What is Christianity? (Important Thread!)

What is Christianity?

I wrote a “Confession” to clarify.

When one applies the objective, universal principles of exegesis, the following core doctrines are extracted from the Bible:

I. SCRIPTURE

A. Inspiration

  1. All of the Bible is given by inspiration of God and is thus without error. It is the very Word of God. It does not merely contain the Word of God, as if it contained the erroneous words of men mingled with the perfect words of God. The doctrine of inspiration is the first principle from which all biblical doctrines are derived. Its truth is revealed to man by God. [2Sa 7:28; 23:2; Psa 12:6; 25:5; 111:7-8; 119:43,89; 138:2; Dan 10:21; Joh 17:17; Act 3:18; 1Co 2:4,12-16; 2Ti 2:15; 3:15-17; Heb 1:1-2; 2Pe 1:20-21; 3:15]

  2. There is no part of Scripture that contradicts any other part of Scripture. [Psa 19:7-9; 2Co 1:18-20; Heb 6:17-18]

B. Preservation

It has been God’s special care to providentially preserve the Bible whole and unblemished through every age. [Deu 31:11; Psa 12:5-7; 111:7-8; 119:152; Isa 40:8; 59:21; Act 15:21; Rom 3:1-4; Eph 2:20]

C. Scripture Alone

  1. Only the Bible is to be received as authoritative, to the exclusion of all other writings, because it is the only inspired Word of God. In it God has given His church everything necessary for life and godliness. It is forbidden to add unto or take away anything from the Word of God; the doctrine within it is most perfect and complete in all respects. God has not given any new revelations to His people since the close of Scripture, and there is no unwritten tradition equal or superior in authority to the Scriptures. [Deu 4:2; 11:18-21; 12:32; Jos 1:8; Psa 19:7-11; Pro 30:5-6; Isa 40:6-8; Mat 15:5-9; Luk 16:31; Gal 1:10-17; 2Ti 3:15-17; 2Pe 1:3-4; Rev 22:18-19]

  2. Let all men and all doctrines, including this Confession, be judged by this standard alone. Whatever is taught in any book or by any man that is contrary to the Bible is to be rejected. [Deu 13:1-4; Isa 8:20; Joh 7:24; Act 17:11; Gal 1:8-9; 1Jo 4:1]

II. GOD

A. The Knowledge of God

  1. God is an infinite being and is therefore impossible for finite beings to fully comprehend. [1Ki 8:27; Job 9:10; Isa 40:28; 46:9; Joh 1:3; Act 17:24-25; Rom 11:33-36]

  2. However, God is not unknowable. He has purposed to glorify Himself among His people by imparting the fear of God to them; that is, causing them to understand His infinite glory, divine nature, and perfect attributes through the Scriptures. God does not give a knowledge of Himself to some of His regenerate people while withholding that knowledge from the rest, for this would mean that God causes some of His regenerate people to attribute their salvation to themselves, which can never be. [Exo 20:2-6; Psa 40:3; 50:15; Pro 1:7; 2:5; 9:10; Isa 29:23; 38:19; 43:1-13,21; 45:20-25; Mat 13:11-12,16; Joh 8:32; 16:8-11; 17:3,6-7; Rom 6:17-18; 9:23-26; 10:2-4; 2Co 4:3-6; Eph 1:17-19; Phi 3:8; Col 1:4-6; 1Jo 5:20]

  3. In nature, God has revealed enough of His attributes to leave men without excuse for their sin and unbelief. [Psa 19:1-6; Rom 1:18-21,32]

  4. Since God is infinitely holy and righteous, He cannot fellowship with anyone who has less than perfect righteousness. [Exo 20:5; Deu 4:24; 5:9; 27:26; Psa 130:3; Isa 6:5; 28:17; Hab 1:13; Mat 5:20; Rom 3:19; Gal 3:10; Heb 10:28-31]

  5. To His people, God reveals Himself not only as a just, righteous, and holy God, but also as a loving, gracious, and merciful God. [Exo 20:5-6; 34:6-7; Deu 4:24-25; Psa 85:9-11; 89:14; 130:4; Isa 45:21-22; Rom 3:26]

  6. The external means by which God thus reveals Himself to His people are the Bible and the preaching of the gospel. The internal means is the ministry of the Holy Spirit. [Joh 16:8; 17:8; Rom 1:16-17; 10:14-15; 1Co 1:21; Eph 1:13; Jam 1:21]

  7. God is a logical being, and the knowledge that He imparts to His people is logical and noncontradictory. God is not paradoxical or illogical, for God cannot be against Himself. [Num 23:19; 1Sa 15:29; Psa 61:7; 117:2; Isa 65:16; Mal 3:6; Joh 1:1; 1Co 14:7-9; 2Co 1:18-20]

B. The Trinity

  1. God has revealed in His Scriptures that He is a triune being: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Each member of the Godhead is eternal and coequal. [Exo 3:14; Psa 110:1; Joh 1:1; 5:18; 8:58; 10:30-33; Act 20:28; 1Co 10:9; 15:47; 2Co 3:17-18; 1Ti 3:16; Tit 2:13; Heb 1:3; 1Pe 1:2; Jud 4,20-21]

  2. Yet Scripture does not teach the existence of three gods, nor one person manifesting himself three different ways, but that there is one God existing in three Persons. [Deu 6:4; Mar 12:29; Gal 3:20]

  3. The Son is eternally begotten by the Father, and the Spirit eternally proceeds from the Father and the Son. [Isa 61:1; Mat 3:16; Luk 4:18; Joh 3:16; 15:26; 17:5; Act 2:17-18; Rom 8:9; 1Co 2:10-14; 3:16; 2Co 3:17; Phi 1:19; 1Jo 4:9]

