The Essentials

Ten Questions Every Christian Should Be Able to Answer

The Essentials Ten Questions Every Christian Should Be Able to

Answer

by

Wesley B. Miller, M. Div.

Copyright © 2015 by Harmony Hill Media All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced, scanned,

or distributed in any printed or electronic form without permission. First Edition: September 2015

Printed in the United States of America ISBN: [ISBN number with hyphens]

To Renda, Lincoln, Lexington, Lochren, and Loxleigh

You Mean The World To Me

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Acknowledgement

After running from my call to ministry for nearly twenty

years, I found myself exhausted, seeking shelter from the

heat under the only tree within ten miles of the camp. I was

exhausted and my body ached every time I moved from the

broken rib I sustained a few days earlier, only hours after

arriving in one of the most remote areas of Niger, Africa. As

I pulled my hat down to shade my eyes from the sun, the

only thought passing through my mind was this: “I have

never felt more alive. I get it Lord, it’s time to stop running.”

Three years later I was graduating from Southwestern

Baptist Theological Seminary. I would like to gratefully

acknowledge passionate servants of the Lord such as Dr.

John W. Greene, who has a heart for missions, and Missions

Pastor Ben Stokes, who challenges me every day see God

for Who He is (God is Redemption in nature and is basically

the very definition of missions).

Special acknowledgment is given to Dr. John D. Laing, my

Professor of Systematic Theology at Southwestern Baptist

Theological Seminary. His instruction and seminary notes

are woven throughout this book, and have served to form

the basis of my apologetic.

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Thank you mom and dad for everything – you know what I

mean.

Finally, when you think of courage and endurance, perhaps

a soldier, police officer or firefighter comes to mind. Not

me. I see my wife, and many like her. She wakes before

dawn to make sure our children have the things they need

for the day. She makes sure they get where they need to be

– on time. She insures they are fed, clothed, clean, and

healthy. But most importantly, she prays. And prays. And

prays. And doesn’t give up when she does. That. is.

endurance. I love you Renda, and bless God for you.

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Preface

As a Christian, there are certain core principles we all should

know. If we do not know the basics, how can we grow?

That is the premise of this book – to provide information for

the believer about ten of the most critical questions every

Christian should be able to answer.

Each answer is certainly not complete, and I challenge you

to search the information provided here for yourself. Find

additional support for the answers here – challenge them!

Above all, read the Word for yourself and grow in the

nurture and admonition of the Lord.

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Question 1

Can I Trust the Bible? Your word is a lamp to guide my feet and a light for my

path.

- Psalm 119:105 (NLT)

INERRANCY

My daughter loves for me to take her through the drive

through at any of the major coffee houses so that she can

enjoy a creamy, whipped, sugary concoction of her choice.

Me, not so much. Don’t get me wrong. I love spending

time with her. But, I feel like I am in another world when I

pull up to the drive-through speaker and have to place her

order.

Double Chocolate Chip Crème Frappuccino Blended Crème, no whipped cream top, easy on the chocolate drizzle – oh, and with a spoon, please!

What does that mean? To me that means about five bucks

for a chocolate shake; but why is it worded that way? The

same thing may be said of the term inerrancy. It is a five-

dollar word for a very simple concept. Inerrant just means

free from error or mistakes. In the context of the belief

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system of a Christian, it is extremely important. Inerrancy is

the belief that the original manuscripts that make up the

Old and New Testaments of the Bible contain no errors.

This is true, though, only in the original autographs, or

parchments that the authors themselves put together. Does

that mean the translations we have today contain errors?

Yes, but not in the sense of errors in truth, fact or morality.

The “errors” referred to here are actually variations in

punctuation or minor wordings that do not change the

meaning of the affected passages. The reason for this is

because over the centuries the Bible has been through the

hands of countless translators and transcriptionists – all of

which are human and susceptible to making mistakes. The

types of variations and how they are documented in our

current Bible translations are covered in the next chapter of

this book.

In a Christian’s belief system, inerrancy refers only to Holy

Scripture, but not to man’s many interpretations thereof.

The fact that inerrancy applies only to the original

autographs does not mean that the truths given in the Bible

we have today are invalidated. As a matter of fact, Greek

and Hebrew scholars are certain that we have at least 90%

of the original autographs included in our current

translations of the Bible. The variations that are present do

not change any of the truths in God’s Word, nor cause any

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of its assertions to be in doubt. Our belief that the Bible is

inerrant also applies to the declarations made within it. For

example, there are many places in the Bible where lies are

recorded.

4 The serpent said to the woman, “You surely will not die! 5 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.” – Genesis 3:4-5 (NASB)

In this passage, Satan tells one of the biggest lies in history.

The fact that the Bible records this lie does not mean that it

contains errors. Where the Bible includes content that is

wrong, such as this, it tells us that it is wrong.

Being inerrant doesn’t mean that the Bible is always

grammatically correct according to today’s standard, either.

