DOCTRINES OF FAITH
Doctrine 14 / 36: The Will of God
There is a universal will for all creatures that God has - to bring Him pleasure (Revelation 4:11). The question becomes, what can His creation to in order to bring about that goal? Beyond this universal, general will, there is also a specific will or plan that God has for everyone as well.
There are seven items mentioned in the New Testament that are said to be God's will for people (First Bible Baptist Church 7:3). These things are universal. These things do not apply only to certain people or groups, but to everyone. They are:
1) Salvation: God is not willing that any should perish (2 Peter 3:9), and His will is that all men be saved (1 Timothy 2:4). This first item is necessary before any of the following items can be achieved. Salvation is the first step to bring pleasure to God.
2) Spirit-Filled: God desires that all men be filled with the Holy Spirit (Ephesians 5:17-18). However, as was mentioned, a man must be saved before he can walk in the Spirit and be Spirit-filled. God desires that all men live their lives in submission to the Spirit's lead.
3) Thankful: Perhaps this item would be left off of most lists made by people that sit down and think of what God's will is, but God makes it plain, "In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you" (1 Thessalonians 5:18). God wants people to be thankful for whatever situation comes their way.
4) Sanctification: God's will for the person who gets saved is not that he would simply remain the same person as he was. God wants the Christian constantly to grow and to become more set apart, sanctified, for God's use (1 Thessalonians 4:3). Contained in this teaching is that Christians are to refrain from sin. Paul says in 1 Thessalonians 4:3, "For this is the will of God, even your sanctification, that ye should abstain from fornication." There is to be a real change in a person's life, where he becomes transformed by the renewing of his mind (Romans 12:1-2).
5) Submissive Servant: One of the amazing characteristics of Jesus Christ was that He humbled Himself and lived a lowly life on earth. Many American Christians today want to have no part in that humility, but rather to be exalted and to retain their perceived rights. Throughout the Scriptures, God tells His people to be submissive, humble, and in particular He says to do it in the master/slave, or employer/employee relationship (Ephesians 6:4-6; 1 Peter 2:13-15).
6) Conformation to the Image of Christ: Ultimately, God has predestined His children to be conformed to the image of Jesus Christ. This entails being completely free from sin, and having a perfect being to please God (Romans 8:29; John 17:20-23). This will only be completed after Christ comes back to call His saints home.
7) Suffering: There are times in a Christian's life that he will have to suffer. It is taught that everyone that desires to live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution (2 Timothy 3:12). God has a divine purpose for suffering, and it is His will that at times the Christian learn by having to go through suffering (1 Peter 4:19).
The above seven things are parts of the will of God that He has for all men. But how can a Christian find out what specific course of action, or life work he should be doing? How can a Christian know what God's plan is for his life?
1) Accordance with the revealed will of God: First of all, while seeking what God's plan is for his life, a Christian ought to pass the decision through the universal will of God. That is, if the decision to be made would cause a person to participate in sin, then it is violating the will of God of sanctification. Therefore he can be sure that God's plan is not for him to participate in that. God's plan for the Christian's life will always be in accordance with what He declares in Scripture. A Christian does not have to ask or wonder whether or not God wants him to do something sinful. He does not.
2) Inner comfort: After the decision has been passed through the filter of the universal will of God, the second question is whether or not the Christian has inner peace about it. Psalm 37:4 says, "Delight thyself also in the LORD; and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart." That is, when a Christian is truly looking to do things to bring God pleasure, God will give that person the desires that he should have. Even if the decision requires suffering or persecution, the man can have comfort inside knowing that it is for God's glory. Time of real communion with God through Bible reading and prayer are necessary to make sure this is comfort from God.
3) Open Doors: When God wants His people to do something, He will open the doors to allow it to happen. Whether it is providing finances for the task, providing laborers, or whatever is needed, God will make sure that the resources are there and the opportunity is present to accomplish His will. At the same time, there will be occasions where God does not want a course of action to be taken, and He may close doors. In Acts 16:6, the Holy Ghost forbade Paul and his company to preach in a certain area. That was in accordance to the universal will of God, yet God did not want it done at that time in that place, and so He closed the door.
4) Wise Counsel: "Where no counsel is, the people fall: but in the multitude of counsellors there is safety" (Proverbs 11:14). The fourth thing, through which to pass the question of God's plan for a Christian's life, is whether or not it is in accordance with or opposition to the counsel of other godly and wise counsellors. God has put people in the Christian's life to help give advice and counsel, and the submissive servant ought to give weight to it.
The first way to find God's plan for the Christian's life is as plain as the Bible. It is plainly stated, and need not be questioned. However, the other three areas can not be adhered to by themselves. Because the Christian still has his old man with which he struggles, having inner comfort about something may be the flesh's desire, not the Spirit. The heart is deceitful above all things (Jeremiah 17:9), and care must be given that the desire is the Spirit's, not the flesh's. Open doors also can be deceiving. It may be that God is trying the Christian to see if they will jump at the first opportunity, or if they will truly seek God's face and direction. And even wise counsellors can be deceived. However, when the four areas line up, and the decision is in line with God's word, there is an inner comfort, the doors are open, and the wise counsel is in agreement, then the Christian can be very confident that it is God's plan for his life.
"In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths."