C. Divine Attributes

  1. God is all-knowing, everywhere present, unchangeable, and not able to be limited. He existed before time began and will exist forever. Because of His infinite holiness, He is infinite in justice, righteousness, love, mercy, and grace. His infinite glory is manifested in these attributes. [Exo 20:5-6; Num 23:19; 1Sa 15:29; 1Ki 8:27; Job 26:6-14; Psa 44:21; 90:2-4; 103:17; 136:1-26; Pro 8:22-31; Isa 6:3; 57:15; Lam 3:22-23; Hab 1:12-13; Mal 3:6; Jam 1:17; 1Jo 4:8]

  2. God created the universe in six days and continues to sovereignly and actively uphold, control, and sustain it. [Gen 1:1-31; 8:22; Exo 20:10-11; 1Sa 2:8; 2Ki 19:15; 1Ch 16:26; Neh 9:6; Job 9:5-9; 26:7-14; 28:24-27; 38:1-41:34; Psa 8:3; 19:1; 24:1-2; 33:6-9; 74:16-17; 89:11-12; 90:2; 95:4-5; 102:25; 104:1-32; 121:2; 124:8; 136:5-9; 146:6; 147:7-9; 148:3-12; Pro 3:19-20; 8:23-31; 30:4; Isa 40:26-28; 42:5; 44:24; 48:13; Jer 10:12-13; 27:5; 31:35; 32:17; 51:15-16; Amo 4:13; 5:8; 9:6; Zec 12:1; Joh 1:1-3; Act 4:24; 14:15; 17:24-28; Rom 1:20; Eph 3:9; Rev 4:11; 10:6; 14:7]

  3. God absolutely controls all actions and events; nothing at all happens by chance or merely by His permission. All actions and events happen because of His sovereign decree, including the sins of men and angels. [Gen 50:20; Exo 4:21; 7:3; 9:12; Deu 2:30; 32:39; Jos 11:20; 1Sa 2:6-8,25; 2Sa 17:14; 2Ch 10:15; 11:4; 25:20; 36:22; Job 12:14-25; 23:13-14; 26:7-12; Psa 105:25; 115:3; 135:5-7; Pro16:4,33; 21:1; Isa 40:23-26; 42:9; 43:13; 45:6-7; 46:9-11; Jer 18:6; 52:3; Eze 17:24; Hab 1:6,12; Joh 19:11; Act 2:23; 4:27-28; Eph 1:11; Rev 17:17]

  4. Because God sovereignly orders all things, He is able to keep all His promises. Because God is the God of truth, He is faithful to keep all His promises. [Deu 7:8-10; Jos 21:44-45; 23:14; 2Sa 23:3-5; Psa 89:24-37; 132:11; Isa 45:23; 46:9-11; 54:9-10; Jer 33:20-21,25-26; Act 13:32-33; Rom 15:8-9; 2Co 1:19-20; 1Th 5:24; Tit 1:1-3; Heb 6:13-20; 2Pe 3:9-13]

D. Predestination

  1. Election

a. In eternity past, God the Father covenanted with God the Son, Jesus Christ, to glorify Himself by saving a particular, elect people, and those only, from the guilt and defilement of sin, by the atoning blood and imputed righteousness of Jesus Christ. [Psa 89:19-37; Isa 49:5-6; 53:11-12; Luk 22:29; Joh 6:37-40; 10:29; 17:2,9; Gal 3:16-18; 2Ti 1:9]

b. In covenanting with Jesus Christ, God the Father covenanted with all the elect in Jesus Christ, to be their God and to reveal His divine love, mercy, grace, and wisdom to them by saving them through the work of Jesus Christ their Redeemer. [Gen 13:14-16; 17:4-8,19; Deu 4:35; 7:9; 2Sa 23:5; Psa 65:4; 67:2; 105:8-10; 111:9; 132:11; Isa 43:10-12; 55:3-4; 61:6-9; Mat 13:11; Mat 24:22,24,31; Mar 13:20,22,27; Luk 1:68-75; 18:7; Joh 17:2-3; Act 13:48; Rom 8:28-30,33; 9:11-16,23; 11:26-27; Eph 1:4-14; Col 3:12; 2Th 2:13; 2Ti 2:10; Tit 1:1; Heb 6:13-14; 8:6-12; 1Pe 1:1; 2:9]

c. Further, as part of the terms of this covenant, the Father decreed to send the Holy Spirit to indwell His elect people. [Isa 44:3-4; 59:21; Eze 36:27; Gal 4:6; Eph 1:13-14; 1Pe 1:2]

d. When Scripture speaks of God’s covenant, it does not mean a conditional agreement or contract between two parties; rather, it means a bond of friendship and fellowship that is unilaterally enacted by God. [Gen 15:12-21; Lev 26:44-45; Deu 4:31; 7:6-8; Jdg 2:1; 2Ch 13:5; Psa 89:3; Isa 54:10; 55:5; Heb 6:17-18; 8:10]

e. The exact number of the elect is known only to God Himself; it cannot be increased or diminished. The elect of God are scattered among every tribe, nation, and language on earth. [Deu 29:29; Joh 6:37-39; 10:14; 17:9, 2Ti 2:19; Rev 7:9]

f. This election was not owing to any merits in those elected or conditions they would meet, whether foreknown or foreordained, but only to the free grace and goodness of God alone. When Scripture speaks of God’s foreknowledge, it is not speaking of a prior knowledge of men’s actions (although God had such knowledge) but a love for their persons. [Deu 7:7-8; Isa 65:1; Eze 36:22-32; Rom 8:29; 9:11,16; 10:20; 1Co 1:25-29; Eph 1:11; 2Ti 1:9]

