DOCSLIB.ORG

"The Holy Spirit's Ministry to Unbelievers?"

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
suBJEcT WoRtr ,o""*"tP -t:ltt L"s T E.F·~9~@__ _ John 16:7-11 CLASSIFICATION: TEXT------------------- --EXPOSITORY ''THE HOLY SPIRIT'S MINISTRY TO UNBELIEVERS?" --BIOGRAPHICAL TITL------------------- --TEXTUAL --TOPICAL SCRIPTURE READIN,-------------- ---DEVOTIONAL Pita Results and Comments: DEJJY.~~IES: ~97 San Angelo, TX (XXX+++); Fl3C 1-'7-o g ,., J. .. k~ 7"'1, BIBLIOGRAPHY _______________________________ I~ Cat and Dog Test J !"lud&on Taylor said: "If your fath• md mother, your sister and brother, if tt rery cat and dog in the ~o~se, ~r~ not ha1 Jier for your being Christian, 1t 1s a que tion whether you really are oneJ 3100 Ingersoll's Aunt Sarah any a man or woman has borne ell 1uent witness to his Christian faith by i: mobtrusive, inconspicious, consecrah ife. A relative of Robert Ingersoll, kno\\ n that family as Aunt Sarah, living on tl Pacific Coast, was a devout Bible stude1 md a beautiful Christian. One day she received by mail package which, on opening, proved to be ;opy of one of R.G.lngersoll's books, a 1ttack on the Bible. On the flyleaf w written these words over Ingersoll's si: 1ature: "If all Christians had lived Ii~ unt Sarah, perhaps this book woul ever have been written." The indispuh 11 le fact of a consistent Christian life wa :iore disquieting to the great infidel nbelief than anything else. //-ff Ho1-y SPIRI,~ MIN:rS,RY To UNBELIEVERS? John 16:7-11 - The first thing we noticed as we focused on the Paraclete sayings in the Gospel of John was a description of the person of the Holy Spirit. However, one cannot go far in this passage without realizing another splendid truth about the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is not in our world just to be something. He is here to do something. The Holy Spirit has an exciting, unique, essential ministry to carry out in our world today. · We know the Holy Spirit has a ministry to believers. The Holy Spirit also has a ministry to unbelievers. One scholar calls this work among unbelievers the Holy Spirit's "reproving work." What does the Holy Spirit do for unbelievers? iThe Fact of this Ministry- its B The Holy Spirit is given not just to First, we need to confirm the fact of perform a ministry among us as believers this ministry. The Holy Spirit does have a :;:>- but also to perform a ministry among ministry among unbelievers. Some people unbelievers. That is a fact we must never are confu sed about that. lose sight of. The Bible makes it clear that the Holy Spirit does not indwell the unbeliever, for The Function of this Ministry - V5, 8 the Spirit comes only to those who acknowledge Jesus Christ as Lord. Notice, secondly, the function of this Romans 8:9 says, "You are not in the ministry. What does the Holy Spirit do for flesh but in the Spirit, if indeed the spirit of the unbeliever? The clearest answer in God dwells in you." the New Testament i~ found.1} :verses ~ The Holy Spirit does not indwell the 11 of our text. ~~ unbeliever, but the Holy Spirit does make The key word~ the Greek word in contact with and influence and affect verse 8, elegxei, (the future active of unbelievers. In verse 8, Jesus did not say e/egcho). This word appears in the New that the Holy Spirit convicts the saints of Testament 17 times and is translated in sin , righteousness, and judgment. Jesus eight different ways. It is translated: to said the Holy Spirit convicts the world of reprove" in Luke 3: 19 (RSV); "to expose" these things. Brian's Lines>>July/August, 1997 Page3 in John 3:20 (RSV); "to show him his Convince is a persuasive term that fault" in Mt. 18:15 (KJV); "to convict" in has to do not with the facts but with our John 8:46 (RSV); "to convince" in John acceptance of those facts. 16:8 (RSV); "to confute" in Titus 1 :9 The defendant hears the verdict of the (RSV); "to rebuke" in Titus 1: 13 (RSV); jury, "Guilty." Something inside of him and "to punish" in Hebrews 12:5 (RSV). responds to that conviction with positive All of these are translations of the same acceptance. "They are right," he cries out. Greek word. "I am guilty." That is convincing. What meaning can we assign to this '7 In this case, elegxei means to awaken enigmatic word to clearly understand a sense of guilt, to bring the person who what Jesus was saying about the Holy has been proven guilty to the point where Spirit? Two basic ideas are involved. he is ready to admit it. 1 To elegxei means TO CONVICT. This That is the work of the