Works Cited:First Bible Baptist Church, Discipleship, 18 vols. New York: First Bible Baptist Church
Monday, March 31, 2008
Thesis 13/36: Sin
DOCTRINES OF FAITH
Doctrine 13 / 36: Sin
Sin is the violation of God's law (1 John 3:4). God did not give His law for the purpose of showing a man how to live right, but rather to show man that he does not live right (Romans 3:20). It is evident through Scripture and through experience that all men violate that law of God. Even if a person does not know what the Bible says, God's word, they still have the moral law of God written on their hearts. So that even when they do wrong, it is a conscious violation of God's law. This law on their hearts is their conscience (Romans 2:14-15).
When God first created man, He created him in His own image. He did not create Adam with sin, or with a sinful nature. The very first sin recorded in the Bible is in Genesis 3 when Adam, knowing what God's law was concerning the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, decided that he was going to eat of the tree anyway. Thus, by this one act, sin entered into the world, and caused death to both him and all of his offspring (Roman 5:12, 18). That offspring, which is all of the human race, has been made in the image of Adam (Genesis 5:3). That image is a marred image of the perfect, sinless image that God had made. Therefore, all of mankind has a natural inclination and propensity to sin.
When a man is born again, God takes away the penalty which that person's sin deserves, eternal death. However, Bible and experience teaches that even after a man has been saved, he still sins. This is because the saved man still has his old nature, the flesh, as a part of him. Paul speaks of this war that goes on in the Christian between the flesh and the Spirit in Romans 7. He speaks of how he does the things that he does not want to do, and that he does not the things that he wants to do. This struggle is specifically stated in Galatians 5:17: "For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary the one to the other: so that ye cannot do the things that ye would."
How then is a man to win this war and cease from sin? Romans 6:6 says that the old man is crucified with Christ, so that the body of sin should be destroyed; 5 verses later he exhorts the Christian, "Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ or Lord" (Romans 6:11). The Christian is to remember that the purpose Christ came and died was to take away our sins (1 John 3:5), and while contemplating on this thought, he is to consider himself dead to those sins, looking to Christ and remembering His work. The more a Christian contemplates on the fact that Christ died for his sins, it will move him to sin less.
Once the Christian realizes that the Christian life is a constant battle between the flesh and the Spirit, what can he do to win the battle? Galatians 5 gives the answer in principle, "Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh" (Galatians 5:17). If a person tends to please the flesh more than the spirit, then he is walking in the flesh and will end up sinning. However, if a person denies his self, his flesh, and walks in communion with God, recognizing the indwelling presence of the Spirit of God, then he will be walking in the Spirit and fulfilling the lust of the flesh.
A stumbling block over which a man can trip is the law. If a man recognizes his sin, and says that he will simply try to obey the law, he will fail. That is because the law tends to the flesh - it is an external thing. To truly obey the law, the change must come from the inside, from the Spirit. This is not to say that a man should not do external things to prevent sin. A man should take precautions to avoid putting himself in a place in which temptation will be strong. That is, a man that has a liking for alcohol, ought not to visit the bar.
Jesus answered the temptations that were presented to him by memorizing and bringing to the forefront Scriptures that dealt with the specific temptations (Luke 4:1-13). It would be wise for a Christian struggling with a specific sin to find Scripture that will help him deal with that sin, memorize it, and quote it when the temptation is recognized.
"God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able."
Doctrine 13 / 36: Sin
Sin is the violation of God's law (1 John 3:4). God did not give His law for the purpose of showing a man how to live right, but rather to show man that he does not live right (Romans 3:20). It is evident through Scripture and through experience that all men violate that law of God. Even if a person does not know what the Bible says, God's word, they still have the moral law of God written on their hearts. So that even when they do wrong, it is a conscious violation of God's law. This law on their hearts is their conscience (Romans 2:14-15).
When God first created man, He created him in His own image. He did not create Adam with sin, or with a sinful nature. The very first sin recorded in the Bible is in Genesis 3 when Adam, knowing what God's law was concerning the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, decided that he was going to eat of the tree anyway. Thus, by this one act, sin entered into the world, and caused death to both him and all of his offspring (Roman 5:12, 18). That offspring, which is all of the human race, has been made in the image of Adam (Genesis 5:3). That image is a marred image of the perfect, sinless image that God had made. Therefore, all of mankind has a natural inclination and propensity to sin.
When a man is born again, God takes away the penalty which that person's sin deserves, eternal death. However, Bible and experience teaches that even after a man has been saved, he still sins. This is because the saved man still has his old nature, the flesh, as a part of him. Paul speaks of this war that goes on in the Christian between the flesh and the Spirit in Romans 7. He speaks of how he does the things that he does not want to do, and that he does not the things that he wants to do. This struggle is specifically stated in Galatians 5:17: "For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary the one to the other: so that ye cannot do the things that ye would."
How then is a man to win this war and cease from sin? Romans 6:6 says that the old man is crucified with Christ, so that the body of sin should be destroyed; 5 verses later he exhorts the Christian, "Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ or Lord" (Romans 6:11). The Christian is to remember that the purpose Christ came and died was to take away our sins (1 John 3:5), and while contemplating on this thought, he is to consider himself dead to those sins, looking to Christ and remembering His work. The more a Christian contemplates on the fact that Christ died for his sins, it will move him to sin less.
Once the Christian realizes that the Christian life is a constant battle between the flesh and the Spirit, what can he do to win the battle? Galatians 5 gives the answer in principle, "Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh" (Galatians 5:17). If a person tends to please the flesh more than the spirit, then he is walking in the flesh and will end up sinning. However, if a person denies his self, his flesh, and walks in communion with God, recognizing the indwelling presence of the Spirit of God, then he will be walking in the Spirit and fulfilling the lust of the flesh.
