CLOGHER VALLEY BIBLE CLASS

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CLOGHER VALLEY BIBLE CLASS
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THE REFORMED FAITH

• A STUDY IN
• THEOLOGY AND DOCTRINE

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WHY STUDY THEOLOGY?

• Theology
• Literally means the science of God
• The Bible is a book of theology because it
  teaches us about God
• The Christian life must be spent learning about
  God through his word

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DOCTRINE AND THE BIBLE

• The Basis of the Apostolic Church
• Acts 242
• And they continued steadfastly in the apostles'
  doctrine and fellowship, and in breaking of
  bread, and in prayers.

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DOCTRINE AND THE BIBLE

• The Primary Thrust of Scripture
• 2Ti 316
• All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and
  is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for
  correction, for instruction in righteousness

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DOCTRINE AND THE BIBLE

• The Focus of Bible Study
• 1Ti 413
• Till I come, give attendance to reading, to
  exhortation, to doctrine.

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DOCTRINE AND THE BIBLE

• The Proclamations of the Preacher
• 2Ti 42
• Preach the word be instant in season, out of
  season reprove, rebuke, exhort with all
  longsuffering and doctrine.

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DOCTRINE AND THE BIBLE

• The Definition of the Teaching Elder
• 1Ti 517
• Let the elders that rule well be counted worthy
  of double honour, especially they who labour in
  the word and doctrine.

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DOCTRINE AND THE BIBLE

• Builds Up Believers
• 1Ti 46
• If thou put the brethren in remembrance of these
  things, thou shalt be a good minister of Jesus
  Christ, nourished up in the words of faith and of
  good doctrine, whereunto thou hast attained.

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DOCTRINE AND THE BIBLE

• Doctrine Properly Applied Produces Holiness
• 2Ti 310
• But thou hast fully known my doctrine, manner of
  life, purpose, faith, longsuffering, charity,
  patience,

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DOCTRINE AND THE BIBLE

• Necessary as a Guard Against Apostasy
• 1Ti 416
• Take heed unto thyself, and unto the doctrine
  continue in them for in doing this thou shalt
  both save thyself, and them that hear thee.

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DOCTRINE AND THE BIBLE

• Lack of Doctrine is a Characteristic of Spiritual
  Carelessness
• 2Ti 43
• For the time will come when they will not endure
  sound doctrine but after their own lusts shall
  they heap to themselves teachers, having itching
  ears

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DOCTRINE AND THE BIBLE

• Doctrine Distinguishes Truth From Error
• 2Jo 19
• Whosoever transgresseth, and abideth not in the
  doctrine of Christ, hath not God. He that abideth
  in the doctrine of Christ, he hath both the
  Father and the Son.

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DOCTRINE AND THE BIBLE

• False Doctrine is to be Rejected
• Rom 1617
• Now I beseech you, brethren, mark them which
  cause divisions and offences contrary to the
  doctrine which ye have learned and avoid them.

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THE BENEFITS OF DOCTRINE

• It teaches us who we are
• It helps us differentiate truth from error
• It enables us to exercise discernment should a
  doctrinal controversy threaten the church
• It means that we do not depend upon men to teach
  us what the Bible says
• Gods people must know the truth

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Apostasy Begins With A Lack of Doctrine

• The Decline of Spirituality in 19th Century
  Britain
• Quotes From
• Contending For The Faith, E.J. Poole-Connor, A
  prophet amid sweeping changes in English
  evangelicalism, David G. Fountain, The Wakeman
  Trust, London, 2005. Pages 55,57,58,59.

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• Thus the doors to higher criticism had been
  opened by men of unquestioned evangelical
  faith. The pew did not want it but the men in
  the pulpit wanted above all to be in the
  fashion. Ministers were concerned not to
  disturb their people with higher criticism, yet
  wanted to introduce it gently. They tended to
  keep the old interpretations in so far as they
  were not directly contradicted by the higher
  criticism they accepted. Some accepted more than
  others, and each found his own compromise

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• Spurgeon ,however, could see where all this was
  going to lead, and that there was no half-way
  position. He was the first, and one of the
  very few, to sound an alarm. But so subtle was
  the behaviour of the modernists that even
  Spurgeon underestimated the apostasy, and had
  sounded the alarm too late. The battle came
  with Spurgeons Down-Grade controversy in 1887.
  It was an attempt to draw out the enemy in open
  battle, but they would not fight. They had
  succeeded too well by other means.

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Apostasy Begins With A Lack of Doctrine

• Decline of the Irish Presbyterian Church
• Professor Davey , a lecturer in Assemblys
  College did not believe doctrines such as the
  Virgin Birth and the Deity of Christ
• At his heresy trial he was acquitted of all
  charges as a result of the vote not of the
  ministers but of the elders of the Presbyterian
  Church

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THE REFORMED FAITH

• Popularly known as Calvinism

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THE REFORMED FAITH

• Popularly known as Calvinism
• A characteristic of the Protestant Churches
  associated with Geneva

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THE REFORMED FAITH

• John Knox applied Calvins teachings to the
  Scottish Church
• The Reformed Faith is a Protestant and a
  Presbyterian heritage

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Incorporated Into The Great Confessions Of The
Church

• The Heidelberg Catechism
• The Canons of the
• Synod of Dort
• The Westminster Standards

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Does The Reformed Faith Follow The Teachings of a
Man?

• Calvin did not invent Calvinism
• He was deeply influenced by the views of Bishop
  Augustine of Hippo, a Church Father
• While this doctrine is Bible truth it is
  distinctively Pauline in character
• The writings of Paul were the basis of Calvins
  theology
• He only rediscovered or reformed what had been
  lost

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WHAT IS THE ESSENCE OF THE REFORMED FAITH

• God Is Sovereign
• As a systematic and Biblical theology, the
  Reformed faith gives proper prominence to to the
  sovereignty of God in His eternal decree and its
  execution because it is consistently a theology
  of the word of God, whose revelation is
  sufficient and whose word is final
• Dictionary of Theological Terms, Alan Cairns,
• Ambassador Emerald International, 1998. Page 303

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UNDERSTANDING THE REFORMED FAITH

• The Doctrines of Grace
• Salvation is solely a matter for God alone
• God does not merely play a role in salvation in
  partnership with men
• God absolutely accomplishes Salvation

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TULIP

• T otal Depravity of Man
• U nconditional Election
• L imited Atonement or Particular Redemption
• I rrestible Grace or
• Effectual Calling
• P erseverance of the Saints or
• Eternal Security

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Covenant Theology as theBedrock of the Reformed
Faith

• God made a Covenant of Works with Adam in Eden.
  Adams refusal to comply brought misery to us all
• From eternity God had entered into a Covenant of
  Grace with His Son
• Christs faithfulness to this covenant brings
  eternal life to the elect of all ages

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FOR NEXT TIME

• The Total Depravity of Man
• Search for references which show that man cannot
  save himself
• Any Questions????