Essencial Doctrines for Denominational al Orthodoxy
Sermon • Submitted
0 ratings
· 8 viewsNotes
Transcript
No doubt you have notices that there are many different Christian churches with many different names. We call these Denomination.
Methodist, Baptist, Congregational, Presprtarian, Full Gospel...
Why so many?
Well We all agree on the Essencial Doctrines of the Bible.
However, there are certan doctrines on which we do not agree.
And so to prevent constant fighting and aurguing, its best if those who agree on one doctrine rather stick together and so foutrth.
In this section we are going to look at the big docrtinal differences that seperate Christian demoninations.
We all share our same christian essencial core, but we can agree to disagree on these issues.
1: Soteriological Systems
1: Soteriological Systems
Soteriology is the doctrine of salvation. It involves many things regarding bhow, the, why a person is saved.
Now it must be noted that in the Essential Doctrines section we already look at how a person is saved.
8 For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God;
That is a universal christian essential doctrine believed by all true christians.
However how that affirmed truth happens is not universally agreed upon.
And this in fact form the basis for most of the reason we have different denominations.
Most denominations fall under the banner of Protestant.
A name which means “in protest”. They originated out a protest agasinst the catholic church abuse of power and manipulation and twisting of scripture.
From this branch of Protestant Churches two main Christian schools of thought emerged:
Reformed Theology and Evangelical Theology.
The Full Gospel Church is Evangelical in its doctrine and belief.
Lets look at the different salvation models between reformed and evangelical churches.
Reformed Theology:
Reformed Theology:
Reformed Churches follow the salvation model named after a theologian called John Calvin - and are now today as Calvanists.
The calving model of salvation is famously called TULIP because its stands as an acorn for their beliefs.
They often refer to this model as “The Doctrines of Grace”
Now some of these beliefs are going to sound very strange to you and indeed I also believe they are.
The problem with them is that for every 1 verse in the bible they used to prove their point, 50 others exist to show it not to be so.
I will give example of each.
T - Total Depravity.
By this they mean that mankind is so depraved they they are unable to respond to God in anyway whatsoever.
By their doctrine an unsaved person cannot look at say, the beauty of a landscape and say “wow god is amazing”.
Their proof:
14 But a natural man does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually appraised.
The problem with this is clearly seen in
14 How then will they call on Him in whom they have not believed? How will they believe in Him whom they have not heard? And how will they hear without a preacher?
15 How will they preach unless they are sent? Just as it is written, “How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news of good things!”
God clearly believes that a sinner who hears the gospel and is convicted by the holy spirit is able to respond to God.
No, the sinner does not make the first move - we already established that in the essential describes, but the sinner can respond by faith or by unbelief.
U - Unconditional Election
This means that the Calvinist believes that God chooses who will be saved and who will be condemned to Hell.
And that this choice was already predetermined by God before He even made the world.
So some people, babies born right now, have already been pre-elected by God to go to Hell.
Their proof and they love this chapter:
22 What if God, although willing to demonstrate His wrath and to make His power known, endured with much patience vessels of wrath prepared for destruction?
There are a number of problems here, firstly romans 9 is not talking about an individuals election at all, but rather God’s grace upon the gentiles.
Its not a chapter preaching exclusion of the unselect, but rather a chapter of inclusion showing God will to add to his fold.
The text that show this to be false are many, basically every time the gospel invitation has the words “whosoever” debuts this belief.
16 “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.
Makes it clear that its not only people who God has pre-chosen who can. Be saved, but rather whosoever wants to can be saved.
L - Limited Atonement.
Limited atonement says that The death of Jesus Christ on the cross was NOT for everyone - only for some people.
Basically Jesus only died for you if by God’s election you are destined to go to Heaven.
Their proof here is so thin its almost invisible
28 just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many.”
They say that the word “many” implies that it was not for all.
Obviously there are dozens of scriptures which say otherwise and use the word all frequently.
16 “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.
2 and He Himself is the propitiation for our sins; and not for ours only, but also for those of the whole world.
14 For the love of Christ controls us, having concluded this, that one died for all, therefore all died;
I - Irresistible Grace
This belief says that when God calls a person to salvation, they are simply unable to resist it at all.