A stumbling block over which a man can trip is the law. If a man recognizes his sin, and says that he will simply try to obey the law, he will fail. That is because the law tends to the flesh - it is an external thing. To truly obey the law, the change must come from the inside, from the Spirit. This is not to say that a man should not do external things to prevent sin. A man should take precautions to avoid putting himself in a place in which temptation will be strong. That is, a man that has a liking for alcohol, ought not to visit the bar.
Jesus answered the temptations that were presented to him by memorizing and bringing to the forefront Scriptures that dealt with the specific temptations (Luke 4:1-13). It would be wise for a Christian struggling with a specific sin to find Scripture that will help him deal with that sin, memorize it, and quote it when the temptation is recognized.
"God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able."
Saturday, March 29, 2008
Thesis 12/36: Relation of Old Testament Law to the Christian
DOCTRINES OF FAITH
Doctrine 12 / 36: Relation of the Old Testament Law to the Christian
"Thou shalt not" is the phrase most recognizable as being a part of the Ten Commandments. The Ten Commandments, found in Exodus 20, were just the beginning of a much greater set of commandments that God gave to His people. A sampling of these many commandments given are: no murder (Exodus 20:13); no stealing (Exodus 20:15); no homosexuality (Leviticus 18:22); adulterers are to be put to death (Leviticus 20:9); the land is to rest and not be sowed every seventh year (Leviticus 25:4); anyone that curses father or mother is to be put to death. On top of these types of commandments there were restrictions placed on the kinds of food people could eat, the types and frequencies of animal sacrifices that needed to be offered, and other restrictions and commandments.
There are a couple of different trains of thought as to what application these commandments in the Old Testament have for the New Testament believer. There is an antinomian understanding, a traditional division of the laws, a position in which the New Testament changes some of the laws, and what I believe to be the most consistently biblical, the position in which the New Testament law replaces the Old Testament law, yet the Old Testament contains principles that need to be learned.
The antinomian position is based upon verses such as Galatians 2:21: "I do not frustrate the grace of God: for if righteousness come by the law, then Christ is dead in vain"; and also Romans 6:14: "For sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under the law, but under grace." The antinomian position teaches that Christ has freed mankind from being bound to the law. It teaches that a person now simply puts their faith in Christ, and he is then free to live in whatever manner he sees fit. He is no longer under the law, so there is nothing he can do that would be sin. The problem with this position is that Jesus said, "If ye love me, keep my commandments" (John 14:15). I John 2:4 makes it even stronger when John writes, "He that saith, I know him, and keepeth not his commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him." If God has totally removed the Christian from being under any law to God, then these verses are meaningless.
The traditional position of this subject divides all of the laws of the Old Testament into three distinct categories. There are the civil laws, the ceremonial laws, and the moral laws. The civil laws were laws that God gave to the children of Israel to help them govern themselves. Included in the civil laws would be those that determine the penalty for certain crimes. The ceremonial laws were those laws that had to do with the religious ceremony of the Old Covenant. These laws would include the animal sacrifices, and the special feasts of Israel where all Jewish men had to go to Jerusalem three times in a year. According to this position, the civil and ceremonial laws were done away with Christ when the veil rent in the temple at His death, and He became the ultimate sacrifice. The third division of Old Testament laws are the moral laws. The moral laws are those laws that transcend all of time, and would include the Ten Commandments. The major problem with the idea of the three divisions of laws is that the Bible does not divide them. That is, the Bible never distinguishes certain laws of the Old Testament as being civil laws, yet to violate them is not immoral. It never says that certain of the laws are ceremonial versus civil, etc. Man's tradition and reason has attempted to break up all of the law into these groups, and therefore they are not God's divisions.
The third position which could be taken is that of accepting the entire Old Testament law as it is, and only replacing or updating those laws which have been explicitly changed in the New Testament. For example, 1 Corinthians 5:7 declares that Christ is the Passover. Therefore, the laws for the Passover feasts are no longer laws that need to be followed by believers. Acts 10, when Peter is told to eat of the animals on the sheet, which God in the Old Testament demanded them not to eat, is another example of laws that were overturned. When a law has not been overturned from the Old Testament, then it still stand in full force. Those who claim to believe this doctrine end up being inconsistent to some degree in their application of it. For example, many of the so-called civil laws of the Old Testament were never overturned. Therefore, any of those that hold this belief, ought to stone their child if he becomes rebellious; they are to stone a child if he curses mother or father. And even the mixing of materials in clothing is a law that has not been overturned.
The correct understanding of the role of the Old Testament law for the Christian is that the Old Testament teaches the Christian about the character and nature of God, and how important holiness needs to be for God's people. It can help define some of the meanings of things, or principles which should be followed. However, the commands of the Old Testament were just that, commands given under a covenant which God made with Israel. A Christian is not without law, as all of the commandments that Jesus gave for His church, and all of the commandments in the Epistles during the Church Age, were commandments given for the believer. A Christian is not antinomian, however as those verses in Galatians and Romans clarified, the Christian is not under the Old Covenant's laws. The laws in the Old Testament can demonstrate God's expectations. For example, 1 Corinthians 6:9 says that fornicators shall not inherit the kingdom of God. This is a New Testament command to abstain from fornication. However, in the Old Testament, specifically Leviticus 18, God states what His standards are for fornication. It includes homosexuality, bestiality, incest, etc. The Christian is not obligated to obey those laws because they are found in Leviticus, but because they are found in the New Testament. The Old Testament was "written for our learning" (Romans 15:4), but that does not mean that they are laws still binding for the Christian.