Holy Spirit in is the way the New American Standard the life of the unbeliever, to point him to a translates the word in verse 8. fact and then to persuade him it is true. Convict is a Judicial term with forensic /, o convict an®>nvince! connotations. It is a word that finds its setting in the courtroom. The Form of this Ministry vss, 'i-1/ A person is on trial. The evidence is presented. The jury withdraws to the jury About what does the Holy Spirit room and convict and convince the t h e n unbeliever? What is the form of returns. The That is the work of the Holy Spirit in this ministry? foreman of the ·life of the unbeliever, to point The Holy Spirit performs this the jury him to a fact and then to persuade convicting/convincing work in hands the him it is true. To convict and relationship to three specific decision to convince! ideas. the judge The Holy Spirit convicts and and he convinces the unbeliever ' announces, CONCERNING SIN (v. 9). "The jury has found the defendant guilty." That there is something wrong with That's conviction. mankind is a fact almost everyone In this case, elegxei means to expose, accepts today. Gone is th i7 to show a thing in its true colors, to prove optimism of the first part of nt ry guilty. which asserted that every day in every The work of the Holy Spirit is to way, man is getting better and better. expose the depravity of an unbeliever's Instead, there is growing awareness that life and to prove his guilt before God. To something is desperately wrong with us. convict! We are not getting better and better every To elegxei also means TO day. We are, instead, getting worse and CONVINCE. This is the way the Revised worse. We have a problem. Almost Standard Version translates the word. everyone will agree with that statement. Brian's Lines>>July/August, 1997 Page4 The disagreement arises when we seek When Jesus was here in the flesh, He to determine what the problem is. made some incredible claims about His Some say it is the environment that is life. Among other things, He claimed to be wrong and if we can improve our the one and only answer for the problem environment, everything will be all right. of mankind, the perfect righteousness of Some say it is the education that is God which could cover our sin. wrong and if we can just teach people ~ That's what He said when He was adequately, everything will be all right. ~ here. However, Jesus is gone now. We Some say it is our physical condition can no longer see Him in the flesh. We that is wrong. People are sick. If we can can no longer hear Him speaking directly just discover the right medicine and apply to us. the Holy Spirit oints to the fact that medicine, then everything will be all of Christ's righteousness and convinces right. us it is true. · Some say it is our psychological The Holy Spirit not only shows ~~,._ makeup that is wrong. If we can just give what e eally are, He also shows ~~ skilled psychotherapy and counseling , for what He really is. people will be all right. Hoyk ro1t,, J'"he Holy Spirit v. 11) convicts and In the midst of all of these confusing .2 convinces the unbeliever CONCERNING and conflicting descriptions, the Holy ' JUDGMENT. Spirit comes to the Because of unbeliever and says, "No! who we are, The problem is not The Holy Spirit came into the world to convict sinners, and environment or education and convince unbelievers of the need for a because of who or physical condition or drastic change ln their understanding of sin, Jesus is, the psychological makeup. of righteousness, and of judgment. righteousness of You are a sinner. That's God, the Holy the problem, and it is Spirit shows us eating awR.y at ,th~ )pn.~!- core 9 f . your , that we cannot remain in our sin, we • 11 ,~ ~,«;;,t~-P1Af_ bemg . P-t/f---b cannot reject Jesus, the Son of God, and The Holy Spirit points to the fact of our escape the consequences. The Holy sin and convinces us it is true. He shows Spirit brings _ the unbeliever !9 ~ us what we really are. awareness of Judgment. ~ -~s-e ~ The Holy Spirit (~14~) convicts and There are luminous moments in the , convinces the unbeliever CONCERNING lives of most unbelievers when they RIGHTEOUSNESS. become aware of their sins and when What does this mean? The next they become aware of who Jesus Christ phrase explains it "because I go to the is, moments when they are suddenly filled Father and you no longer behold Me." with terror over the things they have The Holy Spirit convinces us of the done, experiences when they are shaken righteousness of Jesus Christ.
