Podcast appearances and mentions of Norman L Geisler

Genesis 1:26-31, 2:15-17 God Given Animation (1:26a) Gods life (Gen. 2:7) Gods likeness God Given Authorization (1:26b-27) God is the Owner Humanity is the manager God Given Aspiration (1:28-31) Have a fruitful life Enjoy a fruit-filled life God Given Limitation (Gen. 2:15-17) One forbidden tree One fearful warning More to Consider A biblical answer explains why all of life has become disordered. As the twenty-first century is beginning in the West, part of that disorder is the sense that life has no center, that it is adrift, and that it has no meaning. This answer, which explains all of this, is sin. And this is the normative answer. It does not change. This, in every age, is the answer that explains life's disorder. The center has not been lost. What has been lost is our ability to see it, to recognize it, to bow before it, to reorder our lives in light of it, to do what we should do as people who live in the presence of this center, this Other, this triune, holy-loving God of the BiblePaul's statement is that, since the fall, we have "worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator" (Rom. 1:25). David F. Wells So, to eliminate any confusion on this point, I am going to give you a short quiz. In the Christian Story, who is the creator and sustainer of the universe? Who is the Lord, the master of the universe? Who is all-powerful? Who is the center of the universe? The answer to each of these questions is, of course, Godthe God who is completely distinct from the rest of his creation. Gregory Koukl Sovereignty or governance means to be in control of or to be in charge of. Sovereignty concerns not only Gods right to control all, but also His actual sovereign dominion over all things. Sovereignty is based in several of His attributes since God is allpowerful, allknowing, allwise and allgood. This is because God knows the best thing to do and has the power to do it. He is prior to all things, produces all things, sustains all things, transcends all things, knows all things, can do all things, owns all things, rules over all things and controls all things. Norman L. Geisler

     For Christians, dedication to God is the starting point for the spiritual life and the advance to Christian maturity. Dedication is a synonym for commitment, devotion, loyalty, and positive volition. According to Charles Ryrie, “There is perhaps no more important matter in relation to the spiritual life than dedication.”[1] In another place he states, “Dedication concerns the subjection of my life to Jesus Christ as long as I live.”[2] For the Christian, dedication starts at a moment in time, and continues, ideally, for the rest of one's life, as the child of God walks in ongoing obedience to the Lord.[3] After being born again, some believers quickly dedicate themselves to the Lord and begin their journey of spiritual growth. For other Christians, this dedication may come later, perhaps even years later (as it did with me).      Dedication is not a requirement for salvation. That would add works to the gospel message (1 Cor 15:3-4), and that's wrong. Salvation is a free gift (Rom 6:23), given by God as an act of grace (Eph 2:8-9). Initial salvation is about justification, which is a one-and-done event that occurs at the moment of faith in Christ (Rom 3: 28; 4:4-5; 5:1; 8:33). Paul said we are “justified as a gift by His grace through the redemption which is in Christ Jesus” (Rom 3:24). Justification is a single act that occurs at salvation and is not to be confused with our experiential sanctification, which occurs over time. According to Norman Geisler, “Justification is an instantaneous, past act of God by which one is saved from the guilt of sin—his record is cleared and he is guiltless before the Judge (Rom 8:1).”[4] As Christians, we are justified in God's sight because Christ  has born all our sin upon the cross and paid our sin debt in full (John 19:30; Col 2:14), and after we trust in Christ as our Savior, God freely gives His righteousness to us (Rom 5:17; 2 Cor 5:21; Phil 3:9). After we are saved eternally, God calls us into a lifelong walk with Him. Dedication happens after we are saved, when we present ourselves to God for service (Rom 6:13; 12:1-2; Jam 4:7), and walk in obedience to His will (1 Pet 1:14-15). This relates to our sanctification, which is ongoing, as long as we live. In the sanctification process, the Christian is constantly recalibrating his/her thinking, values, words and actions to conform to the character and will of God. Dedication is a requirement for spiritual growth, as the believer with positive volition is yielded to God the Holy Spirit and is willing to learn and live God's Word. Spirituality is unhindered as long as there is positive volition to God.      God has provided everything we need to live the spiritual life. He has redeemed us by the blood of Christ (1 Pet 1:18-19; 1 Cor 6:20), forgiven our sins (Acts 10:43; Eph 1:7), caused us to be born again (John 1:12-13; 1 Pet 1:3, 23), given us eternal life (John 3:16; 10:28), adopted us as His children (Gal 4:5; Eph 1:5), made us saints in Christ (Rom 1:7; 1 Cor 1:2), given the Holy Spirit to indwell us (1 Cor 3:16), brought us into “the kingdom of His beloved Son” (Col 1:13), given us a new spiritual nature (Rom 7:22; Eph 4:22-24; Col 3:9-10), provided a spiritual gift (Rom 12:6; 1 Pet 4:10), blessed us “with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ” (Eph 1:3), and provided divine revelation in the Bible to educate us on how to live righteously (2 Tim 3:16-17; cf. Psa 1:1-3). Dr. Steven R. Cook   [1] Charles C. Ryrie, Balancing the Christian life (Chicago Ill., Moody Press, 1994), 77. [2] Ibid., 80. [3] I say “ideally” because some believers, like Solomon, deviate in their walk with the Lord. Some will return to their walk of faith. Others will not. Whatever the final outcome of one's life, any spiritual advancement must begin with a moment of dedication. [4] Norman L. Geisler, Systematic Theology, Volume Three: Sin, Salvation, 235.

God's Sovereignty and Human Volition at the Cross      One can see God's sovereignty and human volition working simultaneously at the crucifixion of Jesus. In the sovereignty and wisdom of God, without overruling human volition, the Lord accomplished His will by means of the wills of wicked men who sought to oppose Him. Luke tells us, “this Man, delivered over by the predetermined plan and foreknowledge of God, you nailed to a cross by the hands of godless men and put Him to death” (Acts 2:23). Here, wicked men did their worst against God and His Messiah, and yet, what was done to the Messiah, was done “by the predetermined plan and foreknowledge of God.” Luke states something similar when he recorded Peter's prayer to God, saying, “For truly in this city there were gathered together against Your holy servant Jesus, whom You anointed, both Herod and Pontius Pilate, along with the Gentiles and the peoples of Israel, to do whatever Your hand and Your purpose predestined to occur” (Acts 4:27-28). These wicked men “were gathered together against” Jesus, to oppose and crucify Him. Yet Peter says to God they did “whatever Your hand and Your purpose predestined to occur.” These wicked men—whose pride and power were threatened by Jesus—sought to destroy Him by means of false witnesses and illegal trials, and to put Him to death in the most horrible way possible; crucifixion. But God is sovereign, and by means of His invisible hand, used the very actions of those who opposed Him to accomplish the thing He desired; the death of Messiah for everyone. Here is a mystery that brings awe and bewilderment, as the wills of wicked men became the vehicle of divine destiny to produce exactly what God intended. God was in no way the author of their sin. Those who crucified Messiah acted freely. Yet their free actions were the modus operandi to accomplish His will, and so Messiah was crucified and bore the sins of those who placed Him on the cross. Human Choice to Believe      God is sovereign, and He created people with volition, which is the ability to choose. One should not seek to press sovereignty or free will to an extreme. Arnold Fruchtenbaum correctly notes, “if one goes too far with sovereignty, he ends up teaching that there is absolutely no free will. He would teach that people are saved whether they willed it or did not will it. Some of the elect are dragged into the Kingdom kicking and screaming. That has gone over to the sovereignty extreme.”[1] In Scripture, we observe clear statements where people are called to exercise their volition and personally trust in Christ as Savior (John 3:16-18; Acts 16:30-31; Rom 10:12-15; Eph 2:8-9). Fruchtenbaum continues: "On the other side of the coin is human responsibility, where the Bible also just as clearly teaches that people are individually responsible for their moral choices. They are somehow responsible for their eternal destinies. Whether they end up in the Lake of Fire or the New Jerusalem, that is somehow relevant to the choice they make. Throughout the Bible, God calls upon people to make a choice. Joshua declared to the people of Israel, in the closing days of his life, Choose you this day whom ye will serve (Josh 24:15). It is obvious that the Israelites were able to make some kind of a choice and were challenged to make it. Thus we have this same concept of human responsibility. Even when we have statements in the Bible about God hardening the hearts of certain ones, like the heart of Pharaoh, it also indicates in the same context that somewhere along the line Pharaoh also hardened his own heart. We believe God holds us morally responsible for the choices we make, and He expects us to make moral decisions. If we are not able to make any moral decision, if we really do not have such a will, it is inconsistent for God to hold us responsible for choosing things that He Himself predestined us to choose. Yet the Bible constantly exhorts us to believe, and in becoming believers, the Bible exhorts us to live godly lives. The Bible holds us responsible for the choices we make, either as unbelievers or as believers. If there is no real free choice of some kind, then how could God justly reward us or punish us for the choices we make?"[2]      Election does not remove the responsibility to believe in Christ as Savior (Rom 10:13-14). Faith is non-meritorious, having no saving value in itself. Christ alone saves. In order for people to be saved, they must believe in Jesus as the Savior (John 3:16; Acts 4:12; 1 Cor 15:3-4). From the human side of salvation, faith in Jesus is the necessary response to God's call, and no one can be saved any other way (John 14:6; Acts 16:31). According to Robert Lightner, “God the Father is sovereign. He must be to be God. Human responsibility is just as biblical as divine sovereignty. Jesus stressed both. Jesus said no one can come to him unless drawn by the Father but he also said none who come to him would be cast out (John 6:37).”[3]      There are a number of passages that emphasize human volition. Concerning unbelieving Israel, Jesus said, “Jerusalem, Jerusalem, who kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to her! How often I wanted to gather your children together, the way a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, and you were unwilling” (Matt 23:37). The Bible teaches that God “desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth” (1 Tim 2:4), and that “the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation to all men” (Tit 2:11), and the Lord is “not wishing for any to perish but for all to come to repentance” (2 Pet 3:9). If someone perishes eternally, it is because they failed to respond to God and His drawing them to Himself. Jesus said that one is judged eternally, “because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God” (John 3:18b). And when speaking to unbelievers, Jesus said, “You search the Scriptures because you think that in them you have eternal life; it is these that testify about Me; and you are unwilling to come to Me so that you may have life” (John 5:39-40). [Article: Why Volition Matters] Stephen, when about to be stoned to death, said to his attackers, “You men who are stiff-necked and uncircumcised in heart and ears are always resisting the Holy Spirit; you are doing just as your fathers did” (Acts 7:51). All who end up in the lake of fire are there by personal choice and not because God failed to love them or make provision for their eternal salvation. According to Lewis Chafer, “If men go to perdition it will be because every possible mercy from God has been resisted.”[4]      The spiritual condition of unbelievers is that they made the choice not to believe. Also, Satan imposes spiritual blindness upon them. As Paul wrote, “And even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing, in whose case the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelieving so that they might not see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God” (2 Cor 4:3-4).      God saves everyone who is positive to Him and believes in Christ as their Savior (John 3:15-16, 18, 36; 5:24, 39-40; 6:47; 20:31; Rom 3:28; 4:3-5; 5:1-2; 1 Cor 1:21; 15:1-4; Gal 2:16; 3:26; Eph 2:8-9; Phil 3:9; 1 John 5:10-13), and condemns forever those who are negative to Him, who suppress His truth in unrighteousness (John 3:19; 12:37; Rom 1:18-32), and who reject His offer of eternal life, leaving them to suffer for their own choices (John 3:18; 5:39-40). This means God sovereignly chooses to elect those who believe in Christ as their Savior. What About Children who Die Before Reaching the Age of Accountability?      What about babies and little children? Are they among God's elect? Do they go directly to heaven whey die? Yes. All babies and little children go to heaven if they die before reaching the age of accountability. Concerning this doctrine, Robert B. Thieme Jr., states: "Age of Accountability - The point in life when an individual is capable of recognizing the existence of a Supreme Being, capable of understanding the Gospel, and responsible for his own decision toward a relationship with God. This is also called the point of God-consciousness. Scripture is clear that God makes His existence evident within the world (Rom 1:19-20). Accountability is reached when, through simple thought and reasoning, a person can consider that existence and draw conclusions. The specific age at which this occurs varies among individuals and depends on several factors, including geographical location, social conditions, education, and individual mental capacity…Individuals who die before reaching accountability, including infants and the severely mentally handicapped, are taken directly into the presence of the Lord (2 Sam 12:22-23). In grace, God automatically saves anyone who lacks the mental ability to reach God-consciousness and make a responsible decision about Christ."[5]      The age of accountability is a theological extrapolation that is born out of certain passages of Scripture. For example, Moses wrote of “little ones… have no knowledge of good or evil” (Deut 1:39). And God spoke of Isaiah's son, Shear-jashub (Isa 7:3), that “before the boy will know enough to refuse evil and choose good, the land whose two kings you [Ahaz] dread will be forsaken” (Isa 7:16). According to Norman Geisler, “These texts seem to imply that there is an age of moral accountability. Even of adults, Jesus said, ‘If you were blind, you would not be guilty of sin; but now that you claim you can see, your guilt remains' (John 9:41). How much more would this apply to infants who cannot yet know right from wrong.”[6] Another revealing passage is found in 2 Chronicles where we're told, “Jehoiachin was eight years old when he became king, and he reigned three months and ten days in Jerusalem, and he did evil in the sight of the LORD” (2 Ch 36:9). Here we see an eight year old whose actions were called “evil in the sight of the LORD.” It reveals that an eight year old with normal cognitive function could be held morally responsible for his actions before the Lord.      Moral accountability before God seems to assume normal sensory and cognitive function, such that a person who has the sensory and intellectual capacity to know that God exists through creation (Psa 19:1-2; Rom 1:18), can then make a decision to pursue Him, or to “suppress the truth in unrighteousness” (Rom 1:18). It would seem that those who suffer from an intellectual or developmental disability (i.e., Down syndrome, severe autism, etc.) are granted a special dispensation concerning their moral accountability before God, and they are granted free access to heaven. The command to believe on the Lord Jesus Christ for salvation presupposes intelligence and the ability to exercise one's volition. Children and those who are mentally disabled lack the intellectual and volitional capacity to make a decision for or against Christ; therefore, they are not made accountable for sin. Robert Lightner states: "In the Bible, infants, little children, and others who cannot believe are neither told to believe nor expected to do so. They are not classified as wicked evildoers and rejecters of God's grace. It is always adults who are addressed, either directly or indirectly, regarding these matters. Because the Bible has so much to say about those who cannot believe and yet says nothing about their being eternally separated from God because of their inability, we conclude that they have heaven as their home. They die safely in the arms of Jesus."[7]      An often-cited biblical passage on this matter is found in the life of King David who lost a newborn son as a result of his adulterous affair with Bathsheba and the murder of her husband, Uriah. David was guilty of horrible sin, but he had a sensitive heart and was very concerned for his child. After the death of David's son, he said, “While the child was still alive, I fasted and wept; for I said, ‘Who knows, the LORD may be gracious to me, that the child may live.' But now he has died; why should I fast? Can I bring him back again? I will go to him, but he will not return to me” (2 Sam 12:22-23). While the child was alive, David prayed to God to be gracious “that the child may live.” However, after the child died, David expressed optimism by saying “I will go to him, but he will not return to me.” David was thinking of heaven, where he knew his infant son had gone. Concerning this passage, Robert Lightner states: "Life after death was a certainty for David. That he would be with his son again in the future was his firm belief. He never doubted that fact for a moment. David was rightly related to the Lord, and he did not question that he would spend eternity with Him. Nor did he have any doubt that his infant son, taken in death before he could decide for or against his father's God, would be there also. Some people argue that David's declaration meant merely that he would one day join his son in death. As the child had died, so would the father in due time. But such a view does not account for the anticipated reunion and fellowship with his son that is strongly implied in the statement and in the context. David's act of worship in the house of the Lord is inexplicable if the death of his son merely reminded David of his own certain death."[8]      That heaven welcomes little children is stated in Jesus's Words, when He told His disciples, “Permit the children to come to Me; do not hinder them; for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these” (Mark 10:14; cf., Matt 18:3). John Walvoord notes, “The case of those who die before reaching the age of responsibility is a different problem. The proper doctrine seems to be that infants are regenerated at the moment of their death, not before, and if they live to maturity, they are regenerated at the moment they accept Christ.”[9] Summary of Election:      In summary, God's election is a sovereign act from eternity past and is predicated on love and grace (Eph 1:3-6), and not on any foresight of worth or good works (Deut 7:7-8; 1 Cor 1:26-31; Rom 9:9-16). God elects based on His foreknowledge, as Peter states, we are “chosen according to the foreknowledge of God the Father” (1 Pet 1:1-2), and the elect are saved through the preaching of a gospel message (Rom 10:14-17), and believing in Christ as their Savior (John 3:16; Acts 4:12; 16:31). The basis for condemnation is always a person's unbelief (John 3:18; 5:39-40; Eph 2:3), as it is negative human volition that keeps people from coming to Christ (1 Tim 2:4; 4:10; John 5:40; Acts 7:51). Election is not merely to salvation, but to a holy and righteous life that honors the Lord (Col 3:12; 2 Th 2:13; 1 Pet 2:9). Election agrees with unlimited atonement (John 1:29; 3:16–17; Heb 2:9; 1 John 2:2), and produces humility because it reveals that salvation is completely of the Lord and that people have nothing to boast about (Rom 4:2; Eph 2:9), and God preserves eternally those who are saved (John 10:28-29). Lastly, babies and little children are not held accountable for their actions, as they do not know right or wrong (Deut 1:39; Isa 7:16), and are counted among God's elect and enter heaven when they die, for, as Jesus said, “the kingdom of God belongs to such as these” (Mark 10:14; cf. 2 Sam 12:22-23). Dr. Steven R. Cook   [1] Arnold G. Fruchtenbaum, God's Will & Man's Will: Predestination, Election, & Free Will, ed. Christiane Jurik, 2nd Edition. (San Antonio, TX: Ariel Ministries, 2014), 2. [2] Ibid., 3–4. [3] Robert P. Lightner, Handbook of Evangelical Theology: A Historical, Biblical, and Contemporary Survey and Review (Grand Rapids, MI: Kregel Publications, 1995), 191. [4] Lewis Sperry Chafer, Salvation (Philadelphia, PA: Sunday School Times Company, 1922), 40. [5] Robert B. Thieme, Jr. “Age of Accountability”,  Thieme's Bible Doctrine Dictionary, 4. [6] Norman L. Geisler, Systematic Theology, Volume Three: Sin, Salvation, 448. [7] Robert Lightner, Safe in the Arms of Jesus (Grand Rapids, Mich. Kregel Publications, 2000), 15-16. [8] Ibid., 55. [9] John F. Walvoord, The Holy Spirit (Galaxie Software, 2008), 135.

Election      Election derives from the Greek verb eklegō (ἐκλέγω) which, according to BDAG, means “to make a choice in accordance with significant preference, select someone or something for oneself.”[1] According to Norman Geisler, “The word election (or elect) occurs fourteen times in the New Testament. An elect person is a chosen one; election (or elect) is used of Israel (Rom 9:11; 11:28), of angels (1 Tim 5:21), and of believers. In relation to believers, election is the decision of God from all eternity whereby He chose those who would be saved.”[2] Geisler further states, “The words chosen and chose are used numerous times. The terms are employed of Christ (Luke 23:35; 1 Pet 1:20; 2:4, 6), of a disciple (Acts 1:2, 24; 10:41; 22:14; John 15:10), and even of Judas (John 6:70; 13:18), who was chosen to be an apostle. Soteriologically, a chosen one is a person elected to salvation by God.”[3]      Election is that free choice of God from eternity past in which He chose to save and bless some (Eph 1:4-5). The elect are the ones chosen. God elects groups (Luke 6:13-16; John 6:70) and individuals (1 Ch 28:5; Acts 9:15). Election is to salvation (Acts 13:48; Eph 1:4-6; 2 Th 2:13), spiritual blessing (Eph 1:3), holy and righteous living (Col 3:12; 1 Pet 2:9), and service for the Lord (Jer 1:4-5; Gal 1:15-16; cf. Acts 9:15). In election, God is sovereign and people are free. Both are true. This is why Jesus said, “All that the Father gives Me will come to Me, and the one who comes to Me I will certainly not cast out” (John 6:37). Here we observe the coalescence of God's sovereignty and positive human volition as the Father gives and people come of their own choice.[4] We observe something similar in Acts where Luke wrote, “When the Gentiles heard this, they began rejoicing and glorifying the word of the Lord; and as many as had been appointed to eternal life believed” (Acts 13:48). Here we observe Gentiles who were appointed to eternal life, and that they personally exercised their volition and believed in the Lord for salvation.[5] Robert B. Thieme Jr., states: "[Election is] the recognition by God, before the foundation of the world, of those who would believe in Christ; the sovereign act of God in eternity past to choose, to set apart, certain members of the human race for privilege, based on His knowledge of every person's freewill decisions in time. While God is sovereign, having the right to do with His creatures as He pleases, never has He hindered or tampered with human free will. He did not choose some to be saved and others to be condemned. Instead, in eternity past, God first chose to accomplish the work of man's salvation through the Son. Then, He looked down the corridors of time and elected for salvation everyone He knew would believe in Jesus Christ (Eph 1:4). God elected believers in the sense that He knew ahead of time that their free will would choose for Christ….Moreover, God did not elect anyone to hell: unbelievers are condemned to eternally reside in hell only because they have used their volition toward unbelief (John 3:18)."[6] Predestined by God      When writing to the Christians at Ephesus, Paul said, “He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we would be holy and blameless before Him. In love He predestined us to adoption as sons through Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the kind intention of His will” (Eph 1:4-5). The word predestined translates the Greek word proorizō (προορίζω), which means, to “decide upon beforehand,  predetermine.”[7] Harold Hoehner defines the word similarly as, “to determine beforehand, mark out beforehand, predestine.”[8] Geisler notes, “Just as God predetermined from all eternity that Christ would die for our sins (Acts 2:23), He also predestined who would be saved. As Paul says, ‘Those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the likeness of his Son' (Rom 8:29).”[9] According to Paul Enns, “Even though election and predestination are clearly taught in Scripture, man is still held accountable for his choices. Scripture never suggests that man is lost because he is not elect or has not been predestined; the emphasis of Scripture is that man is lost because he refuses to believe the gospel.”[10]      Predestination refers to what God purposes for us. The Bible reveals that God has predestined us to adoption as His children (Eph 1:5), to our ultimate conformity to Christ (Rom 8:29–30), and to the blessings of our future inheritance (Eph 1:11). Warren Wiersbe states, “This word, as it is used in the Bible, refers primarily to what God does for saved people. Nowhere in the Bible are we taught that people are predestined to hell, because this word refers only to God's people. Election seems to refer to people, while predestination refers to purposes.”[11] According to Robert B. Thieme Jr., predestination refers to “God's predetermined, sovereign provisioning of every believer for the purpose of executing His plan, purpose, and will in time (Eph 1:4-6, 11).”[12] Thieme further states: "In eternity past God decreed, or established with certainty, the believer's destiny for time and eternity. However, the divine act of predestination is never to be confused with the ideas of kismet [the idea of fate] or any other human-viewpoint system of fatalism. God did not negate free will or force anyone into a course of action. Rather, He only decreed and provisioned what He knew would actually happen. He predestined believers based on His eternal knowledge that they would, by their own free will, accept Jesus Christ as Savior. Long before human history began, sovereign God determined that every Church Age believer would be united with the resurrected Jesus Christ, the King of kings. Those who believe are predestined as heirs of God and joint heirs with the Son of God—sharing the eternal destiny of Jesus Christ Himself (Eph 1:5). Furthermore, God predestined believers with everything necessary to fulfill His plan in time. No Christian is dependent upon human energy, personality, or human effort, because God established a grace way of life and furnished the divine means of execution (2 Tim 1:9). Every believer in this age has equal opportunity to either accept or reject God's predestined provision. Regardless of personal failure or success in time, all believers are predestined to be completely “conformed to the image of His Son” in resurrection bodies in heaven (Rom 8:29)."[13] Foreknowledge      Peter wrote of God's elect as those “who are chosen according to the foreknowledge of God the Father” (1 Pet 1:1-2). Here, the word foreknowledge translates the Greek noun prognōsis (πρόγνωσις), which means “to know beforehand, know in advance”[14] Foreknowledge simply means that omniscient God, from eternity past, knew in advance all that would happen in time and space, and He knew the actions of every person and whether they would be saved or not. Jesus communicated His foreknowledge when He said to His disciples, ‘“There are some of you who do not believe.' For Jesus knew from the beginning who they were who did not believe, and who it was that would betray Him” (John 6:64). God also knew His own actions in time and space, either to direct, permit, or overrule human or angelic decisions, and to judge everyone fairly for their actions. According to Norman Geisler: "Being omniscient, God also eternally foreknew those who would be saved: “Those God foreknew he also predestined” (Rom 8:29). Indeed, they were “elect according to the foreknowledge of God” (1 Pet 1:2). Since His foreknowledge is infallible (He is omniscient), whatever God foreknows will indeed come to pass. Hence, His foreknowledge of who would be saved assures that they will be."[15]      In his letter to the Romans, Paul wrote, “For those whom He foreknew, He also predestined to become conformed to the image of His Son” (Rom 8:29). The word “foreknew” translates the Greek verb proginōskō (προγινώσκω) which, according to BDAG, means “to know beforehand or in advance, have foreknowledge.”[16] Here, the word connotes God's knowing people in an intimate sense and not merely what they will do. This speaks to the richness of the relationship God has with each individual. Though we exist in time and space and live our lives in a chronological manner with one experience sequentially following the next, God exists in the eternal realm, beyond time and space, in the eternal now. This means that God is present at all times and places in human history simultaneously. Scripture speaks of what God foreknew from eternity past as it relates to the choices of His elect, but His foreknowledge is not detached or impersonal; rather, it is intimately connected to the formation of His family and the execution of His purposes in the world (see Jer 1:4-5). Prevenient Grace      Prevenient grace refers to the grace of God that precedes and prepares a person's heart and will for salvation. The term “prevenient” means “preceding” or “coming before.” According to Geisler, “Prevenient means ‘before,' and prevenient grace refers to God's unmerited work in the human heart prior to salvation, which directs people to this end through Christ…This grace is also seen in the fact that ‘the goodness of God leads you to repentance' (Rom 2:4). Thus, prevenient grace is God's grace exerted on our behalf even before He bestows salvation on us.”[17]      Because God “desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth” (1 Tim 2:4), and is “not wishing for any to perish but for all to come to repentance” (2 Pet 3:9), He works in a preparatory manner to convince the fallen human heart to welcome Christ (2 Tim 1:9). Jesus spoke of the role of the Holy Spirit in the dispensation of the church age, saying, “And He, when He comes, will convict the world concerning sin and righteousness and judgment; concerning sin, because they do not believe in Me” (John 16:8-9). According to Geisler, “The act of convicting, then, is that by which God persuades a person that he is a sinner and, thus, is in need of the Savior.”[18] This prevenient work of God is necessary because of the sinfulness of mankind. It is not considered to be salvific in itself but rather a preparatory grace that allows individuals to cooperate with God's saving work in Christ. In this perspective, salvation is seen as a cooperative process where individuals have the ability to accept or reject God's offer of grace. Christians are Elect in Christ      From eternity past, God intended for His grand plan of salvation for all humanity to be achieved through His Son. Scripture reveals “the Father has sent the Son to be the Savior of the world” (1 John 4:14), and “the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost” (Luke 19:10), and He is “the Lamb who has been slain” from the foundation of the world (Rev 13:8). Jesus is the Father's Chosen One. God said, “Behold, My Servant, whom I uphold; My chosen One in whom My soul delights” (Isa 42:1). And He said of Jesus, “This is My Son, My Chosen One” (Luke 9:35). And Peter describes Jesus as “chosen and precious in the sight of God” (1 Pet 2:4). Jesus was chosen by God before the foundation of the world to be the Savior of all mankind, and Christians are elect because we are in Christ. Geisler states: "Christ is eternal, and the universal church was chosen in Christ before the foundation of the world (Eph 1:4); hence, in the mind of God, the church of God is eternal. Further, Christ is the elect of God (Matt 3:16–17), and we are elect in Him; not only is Christ the elect One, but in the New Testament those “in Christ,” the church, the members of His body, were elect in Him before time began."[19]      Scripture reveals that Christians “are chosen according to the foreknowledge of God the Father” (1 Pet 1:1-2), that Christ “was foreknown before the foundation of the world” (1 Pet 1:20), was “chosen and precious” in His sight (1 Pet 2:4), and that God “chose us in Him before the foundation of the world” (Eph 1:4). The prepositional phrase “in Him” (ἐν αὐτῷ) speaks to our election and union with Christ (Eph 1:4). According to L. B. Smedes, “This strongly suggests that God elects people for salvation in the same decision that He elected Christ as their Savior.”[20] Because Jesus is God's Chosen One, it is asserted that we, God's elect, were chosen at the same time as Christ, and He “saved us and called us with a holy calling, not according to our works, but according to His own purpose and grace which was granted us in Christ Jesus from all eternity” (2 Tim 1:9). When we believed in Jesus as our Savior, God placed us into union with Christ, for “by His doing you are in Christ Jesus” (1 Cor 1:30). Paul wrote, “I endure all things for the sake of those who are chosen [eklektos], so that they also may obtain the salvation which is in Christ Jesus and with it eternal glory” (2 Tim 2:10).      The prepositional phrase, “in Christ” (ἐν Χριστῷ), emphasizes the idea of believers being in union with Christ. This union is not merely a metaphorical expression but signifies a profound spiritual reality. The Apostle Paul frequently uses this expression to convey the intimate and transformative relationship that believers have with Christ (Rom 8:1; 12:5; 1 Cor 1:2, 30; Gal 3:28; Eph 1:3-4; Phil 1:1; Col 1:2; 2 Tim 1:9; 2:10). Being “in Christ” signifies that believers are, in a real spiritual sense, united with Him. This identification includes sharing in His death, burial, and resurrection, for we have been “crucified with Christ” (Gal 2:20), and “we died with Christ” (Rom 6:8), were “buried with Him” (Rom 6:4), and “have been raised up with Christ” (Col 3:1). In a real way, we were with Him on the cross, in the grave, and at His resurrection. In the eyes of God, His experience has become our experience. This identification with Jesus is real, even though we were not physically alive at the time of His crucifixion, burial, resurrection, or ascension into heaven. Furthermore, “In Him we have…forgiveness of our trespasses” (Eph 1:7), “have been sanctified in Christ Jesus” (1 Cor 1:2), have “eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Rom 6:23), and are told there is “no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus” (Rom 8:1). This kind of identification in and with another is true in other instances. For example, it was said of Rebekah, “Two nations are in your womb” (Gen 25:23), even before Israel was called into being as a nation. Similarly, the writer of Hebrews speaks of Levi who “paid tithes” (Heb 7:9), and this while “he was still in the loins of his father” Abraham (Heb 7:10). This means that Levi paid tithes to Melchizedek, even before he existed, as he was in the loins of his father, Abraham.[21]      Furthermore, being “in Christ” reflects a believer's new position before God. It signifies that, through faith in Christ, believers are accepted and justified before God. Their sins are forgiven (Acts 10:43; Eph 1:7), and they are seen through the righteousness of Christ (2 Cor 5:21; Phil 3:9). The phrase also emphasizes that believers participate in the benefits of Christ's redemptive work. This includes reconciliation with God (Rom 5:10), adoption as children (Gal 4:5; Eph 1:5), the indwelling of the Holy Spirit (1 Cor 3:16), and the status of being a new creation in Christ (2 Cor 5:17). Believers are seen as co-heirs with Christ, sharing in the inheritance of eternal life (Eph 1:3-14; Rom 8:17). This positional truth is foundational to the concept of salvation by grace through faith. While being “in Christ” has personal implications, it also has a corporate dimension. It speaks to the collective identity of the Church as the body of Christ, with believers being interconnected and sharing a common life “in Christ.” Robert B. Thieme Jr., states: "Through the baptism of the Spirit at salvation, every believer of this age is removed from his position in Adam and secured in his position “in Christ” (1 Cor 15:22; Eph 2:5–6; cf. Gal 3:27). The believer, no longer spiritually dead, is made a “new creature” with a totally unprecedented relationship with God (2 Cor 5:17a). The “old things” that once kept him alienated from God have passed away; phenomenal “new things” have come by virtue of his position in Christ (2 Cor 5:17b). The believer shares Christ's eternal life (1 John 5:11–12), His righteousness (2 Cor 5:21), His election (Eph 1:3–4), His destiny (Eph 1:5), His sonship (John 1:12; Gal 3:26; 1 John 3:1–2), His heirship (Rom 8:16–17), His sanctification (1 Cor 1:2, 30), His kingdom (2 Pet 1:11), His priesthood (Heb 10:10–14), and His royalty (2 Tim 2:11–12). This new position can never be forfeited."[22]      In summary, the prepositional phrase “in Christ” encapsulates profound theological truths about the believer's union with Christ, identification with His redemptive work, a new positional standing before God, and the communal identity of the Church as the body of Christ. It serves as a key concept in understanding the richness of Christian salvation and the transformative impact of faith in Jesus Christ. Dr. Steven R. Cook   [1] William Arndt et al., A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament and Other Early Christian Literature (Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 2000), 305. [2] Norman L. Geisler, Systematic Theology, Volume Three: Sin, Salvation (Minneapolis, MN: Bethany House Publishers, 2004), 220–221. [3] Ibid., 221. [4] Other passages that emphasize God's sovereign choice: “No one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws him; and I will raise him up on the last day” (John 6:44), and “no one can come to Me unless it has been granted him from the Father” (John 6:65). Paul wrote, “He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we would be holy and blameless before Him. In love He predestined us to adoption as sons through Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the kind intention of His will” (Eph 1:4-5). And to Christians living in Thessalonica, Paul wrote, “We should always give thanks to God for you, brethren beloved by the Lord, because God has chosen you from the beginning for salvation through sanctification by the Spirit and faith in the truth” (2 Th 2:13). [5] Romans 9:1-18 is often cited when discussing election to salvation; however, when one looks at the context of Roman 9, it does not pertain to salvation, but to God's selection of the progenitors of the nation of Israel. In a similar way, God sovereignly selected Nebuchadnezzar to be the king over Babylon (Dan 2:37-38; 5:18), and Cyrus as king over Persia (Ezra 1:2). In fact, God's sovereignty is supreme when it comes to selecting all human rulers, for “It is He who changes the times and the epochs; He removes kings and establishes kings” (Dan 2:21), and “the Most High is ruler over the realm of mankind, and bestows it on whom He wishes and sets over it the lowliest of men” (Dan 4:17). At times, He even raises up young foolish kings to discipline His people, as He told Isaiah the prophet, “I will make mere lads their princes, and capricious children will rule over them” (Isa 3:4). [6] Robert B. Thieme, Jr. “Election”, Thieme's Bible Doctrine Dictionary, (Houston, TX., R. B. Thieme, Jr., Bible Ministries, 2022), 81. [7] William Arndt et al., A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament and Other Early Christian Literature, 873. [8] Harold W. Hoehner, Ephesians: An Exegetical Commentary (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Academic, 2002), 193. [9] Norman L. Geisler, Systematic Theology, Volume Three: Sin, Salvation, 221. [10] Paul P. Enns, The Moody Handbook of Theology (Chicago, IL: Moody Press, 1989), 329. [11] Warren W. Wiersbe, The Bible Exposition Commentary, vol. 2 (Wheaton, IL: Victor Books, 1996), 11. [12] Robert B. Thieme, Jr. “Predestination”, Thieme's Bible Doctrine Dictionary, 203. [13] Ibid., 203-204 [14] Moisés Silva, ed., New International Dictionary of New Testament Theology and Exegesis (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2014), 138. [15] Norman L. Geisler, Systematic Theology, Volume Three: Sin, Salvation, 221. [16] William Arndt et al., A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament and Other Early Christian Literature, 866. [17] Norman L. Geisler, Systematic Theology, Volume Three: Sin, Salvation, 222. [18] Ibid., 222. [19] Norman L. Geisler, Systematic Theology, Volume Four: Church, Last Things, 50–51. [20] L. B. Smedes, “Grace,” ed. Geoffrey W Bromiley, The International Standard Bible Encyclopedia, Revised (Wm. B. Eerdmans, 1979–1988), 551. [21] These two analogies with Rebekah and Levi help convey the idea of a connection or representation that transcends mere physical existence. In the case of Rebekah, the passage refers to the statement, “Two nations are in your womb” (Gen 25:23), highlighting that this declaration occurred before Israel was called into being as a nation. This serves as an example of a connection that existed before the actual historical formation of the nation. Likewise, the reference to Levi paying tithes while still in the loins of his father, Abraham (Heb 7:9-10), is another analogy used to illustrate a connection that goes beyond the immediate physical existence of the individual. It suggests a representation or identification that precedes the individual's own existence. [22] Robert B. Thieme, Jr. “Position in Christ”, Thieme's Bible Doctrine Dictionary, 200.