  1. Reprobation

a. In eternity past, God (in order to more fully reveal to the elect His saving love towards them) purposed to create a people for displaying His power, wrath, and hatred of sin and unbelief. [Exo 9:14-16; Psa 73:17-18; Pro 16:4; Jer 6:28-30; Hab 1:6-11; Rom 9:17,21-23; 1Pe 2:8]

b. Every person without exception is either a vessel of mercy or a vessel of wrath. There is no one about whom God is undecided. [Isa 45:23; Rom 9:22-23; 14:11]

c. The Father determined to include the elect and the reprobate in one common fall, that they should be equally ruined and undone, equally guilty and defiled, and equally in need of a righteousness that neither could produce on their own. [Rom 3:9-12,23; 5:12-14; Eph 2:3]

d. God actively causes the reprobate to hate His glory, persecute His people, and oppose His gospel, that He may justly punish them. [Exo 7:3; 9:12; Jos 11:20; 1Sa 2:25; Psa 105:25; Rom 9:18; Rev 17:17]

e. God does not have any love toward the reprobate or any desire to save them, for God does not show love at the expense of His justice. The good things that God gives to them in this life lead only to their destruction, increasing their guilt for their thanklessness to God. Jesus Christ did not die for the reprobate in any sense, and they do not benefit in any sense from His death. Scripture, in speaking of God’s love for “all men” and “the world” is not speaking of all men without exception. Rather, these words refer to God’s love for all men without distinction - that is, regardless of their nationality or status. [Psa 2:4-5; 5:5-6; 11:5; 73:11-12; 92:7; Pro 3:32-33; 11:20; 12:2; 16:4-5; 17:15; Joh 3:16; 15:22; 17:9; Rom 9:13; 1Ti 2:4; 1Pe 2:8; 1Jo 2:2; 4:10]

f. God uses the preaching of the gospel as a special means of hardening the reprobate. [Isa 6:9-12; Mat 13:13-15; Mar 4:11-12; 2Co 2:14-16]

g. This doctrine of reprobation does not make believers exalt themselves over other men; instead, it humbles them and causes them to tremble before Almighty God, thankful that He has graciously numbered them among the elect rather than the reprobate. [Rom 9:15-16,23,29; 1Co 4:7; 2Th 2:11-13]

III. MAN

A. Human Nature Before the Fall

  1. On the sixth day of creation, God formed the first man (Adam) out of the dust of the ground. The first woman (Eve) was formed from one of Adam’s ribs. Unlike the other creatures, Adam and Eve were created in God’s own image (that is, with rationality). They were created in a state of innocence. [Gen 1:26-30; 2:7,21-25; 9:6; Exo 20:11; Ecc 7:29; Jam 3:9]

  2. God put Adam in the Garden of Eden to work it and keep it. God commanded Adam not to eat of the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil, promising death to him upon his breaking the command. [Gen 2:15-17]

B. Human Nature After The Fall and Before Regeneration

  1. Adam and Eve sinned by believing the devil’s lie and eating the forbidden fruit. [Gen 3:1-6]

  2. In so doing, Adam and Eve fell from their original state of innocence into a state of spiritual death and depravity. The guilt and defilement of Adam’s sin has been imputed to all whom he represented (all his natural posterity). The spiritual state of total depravity into which Adam fell has been transmitted to all whom he represented, and all whom he represented became physically subject to decay and death. [Gen 3:7-8,16-24; 5:3-5; Psa 51:5; Rom 3:10-18; 5:12-14,19; 8:5-8; Eph 2:1-3; 4:17-19]

  3. The truth of total depravity does not mean that all men are as outwardly immoral as they possibly could be. It means that every faculty of the soul of every natural (that is, unregenerate) descendant of Adam is completely polluted with hatred of the true and living God, and all of the natural man’s thoughts, words, and deeds (even his kindness, morality, and religion) are dead works, evil deeds, and fruit unto death. It means that every natural descendent of Adam owes a debt to God’s law and justice that he cannot pay. It means that every natural descendent of Adam is spiritually dead, having no spiritual understanding, a lover of darkness rather than light, a slave of sin, unable and unwilling to obey God and come to Jesus Christ for salvation. This truth is contrary to the false doctrine known as “free will,” which seeks to make the creature independent of the Creator and seeks to make the Potter depend on the clay, according to the devil’s lie, “You shall be as God.” [Gen 3:5; Psa 14:2-3; Pro 12:10; 15:8; Isa 45:20; 64:6; Jer 13:23; 17:9; Mat 7:18; Joh 3:19-20; 6:44-45; Rom 1:20-23; 3:9-12,20; 5:12; 6:16-23; 7:5; 8:5-8; 10:2-3; 1Co 2:14; 2Co 4:3-4; Eph 2:5; 4:18; Col 1:21; 2:13; Heb 9:14; 11:6]

  4. Yet all men are responsible to obey the commands of God, because God, as the sovereign King of creation, has the right to command obedience from His creatures, regardless of their ability to obey. [Deu 10:16; Mat 12:13; 28:18; Joh 11:43; Act 17:30-31; Rom 2:12-16; 2Th 1:8]

IV. JESUS THE CHRIST

A. His Nature

  1. There is only one man among the descendants of Adam born without a sinful nature, and this is Jesus of Nazareth, God the Son incarnate. He was born of a virgin by the power of the Holy Spirit, contracting no guilt or defilement from Adam. He was totally and completely without sin. [Isa 7:14; 53:9; Mat 1:25; Luk 1:31-35; 2Co 5:21; Heb 4:15; 7:26-27; 1Pe 2:22-23; 1Jo 3:5]

