FAITH

Universalism

|| Jesus Christ died for the sins of the whole world, superseding human assent or plan.
John 1:29; Hebrews 9:26-28

Monergism ['one work']


Synergism ['cooperative work']

|| Pelagius

Saved In Sin [emancipation promised]

|| Sin continues unabated in the life/flesh of each one in Christ.
|| Sin returns with haste following any godly repentance.

Saved From Sin [emancipation now]

|| Repentance into the atonement of Christ (for that man) removes all sin, and any that might be.
|| Repentance into Christ prompts the power of God [Spirit] to enter that man, so serving a strong and effective defense against re-entry of sin in that man's flesh.


Since we know that faith without works is dead (useless), where does the argument lead? Show us a faith unto salvation without works, and you have merely exposed a dead faith. Can a dead/useless faith bring us to the salvation that is in Christ?

The righteousness of Christ is never imputed unless it is imparted. Is there a difference between a positionally sanctified, carnally-minded Christian living for himself supremely and an unregenerate, naturally-minded man living for himself supremely?

Every mistake may not be a sin, but every sin is a mistake.

It is today rare for anyone to come before God with guard completely down, head bowed and in silent confession: Dear Lord, I am ready and willing to hear what You will speak to my heart today… We have become so learned and so worldly and so sophisticated and so blase and so bored and so religiously tired that the clouds of glory seem to have gone from us.

Israel

Ephesians 3:6

Some Arminians teach a doctrine of Eternal Security, or 'once saved, always saved', based upon regeneration over election. Once so born-again, it is said that the Christian cannot be 'unborn-again'. Lutheranism teaches that a Christian can fall away by rejecting Christ. Yet, for Luther, eternal security was found in Christ.

It is not the normal Christian walk to presume or tolerate sin.

  PREPARATION

From Death To Life (Salvation)

Since the Bible records no Sinner's Prayer... what is at the heart of, believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and you will be saved?

|| Be Drawn (Called)
Matthew 22:14; John 6:44-65; Romans 8:30; 9:24; I Peter 2:9; Revelation 17:14

|| Hear The Word (Law)
Acts 11:14; Romans 3:20; 7:7; Galatians 3:24; I Timothy 1:9-10

|| Fear God
Psalm 111:10; Ecclesiates 12:13; Acts 13:16-26; Revelation 14:7

|| Know Conviction
Luke 5:8; John 16:8-9; Acts 2:37; I Corinthians 14:25

|| Count The Cost & Forsake All
Matthew 16:24-25; Mark 10:29-30; Luke 14:26-33; II Timothy 3:12

|| Confession Of Sins
Psalm 32:5; Proverbs 28:13; Acts 19:18; James 5:16; I John 1:9

|| Repentance
Mark 6:12; Luke 5:32; 13:3-24; 24:47; Acts 2:38; 20:21; II Corinthians 7:10; II Peter 3:9; Revelation 2:16

|| With Brokenness & Humbleness
Psalm 34:18; Isaiah 66:2; Matthew 5:5; 11:29; II Corinthians 7:9-10; James 4:6; I Peter 5:5

|| Look To Christ
John 10:7-9; Acts 4:12; 15:11; Romans 5:9-10; 10:9-13

|| Believe
Mark 1:15; John 1:7-12; Romans 10:10; Acts 16:31; Ephesians 1:13; 2:8; Hebrews 9:28; I Peter 1:3-9

|| Change Of Kingdoms
John 15:9; 18:36; Colossians 3:1-3; II Timothy 2:3-4; Hebrews 11:13; 13:14; James 4:4; I John 2:15; 5:19

|| Know Acceptance From God
Acts 10:35; Romans 8:16; II Corinthians 5:9; Hebrews 12:28

|| Forgiveness Of Others
Matthew 6:14-15; 18:21-35 Luke 11:2-4; II Corinthians 2:10-11