Divine Election Dr. Steven R. Cook (https://thinkingonscripture.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/Divine-Election.pdf) Introduction      Election is a biblical teaching that every serious student of the Bible must consider at some point. It addresses issues related to God's sovereignty and human volition, sin and salvation, justice and mercy, love and faith. Given that election touches upon the infinite and eternal nature of God, it's not surprising that certain aspects of this doctrine transcend human understanding, similar to the biblical doctrines of the Trinity and the Hypostatic Union.[1] God's revelation must be our guide. Though we reason through Scripture, our reasoning ability is limited, and we must learn to live with certain unresolvable theological tensions. According to Norman Geisler, “The mystery of the relationship between divine sovereignty and human free will has challenged the greatest Christian thinkers down through the centuries.”[2] Lewis Chafer states, “The doctrine of Election is a cardinal teaching of the Scriptures. Doubtless, it is attended with difficulties which are a burden upon all systems of theology alike.”[3] Warren Wiersbe states, “The mystery of divine sovereignty and human responsibility will never be solved in this life. Both are taught in the Bible (John 6:37). Both are true, and both are essential.”[4] Charles Ryrie adds, “No human mind will ever harmonize sovereignty and free will, but ignoring or downplaying one or the other in the interests of a supposed harmony will solve nothing.”[5] When discussing election with others, it's always best to maintain an attitude of love and grace, as this will generate more light than heat. Major Views on Election      Regarding election and salvation, there are varying perspectives on the roles of divine intervention and human responsibility in the process of being saved. The major views are as follows: Strict Calvinism adheres closely to the five points of Calvinism summarized by the acronym TULIP. Total depravity means people are completely unable to save themselves or even to seek God on their own due to their sinful nature. Unconditional election refers to God's choice of certain individuals for salvation, not based on any foreseen merit or action on their part but purely on His sovereign will. Limited atonement means Christ's death was intended to save only the elect, not all of humanity. Irresistible grace means that when God calls the elect to salvation, they cannot resist His will. Perseverance of the saints means that those whom God has elected and saved will persevere in faith and will not ultimately fall away. Moderate Calvinism adheres to the basic tenets of Calvinism but with some modifications or a softer interpretation. These often hold to a form of unlimited atonement that suggests Christ's atonement is sufficient for all but effective only for the elect. They're also more open to dialogue with other theological perspectives, and tend to avoid the more deterministic implications of strict Calvinism. Calminianism blends elements of Calvinism and Arminianism, seeking a middle ground concerning God's sovereignty and human volition. Calminians tend to lean toward unlimited atonement, resistible grace, God's election based on foreknowledge of who would believe, and the belief that saints can turn to a prolonged sinful lifestyle without losing their salvation. Arminianism is a theological system that emphasizes God's conditional election based on foreknowledge. Arminians see people as corrupted by sin, but able to respond to God's call to salvation. They also adhere to unlimited atonement, resistible grace, and believe Christians are able to forfeit their salvation, which means good works are necessary to retain salvation. Catholicism teaches that salvation is open to all and involves both God's grace and human cooperation. In the Catholic view, both faith and works are essential for salvation. Faith is the foundational response to God's grace, but it must be accompanied by works of love and obedience. In Catholicism, the sacraments are seen as vital means of grace. For instance, baptism is considered necessary for salvation as it washes away original sin and incorporates a person into the body of Christ. The Eucharist, penance, and other sacraments further sustain and deepen a believer's relationship with God. Pelagianism is a theological perspective considered heretical by most Christian traditions. It emphasizes human free will and denies original sin, teaching people are born morally neutral, and each person can choose to do good or evil without the necessity of divine grace. Pelagians emphasize that salvation can be achieved through human effort and moral striving, and they see God's grace is seen as helpful but not necessary for living a righteous life or achieving salvation.      The above categories are simplified presentations with detailed nuances others might seek to expand and clarify. My purpose in presenting them is to provide a basic construct of the major views. What follows is my understanding of the doctrine of election as it is taught in the Word of God. God is Sovereign      The Bible reveals God is sovereign over His creation, declaring “The LORD is King forever and ever” (Psa 10:16), and “Whatever the LORD pleases, He does, in heaven and in earth, in the seas and in all deeps” (Psa 135:6), and “All the inhabitants of the earth are accounted as nothing, but He does according to His will in the host of heaven and among the inhabitants of earth; and no one can ward off His hand or say to Him, ‘What have You done?'” (Dan 4:35). God Himself declares, “My purpose will stand, and I will do all that I please” (Isa 46:10b; cf. Psa 33:11), and this because He is the “only Sovereign, the King of kings and Lord of lords” (1 Tim 6:15), Who “works all things after the counsel of His will” (Eph 1:11b). All this is true; however, the Bible also reveals God sovereignly created both angels and people with intellect and volition, and has granted them a modicum of freedom to act as free moral agents. According to McChesney, God's sovereignty “is not to be viewed in any such way as to abridge the reality of the moral freedom of God's responsible creatures or to make men anything else than the arbiters of their own eternal destinies. God has seen fit to create beings with the power of choice between good and evil. He rules over them in justice and wisdom and grace.”[6]      At all times, and without external restraint, God remains in constant sovereign control, guiding His creation through history. He interferes in the affairs of mankind, and His unseen hand works behind all their activities, controlling and directing history as He wills. We know from Scripture that God possesses certain immutable attributes and that He never acts inconsistently with His nature. For example, because God is righteous, all His actions and commands are just. Because God is immutable, His moral perfections never change. Because God is eternal, He is righteous forever. Because God is omniscient, His righteous acts are always predicated on perfect knowledge. Because God is omnipotent, He is always able to execute His righteous will. And because God is love, His judgments can be merciful toward the undeserving and humble. The Bible Affirms God's Sovereignty and Human Volition      Shortly after God created the heavens and the earth (Gen 1:1), He sovereignly chose to create mankind in His image (Gen 1:26) as finite analogues to Himself, endowed with intellectual and volitional capabilities. God's intention was that they would function as theocratic administrators to “rule” over His creation (Gen 1:26-28). When God made His decision to create people in His image, He willingly limited Himself to allow them the freedom to operate as responsible moral creatures and not mere automatons. This self-imposed restraint by God is not unusual, for He has restrained Himself in other ways. For example, every time God made a promise or covenant, He bound Himself to His Word such that He cannot do otherwise. Scripture reveals that “God is not a man, that He should lie, nor a son of man, that He should change His mind; has He said, and will He not do it? Or has He spoken, and will He not make it good?” (Num 23:19). This is why, even though “we are faithless, He remains faithful, for He cannot deny Himself” (2 Tim 2:13), and “it is impossible for God to lie” (Heb 6:18; cf., Tit 1:2).      God has given people volition and freedom to act, and He holds them accountable for their actions. As the Sovereign of the universe, God will judge everyone fairly, for “there is no partiality with God” (Rom 2:11). Peter said, “I most certainly understand now that God is not one to show partiality, but in every nation the man who fears Him and does what is right is welcome to Him” (Acts 10:34-35). And Paul wrote, “For he who does wrong will receive the consequences of the wrong which he has done, and that without partiality” (Col 3:25).      Though all mankind is fallen, being corrupted because of their sinful flesh (Rom 5:12, 6:6; 7:19-23; Gal 5:17, 19; Col 3:9), they still retain the image of God and the ability to function intellectually and volitionally (Gen 9:6; 1 Cor 11:7; Jam 3:9). This means that mankind is able, in a limited way, to understand God's general and special revelation, and to respond volitionally if they choose (Psa 19:1-2; Rom 1:18-32). Dr. Steven R. Cook   [1] For example, the doctrine of the Hypostatic Union teaches that God the Son added to Himself humanity, forever uniting His divine nature with a perfect sinless human nature, becoming the God-Man (John 1:1, 14, 18; 20:28; Col 2:9; Heb 1:8). He is eternal God (Isa 9:6; John 8:56-58; 17:5), yet He was born of a woman in time and space (Isa 7:14; Luke 1:30-35; Gal 4:4). As God, He is omniscient (Psa 139:1-6), but as a boy, He grew in knowledge (Luke 2:52). As God, He created the universe (Gen 1:1; John 1:3; Col 1:15-16), but as man, He was subject to weakness (Matt 4:2; John 4:6; 19:28). God is immortal and cannot die (1 Tim 1:17; 6:16), but as a human, Jesus could die (Matt 16:21; Rom 5:8). There were times that Jesus operated from His divine nature (Mark 2:5-12; John 8:56-58; 10:30-33), and other times from His human nature (Matt 4:2; Luke 8:22-23; John 19:28). These two natures seem incompatible, yet they cohere within Jesus. [2] Norman L. Geisler, Systematic Theology, Volume Three: Sin, Salvation (Minneapolis, MN: Bethany House Publishers, 2004), 137. [3] Lewis S. Chafer, “Biblical Theism Divine Decrees” Bibliotheca Sacra, 96 (1939): 268. [4] Warren W. Wiersbe, The Bible Exposition Commentary, vol. 2 (Wheaton, IL: Victor Books, 1996), 11. [5] Charles Caldwell Ryrie, Basic Theology: A Popular Systematic Guide to Understanding Biblical Truth (Chicago, IL: Moody Press, 1999), 359. [6] E. McChesney, “Sovereignty of God,” ed. Merrill F. Unger and R.K. Harrison, The New Unger's Bible Dictionary (Chicago: Moody Press, 1988).

     During the time of Jesus' life and ministry—but prior to His death on the cross—people were directed to believe the gospel of the kingdom (Matt 3:1-2; 4:17; Mark 1:14-15). The gospel of the kingdom directed Israelites to look to Jesus as the promised Messiah. This meant looking to Jesus as the “the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!” (John 1:29; cf. Isa 53:4-11). Faith in Jesus would result in their spiritual and eternal salvation. The object of their faith is Christ alone. John wrote, “whoever believes in Him will have eternal life” (John 3:15), and “God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life” (John 3:16), and “He who believes in the Son has eternal life” (John 3:36). And Jesus pointed others to Himself, saying, “For this is the will of My Father, that everyone who beholds the Son and believes in Him will have eternal life, and I Myself will raise him up on the last day” (John 6:40), and “Truly, truly, I say to you, he who believes has eternal life” (John 6:47; cf., John 10:28).      The gospel of the kingdom also pertained to Israel's theocratic kingdom, where God would rule over His people through Jesus, the descendant of David and rightful King of the nation (2 Sam 7:16; Psa 89:3-4, 35-37; Isa 9:6-7; Jer 23:5; 33:15; Luke 1:31-33; Matt 19:28; 25:31; Rev 11:15; 20:4-6). John the Baptist preached, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand” (Matt 3:2). To be “at hand” meant the earthly kingdom was being offered to Israel. Additionally, the gospel of the kingdom was preached by Jesus and His disciples even after John had been arrested. Mark wrote, “Now after John had been taken into custody, Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of God, and saying, ‘The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel'” (Mark 1:14-15; cf. Matt 9:35; 10:5-7). Norman Geisler correctly states, “The messianic kingdom is a visible, earthly, political kingdom promised to Israel in which Christ, her Messiah, will reign from a throne in Jerusalem over the whole earth, with His apostles and other disciples serving Him.”[1] Merrill F. Unger states, “The Gospel of the Kingdom [is] the good news that God's purpose is to establish an earthly mediatorial kingdom in fulfillment of the Davidic covenant (2 Sam 7:16).”[2] If the leadership and people Israel would change their minds (i.e., repent) and accept Jesus as their rightful King, they would experience national deliverance from Gentile tyranny, which they were experiencing, being under the rule of Rome. According to Arnold Fruchtenbaum, “Jesus went around Israel, city to city and synagogue to synagogue, proclaiming His Messiahship and preaching the gospel of the Kingdom. He was offering to Israel the Kingdom of the Jewish prophets, but the Kingdom was preconditioned by Israel's acceptance of Him as the Messianic King.”[3] We know that Israel rejected Jesus as the Messiah (Matt 12:24-32; 27:20-23),[4] and the result was the kingdom offer was taken away (Matt 21:43), and judgment was pronounced upon them (Matt 23:37-39; Rom 11:25-26). Afterwards, Jesus was crucified for the sins of the world (John 3:16; 1 John 2:2), was buried, and raised again on the third day (1 Cor 15:3-4). The crucifixion of Jesus was part of God's predetermined plan for the redemption of humanity, regardless of Israel's response. The gospel of the kingdom was postponed until the time of the Tribulation. According to Merrill F. Unger: "Two proclamations of the gospel of the kingdom are mentioned, one already past, beginning with the ministry of John the Baptist, carried on by our Lord and His disciples, and ending with the Jewish rejection of the Messiah. The other preaching is yet future (Matt 24:14), during the Great Tribulation, and heralding the second advent of the King."[5]      The gospel of the kingdom that was preached by John the Baptist, and Jesus and His disciples, cannot be the gospel of grace that is preached by Christians today. Why? The content of the gospels are different. Paul preached “the gospel of the grace of God” (Acts 20:24), which was “to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek” (Rom 1:16), whereas the gospel of the kingdom was solely “to the lost sheep of the house of Israel” (Matt 10:6). Furthermore, the gospel of grace includes “the cross of Christ” (1 Cor 1:17), telling us that “Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, and that He was buried, and that He was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures” (1 Cor 15:3-4). But the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus was not communicated by the disciples when they preached the “gospel of the kingdom” (Matt 4:23). How do we know this? After Jesus had been rejected by the leadership of Israel, Matthew tells us, “Jesus began to show His disciples that He must go to Jerusalem, and suffer many things from the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and be raised up on the third day” (Matt 16:21). Apparently the disciples did not like what Jesus said, as Matthew tells us, “Peter took Him aside and began to rebuke Him, saying, ‘God forbid it, Lord! This shall never happen to You'” (Matt 16:22). For a brief moment, Peter was an enemy of the cross, trying to prevent Jesus from going to the cross, and he was rebuked for it. The Lord said to Peter, “Get behind Me, Satan! You are a stumbling block to Me; for you are not setting your mind on God's interests, but man's” (Matt 16:23). If Peter had had his way, Jesus would never have gone to the cross. The second time Jesus spoke about the events of His crucifixion (Matt 17:22-23), we're told the disciples “were deeply grieved” (Matt 17:23b), implying they did not fully understand the significance of the cross. Jesus mentioned His crucifixion to His disciples a third time (Matt 20:18-19), but there was no response. Later, Peter tried to defend Jesus with a sword to prevent His arrest, which implied he did not understand the significance of the cross (Matt 26:51-52). Though they were saved by faith alone in Christ alone, they did not grasp the significance of the cross, for if they had, they would not have opposed His arrest or crucifixion. In fact, the disciples did not understand Jesus' resurrection until after it happened (John 20:1-8), which is what John revealed, saying, “For as yet they did not understand the Scripture, that He must rise again from the dead” (John 20:9). After Jesus' resurrection, they finally understood His words.      If the gospel of the kingdom that was preached by John the Baptist and Jesus' disciples included the death burial and resurrection of Jesus, then Peter would not have been surprised and reacted so strongly to Jesus' words. He would have thought, “oh yeah, that's what we've been preaching all along, and now the time is near for His death.” But that was not Peter's reaction. Peter tried to stop Jesus from going to the cross (Matt 16:22; 26:51-52). Renald Showers correctly notes, “The language indicates that although the disciples had already been preaching one gospel [of the kingdom], up to this point Jesus had never told them about His coming death, burial, and resurrection. Therefore, the first gospel contained nothing concerning Jesus' death, burial, and resurrection.”[6] Dr. Steven R. Cook     [1] Norman L. Geisler, Systematic Theology, Volume Four: Church, Last Things (Minneapolis, MN: Bethany House Publishers, 2005), 461. [2] Merrill F. Unger, “Gospel,” ed. R.K. Harrison, The New Unger's Bible Dictionary (Chicago: Moody Press, 1988), 493. [3] Arnold G. Fruchtenbaum, The Footsteps of the Messiah: A Study of the Sequence of Prophetic Events, Rev. ed. (Tustin, CA: Ariel Ministries, 2003), 294. [4] Arnold Fruchtenbaum notes, “From biblical times to the present, the Jewish people have labored under a ‘leadership complex,' meaning, whichever way the leaders went, the people were sure to follow. This can be seen clearly in the Hebrew scriptures: When a king did that which was right in the eyes of the Lord, the people follow. Conversely, when a king did that which was evil in the eyes of the Lord, they also followed…In New Testament times, the leadership complex was very strong because of the stranglehold Pharisaism had upon the masses through the Mishna…[The people] were looking for their leaders to give them direction.” (Arnold Fruchtenbaum, Yeshuah: The Life of Messiah from a Messianic Perspective, Vol. 2, San Antonio, TX. 2019, Ariel Ministries, p. 371) [5] Merrill F. Unger, “Gospel,” ed. R.K. Harrison, The New Unger's Bible Dictionary (Chicago: Moody Press, 1988). [6] Renald E. Showers, There Really Is a Difference!: A Comparison of Covenant and Dispensational Theology (Bellmawr, NJ: The Friends of Israel Gospel Ministry, Inc., 1990), 3–4.

The Content of Saving Faith      Eternal salvation has always been by grace alone through faith alone; however, the content of faith (i.e., what is believed), has changed throughout the ages. According to Arnold Fruchtenbaum, “Indeed, there always was, always is, and always will be only one means of salvation: by grace through faith.”[1] Though grace and faith are constants, the content of faith has changed over time, depending on what God revealed to each person or generation, as divine revelation came in stages. William MacDonald sates, “From Adam to Christ, God saved those who put their faith in Him on the basis of whatever revelation He gave them. Abraham, for example, believed God, and it was reckoned to him for righteousness (Gen 15:6).”[2] According to Norman Geisler, “the revealed content of the gospel varied from age to age in the progress of revelation.”[3] Charles Ryrie notes, “The basis of salvation is always the death of Christ; the means is always faith; the object is always God (though man's understanding of God before and after the Incarnation is obviously different); but the content of faith depends on the particular revelation God was pleased to give at a certain time.”[4] Thomas Constable adds, “The basis of salvation is always the death of Christ. No one is saved except by what He accomplished at Calvary. The requirement for salvation is always faith. It is never works. The object of faith is always the Person of God. The content of faith is always a promise from God.”[5] The following examples demonstrate that the content of faith has changed over time.      First, after the historic fall of Adam and Eve (Gen 3:1-7), the content of saving faith was God's promise of an offspring of Eve who would crush the head of the serpent. In the presence of Adam and Eve, God told Satan, “I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your seed and her seed; He shall bruise you on the head, and you shall bruise him on the heel” (Gen 3:15). This is commonly regarded as the protoevangelium; that is, the first gospel message. The crushing of Satan's head—a fatal blow—was accomplished by the Lord Jesus at the cross where He triumphed over sin and death. How much Adam and Eve understood about this prophecy is not known. However, it is assumed they trusted God at His word concerning the future offspring that would crush the serpent's head. Shortly after giving the promises, God killed an animal, which meant shedding its blood,  and made clothes from its hide and gave it to them to wear (Gen 3:21). Arnold Fruchtenbaum notes, “The covering of animal skins, which required the shedding of blood to give them the atonement, replaced the covering of fig leaves. Then the verse states: and clothed them. Physically, He clothed their nakedness, but spiritually, He also covered their sin by making for them their atonement.”[6] And according to Charles Ryrie, “When Adam looked upon the coats of skins with which God had clothed him and his wife, he did not see what the believer today sees looking back on the cross of Calvary.”[7]We should not assume that Adam and Eve understood the death, burial, and resurrection of Messiah. What they understood was God's promise of a future offspring who would crush the serpent, and then they witnessed God killing an animal, taking its skin, and making clothing for them. When they believed God's promise and accepted His provision, it resulted in their salvation.      Second, in the book of Genesis we have the record of Abraham's salvation. Moses wrote that Abraham “believed in the LORD; and He reckoned it to him as righteousness” (Gen 15:6). The content of Abraham's faith was the promise of God concerning the Abrahamic covenant (Gen 12:1-3), especially as it related to God giving him a biological descendant (Gen 15:1-6). Abraham accepted God's promise as true and reliable, which meant he trusted in God Himself. And when Abraham believed in Yahweh, we're told that God “reckoned it to him as righteousness” (Gen 15:6b).[8] Concerning Abraham's faith in God, Arnold Fruchtenbaum states, “The content of his faith was the promises of God. The object of his faith was Jehovah.”[9] According to J. Carl Laney Jr., “God had just promised Abraham, an elderly man with a barren wife, that his descendants would be as numerous as the stars. In spite of the physical hindrances to the fulfillment of this promise, Abraham trusted God…Because Abraham accepted God's word as true and reliable, God declared him righteous, and therefore acceptable.”[10] Paul cited Genesis 15:6 in Romans (Rom 4:3) and Galatians (Gal 3:6) when making his case that believers are justified by faith alone, and not by any works of the Law (Rom 4:4-5).      Third, in the book of Ruth we find a good example of a Gentile who came to trust in the Lord. Ruth told her mother-in-law, Naomi, “Your people shall be my people, and your God, my God” (Ruth 1:16). Here is an expression of faith in the Lord Himself. God directed Israel to serve as His witnesses (Isa 43:10), telling others, “I, even I, am the LORD, and there is no savior besides Me” (Isa 43:11). For a Gentile to be saved, it meant trusting in Yahweh alone and not pagan idols, of which there are none. It also meant not trusting in works, which is what pagan idolatry required. Concerning this verse, Warren Wiersbe states, “Ruth's statement in Ruth 1:16-17 is one of the most magnificent confessions found anywhere in Scripture…[as] she confessed her faith in the true and living God and her decision to worship Him alone.”[11] And Arnold Fruchtenbaum notes, “Ruth invoked the name of God in her oath and not the name of Chemosh. This shows in whom she truly believed.”[12] What's interesting is that after Ruth married Boaz (Ruth 4:13), she was brought into the family line that led to King David (Ruth 4:18-22), and the Messiah Himself (Matt 1:1, 5). Ruth was among the Gentiles in the OT who believed in Yahweh and were saved. Other Gentile believers include Melchizedek (Gen 14:18), Rahab (Matt 1:5; Heb 11:31), and likely the Queen of Sheba (1 Ki 10:1-13), Naaman the Aramean (2 Ki 5:15-19), the Ninevites (Jonah 3:5, 9-10), Nebuchadnezzar (Dan 2:47; 3:29; 4:34-37),[13] and the Magi who came from the east to worship Messiah (Matt 2:1-2, 11). Dr. Steven R. Cook   [1] Arnold G. Fruchtenbaum, Ariel's Bible Commentary: The Book of Genesis, 1st ed. (San Antonio, TX: Ariel Ministries, 2008), 275. [2] William MacDonald, Believer's Bible Commentary: Old and New Testaments, ed. Arthur Farstad (Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 1995), 1690. [3] Norman L. Geisler, Systematic Theology, Volume Four: Church, Last Things (Minneapolis, MN: Bethany House Publishers, 2005), 484. [4] Charles Caldwell Ryrie, Dispensationalism, Rev. and expanded. (Chicago: Moody Publishers, 1995), 140. [5] Tom Constable, Tom Constable's Expository Notes on the Bible (Galaxie Software, 2003), Ex 12:43. [6] Arnold G. Fruchtenbaum, Ariel's Bible Commentary: The Book of Genesis, 110. [7] Charles C. Ryrie, Dispensationalism, 134. [8] In his commentary on Genesis, Allen Ross notes, “The text does not necessarily mean that Abram came to faith here. Hebrews 11:8 asserts that he left Ur by faith. Genesis 15:6 simply reports at this point the fact that Abram believed, and for that belief God had credited him with righteousness.” (Allen P. Ross, Creation and Blessing: A Guide to the Study and Exposition of Genesis, Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Books, 1998, 310). [9] Arnold G. Fruchtenbaum, Ariel's Bible Commentary: The Book of Genesis, 275. [10] J. Carl Laney Jr., “Soteriology”, Understanding Christian Theology, 238–239. [11] Warren W. Wiersbe, Be Committed, “Be” Commentary Series (Wheaton, IL: Victor Books, 1993), 21. [12] Arnold G. Fruchtenbaum, Ariel's Bible Commentary: The Books of Judges and Ruth, 1st ed. (San Antonio, TX: Ariel Ministries, 2006), 300. [13] It's very likely that Nebuchadnezzar trusted God after being humbled by the Lord (see Daniel 4:1-37). Throughout the decades of Nebuchadnezzar's life, he'd had interactions with Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah, and the king gained knowledge about God. From his own mouth, Nebuchadnezzar said to Daniel, “Surely your God is a God of gods and a Lord of kings” (Dan 2:47), and to Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah he declared, “no other god is able to deliver in this way” (Dan 3:29). After the king had suffered for seven years, he eventually came to the place where he said, “I blessed the Most High and praised and honored Him who lives forever” (Dan 4:34), and “Now I, Nebuchadnezzar, praise, exalt and honor the King of heaven” (Dan 4:37). Though one cannot be dogmatic, Nebuchadnezzar's final words strongly imply salvific faith in God—at least as he understood Him from his interactions with the Hebrews—and the result was one of worship to the Lord. If one accepts Nebuchadnezzar's words as an expression of his conversion, it means he trusted in the God of Israel.