  2. Jesus of Nazareth is really and truly God as well as really and truly human. He is the only descendant of Adam with two natures, human and divine. These two natures are continually without confusion, without change, without division, and without separation. Scripture rejects the lie that Jesus Christ was merely human and not fully divine. It likewise rejects the lie that Jesus Christ was a supernatural being but not fully human. [Deu 18:15; Psa 2:7; 110:1; Isa 9:6; Luk 2:7; Joh 1:1,14,18; 3:16,18; 5:18; 8:58; 10:30-33; Act 20:28; Rom 1:3; 1Co 15:47; Gal 4:4; Phi 2:6-8; Col 1:15; 1Ti 3:16; Tit 2:13; Heb 1:1-5; 5:5; 1Jo 4:9,15; Rev 1:17-18]

B. His Offices

  1. Jesus of Nazareth is the Messiah about whom the prophets of old spoke. He is the one who was anointed by the Father to be a Savior for His elect people. [1Sa 2:10; Psa 2:2; 18:50; 84:9; Isa 43:11; Mat 16:16-17; Luk 2:25-30; 24:44-46; Joh 1:41; 5:39; 8:56; Act 3:18; 4:25-27; 9:22; 28:23; 1Co 10:1-4; Gal 3:8]

  2. Jesus Christ is the great Prophet who declares the will of God to His people. [Deu 18:15-19; Isa 50:4; 61:1-3; Nah 1:15; Luk 4:17-21,24; 13:33; Act 3:22-24; Heb 1:1-2]

  3. Jesus Christ is the great High Priest who intercedes with the Father on behalf of His people, pleading the merits of His own atoning blood and imputed righteousness. [Psa 110:4; Zec 6:13; Heb 2:17; 3:1; 5:1-10; 6:20-10:21]

  4. Jesus Christ has absolute authority over His people, ruling and reigning over them as the great King. [Gen 49:10; Psa 2:6-7; 132:10-11; Isa 9:6-7; Jer 23:5-6; Dan 7:13-14; 9:25; Zec 6:13; 9:9-10; Mat 21:4-5; 22:1-14; 25:31-34; 28:18; Joh 18:36-37; Eph 1:20-23; Phi 2:9-11; Heb 2:8-9; Rev 1:5; 17:14; 19:16]

C. His Work

  1. When He became incarnate, Jesus Christ was made subject to the law of God and was obliged to obey all its precepts. He did this perfectly, to the minutest detail. [Psalm 40:8; Isa 50:5; Mat 3:15; 2Co 5:21; Gal 4:4; Heb 2:14-15; 4:15; 7:26; 1Pe 2:22-23; 1Jo 3:4-5]

  2. The consummate act of obedience that Jesus Christ paid to the law was in suffering the ultimate penalty for the disobedience of His people that the law demanded. Thus, while upon the cross, Jesus Christ, as a perfect representative, substitute, and sacrifice for His people, became a curse for His people and suffered the unmitigated fury of God the Father, which was equivalent to suffering the very pains of hell. This was not for any guilt He had contracted Himself but for the sins of His people. Their guilt was imputed to Him, and He suffered the penalty their sins deserved. His finished work on the cross appeased God’s wrath in full toward all for whom He died and paid the ransom price in full for all for whom He died, guaranteeing the salvation of all for whom He died. [Gen 22:13; Exo 12:3-13; Lev 16:21-22; 17:11; Psa 22:1-18; 32:1; Isa 53:1-12; Dan 9:24-26; Zec 13:7; Mat 26:28; 27:35-50; Mar 15:24-37; Luk 23:33-46; 24:46; Joh 11:49-52; 19:16-30; Act 17:3; 20:28; Rom 3:24-25; 5:6-11; 1Co 1:30; 5:7; 6:20; 15:3; 2Co 5:21; Gal 1:4; 2:20; 3:13; 4:5; Eph 1:7; 2:13-17; Col 1:14,20-22; 2:13-14; 1Th 5:10; 1Ti 2:6; Tit 2:14; Heb 2:9-10,17; 9:12-14,26-28; 10:10-18; 13:12; 1Pe 1:18-19; 2:24; 3:18; 1Jo 1:7; 2:2; 3:5; 4:10; Rev 1:5; 5:9]

  3. The perfect righteousness that Jesus Christ established is imputed to every one of God’s people in time. Because of this imputed righteousness, they are declared blameless before God and reconciled to God. Christ’s righteousness imputed demands God’s favor and fellowship toward them. [Job 29:14; Psa 32:2; 85:10-11; Isa 53:11; 61:10; Jer 23:5-6; Rom 3:21-22; 4:6-8; 5:9-11,17-19; 8:1,31-39; 1Co 1:30; 2Co 5:18-21; Eph 5:25-27; Col 1:21-22; Tit 3:6-7]

  4. The Father set His seal of approval upon the work of Jesus Christ on the cross by resurrecting Him from the dead and exalting Him to sit at the Father’s right hand. [Job 19:25-27; Psa 16:10; Luk 24:4-7; Act 1:22; 2:24-33; 3:15; 4:10,33; 5:31; 10:40; 13:30-37; 17:3,31; Rom 1:4; 4:24-25; 5:10; 6:4,9-10; 8:34; 10:9; 14:9; 1Co 15:20-28; 2Co 5:15; Gal 1:1; Eph 1:20; Col 2:12; 1Th 1:10; 2Ti 2:8; Heb 1:3; 10:12; 12:2; 1Pe 1:21]