They have no choice in the matter. God elected them, God called them and this call is irresistible.
Their proof:
Back to romans 9
16 So then it does not depend on the man who wills or the man who runs, but on God who has mercy.
Now this clear and obvious, both scripturally as well as experientially that the is not true.
Question 1; Have any of you ever resisted God - Yes.
So the calvanst would say that its impossible.
And second scripture clearly tells us that its totally possible to resist God.
51 “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.
Now, while we, as an evangelical church believe none of these points or beliefs, the Calvinist still believes the exact same essential doctrine about how a person is saved.
How that person gets there, we disagree on, but not on the means: Salvation by grace through faith.
This means that a Calvinist, though their model of salvation is very different, is still a christian.
My personal favourite preacher of all time Charles Spurgion was a Calvinist.
Evangelical Theology
Evangelical Theology
Now we can move away from reformed theology and look closer to home, at ut own Evangelical model of salvation.
Reformed theology was named after John Calvin.
Evangelical theology got its name from a preacher called Jacobos Arminius.
And thus our model is called Arminism.
Much like Calvinist we can explain our theology on a 5 point system too.
1: Election or Damnation is conditioned on the faith or non faith of the individual.
In other words we simply believe that upon hearing the gospel and being convicted by the holy Spirit, the individuals fate lies in whether they will have faith in Christ or not.
Proof:
15 “If it is disagreeable in your sight to serve the Lord, choose for yourselves today whom you will serve: whether the gods which your fathers served which were beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you are living; but as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.”
This by the way is how we came to be called evangelicals - evangelism is when you hsare your faith and witness to the unsaved in the hope to get them to heaven.
So when an evangelical sees a random unsaved person, they see a person who could very well potentially come to faith in Jesus Christ.
The Calvinist does not see them that way.
To the cleanest either that person is not elected and thus witnessing to them is waste of time because God has already damed them, and even if they are kected, witnessing to them is a waste of time because “irresistible grace” is gonna get them to heaven somehow anyway so don’t waste your time.
2: The Atonement (death of Jesus on the cross for sin) while qualitatively adequate for all humans, was efficacious only for the person of faith
This means that, as scripture says, Jesus died for the sins of the world, for all. However the effect (atoning power) of Christs sacrifice only come into effect when the individual places their faith in Jesus Christ.
Proof
22 “You shall take a bunch of hyssop and dip it in the blood which is in the basin, and apply some of the blood that is in the basin to the lintel and the two doorposts; and none of you shall go outside the door of his house until morning.
The blood was what had the power to save the people and the lamb had already been slain, but for the blood to have its saving effect it had to be applied on the individual door posts.
3: Unaided by the Holy Spirit, no person is able to respond to God’s will.
That is to say that unless you are filled and empowered by the Holy Spirit you cannot be a follower of Jesus Christ.
14 For all who are being led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God.
4: Grace is not irresistible.
We have already seen this.
51 “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.
5: Believers are able to resist sin but are not beyond the possibility of falling from grace.
We are told in scripture that we have the power to resist sin and temptation.
13 Therefore, take up the full armor of God, so that you will be able to resist in the evil day, and having done everything, to stand firm.
However, unlike the Calvinist we do not believe in The eternal security of the believer.
The eternal security of the believer simply means “Once saved, always saved”.
Scripture gives many examples of once saved Christians, faking to resist sin and falling away from the faith.
10 for Demas, having loved this present world, has deserted me and gone to Thessalonica; Crescens has gone to Galatia, Titus to Dalmatia.
20 Among these are Hymenaeus and Alexander, whom I have handed over to Satan, so that they will be taught not to blaspheme.
For me church, the model which both is more aligned to scripture and makes much more sense is the evangelical model of Arminism.
Famous Preachers all agree with me.
John Welsey was armenium and started the Weslian Church, out of which came the methodist Church as well.
We are an arminium church.
Molanism:
Molanism:
Now, within the last few decades a new and third model has entered the fray.
This model is not actually new and was published in the 16th century.
It was written by a Jesuit Priest Louis Moliner and thus is called Monism.
