True Life Church
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True Life Church |
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Theological Questions: What is your stand on the following?
The inerrancy and purpose of the Scriptures. Some of the greatest Biblical scholars have strong and differing opinions on the inspiration and inerrancy of the Bible. The three basic points of view would be the liberal, neo-orthodox and fundamentalist. I lean toward the fundamentalist point of view. I believe the Old and New Testament is the inspired, inerrant and infallible Word of God. As God’s Word it is the final authority for the believer on all matters of life and is profitable for doctrine, reproof, correction and instruction in righteousness. This would include the social, political and religious arenas. (2 Tim 3:16-17) “16 All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, 17 that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work.”
The nature of God and the nature of man. God is spirit, infinite and self-sufficient. He is omnipresent, omniscient, omnipotent. God is eternal and transcendent. He exists beyond time and is not limited or bound by time. God sees the beginning and the end of time as now, because He is not bound by time or subject to it. God knows the future from the present because both are, now, for God. God is transcendent in the sense that He exists apart from and beyond the material universe. God is immanent and present throughout the universe and very much intimately involved in the affairs of mankind. God is everlasting. He is without beginning and ending. At the same time He is intimately involved in the lives of mankind. His mercy and grace are poured out upon the earth in His love. He is righteous, just and forgiving. Man is created in the image of God. Man was created by God to worship and fellowship with God. Because of disobedience, man sinned and fell from God’s grace. Because of man’s sin and fall from grace, he is eternally separated from God. Salvation has been purchased by the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ and is available to all who believe on the Name of Jesus Christ as Lord. “9 that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. 10 For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.” (Rom 10:9-11)
The relationship between the Believer and God. The believer’s relationship with God is based on the redemption Jesus purchased on the cross. Sin that separated man from the Father has been washed away and the penalty for sin has been paid in full. This has made the believer a new person in Christ who was reconciled to God as the scripture says, “7 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new. 18 Now all things are of God, who has reconciled us to Himself through Jesus Christ, and has given us the ministry of reconciliation, 19 that is, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not imputing their trespasses to them, and has committed to us the word of reconciliation.” (2 Cor 5:17-20)
The atonement of Christ. Because of the sin of Adam (Rom 5:18; 1 Cor 15:22) and our own personal sins (Col 1:21), we are not worthy of a relationship with a God who is holy. Because of this, we are helpless to correct the situation in our own power. Because God is righteous and just, He cannot ignore nor overlook sin but can provide a means of reconciliation. God provided a means of reconciliation in the OT through the Law where two goats were taken with one having hands laid upon the goat imparting the sin of the people and the nation into the goat and then releasing the goat into the wilderness. The other goat was taken and sacrificed on the altar. The blood of the goat was accepted by God as a substitute for the death the sinner deserved. However, in the NT we recognize that Jesus was our substitute who “not with the blood of goats and calves, but with His own blood He entered the Most Holy Place once for all, having obtained eternal redemption” (Heb 9:12). Because of His great love for us Jesus gave His life a ransom for many (Mark 10:45). In this God “laid on Him the iniquity of us all” (Isa 53:6; 2 Cor 5:21; Gal 3:13), so that all who believe in Him (Rom 3:22) might be justified and receive forgiveness of sin, atonement, and “be saved from God’s wrath through Him”.
The security of the Believer. This question has been debated by theologians for years. Of the two most widely accepted views which address this issue, one leans toward Calvinism and the other toward Arminianism. Calvin, on the one hand, believed you were predetermined to be saved and because you were predestined to be saved there was no chance of losing your salvation. Arminius, on the other hand, believed you could lose your salvation and the believers were encouraged to remain in the saved state. This debate is still raging today and has come no closer to gaining a majority view. Regardless of the continued debate, we do have the assurance of eternal life for everyone who has put their faith in Jesus Christ as Lord and continues to live their life accordingly. The apostle John says, “12 But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name: 13 who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.” (John 1:12-13) Basically, a person is born again when they truly accept Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior. The Bible tells us that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. A person who gives their life to Jesus and continues to live for Christ never needs to fear losing their salvation.
The role of women in the church. I believe God has called and anointed women in ministry. Even though this is a highly volatile subject in some circles, the Bible is full of examples of God choosing and using women to fulfill His purpose. Throughout history we have seen many examples of women God used to preach the Gospel with outstanding success. Women have proven to be a powerful asset to any ministry.