"For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death."
Doctrine 12 / 36: Relation of the Old Testament Law to the Christian
"Thou shalt not" is the phrase most recognizable as being a part of the Ten Commandments. The Ten Commandments, found in Exodus 20, were just the beginning of a much greater set of commandments that God gave to His people. A sampling of these many commandments given are: no murder (Exodus 20:13); no stealing (Exodus 20:15); no homosexuality (Leviticus 18:22); adulterers are to be put to death (Leviticus 20:9); the land is to rest and not be sowed every seventh year (Leviticus 25:4); anyone that curses father or mother is to be put to death. On top of these types of commandments there were restrictions placed on the kinds of food people could eat, the types and frequencies of animal sacrifices that needed to be offered, and other restrictions and commandments.
There are a couple of different trains of thought as to what application these commandments in the Old Testament have for the New Testament believer. There is an antinomian understanding, a traditional division of the laws, a position in which the New Testament changes some of the laws, and what I believe to be the most consistently biblical, the position in which the New Testament law replaces the Old Testament law, yet the Old Testament contains principles that need to be learned.
The antinomian position is based upon verses such as Galatians 2:21: "I do not frustrate the grace of God: for if righteousness come by the law, then Christ is dead in vain"; and also Romans 6:14: "For sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under the law, but under grace." The antinomian position teaches that Christ has freed mankind from being bound to the law. It teaches that a person now simply puts their faith in Christ, and he is then free to live in whatever manner he sees fit. He is no longer under the law, so there is nothing he can do that would be sin. The problem with this position is that Jesus said, "If ye love me, keep my commandments" (John 14:15). I John 2:4 makes it even stronger when John writes, "He that saith, I know him, and keepeth not his commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him." If God has totally removed the Christian from being under any law to God, then these verses are meaningless.
The traditional position of this subject divides all of the laws of the Old Testament into three distinct categories. There are the civil laws, the ceremonial laws, and the moral laws. The civil laws were laws that God gave to the children of Israel to help them govern themselves. Included in the civil laws would be those that determine the penalty for certain crimes. The ceremonial laws were those laws that had to do with the religious ceremony of the Old Covenant. These laws would include the animal sacrifices, and the special feasts of Israel where all Jewish men had to go to Jerusalem three times in a year. According to this position, the civil and ceremonial laws were done away with Christ when the veil rent in the temple at His death, and He became the ultimate sacrifice. The third division of Old Testament laws are the moral laws. The moral laws are those laws that transcend all of time, and would include the Ten Commandments. The major problem with the idea of the three divisions of laws is that the Bible does not divide them. That is, the Bible never distinguishes certain laws of the Old Testament as being civil laws, yet to violate them is not immoral. It never says that certain of the laws are ceremonial versus civil, etc. Man's tradition and reason has attempted to break up all of the law into these groups, and therefore they are not God's divisions.
The third position which could be taken is that of accepting the entire Old Testament law as it is, and only replacing or updating those laws which have been explicitly changed in the New Testament. For example, 1 Corinthians 5:7 declares that Christ is the Passover. Therefore, the laws for the Passover feasts are no longer laws that need to be followed by believers. Acts 10, when Peter is told to eat of the animals on the sheet, which God in the Old Testament demanded them not to eat, is another example of laws that were overturned. When a law has not been overturned from the Old Testament, then it still stand in full force. Those who claim to believe this doctrine end up being inconsistent to some degree in their application of it. For example, many of the so-called civil laws of the Old Testament were never overturned. Therefore, any of those that hold this belief, ought to stone their child if he becomes rebellious; they are to stone a child if he curses mother or father. And even the mixing of materials in clothing is a law that has not been overturned.
The correct understanding of the role of the Old Testament law for the Christian is that the Old Testament teaches the Christian about the character and nature of God, and how important holiness needs to be for God's people. It can help define some of the meanings of things, or principles which should be followed. However, the commands of the Old Testament were just that, commands given under a covenant which God made with Israel. A Christian is not without law, as all of the commandments that Jesus gave for His church, and all of the commandments in the Epistles during the Church Age, were commandments given for the believer. A Christian is not antinomian, however as those verses in Galatians and Romans clarified, the Christian is not under the Old Covenant's laws. The laws in the Old Testament can demonstrate God's expectations. For example, 1 Corinthians 6:9 says that fornicators shall not inherit the kingdom of God. This is a New Testament command to abstain from fornication. However, in the Old Testament, specifically Leviticus 18, God states what His standards are for fornication. It includes homosexuality, bestiality, incest, etc. The Christian is not obligated to obey those laws because they are found in Leviticus, but because they are found in the New Testament. The Old Testament was "written for our learning" (Romans 15:4), but that does not mean that they are laws still binding for the Christian.
"For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death."
Thesis 11/36: Twelve Mysteries of the New Testament
DOCTRINES OF FAITH
Doctrine 11 / 36: The 12 Mysteries of the New Testament and how they relate to the Christian
A mystery in the Bible is something that is not previously known, but has been or is being revealed. The common connotation of the word is that something is a mystery if a person can not understand it, however in the Bible, a mystery is something that, though often it can not fully be grasped, is something that is being revealed.
