Meat In The Soup
This Gospel-Note series is kind of like a soup, I think. Various ingredients & flavors all simmering together putting off an aroma. (Some may not like the “fragrance” – see 2 Corinthians 2:15-16), to others it just needs a little “meat” for a better aroma & nourishment. So maybe some basic doctrines should be touched. Like expiation, justification, regeneration, grace, redemption, etc. The following definitions are from a current Bible Dictionary and Grudem’s “Systematic Theology”. And as M.F. Unger says, “To believe these things is to enter into the benefits of them.”
- Expiation - denotes the end accomplished by certain divinely appointed sacrifices in respect to freeing the sinner from the punishment of his sins . . . preeminently, the offerings which Christ made of himself for the sins of the world. Similar to Atonement. (Unger's /Bible Dictionary, 1973 M.F. Unger pg. 335)
- Justification – 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. 1 Corinthians 1:30; Romans 3:24.
- Regeneration – the spiritual change wrought in a person by the Holy Spirit, by which they become the possessor of a new life. A being Born Again – a change in our moral and spiritual nature.
- Grace – there is a common grace for all humans, it’s just good stuff like food, water, health, etc. that are not religious items. Saving grace is what God gives believers as per above E., J., & R.
- Redemption – spiritual deliverance from the bondage of sin. Its meaning centers in the atoning work of Christ as the price paid for human redemption, which is why Christ is called the Redeemer.
- Imputation – we know God is righteous but there is also a righteousness which flows from God. Since no human in God’s eyes is righteous, Romans 3:10, it is clear that an imputed righteousness is sinful man’s only hope of acceptance with a Holy God.
- Gospel – the good news of the death, burial and resurrection of Christ as provided by Him, and preached by His disciples (1 Corinthians 15:1-4). The gospel is full and free deliverance from sin on the basis of simple repentance & faith in Jesus Christ.
- Sanctification – the process of growing in godliness – improvement in our character and conduct by the power of the Holy Spirit within. Separation from the secular & sinful; and setting apart for a holy lifestyle.
- Glorification – the transformation of a redeemed person at their life’s end. The soul leaves the worn-out shell of the earthly body to enter into the new dimension of God’s spiritual kingdom. See 1 Corinthians 15:42-44 “. . . It is sown in weakness; it is raised in power. . .”
Now lots of folks appreciate a religious “veneer” in their life but are hazy as to what elements are in the “soup”. And if we don’t care/believe in those elements, how can we think they apply to us? We should care due to the eternal importance of our souls. And lots of religious “soups” lack the above “protein rich” elements that stay with the individual through the “heat of the day” (their last judgment by God the inventor of the “meat” elements above). It’s "a sad day in Cornville" when “pea soup” religion fails the individual at the most important spiritual event of life – that solemn day of personal reckoning. “On that day many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name? And then will I declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from me, you evildoers.’” Matthew 7:22-23 People who cultivate a healthy & Biblical experience with God don’t have to worry about that personal disaster. Choose Jesus, He is Alive. Find a church that teaches & clearly explains the above concepts. See also “What’s In It For Me?” link 28.
Many other Titles: www.gospelnotes.org * * F. J. Stone * *
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