     Our salvation is necessary because of the problem of sin. The word sin is found throughout Scripture, and both the Hebrew and Greek share the same basic meaning. The Hebrew word chata (חָטָא) means “to miss the target, or to lose the way,”[1] and the Greek word hamartanō (ἁμαρτάνω) is defined as “miss the mark, err, or do wrong.”[2] In Judges 20:16 the Hebrew word is used of skilled soldiers who do not miss their target, and in Proverbs 19:2 of a man who hurries and misses his way.[3] Sin is when we transgress God's law and depart from His intended path.[4] The apostle John states, “Everyone who practices sin also practices lawlessness; and sin is lawlessness” (1 John 3:4). Sin is a failure to conform to the holy character of God, a deviation from His righteous will.      Divine laws are a reflection of the righteousness of God. The righteousness of God may be defined as the intrinsic, immutable, moral perfection of God, from which He commands all things, in heaven and earth, and declares as good that which conforms to His righteousness and as evil that which deviates. God's character is the basis upon which all just laws derive; either divine laws from God Himself or human laws which conform to His righteousness.[5] Merrill F. Unger states: "The underlying idea of sin is that of law and of a lawgiver. The lawgiver is God. Hence sin is everything in the disposition and purpose and conduct of God's moral creatures that is contrary to the expressed will of God (Rom 3:20; 4:15; 7:7; Jam 4:12, 17). The sinfulness of sin lies in the fact that it is against God, even when the wrong we do is to others or ourselves (Gen 39:9; Psa 51:4)."[6] Robert B. Thieme Jr. states: "Man's sin is disobedience to, or falling away from, God's perfect standard and expressed will. Regardless of the sinner's action or intent, all sin is ultimately directed against God (Gen 39:9; Psa 51:4). The temptation for sin comes from the sin nature, but only when volition consents is the sin committed. Knowingly or unknowingly, man transgresses divine standards because he wills to do so."[7] The First Sin      God is sovereign and permits sin, but is never the author of it. Sin is the expression of a creaturely will that is set against God. The first sin occurred in heaven, by Lucifer, an angel of the class of cherubim.  Scripture reveals that Lucifer “had the seal of perfection, and was full of wisdom and perfect in beauty” (Ezek 28:12). Lucifer personally served in the presence of God (Ezek 28:13-14), until he sinned. God said of him, “You were blameless in your ways from the day you were created until unrighteousness was found in you” (Ezek 28:15). Being the first creature to fall away from God, his sin was purely volitional and self-actuated, as there was no temptation or sin apart from the first sin he committed. And the first sin he committed was a mental attitude sin, as God says of him, “You were internally filled with violence, and you sinned” (Ezek 28:16). Satan's violence was connected with his pride, as the Lord states, “Your heart was lifted up because of your beauty; you corrupted your wisdom by reason of your splendor” (Ezek 28:17). Satan is brilliant in mind and appearance, but his pride is his weakness, as it corrupts his ability to reason. And Satan, having an inflated sense of himself, thought he could be God, and sought to usurp the Lord's place over the creation (Isa 14:12-14). Satan also convinced a third of the angels to follow him in his rebellion (Rev 12:4, 7). Satan operates from a base of power, which takes priority over all else. And he will employ reason to the degree that it accommodates his power; however, if his power is threatened, he will abandon reason and resort to lies, manipulation, and brute force if needed. The Fall of Humanity      Satan's kingdom of darkness was expanded to include the earth when he persuaded Adam and Eve to follow him rather than God (Gen 3:1-8). The first human sin occurred in the Garden of Eden. God had warned Adam and Eve, saying, “from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat from it you will surely die” (Gen 2:17). The warning was that if they disobeyed God, on that very day, they would die. When Satan came into the Garden of Eden, he engaged Eve through discussion, posing a question, “Indeed, has God said, ‘You shall not eat from any tree of the garden?'” (Gen 3:1), and after hearing Eve's reply (Gen 3:2-3), Satan responded, “You surely will not die! For God knows that in the day you eat from it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil” (Gen 3:4-5). Of course, this was a bold lie, and Eve, rather than trust the Lord, trusted Satan, and “she took from its fruit and ate; and she gave also to her husband with her, and he ate” (Gen 3:6). Adam and Eve experienced spiritual death at the moment they disobeyed God (Gen 3:7). Though both sinned, Adam's act of disobedience was greater than Eve's because he was the spiritual head of the marriage, and whereas Eve  was deceived (1 Tim 2:14), Adam was not deceived. Because of Adam's disobedience, sin and death were introduced into the human race (Gen 3:1-7; Rom 5:12, 18-19; 1 Cor 15:22).      At the time of the fall (Gen 3:1-6), the first humans—God's theocratic administrators (Gen 1:26-28)—gave Satan the title deed to the earth (Luke 4:6). This explains why Jesus referred to Satan as “the ruler of this world” (John 12:31; 14:30; 16:11). And other passages of Scripture call Satan “the god of this world” (2 Cor 4:4), and “the prince of the power of the air” (Eph 2:2), informing us “that the whole world lies in the power of the evil one” (1 John 5:19). Satan rules by deception, oppression, and enslavement. Scripture reveals he has “weakened the nations” (Isa 14:12), and currently “deceives the whole world” (Rev 12:9; cf. Rev 20:3). And because he is a finite creature, he relies on others—fallen angels and people—to help him advance his kosmos world-system (1 John 2:15-16), a philosophical and moral structure that is inherently and systemically corrupt, hostile to God, and completely opposed to anything divine.      As Christians living in Satan's world system, who still retain our sinful flesh (Rom 6:6; 13:14; Gal 5:17, 19; Eph 4:22; Col 3:9), we are constantly tempted to sin and act contrary to the character and will of God. The sin we commit may be mental, verbal, or physical. It may be private or public, impacting one or many, with short or lasting results. Below are biblical examples of sin: Adam and Eve disobeyed the command not to eat the fruit from “the tree of the knowledge of good and evil” (Gen 2:15-17; 3:1-7). Lot's daughters got him drunk and had sex with him (Gen 19:30-38). Aaron led the Israelites to worship an idol (Ex 32:1-6). Moses struck the rock when the Lord told him to speak to it (Num 20:8-12). Samson slept with prostitutes (Judg 16:1-4). David had an affair with Bathsheba and had her husband, Uriah, murdered (2 Sam 11:1-21). Solomon worshiped idols (1 Ki 11:1-10). James and John (nicknamed Boanerges, or “Sons of Thunder”; Mark 3:17) wanted to call fire down from heaven to kill the residents of a Samaritan city (Luke 9:51-55). The mother of James and John requested special treatment for her sons, that they might have a place of prominence seated on thrones to the right and left of Jesus (Matt 20:20-21). This upset the other disciples (Matt 20:24). The disciples argued amongst themselves as to who was greatest in the kingdom (Luke 9:46). Peter tried to prevent Jesus from going to the cross (Matt 16:21-23). Peter publicly denied the Lord three times (Matt 26:34-35; 69-75). The Christians at Corinth engaged in quarrels (1 Cor 1:11), jealousy and strife (1 Cor 3:1-3), fornication (1 Cor. 5:1-2), selfishness and drunkenness (1 Cor 11:21).  Peter engaged in hypocrisy and was publicly rebuked by Paul (Gal. 2:11-14). The Apostle John twice worshipped an angel and was rebuked for it (Rev 19:10; 22:8-9).      The above list is a just a sampling of sins in the Bible. Biblically, every person is a sinner in God's sight (1 Ki 8:46; Prov 20:9; Isa 53:6; Rom 3:9-10; 23; 5:12, 18-19). Jesus is the single exception. Jesus, because of His divine nature (John 1:1, 14; Col 2:9), and the virgin conception (Isa 7:14; Luke 1:30-35), is the only person ever born without sin and who committed no sin (2 Cor 5:21; Heb 4:15; 1 Pet 2:22; 1 John 3:5). His perfect humanity and sinless life qualified Him to go to the cross and die in our place. Sin separates us from God and renders us helpless to merit God's approval. We are helpless to solve the sin problem and save ourselves (Rom 5:6-10; Eph 2:1-3). Good works have no saving merit before God (Isa 64:6; Eph 2:8-9; Tit 3:5). We cannot save ourselves any more than we can jump across the Grand Canyon or throw rocks and hit the moon. Sadly, many people buy into the lie that they can help save themselves by doing good works. The biblical teaching is that salvation is never based on good works or adherence to law, but by grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone (John 3:16; 14:6; Acts 4:12; 16:31). Scripture states, we are “not justified by the works of the Law but through faith in Christ Jesus, even we have believed in Christ Jesus, so that we may be justified by faith in Christ and not by the works of the Law; since by the works of the Law no flesh will be justified” (Gal 2:16; cf. Rom 3:20, 28), for “if righteousness comes through the Law, then Christ died needlessly” (Gal 2:21).      According to Norman Geisler, “Sin is the precondition for salvation; salvation isn't necessary unless there are sinners in need of being saved. As to the origin of salvation, there is universal agreement among orthodox theologians: God is the author of our salvation, for whereas human sin originated with human beings on earth, salvation originated with God in heaven.”[8] And according to Robert Lightner, “The Bible is explicit about the condition of all who have not been born again. They are lost (Luke 19:10), condemned (John 3:18), under God's wrath (John 3:36), dead in trespasses and sin (Eph 2:1), having no hope, and without God in the world (Eph 2:12), and unrighteous (Rom 1:19-32).”[9] It matters little what people think of themselves. God provides the only true estimation of people, and His Word declares that we are utterly lost in sin and helpless to save ourselves. According to Lewis Chafer: "The greatest problem for the infinite God was to provide the reconciliation of the cross: the greatest problem for man is simply to believe the record in its fulness. To reject the Savior is not only to refuse the gracious love of God, but is to elect, so far as one can do, to remain under the full guilt of every sin as though no Savior had been provided, or no sacrifice had been made. No more terrible sin can be conceived of than the sin of rejecting Christ."[10] Salvation from Sin and its Consequences      Eternal salvation is available to us because Jesus went to the cross and died in our place and bore the punishment that rightfully belongs to us. God is holy, and we are guilty sinners who stand condemned before Him, contaminated by sin and utterly helpless to change our fallen condition (Rom 5:6-8). But God is love (1 John 4:8), and He loves us so much that He sent His Son into the world to pay the sin debt we cannot pay. We're told that “God sent His only begotten Son into the world so that we might live through Him” (1 John 4:9). And because of Jesus' death on the cross, God “canceled out the certificate of debt consisting of decrees against us, which was hostile to us; and He has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross” (Col 2:14). Jesus paid our sin debt in full, “For Christ died for sins once for all, the just for the unjust, so that He might bring us to God” (1 Pet 3:18a). There's nothing for us to add to Jesus' work on the cross. The sole condition of salvation is to believe in Christ as our Savior. The good news is that Jesus died for us, was buried, and rose again on the third day (1 Cor 15:3-4). Salvation is not Jesus plus anything we do. It's Jesus alone. He saves. Our contribution to the cross was sin and death, as Jesus took our sin upon Himself and died in our place. Salvation is never what we do for God; rather, it's what He's done for us through the cross of Christ. That's all. It's a gift that is received by faith alone in Christ alone, for “the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Rom 6:23). And God's gift is available to everyone, for “whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life” (John 3:16). The matter is simple: “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved” (Acts 16:31). Dr. Steven R. Cook   [1] Ludwig Koehler et al., The Hebrew and Aramaic Lexicon of the Old Testament, 305. [2] William Arndt et al., A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament and Other Early Christian Literature, 49. [3] G. Herbert Livingston, “638 חָטָא,” ed. R. Laird Harris, Gleason L. Archer Jr., and Bruce K. Waltke, Theological Wordbook of the Old Testament (Chicago: Moody Press, 1999), 277. [4] Other Hebrew and Greek words related to sin include: evil (רָע ra – Gen 3:5), wicked (רָשָׁע rasha – Prov 15:9), rebel (מָרָה marah – Deut 1:26), transgress (פָּשַׁע pasha – Isa 1:2), iniquity (עָוֹן avon – Isa 53:6), error (שָׁגָה shagah – Lev 4:13), guilt (אָשַׁם asham – Lev 4:22), go astray (תָּעָה taah – Psa 58:3), sin (ἁμαρτία hamartia – 1 Cor 15:3), bad (κακός kakos – Rom 12:17), evil (πονηρός poneros – Matt 7:11), ungodly (ἀσεβής asebes – Rom 4:5), guilty (ἔνοχος enochos – 1 Cor 11:27), unrighteousness (ἀδικία adikia – Rom 1:18), lawless (ἄνομος anomos – 1 Tim 1:9), transgression (παράβασις parabasis – Gal 3:19), ignorance (ἀγνοέω agnoeo – Acts 17:23), go astray (πλανάω planao – 1 Pet 2:25), trespass (παράπτωμα paraptoma – Rom 5:15), and hypocrisy (ὑπόκρισις hupokrisis – 1 Tim 4:2). [5] If there is no God, then there is no absolute standard for right and wrong and we are left with arbitrary laws based on manufactured values. [6] Merrill F. Unger, “Sin,” The New Unger's Bible Dictionary, 1198. [7] Robert B. Thieme, Jr. “Personal Sin”,  Thieme's Bible Doctrine Dictionary, 196. [8] Norman L. Geisler, Systematic Theology, Volume Three: Sin, Salvation, 181. [9] Robert P. Lightner, Handbook of Evangelical Theology, 188. [10] Lewis Sperry Chafer, Salvation, 52–53.

     Love is an intrinsic attribute of God that motivated Him to reach into time and space and offer salvation to lost sinners who have offended Him. This was a voluntary act of love on the part of God, as He was in no way compelled to act. But He did act for our benefit, and this is most pronounced in the sending of His Son to die for us. In Scripture, we are told, “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life” (John 3:16). Here, the apostle John used the Greek verb agapao (ἀγαπάω), which speaks of God's love for lost sinners, and His love was manifest toward us by providing His uniquely born Son as an atoning sacrifice for sin so that we might not spend eternity in the lake of fire. Instead, we might believe in His Son and come to possess eternal life. Love here is universal, extending to all of humanity. It is gracious because the object is undeserving (Rom 5:8). It is giving, as God gave His precious Son to die for us. It is simple, being received by faith alone in Christ alone (Acts 4:12; Eph 2:8-9). And it is salvific, saving those who accept God's Son as their Savior (John 1:12; Gal 3:26).      However, when referring to people possessed with negative volition, agapao (ἀγαπάω) becomes a commitment to that which is evil. John wrote, “This is the judgment, that the Light has come into the world, and men loved [agapao] the darkness rather than the Light, for their deeds were evil” (John 3:19). And, he wrote of weak believers who “loved [agapao] the approval of men rather than the approval of God” (John 12:43). In both these passages, agapao denotes a commitment to that which is selfish and sinful. This commitment to evil finds similar usage in the Septuagint (the Greek translation of the Hebrew OT, ca. 250 BC), where agapao is used of Samson who loved a prostitute (Judg 16:4), and Solomon who loved the wives that turned his heart away from the Lord (1 Ki 11:2). It is said that unbelievers “do not have the love of God” within them” (John 5:42). Their love is a commitment to self-interest and sin, which is characteristic of the world's love. And Christians are warned, “Do not love the world nor the things in the world” (1 John 2:15), which shows that born again believers have the capacity to love that which is contrary to God.      But God, being holy, righteous, and good, cannot love anything contrary to His nature. And because God is immutable (Mal 3:6), His love never changes. This means He does not love us more at one moment and less at another. When God loves us, it means He desires our best, and that He is committed to our wellbeing and spiritual growth. Sometimes this means comforting us (2 Cor 1:3-4), but other times it means discipling us (Heb 12:6). His love is always perfect. Robert B. Thieme, Jr., states: "Divine love, like every other attribute of God, is eternal, unchanging, and unfailing (1 Ch 16:34; Psa 57:10; 136). Even God's complete knowledge of the sins and failures of His creatures cannot disappoint, frustrate, or diminish His love. God's love can never be compromised, for it is governed by His perfect integrity (Psa 89:14a; Jer 9:24). Infinitely superior to human love, divine love always functions in a rational manner, free from emotion and sentimentality (Ex 34:6; Psa 86:15; Eph 2:4)."[1]      God is interested in saving lost sinners because He loves them and wants what is best for them. In John 3:16, love is seen as that beneficial act of God, borne out of His eternal attribute of love, whereby He seeks to save lost sinners by directing them to Christ as their Savior. God's love is based entirely on His character and not in the beauty or worth of the object. The apostle Paul wrote, “God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us” (Rom 5:8). According to W. E. Vine, “In respect of agapao as used of God, it expresses the deep and constant ‘love' and interest of a perfect Being towards entirely unworthy objects.”[2] And Christopher A. Beetham notes, "God is essentially love (1 John 4:8), and His purpose right from the beginning has been one of love. The love of the Father for the Son is therefore the archetype of all love. This fact is made visible in the sending and self-sacrifice of the Son (John 3:16; 1 John 3:1, 16) …God's primary purpose for the world is His compassionate and forgiving love, which asserts itself despite the world's hostile rejection of it.”[3]      The apostle John wrote, “By this the love of God was manifested in us, that God has sent His only begotten Son into the world so that we might live through Him. In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins” (1 John 4:9-10). Our salvation was not earned by anything we did, but rather, by the love He showed to us by sending His Son to be the satisfying sacrifice for our sins. W. E. Vine states, “God's love is seen in the gift of His Son (1 John 4:9-10). But obviously this is not the love of complacency, or affection, that is, it was not drawn out by any excellency in its objects (Rom 5:8). It was an exercise of the divine will in deliberate choice, made without assignable cause save that which lies in the nature of God Himself.”[4] God loves because of who He is, as it is natural for Him to love, for “God is love” (1 John 4:16). Geisler states, “The Bible says that ‘God is love' (1 John 4:16). If love is defined as ‘that which wills the good of its object,' then God is good.”[5] The Christian Application of Love      God's love can be experienced in the heart of believers and can, in turn, manifest itself toward others in a similar way. Lewis Chafer wrote, “A human heart cannot produce divine love, but it can experience it. To have a heart that feels the compassion of God is to drink of the wine of heaven.”[6] The apostle John wrote, “We know love by this, that He laid down His life for us; and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren” (1 John 3:16). As Christians, we are called to manifest love in its ideal form. Paul described this love, saying, “Love is patient, love is kind and is not jealous; love does not brag and is not arrogant, does not act unbecomingly; it does not seek its own, is not provoked, does not take into account a wrong suffered, does not rejoice in unrighteousness, but rejoices with the truth; bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never fails” (1 Co 13:4-8a). Paul directs Christian husbands to look to Christ as their role model for love, saying, “Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself up for her” (Eph 5:25). This means he sacrifices himself for her, always seeking her best interests, helping to lead her into God's will, and showing “her honor as a fellow heir of the grace of life” (1 Pet 3:7).      Christians should be marked by love for each other, which is predicated on the love of Christ. Jesus said, “A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another, even as I have loved you, that you also love one another. By this all men will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another” (John 13:34-35). And love should be shown even to our enemies. Jesus said, “I say to you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven; for He causes His sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous” (Matt 5:44-45). Here, love is not an emotion, but a commitment to love others graciously, as God loves us, and to manifest that love by seeking their best interests (through prayer, sharing the gospel, helping to meet their needs, etc.).      Love should be shown to Israel, God's chosen people. God Himself loves Israel, declaring, “I have loved you with an everlasting love; therefore I have drawn you with lovingkindness” (Jer 31:3). God is eternal, and His love is eternal, which means it never fades for His people, Israel. To possess the love of God is to love that which He loves. One cannot claim to have God's love, and simultaneously hate Israel, His chosen people. There is no place for anti-Semitism in the heart of anyone, especially the Christian! According to Lewis S. Chafer, “When the Christian loves with a divine compassion he will acknowledge what God loves. Therefore, he too must love Israel.”[7]      We also display God's love for the lost by sharing the gospel of grace, with the hope and prayer that they will believe in Christ as their Savior and have forgiveness of sins (Acts 10:43; Eph 1:7), and eternal life (John 3:16; 10:28). We demonstrate God's love for other Christians when we give of our resources to help meet their needs. John wrote, “whoever has the world's goods, and sees his brother in need and closes his heart against him, how does the love of God abide in him? Little children, let us not love with word or with tongue, but in deed and truth” (1 John 3:17-18). And we display love for others by praying for them (2 Th 1:11), doing good (Gal 6:10), encouraging them (1 Th 5:11), and helping them in their walk of faith (Col 2:5-7). Dr. Steven R. Cook --     [1] Robert B. Thieme, Jr. “Essence of God”, Thieme's Bible Doctrine Dictionary, 87. [2] W. E. Vine, Vine's Complete Expository Dictionary of Old and New Testament Words, 382. [3] Christopher A. Beetham, ed., “Ἀγαπάω,” Concise New International Dictionary of New Testament Theology and Exegesis, Vol. 1 (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Academic, 2021), 111. [4] W. E. Vine, Vine's Complete Expository Dictionary of Old and New Testament Words, 381–382. [5] Norman L. Geisler, Systematic Theology, Volume Three: Sin, Salvation, 111. [6] Lewis Sperry Chafer, He That Is Spiritual (Moody Press: Chicago, 1918), 41. [7]Lewis S. Chafer, “Israel” in Systematic Theology, Vol. 7 (Grand Rapids, MI., Kregel Publications, 1993), 206.

     At the moment of faith in Christ, God's righteousness is gifted to the believer (Rom 5:17; cf. 2 Cor 5:21; Phil 3:9), and he is at once made right with God and declared just in His sight. Divine justification is not by human works at all, “for there is none righteous, not even one” (Rom 3:10), “for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Rom 3:23). Rather, Paul reveals we are “justified as a gift by His grace through the redemption which is in Christ Jesus” (Rom 3:24). Like our spiritual birth, justification is a one-and-done event, perfect in itself, not to be confused with our experiential sanctification, which occurs over time. According to Norman Geisler, “Justification is an instantaneous, past act of God by which one is saved from the guilt of sin—his record is cleared and he is guiltless before the Judge” (Rom 8:1).”[1] And Charles Bing states, “Justification is the act of God that declares a sinner righteous in God's sight. It is a legal term that speaks of one's right standing in God's court of justice.”[2]      Being justified in God's sight is by faith alone and not by any human works, for “by the works of the Law no flesh will be justified in His sight” (Rom 3:20a). Rather, “to the one who does not work, but believes in Him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is credited as righteousness” (Rom 4:5), for “a man is not justified by the works of the Law but through faith in Christ Jesus, even we have believed in Christ Jesus, so that we may be justified by faith in Christ and not by the works of the Law; since by the works of the Law no flesh will be justified” (Gal 2:16).[3] J. I. Packer states: "Justification is a judicial act of God pardoning sinners (wicked and ungodly persons, Rom 3:9–24; 4:5), accepting them as just, and so putting permanently right their previously estranged relationship with himself. This justifying sentence is God's gift of righteousness (Rom 5:15–17), his bestowal of a status of acceptance for Jesus' sake (2 Cor 5:21)."[4] Louis Berkhof agrees, stating: "Justification is a judicial act of God, in which He declares, on the basis of the righteousness of Jesus Christ, that all the claims of the law are satisfied with respect to the sinner. It is unique in the application of the work of redemption in that it is a judicial act of God, a declaration respecting the sinner, and not an act or process of renewal, such as regeneration, conversion, and sanctification. While it has respect to the sinner, it does not change his inner life. It does not affect his condition, but his state."[5] Merrill F. Unger adds: "Justification is a divine act whereby an infinitely Holy God judicially declares a believing sinner to be righteous and acceptable before Him because Christ has borne the sinner's sin on the cross and has become “to us … righteousness” (1 Cor 1:30; Rom 3:24). A justified believer emerges from God's great courtroom with a consciousness that another, his Substitute, has borne his guilt and that he stands without accusation before God (Rom 8:1, 33–34)."[6] Paul Enns states: Whereas forgiveness is the negative side of salvation, justification is the positive side. To justify is to declare righteous the one who has faith in Jesus Christ. It is a forensic (legal) act of God whereby He declares the believing sinner righteous on the basis of the blood of Christ. The major emphasis of justification is positive and involves two main aspects. It involves the pardon and removal of all sins and the end of separation from God (Acts 13:39; Rom 4:6–7; 5:9–11; 2 Cor 5:19). It also involves the bestowal of righteousness upon the believing person and a title to all the blessings promised to the just. Justification is a gift given through the grace of God (Rom 3:24) and takes place the moment the individual has faith in Christ (Rom 4:2; 5:1). The ground of justification is the death of Christ (Rom 5:9), apart from any works (Rom 4:5). The means of justification is faith (Rom 5:1). Through justification God maintains His integrity and His standard, yet is able to enter into fellowship with sinners because they have the very righteousness of Christ imputed to them.[7]      The process is faith in Christ (John 3:16; Acts 4:12; 16:31), imputed righteousness (Rom 5:17; cf. 2 Cor 5:21; Phil 3:9), and the declaration by God that the believer is now justified in God's sight (Rom 3:24; 4:5; Gal 2:16). Robert B. Thieme Jr., states: "Anyone who expresses faith alone in Christ alone is instantly justified before the bench of God's justice. The mechanics of justification follow three logical steps, though they all occur simultaneously. First, the person believes in Christ; second, God the Father credits, or imputes, His righteousness to that person; and third, God recognizes His righteousness in the believer and pronounces him “justified”— vindicated, righteous (Rom 5)."[8]      The imputation of God's righteousness to believers means we are declared righteous, but not made righteous in conduct. To be righteous in conduct is the lifelong process of sanctification whereby the believer advances to spiritual maturity and lives in conformity with the character and will of God as revealed in His Word. This is the walk of faith. But though we are righteous in God's sight because of the righteousness of Christ imputed to us, at the same time we continue to possess a sin nature that continually causes internal temptation and conflict (Rom 6:6; 7:14-25; 13:14; Col 3:9; Gal 5:16-17, 19-22; 1 John 1:8), and we commit personal acts of sin (1 Ki 8:46; Eccl 7:20; 1 John 1:10; 2:1). Though the power of the sin nature is broken (Rom 6:11-14), the presence of the sin nature is never removed from us until God takes us from this world and gives us a new body like the body of Jesus (Phil 3:20-21; 1 John 3:2, 5). Martin Luther understood this duality and coined the Latin phrase simul iustus et peccator, which translates as, “simultaneously righteous and a sinner.” Though Christians are declared righteous in God's sight, sin will constantly be present (Eccl 7:20; 1 John 1:8, 10), to varying degrees, depending on the status of the believer's spiritual walk with the Lord. Timothy George states: "The believer is not only both righteous and sinful at the same time but is also always or completely both righteous and sinful at the same time. What does this mean? With respect to our fallen human condition, we are, and always will be in this life, sinners. However, for believers, life in this world is no longer a period of doubtful candidacy for God's acceptance. In a sense we have already been before God's judgment seat and have been acquitted on account of Christ. Hence we are also always righteous."[9]      I agree with the phrase simul iustus et peccator, that a Christian is “simultaneously righteous and a sinner.” I think a better phrase is semper iustus et peccator, that we are “always righteous and a sinner.” Both are true. Always. As a Christian, I am righteous because I have received God's “gift of righteousness” (Rom 5:17). This is “the righteousness which comes from God on the basis of faith” in Christ (Phil 3:9). God gave me His righteousness at the moment I trusted Christ as my Savior, and like all of God's gifts, it can't be given back, “for the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable” (Rom 11:29). As one who possesses God's righteousness, I am forever justified in His sight. The matter is settled in heaven. God has made it so. After being saved, the issue for every Christian is to advance to spiritual maturity (Heb 6:1), which glorifies God and edifies others. Dr. Steven R. Cook ------- [1] Norman L. Geisler, Systematic Theology, Volume Three: Sin, Salvation, 235. [2] Charles C. Bing, Grace, Salvation, and Discipleship: How to Understand Some Difficult Bible Passages (Brenham, TX: Lucid Books, 2015). [3] Some in the early church thought righteousness came through adherence to the Mosaic Law. The apostle Paul dealt with this, saying, “if righteousness comes through the Law, then Christ died needlessly” (Gal 2:21), for “if a law had been given which was able to impart life, then righteousness would indeed have been based on law” (Gal 3:21).    Salvation comes to the one who simply trusts in Christ as Savior and receives it as a free gift, “For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as a result of works, so that no one may boast” (Eph 2:8-9). [4] J. I. Packer, Concise Theology: A Guide to Historic Christian Beliefs, 164. [5] Louis Berkhof, Systematic Theology (Grand Rapids, MI: Wm. B. Eerdmans publishing co., 1938), 513. [6] E. McChesney and Merrill F. Unger, “Justification,” The New Unger's Bible Dictionary, 729. [7] Paul P. Enns, The Moody Handbook of Theology, 326. [8] Robert B. Thieme, Jr. “Justification”, Thieme's Bible Doctrine Dictionary, 153. [9] Timothy George, Theology of the Reformers (Nashville, Tenn., Broadman and Holman publishers, 2013), 72.

Angie offers encouragement for those who are weary to find strength in the struggle through the power of Jesus Christ.  Colossians 1:29“For this I toil, struggling with all his energy that he powerfully works within me.” (ESV)  https://livesteadyon.com/Email Angie at: steadyonpodcast@gmail.comFacebook @livesteadyonInstagram @angiebaughman421 Grab freebies and subscribe to the weekly Steady On newsletter at: https://livesteadyon.com/live-steady-on-newsletter/ You can download a blank study sheet here: https://livesteadyon.com/sbs-blank-study-sheet/ Interested in the Step By Step Bible study method? Download the FREE masterclass here: https://livesteadyon.com/live-steady-on-stepbystepmasterclass/  Logos Softwarehttps://www.logos.com/ Enduring Word Commentaryhttps://enduringword.com/ WordHippohttps://www.wordhippo.com/ BibleGatewayhttps://www.biblegateway.com/ Blue Letter Biblehttps://www.biblegateway.com/ Friedrich Hauck, “Κόπος, Κοπιάω,” ed. Gerhard Kittel, Geoffrey W. Bromiley, and Gerhard Friedrich, Theological Dictionary of the New Testament (Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans, 1964–), 827. John D. Barry et al., Faithlife Study Bible (Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press, 2012, 2016), Col 1:29. Norman L. Geisler, “Colossians,” in The Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures, ed. J. F. Walvoord and R. B. Zuck, vol. 2 (Wheaton, IL: Victor Books, 1985), 676. Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset, and David Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible, vol. 2 (Oak Harbor, WA: Logos Research Systems, Inc., 1997), 375. Peter T. O'Brien, “Colossians,” in New Bible Commentary: 21st Century Edition, ed. D. A. Carson et al., 4th ed. (Leicester, England; Downers Grove, IL: Inter-Varsity Press, 1994), 1269.  Theme music:Glimmer by Andy Ellison 

     Jesus' substitutionary death on the cross is the basis for our forgiveness of sins. Scripture reveals, “In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of His grace” (Eph 1:7). Forgiveness translates the Greek word aphesis (ἄφεσις), which, according to BDAG, refers to “the act of freeing from an obligation, guilt, or punishment, pardon, cancellation.”[1] It means releasing someone from a debt they cannot pay. Paul wrote that God has “forgiven us all our transgressions, having erased the certificate of debt, with its obligations, that was against us and opposed to us, and has taken it out of the way by nailing it to the cross” (Col 2:13b-14). In Colossians 2:13, the word forgiveness translates the Greek word charizomai (χαρίζομαι), which means, “to show oneself gracious by forgiving wrongdoing, forgive, pardon.”[2] This reveals the loving and gracious heart of God toward lost sinners, for whom Christ died (Rom 5:8). Warren Wiersbe states, “When He shed His blood for sinners, Jesus Christ canceled the huge debt that was against sinners because of their disobedience to God's holy Law…In this way His Son paid the full debt when He died on the cross.”[3] According to Norman Geisler: "The Greek word for forgiveness is aphesis, which means “to forgive” or “to remit” one's sins. Hebrews declares that God cannot forgive without atonement, for “the law requires that nearly everything be cleansed with blood, and without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness” (Heb 9:22). Paul announced: “Through Jesus the forgiveness of sins is proclaimed to you” (Acts 13:38). Forgiveness does not erase the sin; history cannot be changed. But forgiveness does erase the record of the sin. Like a pardon, the crime of the accused is not expunged from history but is deleted from his account. Hence, it is “in [Christ Jesus that] we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God's grace” (Eph 1:7; cf. Col 1:14)."[4] Paul Enns adds: "Forgiveness is the legal act of God whereby He removes the charges that were held against the sinner because proper satisfaction or atonement for those sins has been made. There are several Greek words used to describe forgiveness. One is charizomai, which is related to the word grace and means “to forgive out of grace.” It is used of cancellation of a debt (Col 2:13). The context emphasizes that our debts were nailed to the cross, with Christ's atonement freely forgiving the sins that were charged against us. The most common word for forgiveness is aphiemi, which means “to let go, release” or “send away.” The noun form is used in Ephesians 1:7 where it stresses the believer's sins have been forgiven or sent away because of the riches of God's grace as revealed in the death of Christ. Forgiveness forever solves the problem of sin in the believer's life—all sins past, present, and future (Col 2:13). This is distinct from the daily cleansing from sin that is necessary to maintain fellowship with God (1 John 1:9). Forgiveness is manward; man had sinned and needed to have his sins dealt with and removed."[5]      Under the OT system of sacrifices, we are told, “in the forbearance of God He passed over the sins previously committed” (Rom 3:25). The animal sacrifices did not remove sin. It was a temporary arrangement whereby God “passed over” the sins of His people until the time when Christ would come and die for the sins of the world. Concerning Romans 3:25, Hoehner states this “has the idea of a temporary suspension of punishment for sins committed before the cross, whereas ἄφεσις is the permanent cancellation of or release from the punishment for sin because it has been paid for by Christ's sacrifice.”[6] Merrill F. Unger adds: "The great foundational truth respecting the believer in relationship to his sins is the fact that his salvation comprehends the forgiveness of all his trespasses past, present, and future so far as condemnation is concerned (Rom 8:1; Col 2:13; John 3:18; 5:24). Since Christ has vicariously borne all sin and since the believer's standing in Christ is complete, he is perfected forever in Christ. When a believer sins, he is subject to chastisement from the Father but never to condemnation with the world (1 Cor 11:31–32)."[7]      Though Christ died for everyone (Heb 2:9; 1 John 2:2), the benefit of forgiveness is available only to those who trust in Him as Savior. Thiessen notes, “The death of Christ made forgiveness possible, but not necessary, since Christ died voluntarily…God is still entitled to say on what conditions man may receive forgiveness.”[8] Judicial forgiveness of sins is available to all, but each person must exercise their own volition and turn to Christ, and Christ alone, for salvation. The record of Scripture is that “there is salvation in no one else; for there is no other name under heaven that has been given among men by which we must be saved” (Acts 4:12), and “everyone who believes in Him receives forgiveness of sins” (Acts 10:43). Familial Forgiveness of Sins      From the moment of our spiritual birth until we leave this world for heaven, we are in Christ and all our sins are judicially forgiven (Eph 2:5-6; Col 2:13). In addition, we have a new spiritual nature (2 Cor 5:17; Gal 6:15), and the power to live righteously in God's will (Rom 6:11-14). However, during our time in this world, we still possess a sin nature (Rom 7:14-25; Gal 5:17), and occasionally yield to temptation (both internal and external) and commit sin. According to William MacDonald, “Conversion does not mean the eradication of the sin nature. Rather it means the implanting of the new, divine nature, with power to live victoriously over indwelling sin.”[9] Our acts of sin do not jeopardize our eternal salvation which was secured by the Lord Jesus Christ (John 10:28), but is does hurt our walk with the Lord (1 John 1:5-10), and stifles the work of the Holy Spirit who dwells within us (1 Cor 3:16; Eph 4:30; 1 Th 5:19). Though we try to keep our sins small and few, the reality is that we continue to sin, and some days more than others. As we grow spiritually in our knowledge of God's Word, we will pursue righteousness more and more and sin will diminish, but sin will never completely disappear from our lives. Living in the reality of God's Word, we know three things are true when we sin.      First, there is no condemnation (Rom 8:1). Though we have sinned against God, our eternal security and righteous standing before Him is never jeopardized. We are eternally secure (John 10:28), and continue to possess the righteousness of God that was imputed to us at the moment of salvation (Rom 4:1-5; 2 Cor 5:21; Phil 3:9).      Second, we have broken fellowship with God (1 John 1:5-6). When we sin, as a Christian, we have broken fellowship with God and stifled the work of the Holy Spirit who dwells within us (1 John 1:5-6; Eph 4:30; 1 Th 5:19). If we continue in sin, or leave our sin unconfessed, we are in real danger of divine discipline from God (Psa 32:3-4; Heb 12:5-11; 1 John 5:16-17; cf. Dan 4:37), which can eventuate in physical death (1 John 5:16; cf., Lev 10:1-2; Acts 5:3-5).      Third, if we confess our sin to God, He will forgive that sin and restore us to fellowship (1 John 1:9; cf. Psa 32:5). Being in fellowship with God means walking in the sphere of His light (1 John 1:5-7), being honest with Him about our sin (1 John 1:8, 10), and coming before His “throne of grace” (Heb 4:16) in transparent humility and confessing that sin in order to be forgiven familially (1 John 1:9). God is faithful and just to forgive our sins every time we confess them because of the atoning work of Christ who shed His blood on the cross for us (1 John 2:1-2). John wrote, “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:9). Concerning 1 John 1:9, William MacDonald states: "The forgiveness John speaks about here [i.e. 1 John 1:9] is parental, not judicial. Judicial forgiveness means forgiveness from the penalty of sins, which the sinner receives when he believes on the Lord Jesus Christ. It is called judicial because it is granted by God acting as Judge. But what about sins which a person commits after conversion? As far as the penalty is concerned, the price has already been paid by the Lord Jesus on the cross of Calvary. But as far as fellowship in the family of God is concerned, the sinning saint needs parental forgiveness, that is, the forgiveness of His Father. He obtains it by confessing his sin. We need judicial forgiveness only once; that takes care of the penalty of all our sins—past, present, and future. But we need parental forgiveness throughout our Christian life."[10]      God's grace compels us to pursue righteousness and good works (Tit 2:11-14), which God has prepared for us to walk in (Eph 2:10). But since we still have a sinful nature and live in a fallen world with temptation all around, we occasionally fall into sin. When we sin, we agree with God that we have sinned and we confess it to Him seeking His forgiveness. When we sin against others and wrongly hurt them, we confess our sin to them and ask for their forgiveness. Because our sin hurts others (and their sin hurts us), there is a need for love, patience, humility, and ongoing forgiveness among the saints. The apostle Paul wrote “So, as those who have been chosen of God, holy and beloved, put on a heart of compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience; bearing with one another, and forgiving each other, whoever has a complaint against anyone; just as the Lord forgave you, so also should you. Beyond all these things put on love, which is the perfect bond of unity. Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body; and be thankful” (Col 3:12-15). Dr. Steven R. Cook   [1] William Arndt et al., A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament and Other Early Christian Literature, 155. [2] Ibid., 1078. [3] Warren W. Wiersbe, The Bible Exposition Commentary, vol. 2, 127. [4] Norman L. Geisler, Systematic Theology, Volume Three: Sin, Salvation, 227. [5] Paul P. Enns, The Moody Handbook of Theology, 325–326. [6] Harold W. Hoehner, Ephesians: An Exegetical Commentary (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Academic, 2002), 207. [7] Merrill F. Unger, et al, “Forgiveness,” The New Unger's Bible Dictionary, 440. [8] Henry Clarence Thiessen and Vernon D. Doerksen, Lectures in Systematic Theology, 276. [9] William MacDonald, Believer's Bible Commentary: Old and New Testaments, 2310. [10] Ibid., 2310-11.