1) The Mystery of God: The mystery of God speaks of His hidden wisdom. The natural man can not understand the things of God, and through the Bible, God reveals these things unto the Christian by the power of the Holy Spirit. "...To the acknowledgement of the mystery of God, and of the Father, and of Christ; In whom are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge" (Colossians 2:2-3).
2) The Mystery of the Kingdom of God: When Jesus came and preached to His disciples, He preached to them the mystery of the kingdom of God (Mark 4:11; Luke 8:10). Romans 14 explains that the kingdom of God is not meat and drink, but righteousness, joy and peace in the Holy Ghost. What is revealed here is that God has a kingdom, a place for His rule, in the spiritual realm, not only in the physical. Jesus came and preached this message.
3) The Mystery of Godliness: "God was manifest in the flesh" (1 Timothy 3:16). That truly is a great mystery. For God to fully reveal the mystery of His kingdom, He determined to clothe Himself in human flesh. The Son of God became the Son of man. Without Christ, there is no kingdom of God possible for a Christian.
4) The Mystery of the Gospel: This phrase speaks of the new message that Paul and the other apostles were preaching during the early days of the church. The gospel, the good news of Jesus Christ, was something that until the life and death on the cross was something unknown to man. Paul asked for prayer that he would be able to boldly make known that mystery (Ephesians 6:19). It is the job of every Christian today as well to make known the truths of the gospel to all men.
5) The Mystery of God's Will: As was already stated, a mystery in the Bible is something that is revealed. It is not something that is left hidden. When Paul speaks of the mystery of God's will in Ephesians 1:9, he is speaking of that fact that God has chosen to save those whom exercise faith in Christ's work on the cross. God purposed to save only those that come by faith, and no others. He did not choose to save those that did any good work, or that were born in a particular country, but rather He chose to save those that had faith in the finished work of Christ. This will of God is revealed to the Christian.
6) The Mystery of Faith: One of the requirements of a deacon, found in 1 Timothy 3:9, is that he holds "the mystery of the faith in a pure conscience." This mystery of the faith may refer to the whole set of Christian doctrine, that is, the faith of Christianity. However, it also can refer to the mystery that only by faith, is a man justified. Many stumbled in the Old Testament times, and they failed to see that only by faith in God could they be justified, not in fulfilling the law (Romans 9:31-32).
7) The Mystery of Iniquity: The context of 2 Thessalonians 2:7 is speaking of the Antichrist, the son of perdition. It says, while referring to things about him, "For the mystery of iniquity doth already work." It seems that Paul is saying that this iniquity of the son of perdition is already alive in the world. And though the immediate context is referring to the iniquity associated with the Antichrist, it truly is a mystery that a Christian would commit iniquity. The revelation is that the old nature is still with man, and it still causes the person to stumble.
8) The Mystery of Israel's Blindness: "Blindness in part is happened to Israel" (Romans 11:25). Paul desires that Christians would not be ignorant of that fact. The Old Testament's emphasis was almost exclusively on the nation of Israel. However, when they rejected Christ, they went into a state of national blindness. This blindness is only for a time, and their sight will be restored. God is not done with Israel yet.
9) The Mystery of the Gentiles: When Israel was blinded, their falling away allowed the Gentiles the opportunity to partake in the riches of God's grace. Paul was given special revelation of this mystery, and was charged to share it: "How that by revelation he made known unto me the mystery; (as I wrote afore in few words, (4) Whereby, when ye read, ye may understand my knowledge in the mystery of Christ) (5) Which in other ages was not made known unto the sons of men, as it is now revealed unto his holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit; (6) That the Gentiles should be fellowheirs, and of the same body, and partakers of his promise in Christ by the gospel" (Ephesians 3:3-6).
10) The Mystery of the Marriage of Christ and the Church: When a husband and wife are married, they are said to become one flesh. Paul uses the same analogy when writing about the relationship between Christ and His church. "For this cause shall a man leave his father and mother, and shall be joined unto his wife, and they two shall be one flesh. This is a great mystery: but I speak concerning Christ and the church" (Ephesians 5:31-32). The church is actually the body of Christ. A believer is baptized into and becomes a part of Christ.
11) The Mystery of the Indwelling Christ: Not only does a believer get put into the body of Christ when he is saved, but at the same time, Christ gets put into the believer. The Bible says that this is the Spirit of Christ that is put in the believer (Romans 8:9), as Christ is sitting on the right hand of God. This idea of God dwelling inside of a man, so that he becomes the temple of God, was not a concept understood in the Old Testament (Colossians 1:26-27). But this indwelling Christ is the only hope of glory that the Christian has.
12) The Mystery of the Final Sanctification at the Rapture: 1 Corinthians 15:51 says, "Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed." This principle is also found in 1 John 3:2, "...We know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him." When Jesus comes to call His saints at the rapture, the Bible reveals the mystery that they will not keep the same bodies as they had during their earthly lives. Their bodies will be changed; their mortality will put on immortality. The sinful flesh which so long plagued them, will be put off, and they will be changed and become like Christ.
"Now is made manifest, and by the scriptures..."
Thesis 10/36: Israel Versus the Church
DOCTRIES OF FAITH
Doctrine 10 / 36: Israel versus the Church
With the exception of the first eleven chapters of Genesis, the entire Old Testament is essentially a group of books written by, to and for the nation of Israel. It begins with Abraham in Genesis 12 who is the father of the Israelites, and to whom God gave certain promises that were going to be fulfilled in Abraham's seed, the Jews. From there, the story of the Old Testament is the story of the Jewish nation for the subsequent 1,500 years or so. When Jesus comes, and the New Covenant is established, there is a very obvious shift from the focus being on the Jews, to the focus being on the entire world of Jews and Gentiles.
