Cornerstone Bible Church

Transcription

1 Cornerstone Bible Church Systematic Theology h=/global/downloads/systematictheology/ Acknowledgment & Credits: LECTURES ON INTRODUCTION TO SYSTEMATIC THEOLOGY TAUGHT BY RAFAEL ALCANTARA IN 2009 DURING THE SUNDAY SCHOOL AT IGLESIA BIBLICA DEL SEÑOR JESUCRISTO. Edwin Gonzalez May 13, 2012

2 Course Units Introduction I The Scriptures Revelation Inspiration Canonocity Textual Criticism Translation & Interpretation II God His Atributes His Atributes 2 His Atributes 3 His Atributes 4 The Trinity i 1 La Trinidad 2 Creation Providence The Names of God III Angels & Demons Angels Demons IV Humanity Humanity Created Humanity Created Humanity Fallen Humanity Fallen Humanity Redeemed and Glorified Common Grace V Christ His Person 1 His Person 2 His Atoning Work 1 His Atoning Work 2 His Atoning Work 3 Appendix: Did Christ go to hell? Resurrection, Ascension & 2nd coming The Offices of Christ VI Salvation Unconditional Election Effectual Calling and Regeneration Conversion: Repentance & Faith Justification & Adoption Sanctification The Perseverance of the Saints VII Pneumatology (The Holy Spirit) VIII Ecclesiology (The Church) IX The Doctrine of End Times Death & Intermediate State The Second Coming of Christ: General Aspects Signs that precede the second coming Glorification Final Judgment

3 Cornerstone Bible Church Systematic Theology Anthropology SOTERIOLOGY General Contents: 1.Unconditional Election 2. 3.Conversion: Repentance & Faith 4.Justification & Adoption 5.Sanctification 6.The Perseverance of the Saints

4 Doctrine of Salvation: Review Soteriology (soter) + logos = study of salvation The First Link: Unconditional Election I- A Working Definition of Unconditional Election Grudem defines it as: God s act, before creation, choosing some people to save them, not taking into account any foreseen merit in them, but choosing them only according to His Sovereignty and His own pleasure.

5 Doctrine of Salvation: Review I Definition: election is based solely on God s purposes II Clarification: a) election is not foreknowledge and b) Election is not colective but individual III Objections: a) It makes God unjust Answer: And? Romans 9:14-16 b) This doctrine removes Man s free will. Answer: God does not act against our will in salvation, but He changes our will c) It removes the drive for Evangelism: Answer: God decreed both the ends and the means, and He ordained that salvation will be achieved through preaching and prayer compare Acts 13:14 & 14:1 compare Romans 10:13-14

6 Doctrine of Salvation: Review : ordos salutis Election takes place in eternity, but nobody is saved by election, but by Grace through h faith in Christ Ephesians 2:8-9 Every saved sinner is born as everybody else, condemned by nature. Redemption is applied through faith Ephesians 2:1-5 Ordos Salutis Unconditional Election Effectual Calling Regeneration Faith Justification Sanctification Glorification

7 Doctrine of Salvation : Review 1. Effectual Calling (Definition) It is the God the Father s act through which He draws a sinner to Himself, in an irresistible way (meaning that they will respond affirmatively with faith and repentance) to the message of the Gospel a) This is an act of God the Father b) It is irresistible: Different from external / general calling comp. Matthew 22:14 compare Romans 8:28-30) c) Effectual calling is not mechanical and static: Hosea 11 speaks of human chords and chords of love Examples: a) Lydia had her heart opened gently b) Nathaniel came with a gentle rebuke c) Matthew came instantly d) James and John started with John the Baptist e) Paul had to be thrown to the ground f) What about you?