  5. From there Jesus Christ rules and intercedes for His people until the day He judges the world and until the final enemy, death, is subdued beneath His feet. [Psa 96:13; 110:1,6; Mat 25:31-46; Act 10:42; 17:31; Rom 8:34; 2Co 5:10; 2Ti 4:1]

D. Jesus Christ Alone

  1. Jesus Christ is the only mediator between God and men, for He alone has partaken of both the divine and human natures and is alone able to lay His hand upon both God and Man. Scripture rejects the lie that Mary or any “saints” mediate between God and men. [Job 9:32-33; Isa 53:12; Zec 6:13; Luk 23:34; Joh 14:6; Act 4:12; Rom 5:1-2; Eph 2:14-18; 1Ti 2:5; Heb 4:15; 9:15; 10:19-20; 12:24]

  2. According to the terms of the eternal covenant, the mediatorship of Jesus Christ is designed for the benefit of the elect alone and is absolutely effectual to secure pardon for their sins and all the blessings of God’s favor and fellowship toward them. [Isa 49:5-8; Mat 1:21; Joh 6:39; 10:11,27-29; 17:3; Act 20:28; Rom 8:33-39; Gal 3:17-18; Eph 1:3; 5:25; Heb 8:6-13]

V. SALVATION

A. The Law

The function of God’s law is to show forth God’s perfect standard of righteousness that His people may:

  1. Learn their natural inability to meet that standard, [Deu 9:4-6; Psa 130:3; Isa 64:6; Dan 9:5-11; Rom 3:19-20; 5:13,20; 7:7-13; Gal 3:10-12; 4:24-25; Jam 2:10-11]

  2. Rest in a Substitute who would and did meet that standard on their behalf, [Psa 32:1-2; 34:19-20; 130:4; Isa 53:11; Joh 8:56; Rom 3:21-22; 7:24-25; 2Co 5:21; Gal 3:19; Heb 7:25-27; 11:24-28; 1Pe 2:21-24]

  3. And strive to obey Him out of love, thankfulness, and a desire to glorify Him. [Exo 20:20; Deu 6:1-25; 8:1-18; 10:12-13; 13:4; Jos 1:8; 23:6; 1Sa 15:22; Psa 1:2; 119:2,4-6,10-11,16,55,60,72,77,97,109,112,129,166-168; Ecc 12:13; Mat 22:37-40; Joh 14:15,21; Rom 6:1-2,11-13; 1Co 6:20; Eph 5:15-21; Heb 12:28-29]

B. The Gospel

  1. The gospel is God’s promise to save His people, giving them all the blessings of salvation from regeneration to final glory, conditioned exclusively on the atoning blood and imputed righteousness of Jesus Christ, totally apart from the sinner’s works and efforts. It reveals the righteousness of God - how God is just to justify the ungodly based on the work of Jesus Christ alone. The gospel is not merely the fact that Jesus lived, died, and rose again, considered apart from the purpose of these truths, which were accomplished to establish a righteousness for all whom Jesus represented. [Gen 15:5-6; Psa 103:2-12; 130:3-4; Isa 1:18; 45:21-25; Jer 33:14-16; Mat 1:21; Joh 3:16; Act 13:32-39; Rom 1:16-17; 3:21-26; 4:5-8,13-25; 10:4,15; 1Co 15:1-8; 2Co 1:20; 5:21; Eph 1:3-2:22; 3:6; Col 1:5; 2Ti 1:1,9-10; Heb 10:4-17]

  2. Immediately upon the first sin of Adam and Eve, God gave out this gospel as a promise to the serpent (for the benefit of the Church) that He would cause one of Eve’s descendants to destroy the work of the devil. From the first giving of this promise until its consummation in Jesus Christ, God has given no new gospel. All the saints from the beginning of creation believe this gospel. [Gen 3:15; Psa 32:1-2; Isa 53:1-12; Luk 24:44-46; Joh 8:56; Act 13:32-33; Rom 4:1-7; 2Ti 3:14-15; Heb 11:24-26,39-40; 1Pe 1:10-12]

C. Regeneration and Conversion

  1. Regeneration (also known as the new birth) is that grace in which the Holy Spirit brings a sinner from spiritual death to spiritual life, takes away his old heart and old spirit, implants within him a new heart and a new spirit, and indwells him. He is made a new creation, dead to sin and alive to God in Jesus Christ, so that he is no longer totally depraved and no longer serves sin. God’s grace in regeneration is irresistible; that is, no man is able to resist the motions of the Holy Spirit to regenerate him. Regeneration is never preceded by any condition the sinner meets, can meet, or is enabled to meet. [Deu 30:6; Jer 24:7; Eze 11:19-20; 36:25-27; Zec 4:6; Joh 1:13; 3:3-8; 6:37,44,63; 10:3-5,27; 17:2; Rom 5:5; 6:1-22; 7:6; 8:2,5-16,30; 1Co 15:45; Eph 2:5; 4:22-24; Col 2:11-13; Tit 3:5; Heb 9:13-15; 1Pe 1:23]

  2. At the same time a sinner is regenerated, he is adopted into God’s family and set apart from the world. He is counted to be as holy and acceptable before God as Jesus Christ Himself, is made to be at peace with God, and enters into fellowship with God based on the imputed righteousness of Jesus Christ alone. [Job 29:14; Psa 85:8; Isa 26:3; 32:17; 61:10; Joh 1:12; 17:21-23; Rom 3:22; 4:6-8; 5:1-2,19; 8:14-17,33-39; 1Co 1:30; 6:11; 2Co 5:21; Gal 3:26; 4:5-7; Eph 1:4-5; 2:14-19; 3:11-12; 5:25-27; Col 1:20-22; 2Th 2:13; Tit 3:7; Heb 2:10-11; 1Jo 1:3; 3:1; Rev 21:7]