Some of the promises made to the Israelites through Abraham and through David had to do with things on earth. Abraham was promised a particular tract of land in the Middle East. This land was also promised to be his seed's inheritance for an everlasting possession (Genesis 15:18; Genesis 17:8). Promises made to David were that his throne would be established for ever (1 Kings 2:45). These are promises made to Israel that God made unconditionally to that nation.
There were also promises made to Abraham that were more than promises for Israel. God promised that Abraham's seed would be a blessing to all the families of the earth (Genesis 12:3). The fulfillment of this promise was in Jesus Christ (Galatians 3:16). Romans 9 clarifies that not everybody that was born in the physical family of Abraham was to be a recipient of those promises that God made, but rather those that followed in the steps of Abraham's faith - which includes Gentiles.
1 Corinthians 10:32 distinguishes three groups of people that exist in the time of the New Testament. "Give none offence, neither to the Jews, nor to the Gentiles, nor to the church of God." Those of national Israel are distinguished from those that are of God's church. In Christ Jesus, there is neither Jew nor Greek (Galatians 3:28). There are spiritual promises given in the New Testament that are particular to the members of the church, whether Jew or Gentile, promises such as eternal life, a hope in heaven, the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. These are promises not made for Abraham's physical seed, but for Abraham's spiritual seed.
The Bible teaches that there is a period of time, in which the Jews, having rejected Christ, will be blinded. And even though there are some Jews that turn to Christ individually, the nation of Israel as a whole is not for God. Jesus came for the lost sheep of the house of Israel (Matthew 15:24), but as He knew they would do, they rejected Him, and so God opened it up to the Gentiles. "For I would not, brethren, that ye should be ignorant of this mystery, lest ye should be wise in your own conceits; that blindness in part is happened to Israel, until the fulness of the Gentiles be come in. And so all Israel shall be saved: as it is written, There shall come out of Sion the Deliverer, and shall turn away ungodliness from Jacob" (Romans 11:25-26).
"To the Jew first and also to the Greek."
Doctrine 10 / 36: Israel versus the Church
With the exception of the first eleven chapters of Genesis, the entire Old Testament is essentially a group of books written by, to and for the nation of Israel. It begins with Abraham in Genesis 12 who is the father of the Israelites, and to whom God gave certain promises that were going to be fulfilled in Abraham's seed, the Jews. From there, the story of the Old Testament is the story of the Jewish nation for the subsequent 1,500 years or so. When Jesus comes, and the New Covenant is established, there is a very obvious shift from the focus being on the Jews, to the focus being on the entire world of Jews and Gentiles.
Some of the promises made to the Israelites through Abraham and through David had to do with things on earth. Abraham was promised a particular tract of land in the Middle East. This land was also promised to be his seed's inheritance for an everlasting possession (Genesis 15:18; Genesis 17:8). Promises made to David were that his throne would be established for ever (1 Kings 2:45). These are promises made to Israel that God made unconditionally to that nation.
There were also promises made to Abraham that were more than promises for Israel. God promised that Abraham's seed would be a blessing to all the families of the earth (Genesis 12:3). The fulfillment of this promise was in Jesus Christ (Galatians 3:16). Romans 9 clarifies that not everybody that was born in the physical family of Abraham was to be a recipient of those promises that God made, but rather those that followed in the steps of Abraham's faith - which includes Gentiles.
1 Corinthians 10:32 distinguishes three groups of people that exist in the time of the New Testament. "Give none offence, neither to the Jews, nor to the Gentiles, nor to the church of God." Those of national Israel are distinguished from those that are of God's church. In Christ Jesus, there is neither Jew nor Greek (Galatians 3:28). There are spiritual promises given in the New Testament that are particular to the members of the church, whether Jew or Gentile, promises such as eternal life, a hope in heaven, the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. These are promises not made for Abraham's physical seed, but for Abraham's spiritual seed.
The Bible teaches that there is a period of time, in which the Jews, having rejected Christ, will be blinded. And even though there are some Jews that turn to Christ individually, the nation of Israel as a whole is not for God. Jesus came for the lost sheep of the house of Israel (Matthew 15:24), but as He knew they would do, they rejected Him, and so God opened it up to the Gentiles. "For I would not, brethren, that ye should be ignorant of this mystery, lest ye should be wise in your own conceits; that blindness in part is happened to Israel, until the fulness of the Gentiles be come in. And so all Israel shall be saved: as it is written, There shall come out of Sion the Deliverer, and shall turn away ungodliness from Jacob" (Romans 11:25-26).
"To the Jew first and also to the Greek."
Thesis 09/36: Redemption Justification Sanctification
DOCTRINES OF FAITH:
Doctrine 9 / 36: Redemption, Justification, Sanctification
Three terms in the Bible that are similar in meaning and aspect, yet have quite distinct meanings are the words redemption, justification and sanctification. Though all of these terms are directly related to the doctrine of salvation, they are different components of them.
Redemption: To redeem something is to buy something. The redemption of mankind was the purchase of man with the great price of the blood of Jesus Christ. His death was actually a payment for the debt, which sin caused, that was owed to God. 1 Corinthians 6:19-20 explicitly says that because the Christian is bought with a price, he is no longer his own. The redemption, the buying, which Jesus did at the cross was for all men (Hebrews 10:29; 1 John 2:2). Again, the redemption of man took place at the cross.