Load more

Recommended publications
  • 'Come': Apologetics and the Witness of the Holy Spirit
    1 THE SPIRIT AND THE BRIDE SAY ‘COME’: APOLOGETICS AND THE WITNESS OF THE HOLY SPIRIT Kevin Kinghorn and Jerry L. Walls In a word, Christian apologetics is a defense of Christian theism. The Greek word apologia may refer to the kind of reasoned case a lawyer provides in defending the innocence of an accused person. Or, more broadly, the word may refer to any line of argument showing the truth of some position. 1 Peter 3:15 contains the instruction to Christians: “Always be prepared to give an answer [apologia] to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have.”1 1. Testimony: human and divine Within the four Gospels one finds a heavy emphasis on human testimony in helping others come to beliefs about Christ. For example, St. Luke opens his Gospel by explaining to its recipient, Theophilus, that he is writing “an orderly account” of the life of Jesus “so that you may know the certainty of the things you have been taught.” Luke describes himself as drawing together a written account of things “just as they were handed down to us by those who from the first were eyewitnesses and servants of the Word.”2 As Richard Swinburne remarks, “it is hard to read the Gospels, Acts of the Apostles, and 1 Corinthians without seeing them as claiming that various historical events (above all, the Resurrection) occurred and that others can know these things on the testimony of the apostles to have seen them.”3 This passing down of apostolic testimony continued through the next generations of the early Christian Church.
    [Show full text]
  • Theodicy: an Overview
    1 Theodicy: An Overview Introduction All of us struggle at one time or another in life with why evil happens to someone, either ourselves, our family, our friends, our nation, or perhaps some particularly disturbing instance in the news—a child raped, a school shooting, genocide in another country, a terrorist bombing. The following material is meant to give an overview of the discussion of this issue as it takes place in several circles, especially that of the Christian church. I. The Problem of Evil Defined Three terms, "the problem of evil," "theodicy," and "defense" are important to our discussion. The first two are often used as synonyms, but strictly speaking the problem of evil is the larger issue of which theodicy is a subset because one can have a secular problem of evil. Evil is understood as a problem when we seek to explain why it exists (Unde malum?) and what its relationship is to the world as a whole. Indeed, something might be considered evil when it calls into question our basic trust in the order and structure of our world. Peter Berger in particular has argued that explanations of evil are necessary for social structures to stay themselves against chaotic forces. It follows, then, that such an explanation has an impact on the whole person. As David Blumenthal observes, a good theodicy is one that has three characteristics: 1. "[I]t should leave one with one’s sense of reality intact." (It tells the truth about reality.) 2. "[I]t should leave one empowered within the intellectual-moral system in which one lives." (Namely, it should not deny God’s basic power or goodness.) 3.
    [Show full text]
  • Christianity - the Afterlife and Judgement
    Christianity - The afterlife and judgement Task 1 – Write notes on what you know about the following beliefs in Christianity. If you don’t know anything at this point, that is fine : • Day of judgement – • Heaven – • Hell – • Purgatory – Task 2 – Answer the following questions: What can you remember about the parable of the sheep and the goats? Now read the Parable (separate document) and answer the questions below: What other units have we learnt about the parable in? How might it link with the work on Christian beliefs about the afterlife? Task 3 – Read the following Christian beliefs about the afterlife and answer the questions under each piece of information to help you understand the concepts: Christian beliefs about life after death may vary but many believe that: • They will be resurrected and receive eternal life after they die. What is meant resurrected? What does eternal life mean? • This is a gift from God, and dependant on faith in God. What do you think is meant by ‘dependant on faith in God?’ • They will be judged by God at some point after they die, either rewarded by being sent to heaven or punished by being sent to hell. What does judged by God actually mean? • This judgement will happen very soon after death or on the Day of Judgement. This is a time in the future when the world will end and Christ will come again to judge the living and the dead What do Christians believe about the day of judgement? Task 3: Some of the beliefs about life after death are found in the Apostles’ Creed.