|| Testifying To Hope
Romans 8:24; 10:10

|| Obedience In Love Of The Truth
II Thessalonians 2:10; I Timothy 2:4; Hebrews 5:9

|| Regeneration To Righteousness
Romans 10:10; Titus 3:5

|| Indelible Endurance
Matthew 24:13; Mark 13:13; Luke 8:11-15

[a dramatic culmination in Preparation: Luke 23:32-43]
The second thief had been drawn to a place of conversion [vs. 32]; was aware of the word in law [vs. 41]; came to fear God [vs. 40]; expressed conviction [vs. 41]; understood the cost and forsook all of what was passing away [vs. 40-42]; confessed and turned from sin with brokenness & humbleness [vs. 41-42]; looked to Jesus, asking in belief [vs. 42]; changed kingdoms [vs. 42-43]; knew acceptance from God [vs. 43]; and of the significance in forgiveness toward others [vs. 34]; his speech testifying to faith found, love of the truth, and regeneration to righteousness [vs. 40-42]; in the apparent, faith enduring 'til his death.

Discipleship

Matthew 28:18-20; Acts 14:21; Isaiah 50:4-5.
Making disciples is how people are brought in and grown up into Christ. Every servant-disciple of the Master participates in making His disciples. Responding faithfully (obediently) to the evangel call of Christ is to become His disciple.

Matthew 8:23; 9:10; 14:15-22; 15:12; 17:19; 18:10; Luke 14:15-35; Acts 6:7; 19:19.
The life, words & actions of Jesus Christ reveal how we make disciples to His own. Disciples travel together, eat together, serve together, inquire together.

Matthew 8:23; 9:10; 14:16-22; 15:12; 17:19; 19:25…

    * Instruct as He instructs.
e.g., Matthew 5,6,7; Acts 11:25
    * Do what is instructed.
e.g., Matthew 18:1-11; 19:13-15; 26:26
    * Send His new disciples to do what has been both demonstrated and instructed.
e.g., Matthew 10

Kingdom of God

|| Giving and the Tithe

Kingdom of This World

|| Philosophy
|| Morality
|| Ethics
|| Nationalism (incl: Patriotism/Jingoism)


Humanism is summed up as this: the end of all being is the happiness of mankind. Christianity can be summed up as this: the end of all being is the glory of God.

The present world will never know a truly classless society. Jesus said, The poor you will always have with you.

On earth, individual societies tell us what we need. We call this the standard of living. All of what God deems our need may be different than these standards given by man. May we measure anyone's success according to the standards of darkness?


  PURPOSE

The Gospel

Matthew 9:35; Mark 10:29-30;

The Kingdom of God

Matthew (throughout); Mark 4:11; 9:1; 14:25; Luke 12:31-34; 17:20-21; 22:28-30; John 3:3-7; 18:36-37; Romans 14:17; I Corinthians 4:20; 15:23-24; Colossians 1:13-14; I Thessalonians 2:10-12; Hebrews 12:28-29; James 2:5; II Peter 1:10-11; Revelation 12:10

The Body of Christ

|| To Edify
Acts 9:31; Romans 14:19; 15:2; I Corinthians 8:1; 10:23; 14:12, 26; II Corinthians 12:19; 13:10; Ephesians 4:12-29; I Thessalonians 5:11


  NAME & ORGANIZATION

'Jehovah' / 'Jah' / 'Yaveh' / 'Yaweh'

Exodus 3:14-15; 6:2-3; Psalm 83:18;
  || El Elyon [Daniel 4:34] the Most High
  || Elohim, Jehovah-Elohim [Genesis 1:2] the Mighty Creator
  || Jehovah [Genesis 2:4] the One who Is
  || Jehovah-Sabaoth [Amos 4:13] the Lord of Hosts
  || Jehovah-Shammah [Ezekiel 48:35] the Lord is Present
  || Jehovah-Rohi/Raah [Psalm 23:1] the Lord my Shepherd
  || Jehovah-Jireh [Genesis 22:14] the Lord our Provider/Seer
  || Jehovah-Nissi [Exodus 17:15] the Lord our Banner
  || Jehovah-Shalom [Judges 6:24] the Lord our Peace
  || Jehovah-Rophe/Rapha [Exodus 15:26] the Lord our Healer
  || Jehovah-Mekaddeshem [Exodus 31:13] the Lord our Sanctifier
  || Jehovah-Tsidkenu [Jeremiah 23:6] the Lord our Righteousness

