Membership Part Two

We believe that both man and woman were created in the image of God to enjoy a personal relationship with Him. As a result of deliberate disobedience they fell from their sinless state and they and all their descendants became sinners. Consequently, they cannot save themselves and apart from the grace of God in Jesus Christ, they are condemned to a place of eternal torment.

In we read,

Genesis 1:26–27 ESV

Then God said, “Let us make man in our image, after our likeness. And let them have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over the livestock and over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.” So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them.

Nothing else that God made was said to in His own image. Since God is Spirit, as Jesus says in , and not physical, the image of God is not a matter of physical appearance or characteristics. Instead, the image of God seems to be the awareness of self, personal morality, having an eternal soul, and being created to be in intimate relationship with both God and other people.

Man’s sin was not accidental, but a deliberate rebellion against God’s command. As God had warned Adam, at the moment Adam sinned he and Eve died spiritually, which means that they were eternally separated from God.

Turn to , please.

says,

Romans 5:12 ESV

Therefore, just as sin came into the world through one man, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men because all sinned—

Adam’s sin nature has been passed down through his descendants ever sin he himself sinned. says that the many died because of the one man’s sin. says that the judgment following Adam’s sin brought condemnation to all who are in Adam. says that because of Adam’s sin, death reigned over all humanity through Adam. says that Adam’s one sin led to condemnation to all. says that through Adam’s disobedience all his descendants were made sinners.

It is impossible for anyone to give themselves spiritual life.

We are utterly incapable of helping ourselves in any way. We cannot do anything that the Lord will honor. Every act of a sinner, even those acts that other sinners think to be good, simply brings more condemnation. We are not largely helpless, or mostly helpless, or even almost completely helpless. We are utterly helpless. This is because God’s judgment is not simply a matter of measuring whether our good works outweigh our sinful works. Adam personally offended God and incurred the wrath of God, and every single one of Adam’s offspring is born under the full weight of the wrath of God.

And so, apart from the grace of God, given freely by God because of the finished work of Jesus Christ on the cross, there is no hope.

We believe we are saved solely by the grace of God through faith in Christ alone. This salvation was purchased by the substitutionary death and shed blood of Jesus Christ for the sins of every person and is offered to everyone as a free gift. The person who has trusted in the Lord Jesus Christ as Savior is eternally secure, and can enjoy the assurance of salvation. We believe that at death believers enter eternal glory and that unbelievers enter eternal torment.

We believe that we are saved solely by the grace of God through faith in Jesus Christ.

Ephesians 2:1-9

says this,

Ephesians 2:1–9 ESV

And you were dead in the trespasses and sins in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience— among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind. But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved— and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, so that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast.

Every human being is born dead in trespasses and sins, and is by her or her very nature a child of wrath, just as is true of every other human being. What makes the difference? God!

And you He made alive, who were dead in trespasses and sins, in which you once walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit who now works in the sons of disobedience, among whom also we all once conducted ourselves in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, just as the others. But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), and raised us up together, and made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, that in the ages to come He might show the exceeding riches of His grace in His kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast. ()

God!

Every human being is born dead in trespasses and sins, and is by her or her very nature a child of wrath, just as is true of every other human being. What makes the difference? God! Because of the great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in sin, God made us alive together with Christ – and here Paul emphasizes, by GRACE you have been saved. God made us alive, raised us up together with Christ, seated us with Christ in the heavenly places, so that eternal would reveal the fullness of His grace and kindness. For, Paul says, by grace you have been saved through faith, and this is not of yourselves, but rather is the gift of God. Which part is the gift of God? All of it is. The richness of God’s mercy. The great love He had for us when we were dead in sin. Being made alive with Christ. Being raised with Christ. Being seated with Christ. The exceeding riches of His grace and kindness. It is all a gift from God. We contribute nothing to our own salvation; all we can bring is our need for salvation, and even that began with what we received from Adam.

Because of the great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in sin, God made us alive together with Christ – and here Paul emphasizes, by GRACE you have been saved.

Look at what God did when we were dead:

He was merciful to us.

He loved us greatly.

He made us alive together with Christ.

He raised us up together with Christ and seated us in heaven with Christ.

We

He did this for His own glory, to display the immeasurable riches of His grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus.

He gave us the faith by which we are saved.

He did all this when we were dead.