    [Show full text]
  • A Gnostic Catechism
    Ecclesia Gnostica A Gnostic Catechism Prepared by The Most Reverend Stephan A. Hoeller Los Angeles, California A.D. 1998 © Stephan A. Hoeller, 1998 Electronic Edition printed by The Gnostic Society Press, 2010 ii CONTENTS Preface ____________________________________________________________________ v Prayers and Creeds _____________________________________________________ 1 Lesson I. Of God And The Universe ___________________________________ 8 Lesson II. Of The Spiritual Worlds and the Demiurge ____________ 13 Lesson III. Of the Human Being ______________________________________ 18 Lesson IV. Of Gnosis and Salvation __________________________________ 21 Lesson V. Of the Lord Christ __________________________________________ 24 Lesson VI. Of Our Lady Sophia _______________________________________ 28 Lesson VII. Of the Holy Spirit and Grace ____________________________ 32 Lesson VIII. Of the Church and the Communion of Saints _______ 35 Lesson IX. Of the Sacraments or Mysteries ________________________ 41 Lesson X. Of the Sacraments, Considered Singly: Part I _________ 45 Lesson XI. Of the Sacraments, Considered Singly: Part II ________ 51 Appendix A. Prayer ____________________________________________________ 56 Appendix B. The Gnostic in the World ______________________________ 57 Bibliography ____________________________________________________________ 58 iii iv P R E F A C E Why a Gnostic Catechism? "A Gnostic Catechism? What a preposterous idea and a contradiction in terms to boot!" Such and similar objections are likely to be forthcoming in response to the present effort. The word "catechism" readily conjures up visions of dogmatic belief, enshrined in rigidly formulated articles and designed to be memorized and mindlessly recited by children and by adults of childish minds. Yet a catechism is truly but a compendium of instructions, usually of a religious nature, arranged in the form of questions and answers.
    [Show full text]
  • Chapter 12. Resurrection of Jesus Christ Matthew 28 6He Is Not Here, for He Has Risen, As He Said
    Chapter 12. Resurrection of Jesus Christ Matthew 28 6He is not here, for he has risen, as he said. Come, see the place where he lay. Session overview • Explore Jesus’s claims regarding his own resurrection • Twelve compelling reasons favoring the resurrection of Jesus Christ • Introduce Bayes Theorem and apply it to evidence related to the resurrection of Jesus Christ • Review Pascal’s Wager as a decision framework for appraising probabilities assigned to the resurrection of Jesus Christ Jesus’s claim • Before taking into consideration the empirical evidence favoring the physical bodily resurrection of Jesus Christ, it is essential to understand clearly what Jesus Christ actually said about himself and his mission • In John 1:29 above, we find a clear statement that John the Baptist believed Jesus to be the “Lamb of God.” • In Hebrew culture, it was understood that lambs are sacrificed to cover sins • John indicates that this lamb would be different. He “takes away the sin of the world!” • Jesus clearly identifies himself as God in John 10:30. • Amazingly, some people try to reinterpret this verse giving it a false understanding • The people who heard Jesus make this declaration clearly understood for they sought to kill him for blasphemy • Jesus clearly predicted that he would suffer and be killed as illustrated below in Mark 8:31. He also clearly stated that he would be resurrected. • In Matthew 27:63, Jerusalem leaders understood what Jesus asserted concerning resurrection • After the physical bodily resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, Jesus went out of his way to demonstrate that he was physical; not just an empirically unverifiable spirit or a ghost as seen in Luke 24:39.