Justification: The justification of a man is when God looks at man, and instead of seeing his sin, sees him in a right standing before Him. A man is justified by putting his faith in Jesus Christ; he is not justified until he does that. Before salvation, a man is a child of wrath by nature, but when he trusts Jesus Christ, his sins are washed away, and God no longer imputes his sin to him. Instead, God reckons Jesus Christ's righteousness to that man's account, and that man has a right standing with God. Redemption took place at the cross; justification takes place when a person is born again.
Sanctification: There are different types of sanctification in the Bible. There is an instantaneous sanctification that takes place at salvation, which is the same as justification. Because God has imputed Christ's righteousness to the believer, instantly the believer is completely holy and sanctified. However, because the believer still is attached to the "old man," he will have a struggle with sin throughout his life. The sanctification process is the conforming of the man into the image of Jesus Christ. As a Christian grows in the grace and knowledge of the Lord, he is being sanctified. Sanctification takes place as the Holy Spirit makes the word of God alive to the believer. And though Christians are commanded to be holy, the old nature still causes him to be less than perfect. 1 John 3:2 declares that when Jesus Christ comes back and appears, then all believers will be changed and will become like Him. At that point, complete sanctification takes place, and as was predestined, all believers will be perfectly conformed to the image of Jesus Christ.
"Such were some of you, but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus."
Doctrine 9 / 36: Redemption, Justification, Sanctification
Three terms in the Bible that are similar in meaning and aspect, yet have quite distinct meanings are the words redemption, justification and sanctification. Though all of these terms are directly related to the doctrine of salvation, they are different components of them.
Redemption: To redeem something is to buy something. The redemption of mankind was the purchase of man with the great price of the blood of Jesus Christ. His death was actually a payment for the debt, which sin caused, that was owed to God. 1 Corinthians 6:19-20 explicitly says that because the Christian is bought with a price, he is no longer his own. The redemption, the buying, which Jesus did at the cross was for all men (Hebrews 10:29; 1 John 2:2). Again, the redemption of man took place at the cross.
Justification: The justification of a man is when God looks at man, and instead of seeing his sin, sees him in a right standing before Him. A man is justified by putting his faith in Jesus Christ; he is not justified until he does that. Before salvation, a man is a child of wrath by nature, but when he trusts Jesus Christ, his sins are washed away, and God no longer imputes his sin to him. Instead, God reckons Jesus Christ's righteousness to that man's account, and that man has a right standing with God. Redemption took place at the cross; justification takes place when a person is born again.
Sanctification: There are different types of sanctification in the Bible. There is an instantaneous sanctification that takes place at salvation, which is the same as justification. Because God has imputed Christ's righteousness to the believer, instantly the believer is completely holy and sanctified. However, because the believer still is attached to the "old man," he will have a struggle with sin throughout his life. The sanctification process is the conforming of the man into the image of Jesus Christ. As a Christian grows in the grace and knowledge of the Lord, he is being sanctified. Sanctification takes place as the Holy Spirit makes the word of God alive to the believer. And though Christians are commanded to be holy, the old nature still causes him to be less than perfect. 1 John 3:2 declares that when Jesus Christ comes back and appears, then all believers will be changed and will become like Him. At that point, complete sanctification takes place, and as was predestined, all believers will be perfectly conformed to the image of Jesus Christ.
"Such were some of you, but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus."
Friday, March 28, 2008
Thesis 08/36: Sovereignty of God versus Free Will of Man
(Ok, here's a new topic for this blog... or maybe not!)
DOCTRINES OF FAITH
Doctrine 8 / 36: The Sovereignty of God versus the Free Will of Man
The age old conflict of God's Sovereignty verses Man's Free Will is a debate primarily over this question: "If God completely controls everything, then how can man be held responsible for his actions?" There are many sidebars that take place to attempt to resolve this dilemma, but it ultimately comes back to how God can judge man for something that man is incapable of doing.
One way to answer this dilemma is to simply say that God is completely causing everything to happen, including man's actions. In this, God essentially has caused man to sin so that He could show His power and wrath over those that are damned, and show his completely arbitrary grace to some men. This concept magnifies God's grace, towards those whom He saved, and it makes His wrath so much greater towards the lost man. Romans 9 is used heavily to support this teaching when it says, "Hath not the potter power over the clay, of the same lump to make one vessel unto honour, and another unto dishonour? What if God, willing to shew his wrath, and to make his power known, endured with much longsuffering the vessels of wrath fitted to destruction: And that he might make known the riches of his glory on the vessels of mercy, which he had afore prepared unto glory" (Romans 9:21-23).
The problem with this idea is that it goes against the teaching in the Scripture that God does not desire the death of the lost. "As I live, saith the Lord GOD, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked" (Ezekiel 33:11). And again, "[God] will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth" (1 Timothy 2:4). If God does not desire to destroy the wicked, then He would not have made them for that purpose.
The resolution to this seems to be in the fact that God made man in His own image and in His likeness. When God created Adam, He created a sinless being that had the capability of choosing to not sin. However, Adam made the conscious decision to go against God's commandment and he ate of the fruit in Genesis 3. Because of this sin, all of Adam's descendants have inherited his sinful nature. Man no longer has that same capability of living without sin. Every child, once it knows the difference between right and wrong, will definitely make the same conscious decision to go against God as Adam did. This is because of the nature that child received being a descendant of Adam. However, even with this corrupted nature, man is still said to be made in the similitude of God (James 3:9). And although man no longer has the nature to go without sin, he does have the ability to respond positively or negatively to the Holy Spirit's conviction of sin.
