the salvation army sydney, australia september 21-25, 2009 brengle create the conference bible study
TRANSCRIPT
“For where two or three are gathered in my name there am I in the midst of them.”
Matthew 18:20
Bible StudyIntroduction
Acts 1:15--120 Believers
• Acts 2:41--3000
• Acts 4:4--5000
• Acts 4:32--Multitude
• Acts 5:14--Multitudes
• Acts 6:1--Multiplied
• Acts 6:7--Greatly Multiplied
Bible StudyIntroduction
Growth in the Early Church
“And daily in the Temple, and in every house, they ceased not to teach and preach Jesus
Christ.”
Acts 5:42
Bible StudyIntroduction
•Atonement: justification/righteousness, reconciliation/propitiation/expiation, regeneration, salvation
•God’s Grace: common grace; prevenient grace; sanctifying grace; accompanying grace
•Sanctification: perfect love; purity of heart; empowerment by the Holy Spirit
Bible StudyIntroduction
Terms:
• Martin Luther--simul justus et peccator--at the same time we are justified and a sinner
• John Calvin--the Christian pilgrimage
• John Wesley--perfect love: “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind; and love your neighbor as yourself” (Matthew 22:37-40).
Bible StudyIntroduction
“Nearly all the wisdom we possess, that is to say true and sound wisdom, consists of two parts: the knowledge of God and of ourselves. But, while joined by many bonds, which one precedes and brings for the other is not easy to discern.” John Calvin
Bible StudyAll The Wisdom We Possess
•A basic knowledge of God--especially the divine attributes of God
•A basic knowledge of the moral law of God
•The ultimate origin of conscience (not nature; not society)
•A certain measure of free will is supernaturally restored to all people
•Restrains human wickedness; places a check on human perversity
Bible StudyAll The Wisdom We Possess
Prevenient Grace: John 1:9
“Dear Lord and Father of mankind,
Forgive our foolish ways;
Reclothe us in our rightful mind;
In purer lives thy service find,
In deeper reverence, praise.” #567
Bible StudyAll The Wisdom We Possess
The Nature of Sin:
• Augustine--concupiscence; the cure is self-control (Ephesians 4:22-24)
• Calvin--pride; the cure is humility (which is true self-knowledge) (Philippians 2:5-11)
• Wesley--unbelief which leads to selfishness; the cure is living for something greater than yourself (Philippians 2:1-4)
• Jonathan Edwards--sloth; the cure is discipline (II Timothy 4:5-8)
Bible StudyAll the Wisdom We Possess
“Anger and sloth,
Desire and pride,
This moment be subdued.
Be cast into the crimson tide
Of my Redeemer’s blood”
Bible StudyAll the Wisdom We Possess
•Scripture
•Reason
•Tradition
•Experience
Bible StudyAll the Wisdom We Possess
The Wesleyan Quadrilateral
“There is no other way by which any means of grace whatsoever can be of any benefit, but by knowledge. All teaching is in vain without learning. Therefore the preaching of the gospel would be wholly to no purpose, if it conveyed no knowledge to the mind.” Jonathan Edwards.
Bible StudyAll the Wisdom We Possess
Atonement Means:
•Justification/Righteousness
•Reconciliation/Propitiation/Expiation
•Regeneration
•Salvation
Bible StudyAll the Righteousness We Possess
•Conscience
•Conviction of Sin
•Repentance
•Reconciliation
•Regeneration
•Sanctification
•Glorification
Bible StudyAll the Righteousness We Possess
John Wesley’s Order of Salvation:
•Rejoice Evermore
•Pray Without Ceasing
•In Everything Give Thanks
Bible StudyAll the Righteousness We Possess
Perfect Love:
•Justification--what God does for us through his Son; Sanctification--what God does in us through His Holy Spirit
•Justification--makes us acceptable to God; Sanctification--makes God desirable to us
•Justification--restores us to the favor of God; Sanctification--restores us to the image of God
Bible StudyAll the Righteousness We Possess
Justification and Sanctification compared:
•Justification--saves us from the guilt of sin; Sanctification--saves us from the power of sin
•Justification--confers a new status on us (imputed righteousness): Sanctification--instills a new character in us (imparted righteousness)
•Justification--related to faith; Sanctification--related to love
•Justification--gives us a title for Heaven; Sanctification--makes us fit for Heaven
Bible StudyAll the Righteousness We Possess
Justification and Sanctification Compared:
Here’s the Really Good News!
I Believe in Predestination!
And I hope that you do too!
See Ephesians1:1-14
Bible StudyAll the Righteousness We Possess
Telos--end, conclusion, goal
•Teleios--complete, perfect
•Be compassionate
•Love friend and foe
•Serve the Lord with an undivided heart
Bible StudyAll the Hope We Possess
Matthew 5:43-48: “Be perfect as your Father in Heaven is perfect.”
•It is a hope for the individual
•It is a hope for the Church
•It is a hope for the present
•It is a hope for the future
•It is a hope in which the future is recognized now in the lives of believers within the Body of Christ
Bible StudyAll the Hope We Possess
There is an eschatological
dimension to this hope
Jew nor Greek--racial distinctions
• Slave nor Free--status distinctions
• Male nor Female--gender distinctions
Bible StudyAll the Hope We Possess
Galatians 3:28: In Christ there is neither:
An evil heart of unbelief
• An impetuous will
• A momentary loss of common sense
• Selfishness
Bible StudyAll the Hope We Possess
Catherine Booth’s View of Sin
(Earliest extant letter, May 18, 1847)
Catherine Booth’s View of Holiness
•Fullness of love that destroys the self and fills the soul with heaven-born generosity
•The perfect heart:perfect in loyalty to God, in obedience, and trust
•Being thoroughly given up to God--full surrender and empowerment for ministry
•Not conforming to the world
•Holiness and good works
Bible StudyAll the Hope We Possess
Bible StudyAll the Hope We Possess
William Booth, Purity of Heart, 1902; what holiness is not:
•Not a heart that is never tempted to do evil
•Not a heart that cannot suffer
•Not a heart that cannot sin
•Not a heart, however blessed it may be, that cannot increase in enjoyment, usefulness, and power