So, as every aspect of our salvation is God’s gift to us, it should be clear that we cannot lose our salvation. The Lord Jesus tells us,

Jesus says in

John 6:37–44 ESV

All that the Father gives me will come to me, and whoever comes to me I will never cast out. For I have come down from heaven, not to do my own will but the will of him who sent me. And this is the will of him who sent me, that I should lose nothing of all that he has given me, but raise it up on the last day. For this is the will of my Father, that everyone who looks on the Son and believes in him should have eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day.” So the Jews grumbled about him, because he said, “I am the bread that came down from heaven.” They said, “Is not this Jesus, the son of Joseph, whose father and mother we know? How does he now say, ‘I have come down from heaven’?” Jesus answered them, “Do not grumble among yourselves. No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him. And I will raise him up on the last day.

How can a Christian be sure of their own salvation? The little letter of First John tells us what sort of fruit true Christians display.

All that the Father gives Me will come to Me, and the one who comes to Me I will by no means cast out. For I have come down from heaven, not to do My own will, but the will of Him who sent Me. This is the will of the Father who sent Me, that of all He has given Me I should lose nothing, but should raise it up at the last day. And this is the will of Him who sent Me, that everyone who sees the Son and believes in Him may have everlasting life; and I will raise him up at the last day.” The Jews then complained about Him, because He said, “I am the bread which came down from heaven.” And they said, “Is not this Jesus, the son of Joseph, whose father and mother we know? How is it then that He says, ‘I have come down from heaven’?” Jesus therefore answered and said to them, “Do not murmur among yourselves. No one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws him; and I will raise him up at the last day. ()

These sorts of promises abound in Scripture. God’s sovereignty over His creation extends to our salvation and security in Christ. Not every true Christian experiences that security, of course; some are very afraid of losing their salvation. They need to understand and believe the promises of God and the words of the Lord Jesus Christ. And some are convinced that they are eternally saved, and are not. They were told by religious authorities that if they do this or that, they will earn their salvation. They devote themselves to earning their own salvation – some actually boast in meeting God halfway – rather than receiving what God has given in the fullness of faith.

They live in fellowship with the Lord. They confess their sins. They obey Him. They love their fellow Christians. They do not love the world or the things of the world. They do the will of God. They confess the nature and identify of the Lord Jesus Christ. They abide in Christ, and His Word abides in them. They live in righteousness. They purify themselves. They repent of sin. They love fellow believers deeply and sacrificially. They are generous with those in need. They believe in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ. They abide in the commandments of God. They pay close attention to the teaching of the Bible. They love others. They keep God’s commandments. They believe in Christ. And John writes in ,

1 John 5:13 ESV

I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, that you may know that you have eternal life.

How can a Christian be sure of their own salvation? The little letter of First John tells us what sort of fruit true Christians display. They live in fellowship with the Lord. They confess their sins. They obey Him. They love their fellow Christians. They do not love the world or the things of the world. They do the will of God. They confess the nature and identify of the Lord Jesus Christ. They abide in Christ, and His Word abides in them. They live in righteousness. They purify themselves. They repent of sin. They love fellow believers deeply and sacrificially. They are generous with those in need. They believe in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ. They abide in the commandments of God. They pay close attention to the teaching of the Bible. They love others. They keep God’s commandments. They believe in Christ. And John writes in ,

We believe that every believer has been sanctified, set apart with a perfect standing before God. As believers yield themselves to the Holy Spirit, they will experience spiritual growth in holiness, but they will not experience perfection in conduct. Future rewards are determined by a believer’s obedience to the Lord.

As with salvation and justification (being declared righteous by God), sanctification is God’s work. The word sanctified means set apart. Christians are set apart for God’s glory by the sovereign election of God, the crucifixion of Jesus Christ, and the saving work of the Holy Spirit.

Sanctification does not mean, and in this life will never mean, sinless perfection.

First Corinthians is addressed,

To the church of God which is at Corinth, to those who are sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be saints, with all who in every place call on the name of Jesus Christ our Lord, both theirs and ours: ()

1 Corinthians 1:2 ESV

To the church of God that is in Corinth, to those sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be saints together with all those who in every place call upon the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, both their Lord and ours:

The church at Corinth was one of the most fleshly minded in the New Testament. Yet, every true believer in Corinth had been sanctified. It is a perfect tense verb, which means that it has been accomplished, and the results will go on for all eternity. It is also a passive verb, which means that God did it to them, and they had literally nothing to do with it. They did not sanctify themselves, nor did they ‘meet God halfway.’ It was God’s work from beginning to end.

The church at Corinth was, perhaps, the most sinful and carnal in the New Testament. Yet, every true believer in Corinth had been sanctified.

It is a perfect tense verb, which means that it has been accomplished, and the results will go on for all eternity.

It is also a passive verb, which means that God did it to them, and they had literally nothing to do with it. They did not sanctify themselves, nor did they ‘meet God halfway.’ It was God’s work from beginning to end.

This sanctification goes to their very identity in Christ; they are called to be saints, along with everyone in every place who calls upon the name of Jesus Christ.

