Title: Basics
1Basics
- An exploration of basic Christian doctrine by
means of study of the newly-proposed EFCA
Statement of Faith
2We believe in God's Gospel
- Our identity as the Evangelical Free Church of
America is centered on Gods evangel, the gospel
of Jesus Christ, who died and rose again to give
us eternal life. To God's glory, the gospel is
the power of God for the salvation of all who
believe. Our fundamental theological convictions
are aspects of this gospel.
31. Gods gospel originates in and demonstrates
the holy love of the eternal, triune God
- We believe in one God, Creator of all things,
holy, infinitely perfect, and eternally existing
in a loving unity of three equally divine
Persons the Father, the Son, and the Holy
Spirit. This one God, all-knowing and
all-powerful, has, in love and grace, purposed
from eternity to redeem a people for Himself and
to restore His fallen creation for His own glory.
42. Gods gospel is authoritatively announced in
the Scriptures
- We believe that God has spoken through the
Scriptures, both the Old and New Testaments. They
are the verbally inspired Word of God, without
error in the original writings, the complete
revelation of His will for salvation, and the
ultimate authority that stands over every realm
of human knowledge and endeavor. Therefore, the
Bible is to be believed in all that it affirms,
obeyed in all that it requires, and trusted in
all that it promises.
53. Gods gospel alone addresses our deepest human
need
- We believe that God created Adam and Eve in His
image, but they sinned through the temptation of
Satan, corrupting that image. As a result, all
humanity is alienated from God and under His
wrath and can be rescued, reconciled, and
restored only through Gods gracious work in
Jesus Christ.
64. Gods gospel is revealed in history supremely
through the Person of Jesus Christ
- We believe that Jesus Christ, Israel's promised
Messiah, is God incarnate, one Person in two
natures, fully human and fully divine, having
been conceived through the Holy Spirit and born
of the virgin Mary. He lived a sinless life, was
crucified under Pontius Pilate, arose bodily from
the dead, and ascended into heaven, where, at the
right hand of God the Father, He is now our High
Priest and Advocate.
75. Gods gospel is accomplished through the work
of Christ
- We believe that Jesus Christ, as our
representative and substitute, died on the cross
as the perfect, all-sufficient sacrifice for our
sins. His shed blood and resurrection are the
only ground for salvation, and it is through
faith alone in Christ that anyone is justified
before God.
8Article 6The Doctrine of the Holy
Spirit(Pneumatology)
9Discussion at your table
- If the Trinity were only a duality (Father
Son), how would the gospel purposed by one,
accomplished by the other have spread? - Read John 16.1-15. Why does Jesus send the Holy
Spirit (the Advocate or Comforter)? - Read John 3.1-8. When a person is born again, is
that re-birth visible to others? - Read Acts 2.38-39. When does a new believer in
Christ receive the Holy Spirit? - Read Ephesians 5.18. What does it mean to be
filled with the Spirit?
10If the Trinity were only a duality (Father
Son), how would the gospel purposed by one,
accomplished by the other have spread?
116. Gods gospel is applied and empowered by the
Holy Spirit
applied
empowered
- We believe that the Holy Spirit glorifies the
Lord Jesus Christ by convicting the world, by
regenerating sinners into union with Christ, and
by indwelling, guiding, instructing, equipping,
and empowering believers for Christ-like living
and service.
12Article 6 of the Statement of the Faith
We believe that
- the Holy Spirit glorifies the Lord Jesus Christ
- by convicting the world,
- by regenerating sinners into union with Christ,
- and by indwelling,
- guiding, instructing, equipping,
- and empowering believers
- for Christ-like living and service.
Gods gospel is applied by the Holy Spirit
Gods gospel is empowered by the Holy Spirit
13the Holy Spirit glorifies the Lord Jesus Christ
- Who is the Holy Spirit?
- A person of the divine Trinity
- The Holy Spirit has long been the Cinderella of
the Trinity. The other two sisters may have gone
to the theological ball the Holy Spirit got left
behind every time. But, not now.Alister
McGrath, Christian Theology - The Hebrew term, ruach, is translated as
- wind
- breath
- spirit
- The Greek term, pneuma, is similar in meaning
(pneumatic, pneumonia).