The ordination of women. Scripture does not specifically address this subject. Since the subject is not specifically addressed in scripture and no other scripture forbids the ordination of women, this matter should be left up to the individual view of the church. In this case, the decision should be more of an opinion than a doctrine. I personally believe that God does not exclude women in ministry and ordination as man’s recognition of God’s calling should not be withheld from women with proven and accountable ministries.
The Second Coming of Christ. The Second Coming of Christ is the return of Jesus to the Mount of Olives at the end of the seven-year tribulation. Here Jesus establishes His reign upon the earth for a thousand years. The Second Coming is separate from the Rapture, wherein Jesus returns in the clouds to receive in the air first those who are dead in Christ then those who are alive and remain. Both will be caught up together in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air (1 Thess 4:13-19).
The Tribulation period. This is a period of time that totals seven years directly after the Rapture recorded in Mt 24 and elsewhere which describes the events in the final days before the Second Coming. The seven years are divided by two three and half year periods known as the Tribulation and the Great Tribulation. During this time, God pours out His wrath upon the earth and upon those who continue to openly deny and reject the message of salvation through Jesus Christ. A secondary purpose is to give those who have continued to reject Jesus as Savior one last chance to be saved. Meanwhile the devil through the Antichrist and his false prophet continues to wage war against the children of God who were saved after the Rapture and does what he can to turn the hearts of those who have not made their final decision away from Christ.
The judgment of unbelievers. This is the final judgment of those who, in life, rejected the salvation purchased for them by Jesus through His sacrifice on the cross. During their life they had the opportunity to hear the Gospel message but rather than accept the message of hope they, for many reasons, chose to deny the Lord and their name was not found written in the Book of Life. The unbelievers who are not found written in the Book of Life are then judged according to their works, by the things which are written in the books. God judges the actions and deeds of each person based on what they did while in the world. They will see how their works did not and could not buy them their righteousness, nor could they work their way into heaven, nor could they wash away their sin. They will once and for all understand why it is that only through the righteous blood of Jesus can their sin be forgiven. And finally, those whose names are not found written in the Book of Life, “And anyone not found written in the Book of Life was cast into the lake of fire.” (Rev 20:11-15), will be cast into the lake of fire.
The persons of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit and their relationship to each other. The Bible teaches there is only one God, “…And there is no other God besides Me.” (Ish 45:21) “…we know that an idol is nothing in the world, and that there is no other God but one.” (1 Cor 8:4) “…yet for us there is one God, the Father, of whom are all things, and we for Him; and one Lord Jesus Christ, through whom are all things, and through whom we live.” (1 Cor 8:6), yet this one God is manifest in three Persons. The Christian doctrine teaches there is only one God, with one divine nature and being. This one Divine Being is revealed in three persons, involving the distinctions of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. These three are joint partakers of the same substance, nature and majesty. It is easy to see the unity of the Godhead throughout scripture. In 1 Cor 12:4-6 we can clearly see the unity of the Holy Spirit, Jesus and the Father working within the manifestation of the gifts. “4 There are diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit. 5 There are differences of ministries, but the same Lord. 6 And there are diversities of activities, but it is the same God who works all in all.” Throughout scripture we recognize where God speaks the Word, Jesus, with the operation of the Holy Spirit to fulfill the Word. God eternally exists in three persons the Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
Who is Jesus Christ? Jesus is Christ, the Messiah, God in flesh. Jesus took upon Himself flesh and became man, born of a virgin. He is the Son of God, the second person of the Trinity. The scripture tells us that Jesus Christ is the Word of God made flesh. He is the Life and Light of men (Jn 1:1-4, 14). He is the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world (Jn 1:29). As the second Adam, Jesus was sent by God the Father to be the final authoritative, sacrificial lamb. As the sinless lamb of God Jesus lived, taught and revealed the love of the Father to mankind who was lost and separated from God because of sin. Jesus taught God’s Word, healed the sick and raised the dead. He made it clear He alone is the way, the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Him (Jn14:6). Jesus came to reconcile man back to God, and without Jesus, no man will see God (2 Cor 5:19). Jesus came to take the sin that condemned mankind upon Himself dying on the cross to pay the penalty for sin and redeem mankind (Gal 3:13). As Jesus Himself prophesied He arose from the dead after being dead for three days and three nights following death on the cross as the atonement for man. This paved the way for all who would believe on the Lord Jesus Christ to be saved. For the Word of God says, “9 that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. 10 For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation” (Rom 10:9-10).
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