     At the moment of faith in Christ, we have eternal life. This is a fact, even if we don't fully understand it. In truth, most people will not understand what they have from God or find assurance of their salvation until they've studied God's Word and learned to live by faith. Doctrinal ignorance and/or false teaching will lead to fear and doubt. For those who have trusted Christ as their Savior, subsequent knowledge of God's Word and trust in it will yield assurance of their salvation. And, as one advances spiritually, there will also be a noticeable change within, and this too may provide a subjective assurance of salvation. Objective Assurance of Salvation      The Bible reveals God is absolutely righteous and set apart from all that is sinful (Psa 11:7; 99:9; Hab 1:13; 1 John 1:5) and He hates and condemns sin (Deut 25:16; Psa 5:5; 45:7; Prov 8:13; 15:9, 26; 20:9; Zech 8:17; Rom 1:18; Col 3:6; Heb 1:9). The problem for us is that all mankind is sinful (Gen 6:5; 8:21; 1 Ki 8:46; Psa 143:2; Eccl 7:20; Isa 59:2; 64:6; Jer 17:9; Rom 3:10; 3:23; Eph 2:1-2; 1 John 1:8, 10). Not only are we sinful, but our good works have no saving merit (Rom 4:4-5; Gal 2:16; Eph 2:8-9; Tit 3:5). Our salvation was accomplished 100% by Jesus who died on the cross for our sins. Salvation is never what we do for God, but what He's done for us at the cross (Rom 5:8; 6:10; 1 Cor 15:3-4; 1 Pet 3:18). God offers to justify and save us freely as a gift, totally apart from any good works we may perform (Rom 3:24, 28, 4:5; Gal 2:16; Eph 2:8-9; Tit 3:5; 1 Pet 3:18). God's salvation comes to us who have trusted in Christ as our Savior (John 3:15-18; 6:40; 10:28; 11:25; 14:6; Acts 4:12; 16:31; 1 John 5:12). Salvation means we have forgiveness of sins (Eph 1:7), the gift of righteousness (Rom 5:17; 2 Cor 5:21; Phil 3:9), eternal life (John 10:28), are part of the family of God (Gal 3:26; 1 John 3:1), are blessed with many spiritual blessings (Eph 1:3), and will never face condemnation (Rom 8:1, 33).      When we understand these truths by studying Scripture and accept them by faith, we have assurance of our salvation because we trust in God and His Word (Psa 119:160; John 17:17). The apostle Paul wrote, “I know whom I have believed and I am convinced that He is able to guard what I have entrusted to Him until that day” (2 Tim 1:12). The apostle John wrote, “God has given us eternal life, and this life is in His Son. He who has the Son has the life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have the life” (1 John 5:11-12). The assurance of salvation does not come by looking to ourselves, but to the One who saved us. John also wrote, “These things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, so that you may know that you have eternal life” (1 John 5:13). Assurance of salvation is not a guessing game for those who have trusted in Jesus as their Savior, but is a confidence that is rooted in the revelation of God's Word. For those of us who have trusted in Jesus as our Savior—believing He died for our sins, was buried, and raised again on the third day—we have eternal life. According to Zane Hodges, “It should be said here that all true assurance of salvation and eternal life must rest on the ‘testimony of God,' for only that testimony has full reliability and solidity.”[1] What Calvinists and Arminians Generally Believe      Arminians are those who believe they are eternally secure in Christ, as long as they remain faithful in their walk with God. Like Catholics, they believe faith + works = salvation. They believe their salvation can be lost due to intentional, egregious, ongoing sin; therefore, they cannot have assurance of salvation because there's always the chance they may turn away from God and forfeit their salvation. This stands in contrast to the Calvinistic doctrine of perseverance of the saints, which teaches that those whom God has chosen will persevere in faith until the end.      Calvinists believe God gives His elect a special kind of faith that guarantees they will persevere to the end of their lives and be saved eternally; however, knowing they are among the elect is always a question in their minds that cannot be finally answered until they die. If they have persevered until the end, not having denied the Lord, and continued in good works, then they can know they were among the elect. If they fall into serious and prolonged sin, especially to the end of their lives, it strongly argues they were not among the elect who are said to persevere to the end. Kenneth D. Keathley notes, “Arminians know they are saved but are afraid they cannot keep it, while Calvinists know they cannot lose their salvation but are afraid they do not have it.”[2] Norman Geisler correctly notes: "Arminians and strong Calvinists have much in common on this issue. Both assert that professing believers living in gross, unrepentant sin are not truly saved. Both insist that a person cannot be living in serious sin at the end of his life if he is truly saved. And both maintain that no one living in grave sin can be sure of his salvation."[3]      Though Christians may, to some degree, advance spiritually by learning and living God's Word, and bear the fruit of the Spirit in their lives, this will never be consistent, because the taint of sin is also present in the life of every Christian, and this to varying degrees. Christians are never free from sin (1 John 1:8, 10), and God never promises to make us completely sinless during our time on earth, so consistency of performance is lacking. Because of our imperfect knowledge and imperfect life, our ability to analyze ourselves accurately will not always be consistent. John Walvoord notes: "The difficulty is that human experience may be far from a norm, may be inaccurately analyzed, and may be made the basis of an induction which in the last analysis is based only on fragmentary evidence…The only sure basis for salvation is the promise of God in the inspired Word of God which properly accepted by faith gives validity to assurance. One clear promise sustained by “Thus saith the Lord” is better than a thousand testimonies of human conviction without a specific ground. A proper doctrine of assurance of salvation is therefore inseparable from a belief in the inspired Word of God."[4]      The Word of God is the objective basis for what we believe, and our focus should always be on learning and living His Word so that we can expunge any false ideas and properly calibrate our thinking to align with His divine revelation. Jesus said we have “eternal life…and will never perish” (John 10:28); therefore, there is no danger of us losing our salvation, for there is “no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus” (Rom 8:1), and “Who will bring a charge against God's elect? God is the one who justifies” (Rom 8:33). The matter of our eternal destiny was settled at the cross when Jesus paid the penalty for all our sins. And Jesus' work on the cross was perfectly applied to us at the moment we trusted in Him as our Savior.[5] Subjective Assurance of Salvation      Christians who are advancing spiritually may enjoy a subjective assurance of their salvation. Paul wrote, “The Spirit Himself testifies with our spirit that we are children of God” (Rom 8:16). According to William MacDonald, “The Spirit Himself bears witness with the believer's spirit that he is a member of God's family. He does it primarily through the Word of God. As a Christian reads the Bible, the Spirit confirms the truth that, because he has trusted the Savior, he is now a child of God.”[6] This experience is valid only for believers who are in submission to God (Rom 12:1-2), learning and living Scripture (2 Tim 3:16-17; 1 Pet 2:2), walking by faith (2 Cor 5:7; Heb 10:38; 11:6), and advancing to spiritual maturity (Heb 6:1).      As believers, we have been “born again” (1 Pet 1:23), “made alive” spiritually (1 Cor 15:22), and are a “new creature” in Christ Jesus (2 Cor 5:17). At the moment of salvation, God the Holy Spirit indwells us and gives us a new nature that, for the first time in our lives, has the capacity and desire to obey God. Paul wrote of his new nature in Christ when he said, “I joyfully concur with the law of God in the inner man” (Rom 7:22). Since we have the Spirit within us, as well as new spiritual life, it is natural to expect there will be some change in attitude and behavior. The degree to which this change occurs, in part, depends on our staying positive to the Lord. According to John Walvoord adds: "The ground of assurance as stated in Scripture is something more than an intellectual comprehension of the theology of salvation and more than a conviction that the terms of salvation have been met. Scriptures make plain that there is a corresponding experience of transformation which attends the work of salvation in a believer. Some aspects of this are nonexperimental, but the new life in Christ is manifested in many ways. The believer in Christ possesses eternal life and a new divine nature which tends to change his whole viewpoint. He is indeed “a new creature: the old things are passed away; behold, they are become new” (2 Cor 5:17). The believer in Christ is indwelt by the Spirit of God, which opens a whole new field of spiritual experience. He now knows what it is to have fellowship with his heavenly Father and with His Savior the Lord Jesus Christ. His eyes are opened to spiritual truth, and the Scriptures take on a true living character as the Spirit of God illuminates the written Word. He experiences a new relationship to other believers as he is bound to them by ties of love and common faith and life. The believer is relieved from the load of condemnation for sin and experiences hope and peace such as is impossible for the unbeliever. His experiences include deliverance from the power of sin and from opposition of Satan. He enters into the joy of intercessory prayer and experiences answers to prayer. The new life in Christ, therefore, provides a satisfying and Biblical new experience which is a confirming evidence of the fact of his salvation and a vital and true basis for assurance."[7]      As Christians, our assurance of eternal life is, first and foremost, based on the salvific work of Jesus on the cross (Acts 4:12; Rom 5:8; 1 Cor 15:3-4), and the revelation of Scripture that we, who have trusted in Christ as our Savior (Acts 4:12, 16:31), “may know that [we] have eternal life” (1 John 5:13). This assurance is objective and constant, because God's Word is sure and does not change. Dr. Steven R. Cook     [1] Zane Clark Hodges, The Epistle of John: Walking in the Light of God's Love (Irving, TX: Grace Evangelical Society, 1999), 228. [2] Kenneth D. Keathley, “Perseverance and Assurance of the Saints,” in Whosoever Will, ed. David L. Allen and Steve W Lemke (Nashville, TN: B&H Publishing Group, 2010). [3] Norman L. Geisler, Systematic Theology, Volume Three: Sin, Salvation (Minneapolis, MN: Bethany House Publishers, 2004), 302. [4] John F. Walvoord, “The Doctrine of Assurance in Contemporary Theology,” Bibliotheca Sacra 116 (1959): 198. [5] The Bible reveals that when we sin, we are walking in darkness and have broken fellowship with God (1 John 1:5-6), and stifled the work of the Holy Spirit who dwells within us (Eph 4:30; 1 Th 5:19). If we continue in sin, or leave our sin unconfessed, we are in real danger of divine discipline from God (Psa 32:3-4; Heb 12:5-11; 1 John 5:16-17; cf. Dan 4:37), which can eventuate in physical death (1 John 5:16; cf., Lev 10:1-2; Acts 5:3-5; 1 Cor 11:30), and the loss of eternal rewards (1 Cor 3:10-15; 2 John 1:8). If we confess our sin directly to God, He will immediately forgive it and restore us to fellowship (1 John 1:9; cf. Psa 32:5). Being in fellowship with God means learning and living His Word (2 Tim 2:15; 3:16-17; 1 Pet 2:2), walking by faith (2 Cor 5:7; Heb 10:38; 11:6), being honest with Him about our sin (1 John 1:8, 10), and coming before His “throne of grace” (Heb 4:16) in transparent humility and confessing it in order to be forgiven (1 John 1:9; cf. Heb. 4:16). God is faithful and just to forgive us our sins every time we confess them because of the atoning work of Christ who shed His blood on the cross for us (1 John 1:9; 2:1-2). [6] William MacDonald, Believer's Bible Commentary: Old and New Testaments, ed. Arthur Farstad (Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 1995), 1711. [7] John F. Walvoord, “The Doctrine of Assurance in Contemporary Theology,” Bibliotheca Sacra 116 (1959): 201–202.

Adoption      As those who have been redeemed by the blood of Christ, we have been transferred from Satan's “domain of darkness” (Col 1:13) and placed into the family of God. Our new status is as “children of God” (John 1:12; cf., Rom 8:16; Phil 2:15). John wrote, “See how great a love the Father has bestowed on us, that we would be called children of God; and such we are” (1 John 3:1a). We do not come into the world as natural born children of God; rather, we are naturally born “in Adam” (1 Cor 15:21-22), as “sons of disobedience” (Eph 2:2), and are “by nature children of wrath” (Eph 2:3). But at the moment of faith in Christ, we receive “adoption as sons” (Rom 8:15; cf. Gal 4:5; Eph 1:5). The term adoption derives from the Greek word huiothesia (υἱοθεσία) which, according to BDAG, refers to “those who believe in Christ and are accepted by God as God's children…with full rights.”[1] For the first time, as children of God, we have the privilege and right to cry out to God as “Abba! Father!” (Rom 8:15). This adoption by God is an act of love and grace, for “He predestined us to adoption as sons through Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the kind intention of His will” (Eph 1:5). Our position in God's family should lead to a new and better performance of life. God calls us to mature spiritually (Heb 6:1) and to “grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ” (2 Pet 3:18). Norman Geisler states: "Adoption (Grk: huiothesia) means “placing as a son”; it signifies, literally, “a legal child” (Ex 2:10) and is used five times in the New Testament. Theologically, adoption (Gal 4:5) refers to the act of God that places a person as a son in God's family. Adoption is a term of position whereby one becomes a son by the new birth (John 1:12–13), is redeemed from the bondage of the law (Gal 4:1–5), and, although only a child (Grk: teknion), is by adoption made an adult son (Grk: huios), which is fully manifested at the resurrection of the body (Rom 8:23; cf. 1 John 3:2)."[2] R.B. Thieme Jr., adds: "God's bestowal of sonship and heirship upon believers is a grace gift at the moment of salvation (John 1:12–13; Gal 4:5–7; Eph 1:5). Through union with Christ, every Church Age believer, male or female, is adopted into God's royal family and granted joint heirship with God the Son, who is the “heir of all things” (Heb 1:2). Even though the new believer is a spiritual infant, adoption recognizes his position not as nepios, a young child, but as huios, an adult son (Gal 4:1–7). This royal son of God receives the full privileges and responsibilities of spiritual aristocracy, along with an eternal inheritance (Rom 8:23; Eph 1:14; Col 3:24; Rev 21:7)."[3]      Though fully adopted as God's children, there is an eschatological aspect to our adoption that is pending our future glorified bodies. Paul wrote, “the creation itself also will be set free from its slavery to corruption” (Rom 8:21), and then draws a parallel with our status as children, saying, “even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting eagerly for our adoption as sons, the redemption of our body” (Rom 8:23). We are children by position, and will experience our freedom from sin when we receive our glorified bodies (Phil 3:20-21; 1 John 3:2, 5).   Deliverance From Sin      Concerning the Christian's spiritual deliverance, the NT describes it in three tenses. Because we have trusted Christ as our Savior, we have been saved from the penalty of sin (Rom 5:16; 8:1, 33-34; Eph 2:8-9), are saved from the power of sin that we might live righteously (Rom 6:11; Col 3:5), and will, ultimately, be saved from the presence of sin when we leave this world and enter heaven (Phil 3:20-21; 1 John 3:2, 5). These three aspects of our salvation are also referred to as justification (declared just before God once for all), sanctification (progressive righteousness over time), and glorification (removal of the sin nature after we leave this world). According to Charles Ryrie: "The inclusive sweep of salvation is underscored by observing the three tenses of salvation. (1) The moment one believed he was saved from the condemnation of sin (Eph 2:8; Tit 3:5). (2) That believer is also being saved from the dominion of sin and is being sanctified and preserved (Heb 7:25). (3) And he will be saved from the very presence of sin in heaven forever (Rom 5:9-10)."[4]      The first and third aspects of our salvation (i.e., justification and glorification) are accomplished by God without any human assistance. Concerning our justification, Scripture reveals that “God is the one who justifies” (Rom 8:33), and “who justifies the ungodly” (Rom 4:5). This is a work of God alone. No works are required for the one who trusts in Christ as Savior (Rom 4:4-5; Eph 2:8-9; Tit 3:5). Concerning our glorification, Jesus Christ is the One “who will transform the body of our humble state into conformity with the body of His glory” (Phil 3:21), and “We know that when He appears, we will be like Him” (1 John 3:2), and that “in Him there is no sin” (1 John 3:5). This means our future heavenly body will have no sin nature. This also is a work of God alone. However, the second aspect of our salvation, our sanctification, requires positive volition on our part. This is made obvious by the use of NT verbs that are in the imperative mood (i.e., a command), which requires the Christian to obey. As believers, we play a role in our sanctification as we learn and live God's Word (2 Tim 2:15; 3:16-17; 1 Pet 2:2; 2 Pet 3:18), yield to God the Holy Spirit (Eph 5:18; Gal 5:16, 25), walk by faith (2 Cor 5:7; Heb 10:38; 11:6), and advance to spiritual maturity (Heb 6:1).      After being justified (and awaiting glorification), it is possible for the Christian to go negative to God, not learn or live His Word, and remain a carnal Christian (1 Cor 3:1-3). Such a one will be subject to divine discipline (Heb 12:5-11), even to the point of physical death if their sinful lifestyle becomes egregious (1 Cor 11:30; 1 John 5:16-17), and they will forfeit future rewards (1 Cor 3:10-15; 2 John 1:8). Dr. Steven R. Cook   [1] William Arndt et al., A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament and Other Early Christian Literature, 1024. [2] Norman L. Geisler, Systematic Theology, Volume Three: Sin, Salvation, 226. [3] Robert B. Thieme, Jr. “Adoption”, Thieme's Bible Doctrine Dictionary, 3. [4] Charles Caldwell Ryrie, Basic Theology, 318–319.

     Jesus' suffering and death on the cross has both infinite and eternal value for both God the Father as well as those trust in Christ as their Savior. According to Francis Schaeffer, “Christ's death in space-time history is completely adequate to meet our need for refuge from the true moral guilt that we have. It is final because of who He is. He is the infinite second person of the Trinity; therefore, His death has infinite value.”[1]Though Jesus suffered for our sins for only a few hours on the cross, His death had infinite and eternal value and saves forever those who trust in Him as Savior. Geisler states, “Being by nature the infinite God, Christ's death had infinite value, even though His suffering and death occurred in a finite amount of time. Time is not a mandatory measure of worth—birth, for instance, happens over a relatively short span but produces something of extraordinary value. One death in limited time achieved something of limitless value for all eternity.”[2] Paul Enns states, “At the heart of orthodox belief is the recognition that Christ died a substitutionary death to provide salvation for a lost humanity. If Jesus were only a man He could not have died to save the world, but because of His deity, His death had infinite value whereby He could die for the entire world.”[3]      As a result of what Christ accomplished, there is great benefit for us who have trusted in Him as our Savior. By His work on the cross, Christians become the recipients of great blessings, both in time and eternity. Though He blesses some Christians materially (1 Tim 6:17-19), His main focus is on giving us spiritual blessings which are far better. Paul wrote that God “has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ” (Eph 1:3). According to Harold Hoehner, “Every spiritual blessing (eulogia) refers to every spiritual enrichment needed for the spiritual life. Since these benefits have already been bestowed on believers, they should not ask for them but rather appropriate them by faith.”[4] Some of the spiritual blessings mentioned in Scripture are as follows: We are the special objects of His love: “God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us” (Rom 5:8), and “In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins” (1 John 4:10). We are forgiven all our sins: “When you were dead in your transgressions and the uncircumcision of your flesh, He made you alive together with Him, having forgiven us all our transgressions, having canceled out the certificate of debt consisting of decrees against us, which was hostile to us; and He has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross” (Col 2:13-14; cf. Eph 1:7; Heb 10:10-14). We are given eternal life: Jesus said, “My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me; and I give eternal life to them, and they will never perish; and no one will snatch them out of My hand (John 10:27-28; cf. John 3:16; 6:40; 20:31). We are made alive together with Christ: “God, being rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in our transgressions, made us alive together with Christ” (Eph 2:4-5). We are raised up and seated with Christ: God “raised us up with Him, and seated us with Him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus” (Eph 2:6). We are the recipients of God's grace: “For of His fullness we have all received, and grace upon grace” (John 1:16), “For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as a result of works, so that no one may boast” (Eph 2:8-9). We are created to perform good works: “So then, while we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, and especially to those who are of the household of the faith” (Gal 6:10), and “We are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them” (Eph 2:10; cf., Tit 2:11-4). We are given freedom in Christ: “It was for freedom that Christ set us free; therefore keep standing firm and do not be subject again to a yoke of slavery” (Gal 5:1), “For you were called to freedom, brethren; only do not turn your freedom into an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another” (Gal 5:13; cf., 1 Pet 2:16). We are given a spiritual gift to serve others: “As each one has received a special gift, employ it in serving one another as good stewards of the manifold grace of God” (1 Pet 4:10; cf. Rom 12:6-8; Eph 4:11). We are children of God: “See how great a love the Father has bestowed on us, that we would be called children of God; and such we are” (1 John 3:1a), “For you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus” (Gal 3:26). We are made ambassadors for Christ: “We are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were making an appeal through us; we beg you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God” (2 Cor 5:20). We are gifted with God's righteousness: “He made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him” (2 Cor 5:21), “and may be found in Him, not having a righteousness of my own derived from the Law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which comes from God on the basis of faith” (Phil 3:9; cf. Rom 4:3-5; 5:17). We are justified before God: “Being justified as a gift by His grace through the redemption which is in Christ Jesus…For we maintain that a man is justified by faith apart from works of the Law” (Rom 3:24, 28), and “knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the Law but through faith in Christ Jesus, even we have believed in Christ Jesus, so that we may be justified by faith in Christ and not by the works of the Law; since by the works of the Law no flesh will be justified” (Gal 2:16). We have peace with God: “Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ” (Rom 5:1). We will never be condemned: “He who believes in Him is not judged; he who does not believe has been judged already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God” (John 3:18), “Truly, truly, I say to you, he who hears My word, and believes Him who sent Me, has eternal life, and does not come into judgment, but has passed out of death into life” (John 5:24), “Therefore there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus” (Rom 8:1). We are given citizenship in heaven: “For our citizenship is in heaven, from which also we eagerly wait for a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ” (Phil 3:20). We are transferred to the kingdom of Christ: “For He rescued us from the domain of darkness, and transferred us to the kingdom of His beloved Son” (Col 1:13; cf. Acts 26:18), and “walk in a manner worthy of the God who calls you into His own kingdom and glory” (1 Th 2:12). We are all saints in Christ Jesus: we are “saints by calling” (1 Cor 1:2), and “saints in Christ Jesus” (Phil 1:1), and “are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints, and are of God's household” (Eph 2:19). We are made priests to God: “He has made us to be a kingdom, priests to His God and Father—to Him be the glory and the dominion forever and ever. Amen” (Rev 1:6). We are God's chosen: “He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we would be holy and blameless before Him” (Eph 1:4), “So, as those who have been chosen of God, holy and beloved, put on a heart of compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience” (Col 3:12). We are the recipients of His faithfulness: “He Himself has said, ‘I will never desert you, nor will I ever forsake you'” (Heb 13:5), and even “If we are faithless, He remains faithful, for He cannot deny Himself” (2 Tim 2:13). We have been called to walk in newness of life: “We have been buried with Him through baptism into death, so that as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, so we too might walk in newness of life” (Rom 6:4), and “walk in a manner worthy of the calling with which you have been called, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, showing tolerance for one another in love” (Eph 4:1-2). We are members of the Church, the body of Christ: “For just as we have many members in one body and all the members do not have the same function, so we, who are many, are one body in Christ, and individually members one of another” (Rom 12:4-5), and “He put all things in subjection under His feet, and gave Him as head over all things to the church, which is His body, the fullness of Him who fills all in all” (Eph 1:22-23; cf. Col 1:18). We are indwelt with the Holy Spirit: “Do you not know that you are a temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwells in you?” (1 Cor 3:16), “your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you” (1 Cor 6:19). We are sealed with the Holy Spirit: “having also believed, you were sealed in Him with the Holy Spirit of promise” (Eph 1:13b; cf. 2 Cor 5:5). We are enabled to walk with God: “I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not carry out the desire of the flesh” (Gal 5:16), and “Since we live by the Spirit, let us also walk by the Spirit” (Gal 5:25). We are empowered to live godly: “His divine power has granted to us everything pertaining to life and godliness, through the true knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and excellence” (2 Pet 1:3). We have Scripture to train us in righteousness: “All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness; so that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work” (2 Tim 3:16-17). We are guaranteed a new home in heaven: “In My Father's house are many dwelling places; if it were not so, I would have told you; for I go to prepare a place for you. If I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself, that where I am, there you may be also” (John 14:2-3). We are guaranteed resurrection bodies: “I tell you a mystery; we will not all sleep, but we will all be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet; for the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed. For this perishable must put on the imperishable, and this mortal must put on immortality” (1 Cor 15:51-53). We have special access to God's throne of grace: “Let us draw near with confidence to the throne of grace, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need” (Heb 4:16). We will be glorified in eternity: “When Christ, who is our life, is revealed, then you also will be revealed with Him in glory” (Col 3:4), for Christ “will transform the body of our humble state into conformity with the body of His glory, by the exertion of the power that He has even to subject all things to Himself” (Phil 3:21). Dr. Steven R. Cook   [1] Francis A. Schaeffer, Joshua and the Flow of Biblical History, Second U.S. edition. (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Books, 2004), 206. [2] Norman L. Geisler, Systematic Theology, Volume Four: Church, Last Things (Minneapolis, MN: Bethany House Publishers, 2005), 403. [3] Paul P. Enns, The Moody Handbook of Theology (Chicago, IL: Moody Press, 1989), 225. [4] Harold W. Hoehner, “Ephesians,” in The Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures, ed. J. F. Walvoord and R. B. Zuck, vol. 2 (Wheaton, IL: Victor Books, 1985), 616.