14Read John 16.1-15. Why does Jesus send the Holy
Spirit (the Advocate or Comforter)?
15the Holy Spirit glorifies the Lord Jesus Christ
- But I tell you the truth It is for your good
that I am going away. Unless I go away, the
Counselor will not come to you but if I go, I
will send him to you. --John 16.7 - He will bring glory to me by taking from what is
mine and making it known to you. --John 16.14 - This is the Holy Spirits purpose to glorify the
Lord Jesus Christ. J. I. Packer calls it a
floodlight ministry. - From article 6, the Holy Spirits work is
directed at - the world
- sinners
- believers
- ... relating the Spirits work to evangelism,
conversion, and Christian living and discipleship
16by convicting the world,
- When he comes, he will convict the world of
guilt in regard to sin and righteousness and
judgment in regard to sin, because men do not
believe in me in regard to righteousness,
because I am going to the Father, where you can
see me no longer and in regard to judgment,
because the prince of this world now stands
condemned. --John 16.8-11 (NIV) - The god of this age has blinded the minds of
unbelievers, so that they cannot see the light of
the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the
image of God. --2 Cor 4.4 (NIV)
17by convicting the world,
- faith comes from hearing the message, and the
message is heard through the word of Christ.
--Rom 10.17 - No one can come to me unless the Father who sent
me draws him, and I will raise him up at the last
day. --John 6.44 - It is written in the Prophets They will all be
taught by God. Everyone who listens to the
Father and learns from him comes to me. --John
6.45 - Ask and it will be given to you seek and you
will find knock and the door will be opened to
you. Matt 7.7 - You will seek me and find me when you seek me
with all your heart. --Jeremiah 29.13
18by regenerating sinners into union with Christ,
- From article 3 (the doctrine of humanity), what
does sinners mean? - From Jesus interview with Nicodemus In reply
Jesus declared, I tell you the truth, no one can
see the kingdom of God unless he is born again.
John 3.3 - Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit gives
birth to spirit. John 3.6 Regeneration a work
of God within us!! - The wind blows wherever it pleases. You hear its
sound, but you cannot tell where it comes from or
where it is going. So it is with everyone born of
the Spirit. John 3.8 - Jesus saved us through the washing of rebirth
and renewal by the Holy Spirit -- Titus 3.5
What is sin?
go
19So, what is sin?
- By this act of disobedience in the garden, humans
called in question the very nature and ordering
of existence whereby they lived as creatures in
utter dependence upon the grace and provision of
their Creator. - By this act, humans blasphemously withheld the
worship and adoring love which is ever their
proper response to Gods majesty and grace. - Sin is that fundamental defect or missing of the
mark that results when humans fail to trustingly
center their lives on God. - Mans sin lies in his pretension to be God.
(Niebuhr). - (from Evans, C. S. (2002). Pocket dictionary of
apologetics philosophy of religion (Page 107).
Downers Grove, Ill. InterVarsity Press and Wood,
D. R. W., Wood, D. R. W., Marshall, I. H.
(1996, c1982, c1962). New Bible Dictionary.
Includes index. (electronic ed. of 3rd ed.) (Page
1105). Downers Grove InterVarsity Press.)
Rtn
20Read John 3.1-8. When a person is born again,
is that re-birth visible to others?
21by regenerating sinners into union with Christ,
- since you have been born again, not of
perishable seed but of imperishable, through the
living and abiding word of God --1 Pet 1.23 - Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new
creation. The old has passed away behold, the
new has come. --2 Cor 5.17 - Neither circumcision nor uncircumcision means
anything what counts is a new creation.
--Galatians 6.15 - Then the Lord said, My Spirit will not contend
with man forever, for he is mortal -- Genesis
6.3
22by regenerating sinners into union with Christ,
- This phrase above replaces "regenerate the
believing sinner in the former SoF which
appears to favor an Arminian position. - The original framers wanted to create a
statement that was consistent with both Arminian
and Calvinist soteriology, but which required
neither. That is the intention of this revised
statement also.
--from the EFCA commentary on the SoF
23Read Acts 2.38-39. When does a new believer in
Christ receive the Holy Spirit?