  3. Conversion is that grace in which the Holy Spirit causes the sinner to repent and believe the gospel. The regenerate person is given a knowledge and understanding of the true gospel of salvation conditioned on the work of Jesus Christ alone and the realization that he was unregenerate when he believed a false gospel of salvation conditioned on the sinner. He counts all of his former life and deeds, whether religious or irreligious, as dead works, evil deeds, and fruit unto death. Conversion is the immediate and inevitable fruit of regeneration; therefore, a person may not be regenerated without being converted. [Deu 4:34-35; Isa 45:6,20-25; Mat 13:23; Mar 16:16; Joh 6:40; 8:32; 16:8-11; 17:3; Act 16:14-15; Rom 1:16-17; 3:26; 6:17,21; 7:6; 1Co 2:10-12; 2Co 4:2-6; Eph 1:13; Phi 3:7-8; 2Th 2:13-14; Heb 9:14; 1Jo 5:20]

  4. Faith is not a condition of or prerequisite to salvation; instead, faith is God-caused trust in the God-caused knowledge that Jesus Christ alone met all the conditions for salvation. Faith is the instrument through which a believer receives the imputed righteousness of Jesus Christ and is justified. No man is justified before God by works. Salvation by grace alone through faith alone is diametrically opposed to salvation by works. Scripture rejects the lie that man is able to keep the law of God or even a mere summary of the law as a means of gaining God’s favor, let alone that he is able to obey the law beyond what God requires. [Isa 45:24-25; 51:5; Luk 17:10; Joh 1:12-13; 5:24; 6:29; Act 13:39; Rom 3:20-28; 4:1-5,14-25; 5:1; 9:16,30-33; 11:6; Gal 2:16; 3:6-12; 5:2-6; Eph 2:8-9; Phi 3:9; Heb 11:4,7]

  5. When God regenerates and converts a sinner, indwelling sin is not totally removed from a believer. A believer continues to sin against God all the days of his life, and he continues to be ashamed of and to repent of his sin. But a believer’s sin in no way forfeits his interest in Jesus Christ nor annuls God’s covenant with him. Scripture rejects the lie that man may be freed from indwelling sin in this life; anyone who says he has no sin is an unbeliever. [1Ki 8:46; Psa 32:5; 37:24; 38:18; 41:4; 69:5; 130:3; Rom 7:14-25; Jam 5:16; 1Jo 1:8-10]

  6. God gives every believer assurance of salvation. The believer’s assurance does not lie in his obedience to the law, his continued repentance, or anything else but in the sure and certain promise of God through the work of Jesus Christ alone received by faith. [2Sa 23:5; Psa 5:11; 9:10; 32:10; 34:22; 62:1-2,5-7; 64:10; 125:1; 130:7-8; 147:11; Isa 26:3; 32:17; Jer 17:7-8; Nah 1:7; Rom 5:1; 8:15-16,33-39; 9:33; 2Co 1:18-22; Eph 3:12; Phi 1:6; Col 2:2; 1Th 1:5; 2Ti 1:12; Heb 6:11,16-19; 10:22; 11:1; Rev 5:9]

D. Preservation

  1. When God saves a person, He preserves that person from ever returning to a state of lostness and from ever being punished in hell. [Psa 31:23; 37:24,28; 55:22; 66:9; 121:3-8; Pro 2:7-8; Jer 32:39-40; Joh 6:40; 10:28-29; Rom 8:30-39; Eph 1:13-14; Phi 1:6; 2Th 3:3; 2Ti 1:12; 4:18; 1Pe 1:3-5; Jud 24]

  2. There are sins that God, in His sovereign preserving grace, keeps His people from committing. Any sin that God says proves lostness is, by definition, a sin that a believer cannot commit, even temporarily. [Jer 8:11; Mat 7:18; 24:24; Mar 16:16; Luk 6:45; Rom 10:3; Gal 1:8-10; 1Jo 1:8,10; 2:22-23; 2 Joh 9-11]

  3. Those who have professed belief in the gospel but later show themselves to be unregenerate did not lose their salvation. Instead, they show that they were never saved. [Joh 6:64-65; Heb 6:4-6; 1Jo 2:19]

E. Judging

  1. God requires of His people that they love and fellowship with each other. Love of the brothers in Jesus Christ is an inevitable fruit of salvation. [Psa 101:6; 133:1; Joh 13:34-35; 17:20-21; Gal 6:10; Phi 1:27; 2:2-4; 3:16; 1Jo 1:7; 2:9-11; 3:11,14-16,23; 4:7,11,20-21; 5:1]

  2. One of the main proofs that believers love their brothers in Jesus Christ is that they do not speak peace to their brothers’ enemies. They obey God’s command to separate themselves from the world and false Christians. [Exo 34:15-16; Deu 13:1-3; Psa 1:1; 26:4-5; 101:3-8; Pro 4:14-15; 9:6; Joh 15:19; Rom 16:17-18; 1Co 5:11; 10:21; 2Co 6:14-18; Eph 5:7-12; 1Ti 6:3-5; 2Ti 3:5; 1Jo 2:15-16; 2Jo 10-11; Rev 18:4]

  3. For these reasons, as well as to witness the gospel to the lost, it is necessary for believers to make judgments concerning who is unregenerate (including who are false Christians) and who is regenerate. The standard by which believers are to make these judgments is whether or not the person being considered believes the gospel. [Isa 8:20; 45:20; Mat 7:15-20; Mar 16:16; Luk 6:43-45; Joh 7:24; Rom 10:1-3; 1Co 5:11-12; Ga1 1:8-9; 1Jo 4:1,6; 2Jo 9]