'Christian'

Acts 20:28

'Church of God'

Acts 20:28; I Corinthians 1:2; 10:32; 11:22; 15:9; II Corinthians 1:1; Galatians 1:13; I Timothy 3:5,15

Service & Assembly

|| To (the kingdom of) God
|| To the Church/brethren
|| To the world


Both ekklesia (church) and synagogue can refer either to the gathering or to those gathered. Groups of Christians were distinguished from each other by their geographical locations, not by their pet doctrines or favorite preachers. Thus we have ekklesia/edah referring to Christians who are meeting in a particular house, in a particular city, in a particular province, or in a larger area still.

Local congregations are de-activated when their number one job becomes that of feeding the white elephant.

R.W. Tozer remarked, We know lots of evangelical churches that would like to grow, and they do their best to get the crowds in. They want to grow and have contests to make their Sunday school larger. That is true, but they are trying to get people to come and share their rut. They want people to help them celebrate the rote and finally join in the rot. So, we want more people… But, more people for what? More people to come and repeat our dead services without feeling, without meaning, without wonder, without surprise? More people to join us in the bondage to the rote? Are we too weak to know just how weak we are?

The greatest rebellion on the part of the church has been its willingness to substitute a phony institution for itself – to take cover and spiritual cheer in the fact that they attend on Sunday, put their tithe in the offering plate, sing a few hymns and take notes on a pre-prepared sermon.  THAT is rebellion against God.

Administrations [with the Father over all]

|| Christ [the Head/Leader of His Body/Church/ekklesia]
|| Bishops/Overseers [Gk: episkopos]
|| Shepherds/Pastors [Gk: poimen]
|| Elders [older men]
|| Deacons [those rendering service]
|| Apostles [those sent in specific mission]
|| Prophets [those who speak forth and expound]
|| Evangelists [those who go forth preaching the Gospel]
|| Teachers [those who inform and instruct]


Matthew 23:8-11; John 12:26; Acts 14:23; Ephesians 1:22-23; 4:11-13; Colossians 1:18; I Timothy 3
If someone we know is caught 'trying to do it all' -- even an elder or a pastor -- ask them to merely select one or two from the known Bible administrations, and to calibrate their efforts accordingly.

The role of elders/pastor-shepherds is to feed the flock and live godly example. The saints give attention to, are persuaded by, and follow the biblical teaching and godly example of their leaders. [Ephesians 4:11-13; I Peter 5:3; Hebrews 13:7,17] Discipleship, not ruling and being governed. In this, the King James Version of the Bible has contributed to a corrupted view of church leadership. It speaks of ruling when the Greek speaks of leading. It speaks of obeying, when the Greek reflects, be persuaded by [Hebrews 13:17]. The NIV's, Obey your leaders and submit to their authority goes further outside by adding authority. The Greek word peithesthe in the New Testament is overwhelmingly translated by some form of the word persuade. The Greek word for obey, hupakouo, (as in children obey parents, servants obey your masters) is never used of believers in relationship to elders, bishops or pastors. It should be no surprise that biblical leadership is explicitly not to function as the leadership of the world, where men exercise authority by virtue of their position. [Luke 22:25-26]