24by regenerating sinners into union with Christ,
- Billy Graham recounts being confronted by a
sincere southern revival preacher with a question
as to when Billy was baptized with the Holy
Spirit. - Billy replied, The moment that I received Jesus
Christ as my savior. - The preacher replied, That couldnt be.
- Graham says, I have become convinced that there
is only one baptism with the Holy Spirit in the
life of every believer, and that takes place at
the moment of conversion. All who come to know
Jesus as savior are baptized with the Spirit the
moment they are regenerated. - What some people call the baptism of the Spirit
may really be what the scripture calls the
filling of the Spirit, which may take place many
times in our lives after our conversion.
25by regenerating sinners into union with Christ,
- The regenerating work of the Holy Spirit in
conversion is the same work that unites us to
Christ. - This act is often referred to as "the baptism of
the Holy Spirit." This can be a controversial
concept, and here we affirm that this
Spirit-baptism refers to that work of God in
conversion by which we are joined to Christ and
so partake of all His benefits. -
--from the EFCA commentary on the SoF
26by indwelling,
- I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you
shall be clean from all your uncleannesses, and
from all your idols I will cleanse you. And I
will give you a new heart, and a new spirit I
will put within you. And I will remove the heart
of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of
flesh. And I will put my Spirit within you, and
cause you to walk in my statutes and be careful
to obey my rules. --Ezekiel 36.25-27 (ESV) - Peter replied, Repent and be baptized, every one
of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the
forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive
the gift of the Holy Spirit. --Acts 2.38-39 (NIV) - And if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ,
he does not belong to Christ. --Romans 8.9
27guiding, instructing, equipping,
- John 16.13 When the Spirit of truth comes, he
will guide you into all the truth. - Acts 13.2 While they were worshiping the Lord
and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, Set apart for
me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have
called them. - Acts 16.6-7 And they went through the region of
Phrygia and Galatia, having been forbidden by the
Holy Spirit to speak the word in Asia. And when
they had come up to Mysia, they attempted to go
into Bithynia, but the Spirit of Jesus did not
allow them.
28guiding, instructing, equipping,
- This equipping includes the bestowal of spiritual
gifts to every believer for the edification of
the body of Christ. - 1 Cor 12.7 Now to each one the manifestation of
the Spirit is given for the common good. - 1 Cor 12.4 There are different kinds of gifts,
but the same Spirit. - The NT lists gifts of the Spirit in three
passages Romans 12.6-8, 1 Cor 12.8-10, and Eph
4.11.
29and empowering believers
- John 4.13-14 Jesus said to the woman at the
well, Everyone who drinks this water will be
thirsty again, but whoever drinks the water I
give him will never thirst. Indeed, the water I
give him will become in him a spring of water
welling up to eternal life. (NIV) - Acts 4.31 After they prayed, the place where
they were meeting was shaken. And they were all
filled with the Holy Spirit and spoke the word of
God boldly. - Eph 518-19 Do not get drunk on wine, which
leads to debauchery. Instead, be filled with the
Spirit.
30Read Ephesians 5.18. What does it mean to be
filled with the Spirit?
31and empowering believers
- Being filled with the Spirit suggests that at
conversion I receive Him in full, not just in
part. - Then, as I come to understand more and to yield
to Him more, I enjoy his fullness in my life more
and more. - Then, the question is not how much of the Spirit
I have, but rather how much does the Spirit have
of me? - Billy Graham believes that God gives us strength
of the Holy Spirit commensurate with the task.
32and empowering believers
- We must be careful that we do not seek the Holy
Spirits fullness for selfish reasons, because
the Spirits only purpose is to glorify the Lord
Jesus Christ. - Remember Simon the Sorcerer in Acts 8.18-19 When
Simon saw that the Spirit was given at the laying
on of the apostles hands, he offered them money
and said, Give me also this ability so that
everyone on whom I lay my hands may receive the
Holy Spirit. Peter immediately rebuked him that
his heart was not right before God. - Not even one Bible character ever said, I am
filled with the Spirit. - This is a test of a Spirit-filled life Are
people seeing in my life more of Jesus and less
of me?
33for Christ-like living and service.