What Jesus Suffered by Men      Jesus loved the Father (John 14:31) and submitted Himself to do the Father's will (Matt 26:39-44; cf. Rom 5:19; Phil 2:5-8), which included enduring the illegal trials of His accusers, as well as the eventual mockings, beatings, and crucifixion. All that Jesus suffered was prophesied in Scripture (Gen 3:15; Psa 22:16-18; Isa 50:4-7; 52:14; 53:3-12; Mark 10:32-34). God the Father was in complete control of the circumstances surrounding the trials and crucifixion of Jesus (Acts 2:23; 4:27-28). Though unjustly attacked, Jesus knew He was doing the Father's will (John 6:38; 10:14-18; 12:27; 18:11) and did not retaliate against His attackers (1 Pet 2:21-23). The four Gospels record the arrest, trials, mocking, crucifixion, death, burial and resurrection of Jesus. Matthew, Mark and Luke refer to events taking place according to Jewish time in which the day ends at sunset; whereas John relies on Gentile time in which the day ends at midnight. A brief chronology of Jesus' trials, mockings, beatings, crucifixion and burial is as follows: Jesus was arrested during the night—perhaps around midnight—and faced six illegal trials, three religious and three civil.[1] The trials must have happened relatively early, as they concluded “about six in the morning” (John 19:14 CSB).[2] During the religious trials, the chief priest and Sanhedrin tried to secure false testimony about Jesus so they might have grounds to crucify Him (Matt 26:59). Jesus was beaten in the face and mocked during His Jewish trial (Matt 26:67-68). After Pilate agreed to the demands of the mob (Matt 27:17-25), he had Jesus scourged (Matt 27:26a), and then “handed Him over to be crucified” (Matt 27:26b). Jesus was mocked and beaten by Roman soldiers (Matt 27:27-30), and then was led away to be crucified (Matt 27:31). Jesus was crucified by 9:00 AM (Mark 15:25). Jesus was judged by the Father and bore our sins on the cross from 12:00 to 3:00 PM (Matt 27:45; Mark 15:33; Luke 23:44). Jesus died about 3:00 PM (Matt 27:46-50; Mark 15:34-37). Jesus' body was placed in the grave before 6:00 PM (i.e. sunset) because the Jews did not want His body on the cross for the Sabbath (John 19:31, 38-42).[3]      The Jewish trials declared Jesus guilty, whereas the Gentile trials found Him innocent. Jesus was crucified by Gentiles because of the pressure of the Jewish leadership. The crucifixion of Jesus was physically horrendous and involved not only great physical pain, but also psychological anguish and social humiliation. According to William Hendriksen, crucifixion included “severe inflammation, the swelling of the wounds in the region of the nails, unbearable pain from torn tendons, fearful discomfort from the strained position of the body, throbbing headache, and burning thirst (John 19:28).”[4] What Jesus Suffered by the Father      As previously mentioned, Jesus was not a helpless victim, but willingly laid down His life for us. Jesus said, “I lay down My life for the sheep” (John 10:15), and “No one has taken it away from Me, but I lay it down on My own initiative” (John 10:18). Scripture reveals that God the Father sent His Son “as an offering for sin” (Rom 8:3), and once Jesus was on the cross, made Him “to be sin on our behalf” (2 Cor 5:21a), and was “smitten of God, and afflicted” (Isa 53:4), as “the LORD has caused the iniquity of us all to fall on Him” (Isa 53:6), and “the LORD was pleased to crush Him, putting Him to grief; if He would render Himself as a guilt offering” (Isa 53:10). Thieme states: "At the third hour of crucifixion, noontime, ordinarily the brightest period of the day, an impenetrable “darkness fell upon all the land” (Matt 27:45; Mark 15:33; Luke 23:44). For the following three hours, so intense was the suffering of Jesus Christ that the Father hid the Son's face from view. Jesus had borne in silence the scourging, the ridicule, and the agony of crucifixion (Isa 53:7; Acts 8:32–35), but the anguish of bearing the sins of the world caused Him to scream out again and again, “My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?” (Matt 27:46; Mark 15:34; cf. Psa 22:1). The Father had to turn His back on the Son in order to judge Him on our behalf (2 Cor 5:21)."[5] Geisler adds: "At the center of Christianity is the Cross; it is the very purpose for which Christ came into the world. Without Him salvation is not possible, and only through His finished work can we be delivered from our sins (Rom 3:21–26). Jesus suffered unimaginable agony and even separation from His beloved Father (Heb 2:10–17; 5:7–9); anticipating the Cross, His “sweat became as it were great drops of blood” (Luke 22:44). Why the Cross and all this suffering unless there is a hell? If there is no hell to shun, then the Cross was in vain. Christ's death is robbed of its eternal significance unless there is a hellish eternal destiny from which sinful souls need to be delivered."[6] Jesus Died Twice on the Cross      There are different kinds of death mentioned in Scripture. Biblically, death means separation. Three major kinds of death are mentioned in Scripture, and these include: 1) spiritual death, which is separation from God in time (Gen 2:16-17; 3:1-7; Rom 5:12; 1 Cor 15:22; Eph 2:1-2; Col 2:13-14), 2) physical death, which is the separation of the human spirit from the body (Gen 35:18; Eccl 12:7; 2 Cor 5:8; Phil 1:23-24; 2 Tim 4:6; Jam 2:26), and 3) the second death (aka eternal death), which is the perpetuation of physical and spiritual separation from God for all eternity (Rev 20:11-15). Spiritual and physical death were introduced into God's creation when the first human, Adam, sinned against God. God told Adam, “from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat from it you will surely die” (Gen 2:17). Adam's sin instantly brought spiritual death (Gen 2:15-17; 3:1-7), but not immediate physical death, as he tried to hide physically from God (Gen 3:8-10). Later, Adam died physically at the age of nine hundred and thirty (Gen 5:5). Though Adam was made spiritually alive again (Gen 3:21), his single sin introduced death, in every form, into the world (Rom 5:12-14; 1 Cor 15:21-22). Except for Christ, all are born in Adam (1 Cor 15:21-22), inherit his original sin (Rom 5:12), and are spiritually dead and separated from God in time (Eph 2:1-2). Those who reject Jesus as Savior will experience the second death in the lake of fire.      Because all humanity experiences spiritual and physical death as consequences of sin, it seems that if Jesus is to be our Savior, then He must experience the same kind of death that that we experience. Both physical and spiritual death relate to Jesus' humanity and not His deity. In His humanity, Jesus' fellowship with the Father was temporarily broken during the three hours He was being judged for our sin. This was while God the Father poured out His wrath upon His Son who paid the penalty for our sins. Jesus' spiritual death should not be understood to mean that there was a break in the essence of the Trinity, for that is not possible. In the hypostatic union, Jesus is undiminished deity and perfect humanity, and it was only His humanity that bore our sin, not His deity, for sin cannot be imputed to deity, for that would contaminate and corrupt God Himself. The writer to the Hebrews cites the words of God the Son as He was about to enter the world, saying, “Therefore, when He comes into the world [in hypostatic union], He says, ‘Sacrifice and offering You have not desired, but a body You have prepared for Me'” (Heb 10:5). Because animal sacrifices under the OT law code could never take away sin, a perfect and sinless body was prepared for Jesus, so that by His personal sacrifice, our sins could be atoned for. Peter tells us that Jesus “Himself bore our sins in His body on the cross” (1 Pet 2:24). Jesus' spiritual death meant His humanity was—for three hours—disconnected from the Father while He was on the cross bearing our sins. Geisler states, “Death is separation, and spiritual death is spiritual separation from God.”[7] W.E. Vine adds, “while the physical death of the Lord Jesus was of the essence of His sacrifice, it was not the whole. The darkness symbolized, and His cry expressed, the fact that He was left alone in the Universe, He was ‘forsaken.'”[8] According to Thieme, “Separated from God the Father, the humanity of Christ died spiritually, and this was the price paid to redeem fallen mankind from the penalty of sin (Rom 6:23a).”[9] Arnold Fruchtenbaum states, “The Righteous One suffered and died in place of unrighteous ones, in order to bring them to God. The Messiah died a violent physical death, and He also died a spiritual death.”[10] J. Dwight Pentecost states: "The penalty for disobedience to God was death (Gen 2:17). This death was the separation of the sinner from God—that is, spiritual death—and physical death was the result of prior spiritual death. Therefore if Jesus Christ was to satisfy the demands of God's holiness, righteousness, and justice to provide salvation for people who are dead, He would have to experience the same death that separated them from God. He must enter into spiritual death, as anticipated in the prophetic 22nd Psalm where the sufferer cried, “My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?” (Psa 22:1)…Since only that kind of separation or spiritual death could satisfy the demands of a holy, just God, Christ could not have been praying that He would be spared that which was essential."[11] Paul Karleen adds: "Jesus actually died twice. He was first forsaken by the Father during His time on the cross. This is described in Psa 22:1–21, especially v. 1, the cry of dereliction He quoted on the cross: “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” (Matt 27:46). This separation from the Father was spiritual death, experienced for others as He was “made” sin (2 Cor 5:21)…The father/son relation had been broken for a few hours as sin was being dealt with…That period of forsaking, involving spiritual death, was what actually paid for sins."[12]      Jesus' physical death occurred afterwards, when “He said, ‘It is finished!' And He bowed His head and gave up His spirit” (John 19:30). When Jesus died physically, there was a separation of His human spirit from His body. To prove He was physically dead, Scripture records that a Roman soldier “pierced His side with a spear, and immediately blood and water came out” (John 19:34). William Hendricksen notes: "In order to insure that not the slightest possibility would exist that any life had remained in the body of Jesus, one of the soldiers with his lance or spear pierces the side of Jesus. If the spear was held in the right hand, as is probable, it was in all likelihood the left side of Jesus that was pierced. Immediately there came out blood and water. John enlarges upon this fact, devoting no less than four verses to it. He must have had a purpose in doing so. It is altogether probable that he was trying to tell his readers that Christ, the Son of God, actually died (according to his human nature). The death of Jesus was not a mere semblance; it was real. The apostle had been there himself, and had seen the blood and the water flowing from the side of the Lord."[13]      There is great complexity and mystery in the suffering of Jesus on the cross. The complexity of the issue is that Jesus is fully God and man. Sin cannot be imputed to deity, as that would corrupt His divine nature. Yet, without corrupting His divine nature, Jesus somehow “bore our sins in His body on the cross” (1 Pet 2:24) and died in our place, “the just for the unjust, so that He might bring us to God” (1 Pet 3:18). Jesus died physically when “He bowed His head and gave up His spirit” (John 19:30). Our ability to reason these things takes us only so far, as our minds are woefully inadequate to grasp the infinitude of the matter. Here, faith must rest in what God has revealed through His written Word. Dr. Steven R. Cook   [1] Jesus' religious trials: 1) Annas (John 18:12-24), 2) Caiaphas (Matt 26:57-66), and 3) the Sanhedrin (Matt 27:1-2). Jesus' civil trials: 1) Pilate (John 18:28-40), 2) Herod Antipas (Luke 23:6-12), and 3) Pilate (Luke 23:11; John 19:1-16). [2] This CSB assumes John calculates events using Roman time (where the day begins after midnight) rather than Jewish time (where the day starts at sunrise). The ESV and NAU translate the Greek literally, “about the sixth hour,” whereas the NET and NIV translate it, “about noon.” If the sixth hour is calculated by Roman time, then it would be about 6:00 AM, and if calculated by Jewish time, it would be about 12:00 PM. This author favors the CSB translation. [3] After His death, Jesus was resurrected on the third day and appeared to numerous persons over a period of forty days (Matt 28:1-10; John 20:10-29; 1 Cor 15:5-7). Afterwards, Jesus ascended bodily into heaven (Acts 1:9-12). It is recorded that God the Father “raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly places” (Eph 1:20). [4] William Hendriksen and Simon J. Kistemaker, Exposition of the Gospel According to John, vol. 2, New Testament Commentary (Grand Rapids: Baker Book House, 1953–2001), 427. [5] Robert B. Thieme, Jr. “Cross and Crucifixion”,  Thieme's Bible Doctrine Dictionary, (Houston, TX., R. B. Thieme, Jr., Bible Ministries, 2022), 50. [6] Norman L. Geisler, Systematic Theology, Volume Four: Church, Last Things (Minneapolis, MN: Bethany House Publishers, 2005), 336–337. [7] Norman L. Geisler, Systematic Theology, Volume Three: Sin, Salvation (Minneapolis, MN: Bethany House Publishers, 2004), 126. [8] W. E. Vine, Merrill F. Unger, and William White Jr., Vine's Complete Expository Dictionary of Old and New Testament Words (Nashville, TN: T. Nelson, 1996), 149. [9] Robert B. Thieme, Jr. “Cross and Crucifixion”,  Thieme's Bible Doctrine Dictionary, (Houston, TX., R. B. Thieme, Jr., Bible Ministries, 2022), 50. [10] Arnold G. Fruchtenbaum, Israelology: The Missing Link in Systematic Theology, Rev. ed. (Tustin, CA: Ariel Ministries, 1994), 999. [11] J. Dwight Pentecost and Ken Durham, Faith That Endures: A Practical Commentary on the Book of Hebrews, Rev. ed. (Grand Rapids, MI: Kregel Publications, 2000), 96. [12] Paul S. Karleen, The Handbook to Bible Study: With a Guide to the Scofield Study System (New York: Oxford University Press, 1987), 264–265. [13] William Hendriksen and Simon J. Kistemaker, Exposition of the Gospel According to John, vol. 2, New Testament Commentary (Grand Rapids: Baker Book House, 1953–2001), 437.

Hosted by Mark PospisilSound Engineer and Producer: Jonathan BlosserThe Stream Roots Podcast theme song was written, recorded, and produced by Eric Fritts.You can learn more about Barnabas Ministries by visiting www.barnabasministriesmi.orgHere are some of the books we mentioned in this episode:Tactics by Greg KouklI Don't Have Enough Faith to Be an Atheist by Norman L. Geisler, Frank Turek, et al.

The Spirit's Regeneration, Indwelling, Baptizing, and Sealing Ministry At the moment of salvation, God the Holy Spirit performs several acts for new believers, which include regeneration (John 3:6; Tit 3:5; 1 Pet 1:3), indwelling (John 14:16-17; 1 Cor 3:16; 6:19), baptizing (1 Cor 12:13; Gal 3:27), and sealing (Eph 4:30). Regeneration The word regeneration itself occurs only twice in the Bible (Matt 19:28 and Tit 3:5). In both places the Greek word used is paliggenesia (παλιγγενεσία), which means, “the state of being renewed… [the] experience of a complete change of life, rebirth of a redeemed person.”[1] Regeneration means new believers receive spiritual life at the moment they trust in Christ alone as their Savior. Geisler states, “The new birth of which Jesus speaks is the act of regeneration, whereby God imparts spiritual life to the believer's soul (1 Peter 1:23).”[2] Paul Enns agrees, saying, “Succinctly stated, to regenerate means ‘to impart life.' Regeneration is the act whereby God imparts life to the one who believes.”[3] Ryrie notes: "Although the word regeneration is used only twice in the Bible (Titus 3:5, where it refers to the new birth, and Mt 19:28 where it refers to the millennial kingdom), the concept of being born again is found in other passages, notably John 3. Technically, it is God's act of begetting eternal life in the one who believes in Christ. While faith and regeneration are closely associated, the two ideas are distinct, faith being the human responsibility and the channel through which God's grace is received, and regeneration being God's supernatural act of imparting eternal life."[4] David Anderson adds: "The NT uses a number of different words and images to convey the doctrine of regeneration. The noun palingenesia is used just twice: Matthew 19:28 and Titus 3:5. In Matthew, Jesus is speaking of the regeneration which will occur at His second coming. He refers to setting up His kingdom, placing the twelve over the twelve tribes of Israel, and rewarding those who have sacrificed for His cause. But in Titus 3:5, we have a direct reference to the rebirth of the believer: “Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us, through the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit.”[5] To the concept of regeneration, the Greek words anothen (ἄνωθεν) and anagennao (ἀναγεννάω) can be added. Jesus, while speaking to Nicodemus, said, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again [anothen] he cannot see the kingdom of God” (John 3:3; cf., John 3:7). The word anothen (ἄνωθεν) generally means “from a source that is above.”[6] That is, from a heavenly source. (At least two English translations, NET & YLT, render the word “from above”). Because Nicodemus confused physical birth with spiritual birth (John 3:4), Jesus clarified His statement, saying, “That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit” (John 3:6). Jesus was talking about spiritual birth, or regeneration, which comes from the source of heaven. Peter used the Greek word anagennao (ἀναγεννάω) when he wrote about Christians who have been “born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead” (1 Pet 1:3), and who “have been born again not of seed which is perishable but imperishable, that is, through the living and enduring word of God” (1 Pet 1:23). The basic meaning of anagennao (ἀναγεννάω) is to “beget again, cause to be born again.”[7] In both instances the word denotes imparting new life. This work of the Spirit is directly related to the believer's salvation. According to Walvoord, “The work of regeneration can be assigned to the Holy Spirit as definitely as the work of salvation can be assigned to Christ.”[8]And the believer's new life is the basis for a new walk with the Lord. Ryrie notes, “Regeneration does not make a man perfect, but it places him in the family of God and gives him the new ability to please his Father by growing into the image of Christ. Fruit from the new nature is proof that regeneration has occurred (1 John 2:29).”[9] Lighter states: "The means by which regeneration is accomplished eliminates all human endeavor. Though personal faith in Christ as Savior is necessary, faith does not produce the new life; it does not regenerate. Only God regenerates. Human faith and divine regeneration occur at the same time, but the one is man's responsibility as he is enabled by the Holy Spirit, and the other is the work of God imparting the divine life."[10] Indwelling The indwelling ministry of the Holy Spirit for every believer was an innovation that was future from the time of Jesus' ministry on earth. Jesus said, “He who believes in Me, as the Scripture said, ‘From his innermost being will flow rivers of living water'” (John 7:38). And John tells us, “But this He spoke of the Spirit, whom those who believed in Him were to receive; for the Spirit was not yet given, because Jesus was not yet glorified” (John 7:39). The Spirit would begin His special ministry on the day of Pentecost, and it would involve His personal indwelling of every believer. Prior to His crucifixion, Jesus spoke of this, saying, “I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may be with you forever; that is the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it does not see Him or know Him, but you know Him because He abides with you and will be in you” (John 14:16-17). Notice that Spirit would not only be with them, would be in them. Merrill Tenney writes, “This distinction marks the difference between the Old Testament experience of the Holy Spirit and the post-Pentecostal experience of the church. The individual indwelling of the Spirit is the specific privilege of the Christian believer.”[11] This new indwelling ministry by God the Holy Spirit is different than His work in believers in the OT. Under the Mosaic Law, only a select few received the Holy Spirit (Ex 31:1-5; Num 11:25; 27:18; 1 Sam 16:13), and that was conditioned on His sovereign purposes. But now, in the dispensation of the church age, God the Holy Spirit would personally indwell both the local church (1 Cor 3:16-17), as well as each individual believer (1 Cor 6:19). Paul wrote to the Christians living in Corinth, saying, “Do you not know that you are a temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwells in you?” (1 Cor 3:16). Concerning the Spirit's indwelling the church in 1 Corinthians 3:16, Radmacher states: "There are two words translated temple in the NT. One refers to the temple building and all its courts; the other refers strictly to the Most Holy Place where no one but the high priest could go. Paul uses the latter term to describe the local church, in whom God dwells. Unlike 1 Corinthians 6:19, where the word temple refers to the individual believer, and Ephesians 2:21, where the word speaks of the church universal, these verses speak of the local church as God's temple. God takes very seriously our actions in the church. destroy: Any person who disrupts and destroys the church by divisions, malice, and other harmful acts invites God's discipline (1 Cor 11:30-32)."[12] Paul also describes the Spirit's indwelling each Christian in 1 Corinthians 6:19, where he wrote, “do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and that you are not your own?” According to Constable, “Previously Paul taught his readers that the Corinthian church was a temple (naos; 1 Cor 3:16). The believer's body is also a temple. The Holy Spirit is actually indwelling each of these temples (Rom 8:9; cf. Matt 12:6; 18:15–20; 28:16–20; Mark 13:11; John 14:17, 23).”[13] What we find in the church age is that all three Persons of the Godhead indwell every believer (John 14:16-17, 20, 23); however, the Holy Spirit has a special ministry which began on the day of Pentecost (Acts 1:4-5; 2:1-4; 11:15-16; 1 Cor 12:13; Gal 3:26-28), and will continue until the church is raptured to heaven (2 Th 2:7; cf. John 14:1-3; 1 Th 4:13-18; Tit 2:13). Chafer states: "The Spirit made His advent into the world here to abide throughout this dispensation. As Christ is now located at the right hand of the Father, though omnipresent, so the Spirit, though omnipresent, is now locally abiding in the world, in a temple, or habitation, of living stones (Eph 2:19-22). The individual believer is also spoken of as a temple of the Holy Spirit (1 Cor 6:19). The Spirit will not leave the world, or even one stone of that building until the age-long purpose of forming that temple is finished…The Spirit came on the Day of Pentecost and that aspect of the meaning of Pentecost will no more be repeated than the incarnation of Christ. There is no occasion to call the Spirit to “come,” for He is here."[14] Baptizing The subject of baptism has been, and continues to be, a subject of confusion. The word baptize is a transliteration of the Greek verb baptizo (βαπτίζω) which broadly means to “plunge, dip, [or] wash,”[15] and is often used “of the Christian sacrament of initiation after Jesus' death.”[16] The Greek noun baptisma (βάπτισμα) refers to the result of a dipping or immersing. In Classical Greek literature, the verb baptizo (βαπτίζω) “was used among the Greeks to signify the dyeing of a garment, or the drawing of water by dipping a vessel into another.”[17] The Greek poet Nicander (ca. 200 B.C.) used both bapto (βάπτω) and baptizo (βαπτίζω) when describing the process of making pickles. According to James Strong, “When used in the New Testament, this word more often refers to our union and identification with Christ than to our water baptism.”[18]  There are numerous baptisms mentioned in the Bible, some are wet and some are dry. John the Baptist said, “I baptize you with water” (Matt 3:11a), clearly making the baptism wet. But then, John the Baptist spoke of Jesus, saying, “He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire” (Matt 3:11b). These latter two baptisms are both dry, where no one gets placed into water. A few other baptisms mentioned in Scripture include the baptism of the cross (Mark 10:35-38; Luke 12:50), the baptism of Moses (1 Cor 10:1-2), and the baptism of Christians (Matt 28:16-20). For the Christian, water baptism is a picture of the believer's spiritual union and identification with Christ in His death, burial, and resurrection (Rom 6:3-7; Col 2:11-12). Water baptism does not save (1 Cor 1:17). It never has and never will. God saves at the moment believers place their faith solely in Jesus (John 3:16; 1 Cor 15:3-4). At the moment of faith in Christ, God the Holy Spirit unites new believers spiritually to Christ, adding them to the church, the body of Christ. Paul wrote, “For even as the body is one and yet has many members, and all the members of the body, though they are many, are one body, so also is Christ. For by one Spirit we were all baptized into one body, whether Jews or Greeks, whether slaves or free, and we were all made to drink of one Spirit” (1 Cor 12:12-13). Lewis Chafer states, “As a ground upon which the certainty of eternal security rests, the baptism of the Spirit should be recognized as that operation by which the individual believer is brought into organic union with Christ. By the Spirit's regeneration Christ is resident in the believer, and by the Spirit's baptism the believer is thus in Christ.”[19] Merrill F. Unger comments: "This momentous spiritual operation is set forth in the NT as the basis of all the believer's positions and possessions “in Christ” (Eph 1:3; Col 2:10; 3:1–4; etc.). The operation is prophetic in the gospels (Matt 3:11; Mark 1:8; Luke 3:16–17; John 1:33–34, where Christ is the baptizer), historic in the Acts (cf. Acts 1:5 with Acts 11:16), and doctrinal in the epistles (1 Cor 12:13, where the Spirit is named specifically as the agent; Rom 6:3–4; Gal 3:26–27; Col 2:9–12; Eph 4:5). The Spirit's baptizing work, placing the believer “in Christ,” occurred initially at Pentecost at the advent of the Spirit, who baptized believing Jews “into Christ.” In Acts 8, Samaritans were baptized in this way for the first time; in Acts 10, Gentiles likewise were so baptized, at which point the normal agency of the Spirit as baptizer was attained. According to the clear teaching of the epistles, every believer is baptized by the Spirit into Christ the moment he is regenerated. He is also simultaneously indwelt by the Spirit and sealed eternally, with the privilege of being filled with the Spirit, as the conditions for filling are met."[20] Sealing Several times Paul used the Greek verb sphragizo (σφραγίζω) when writing to Christians. Paul wrote of God “who also sealed us and gave us the Spirit in our hearts as a pledge” (2 Cor 1:22). To the Christians at Ephesus he wrote, “In Him, you also, after listening to the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation—having also believed, you were sealed in Him with the Holy Spirit of promise” (Eph 1:13), and “Do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption” (Eph 4:30). In each of these uses the verb sphragizo (σφραγίζω) means “to mark with a seal as a means of identification…so that the mark denoting ownership also carries with it the protection of the owner.”[21] Laney Jr., states, “In ancient times a seal was used as an identifying mark, indicating the rightful ownership of the object sealed. And so the sealing ministry of the Spirit marks believers as God's own possession, guaranteeing their security for eternity.”[22] Concerning Paul's use of sphragizo (σφραγίζω) in Ephesians 1:13, Harold Hoehner comments: "God seals the believers in Christ with the promised Holy Spirit when they have not only heard but also believed the gospel of salvation. The sealing with the Spirit must not be confused with the other ministries of the Spirit. The indwelling of the Spirit refers to his residence in every believer (Rom 8:9; 1 John 2:27). The baptizing ministry of the Spirit places believers into the body of Christ (1 Cor 12:13). The filling by the Spirit is the control of the Spirit over believers' lives (Eph 5:18). The sealing ministry of the Spirit is to identify believers as God's own and thus give them the security that they belong to him (Eph 1:13; 4:30; 2 Cor 1:22). The very fact that the Spirit indwells believers is a seal of God's ownership of them."[23] The Holy Spirit is Himself the seal that marks us as owned by God and guarantees our future redemption and glory (Eph 1:13-14; 4:30). These blessings are completely the work of the Holy Spirit for the benefit of Christians and occur at the moment believers trust Jesus as their Savior. These are facts based on objective statements in Scripture and are accepted by faith, not ever-changing subjective feelings. Though Christians can grieve and/or quench the Holy Spirit with personal sin (Eph 4:30; 1 Th 5:19), and though they may suffer divine discipline because of personal sin (Heb 12:5-11), they cannot grieve Him away. Joseph Dillow notes: "The ancient practice of using seals is behind the figurative use of the word here. A seal was a mark of protection and ownership. The Greek word sphragizō is used of a stone being fastened with a seal to “prevent its being moved from a position” (BDAG). In fact, this was apparently the earliest method of distinguishing one's property. The seal was engraved with a design or mark distinctive to the owner. The seal of ownership or protection was often made in soft wax with a signet ring. An impression was left on the wax signifying the owner of the thing sealed. When the Holy Spirit seals us, He presses the signet ring of our heavenly Father on our hearts of wax and leaves the mark of ownership. We belong to Him. He certifies this by His unchangeable purpose to protect and own us to the day of redemption. In Ephesians 1:13-14, we are told that the Holy Spirit Himself is the seal. He is impressed upon us, so to speak. His presence in our lives is thus a guarantee of God's protection and that we are owned by God. A broken seal was an indication that the person had not been protected. The Holy Spirit cannot be broken. He is the seal of ownership. In Ephesians 4:30, we are told that we are sealed unto the day of redemption. This sealing ministry of the Spirit is forever and guarantees that we will arrive safely for the redemption of our bodies and entrance into heaven (Romans 8:23). He is the seal that we are now owned and protected by God until the day of redemption."[24] Dr. Steven R. Cook     [1] William Arndt et al., A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament and Other Early Christian Literature, 752. [2] Norman L. Geisler, Systematic Theology, Volume Three: Sin, Salvation (Minneapolis, MN: Bethany House Publishers, 2004), 123. [3] Paul P. Enns, The Moody Handbook of Theology (Chicago, IL: Moody Press, 1989), 338. [4] Charles Caldwell Ryrie, A Survey of Bible Doctrine (Chicago: Moody Press, 1972). [5] David R. Anderson, Free Grace Soteriology, ed. James S. Reitman, Revised Edition. (Grace Theology Press, 2012), 235. [6] William Arndt et al., A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament and Other Early Christian Literature, 92. [7] Ibid., 59. [8] John F. Walvoord, The Holy Spirit, 131. [9] Charles Caldwell Ryrie, A Survey of Bible Doctrine (Chicago: Moody Press, 1972). [10] Robert P. Lightner, Handbook of Evangelical Theology: A Historical, Biblical, and Contemporary Survey and Review, 199. [11] Merrill C. Tenney, “John,” in The Expositor's Bible Commentary: John and Acts, ed. Frank E. Gaebelein, vol. 9, 147. [12] Earl D. Radmacher, Nelson's New Illustrated Bible Commentary, 1464–1465. [13] Tom Constable, Tom Constable's Expository Notes on the Bible (Galaxie Software, 2003), 1 Co 6:18. [14] Lewis S. Chafer, He that is Spiritual (Grand Rapids, Mich. Zondervan Publishing, 1967), 26. [15] William Arndt et al., A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament and Other Early Christian Literature, 164. [16] Ibid., 164. [17] W. E. Vine, Merrill F. Unger, and William White Jr., Vine's Complete Expository Dictionary of Old and New Testament Words (Nashville, TN: T. Nelson, 1996), 50. [18] James Strong, βάπτω bapto, Enhanced Strong's Lexicon (Woodside Bible Fellowship, 1995). [19] Lewis Sperry Chafer, Systematic Theology, vol. 3, 337. [20] Merrill F. Unger and R.K. Harrison, “Baptism of the Spirit,” The New Unger's Bible Dictionary (Chicago: Moody Press, 1988). [21] William Arndt et al., A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament and Other Early Christian Literature, 980. [22] Charles R. Swindoll and Roy B. Zuck, Understanding Christian Theology (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Publishers, 2003), 206. [23] Harold W. Hoehner, Ephesians: An Exegetical Commentary (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Academic, 2002), 240. [24] Joseph C. Dillow, Final Destiny: The Future Reign of the Servant Kings, 4th Edition (Houston, TX: Grace Theology Press, 2018).

     The Holy Spirit is God and He displays the characteristics of personhood. When referring to the Holy Spirit (John 16:13-14), Jesus used the demonstrative masculine pronoun “He” (ekeinos ἐκεῖνος), which indicates personhood. In addition, Scripture reveals the Holy Spirit can be lied to. In the book of Acts, the apostle Peter accused Ananias of lying “to the Holy Spirit” (Acts 5:3). In the very next verse Peter said, “You have not lied to men but to God” (Acts 5:4). One cannot lie to a force (such as electricity), but only to a person. Furthermore, the Holy Spirit can be grieved (Eph 4:30), quenched (1 Th 5:19), resisted (Acts 7:51), and blasphemed (Matt 12:31). These activities can be done only to a person. The Bible reveals the Holy Spirit was involved in the creation (Gen 1:2), brought about the birth of Jesus (Luke 1:35), guided the writers of Scripture (2 Sam 23:2; 2 Pet 1:21), convicts unbelievers of the sin of unbelief (John 16:8-11), regenerates believers at the moment of faith in Jesus (John 3:6; 6:63), baptizes them into union with Christ (1 Cor 12:13), indwells (John 14:16-17; 1 Cor 3:16; 6:19), seals (Eph 1:13; 4:30), gives spiritual gifts (1 Cor 12:7-11), glorifies Jesus (John 16:13-15), empowers (Eph 5:18), sustains the spiritual walk (Gal 5:16-18, 25), loves Christians (Rom 15:30), prays for them (Rom 8:26-27), comforts them (John 14:26), teaches and guides (John 14:26; 16:13-15), and makes Scripture understandable (1 Cor 2:11-13). According to Norman Geisler: "All the elements of personhood are attributed to the Holy Spirit in Scripture. He has a mind (John 14:26): “But the Counselor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you.” He has will (1 Cor 12:11): “All these are the work of one and the same spirit, and he gives them to each one, just as he determines”; and He has feeling (Eph 4:30): “And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, with whom you were sealed for the day of redemption.”[1]      Prior to the coming of God the Son into the world (John 1:1, 14), the Holy Spirit had been active in the lives of saints such as Artisans (Ex 31:1-5), Judges (Num 11:25-29; Judg 3:9-10), Prophets (Ezek 2:2), and Kings (1 Sam 10:6; 16:13). In the OT, the Spirit did not indwell every believer, and could be removed as an act of divine discipline (1 Sam 16:14-16; Psa 51:11). The loss of the Spirit in the life of an OT saint did not mean forfeiture of salvation; rather, it meant loss of empowerment to a task. This would be especially onerous to a king, like Saul (1 Sam 16:14-16), because it meant he would continue to serve as king, but would lack the divine enablement necessary to perform the work. Thus, the king would having nothing more to rely upon than his human resources, and this would prove woefully inadequate, considering the huge responsibility of leadership. Without the enabling power of God the Holy Spirit, the king would be vulnerable to great anxiety and eventual collapse. David feared this discipline when he'd sinned against the Lord (Psa 51:11).[2]      In the dispensation of the church age (starting in Acts 2), God the Holy Spirit plays a key role in the salvation of the lost. Though we are not given all the particulars, and there is some mystery as to the details of how He works, it is still clear from the NT that He has a special ministry related to the salvation of the lost, and apart from His work, none can be saved. The zealous evangelist who seeks to win to the souls of the lost may, from a heart of compassion, employ every passage of Scripture related to salvation along with every compelling line of good reason and yet, in the end, fail to bring one person to Christ. Chafer speaks to this as follows: "Every soul-winner becomes aware, sooner or later, of the fact that the vast company of unsaved people do not realize the seriousness of their lost estate; nor do they become alarmed even when the most direct warning and appeal is given to them. They may be normally intelligent and keen to comprehend any opportunity for personal advancement in material or intellectual things; yet there is over them a spell of indifference and neglect toward the things that would secure for them any right relation to God. All the provisions of grace with the present and future blessedness of the redeemed are listened to by these people without a reasonable response. They are, perhaps, sympathetic, warm-hearted and kind; they are full of tenderness toward all human suffering and need; but their sinfulness before God and their imperative need of a Savior are strangely neglected. They lie down to sleep without fear and awaken to a life that is free from thought or obligation toward God. The faithful minister soon learns, to his sorrow, that his most careful presentation of truth and earnest appeal produces no effect upon them, and the question naturally arises: “How, then, can these people be reached with the Gospel?”[3]   [1] Norman L. Geisler, Systematic Theology, Volume Two: God, Creation (Minneapolis, MN: Bethany House Publishers, 2003), 287–288. [2] The OT is basically silent concerning the role the Holy Spirit played in the salvation of OT saints; however, it is assumed He was active, albeit quietly in the background. [3] Lewis Sperry Chafer, True Evangelism (New York: Gospel Publishing House, 1911), 71–72.