    [Show full text]
  • Revelation in Nicolas Berdyaev's Religious Philosophy
    Open Theology 2017; 3: 117–133 Open Access Brian McKinlay* Revelation in Nicolas Berdyaev’s Religious Philosophy DOI 10.1515/opth-2017-0009 Received June 6, 2016; accepted December 1, 2016 Abstract: Nicolas Berdyaev’s understanding of the self-revelation of God to humankind is a point of connection between the central ideas of his religious philosophy. Berdyaev says that God’s self-revelation occurs within the inner person, through divine-human spiritual cooperation, bringing about a revolutionary transformation of the human consciousness. Yet, the degree to which revelation can occur depends on human spiritual development. The eschatological culmination of this development will be the revelation of God in humankind and humankind in God—fulfilling the Godmanhood of Christ. The content of revelation is the Truth that is Godself, expressed in relational knowledge of God. Revelation occurs as an activity of divine-human cooperation. It is affected by human limitations and must be open to critique, particularly to purge from it human categories of dominance, power and enslavement. Truth is its own criterion, but in sobornost there is a sense of communal discernment. Only in freedom may revelation and truth may be found. Keywords: Nicolas Berdyaev, revelation, religious philosophy 1 Revelation, the Spirit and the human Revelation is not the integrating concept of Nicolas Berdyaev’s religious thought—freedom and humanity fill that role. Yet the self-revelation of God is a point of connection between central ideas of Berdyaev’s religious philosophy. To approach Berdyaev’s concept of revelation, one must look at his ideas on truth, freedom, spirit, knowledge, objectification, the human subject and the very nature of God.
    [Show full text]
  • What Happens When I Die?
    PROJECT CONNECT PROJECT CONNECT PROJECT CONNECT What Happens When I Die? by Rev. Stephen Hower Can anyone know for certain what happens at the moment of death? What do you believe about death and the afterlife? Why do you believe what you believe? Is one opinion just as good as another? I’ve conducted hundreds of funerals for families of every background and belief. Prior to the funeral, I typically gather the immediate family together for comfort, to share their memories, and to plan the memorial. Almost always there are differences of opinion about what should or should not be said, sung, or allowed during the service. The disagreements never really surprise me. Our families are just a reflection of the diversity of beliefs we have in America on the subject of death. Some hold Christian beliefs rooted in the Scripture and many do not. Still others believe it’s useless to speculate about things no one can know for sure. I have also stood by the bedside of terminally ill patients, sometimes at the moment of death. It is not unusual for patients and their families in those situations to ask lots of questions about the inevitable. “What’s going to happen, you know … when I die? What’s that going to be like? What can I expect to feel, see, or hear? Will I see angels? Will Jesus suddenly appear and personally take me to heaven? What will heaven be like? How can I be sure I will go to heaven? Will I be greeted by members of my family that have already died? Will I know others in heaven? Will others know me?” These are some of the questions I hear.
    [Show full text]
  • The Holy Spirit and the Physical Uníverse: the Impact of Scjentific Paradigm Shifts on Contemporary Pneumatology
    Theological Studies 70 (2009) . THE HOLY SPIRIT AND THE PHYSICAL UNÍVERSE: THE IMPACT OF SCJENTIFIC PARADIGM SHIFTS ON CONTEMPORARY PNEUMATOLOGY WOLFGANG VONDEY A methodological shift occurred in the sciences in the 20th century that has irreversible repercussions for a contemporary theology of the Holy Spirit. Newton and Einstein followed fundamentally different trajectories that provide radically dissimilar frame- works for the pneumatological endeavor. Pneumatology after Einstein is located in a different cosmological framework constituted by the notions of order, rationality, relationality, symmetry, and movement. These notions provide the immediate challenges to a contemporary understanding of the Spirit in the physical universe. HPHE PARADIGM SHIFT IN SCIENCE from Ptolemaic to Copernican cosmo- Â logy is clearly reflected in post-Enlightenment theology. The wide- ranging implications of placing the sun instead of the earth at the center of the universe marked the beginnings of both the scientific and religious revolutions of the 16th century. A century later, Isaac Newton provided for the first time a comprehensive system of physical causality that heralded space and time as the absolute constituents of experiential reality from the perspective of both natural philosophy and theology.^ Despite the echoes WOLFGANG VONDEY received his Ph.D. in systematic theology and ethics at Marquette University and is currently associate professor of systematic theology in the School of Divinity, Regent University, Virginia. A prolific writer on Pneu- matology, ecclesiology, and the dialogue of science and theology, he has most recently published: People of Bread: Rediscovering Ecclesiology (2008); "Pentecos- tal Perspectives on The Nature and Mission of the Church" in "The Nature and Mission of the Church": Ecclesial Reality and Ecumenical Horizons for the Twenty- First Century, ed.