  4. Some people may show by their lawless way of life that they do not believe the gospel, but no one can demonstrate by his law-keeping that he believes the gospel; for there are many whose lives appear to conform to the law of God who are yet unregenerate. Therefore, let no man be judged by his reputation, good works, sufferings, appearance, or any other standard but the gospel. [1Sa 16:7; Mat 7:21-23; 23:25-28; Mar 16:16; Luk 18:11-12; Rom 1:21-2:2; 10:1-3; 1Co 6:9-10; 2Co 11:13-15; Gal 1:8-9; 6:14-16; 2Th 2:12]

  5. Those who refuse to judge by this standard alone, preferring instead to judge by reputation, appearance, religious zeal and dedication, or a false gospel, show that they place no value on the gospel and thus show themselves to be unregenerate. [Deu 29:19; Pro 17:15; Isa 5:20; Jer 8:10-12; 1Co 13:6; 1Th 5:3; 2Jo 11]

VI. THE CHURCH

A. The Church is an entity created by God by the power of the gospel with Jesus Christ as her Head and Husband, to the praise of the glory of His grace. Wherever the true Church is found, the true gospel is always found. [Psa 2:6; 46:4-5; 48:1-2,11-13; 50:2; 99:2; 102:13-21; 111:1; 118:22; Isa 2:3; 28:16; 33:5-6; 35:8-10; 52:7; 62:12; Mat 16:18; Act 20:28; Rom 12:4-5; 1Co 12:24,27; Eph 1:6,13; 2:20-22; 5:23-32; Col 1:18; 1Th 1:1; 2Th 1:1; 1Ti 3:15; Tit 1:9; 2:15; Jam 1:21; Rev 21:12]

B. It is the duty of believers to assemble for worship and fellowship. [Mat 18:20; Act 2:42; Heb 10:24-25]

C. The worship in the assembly must be conducted decently and in order, in spirit and truth, according to the commands of Scripture. [2Ch 29:30; Psa 22:22; 35:18; 89:7; 107:31-32; 149:1; Joh 4:23-24; 1Co 11:1-12:31; 14:33-40; Eph 5:19; Col 3:16; 1Ti 2:1-2,8-12]

D. It is the duty of the assembly to excommunicate anyone in the assembly who confesses belief in a false gospel. [Deu 13:1-5; Psa 26:4-5; 101:4,7; Mat 7:15-20; Mar 16:16; Joh 6:43-45; 7:24; Rom 10:3; 16:17; 1Co 10:21; 16:22; 2Co 6:14-15; Gal 6:14-16; Eph 5:6-12; 1Ti 6:3-5; 2Ti 3:5; 1Jo 2:22-23; 4:2-3; 2Jo 9-11]

E. It is the duty of the assembly to rebuke and call to repentance anyone in the assembly who is openly disobedient to God’s law, including anyone who has sinned against another in the assembly. If the person persists in this sin without repentance, it is the duty of the assembly to excommunicate this person, as no such person will inherit the kingdom of heaven. [Psa 101:7-8; Mat 18:15-18; 1Co 5:7,11-13; 6:9-10; 2Co 13:1; 2Th 3:11-12; 1Ti 5:20; 2Ti 3:2-7; 1Jo 2:15-16; Rev 21:8]

F. If anyone in the assembly who has been rebuked (but not excommunicated) repents of sinning against a brother or of any other open disobedience to God’s law, the assembly is to forgive him and restore him to fellowship. [Mat 18:20-21; 2Co 2:5-8; Gal 6:1]

VII. THE END TIMES

A. Jesus Christ will return from Heaven as He promised, the dead will be resurrected, and the whole world will be judged, all at God’s appointed time. [Psa 96:13; Dan 7:9-14; 12:1-2; Mat 16:27; 25:31-46; Mar 4:22; 13:24-27; Joh 5:28-29; Act 1:11; 17:31; 24:15; 1Co 15:23-25; 2Co 5:10; 1Th 4:15-17; 2Th 1:7-10; 2Ti 4:1; Heb 9:27-28; 2Pe 3:10-12; Rev 1:7-8; 20:11-13]

B. All for whom Jesus Christ did not die will live eternally in the pit of Hell and will be eternally tormented for their sins. Souls who are tormented in the next life will never suffer enough to even begin to pay for as much as one sin. Scripture rejects the lie that souls in Hell cease to exist or cease to be tormented, as this is a denial that offending the infinitely holy God is an infinite crime deserving of an infinite punishment. Scripture also rejects the lie of Purgatory as well as the lie that those who perish denying the doctrines of the gospel will finally accept them in heaven. [Deu 32:22,41; Psa 9:17; Pro 27:20; Isa 33:14; Dan 12:2; Mat 3:12; 5:22; 7:21-23; 10:28; 11:22-24; 13:41-42; 25:30,46; Mar 9:42-48; Luk 16:23-24,26; Joh 3:36; 10:11,26; 12:48; Rom 2:5-9; 6:23; Gal 3:10; 2Th 1:5-9; Heb 10:26-27; 2Pe 3:7; Jud 6-7; Rev 14:9-11; 19:2-3; 20:14-15]

C. All for whom Jesus Christ died will live eternally in Heaven in perfect fellowship with God, as He promised them. The final state of the Church will be eternal glory with her King and Husband. He will wipe every tear from her eyes and will entirely remove all indwelling sin from her. She will worship Him in the presence of His visible glory for all eternity. [Psa 49:15; 116:8; Isa 25:8; Dan 12:2; Mat 19:29; 25:34,46; Luk 18:29-30; Joh 3:15-16; 3:36; 4:14; 6: 40,47,54; 10:28; 14:2-3; 17:2-3; Rom 2:7; 6:22-23; 8:30; 1Co 15:53-54; Gal 6:8; Phi 3:20-21; Col 3:4; Tit 1:2; 2:13; 3:7; 1Pe 1:4; 2Pe 3:13; 1Jo 2:25,28; 3:2; Rev 14:1-5; 21:2-4,22-27; 22:1-5]

Yours,
category

How do you know this to be true? :laughing: :laughing: :laughing: :laughing: :laughing: :laughing: :laughing:

That was rhetorical, by the way.