The work of the men becoming overseers does not just happen (as the product of aimless conduct), but as part of a broader lifestyle of careful obedience. There is great need for assemblies to practice corporately, as families, and as individual members of Christ's body, separated lives -- lives of reverent submission to the word of God in all things. [II Corinthians 2:9; Ephesians 5:24; Matthew 28:20; John 15:14] Thus it is in the context of the ekklesia's men leading their families in continual spiritual training (Ephesians 6:4), exhorting one another daily [Hebrews 3:13] -- all as preparation for, and with a view to, powerful and obedient Spirit-led participation, contribution, and interaction in times of gathering together. [I Corinthians 14:26]

We have constructed a lot of notions about office that rest on human tradition, and are not found in the New Testament. The King James has office in Romans ll:13, 12:4 and I Timothy 3:l. In Romans 11:13 the Greek word is diakonia or service. In Romans 12:4, the Greek word is praxis, or action/function. In I Timothy 3:l, office is not in the text. The verse simply says, if any one aspires to oversight (episkope).

For tentmakers to survive three full-time jobs (work, family and ministry), they must also adopt a sacrificial lifestyle. Tentmakers must live a pruned life and literally find leisure and rest in the rhythm of serving Christ (Matthew 11:28). They must be willing to forego a measure of career achievement and private leisure for the privilege of gaining the prize (Philippians 3:14). Many would like to be tentmakers if they could be wealthy and live a leisurely and cultured lifestyle. But the truth is that a significant ministry in the church and the community can only come by sacrifice.

Division

|| Separation from the World
John 18:36; I Corinthians 2:12; Colossians 2:8; James 4:4; I John 2:15-17

|| Church Discipline
Matthew 18:15-17; Luke 17:3-4; Ephesians 5:11; I Timothy 5; II Timothy 3: 16-17; 4:1-2; Titus 1:12-13; 2:15; Revelation 3:19

|| Ecumenicity
I John 2:19-20

|| Sectarianism
I Corinthians 12:12-14


The subordinate church resists reform. The autonomous church refuses accountability.


History

||



IGNATIUS:Called for the separation of clergy & laity, and the authority of Bishops.
IRENAEUS:Viewed the Church as an institution, with authorized meetings only.
CYPRIAN:Called for Apostolic succession, with the Bishop to replace Christ.
AUGUSTINE:Called for the use of state methods and powers by the Church.
WALDO:Sold all. 'Lay people are competent to preach.'
WYCLIF:'Leaders can and do make mistakes.'
HUS:'Christ is the Head of the Church.'
ERASMUS:'No intermediaries except Christ.'
LUTHER:Defined the external Church as not central to any point.
CALVIN:Pastors and teachers as the mainstay of Christian work.
ANABAPTISTS:Made efforts to return to 1st century Christianity.
PURITANS:Congregation autonomy. Restricted Church membership.


There must come a violent break with the irresponsible, amusement-mad paganized pseudo-religion which passes today for the faith of Christ and which is being spread all over the world by unspiritual men employing unscriptural methods to achieve their ends.
[A.W. Tozer]


other References:
Good, Evil, Sin…
---{chart}
Conversion Examples
---{chart}
Catholic, Protestant, Anabaptist, and …
---{chart}
Faith Works
---{a conversation}
Discipleship Overview
---Hampton Keathley IV
The Bible Doctrine of The Separated Life
---Johannes G. Vos
Testimony of church fathers: gifts of the Holy Spirit in action
---{quotations}
A Brief History of Revival
---{outline}
Once A Sinner
---{anon}
The Pursuit of God
---A.W. Tozer
Of Communion With God
---John Owen
The Church is Israel Now
---Charles D. Provan
Martin Luther & William Tyndale on the State of the Dead
---Michael Scheifler
New Testament Church Meeting
---Rusty Entrekin
Mere Christian Community
---Stephen B. Clark
Giving & The New Covenant
---Steve Atkerson
Passing The Plate [2 pages]
---Mark Rogers
The Lord's Tithe & Jones' Trial
---{anon}
History of the Christian Church
---Philip Schaff
Lay Member's Roll in the Early Church
---Donald L. Jackson
Morality a poor partner of Christianity
---{anon}