Welcome to the Love Where You Are podcast! Just for stopping by, here is your FREE downloadable resource from Somer, "The 2023 Proverbs 31 Woman."  You can connect with Somer through her Facebook & Instagram! In this episode, she is joined with today's guest, Jason Jimenez.  Jason Jimenez is the founder of Stand Strong Ministries. He is a pastor, apologist, and national speaker who has ministered to families for over twenty years. He is the author of several books, including Abandoned Faith, Stand Strong America, Stand Strong in Your Faith with Alex McFarland, and The Bible's Answers to 100 of Life's Biggest Questions with Dr. Norman L. Geisler.  Jason's latest book is titled "Parenting Gen Z" and it is the topic of today's conversation!  Somer and Jason dive into what makes Gen Z unique, the challenges and hope for parents, some practical tools, and a reminder that we need each other because there is a ton of spiritual warfare.  Thank you for being here today. Now, let's dive into the conversation!  Love Where You Are is a part of the Christian Parenting Podcast Network. To find practical and spiritual advice to help you grow into the parent you want to be visit www.ChristianParenting.org

Welcome to the Love Where You Are podcast! Just for stopping by, here is your FREE downloadable resource from Somer, "The 2023 Proverbs 31 Woman."  You can connect with Somer through her Facebook & Instagram! In this episode, she is joined with today's guest, Jason Jimenez.  Jason Jimenez is the founder of Stand Strong Ministries. He is a pastor, apologist, and national speaker who has ministered to families for over twenty years. He is the author of several books, including Abandoned Faith, Stand Strong America, Stand Strong in Your Faith with Alex McFarland, and The Bible's Answers to 100 of Life's Biggest Questions with Dr. Norman L. Geisler.  Jason's latest book is titled "Parenting Gen Z" and it is the topic of today's conversation!  Somer and Jason dive into what makes Gen Z unique, the challenges and hope for parents, some practical tools, and a reminder that we need each other because there is a ton of spiritual warfare.  Thank you for being here today. Now, let's dive into the conversation!  Love Where You Are is a part of the Christian Parenting Podcast Network. To find practical and spiritual advice to help you grow into the parent you want to be visit www.ChristianParenting.org

Jesus' Return for His Saints      The eschatological subject of the Rapture of the church is briefly presented here under the study of Soteriology because it is regarded as a form of deliverance. When Messiah returns at the end of the church age, He will deliver His church from an evil world and a coming judgment that will last for seven years. A distinction is here drawn between Jesus coming for His saints at the Rapture, and Jesus coming with His saints at His Second Coming (Dan 7:13-14; Matt 19:28; 25:31; Rev 19:11-21). Jesus is now in heaven preparing a place for believers to be with Him there (John 14:1-3). Paul revealed Jesus will return for His church and that all Christians will be “caught up” to meet the Lord in the air (1 Th 4:13-18).      The doctrine of the Rapture was first presented by the Lord Jesus when He provided new information to His apostles on the night before His crucifixion. After speaking of His soon departure (John 13:33), Jesus comforted them, saying, “Let not your heart be troubled; believe in God, believe also in Me. In My Father's house are many dwelling places; if it were not so, I would have told you; for I go to prepare a place for you.  And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also” (John 14:1-3). The place where Jesus was going was heaven. The purpose of His going was to prepare a place for them. And, at some unspecified time, Jesus promised He would come again to receive them to Himself, that they may be with Him.      Paul described this as a time when “we shall all be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet; for the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we shall be changed.  For this perishable must put on the imperishable, and this mortal must put on immortality” (1 Cor 15:51-53). And, when writing to the church at Thessalonica, Paul  explained, “the dead in Christ shall rise first. Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and thus we shall always be with the Lord” (1 Th 4:16b-17). The meaning of caught up (ἁρπάζω) is “to grab or seize suddenly so as to remove or gain control, snatch/take away.”[1] John Walvoord states, “The important point is that the verse says Christ will come for believers and take them from the earth to heaven, where they will be in His presence till they return with Him to the earth to reign. The Rapture will mean that all believers ‘will be with the Lord forever,' enjoying Him and His presence for all eternity.”[2]      As Christians, we are “looking for the blessed hope and the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Christ Jesus” (Tit 2:13). This Rapture is immanent, meaning it may occur at any time and without prior notice. All Christians who are alive at the time of the Rapture will be caught up to meet the Lord in the air, will go with Him to heaven, and be saved from the wrath to be poured out during the seven-year Tribulation. Our future is not one of judgment; rather, we are assured we will be saved from God's future wrath, both in time and eternity (Rom 5:9; 1 Thess 1:10; 5:9; Rev 3:10). Jesus' Return with His Saints      When Jesus returns to the earth after the time of the seven year Tribulation, He will establish His kingdom on earth.[3] This is a time when humanity will be saved from the tyranny of Satan who currently rules over the earth.[4] At His Second Coming, it is written, “And the armies which are in heaven, clothed in fine linen, white and clean, were following Him on white horses” (Rev 19:14). Concerning this passage, Radmacher states, “The armies in heaven may be angelic hosts (Rev 5:11; Matt 26:53), but Revelation 17:14 speaks of those with the Lord at His coming as being ‘called, chosen, and faithful,' all terms for believers (Rom 1:7; Eph 1:1; 1 Pet 2:9).”[5] Wiersbe adds, “Certainly the angels are a part of this army (Matt 25:31; 2 Th 1:7); but so are the saints (1 Th 3:13; 2 Th 1:10).”[6] Norman Geisler states: "Before the Tribulation, Christ comes for His bride (1 Th 4:16–17; John 14:3); then, at the end of the Tribulation, He will return with all His saints. Jude wrote, “See, the Lord is coming with thousands upon thousands of his holy ones” (Jude 1:14; cf., Matt 24:29–31). He cannot come with them until He has first come for them; we have identified the time interval between these events as seven years."[7] Wayne House comments: "It is important to remember that when we say “the second coming” of Christ, we are not talking about the rapture that occurs prior to the second coming. The rapture is most clearly presented in 1 Thessalonians 4:13–18. It is characterized in the Bible as a “translation coming” (1 Cor 15:51–52; 1 Th 4:15–17) in which Christ comes for His church. The second advent is Christ returning with His saints, descending from heaven to establish His earthly kingdom (Zech 14:4–5; Matt 24:27–31)."[8]      At His Second Coming, Jesus will put down all rebellion, both human and satanic. The two main leaders of the world, the Antichrist and his false prophet, will be defeated and “thrown alive into the lake of fire which burns with brimstone” (Rev 19:20). Furthermore, those people who followed Antichrist “were killed with the sword which came from the mouth of Him who sat on the horse, and all the birds were filled with their flesh” (Rev 19:21). Afterwards, the Lord will send one of His angels to arrest and imprison Satan (Rev 20:1-3). John wrote about this angel, saying, “And he laid hold of the dragon, the serpent of old, who is the devil and Satan, and bound him for a thousand years; and he threw him into the abyss, and shut it and sealed it over him, so that he would not deceive the nations any longer” (Rev 20:2-3a). This will be a time of global deliverance from evil as Messiah reigns over all the earth in perfect righteousness.   Dr. Steven R. Cook   [1] William Arndt et al., A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament and Other Early Christian Literature (Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 2000), 134. [2] John Walvoord, eds. Charles R. Swindoll and Roy B. Zuck, Understanding Christian Theology (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Publishers, 2003), 1265. [3] The subject of Messiah's earthly kingdom is found throughout the OT (Dan 2:44; 7:13-14; 2 Sam 7:16; Psa 89:3-4, 34-37; Isa 9:6-7; Jer 23:5-6) and the NT (Matt 6:9-10; 19:28; 25:31; Luke 1:31-33; Rev 19:11-16; Rev 20:4-6). [4] Three times Jesus referred to Satan as “the ruler of this world” (John 12:31; 14:30; 16:11). Other passages of Scripture call Satan “the god of this world” (2 Cor 4:4), and “the prince of the power of the air” (Eph 2:2), informing us “that the whole world lies in the power of the evil one” (1 John 5:19). Satan rules as a tyrant who has “weakened the nations” (Isa 14:12), and currently “deceives the whole world” (Rev 12:9). Satan continues to attack God's people today (1 Pet 5:8), practices deception (2 Cor 11:13-15), and has well developed strategies of warfare (Eph 6:10-12). Furthermore, humanity is living in an “evil age” (Gal 1:4), under “the dominion of Satan” (Acts 26:18), whose sphere of influence is called “the domain of darkness” (Col 1:13). [5] Earl D. Radmacher, Ronald Barclay Allen, and H. Wayne House, Nelson's New Illustrated Bible Commentary (Nashville: T. Nelson Publishers, 1999), 1762. [6] Warren W. Wiersbe, The Bible Exposition Commentary, vol. 2 (Wheaton, IL: Victor Books, 1996), 618. [7] Norman L. Geisler, Systematic Theology, Volume Four: Church, Last Things (Minneapolis, MN: Bethany House Publishers, 2005), 618–619. [8] H. Wayne House and Timothy J. Demy, Answers to Common Questions about Jesus (Grand Rapids, MI: Kregel Publications, 2011), 75–76.

Podcast Home.https://thebibleproject.buzzsprout.comFor Feedback on Spanish Language Episode, please email me at;lifepodcast.publishing@gmail.comHelp me to continue to make and share great Biblical content everyday and download a free PDF version of this Book at | PatreonBibliography (Complete Book)i Dr Samuel Johnson (Rambler Texts Vol 2) 1750ii Absolute Morality Survey Banu Research 2001 (Revised 2011) Banuresearch.orgiii E Kant, Critique of Practical Reason – Introduction (1788) (christianclassicsetheriallibrary.org.)iv A. R. Damasio, How the brain creates the mind, (Scientific American Publishing 1999) P74-79 v Bertrand Russell, Introduction from Why I am not a Christian. at www.drew.edu.net viDavid Hume, The letters of David Hume, Vol 1 Ed J Y T Greig (Oxford Clarendon, 1932), P187. vii Augustine, Against the Epistle of Manichaeus, Chapter 1 (c397AD available on Wikipedia Commons). viiiCited in Erickson, Introducing Christian Doctrine, P138-139.ix Genesis Ch1: Vs31xJ.B. Phillips – Cited by Little – Know what you believe, P81.xiC. S. Lewis, The Abolition of Man (New York: Macmillan, 1947), P69.xii John Milton, Paradise Lost (Book I) Line 255xiiiC.S. Lewis “The problem of pain”. 1962 Fontana Edition P29xiv Mary Baker Eddy, Miscellaneous Writings (Christian Science Publishing Society, 1986) P27 xvEmily Cady, Lessons in truth (Kansas City, Unity School of Christianity, 1941) P35 xvi Emily Cay, Lessons in truth (Kansas City, Unity School of Christianity, 1941) P 35 xvii Matthew Chapter 6 Verse 13. xviii Shirley McClean, (It's all in the playing) Cited in the Critique Book Review Magazine by Douglas Groothuis P28 xix Gary Zukav, The Seat of the Soul (New York; Simon and Schuster, 1989) P4xx Athanasian Creed (Line 43) xxi Sigmund Freud, The Future of an Illusion (Hogart Press London 1927) xxiiC.S.Lewis, The problem of Pain (4th Edition (Fontana Books 1946) P120 xxiii Norman L Geisler, Baker Encyclopaedia of Christian Apologetics. (Grand Rapids 1999) P220xxiv Psalm 119 xxv Roman Chapter13: Verses 1-7 xxviProverbs Chapter 22:15 to 23:13xxvii Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God, Jonathan Edwards (Enfield Connecticut) July 8, 1741 xxviii Dietrich Bonhoeffer, Letter and Papers.xxix George Santayana (1905) Reason in Common Sense, volume 1 of The Life of Reason. xxx Josephus Antiquities' of the Jews Ch 8.63-64 c AD 37-100xxxi G W F Hegel, Lectures on the Philosophy of History. (Published Posthumously in 1837) xxxii K Marx, A Contribution to the Critique of Political Economy, 1859 xxxiii Kevin Hanhoover, This we believe, Grand Rapids Zondervan 2000. P64xxxiv Gary Habermas, The Historical Jesus, College Press Publishing Company 1996 Cited in Introduction. xxxv C.S. Lewis, Mere Christianity. Fontana 1962Support the showFurther Discipleship Training Courses Free at;linkedin.com/in/jeremy-mccandless-68353b16Podcast Archive also athttps://www.youtube.com/c/JeremyRMcCandlessThe LIFE Podcast - The Bible Project | FacebookMy Amazon Author Pageamazon.com/author/jeremymccandlessJeremy McCandless is creating podcasts and devotional resources | PatreonHelp us continue making great content for listeners everywhere.https://thebibleproject.buzzsprout.com

Podcast Home.https://thebibleproject.buzzsprout.comFor Feedback on Spanish Language Episode, please email me at;lifepodcast.publishing@gmail.comHelp me to continue to make and share great Biblical content everyday and download a free PDF version of this Book at | PatreonBibliography (Complete Book)i Dr Samuel Johnson (Rambler Texts Vol 2) 1750ii Absolute Morality Survey Banu Research 2001 (Revised 2011) Banuresearch.orgiii E Kant, Critique of Practical Reason – Introduction (1788) (christianclassicsetheriallibrary.org.)iv A. R. Damasio, How the brain creates the mind, (Scientific American Publishing 1999) P74-79 v Bertrand Russell, Introduction from Why I am not a Christian. at www.drew.edu.net viDavid Hume, The letters of David Hume, Vol 1 Ed J Y T Greig (Oxford Clarendon, 1932), P187. vii Augustine, Against the Epistle of Manichaeus, Chapter 1 (c397AD available on Wikipedia Commons). viiiCited in Erickson, Introducing Christian Doctrine, P138-139.ix Genesis Ch1: Vs31xJ.B. Phillips – Cited by Little – Know what you believe, P81.xiC. S. Lewis, The Abolition of Man (New York: Macmillan, 1947), P69.xii John Milton, Paradise Lost (Book I) Line 255xiiiC.S. Lewis “The problem of pain”. 1962 Fontana Edition P29xiv Mary Baker Eddy, Miscellaneous Writings (Christian Science Publishing Society, 1986) P27 xvEmily Cady, Lessons in truth (Kansas City, Unity School of Christianity, 1941) P35 xvi Emily Cay, Lessons in truth (Kansas City, Unity School of Christianity, 1941) P 35 xvii Matthew Chapter 6 Verse 13. xviii Shirley McClean, (It's all in the playing) Cited in the Critique Book Review Magazine by Douglas Groothuis P28 xix Gary Zukav, The Seat of the Soul (New York; Simon and Schuster, 1989) P4xx Athanasian Creed (Line 43) xxi Sigmund Freud, The Future of an Illusion (Hogart Press London 1927) xxiiC.S.Lewis, The problem of Pain (4th Edition (Fontana Books 1946) P120 xxiii Norman L Geisler, Baker Encyclopaedia of Christian Apologetics. (Grand Rapids 1999) P220xxiv Psalm 119 xxv Roman Chapter13: Verses 1-7 xxviProverbs Chapter 22:15 to 23:13xxvii Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God, Jonathan Edwards (Enfield Connecticut) July 8, 1741 xxviii Dietrich Bonhoeffer, Letter and Papers.xxix George Santayana (1905) Reason in Common Sense, volume 1 of The Life of Reason. xxx Josephus Antiquities' of the Jews Ch 8.63-64 c AD 37-100xxxi G W F Hegel, Lectures on the Philosophy of History. (Published Posthumously in 1837) xxxii K Marx, A Contribution to the Critique of Political Economy, 1859 xxxiii Kevin Hanhoover, This we believe, Grand Rapids Zondervan 2000. P64xxxiv Gary Habermas, The Historical Jesus, College Press Publishing Company 1996 Cited in Introduction. xxxv C.S. Lewis, Mere Christianity. Fontana 1962 Fifth Edition. P 102.xxxvi CS Lewis “The Abolition of Man”. www.columbia.edu/cu/Support the showFurther Discipleship Training Courses Free at;linkedin.com/in/jeremy-mccandless-68353b16Podcast Archive also athttps://www.youtube.com/c/JeremyRMcCandlessThe LIFE Podcast - The Bible Project | FacebookMy Amazon Author Pageamazon.com/author/jeremymccandlessJeremy McCandless is creating podcasts and devotional resources | PatreonHelp us continue making great content for listeners everywhere.https://thebibleproject.buzzsprout.com

Podcast Home.https://thebibleproject.buzzsprout.comFor Feedback on Spanish Language Episode, please email me at;lifepodcast.publishing@gmail.comHelp me to continue to make and share great Biblical content everyday and download a free PDF version of this Book at | PatreonBibliography (Complete Book)i Dr Samuel Johnson (Rambler Texts Vol 2) 1750ii Absolute Morality Survey Banu Research 2001 (Revised 2011) Banuresearch.orgiii E Kant, Critique of Practical Reason – Introduction (1788) (christianclassicsetheriallibrary.org.)iv A. R. Damasio, How the brain creates the mind, (Scientific American Publishing 1999) P74-79 v Bertrand Russell, Introduction from Why I am not a Christian. at www.drew.edu.net viDavid Hume, The letters of David Hume, Vol 1 Ed J Y T Greig (Oxford Clarendon, 1932), P187. vii Augustine, Against the Epistle of Manichaeus, Chapter 1 (c397AD available on Wikipedia Commons). viiiCited in Erickson, Introducing Christian Doctrine, P138-139.ix Genesis Ch1: Vs31xJ.B. Phillips – Cited by Little – Know what you believe, P81.xiC. S. Lewis, The Abolition of Man (New York: Macmillan, 1947), P69.xii John Milton, Paradise Lost (Book I) Line 255xiiiC.S. Lewis “The problem of pain”. 1962 Fontana Edition P29xiv Mary Baker Eddy, Miscellaneous Writings (Christian Science Publishing Society, 1986) P27 xvEmily Cady, Lessons in truth (Kansas City, Unity School of Christianity, 1941) P35 xvi Emily Cay, Lessons in truth (Kansas City, Unity School of Christianity, 1941) P 35 xvii Matthew Chapter 6 Verse 13. xviii Shirley McClean, (It's all in the playing) Cited in the Critique Book Review Magazine by Douglas Groothuis P28 xix Gary Zukav, The Seat of the Soul (New York; Simon and Schuster, 1989) P4xx Athanasian Creed (Line 43) xxi Sigmund Freud, The Future of an Illusion (Hogart Press London 1927) xxiiC.S.Lewis, The problem of Pain (4th Edition (Fontana Books 1946) P120 xxiii Norman L Geisler, Baker Encyclopaedia of Christian Apologetics. (Grand Rapids 1999) P220xxiv Psalm 119 xxv Roman Chapter13: Verses 1-7 xxviProverbs Chapter 22:15 to 23:13xxvii Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God, Jonathan Edwards (Enfield Connecticut) July 8, 1741 xxviii Dietrich Bonhoeffer, Letter and Papers.xxix George Santayana (1905) Reason in Common Sense, volume 1 of The Life of Reason. xxx Josephus Antiquities' of the Jews Ch 8.63-64 c AD 37-100xxxi G W F Hegel, Lectures on the Philosophy of History. (Published Posthumously in 1837) xxxii K Marx, A Contribution to the Critique of Political Economy, 1859 xxxiii Kevin Hanhoover, This we believe, Grand Rapids Zondervan 2000. P64xxxiv Gary Habermas, The Historical Jesus, College Press Publishing Company 1996 Cited in Introduction. xxxv C.S. Lewis, Mere Christianity. Fontana 1962 Fifth Edition. P 102.xxxvi CS Lewis “The Abolition of Man”. www.columbia.edu/cu/Support the showFurther Discipleship Training Courses Free at;linkedin.com/in/jeremy-mccandless-68353b16Podcast Archive also athttps://www.youtube.com/c/JeremyRMcCandlessThe LIFE Podcast - The Bible Project | FacebookMy Amazon Author Pageamazon.com/author/jeremymccandlessJeremy McCandless is creating podcasts and devotional resources | PatreonHelp us continue making great content for listeners everywhere.https://thebibleproject.buzzsprout.com

Podcast Home.https://thebibleproject.buzzsprout.comFor Feedback on Spanish Language Episode, please email me at;lifepodcast.publishing@gmail.comHelp me to continue to make and share great Biblical content everyday and download a free PDF version of this Book at | PatreonBibliography (Complete Book)i Dr Samuel Johnson (Rambler Texts Vol 2) 1750ii Absolute Morality Survey Banu Research 2001 (Revised 2011) Banuresearch.orgiii E Kant, Critique of Practical Reason – Introduction (1788) (christianclassicsetheriallibrary.org.)iv A. R. Damasio, How the brain creates the mind, (Scientific American Publishing 1999) P74-79 v Bertrand Russell, Introduction from Why I am not a Christian. at www.drew.edu.net viDavid Hume, The letters of David Hume, Vol 1 Ed J Y T Greig (Oxford Clarendon, 1932), P187. vii Augustine, Against the Epistle of Manichaeus, Chapter 1 (c397AD available on Wikipedia Commons). viiiCited in Erickson, Introducing Christian Doctrine, P138-139.ix Genesis Ch1: Vs31xJ.B. Phillips – Cited by Little – Know what you believe, P81.xiC. S. Lewis, The Abolition of Man (New York: Macmillan, 1947), P69.xii John Milton, Paradise Lost (Book I) Line 255xiiiC.S. Lewis “The problem of pain”. 1962 Fontana Edition P29xiv Mary Baker Eddy, Miscellaneous Writings (Christian Science Publishing Society, 1986) P27 xvEmily Cady, Lessons in truth (Kansas City, Unity School of Christianity, 1941) P35 xvi Emily Cay, Lessons in truth (Kansas City, Unity School of Christianity, 1941) P 35 xvii Matthew Chapter 6 Verse 13. xviii Shirley McClean, (It's all in the playing) Cited in the Critique Book Review Magazine by Douglas Groothuis P28 xix Gary Zukav, The Seat of the Soul (New York; Simon and Schuster, 1989) P4xx Athanasian Creed (Line 43) xxi Sigmund Freud, The Future of an Illusion (Hogart Press London 1927) xxiiC.S.Lewis, The problem of Pain (4th Edition (Fontana Books 1946) P120 xxiii Norman L Geisler, Baker Encyclopaedia of Christian Apologetics. (Grand Rapids 1999) P220xxiv Psalm 119 xxv Roman Chapter13: Verses 1-7 xxviProverbs Chapter 22:15 to 23:13xxvii Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God, Jonathan Edwards (Enfield Connecticut) July 8, 1741 xxviii Dietrich Bonhoeffer, Letter and Papers.xxix George Santayana (1905) Reason in Common Sense, volume 1 of The Life of Reason. xxx Josephus Antiquities' of the Jews Ch 8.63-64 c AD 37-100xxxi G W F Hegel, Lectures on the Philosophy of History. (Published Posthumously in 1837) xxxii K Marx, A Contribution to the Critique of Political Economy, 1859 xxxiii Kevin Hanhoover, This we believe, Grand Rapids Zondervan 2000. P64xxxiv Gary Habermas, The Historical Jesus, College Press Publishing Company 1996 Cited in Introduction. xxxv C.S. Lewis, Mere Christianity. Fontana 1962 Fifth Edition. P 102.xxxvi CS Lewis “The Abolition of Man”. www.columbia.edu/cu/Support the showFurther Discipleship Training Courses Free at;linkedin.com/in/jeremy-mccandless-68353b16Podcast Archive also athttps://www.youtube.com/c/JeremyRMcCandlessThe LIFE Podcast - The Bible Project | FacebookMy Amazon Author Pageamazon.com/author/jeremymccandlessJeremy McCandless is creating podcasts and devotional resources | PatreonHelp us continue making great content for listeners everywhere.https://thebibleproject.buzzsprout.com

Introduction to Soteriology      Soteriology is the study of salvation. The word soteriology is derived from the Greek words soter, which means savior, and logos, which means a word about, or the study of something. The word salvation is used throughout the Bible of physical deliverance as well as spiritual deliverance. It means one is saved from a real harm or danger, and rescued to a safe place. Salvation in all forms is necessary because of our weakness and inability to help ourselves in a dangerous situation. According to Lewis S. Chafer, “With respect to the meaning of the word salvation, the Old and New Testaments are much alike. The word communicates the thought of deliverance, safety, preservation, soundness, restoration, and healing; but though so wide a range of human experience is expressed by the word salvation, its specific, major use is to denote a work of God in behalf of man.”[1] And McChesney adds: "In the OT the term refers to various forms of deliverance, both temporal and spiritual. God delivers His people from their enemies and from the snares of the wicked (see Psa 37:40; 59:2; 106:4). He also saves by granting forgiveness of sins, answers to prayer, joy, and peace (Psa 79:9; 69:13; 51:12)…In the NT salvation is regarded almost exclusively as from the power and dominion of sin. And of this Jesus Christ is the author (see Matt 1:21; Acts 4:12; Heb 2:10; 5:9)."[2]      The most notable act of salvation in the OT was Yahweh's deliverance of Israel from the Egyptian army that was marching against them. Moses told his people, “Do not fear! Stand by and see the salvation of the LORD which He will accomplish for you today” (Ex 14:13). The salvation was entirely of the Lord, as Moses said, “The LORD will fight for you while you keep silent” (Ex 14:14). This was a physical deliverance from a military attack. In the NT, we observe Peter being delivered from a physical drowning when he cried out to Jesus, saying, “Lord, save me!” (Matt 14:30). As Peter was sinking into the water, he was not asking for forgiveness of sins and the gift of eternal life. He was asking to be delivered from physical drowning. We're told “Jesus stretched out His hand and took hold of him” (Matt 14:31) and brought him safely into the boat. Thus, Peter was physically saved from harm.      As Christians, when we think of salvation, it most often pertains to our spiritual deliverance from the lake of fire in which we are eternally separated from God, to which all humanity is destined unless we turn to Christ and are rescued. John tells us, “if anyone's name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire” (Rev 20:15). Spiritual salvation is the most important kind of salvation mentioned in the Bible, for it matters little if one is rescued a thousand times from physical danger, but ultimately fails to receive deliverance from the danger of hell. God loves everyone and is “not wishing for any to perish but for all to come to repentance” (2 Pet 3:9). And He has made a way for lost sinners to be saved from hell and brought to heaven, and this through His Son, Jesus, for “there is salvation in no one else; for there is no other name under heaven that has been given among men by which we must be saved” (Acts 4:12). Charles Ryrie notes: "The Bible indicates at least three reasons that God wanted to save sinners. (1) This was the greatest and most concrete demonstration of the love of God. His good gifts in nature and through His providential care (great as they are) do not hold a candle to the gift of His Son to be our Savior. John 3:16 reminds us that His love was shown in His gift, and Romans 5:8 says that God proved conclusively that He loved us by the death of Christ. (2) Salvation also gives God a display of His grace throughout all eternity (Eph 2:7). Each saved person will be a special trophy of God's grace forever. Only redeemed human beings can provide this display. (3) God also wanted a people who would do good works in this life and thus give the world a glimpse, albeit imperfect, of God who is good (Eph 2:10). Without the salvation Christ provided, these things would not be possible."[3]      God's love for lost humanity is what motivated Him to act. Scripture reveals, “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life” (John 3:16). And, “By this the love of God was manifested in us, that God has sent His only begotten Son into the world so that we might live through Him. In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins” (1 John 4:9-10). And, “God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us” (Rom 5:8). Chafer states, “The greatest of all motives which actuates God in the exercise of His saving grace is the satisfying of His own infinite love for those ruined by sin. In this may be seen the truth that the salvation of a soul means infinitely more to God than it could ever mean to the one who is saved.”[4]      God saves us because we are lost in sin and helpless to save ourselves. If we could save ourselves, then the death of Christ would have been unnecessary. But we cannot save ourselves, as our sin renders us helpless before God. According to Norman Geisler, “Sin is the precondition for salvation; salvation isn't necessary unless there are sinners in need of being saved. As to the origin of salvation, there is universal agreement among orthodox theologians: God is the author of our salvation, for whereas human sin originated with human beings on earth, salvation originated with God in heaven.”[5] A weak understanding of God's work in salvation will produce a weak gospel, one that tends to emphasize human good and man's ability to save himself, or to participate in that salvation. When we understand the total depravity of all mankind, and that we are totally lost and unable to save ourselves, only then does the work of God through Christ come into its full glory, and love and grace become so pronounced, that lost sinners realize their utterly helpless condition, and turn to Christ alone for that salvation which cannot be secured by any other means. According to Robert Lightner, “The Bible is explicit about the condition of all who have not been born again. They are lost (Luke 19:10), condemned (John 3:18), under God's wrath (John 3:36), dead in trespasses and sin (Eph 2:1), having no hope, and without God in the world (Eph 2:12), and unrighteous (Rom 1:19-32).”[6]      The price of our salvation was very costly to God. It cost Him His Son, Who came into the world and took upon Himself humanity (Matt 1:1, 18; Luke 1:26-38; John 1:1, 14), lived a sinless life (2 Cor 5:21; Heb 4:15; 1 Pet 2:22; 1 John 3:5), willingly went to the cross and bore our sin (Isa 53:4-11; John 10:17-18; 1 Pet 2:24), was buried and raised again on the third day (Luke 24:46; 1 Cor 15:3-4), never to die again (Rom 6:9). Jesus paid our sin debt in full (Rom 6:10; Heb 9:28; 10:12, 14), and now salvation is offered as a free gift to all who will accept it by faith alone in Christ alone. Lightner states, “Salvation is the most wonderful gift in all the world. To be saved, or born again, is to be translated from the kingdom of darkness into the kingdom of God's dear Son (Col 1:13). It is to be made acceptable before God. His salvation is complete and without cost to the sinner. The total price has been paid. The work is finished!”[7]Those who have trusted Christ as Savior are “justified as a gift by His grace through the redemption which is in Christ Jesus” (Rom 3:24).      It's important to understand that Christ died for only one kind of person: the lost sinner who stands condemned before a holy and righteous God. If we don't see ourselves from the divine perspective, as lost and in need of a Savior, then Christ and His work on the cross will be rejected. The cross is God's righteous solution to the problem of sin, as well as His greatest display of love toward sinners. At the cross, God judged our sin as His righteousness required, and pardons the sinner as His love desires. To understand the cross of Christ is to understand the heart of God toward a fallen world He wants to save.   [1] Lewis Sperry Chafer, Systematic Theology, vol. 3 (Grand Rapids, MI: Kregel Publications, 1993), 5. [2] E. McChesney, “Salvation,” ed. Merrill F. Unger and R.K. Harrison, The New Unger's Bible Dictionary (Chicago: Moody Press, 1988), 1114. [3] Charles Caldwell Ryrie, Basic Theology: A Popular Systematic Guide to Understanding Biblical Truth (Chicago, IL: Moody Press, 1999), 318–320. [4] Lewis Sperry Chafer, Systematic Theology, vol. 3, 7. [5] Norman L. Geisler, Systematic Theology, Volume Three: Sin, Salvation (Minneapolis, MN: Bethany House Publishers, 2004), 181. [6] Robert P. Lightner, Handbook of Evangelical Theology: A Historical, Biblical, and Contemporary Survey and Review (Grand Rapids, MI: Kregel Publications, 1995), 188. [7] Ibid., 185.