Seriously…don’t answer, I know what you are going to say. :unamused:

Oh my God, it´s all becoming so clear…

I am now a Christian! All else is heresy!

That what you wanted, category?

Well **** ***

Who´s gonna bother reading all that when the first few lines say it all?

While I do applaud Mr. Category, (and even agree with much of his confession!) I do have to indicate my feeling that this was a pre-written article, not intended for use on “I love philosophy.com

Not that re-posting it here is dishonest, but, it does raise questions in my mind about who Mr. / (Ms?) Category is, (besides a clever individual who is well versed in the Christian faith!)

Not once though, is there God’s own hand writing all of that. It is all God said this God said that, Jesus said this Jesus said that. Thanks to my parents and teachers I was taught not to listen to gossip. So I can’t buy into it. All religious texts are really just a form of gossip are they not? He said, she said. If a god chooses to communicate would it not be without any doubt and without a gossip format? I read through all of the above and gossip is how it struck me. The gossip format is human structure with failings, Why would a God use such a fallible structure?

A good exegesis of the Christian faith.

Wrong. According to the New Testament, Jesus as the Christ died for all. Logically, therefore, there is no one for whom he did not die.

Can you give (a) reference(s) for that?

This is where common Sunday School Bible knowledge fails people like Mr. “daKat.”

There is a sense in which the sacrificial death of Christ was an atonement for the sins of all men in time. It cleared the responsibility of the broken covenant from the head of any man who would so desire!

The Bible also teaches that only some men will be led to desire such a thing, through the monergistic regeneration of his spirit through the mercy and grace of God in eternity. In this sense, Jesus Christ really did only die for those elect who would accept his sacrifice!

His death, while applicable to all men, is only intended for some.

The bible is based upon a gossip structure, which means it may be true or it may not be true. When one person says that so and so says this emphasis is always added to make the person that is reading or hearing believe. When speaking facts, no emphasis is needed. It is not just the bible that does this, most if not all religious text are this way.

Here are a couple:

John 1:29 The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him, and said, “Behold! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!

John 3:17 For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.

I’ve been in your “Sunday School.” With these four words “There is a sense” you would undermine the universality of the gospel. In what SENSE did Jesus NOT forgive us all? In what sense is God’s FREE grace conditional? With dead doctrines, you put your self in the place of God and speak of history as if it’s over. You make a liar out of Jesus and a devil out of God.

I have only recently, (a few months ago) taken up the flag of Calvinism. That being said, I am anxious to engage in a debate on the issues involved, if for no other reason than to help me articulate my position, and come to a better understanding of the systematic nature of the entire theology.

It is obvious Mr. daKat, that you have some pretty strong emotional commitments to this topic, which I can only applaud, (unless you are a skeptic of the Christian faith, and are only responding here as a Devils Advocate, in which case, I should pull all stops.)

I am wondering however, if this thread is the appropriate place to engage in such a discussion. Would it be fair to Mr. Category for us to hijack his thread for such a purpose?

I don’t think he’d (she’d?) mind, but, to be safe, I’ll hold back any further comments of this nature. If you are willing to question any segment of Categories stated confession, then in the absence of any replies from him/her, I could offer up some attempts at explaining his/her’s position.

I do however HOPE (really really) that we could re-engage these issues in a different thread!

It was also posted here last spring.

category, exegesis of the Bible does not answer the question. Christianity existed before the Gospels were written, and at any rate many forms of Christianity place different levels of emphasis on different concepts. The Bible describes rather than prescribes Christian faith. That the Bible claims itself to be the perfect word of God means little, as the term “Bible” itself shows the Bible to be a collection of books written separately and in many cases without the authors and editors having knowledge of one another. Furthermore, I’d have difficulty believing that Christians are expected to think the many, many authors and editors of the Bible were kept in line by God, presumably through modern translations and all, whilst the majority of readers were kept in the dark, leaving Christianity to divide into countless denominations.

I’m still open minded to entertain any NEW Christian/Pro God arguments. This unfortunately is an old one.

To be Christ like in following his teachings in your heart.

What need does a God have for written text?

All are inspired equally.

Everything man has touched has much potential for error and God never wrote any bible, man did.

I’ll challenge you on that and show much logic as to why no God would ever hand down written text to show his purpose for us or the path to salvation or his character. In addition, I can show you much contradiction in the OT God verses what Jesus said in the RED letters.

The more you study text the less experience you have in personal reality and Truth. If you believe every word of the bible as God’s divine word without flaw then you have never met God personally and no Truth is in you. Only the lazy try and take the shortcut of leaning on others thoughts to fill in their own empty souls.

Kingdaddy, I still don’t understand if you are Christian, and if so, what your basis is for believing Christianity is derived from anything but the Bible…

Where is Catagory, is he here to discuss or just preach?

The OT was not written in every language and so can be interpreted in different ways.

Consider Genesis Ch11 v 7 “Go to, let us go down, and there confound their language, that they may not understand one another’s speech.”

So God, as a punishment for Babel decided to introduce different languages so that people would be confused.

So if different understandings of the Bible occur from translation, then only one is to blame - GOD it was his desire.

how did you get all those verses…