Molanism is not an entire new model. In fact Melamine affirms all 5 of the points of arminiusm.
However, Molies added a 6th point.
Here is what he noticed when studies calvansim and arminism.
He praised Calvanism because under the Calvinist model God is totally sovergin.
Nothing happens without God willing it to happen.
Of course the problem he noted with Calvins model of God’s sovreginity was that it by all accounts made God a puppet master and took away all human free will.
Under Calvinism,you don’t get a choice in your salvation.
He liked the soverginity of Calvins model, but could not reconcile it with the biblical truth of human free will.
He also praised and preferred the arming model.
Noting that under Arminism human free will of fully intact.
However, he also noted that under aurimims view of free will - God’s soverginity was not total.
That I, God did not have control over whether or not one of His creations would be saved or not.
Soverginity and free will.
2 things, both of which are true, yet neither Calvans nor Armenious model reconciled 100%.
So Molise did a bold move - He basically affirm all 5 points of Arminism, but wanted to in clued the absolute of God’s soverginity which he felt the 5 points were lacking.
So what he did is he took the 5 points of Arminiusm and added a 6th point.
And this 6th point is what is now known as Molanism. Its not a rewriting all the entire model, its simply an addition of a single point. His 6th Points is:
6: Middle Knowledge is included in God’s Omniscience.
6: Middle Knowledge is included in God’s Omniscience.
That small little addition may not seem like much but it hd huge implications.
First: What is this “middle Knowledge”.
Well middle knowledge is the knowledges out the outcome of a subjunctive conditional.
That may sound complicated, but its really not.
A conditional just means that something is based on a set of conditions.
A subjunctive is simple is an unreal circumstance.
For example: IF it is not raining tomorrow I would go to the beach.
Now the first question we have to ask: Is this premise even Bible true?
The answer is yes. The bible is filled with subjunctive conditionals.
46 “For if you believed Moses, you would believe Me, for he wrote about Me.
So how does this play out?
Well lets look at all 3 models:
The Calvinist says: You WILL be saved. (God is sovereign, human free will is gone)
The Armenian says; You COULD be saved (Human free will is present, but God’s soverginity is in question).
But The Molanist says:
You WOULD be saved.
Now how is that different and how does this work?
Illustration:
Woman breaks leg.
Gods sovereign choice is for her to be found and rescued.
I come 10 minute after.
There are multiple paths.
The Calvinist says: You WILL take the path that leads you to her. S God makes me take the path that leads to her. Fine, But noice- - my free will was taken away. God MADE ME take that path.
The Armenian says: You COULD take the path that leans me to her. Yes I could very take the path, but I may also not take the path. If goes does not over ride my free will and I take a different path, then what happens to God’s sovereign will for her to be rescued?
Now look at Molanism.
God’s regular knowledge of me knows that I am terrified of spiders. God just knows that about me.
But his middle knowledge also knows that if I come face to face with a spider I WOULD take another path.
So I come to a T auction.
The woman is right.
The Calvinist says God will MAKE me go right - problem - no free will.
The Arminius says I could equally go right or left - God;s will is in MY hands - problem - no sovergibity.
Molise says:
God created the world in a such a way, with this middle knowledge that on that particular day I large spider had made its web across the left hand path.
I see the spider and I CHOOSE to go right.
I find the woman and she is rescued.
Note:
1: God’s sovereign will was guaranteed.
And
2: My free will was never denied.
The woman was rescued just as God decreed.
And I freely chose to go right.
And so Molises including of this point seems to be the best model, its not a perfect model, and there are problems with it. But for now, given the wealth of theology, it seems to be the best model to reconcile the 2 things that historically have always been in conflict: God;s soverginity and Human free will.
Please note: Molanism is NOT orthodox armeniumism, its not part of any doctrinal statement and you are welcome to disagree and throw it say.
Its just a fascinating example of how these soteriological systems work and grow.
2: Eschatology
2: Eschatology
Escatology is the doctrine of the end times and again various churches have various beliefs.
Of course the reason for these various beliefs are obvious.
The book of Revelation is not an easy book to understand.