Podcast Home.https://thebibleproject.buzzsprout.comFor Feedback on Spanish Language Episode, please email me at;lifepodcast.publishing@gmail.comHelp me to continue to make and share great Biblical content everyday and download a free PDF version of this Book at | PatreonBibliography (Complete Book)i Dr Samuel Johnson (Rambler Texts Vol 2) 1750ii Absolute Morality Survey Banu Research 2001 (Revised 2011) Banuresearch.orgiii E Kant, Critique of Practical Reason – Introduction (1788) (christianclassicsetheriallibrary.org.)iv A. R. Damasio, How the brain creates the mind, (Scientific American Publishing 1999) P74-79 v Bertrand Russell, Introduction from Why I am not a Christian. at www.drew.edu.net viDavid Hume, The letters of David Hume, Vol 1 Ed J Y T Greig (Oxford Clarendon, 1932), P187. vii Augustine, Against the Epistle of Manichaeus, Chapter 1 (c397AD available on Wikipedia Commons). viiiCited in Erickson, Introducing Christian Doctrine, P138-139.ix Genesis Ch1: Vs31xJ.B. Phillips – Cited by Little – Know what you believe, P81.xiC. S. Lewis, The Abolition of Man (New York: Macmillan, 1947), P69.xii John Milton, Paradise Lost (Book I) Line 255xiiiC.S. Lewis “The problem of pain”. 1962 Fontana Edition P29xiv Mary Baker Eddy, Miscellaneous Writings (Christian Science Publishing Society, 1986) P27 xvEmily Cady, Lessons in truth (Kansas City, Unity School of Christianity, 1941) P35 xvi Emily Cay, Lessons in truth (Kansas City, Unity School of Christianity, 1941) P 35 xvii Matthew Chapter 6 Verse 13. xviii Shirley McClean, (It's all in the playing) Cited in the Critique Book Review Magazine by Douglas Groothuis P28 xix Gary Zukav, The Seat of the Soul (New York; Simon and Schuster, 1989) P4xx Athanasian Creed (Line 43) xxi Sigmund Freud, The Future of an Illusion (Hogart Press London 1927) xxiiC.S.Lewis, The problem of Pain (4th Edition (Fontana Books 1946) P120 xxiii Norman L Geisler, Baker Encyclopaedia of Christian Apologetics. (Grand Rapids 1999) P220xxiv Psalm 119 xxv Roman Chapter13: Verses 1-7 xxviProverbs Chapter 22:15 to 23:13xxvii Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God, Jonathan Edwards (Enfield Connecticut) July 8, 1741 xxviii Dietrich Bonhoeffer, Letter and Papers.xxix George Santayana (1905) Reason in Common Sense, volume 1 of The Life of Reason. xxx Josephus Antiquities' of the Jews Ch 8.63-64 c AD 37-100xxxi G W F Hegel, Lectures on the Philosophy of History. (Published Posthumously in 1837) xxxii K Marx, A Contribution to the Critique of Political Economy, 1859 xxxiii Kevin Hanhoover, This we believe, Grand Rapids Zondervan 2000. P64xxxiv Gary Habermas, The Historical Jesus, College Press Publishing Company 1996 Cited in Introduction. xxxv C.S. Lewis, Mere Christianity. Fontana 1962 Fifth Edition. P 102.xxxvi CS Lewis “The Abolition of Man”. www.columbia.edu/cu/Support the showFurther Discipleship Training Courses Free at;linkedin.com/in/jeremy-mccandless-68353b16Podcast Archive also athttps://www.youtube.com/c/JeremyRMcCandlessThe LIFE Podcast - The Bible Project | FacebookMy Amazon Author Pageamazon.com/author/jeremymccandlessJeremy McCandless is creating podcasts and devotional resources | PatreonHelp us continue making great content for listeners everywhere.https://thebibleproject.buzzsprout.com

Podcast Home.https://thebibleproject.buzzsprout.comFor Feedback on Spanish Language Episode, please email me at;lifepodcast.publishing@gmail.comHelp me to continue to make and share great Biblical content everyday and download a free PDF version of this Book at | PatreonBibliography (Complete Book)i Dr Samuel Johnson (Rambler Texts Vol 2) 1750ii Absolute Morality Survey Banu Research 2001 (Revised 2011) Banuresearch.orgiii E Kant, Critique of Practical Reason – Introduction (1788) (christianclassicsetheriallibrary.org.)iv A. R. Damasio, How the brain creates the mind, (Scientific American Publishing 1999) P74-79 v Bertrand Russell, Introduction from Why I am not a Christian. at www.drew.edu.net viDavid Hume, The letters of David Hume, Vol 1 Ed J Y T Greig (Oxford Clarendon, 1932), P187. vii Augustine, Against the Epistle of Manichaeus, Chapter 1 (c397AD available on Wikipedia Commons). viiiCited in Erickson, Introducing Christian Doctrine, P138-139.ix Genesis Ch1: Vs31xJ.B. Phillips – Cited by Little – Know what you believe, P81.xiC. S. Lewis, The Abolition of Man (New York: Macmillan, 1947), P69.xii John Milton, Paradise Lost (Book I) Line 255xiiiC.S. Lewis “The problem of pain”. 1962 Fontana Edition P29xiv Mary Baker Eddy, Miscellaneous Writings (Christian Science Publishing Society, 1986) P27 xvEmily Cady, Lessons in truth (Kansas City, Unity School of Christianity, 1941) P35 xvi Emily Cay, Lessons in truth (Kansas City, Unity School of Christianity, 1941) P 35 xvii Matthew Chapter 6 Verse 13. xviii Shirley McClean, (It's all in the playing) Cited in the Critique Book Review Magazine by Douglas Groothuis P28 xix Gary Zukav, The Seat of the Soul (New York; Simon and Schuster, 1989) P4xx Athanasian Creed (Line 43) xxi Sigmund Freud, The Future of an Illusion (Hogart Press London 1927) xxiiC.S.Lewis, The problem of Pain (4th Edition (Fontana Books 1946) P120 xxiii Norman L Geisler, Baker Encyclopaedia of Christian Apologetics. (Grand Rapids 1999) P220xxiv Psalm 119 xxv Roman Chapter13: Verses 1-7 xxviProverbs Chapter 22:15 to 23:13xxvii Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God, Jonathan Edwards (Enfield Connecticut) July 8, 1741 xxviii Dietrich Bonhoeffer, Letter and Papers.xxix George Santayana (1905) Reason in Common Sense, volume 1 of The Life of Reason. xxx Josephus Antiquities' of the Jews Ch 8.63-64 c AD 37-100xxxi G W F Hegel, Lectures on the Philosophy of History. (Published Posthumously in 1837) xxxii K Marx, A Contribution to the Critique of Political Economy, 1859 xxxiii Kevin Hanhoover, This we believe, Grand Rapids Zondervan 2000. P64xxxiv Gary Habermas, The Historical Jesus, College Press Publishing Company 1996 Cited in Introduction. xxxv C.S. Lewis, Mere Christianity. Fontana 1962 Fifth Edition. P 102.xxxvi CS Lewis “The Abolition of Man”. www.columbia.edu/cu/Support the showFurther Discipleship Training Courses Free at;linkedin.com/in/jeremy-mccandless-68353b16Podcast Archive also athttps://www.youtube.com/c/JeremyRMcCandlessThe LIFE Podcast - The Bible Project | FacebookMy Amazon Author Pageamazon.com/author/jeremymccandlessJeremy McCandless is creating podcasts and devotional resources | PatreonHelp us continue making great content for listeners everywhere.https://thebibleproject.buzzsprout.com

Podcast Home.https://thebibleproject.buzzsprout.comFor Feedback on Spanish Language Episode, please email me at;lifepodcast.publishing@gmail.comHelp me to continue to make and share great Biblical content everyday and download a free PDF version of this Book at | PatreonBibliography (Complete Book)i Dr Samuel Johnson (Rambler Texts Vol 2) 1750ii Absolute Morality Survey Banu Research 2001 (Revised 2011) Banuresearch.orgiii E Kant, Critique of Practical Reason – Introduction (1788) (christianclassicsetheriallibrary.org.)iv A. R. Damasio, How the brain creates the mind, (Scientific American Publishing 1999) P74-79 v Bertrand Russell, Introduction from Why I am not a Christian. at www.drew.edu.net viDavid Hume, The letters of David Hume, Vol 1 Ed J Y T Greig (Oxford Clarendon, 1932), P187. vii Augustine, Against the Epistle of Manichaeus, Chapter 1 (c397AD available on Wikipedia Commons). viiiCited in Erickson, Introducing Christian Doctrine, P138-139.ix Genesis Ch1: Vs31xJ.B. Phillips – Cited by Little – Know what you believe, P81.xiC. S. Lewis, The Abolition of Man (New York: Macmillan, 1947), P69.xii John Milton, Paradise Lost (Book I) Line 255xiiiC.S. Lewis “The problem of pain”. 1962 Fontana Edition P29xiv Mary Baker Eddy, Miscellaneous Writings (Christian Science Publishing Society, 1986) P27 xvEmily Cady, Lessons in truth (Kansas City, Unity School of Christianity, 1941) P35 xvi Emily Cay, Lessons in truth (Kansas City, Unity School of Christianity, 1941) P 35 xvii Matthew Chapter 6 Verse 13. xviii Shirley McClean, (It's all in the playing) Cited in the Critique Book Review Magazine by Douglas Groothuis P28 xix Gary Zukav, The Seat of the Soul (New York; Simon and Schuster, 1989) P4xx Athanasian Creed (Line 43) xxi Sigmund Freud, The Future of an Illusion (Hogart Press London 1927) xxiiC.S.Lewis, The problem of Pain (4th Edition (Fontana Books 1946) P120 xxiii Norman L Geisler, Baker Encyclopaedia of Christian Apologetics. (Grand Rapids 1999) P220xxiv Psalm 119 xxv Roman Chapter13: Verses 1-7 xxviProverbs Chapter 22:15 to 23:13xxvii Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God, Jonathan Edwards (Enfield Connecticut) July 8, 1741 xxviii Dietrich Bonhoeffer, Letter and Papers.xxix George Santayana (1905) Reason in Common Sense, volume 1 of The Life of Reason. xxx Josephus Antiquities' of the Jews Ch 8.63-64 c AD 37-100xxxi G W F Hegel, Lectures on the Philosophy of History. (Published Posthumously in 1837) xxxii K Marx, A Contribution to the Critique of Political Economy, 1859 xxxiii Kevin Hanhoover, This we believe, Grand Rapids Zondervan 2000. P64xxxiv Gary Habermas, The Historical Jesus, College Press Publishing Company 1996 Cited in Introduction. xxxv C.S. Lewis, Mere Christianity. Fontana 1962 Fifth Edition. P 102.xxxvi CS Lewis “The Abolition of Man”. www.columbia.edu/cu/Support the showFurther Discipleship Training Courses Free at;linkedin.com/in/jeremy-mccandless-68353b16Podcast Archive also athttps://www.youtube.com/c/JeremyRMcCandlessThe LIFE Podcast - The Bible Project | FacebookMy Amazon Author Pageamazon.com/author/jeremymccandlessJeremy McCandless is creating podcasts and devotional resources | PatreonHelp us continue making great content for listeners everywhere.https://thebibleproject.buzzsprout.com

Podcast Home.https://thebibleproject.buzzsprout.comHelp me to continue to make and share great Biblical content everyday and download a free PDF version of this Book at | PatreonBibliography (Complete Book)i Dr Samuel Johnson (Rambler Texts Vol 2) 1750ii Absolute Morality Survey Banu Research 2001 (Revised 2011) Banuresearch.orgiii E Kant, Critique of Practical Reason – Introduction (1788) (christianclassicsetheriallibrary.org.)iv A. R. Damasio, How the brain creates the mind, (Scientific American Publishing 1999) P74-79 v Bertrand Russell, Introduction from Why I am not a Christian. at www.drew.edu.net viDavid Hume, The letters of David Hume, Vol 1 Ed J Y T Greig (Oxford Clarendon, 1932), P187. vii Augustine, Against the Epistle of Manichaeus, Chapter 1 (c397AD available on Wikipedia Commons). viiiCited in Erickson, Introducing Christian Doctrine, P138-139.ix Genesis Ch1: Vs31xJ.B. Phillips – Cited by Little – Know what you believe, P81.xiC. S. Lewis, The Abolition of Man (New York: Macmillan, 1947), P69.xii John Milton, Paradise Lost (Book I) Line 255xiiiC.S. Lewis “The problem of pain”. 1962 Fontana Edition P29xiv Mary Baker Eddy, Miscellaneous Writings (Christian Science Publishing Society, 1986) P27 xvEmily Cady, Lessons in truth (Kansas City, Unity School of Christianity, 1941) P35 xvi Emily Cay, Lessons in truth (Kansas City, Unity School of Christianity, 1941) P 35 xvii Matthew Chapter 6 Verse 13. xviii Shirley McClean, (It's all in the playing) Cited in the Critique Book Review Magazine by Douglas Groothuis P28 xix Gary Zukav, The Seat of the Soul (New York; Simon and Schuster, 1989) P4xx Athanasian Creed (Line 43) xxi Sigmund Freud, The Future of an Illusion (Hogart Press London 1927) xxiiC.S.Lewis, The problem of Pain (4th Edition (Fontana Books 1946) P120 xxiii Norman L Geisler, Baker Encyclopaedia of Christian Apologetics. (Grand Rapids 1999) P220xxiv Psalm 119 xxv Roman Chapter13: Verses 1-7 xxviProverbs Chapter 22:15 to 23:13xxvii Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God, Jonathan Edwards (Enfield Connecticut) July 8, 1741 xxviii Dietrich Bonhoeffer, Letter and Papers.xxix George Santayana (1905) Reason in Common Sense, volume 1 of The Life of Reason. xxx Josephus Antiquities' of the Jews Ch 8.63-64 c AD 37-100xxxi G W F Hegel, Lectures on the Philosophy of History. (Published Posthumously in 1837) xxxii K Marx, A Contribution to the Critique of Political Economy, 1859 xxxiii Kevin Hanhoover, This we believe, Grand Rapids Zondervan 2000. P64xxxiv Gary Habermas, The Historical Jesus, College Press Publishing Company 1996 Cited in Introduction. xxxv C.S. Lewis, Mere Christianity. Fontana 1962 Fifth Edition. P 102.xxxvi CS Lewis “The Abolition of Man”. www.columbia.edu/cu/augustine/arch/lewis/abolition1.htm#1xxxvii George Will, www.azquotes.com/author/15665-George_WillxxxviiiSupport the showFurther Discipleship Training Courses Free at;linkedin.com/in/jeremy-mccandless-68353b16Podcast Archive also athttps://www.youtube.com/c/JeremyRMcCandlessThe LIFE Podcast - The Bible Project | FacebookMy Amazon Author Pageamazon.com/author/jeremymccandlessJeremy McCandless is creating podcasts and devotional resources | PatreonHelp us continue making great content for listeners everywhere.https://thebibleproject.buzzsprout.com

Podcast Home.https://thebibleproject.buzzsprout.comHelp me to continue to make and share great Biblical content everyday and download a free PDF version of this Book at | PatreonBibliography (Complete Book)i Dr Samuel Johnson (Rambler Texts Vol 2) 1750ii Absolute Morality Survey Banu Research 2001 (Revised 2011) Banuresearch.orgiii E Kant, Critique of Practical Reason – Introduction (1788) (christianclassicsetheriallibrary.org.)iv A. R. Damasio, How the brain creates the mind, (Scientific American Publishing 1999) P74-79 v Bertrand Russell, Introduction from Why I am not a Christian. at www.drew.edu.net viDavid Hume, The letters of David Hume, Vol 1 Ed J Y T Greig (Oxford Clarendon, 1932), P187. vii Augustine, Against the Epistle of Manichaeus, Chapter 1 (c397AD available on Wikipedia Commons). viiiCited in Erickson, Introducing Christian Doctrine, P138-139.ix Genesis Ch1: Vs31xJ.B. Phillips – Cited by Little – Know what you believe, P81.xiC. S. Lewis, The Abolition of Man (New York: Macmillan, 1947), P69.xii John Milton, Paradise Lost (Book I) Line 255xiiiC.S. Lewis “The problem of pain”. 1962 Fontana Edition P29xiv Mary Baker Eddy, Miscellaneous Writings (Christian Science Publishing Society, 1986) P27 xvEmily Cady, Lessons in truth (Kansas City, Unity School of Christianity, 1941) P35 xvi Emily Cay, Lessons in truth (Kansas City, Unity School of Christianity, 1941) P 35 xvii Matthew Chapter 6 Verse 13. xviii Shirley McClean, (It's all in the playing) Cited in the Critique Book Review Magazine by Douglas Groothuis P28 xix Gary Zukav, The Seat of the Soul (New York; Simon and Schuster, 1989) P4xx Athanasian Creed (Line 43) xxi Sigmund Freud, The Future of an Illusion (Hogart Press London 1927) xxiiC.S.Lewis, The problem of Pain (4th Edition (Fontana Books 1946) P120 xxiii Norman L Geisler, Baker Encyclopaedia of Christian Apologetics. (Grand Rapids 1999) P220xxiv Psalm 119 xxv Roman Chapter13: Verses 1-7 xxviProverbs Chapter 22:15 to 23:13xxvii Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God, Jonathan Edwards (Enfield Connecticut) July 8, 1741 xxviii Dietrich Bonhoeffer, Letter and Papers.xxix George Santayana (1905) Reason in Common Sense, volume 1 of The Life of Reason. xxx Josephus Antiquities' of the Jews Ch 8.63-64 c AD 37-100xxxi G W F Hegel, Lectures on the Philosophy of History. (Published Posthumously in 1837) xxxii K Marx, A Contribution to the Critique of Political Economy, 1859 xxxiii Kevin Hanhoover, This we believe, Grand Rapids Zondervan 2000. P64xxxiv Gary Habermas, The Historical Jesus, College Press Publishing Company 1996 Cited in Introduction. xxxv C.S. Lewis, Mere Christianity. Fontana 1962 Fifth Edition. P 102.xxxvi CS Lewis “The Abolition of Man”. www.columbia.edu/cu/augustine/arch/lewis/abolition1.htm#1xxxvii George Will, www.azquotes.com/author/15665-George_WillxxxviiiSupport the showFurther Discipleship Training Courses Free at;linkedin.com/in/jeremy-mccandless-68353b16Podcast Archive also athttps://www.youtube.com/c/JeremyRMcCandlessThe LIFE Podcast - The Bible Project | FacebookMy Amazon Author Pageamazon.com/author/jeremymccandlessJeremy McCandless is creating podcasts and devotional resources | PatreonHelp us continue making great content for listeners everywhere.https://thebibleproject.buzzsprout.com

Podcast Home.https://thebibleproject.buzzsprout.comHelp me to continue to make and share great Biblical content everyday and download my latest free Book at | PatreonYou can also support my podcast athttps://www.buymeacoffee.com/JRMcCandlessBibliography (Complete Book)i Dr Samuel Johnson (Rambler Texts Vol 2) 1750ii Absolute Morality Survey Banu Research 2001 (Revised 2011) Banuresearch.orgiii E Kant, Critique of Practical Reason – Introduction (1788) (christianclassicsetheriallibrary.org.)iv A. R. Damasio, How the brain creates the mind, (Scientific American Publishing 1999) P74-79 v Bertrand Russell, Introduction from Why I am not a Christian. at www.drew.edu.net viDavid Hume, The letters of David Hume, Vol 1 Ed J Y T Greig (Oxford Clarendon, 1932), P187. vii Augustine, Against the Epistle of Manichaeus, Chapter 1 (c397AD available on Wikipedia Commons). viiiCited in Erickson, Introducing Christian Doctrine, P138-139.ix Genesis Ch1: Vs31xJ.B. Phillips – Cited by Little – Know what you believe, P81.xiC. S. Lewis, The Abolition of Man (New York: Macmillan, 1947), P69.xii John Milton, Paradise Lost (Book I) Line 255xiiiC.S. Lewis “The problem of pain”. 1962 Fontana Edition P29xiv Mary Baker Eddy, Miscellaneous Writings (Christian Science Publishing Society, 1986) P27 xvEmily Cady, Lessons in truth (Kansas City, Unity School of Christianity, 1941) P35 xvi Emily Cay, Lessons in truth (Kansas City, Unity School of Christianity, 1941) P 35 xvii Matthew Chapter 6 Verse 13. xviii Shirley McClean, (It's all in the playing) Cited in the Critique Book Review Magazine by Douglas Groothuis P28 xix Gary Zukav, The Seat of the Soul (New York; Simon and Schuster, 1989) P4xx Athanasian Creed (Line 43) xxi Sigmund Freud, The Future of an Illusion (Hogart Press London 1927) xxiiC.S.Lewis, The problem of Pain (4th Edition (Fontana Books 1946) P120 xxiii Norman L Geisler, Baker Encyclopaedia of Christian Apologetics. (Grand Rapids 1999) P220xxiv Psalm 119 xxv Roman Chapter13: Verses 1-7 xxviProverbs Chapter 22:15 to 23:13xxvii Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God, Jonathan Edwards (Enfield Connecticut) July 8, 1741 xxviii Dietrich Bonhoeffer, Letter and Papers.xxix George Santayana (1905) Reason in Common Sense, volume 1 of The Life of Reason. xxx Josephus Antiquities' of the Jews Ch 8.63-64 c AD 37-100xxxi G W F Hegel, Lectures on the Philosophy of History. (Published Posthumously in 1837) xxxii K Marx, A Contribution to the Critique of Political Economy, 1859 xxxiii Kevin Hanhoover, This we believe, Grand Rapids Zondervan 2000. P64xxxiv Gary Habermas, The Historical Jesus, College Press Publishing Company 1996 Cited in Introduction. xxxv C.S. Lewis, Mere Christianity. Fontana 1962 Fifth Edition. P 102.xxxvi CS Lewis “The Abolition of Man”. www.columbia.edu/cu/augustine/archSupport the showFurther Discipleship Training Courses Free at;linkedin.com/in/jeremy-mccandless-68353b16Podcast Archive also athttps://www.youtube.com/c/JeremyRMcCandlessThe LIFE Podcast - The Bible Project | FacebookMy Amazon Author Pageamazon.com/author/jeremymccandlessJeremy McCandless is creating podcasts and devotional resources | PatreonHelp us continue making great content for listeners everywhere.https://thebibleproject.buzzsprout.com

Podcast Home.https://thebibleproject.buzzsprout.comHelp me to continue to make and share great Biblical content everyday and download my latest free Book at | PatreonYou can also support my podcast athttps://www.buymeacoffee.com/JRMcCandlessBibliography (Complete Book)i Dr Samuel Johnson (Rambler Texts Vol 2) 1750ii Absolute Morality Survey Banu Research 2001 (Revised 2011) Banuresearch.orgiii E Kant, Critique of Practical Reason – Introduction (1788) (christianclassicsetheriallibrary.org.)iv A. R. Damasio, How the brain creates the mind, (Scientific American Publishing 1999) P74-79 v Bertrand Russell, Introduction from Why I am not a Christian. at www.drew.edu.net viDavid Hume, The letters of David Hume, Vol 1 Ed J Y T Greig (Oxford Clarendon, 1932), P187. vii Augustine, Against the Epistle of Manichaeus, Chapter 1 (c397AD available on Wikipedia Commons). viiiCited in Erickson, Introducing Christian Doctrine, P138-139.ix Genesis Ch1: Vs31xJ.B. Phillips – Cited by Little – Know what you believe, P81.xiC. S. Lewis, The Abolition of Man (New York: Macmillan, 1947), P69.xii John Milton, Paradise Lost (Book I) Line 255xiiiC.S. Lewis “The problem of pain”. 1962 Fontana Edition P29xiv Mary Baker Eddy, Miscellaneous Writings (Christian Science Publishing Society, 1986) P27 xvEmily Cady, Lessons in truth (Kansas City, Unity School of Christianity, 1941) P35 xvi Emily Cay, Lessons in truth (Kansas City, Unity School of Christianity, 1941) P 35 xvii Matthew Chapter 6 Verse 13. xviii Shirley McClean, (It's all in the playing) Cited in the Critique Book Review Magazine by Douglas Groothuis P28 xix Gary Zukav, The Seat of the Soul (New York; Simon and Schuster, 1989) P4xx Athanasian Creed (Line 43) xxi Sigmund Freud, The Future of an Illusion (Hogart Press London 1927) xxiiC.S.Lewis, The problem of Pain (4th Edition (Fontana Books 1946) P120 xxiii Norman L Geisler, Baker Encyclopaedia of Christian Apologetics. (Grand Rapids 1999) P220xxiv Psalm 119 xxv Roman Chapter13: Verses 1-7 xxviProverbs Chapter 22:15 to 23:13xxvii Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God, Jonathan Edwards (Enfield Connecticut) July 8, 1741 xxviii Dietrich Bonhoeffer, Letter and Papers.xxix George Santayana (1905) Reason in Common Sense, volume 1 of The Life of Reason. xxx Josephus Antiquities' of the Jews Ch 8.63-64 c AD 37-100xxxi G W F Hegel, Lectures on the Philosophy of History. (Published Posthumously in 1837) xxxii K Marx, A Contribution to the Critique of Political Economy, 1859 xxxiii Kevin Hanhoover, This we believe, Grand Rapids Zondervan 2000. P64xxxiv Gary Habermas, The Historical Jesus, College Press Publishing Company 1996 Cited in Introduction. xxxv C.S. Lewis, Mere Christianity. Fontana 1962 Fifth Edition. P 102.xxxvi CS Lewis “The Abolition of Man”. www.columbia.edu/cu/augustine/arch/lewis/abolition1.htm#1xxxvii George Will, www.azquotes.com/author/15665-George_WiFurther Discipleship Training Courses Free at;linkedin.com/in/jeremy-mccandless-68353b16Podcast Archive also athttps://www.youtube.com/c/JeremyRMcCandlessThe LIFE Podcast - The Bible Project | FacebookMy Amazon Author Pageamazon.com/author/jeremymccandlessJeremy McCandless is creating podcasts and devotional resources | PatreonHelp us continue making great content for listeners everywhere.https://thebibleproject.buzzsprout.com

Podcast Home.https://thebibleproject.buzzsprout.comHelp me to continue to make and share great Biblical content everyday and download my latest free Book at | PatreonYou can also support my podcast athttps://www.buymeacoffee.com/JRMcCandlessBibliography (Complete Book).i Dr Samuel Johnson (Rambler Texts Vol 2) 1750ii Absolute Morality Survey Banu Research 2001 (Revised 2011) Banuresearch.orgiii E Kant, Critique of Practical Reason – Introduction (1788) (christianclassicsetheriallibrary.org.)iv A. R. Damasio, How the brain creates the mind, (Scientific American Publishing 1999) P74-79 v Bertrand Russell, Introduction from Why I am not a Christian. at www.drew.edu.net viDavid Hume, The letters of David Hume, Vol 1 Ed J Y T Greig (Oxford Clarendon, 1932), P187. vii Augustine, Against the Epistle of Manichaeus, Chapter 1 (c397AD available on Wikipedia Commons). viiiCited in Erickson, Introducing Christian Doctrine, P138-139.ix Genesis Ch1: Vs31xJ.B. Phillips – Cited by Little – Know what you believe, P81.xiC. S. Lewis, The Abolition of Man (New York: Macmillan, 1947), P69.xii John Milton, Paradise Lost (Book I) Line 255xiiiC.S. Lewis “The problem of pain”. 1962 Fontana Edition P29xiv Mary Baker Eddy, Miscellaneous Writings (Christian Science Publishing Society, 1986) P27 xvEmily Cady, Lessons in truth (Kansas City, Unity School of Christianity, 1941) P35 xvi Emily Cay, Lessons in truth (Kansas City, Unity School of Christianity, 1941) P 35 xvii Matthew Chapter 6 Verse 13. xviii Shirley McClean, (It's all in the playing) Cited in the Critique Book Review Magazine by Douglas Groothuis P28 xix Gary Zukav, The Seat of the Soul (New York; Simon and Schuster, 1989) P4xx Athanasian Creed (Line 43) xxi Sigmund Freud, The Future of an Illusion (Hogart Press London 1927) xxiiC.S.Lewis, The problem of Pain (4th Edition (Fontana Books 1946) P120 xxiii Norman L Geisler, Baker Encyclopaedia of Christian Apologetics. (Grand Rapids 1999) P220xxiv Psalm 119 xxv Roman Chapter13: Verses 1-7 xxviProverbs Chapter 22:15 to 23:13xxvii Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God, Jonathan Edwards (Enfield Connecticut) July 8, 1741 xxviii Dietrich Bonhoeffer, Letter and Papers.xxix George Santayana (1905) Reason in Common Sense, volume 1 of The Life of Reason. xxx Josephus Antiquities' of the Jews Ch 8.63-64 c AD 37-100xxxi G W F Hegel, Lectures on the Philosophy of History. (Published Posthumously in 1837) xxxii K Marx, A Contribution to the Critique of Political Economy, 1859 xxxiii Kevin Hanhoover, This we believe, Grand Rapids Zondervan 2000. P64xxxiv Gary Habermas, The Historical Jesus, College Press Publishing Company 1996 Cited in Introduction. xxxv C.S. Lewis, Mere Christianity. Fontana 1962 Fifth Edition. P 102.xxxvi CS Lewis “The Abolition of Man”. www.columbia.edu/cu/augustine/arch/lewis/abolition1.htm#1xxxvii George Will, www.azquotes.com/author/15665-George_WFurther Discipleship Training Courses Free at;linkedin.com/in/jeremy-mccandless-68353b16Podcast Archive also athttps://www.youtube.com/c/JeremyRMcCandlessThe LIFE Podcast - The Bible Project | FacebookMy Amazon Author Pageamazon.com/author/jeremymccandlessJeremy McCandless is creating podcasts and devotional resources | PatreonHelp us continue making great content for listeners everywhere.https://thebibleproject.buzzsprout.com

Podcast Home.https://thebibleproject.buzzsprout.comHelp me to continue to make and share great Biblical content everyday and download my latest free Book at | PatreonYou can also support my podcast athttps://www.buymeacoffee.com/JRMcCandlessBibliography (Complete Book).i Dr Samuel Johnson (Rambler Texts Vol 2) 1750ii Absolute Morality Survey Banu Research 2001 (Revised 2011) Banuresearch.orgiii E Kant, Critique of Practical Reason – Introduction (1788) (christianclassicsetheriallibrary.org.)iv A. R. Damasio, How the brain creates the mind, (Scientific American Publishing 1999) P74-79 v Bertrand Russell, Introduction from Why I am not a Christian. at www.drew.edu.net viDavid Hume, The letters of David Hume, Vol 1 Ed J Y T Greig (Oxford Clarendon, 1932), P187. vii Augustine, Against the Epistle of Manichaeus, Chapter 1 (c397AD available on Wikipedia Commons). viiiCited in Erickson, Introducing Christian Doctrine, P138-139.ix Genesis Ch1: Vs31xJ.B. Phillips – Cited by Little – Know what you believe, P81.xiC. S. Lewis, The Abolition of Man (New York: Macmillan, 1947), P69.xii John Milton, Paradise Lost (Book I) Line 255xiiiC.S. Lewis “The problem of pain”. 1962 Fontana Edition P29xiv Mary Baker Eddy, Miscellaneous Writings (Christian Science Publishing Society, 1986) P27 xvEmily Cady, Lessons in truth (Kansas City, Unity School of Christianity, 1941) P35 xvi Emily Cay, Lessons in truth (Kansas City, Unity School of Christianity, 1941) P 35 xvii Matthew Chapter 6 Verse 13. xviii Shirley McClean, (It's all in the playing) Cited in the Critique Book Review Magazine by Douglas Groothuis P28 xix Gary Zukav, The Seat of the Soul (New York; Simon and Schuster, 1989) P4xx Athanasian Creed (Line 43) xxi Sigmund Freud, The Future of an Illusion (Hogart Press London 1927) xxiiC.S.Lewis, The problem of Pain (4th Edition (Fontana Books 1946) P120 xxiii Norman L Geisler, Baker Encyclopaedia of Christian Apologetics. (Grand Rapids 1999) P220xxiv Psalm 119 xxv Roman Chapter13: Verses 1-7 xxviProverbs Chapter 22:15 to 23:13xxvii Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God, Jonathan Edwards (Enfield Connecticut) July 8, 1741 xxviii Dietrich Bonhoeffer, Letter and Papers.xxix George Santayana (1905) Reason in Common Sense, volume 1 of The Life of Reason. xxx Josephus Antiquities' of the Jews Ch 8.63-64 c AD 37-100xxxi G W F Hegel, Lectures on the Philosophy of History. (Published Posthumously in 1837) xxxii K Marx, A Contribution to the Critique of Political Economy, 1859 xxxiii Kevin Hanhoover, This we believe, Grand Rapids Zondervan 2000. P64xxxiv Gary Habermas, The Historical Jesus, College Press Publishing Company 1996 Cited in Introduction. xxxv C.S. Lewis, Mere Christianity. Fontana 1962 Fifth Edition. P 102.xxxvi CS Lewis “The Abolition of Man”. www.columbia.edu/cu/augustine/arch/lewis/abolition1.htm#1xxxvii George Will, www.azquotes.com/author/15665-George_WFurther Discipleship Training Courses Free at;linkedin.com/in/jeremy-mccandless-68353b16Podcast Archive also athttps://www.youtube.com/c/JeremyRMcCandlessThe LIFE Podcast - The Bible Project | FacebookMy Amazon Author Pageamazon.com/author/jeremymccandlessJeremy McCandless is creating podcasts and devotional resources | PatreonHelp us continue making great content for listeners everywhere.https://thebibleproject.buzzsprout.com

Hello everyone! Welcome to The ITfactor Show! Are you excited for another Q&A episode?  Joining me today is my partner in life, Jake Havron, and we are going to answer some popular questions we receive on our DM's. We'll be sharing some really cool tips and strategies you can use right now to build your brand, lead with influence, and elevate your content strategy. We promise it will be a fun and insightful episode – jam-packed with great content and guaranteed to help you go from good to great, climb over those massive roadblocks, overcome your fears, and take action. Let's dive in!  In this episode, you will learn: The power of questions How to build your personal brand How has your vision evolved over the years? Really good spiritual podcasts and books Health and fitness tips to become more lean.  Simple tips to remember everything you want to say when speaking Why you should have a signature keynote How to overcome nervousness when speaking in front of people Books The Everyday Life Bible by Joyce Meyer | https://joycemeyer.org/featuredresources/everydaylifebible  I Don't Have Enough FAITH to Be an ATHEIST by Norman L. Geisler and Frank Turek | https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/i-dont-have-enough-faith-to-be-an-atheist/id1297439270  The Energy Bus: 10 Rules to Fuel Your Life, Work, and Team with Positive Energy by Jon Gordon | https://a.co/d/buvvVJx Podcasts Joyce Meyer Enjoying Everyday Life® Podcast |  https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/joyce-meyer-enjoying-everyday-life-tv-audio-podcast/id152564324  Conversations with John & Lisa Bevere Podcast  | https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/conversations-with-john-lisa-bevere/id218453800  I Don't Have Enough FAITH to Be an ATHEIST Podcast | https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/i-dont-have-enough-faith-to-be-an-atheist/id1297439270 The ITfactor Show - Danielle Robay | https://www.itsemily.com/podcast/danielle-robay/  The ITfactor Show - Are You a Morning Lark or a Night Owl? | https://www.itsemily.com/podcast/are-you-a-morning-lark-or-a-night-owl/  The ITfactor Show - How to Theme Your Days for Peak Performance | https://www.itsemily.com/podcast/theme-your-days/  ITfactor Mentorship Request Mentorship |  https://itfactormentorship.com Connect with Jake On Website |  http://www.jakehavron.com On Podcast | https://www.jakehavron.com/podcast/ On Instagram | https://www.instagram.com/jakehavron/ On YouTube | https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCxG3bKqLK_M_HZpOgiVrtng  Connect with Emily On Website | https://www.itsemily.com/ On Instagram | https://www.instagram.com/itsemily/ On Facebook | https://www.facebook.com/itsemilymethod On Twitter | https://www.twitter.com/itsemilyford On YouTube | https://www.youtube.com/c/ITSEMILYFORD  