    [Show full text]
  • THE PERSON and WORK of the HOLY SPIRIT Is to Remind Us That, Like the Dove, the Holy Spirit Is Charac­ Terized by Gentleness, Tenderness and Purity
    CONTENTS Introduction PART I WHO Is THE SPIRIT? CHAPTER PAGB 1. The Personality of the Holy Spirit. • . • •• 11 2. The Divinity of the Holy Spirit. • . • •• 14 3. The Symbols of the Holy Spirit. .. 20 PART II THE WORK OF THE HOLY SPIRIT BEFORE PENTECOST 1. The Holy Spirit in the Old Testament .....••.• 29 2. The Holy Spirit in the Gospels •...........•• 37 3. The Work of the Holy Spirit in Jesus Christ •... 41 4. The Holy Spirit and the Inspiration of the Bible. 47 PART III THE WORK OF THE HOLY SPIRIT IN THE HEART OF MAN SINCE PENTECOST 1. The Dispensation of the Spirit ...........•... S3 2. The Conviction Brought about by the Spirit- the Sin against the Holy Spirit •............ 57 3. Regeneration and Baptism of the Holy Spirit .... 68 4. The Receiving of the Holy Spirit ............. 80 S. Adoption and the Certainty of Salvation ........ 94 CoNTENTS CHAPTER PAGS 6. The Spirit's Dwelling in the Heart of the Believer. 97 7. Grieve Not the Holy Spirit ..•........••••••• 106 8. The Fullness of the Holy Spirit ...•.•••..••••• 114 9. Sanctification through the Spirit .•..•••.•....• 137 10. The Comfort, Teaching and Guidance of the Spirit. 150 11. The Holy Spirit and the Church .....•.•••••.• 163 PART IV THE HOLY SPIRIT AND SERVICE 1. The Anointing of the Holy Spirit ..••..••••••. 175 2. The Gifts of the Spirit .........••••••••.... 180 3. The Holy Spirit and Witness ....•••••••••••• 202 4. The Holy Spirit and Prayer ....•••••••••..•. 205 S. The Holy Spirit and Worship .....•••••••••. 208 PART V THE WORK OF THE HOLY SPIRIT IN THE FUTURE 1. The Holy Spirit and Israel. •......•••••••••• 213 2.
    [Show full text]
  • From Thoughts About God … to the Afterlife
    From Thoughts About God … To The Afterlife (parts 3 & 4 … of 8) Development of Thought Do the three “Abrahamic” faiths understand … God … in exactly the same way? Do Jews … Christians … and Muslims … worship the same God? There is a distinct chronology to the development of thought in Judaism … Christianity … and Islam. •There are 1300+ years between the Sinai event and the emergence of Christianity. •There are ~600 years from the emergence of Christianity to the emergence of Islam. Issues: •Are our beliefs about the afterlife compatible with our understanding of God? •In Judaism … Christianity … Islam … developed beliefs established vastly different criteria for “eternal” reward or punishment. Can the God who “revealed” these criteria (in scripture) possibly be the “same God”? Thoughts about G-d Judaism God A God of Creation … A God of Nature … A God of the Mountain(s) … A God of War … Protector of Israel A Merciless God … with those who are not His people … Where … exactly … is “Ethical Monotheism” ?? A God of Personal Encounter Toward Monotheism • “Thus saith HaShem, the G-d of Israel: Your fathers dwelt of old time beyond the River, even Terah, the father of Abraham, and the father of Nahor; and they served other gods.” (Joshua 24:2) Abram’s family … of Ur of the Chaldeans … was polytheist. • “When Israel was a child, then I loved him, and out of Egypt I called My son. The more they called them, the more they went from them; they sacrificed unto the Baalim, and offered to graven images.” (Hosea 10:1-2) Even after the Sinai event … and the occupation of the land God promised … the people worshipped the gods of the Canaanites.