What is literal, what is imagery, are the even chronological?
Now before we start, let me remind you of what we looked at in the Essential Doctrine section.
No matter which view of the end times a church holds, it is vital that the 2nd coming of Jesus Christ be fully affirmed.
There are a number of views, 4 main ones but for today I will only look at 2. Each one subdivided into 2 as well.
And they all centre around what is called the Millennial event.
1 Then I saw an angel coming down from heaven, holding the key of the abyss and a great chain in his hand.
2 And he laid hold of the dragon, the serpent of old, who is the devil and Satan, and bound him for a thousand years;
3 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, until the thousand years were completed; after these things he must be released for a short time.
4 Then I saw thrones, and they sat on them, and judgment was given to them. And I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded because of their testimony of Jesus and because of the word of God, and those who had not worshiped the beast or his image, and had not received the mark on their forehead and on their hand; and they came to life and reigned with Christ for a thousand years.
5 The rest of the dead did not come to life until the thousand years were completed. This is the first resurrection.
6 Blessed and holy is the one who has a part in the first resurrection; over these the second death has no power, but they will be priests of God and of Christ and will reign with Him for a thousand years.
So the main debate I when this melenial period will take place.
What makes this even so important is that it begins at the second coming of the Lord.
First up we have:
Premilleniusm
Premilleniusm
As the name suggest this put the events of the end time pre-before the 1000 years period.
In this camp are 2 schools of thought:
1: Historic Premillennialism:
1: Historic Premillennialism:
Historic premillennisium believes that the events of the book of revelation will take place before the 1000 year reign of Jesus Christ.
That the church will, along with the rest of the world go through the 7 years tribulation.
After the 7 year tribulation Jesus Christ will take up his church, this is known as the rapture) and then we shall all return at his second coming to set up this millennial reign.
2: Dispensational Premillennialism
2: Dispensational Premillennialism
This is where we fall in. We are believe in dispensational premilleniusm.
Like the historic view we also believe that the book of Revelation its best understood chronologically and the events described therein take place before the 2nd coming of Jesus.
However here is where we differ:
The historic view hold what is known as a post-tribulation Rapture.
That is that the rapture of the church will take place after the tribulation.
Dispencationalist have a different view.
We believe that scripture affirms a pre-tribulations rapture.
That is, Christ will take up and rescue his church before the tribulation.
After the tribulation we shall all return with Christ at his second coming.
Our evidence for this is:
15 For this we say to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord, will not precede those who have fallen asleep.
16 For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first.
17 Then we who are alive and remain will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we shall always be with the Lord.
A pre-trip doctrine also stands in harmony with scripture.
The tribulation is a period where God pours his wrath out on a sinful world.
It would make no sense for God to punish his church which He has washed clean with his own blood.
Next we have the:
Post Millenial View
Post Millenial View
As the name suggests, these views hold that the tribulation takes place after the 1000 years.
In essence they believe that we are currently in the 1000 period. Though not all of them actually agree on it even being 1000 years, but more of an unspecified age.
We find very little evidence in Scripture to support this view - however those who hold it still affirm the essential doctrine of Christs second coming.
There is a 4th view called amillennialists. They are very similar to postmellianials in their view, in fact they were considered the same till the 20th century. The difference are most semantic in nature.
3: Pnumatological Giftings
3: Pnumatological Giftings
Now for the next topic, this doctrine revolves around the Holy Spirit and the Spiritual gifts.
This is not a full look at Pnumatology.
All true Christians obviously believe in the 3rd person off the trinity as discussed in the Essentials Doctrine.
And we all agree that every born again believer is indwell by the holy spirit which enables them to live for God.
Where the difference lie, is with the spiritual gifts.
Specifically, which gifts remain in operation today.
There are 2 models:
Continuatioans and Cessatioanism.
Anviously: Those who believe the gifts continue and those who believe the spiritual gifts have ceased.
However, its not as simple as just that as there subcategories which are very important.
Lets start with Continuationism.
Lets start with Continuationism.