Colossians 3:14And above all these put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony.Angie discusses how relationships are held together when we put on love.https://livesteadyon.com/Email Angie at: steadyonpodcast@gmail.comFacebook @livesteadyonInstagram @angiebaughman421Grab freebies and subscribe to the weekly Steady On newsletter at: https://livesteadyon.com/live-steady-on-newsletter/You can download a blank study sheet here:https://livesteadyon.com/sbs-blank-study-sheet/Interested in the Step By Step Bible study method? Download the FREE masterclass here: https://livesteadyon.com/live-steady-on-stepbystepmasterclass/Logos Softwarehttps://www.logos.com/Enduring Word Commentaryhttps://enduringword.com/WordHippohttps://www.wordhippo.com/BibleGatewayhttps://www.biblegateway.com/Blue Letter Biblehttps://www.blueletterbible.org/Brian Simmons, trans., The Passion Translation (BroadStreet Publishing, 2017), Col.Norman L. Geisler, “Colossians,” in The Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures, ed. J. F. Walvoord and R. B. Zuck, vol. 2 (Wheaton, IL: Victor Books, 1985),Gottfried Fitzer, “Σύνδεσμος,” ed. Gerhard Kittel, Geoffrey W. Bromiley, and Gerhard Friedrich, Theological Dictionary of the New Testament (Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans, 1964–), John M. G. Barclay, Colossians and Philemon (London;  New York: T&T Clark, 2001)The New International Version (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2011), 1 Co 13:4–7.Theme musicHeartwarming by Kevin MacLeodLink: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/3864-heartwarmingLicense: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

“The Gospels can't be trusted! The supposed accounts of Jesus's life were written hundreds of years after the events they describe.” How would you respond to this objection? That's what we're talking about today. Today we're going to answer the following questions: Why Is It Inconsistent For A Skeptic To Make Historical Objections? How Does The Bible Give The Categories Needed For Historical Objections? How Do We Know The Gospels Were Written Early? ---- Your one gift can make a powerful impact. When you give, Christian laymen get more than an inspiring episode to listen to or an educational resource. You empower them to build a legacy, where they and their families will be able to confidently articulate the answers to the questions the world is asking, from the Bible, and to see Jesus change lives as they share their faith. Your one gift helps them take the next step in “taking every thought captive.” Our goal is to raise $6,000 by the end of 2022—and a generous donor has committed to match all donations up to $3000! If you give before the end of the year, the impact of your gift will be doubled! Please help us! Donate at https://thethink.institute/partner ---- Recommended Resources For Further Research: Joel Settecase, “Should We ‘Waste Our Time' Preparing To Defend Our Faith?” https://coldcasechristianity.com/writings/should-we-waste-our-time-preparing-to-defend-our-faith/. J. Warner Wallace, “Why I Know The Gospels Were Written Early (Downloadable Bible Insert), at https://coldcasechristianity.com/writings/why-i-know-the-gospels-were-written-early-free-bible-insert Norman Geisler, “The Dating of the New Testament,” BeThinking.org. 'The Baker Encyclopedia of Christian Apologetics' by Norman L. Geisler (pp. 37-41) C.J. Hemer, The Book of Acts in the Setting of Hellenistic History. Music Credits: Synthwave Intro 10 by TaigaSoundProd Link: https://filmmusic.io/song/8736-synthwave-intro-10 License: https://filmmusic.io/standard-license --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/worldviewlegacy/message

Many years ago, I was astounded by what my preschool child said. No, this is not a story of a precocious child uttering a statement beyond his years. Nor is it the story of an innocent, but humorous, conversation. I was astounded because I caught my son in a lie. So began my learning curve as a parent. I had to learn the signs that my children were truthful, or not. Have you been there? We face a similar problem when we come to the bible. What are the signs it is true? How do we know Matthew, Mark, Luke and John didn't exaggerate or fabricate things in their accounts? Thankfully, there are multiple signs showing they told the truth. Several are listed in the book I Don't Have Enough Faith to be an Atheist. Here are three: First, the writers include embarrassing details from their lives. For example, they show they were too dull to understand Jesus. They include times Jesus rebuked them. And they tell of their own cowardice.Second, they included embarrassing details about Jesus. His mother and brothers thought him crazy. He was called a drunkard and demon-possessed. In addition, a prostitute wiped his feet with her hair. Imagine a politician today found in a similar setting!Third, their accounts vary in details. They don't all include the same things. This matches what you'd expect from eyewitnesses.* These signs and others show the writers of the New Testament told the truth. *Norman L. Geisler, Frank Turek, I Don't Have Enough Faith to Be an Atheist, Crossway Books, Wheaton, IL, 2004, pp. 275-286.         How to leave a review: https://www.sparkingfaith.com/rate-and-review/ Visit Elmer Fuller's author website at: https://www.elmerfuller.com/ Bumper music “Landing Place” performed by Mark July, used under license from Shutterstock.

What are the odds that the universe came into existence? Today we will be exploring the fine-tuning argument to see if it makes sense or not! Subscribe if you enjoy what you hear!My InformationInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/l.t._world/Twitter: https://twitter.com/LTWorld123Website: https://ltworld.info/Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCjZL...Sources:https://www.foxweather.com/learn/what-happens-when-someone-is-struck-by-lightninghttps://www.weather.gov/safety/lightning-survivorhttps://www.powerball.net/biggest-winners#:~:text=The%20table%20below%20shows%20the%20biggest%20Powerball%20jackpots,Power%20P%20...%20%206%20more%20rows%20https://www.powerball.ca/news/your-odds-of-winning-the-powerball-jackpothttps://plato.stanford.edu/entries/fine-tuning/https://home.olemiss.edu/~namanson/Fine%20tuning%20argument.pdfMore Than A Carpenter by Josh and Sean McDowellJesus Among Secular Gods by Ravi Zacharias and Vince VitaleI Don't Have Enough Faith to be An Atheist by Frank Turek and Norman L. Geisler

Does the Big Bang prove God's existence? Philosophers for years, for centuries even, have debated about the origins of the universe and its implications. However, what does it prove in the God debate? Explore the question with me today! Subscribe if you enjoy! My InformationInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/l.t._world/Twitter: https://twitter.com/LTWorld123Website: https://ltworld.info/Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCjZL...Scientific Sources: A Brief History of Time by Stephen Hawking Premier Unbelievable Podcast (This podcast features debates, many of which feature scientists who study physics and the quantum realm.)The Language of God by Francis S. Collinshttps://books.google.com/books?hl=en&lr=&id=hBlZu4M51IMC&oi=fnd&pg=PA1&dq=quantum+physics&ots=uEpzaLBmk2&sig=dQiY00Q8p7dTrJn4XC801HmiVlQ#v=onepage&q=quantum%20physics&f=falsehttps://shenviapologetics.com/talks/ - Neil Shenvi is a Christian who has a PHD in Quantum PhysicsThere are many basic textbooks available if interested in more technical reading. General Sources:Jesus Among Secular Gods by Vince Vitale and Ravi Zaccharias I Don't Have Enough Faith To Be An Atheist by Norman L. Geisler and Frank Turekhttps://plato.stanford.edu/entries/cosmological-argument/#:~:text=Cosmological%20Argument%201%20Historical%20Overview.%20Although%20in%20Western,Complexity%20of%20the%20Question.%20...%20More%20items...%20https://rintintin.colorado.edu/~vancecd/phil3600/Kalam.pdfhttps://www.hup.harvard.edu/catalog.php?isbn=9780674665804https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/heraclitus/#cosplay https://answersingenesis.org/astronomy/heraclitus-original-proponent-eternal-universe/https://www.discovermagazine.com/the-sciences/einsteins-lost-theory-describes-a-universe-without-a-big-banghttps://www.sciencefocus.com/space/what-caused-the-big-bang/https://www.cam.ac.uk/research/news/taming-the-multiverse-stephen-hawkings-final-theory-about-the-big-banghttps://evidenceforchristianity.org/did-the-big-bang-really-happenr/https://books.google.com/books?hl=en&lr=&id=_a4VmuqpZH8C&oi=fnd&pg=PR7&dq=the+big+bang+theory+explained&ots=AyoCamG_71&sig=1fZV4kIuvbAXg_H_wCOrLJWM04M#v=onepage&q=the%20big%20bang%20theory%20explained&f=falsehttps://spaceplace.nasa.gov/big-bang/en/#:~:text=The%20big%20bang%20is%20how%20astronomers%20explain%20the,astronomer%20named%20Georges%20Lema%C3%AEtre%20had%20a%20big%20idea.

     Scripture opens with the statement, “In the beginning God” (Gen 1:1a). The Bible does not seek to prove the existence of God, but simply acknowledges His being. The Bible teaches God has made Himself known through nature. David wrote, “The heavens are telling of the glory of God; and their expanse is declaring the work of His hands” (Psa 19:1). And Paul stated, “For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen, being understood through what has been made” (Rom 1:20).      And God has revealed Himself within the heart of every person. Paul wrote, “that which is known about God is evident within them; for God made it evident to them” (Rom 1:19). Within each human mind is an intuitive awareness of God. John Calvin called this awareness the sensus divinitatis (sense of divinity). Calvin wrote, “there is no nation so barbarous, no race so brutish, as not to be imbued with the conviction that there is a God…Since, then, there never has been, from the very first, any quarter of the globe, any city, any household even, without religion, this amounts to a tacit confession, that a sense of Deity is inscribed on every heart.”[1] This awareness does not inform us as to the specifics of God, but merely informs us that He is. The Bible is that special revelation that informs us about the particulars of God.      The Bible reveals God exists as a Trinity (or Triunity). In the Bible we learn that there is one God (Deut 6:4), who exists as three Persons (Gen 1:26; Matt 28:19; 2 Cor 13:14; 1 Pet 1:2). All three members of the Godhead are co-equal, co-infinite, and co-eternal, possessing the same nature and attributes (Deut 6:4; Isa 44:6-8; John 10:30; 14:9).[2] The Trinity consists of God the Father (Gal 1:1; Eph 6:23; Phil 2:11), God the Son (Isa 7:14; 9:6; John 1:1, 8:58; 20:28; Col 2:9; Heb 1:8), and God the Holy Spirit (Acts 5:3-4; 1 Cor 2:11-12; 2 Cor 13:14).       Furthermore, the Bible reveals God has specific attributes that describe who He is and explains why He thinks and acts in certain ways. What we know of God's attributes comes to us only by divine revelation, and these attributes belong to all the members of the Trinity, who are worthy of all praise and service. Charles Ryrie states: "The various perfections of God are not component parts of God. Each describes His total being. Love, for example, is not a part of God's nature; God in His total being is love. Although God may display one quality or another at a given time, no quality is independent of or preeminent over any of the others. Whenever God displays His wrath, He is still love. When He shows His love, He does not abandon His holiness. God is more than the sum total of His perfections. When we have listed all the attributes we can glean from revelation, we have not fully described God. This stems from His incomprehensibility. Even if we could say we had a complete list of all God's perfections, we could not fathom their meaning, for finite man cannot comprehend the infinite God."[3]      When studying the attributes of God in Scripture, we should never seek to understand them separately from God, as though an attribute of God may exist apart from Him. More so, the attributes of God are as infinite as God Himself, and to try to understand them fully is not within the scope of our ability. A detailed understanding of God's attributes prevents us from having an incomplete or faulty view of God, in which we see Him only in part. For example, a solitary view of God as righteous can lead to legalistic behavior, whereas a singular understanding of God as loving or gracious can lead to licentiousness. A thorough understanding of God will prove healthy for us who seek to reflect His character. The biblical revelation of God has practical application for growing Christians, for as we advance in spiritual maturity, we will take on the characteristics of God, though only a few of those characteristics may be visible to others at any given moment, depending on the situation. Below is a short paragraph listing God's attributes with a basic explanation of each.[4] God's Attributes      God is living and creates life (Gen 1:1-31; Psa 42:2; 84:2; Matt 16:16). Jeremiah said, “the LORD is the true God; He is the living God and the everlasting King” (Jer 10:10). Jesus declared, “the Father has life in Himself” (John 5:26). And the apostle Paul stated, “for in Him we live and move and exist” (Act 17:28). This teaching, that God has life in Himself and is self-existent, is called the doctrine of aseity. God also exists eternally and depends on nothing outside of Himself (Ex 3:14; John 1:4; 5:26). There is no prior cause that brought God into existence, He will never cease to be, and He depends on nothing outside of Himself to remain eternal. God is holy (Lev 11:44; Psa 99:9; Isa 45:5-19). This means God is positively righteous and separate from all that is sinful. Holiness connotes moral purity. Being holy means God cannot be affixed to anything morally imperfect. God is Spirit (John 4:24; 2 Cor 3:17). This means the nature of God's being is spirit, not material. God is sovereign (Psa 115:3; Isa 46:9-11; Dan 4:35; Acts 17:24-28). This means God acts freely as He pleases, always as He pleases, and only as He pleases. God is immutable (Psa 102:26-27; Mal 3:6). This means God's essential nature does not change. God is eternal (Deut 33:27; 1 Tim 1:17). This means God has always existed, does exist, and forever will exist. God is infinite (1 Ki 8:27; Jer 23:24). Though God exists in space, He is also beyond space, infinite in being. God is omniscient (Psa 139:1-4; Matt 6:31-33). This means God knows all things, being infinite in knowledge. God is omnipresent (Psa 139:7-10; Jer 23:24). This means He is equally and fully everywhere present. God is omnipotent (Job 42:2; Isa 40:28). This means God is all-powerful and able to accomplish all He desires. God is righteous (Psa 11:7; 119:137). His righteousness is that intrinsic moral perfection, from which He commands all things in heaven and earth, and declares as good that which conforms to His righteousness and as evil that which deviates. God is just (Psa 9:7-8; 19:9). His justice is the outworking of His righteousness in which He justifies or condemns, blesses or curses, that which does or does not conform to His righteous character. God is true (Jer 10:10; John 17:3), which means He is genuine, in contrast to false idols. God is truthful (2 Sam 7:28; John 17:17). His knowledge and declarations define reality and help us make sense of what is. God is love (Jer 31:3; 1 John 4:7-8). Because God is love it means He is committed to us, desires our best, and gives for our benefit. Good is good and is the ultimate source of all that is good (Psa 100:5; 145:9; Nah 1:7; Jam 1:17). God is faithful (Deut 7:9; Lam 3:21-23); which means He is reliable in all He says and does, always keeping His Word. God is merciful (Psa 86:15; Tit 3:5). Mercy is when God is kind toward us and does not judge us as we deserve. God is gracious (Psa 111:4; 116:5). Grace means God treats us better than we deserve.      Learning about God and His character helps us understand the fundamental nature of reality. Our complex universe is the result of a complex divine Being that chose to create. And what He created is magnificent and beautiful. In contrast to biblical theism is atheism, which is the belief that God does not exist.[5] Biblically, this is the view of the wicked and foolish, who say in their hearts, “There is no God” (Psa 10:4; 14:1).      Most who hold to atheism desire to operate independently of any authority outside of themselves, especially God's authority set forth in Scripture. These assign no serious thought of God to their discussions, plans, or projects, but seek to use His resources independently of His wishes. But these same persons become trapped in their own system when their individual sense of good and evil, right and wrong, clashes with another person who holds to opposing moral standards. Having rejected God and moral absolutes, they have no objective final standard by which to measure values and behavior, to declare anything good or bad. These can go about their daily lives as long as the pressures of life are not too great; however, if they're ever confronted with vicious evil that disrupts their lives, they'll naturally seek a mechanism to control it, lest it destroy them (I'm speaking about the atheist who desires law and order rather than anarchy and chaos). If they continue to reject God, they'll likely turn to a totalitarian government they hope is strong enough to deal with the depravity of reckless people; but in so doing, they'll trade freedom and prosperity for slavery and the illusion of equality. In contrast, a society that acknowledges God and operates in accordance with His moral laws will tend to produce a virtuous people that can enjoy freedom and prosperity; but this must start with God and His Word.      Learning about God and applying the knowledge of who He is to our thinking results in a mental paradigm shift that changes how we see ourselves and the world around us. “In our spiritual lives, we cannot transcend the God we worship; we can rise no higher than what we believe to be the highest. Our concept of God will have a marked effect on our practical lives.”[6]    [1] John Calvin, Institutes of the Christian Religion (Philadelphia: Westminster, 1960), 1.44 [2] The use of the Hebrew numeral אֶחָד echad reveals, in some contexts, the idea of a complex one (cf. Gen 2:24; Ezra 3:1; Ezek 37:17). [3] Charles Caldwell Ryrie, Basic Theology: A Popular Systematic Guide to Understanding Biblical Truth (Chicago, IL: Moody Press, 1999), 39–40. [4] Bible scholars are not entirely in agreement concerning the number of God's attributes. I started with a basic understanding of God's attributes back in the mid 90's, but it has grown since then as I've learned more about God through His Word. [5] There are pagan theistic views other than what is being set forth here; however, this chapter is written from a Christian perspective which does not recognize other claims to deity, whether Islam, Hinduism, Mormonism, etc. Therefore, biblical theism is being contrasted with atheism, which seeks to deny the existence of God, and which is the dominant view among unbelievers in America. [6] Norman L. Geisler, Systematic Theology, Volume Two: God, Creation (Minneapolis, MN: Bethany House Publishers, 2003), 18.   Systematic Theology by Lewis S. Chafer: https://smile.amazon.com/Systematic-Theology-Lewis-Sperry-Chafer/dp/0825423406 Basic Theology by Charles Ryrie: https://smile.amazon.com/Basic-Theology-Systematic-Understanding-Biblical/dp/0802427340

Join Dr. Richard Howe and Alisa for a round of "Stump the Professor," as they took on your toughest questions about Christianity. Dr. Richard Howe is Provost, Professor of Philosophy and Apologetics, and Norman L. Geisler Chair of Christian Apologetics at Southern Evangelical Seminary in Charlotte, North Carolina. Some of the questions Dr. Howe addressed: Can God change his mind? Can you lose your salvation? Can we be happy in heaven if our loved ones are in hell? Where is Jesus' body right now?

Jason begins a new series on systematic theology, starting with the doctrine of Scripture known as bibliology. Enjoy! Section Timestamps: 2:48 - Introduction 5:01 - Revelation 24:06 - Inspiration 1:12:31 - Canonization 1:25:39 - Transmission 1:32:49 - Translation 1:41:16 - Inerrancy & Infallibility 1:50:36 - Authority 1:51:54 - Sufficiency 1:55:33 - Perspicuity 1:58:00 - Illumination & Interpretation 2:13:46 - Conclusion Texts of Scripture Cited: Psalm 19:1-2, Romans 1:19-20, Matthew 5:45b, Acts 14:17, Daniel 2:21, Romans 2:14-15, John 1:18, John 14:10, 2 Timothy 3:16-17, 2 Peter 1:20-21, Matthew 22:31b, Matthew 4:4, 7, 10, John 10:35b, Matthew 12:40, Matthew 19:4-5, Matthew 22:39, John 17:17, Mark 12:36, Matthew 15:3, Matthew 5:17-18, Luke 4:16-21, John 5:39, Luke 24:25-27, Luke 24:44, Luke 22:20, Matthew 26:28, Mark 14:24, John 14:26, Matthew 28:18-20, John 6:63, Luke 21:33, Matthew 24:35, Mark 13:31, John 16:13, Hebrews 1:1-2, Ephesians 2:20, 2 Peter 3:16, 1 Timothy 5:18, 1 Corinthians 14:37, Revelation 1:1-3, Revelation 22:18-19, John 10:27, Mark 16:9-20, John 7:53-8:11, 1 John 5:7, Psalm 14:1, 1 Corinthians 2:12-14, 2 Timothy 2:7, 2 Peter 3:15-17 Additional Scriptural Texts for Further Study: Psalm 119, Hebrews 4:12, 1 Peter 2:2 Some Sources Utilized for Research: Dan McCartney, Charles Clayton (Let the Reader Understand) Joel Beeke (Reformed Systematic Theology, Vol. 1) Norman L. Geisler, William E. Nix (From God to Us) John Brown of Haddington (Systematic Theology) Paul Enns (The Moody Handbook of Theology) Craig D. Allert (A High View of Scripture) Walter E. Elwell (The Portable Seminary) Herman Bavinck (Reformed Dogmatics) R.C. Sproul (Everyone's a Theologian) Louis Berkhof (Systematic Theology) John MacArthur (The Inerrant Word) Thomas Watson (A Body of Divinity) Michael J. Kruger (Canon Revisited) Gregg Allison (Historical Theology) W. Robert Godfrey (Sola Scriptura)

Take a moment to look at your cell phone. Isn't it a marvel of design and engineering? Do you realize that if certain things in it were changed just a bit, it wouldn't work? There are a lot of antennas and other sources of interference within your phone. Engineers spend hours to place them in the smallest, most compact design in order to isolate the signals. Otherwise they would disrupt the functioning of other parts of the phone. Did you know the earth and the universe are the same? If you change a few things, just a bit, then life would not exist. For instance: Change the oxygen level in the atmosphere - too much and things would burst into flame; too little and we'd suffocate.Change the rotation of the earth – if it took more than 24 hours, half the planet would be burning hot while the other half was freezing. Speed the rotation up and the winds would howl like a constant hurricane.Change the rate of expansion of the universe -- just one millionth slower, and it would have collapsed without forming stars. It if expanded faster, galaxies would not have formed. There are 122 such constants that have been discovered.* Tweak them a bit and we don't exist. We look at a cell phone and know it was designed. When we see these facts about the universe -- and that they are just right for life -- how can you not think it was all designed by God? *Norman L. Geisler and Frank Turek, I Don't Have Enough Faith to Be an Atheist (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Books, 2004), 98-106. Please provide feedback and suggestions at: https://www.sparkingfaith.com/feedback/ Bumper music “Landing Place” performed by Mark July, used under license from Shutterstock.

We live in historic times because the Covid-19 vaccines are a breakthroughs in creation of vaccines. It used to be vaccines were made by weaking a virus. But with the Pfizer vaccine, scientist have learned to genetically engineer a vaccine. Listen to this description from Wired.com: "The active ingredient inside their shot is mRNA—mobile strings of genetic code that contain the blueprints for proteins. Cells use mRNA to get those specs out of hard DNA storage and into their protein-making factories. The mRNA inside Pfizer and BioNTech's vaccine directs any cells it reaches to run a coronavirus spike-building program. The viral proteins these cells produce can't infect any other cells, but they are foreign enough to trip the body's defense systems."1 This is the description of what happens inside a human cell. Very smart researchers have studied genetics and the human immune system -- a highly complex system. Now scientists can use that knowledge to create a vaccine in record time. The cell's function is an example of irreducible complexity,2 meaning something so complex that no part can be removed without the whole ceasing to function. Something this complex does not evolve bit by bit over time, the entire system is needed to function. If it took years of research to understand DNA and advance to engineering a vaccine, don't you think it required God's intelligence to design the cell  and human immune system in the first place? 1Megan Molteni, "Why It's a Big Deal If the First Covid Vaccine Is ‘Genetic'," Wired, November 10, 2020, https://www.wired.com/story/why-its-a-big-deal-if-the-first-covid-vaccine-is-genetic/. 2Norman L. Geisler and Frank Turek, I Don't Have Enough Faith to Be an Atheist (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Books, 2004), 144-148. Bumper music “Landing Place” performed by Mark July, used under license from Shutterstock.

SES co-founder, Dr. Norman Geisler, is essentially the grandfather of the revitalization of classical apologetics. Join us for this discussion of his legacy with SES alum, and long-time associate of Dr. Geisler, Dr. William (Bill) Roach. He is the author of the new book, "Defending Evangelicalism: The Apologetics of Norman L. Geisler."

Charlie spoke at an FGA conference about seeing the distinctions between salvation and discipleship. This was taken from his book Grace, Salvation, and Discipleship where he breaks it down into A-Truth B-Truth...salvation truth (justification) and discipleship truth (sanctification).Distinctions make a big difference in the Bible, even down to the letter or word and if you're not careful you can end up down a theological path that leads to poor application. So seeing distinctions in scripture is critical. One of the potential dangers is that the Gospel becomes corrupted. Lordship Salvation for example, says that a person must surrender and show obedience in order to be saved. They have taken discipleship truth and ported it into salvation truth. They go so far as to say every true Christian is a disciple, they have to be, otherwise they aren't saved. Reformed Calvinism and the idea of perserverance of the saints says that unless you continue to work and die in the faith, you were never saved to begin with. Arminianism does this as well, if you unbelieve or severely sin you can lose your salvation. Likewise, legalism is simply the idea that you have to do something in order to please God. Needless to say this confuses people and ends up making them questions their salvation. A person cannot have assurance of salvation if it's based one's performance. "Performance based salvation" includes everything from commitments made, obedience, one's surrender, or anything that has to do with one's attempt to please God. This is a challenge to anyone who says you can have assurance and holds to performance based views.  The lie of the devil is do good and God will love you. But the fact of the matter is, you can't do good, yet God already loves you; so much so that he sent his son to die in your place and satisfy the payment for sin.So let's keep the gospel clear so that we can preach it to the world freely and make that critical distinction between salvation and discipleship. "Only when we clearly understand what God says can we effectively share a clear gospel, be assured of our salvation, and grow in our relationship with Him."- Norman L. Geisler, Ph.D.----more----For further reading see Charlie's GraceNotes, Are Disciples Born or Made?

Every believer is called to some form of ministry. But what do we do when that ministry is tough? Or requires us to engage people we wouldn't necessarily choose? “Dr. Andrew” – an Arab Christian – shares insights from his ministry to Muslims – a ministry he never imagined he would do. Learn how he, in faith, followed Christ into challenging ministry. And how you can do the same. If you are blessed by today's podcast, please leave us a five-star rating. Also share the Christian Emergency Podcast with your friends and feel free to share on social media. To learn more about resources mentioned in this episode, see the following. What Every Christian Needs to Know about the Qur'an, by James R. White: https://www.christianbook.com/every-christian-needs-know-about-quran/james-white/9780764209765/pd/209765 Answering Islam: The Crescent in Light of the Cross, by Norman L. Geisler and Abdul Saleeb: https://www.christianbook.com/answering-islam-crescent-light-the-cross/norman-geisler/9780801064302/pd/64303?en=bing-pla&event=SHOP&kw=academic-0-20%7C64303&p=1179517&dv=c&msclkid=675964e6b18319ccc60004c7eeaf21ad&utm_source=bing&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=Shopping%20Main&utm_term=4580702881405433&utm_content=s-all%20products The Qur'an: What Everyone Nees to Know, by Jane McAuliffe: https://www.christianbook.com/the-quran-what-everyone-needs-know/jane-mcauliffe/9780190867676/pd/867676?en=bing-pla&event=SHOP&kw=academic-0-20%7C867676&p=1179517&dv=c&msclkid=418e37fb09d0189cc0fc57da56138222&utm_source=bing&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=Shopping%20Main&utm_term=4580702881405433&utm_content=s-all%20products Pilgrim's Progress, by John Bunyan: https://www.christianbook.com/pilgrims-progress-john-bunyan/9780802456540/pd/56548?event=ESRCG Christian Emergency Alliance: https://www.christianemergency.com/ Follow the Christian Emergency Alliance on Twitter: @ChristianEmerg1 Follow the Christian Emergency Alliance on Facebook: @ChristianEmergency The Christian Emergency Podcast is a production of the Christian Emergency Alliance. Soli Deo Gloria

“The Pursuit of God” - AW Tozer“The Insanity of God” - Nik Ripken“Hero maker” - Doug Fergusonfighterverses - app"The money challenge" - Art Rainer"Leadership book summaries" - studyleadership.comYouversion bible app"Not Forsaken" - Louie Giglio"I Will" - Thom S. Rainer"I Don't Have Enough Faith to be an Atheist" - Norman L. Geisler and Frank Turek

As Ravi Zacharias said this weekend at Dr. Norman Geisler's funeral, "We lost a giant". Tune in today for Part 2-the final segment of two Southern Evangelical Seminary alumni, Kent Suter and Steven Garofalo as they wrap up some of their fondest memories in honoring their teacher, mentor and friend, the late Norman L. Geisler.

Back in the 70's some of us heard about "The Age of Aquarius." Little did we realize that there was a worldview behind the song, that has expanded into many facets of culture. That worldview is known as the "new spirituality" which is also known as the "new age movement." What it the new spirituality or new age worldview? In this show Rob paints the picture of this worldview pointing out several arenas that is affected by. Rob also gives a short tribute to Dr. Norman L. Geisler who graduated into Heaven this past week. Join Rob as we embark in getting to the "real issue" behind the new age spiritual worldview. Commercials from "The One Minute Apologist" with Bobby Conway. Bobby interviews Brett Kunkle and J. Warner Wallace. Music by Kerry Livgren, "Ancient Wing" from the album "Ancient Wing" If you have any questions on any of the material in this show, please contact us at realissueapologetics@yahoo.com --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/rob-lundberg/message

I was saddened to hear of the death of apologist and theologian Norman Geisler. Though I would disagree with some of his material, he was a defender of the faith and greatly used of God. About ten years ago I had the chance to sit down with Dr. Geisler and recorded a very quick interview. So, in his honor, I thought I would air that interview this week.Recommended Resources:I Don't Have Enough Faith to Be an Atheist by Norman L. Geisler Christian Apologetics by Norman L. GeislerExplaining Biblical Inerrancy: Official Commentary on the ICBI Statements by Norman L. Geisler and R. C. Sproul See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Yesterday-as of this recording, July 1, 2019, Dr. Norman L. Geisler, friend, brother in Christ, personal mentor and advisor went to be with the Lord-he changed his address to his heavenly home in heaven. Dr. Geisler had a massive impact on me personally and inspired me to start ReasonForTruth.Org. I cut an unrehearsed short podcast to honor my good friend. I love him and I miss him. But, I know that I will see him again in eternity-and that I am grateful for. Please tune in to hear a few words from my heart-a simple tribute to my dear friend and brother in Christ, the late Norman L. Geisler

VCY America presents the April 20, 1996 rally with Dr. Norman L. Geisler. Norman Geisler is an author, professor, evangelist and theologian. He has co-authored over 96 books and hundreds of articles. He is the founder of Norm Geisler International Ministries (NGIM) which can be found at NGIM.org. To order a DVD copy of this presentation contact VCY America at 1-800-729-9829 or online at vcyamerica.org.

#632 A tasty tidbit from Norman L. Geisler and Ronald M. Brooks. When Skeptics Ask (Wheaton, IL: Victor, 1990), 2.

This is the fourth episode focusing on a Christian apologetic topic. In Episode #5 we talked about The Truth About the Resurrection of Jesus Christ. In Episode #10, we covered The Truth About God and Evil and in Episode #15 we talked about The Truth About Prayer. What I want to talk to you about today is the remarkable (and dare I say, miraculous) story of a carpenter named Jesus from a map dot in the middle of the Middle East who lived over 2,000 years ago and the truth about the impact He left on the world.  I’ve heard Jesus Christ called a lot of things but the most accurate word is “radical”. Let me know if you agree after listening to this episode. Show Notes: Who Is This Man - John Ortberg I Don't Have Enough Faith to Be an Atheist - Norman L. Geisler and Frank Turek CrossExamined.org One Solitary Life The Truth Quest Podcast Patron Page Join the conversation at The Truth Quest Facebook Fan Page Order a copy of Shawn's books - Pritical Thinking, The Proverbs Project, The Termite Effect. The video of this episode is available on YouTube, Thinkspot, BitChute.com and Brighteon.

VCY America presents the April 20, 1996 rally with Dr. Norman L. Geisler. Norman Geisler is an author, professor, evangelist and theologian. He has co-authored over 96 books and hundreds of articles. He is the founder of Norm Geisler International Ministries (NGIM) which can be found at NGIM.org. To order a DVD copy of this presentation contact VCY America at 1-800-729-9829 or online at vcyamerica.org.

The Book Club Season 6, Episode 11 for Monday, November 20, 2017 On this episode of The Book Club, Brad reviews a book that greatly enhances our understanding of Scripture! Click here to purchase A General Introduction to the Bible by Norman L. Geisler and William E. Nix Links Click here for all episodes of The […]