It is true that man's depravity is such that he is unable to bring about his own salvation, however the Bible teaches that God has shown His grace not only for certain of mankind, but for all of the world. "For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men" (Titus 2:11). Not only has His grace appeared to all men, but the Bible also teaches that the propitiation for the sins of the Christians is also the propitiation for the sins of the whole world (1 John 2:2). Jesus' sacrifice was made so that any man that responded to the Spirit's conviction (which is only given by God's grace in the first place) with faith would be saved. For God so loved the world that He gave His Son. It is not that He only loved certain of the world, but that He loved the world. God is not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance (2 Peter 3:9).
Some would argue that this teaching takes sovereignty away from God in some way. However, either God has a "permissive will" in which He has allowed man to determine things (always within His limits and control), or He is the immediate mover of all things, and therefore the author of sin. God is too holy to be the cause of sin, so it must be that He has given the ability to determine some things to man.
What of the "elect"? God has chosen some to save, and He has chosen them before He even founded the earth. However, this choosing was not the choosing of certain individuals to put into the body of Christ, or to give them faith unconditionally. Rather, the election was the choosing to save all of those that would be in Christ. Christ is called "the chosen of God." All those that are in Christ receive the benefits of the election. Truly God is omniscient, and when He created the world, He did know the eternal destiny of all souls before they were even born. Foreknowledge, though, does not require causation; that is, just because God knows what will happen to a man does not mean that He has to cause it to happen. God's election is based on His foreknowledge (Romans 8:29; 1 Peter 1:2). God in His sovereignty and omnipotence, has created man with the ability to respond or reject the Spirit.
"O the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God!"
DOCTRINES OF FAITH
Doctrine 8 / 36: The Sovereignty of God versus the Free Will of Man
The age old conflict of God's Sovereignty verses Man's Free Will is a debate primarily over this question: "If God completely controls everything, then how can man be held responsible for his actions?" There are many sidebars that take place to attempt to resolve this dilemma, but it ultimately comes back to how God can judge man for something that man is incapable of doing.
One way to answer this dilemma is to simply say that God is completely causing everything to happen, including man's actions. In this, God essentially has caused man to sin so that He could show His power and wrath over those that are damned, and show his completely arbitrary grace to some men. This concept magnifies God's grace, towards those whom He saved, and it makes His wrath so much greater towards the lost man. Romans 9 is used heavily to support this teaching when it says, "Hath not the potter power over the clay, of the same lump to make one vessel unto honour, and another unto dishonour? What if God, willing to shew his wrath, and to make his power known, endured with much longsuffering the vessels of wrath fitted to destruction: And that he might make known the riches of his glory on the vessels of mercy, which he had afore prepared unto glory" (Romans 9:21-23).
The problem with this idea is that it goes against the teaching in the Scripture that God does not desire the death of the lost. "As I live, saith the Lord GOD, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked" (Ezekiel 33:11). And again, "[God] will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth" (1 Timothy 2:4). If God does not desire to destroy the wicked, then He would not have made them for that purpose.
The resolution to this seems to be in the fact that God made man in His own image and in His likeness. When God created Adam, He created a sinless being that had the capability of choosing to not sin. However, Adam made the conscious decision to go against God's commandment and he ate of the fruit in Genesis 3. Because of this sin, all of Adam's descendants have inherited his sinful nature. Man no longer has that same capability of living without sin. Every child, once it knows the difference between right and wrong, will definitely make the same conscious decision to go against God as Adam did. This is because of the nature that child received being a descendant of Adam. However, even with this corrupted nature, man is still said to be made in the similitude of God (James 3:9). And although man no longer has the nature to go without sin, he does have the ability to respond positively or negatively to the Holy Spirit's conviction of sin.
It is true that man's depravity is such that he is unable to bring about his own salvation, however the Bible teaches that God has shown His grace not only for certain of mankind, but for all of the world. "For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men" (Titus 2:11). Not only has His grace appeared to all men, but the Bible also teaches that the propitiation for the sins of the Christians is also the propitiation for the sins of the whole world (1 John 2:2). Jesus' sacrifice was made so that any man that responded to the Spirit's conviction (which is only given by God's grace in the first place) with faith would be saved. For God so loved the world that He gave His Son. It is not that He only loved certain of the world, but that He loved the world. God is not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance (2 Peter 3:9).
Some would argue that this teaching takes sovereignty away from God in some way. However, either God has a "permissive will" in which He has allowed man to determine things (always within His limits and control), or He is the immediate mover of all things, and therefore the author of sin. God is too holy to be the cause of sin, so it must be that He has given the ability to determine some things to man.
What of the "elect"? God has chosen some to save, and He has chosen them before He even founded the earth. However, this choosing was not the choosing of certain individuals to put into the body of Christ, or to give them faith unconditionally. Rather, the election was the choosing to save all of those that would be in Christ. Christ is called "the chosen of God." All those that are in Christ receive the benefits of the election. Truly God is omniscient, and when He created the world, He did know the eternal destiny of all souls before they were even born. Foreknowledge, though, does not require causation; that is, just because God knows what will happen to a man does not mean that He has to cause it to happen. God's election is based on His foreknowledge (Romans 8:29; 1 Peter 1:2). God in His sovereignty and omnipotence, has created man with the ability to respond or reject the Spirit.
"O the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God!"
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