Those who believe the gift continue to this day have 2 models:
Open-Canon Continuationsim:
Open-Canon Continuationsim:
What is meant by “open Canon”? Well the Canon refers to scripture. From genesis to Revelation. That is the canon. The rule. The Law. The authority.
Open Canon Continuations basically means that the people can invent new gifts and new moves of the holy spirit.
As explain by Justin in the NAS.
It is very dangerous and demonically powered.
Closed-Canon Continuationism:
Closed-Canon Continuationism:
This is where we fall in.
This model says that the gifts continue to operate in the church today, but not in quite the same way as they did in the New Testament.
Whereas in the New Testament an apostle has the authority to write holy Scripture, and a prophet or a speaker in tongues gives us the very words of God, people who use these gifts today do not use them for that purpose.
In other words, as a pastor, my words are Thus sayth the Lord.
And I cannot bless a hankie and have one of you take it to King Edward Hospital to heal everyone as the apostles did.
In fact, the existence of modern day Apostles is not biblically possible anyways.
To be called a Apostle you have to meet certain BIBLICAL qualifications.
None of which can be met today.
Most notable: You have to have been an eye witness of the resurrection of Jesus Christ.
21 “Therefore it is necessary that of the men who have accompanied us all the time that the Lord Jesus went in and out among us—
22 beginning with the baptism of John until the day that He was taken up from us—one of these must become a witness with us of His resurrection.”
And that is not possible.
I know a lot of people who say they have seen Jesus.
But there is a big difference between seeing a VISION of Jesus and actually seeing Jesus.
Look at the facts: Where is Jesus right now?
34 who is the one who condemns? Christ Jesus is He who died, yes, rather who was raised, who is at the right hand of God, who also intercedes for us.
So the only possible way you can see, eye witness Jesus today is if you die, wait for the resurrection of dead and stand before the Judgment seat of Christ.
I know people who say they died and went to heaven and that whole 7 minutes in heaven stuff.
My friends, Biblically No one is in Heaven yet because the Judgment hasn’t happened yet.
Please do not believe that nonsense.
So CCC, such as us believe that all the gifts continue to this day, with the exception of apostleship, simple because the criteria cannot be met.
b: Cessationism
b: Cessationism
Now on to the Cessationist model.
This model, that the spirit gifts have ceased, is in my opinion based on such a thin and flimsy core that it does not hold up.
So does the bible say that Spiritual gifts will cease?
Yes it does.
It says that they will all cease, they won’t be needed and will stop WHEN something happens.
Well what?
Lets look:
8 Love never fails; but if there are gifts of prophecy, they will be done away; if there are tongues, they will cease; if there is knowledge, it will be done away.
9 For we know in part and we prophesy in part;
10 but when the perfect comes, the partial will be done away.
Now every one, even contunuests like myself - we all believe that one day all spiritual will cease - the only question is what is meant in the bible by “when the perfect comes”.
Now let me ask you, naturally and logically.
What perfect thing, since its conception has the church been waiting for?
Let me go deeper: What perfect thing, when it comes will mean that there are is no longer a need for spiritual gifts?
The answer is obviously simple: Jesus Christ.
Who Jesus comes and we all revved gloried perfect bodies will there be a need for the gift of healing when no one gets sick?
Will we need the gift of wisdom and knowledge when Jesus Christ has revealed all hidden mysteries?
Will there be a need to tongues and interpretation when we each can talk to Jesus face to face?
No, so obviously, when that which is perfect, Jesus Christ appears at his second coming, the spiritual gifts will cease. No question there.
But what then to the Cessationalist believe the :perfect” thing is?
Because if they believe the gifts have ceased, then whatever it is must have already come, and it cane be Jesus?
They believe that the “perfect” thing, which will cause all spiritual gifts to end is the Bible.
Now as I said, this view is thinner than rice paper.
For starters, the bible contains instructions of the proper use of spiritual gifts. But if the completion of the bible means the end of spiritual gifts, then why does the bible give us in striations on the spiritual gifts.
Lego illustration.
3: Sacraments
3: Sacraments
a: Holy Communion
b: Water Baptism
1: Immersion
2: Sprinkling
c: Pedobaptism
1: Infant Baptism
2: Baby Dedication