    [Show full text]
  • The Qualities of Divine Essence
    The qualities of divine essence I. OUR GOD IS A PERSON II.OUR GOD IS THE SPIRIT God is not ⮚GOD ISN’T – SPIRITUAL PRINCIPLE GOD ISN’T – SOME FORCE GOD ISN’T – SUPER MIND GOD ISN’T – SOMETHING OVER US God has such characteristics A WILL(1-Thess.4:3) THE MIND(Rom. 11:34) CONSCIOUSNESS(Ex.34:6) RESPONSIBILITY(Ez.24:14 ) FEELINGS & EMOTIONS(Is.65:19) God is a Person has different feelings & emotions ⮚GEN.6:6 – REGRET ⮚1-KING.11:9 – ANGRY ⮚DET.6:15 – JEALOUS ⮚REV.3:19 - LOVE All personal pronouns in the Scripture confirm that God is a Person God is the Spirit John 4:24 What does this mean? ✔GOD IS EVERYWHERE (IS.57:15) ✔DOESN’T HAVE FLESH AND BONES (LK. 24:39) ✔INVISIBLE (1-TIM. 6:16) ✔UNLIMITED (JOB. 11:7-9) Nicene creed ▪ APOSTLES’ CREED ▪ SYMBOL OF FAITH ▪ CONFESSION OF FAITH ▪ STATEMENT OF BELIEF ▪ WE BELIEVE Newsboys – We believe Newsboys – We believe WE BELIEVE IN GOD THE FATHER WE BELIEVE IN JESUS CHRIST WE BELIEVE IN THE HOLY SPIRIT AND HE'S GIVEN US NEW LIFE WE BELIEVE IN THE CRUCIFIXION WE BELIEVE THAT HE CONQUERED DEATH WE BELIEVE IN THE RESURRECTION AND HE'S COMIN' BACK AGAIN, WE BELIEVE Nicene creed DEFINITION – ALSO CALLED NICENO-CONSTANTINOPOLITAN CREED, A CHRISTIAN STATEMENT OF FAITH THAT IS THE ONLY ECUMENICAL CREED BECAUSE IT IS ACCEPTED AS AUTHORITATIVE BY THE ROMAN CATHOLIC, EASTERN ORTHODOX, ANGLICAN, AND MAJOR PROTESTANT CHURCHES. 325 – first counsil of Nicaea (318 bishops, more than 2month ) 381 – second counsil of Constntinople(186 bishops) Nicene creed DEFINITION – A FORMAL STATEMENT OF DOCTRINE OF THE CHRISTIAN FAITH ADOPTED AT THE COUNCIL OF NICAEA IN AD 325 TO DEFEND ORTHODOXY FROM ARIANISM AND EXPANDED IN LATER COUNCILS.
    [Show full text]
  • What Is a Fundamentalist? Supplementary Charts and Notes for the 12 Sermon Series (Plus Addendum)
    What Is a Fundamentalist? Supplementary Charts and Notes for the 12 Sermon Series (Plus Addendum) by Dr. David C. Innes © 2012 Dr. David C. Innes Hamilton Square Baptist Church 1212 Geary Street San Francisco, CA 94109 (415) 673-8586 WHAT IS A FUNDAMENTALIST? Message 1 Basic Axioms Foundational to Fundamentalism — Underlying self-evident truths that are presuppositional to being a Fundamentalist. Message 2 Biblical Instructions on Separation — A general study of Ecclesiastical Separation in the New Testament. Message 3 The Commands of Love and Unity — The clear commands of Scripture concerning love and unity. Message 4 The Accursed Principles — The absolute prohibition of common cause with, or neutrality toward those who embrace a false gospel. Message 5 The Jehoshaphat Principles — The tragic historic disaster that results when good, godly men violate the biblical principles of ecclesiastical separation. Message 6 Categories of Truth We Teach and Preach — Levels of clarity of biblical teachings and the resulting levels of authority with which they can be preached. Message 7 Clear Biblical Teaching — Clear commands of Scripture are equal in authority and importance with clear teachings. Both are equally essential and therefore Fundamental ! Message 8 What Is a Fundamentalist and What Is a New Evangelical? — Definitions and contrasts of each. Message 9 The Genius of Apostasy — How apostasy works and why it is so difficult to fight, especially in its early stages. Message 10 Problems and Misunderstandings — Those things that cause
    [Show full text]