely secure
in Christ forever.
The true and universal Church is the Body and
Bride of Christ. It is a spiritual organism, of which Christ is the
Head, made up of all born-again persons of the present age, Jew and
Gentile alike. The establishment and continuity of local churches is
clearly taught and defined in the New Testament, in that the members
of the one spiritual Body are directed to associate themselves
together in local assemblies. As local manifestations of the true
and universal Body of Christ, local churches should willingly
cooperate with each other for the presentation and propagation of
the true faith.
The one supreme authority for the Church is the LORD
Jesus Christ, and the order, discipline, and worship of the local
assembly are appointed through His sovereignty. The
biblically-designated shepherds who serve directly under Christ and
immediately over the assembly are called Elders (also called
Bishops, Overseers, or Pastors).
The local church is to be composed solely of true
believers, autonomous and free from any external authority or
control, with the right of self-government and freedom from the
interference of any hierarchy of individuals or organizations. Each
local church, through its Elders and their interpretation and
application of the Scriptures, is the sole judge of the measure and
method of its cooperation as well as on all matters of membership,
policy, discipline, benevolence, and government [remembering that no
prophecy of Scripture is a matter of one's own interpretation
without the illumination of the Holy Spirit (1 Peter 1:20)].
Although every member of the Body of Christ is
called to be a diakonoV, diakonos,
a servant, there are to be men specifically appointed as Deacons
(Servants) within each local assembly to look after the physical
needs of the members of that assembly. This enables the Elders to
concentrate on their primary responsibility of prayer and ministry
of the Word (Acts 6:4). Although the Scriptures ascribe no spiritual
authority to these Deacons, it is clear that they are to be
spiritual examples and assist the Elders in the ministry to the
Body. Both Elders and Deacons must meet rigid spiritual
qualifications, and G-d will hold them strictly accountable for
their actions within the church.
There are two ordinances, or sacraments, of the
church: baptism by immersion (mikvah) and the LORD's
Supper.
Because it was the practice of the Apostles to
immerse (perform
mikvah upon) believers upon their confession of faith, it is
appropriate for all new believers to be immersed in water as a
public testimony of their faith. The act of baptism is in no way a
condition of salvation, nor any part of the salvation process, but
rather an outward demonstration of the inner change which has
already taken place in the life and heart of the believer, and a
symbol of identification with the Body of Christ. [Click
here for a study of Christian baptism.]
The LORD's Supper is an acted-out
memorial sermon in which the Church shares in the body and blood of
Christ. It looks back on His life and death, and looks forward to
His soon return. Following a period of careful self-examination, the
LORD's table should be open to all who are in the
Body of Christ.
The rule for giving the Church is that the needy
be provided for, that the work of the ministry be adequately
supported, and that the Elders derive their livelihood from the
ministry of the Word. Christian giving is therefore to be done:
(1) regularly on Sunday; (2) into a private fund ("put aside") at
home from which fund he makes distributions; and (3) in proportion
to G-d’s prospering. Every believer should be a faithful steward of
all his or her resources (time, talent, and finances) for the
furtherance of the Gospel at home and abroad.
The Scriptures teach the pre-Tribulational and
pre-Millennial Rapture of the Church, at which time all who have
died "in Christ" will be resurrected and reunited with their bodies.
The Lord Jesus will return "in the clouds" and in an instant all
living and resurrected Christians will be changed to their glorified
condition and will rise up to meet the Lord in the air. With the
Lord they will return to Heaven where Christ will bestow His rewards
upon all faithful Christians for their service while in the world.
The translation of the Church will be immediately
followed on earth by the fulfillment of "Daniel's seventieth week,"
during which the Church, the Bride and Body of Christ, will be in
heaven with Him. This entire period of seven years will be a time of
G-d’s righteous judgment on the whole unbelieving earth.
At the beginning of the Tribulation Period, there
will arise a world leader who will enter into a treaty with Israel
which will guarantee them peace and safety, at least within the city
of Jerusalem, the Temple will be re-built and Temple worship with
the complete sacrificial system will be re-established. During this
period there will be 12,000 "missionaries" from each of Israel's
families or "tribes"-a total of 144,000-who come preaching the
return of Christ and the establishment of the Kingdom. They will be
"sealed" by the Lord so that no harm may come to them for three and
one-half years.
At that same time there will also be two powerful
prophets ministering in Israel. Some teach that these two prophets
will be Moses and Elijah, others that they will be Enoch and Elijah.
But this is a matter of speculation, because they are not
specifically named in the Scriptures. They will prophesy for three
and one-half years, at the end of which they will be killed and left
to lie in the streets of Jerusalem for three and a half days. They
will then be resurrected and taken up into heaven in plain view of
the entire world.
After that, the world leader break his treaty
with Israel. He will enter the temple and demand that he be
worshipped as G-d. He will consolidate all the governments of the
earth under his power, and will appoint a religious leader over all
the religions of the world, which will then worship this new
emperor. This marks the beginning of the last half of the
Tribulation period known as the Great Tribulation, during which
there will be unimaginable world-wide financial collapse, wars,
plagues, famines, and natural disasters, resulting in the death of
most of life on earth.
The period of Great Tribulation on the earth will
be climaxed by the return of the LORD Jesus Christ to
the earth just as He went, in Person and in the body in which He was
crucified, now glorified, coming on the clouds of heaven, and with
power and great glory to introduce the Millennial Kingdom Age, to
bind Satan and place him in the abyss, to lift the curse which now
rests on the whole creation, to restore Israel to her own land and
to give her the realization of G-d’s covenant promises, to bring the
whole world to the knowledge of G-d, and to personally reign over
the whole earth for a thousand years.
Following the release of Satan at the end of the
Millennium, he will again deceive the nations of the earth and
gather them to battle against the saints and against Jerusalem,
where they will be destroyed by fire from heaven.
Satan will then be cast into the lake of fire,
where the Beast and the False Prophet live in eternal torment. All
of the remaining dead will then be resurrected to stand before the
Great White Throne, where the books of their lives will be opened
and they will be judged according to their deeds. But regardless of
their deeds, "since not one was found ever having been written in
the Book of Life, he was cast into the lake of fire"
(Revelation 20:15, literal), where they will experience eternal
conscious torment.
The elements of the earth will then be dissolved
with a great rushing sound and G-d will create a completely new
heaven and earth. The new Jerusalem will come down out of heaven and
will be the eternal dwelling place for all (and only) those whose
names are written in the Lamb's Book of Life, where they will enjoy
eternal fellowship with G-d and with one another. Having fulfilled
His redemptive mission, the LORD Jesus Christ will
then deliver up the kingdom to G-d the Father.
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Friday, October 24, 2008
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