- For Christ-like living and service Two purposes
for the Spirits sanctifying work in us. - The theological concept of sanctification is
rooted in the reality that God changes
people.Erwin McManus - Sanctification begins at conversion. It
continues for the rest of our lives. It
concludes when we go to heaven (glorification). - While conversion calms one kind of storm, it
raises another, which is to be lifelong.Horatius
Bonar
34Read Ephesians 4.22-24.What does Paul mean by my
old self (or nature) and my new self (or
nature)?
35for Christ-like living and service.
- Ephesians 4.22-24 You were taught, with regard
to your former way of life, to put off your old
self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful
desires to be made new in the attitude of your
minds and to put on the new self, created to be
like God in true righteousness and holiness. - In the new birth, we were given a new nature so,
if we are born again, we have TWO natures the
old nature (or self) from our first birth the
new nature from our second birth. One is in
Adam the other, in Jesus. By one, we are
children of flesh by the other, children of God.
36for Christ-like living and service.
- Ro 715, 22-24 I do not understand what I do.
For what I want to do I do not do, but what I
hate I do. For in my inner being I delight in
Gods law but I see another law at work in the
members of my body, waging war against the law of
my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of
sin at work within my members. (NIV) - Galatians 5.17-18 For the sinful nature desires
what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit
what is contrary to the sinful nature. They are
in conflict with each other, so that you do not
do what you want. But if you are led by the
Spirit, you are not under law.
37for Christ-like living and service.
- Once we are reborn, we can expect not only our
relationship with God to be changed, but also our
relationships with self, family, friends,
co-workers, neighbors. Eventually, if I am
obedient, I can expect a renewed disposition,
emotions, principles, affections, goals, etc. - But, when the old nature asserts itself, we may
begin to doubt whether we have really been born
again. - We need to ask, Which dog am I feeding?
38for Christ-like living and service.
- Galatians 5.19-21 The acts of the sinful nature
are obvious sexual immorality, impurity and
debauchery idolatry and witchcraft hatred,
discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish
ambition, dissensions, factions and envy
drunkenness, orgies, and the like. - True freedom consists not in the freedom to DO
these things, but in the freedom NOT to do them.
That is our true joy, gift, and peace.
39for Christ-like living and service.
- Galatians 5.22-23 But the fruit of the Spirit is
love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness,
faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. - Rom 12.1 Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in
view of Gods mercy, to offer your bodies as
living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to Godthis
is your spiritual act of worship. - Are we abiding in the Spirit, filled with Him,
yielding to Him, walking with Him? - Sanctification is not a question of how much we
have of the Spirit, but rather how much the
Spirit has of us. - Galatians 5.25 Since we live by the Spirit, let
us keep in step with the Spirit.
40for Christ-like living and service.
- Peters acts of service under the empowering of
the Holy Spirit - Acts 2.41 Those who accepted his message were
baptized, and about three thousand were added to
their number that day the day of Pentecost. - Days later, after healing the beggar, Peter
speaks again and then is brought to the
Sanhedrin. Acts 4.4 But many who heard the
message believed so the number of men who
believed grew to about five thousand. - Peter and John were arrested. Before the Jewish
leaders, Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit,
said to them Rulers and elders of the people!
If we are being called to account today for an
act of kindness shown to a cripple and are asked
how he was healed, then know this It is by the
name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you
crucified but whom God raised from the dead, that
this man stands before you healed. Acts 4.8-10
41for Christ-like living and service.
- The Spirit-filled life is the normal Christian
life anything less is abnormal and less than God
intended for us. - If we are open to it, we will grow spiritually,
even through conflicts, turbulence, troubles,
temptations, testings, and afflictions. - The day is coming when all this work will be
done, for we know that when he appears, we shall
be like him, for we shall see him as he is. --1
John 3.2
42Now... So what ?!?
437. Gods gospel is now embodied in the new
community called the church
- We believe that the true church is composed of
all those who have been saved by God's grace
through faith and regeneration by the Holy Spirit
and are thereby united together in the body of
Christ of which He is the Head. This church is
manifest in local churches, whose membership
should be composed only of members of the true
church. The two biblically-mandated ordinances of
the church, baptism and the Lords Supper,
visibly and tangibly express this gospel,
strengthening our faith. They are to
be celebrated by the church in obedience to
Christ, but are not a means of salvation.