8 Doctrine of Salvation : Part 2 DO NOT TRY TO PUT GOD INSIDE YOUR LITTLE CONVERSION BOX STOPPED HERE

9 2. Regeneration (Definition) a) )Grudem says: It is a secret act of God through h which h He imparts new spiritual life (Bíblical Doctrine, Page 300) Titus 3:5 b) This is also called the new birth. John 3:3 He who is not born again, cannot see the Kingdom of God c) A sinner is described as spiritually dead, blind, hardened d of heart. The New Birth brings about a new principle of spiritual life (John 3:3-8)

10 2. Regeneration (Definition) Ezekiel 36: I will give you a new heart and will put a new spirit it within you. I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and will give you a heart of flesh. I will put my Spirit within you and will cause you carefully keep my statutes d) Both the Holy Spirit and the Father operate in the new birth 1 John 5:1 Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ is born of God James 1:17-18 [The Father] in the exercise of His will He made us to be born by the word of truth 1 Peter 1:3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His great mercy made us to be born again (see verse 23)

11 2. Regeneration (Definition) a) Is a person active or passive in their regeneration? Ephesians 2:1-4 compare John 1:13 b) Is a person active or passive in their conversion? (This we will consider in the next class but they must repent) We call people to repent not to be born again. The former is a duty of every man, the latter is an act of God s Sovereign Grace Acts 17:30 "Therefore having overlooked the times of ignorance, God is now declaring to men that all everywhere should repent Ezekiel 33:11 'As I live!' declares the Lord GOD 'I take no pleasure in the death of the Ezekiel 33:11 As I live! declares the Lord GOD, I take no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but rather that the wicked turn from his way and live. Turn back, turn back from your evil ways! Why then will you die, O house of Israel?'

12 2. Regeneration (Definition) c) Baptismal Regeneration has no grounds in Scripture John 1:12-13 To those who received Him, He gave the right to be called children of God, who are not born out of the will of man, or of flesh, but of the will of God Grudem:... the Gospel message in the Bible does not command: be born again and be saved but, believe in the Lord Jesus Christ and you will be saved. This is the pattern of fgospel preaching in Acts and in the epistles.

13 2. Regeneration (Definition) Arminian i vs Biblical l Ordo Salutis Biblical (Theocentric) Unmerited Love (foreknowledge) Unconditional Election Effectual Calling Regeneration Faith Justification Sanctification Glorification Arminian (Anthropocentric) Foreknowledge based on omniscience Conditional Election (based on faith) Resistible Calling Faith Regeneration Justification Santification Glorification Regeneration is an Act of God, and it only happens once Acts 16:14 (Lidia) the the Lord opened her heart to receive what Paul was saying

14 2. Regeneration (Definition) d) The synergy of events: Regeneration and Conversion are parts of the same package, and we should not see them as events separated by a gap of time comp James 1:18 Regeneration is not the change of life we observe in converted people, regeneration is an act of God to impart spiritual life, so that a sinner may be converted and transformed 2 Corinthians 5:17 If anyone is in Christ, He is a new creation, the old things passed away and behold everything is made new

15 2. Regeneration (Definition) e) What is first Regeneration or Effectual Calling? Theologians are divided at this point Some believe God first regenerates and then calls efficaciously so that the sinner may hear the call Others believe, that God first calls and then regenerates, so that the sinner may respond to the call and convert Others believe all things happen at the same time. I do not believe this is particularly a fruitful discussion

16 3. The consequences of effectual calling & regeneration? 1 - Conversion. 2 - A Change from a pattern of habitual sin 1 John 3:9 No one born of God practices sin, because the seed of God abides in him, and he cannot sin, because he is born of God 1 John 2:29 And you know that He is righteous and that every one who does righteousness is born of Him 3 - Love for one another 1 John 4:7 Beloved let us love one another, because love is of God and the one who loves is born of God and knows God.

17 3. The consequences of effectual calling & regeneration? 1 - Conversion. 2 - A Change from a pattern of habitual sin 3 - Love for one another 4 Protection against the evil one and the world John 5:3-4,18 For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments, and his commandments are not burdensome. Because everything that is born of God overcomes the world; and this is the victory that has overcome the world; our faith We know that t everyone born of God does not sin, but the one who is born of God, [God] keeps him and the evil one does not touch him.

18 BEWARE! Systematic Theology seeks to order Biblical Information into categories for the sake of their study in a logical arrangement, but that does not mean that God s interaction with people follows the logical l arrangement of Systematic ti Theologic Many get hung-up with the issue of regeneration and conversion as if they were distinct events and not distinct aspects of one event Regeneration, the implanting of a new life within us, is inseparable from the repentance and faith by which we enter the Kingdom of God Sinclair Ferguson -

19 Cornerstone Bible Church Systematic Theology Christology END