Paul prayed for the Thessalonian church,

Now may the God of peace Himself sanctify you completely; and may your whole spirit, soul, and body be preserved blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. He who calls you is faithful, who also will do it. ()

1 Thessalonians 5:23–24 ESV

Now may the God of peace himself sanctify you completely, and may your whole spirit and soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. He who calls you is faithful; he will surely do it.

Here sanctify you completely is compared to be preserved blameless. Now it is a work that is taking place through the course of life, but still by the power of God: He who calls you is faithful, who also will do it. Paul is not talking about the declaration that Christians are made holy and set apart for God, but rather the growth of Christians into the image of Christ. This growth in holiness varies from person to person, according to the will and purpose of God. However, when Jesus returns every Christian will be brought to full, practical righteousness, so that our own lives match the declaration of God.

We believe that Christ is the Head of the Church, which is His Body. All who have trusted in Him as Savior are members of this Body. Christians should commit themselves to worship, instruction, fellowship, stewardship, and service in a local church. The church is responsible to represent Jesus Christ in the world through godly living and evangelism. All believers are commanded to participate in two church ordinances: believers’ baptism by immersion and the Lord’s Supper.

Jesus is not the director of a club, but the Head of the Church, which is called His Body in the Scriptures. This speaks of a unique and wonderful relationship that we have with Him as His people.

Every true Christian is part of His Jesus’ church, His Body. The word church, of course, depends on context. The church is the invisible Body of Christ, comprised of all God’s people through all time. The church is a local gathering of people who identify as Christ-followers. It can be expected that false believers will be part of the visible, earthly gathering; some are self-deceived, others seek to deceive true believers. But no false believers are part of the invisible, spiritual Body of Christ. The only means of becoming part of the invisible, spiritual church is through ongoing faith in Jesus Christ.

In a couple of weeks we will take our first formal step of membership at One Hope Fellowship. Those who want to formally join this fellowship must have a visible testimony of faith in Jesus Christ, and agree to the doctrinal statement. It would be possible for someone to become a member of One Hope Fellowship and yet not truly be a part of the invisible Church of Jesus Christ. In the end, it won’t be membership in One Hope that matters, but whether or not we are in Christ.

We believe that Satan was created an angelic being. He became the author of sin, our adversary and accuser, and the great deceiver of the nations. He will finally be overcome by the Lord Jesus Christ and suffer eternal punishment in the lake of fire.

We have an enemy, the very same one who is the enemy of God. We don’t want to glorify his power, or exalt his existence, because Satan is only a creature, and not in any sense God.

Jesus says about Satan,

He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own resources, for he is a liar and the father of it. ()

John 8:44 ESV

You are of your father the devil, and your will is to do your father’s desires. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks out of his own character, for he is a liar and the father of lies.

Satan is the enemy of God and all that is holy. He is the destroyer, the one who brought murder to the world. He is the deceiver, the one who invented lies and deception.

How do we defeat Satan?

Satan’s power is not primarily manifested through physical means, such as illness, disease, or accidents. His power is primarily expressed through deception and lies. In fact, the physical means that Satan employs are meant to either twist our understanding of the truth, or set us up to believe lies. Satan is not defeated through power encounters, but truth encounters.

How do we defeat Satan?

Ephesians 6:10–18 ESV

Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might. Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil. For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places. Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand firm. Stand therefore, having fastened on the belt of truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness, and, as shoes for your feet, having put on the readiness given by the gospel of peace. In all circumstances take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming darts of the evil one; and take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God, praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication. To that end, keep alert with all perseverance, making supplication for all the saints,

Our defense against Satan is truth, righteousness, the Gospel, faith, salvation, the Word of God, and prayer.

Our best protection against Satan’s influence is not the exercise of miraculous power, but standing firmly and immovably on the truth of the Word of God.

We believe, on a day known only by God the Father, Jesus will rapture His Church to deliver it from the judgments that God will pour upon the earth. After this terrible period, the Lord Jesus Christ will return in glory to establish His Millennial Kingdom on the earth. This will be followed by the final judgment of the wicked in the lake of fire and eternal bliss for God’s children in a new heaven and a new earth.

Since we just finished a lengthy study of the book of Revelation, we don’t need to spend a lot of time on the end of time. Let’s just remember this: time is going to end. The world is going to end. There will be a day of judgment for the wicked. The only hope of escaping the judgment to come is through a living, vital faith in Jesus Christ.

Membership Part Two

Mankind

Romans 5:12-19

Salvation

Ephesians 2:1-9

Sanctification

Christians ARE Sanctified

Christians ARE BEING Sanctified

The Church

Satan

The End of All Things