In fact, depending on the translation you use, you may find

many words that don’t fit within our current grammatical

structure. Along these same lines, inerrancy does not

require Christians to believe that quotations, when present,

are the exact words of the person being quoted. Think

about it this way. My ten-year-old son and seven-year-old

daughter love each other dearly; however, they do get into

arguments from time to time. One morning, both came to

me, obviously in disagreement.

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Daughter: “He tried to take this game away, and when I wouldn’t give it to him, he called me stupid!”

Son: “No! That’s my game. When she wouldn’t give it to me, I told her not to act stupid!”

After I reinforced the point that the Miller household

vocabulary does not include the word stupid, I addressed

the issue. But this illustrates the point. Both children were

present at the event when it occurred, yet both reported it

differently. Consider this example from Scripture.

But Jesus turned him about, and when he saw her, he said, Daughter, be of good comfort; thy faith hath made thee whole. – Matthew 9:22 (KJV)) And he said unto her, Daughter, thy faith hath made thee whole; go in peace, and be whole of thy plague. – Mark 5:34 (KJV)

Both are accounts by Matthew and Mark of the healing of

the woman who touched the hem of Jesus’ garment. Is one

of them lying? No! Each recorded the conversation as he

heard it and as he was inspired to do so.

Inerrancy also provides for the use of metaphors and poetic

verbiage where appropriate.

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I am the door; if anyone enters through Me, he will be saved, and will go in and out and find pasture. – John 10:9 (NASB)

Obviously, Jesus isn’t saying that He is a physical door, but

using wordplay to draw a picture of the role He plays in

salvation. Finally, belief in inerrancy does not require

Christians to believe they have the answers to all of the

questions related to the Bible. We must be honest in

acknowledging the passages that are difficult to understand.

Adherence to inerrancy means we believe that it is possible,

by the guidance of the Holy Spirit, to find illumination in

these areas that are otherwise obscure to man alone.

INFALLIBILITY

Infallibility – another five-dollar word. For practical purposes

it has the same meaning as inerrancy, and is used as such in

typical conversation. However, how many of us have been

in church and heard the speaker say something like the

following (written to show voice inflection):

Preacher: “I believe that the B-I-b-l-e…., is the ineRRRent, infAAAAllible, Word of God.”

Audience: “Amen! Amen! Preach it brother!”

So if it basically means the same thing, why would a pastor

use both words to describe the Bible? In studying Scripture

(at the level of completing commentaries and the like), the

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word infallible gives more meaning to the overall content of

the Bible. In that context, it means that God’s Word is

trustworthy and is not misleading in its principles. The

danger for Christians lies in dropping our belief in inerrancy

and holding only to infallibility. What would that look like?

Some are moderating their position on the Bible by labeling

it as a “good book of morals and principles, but not

accurate in areas of science or history.” Their reason for

doing so is due to the fact that they doubt the accuracy of

the scientific and historic references contained in the Bible

(the account of creation, the flood, etc…). Though the Bible

is not a science book, where it references science and

history, it is correct. It is more than just a good book of

ideas by which to live. It is God’s guidebook for our lives!

INSPIRATION

Where did the original autographs (parchments) of Scripture

come from? Sure, Moses, Luke, and other men wrote down

the words that appear in the books that make up the Bible;

but where did those words come from? God tells us that

the Holy Spirit inspired the Bible, meaning that He authored

every Word of it.

All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness; 2 Timothy 3:16 (NASB)

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There are many views on the method by which the Bible

was inspired. Some believe it was naturally inspired,

meaning that there was no spiritual component involved

and simply a human invention. To be clear, in this view,

those who composed each book were extraordinary in their

insight into spiritual truth, but God Himself had no direct

involvement in the Bible’s inception. Another view is that

the Bible was the result of experiential illumination. This

view holds that the Scriptures are the result of the

contemplations of Biblical writers as they meditated on

God. Therefore, Scripture is a work of man in response to

an experience with God. Others believe that the Bible

contains the God’s words, but that it is not the literal Word

of God. According to this viewpoint, the Bible is not

entirely accurate and is best used as a general guideline for

practical living.

The predominant view among Evangelical Christians is that

the Holy Spirit led each writer to record the Scriptures in

manners that reflected their own individual styles and

personal vocabularies, and did so in such away that

prevented error.

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This is what Peter meant when he said:

20 Above all, you must realize that no prophecy in Scripture ever came from the prophet’s own understanding, 21 or from human initiative. No, those prophets were moved by the Holy Spirit, and they spoke from God. – 1 Peter 1:20-21 (NLT)

The Bible is God’s Word – His gift to us to use as a roadmap

for life. It is inerrant and every word may be trusted.

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Question 2

Who decided what was included in the Bible?

19 and if anyone removes any of the words from this book

of prophecy, god will remove that person’s share in the

tree of life and in the holy city that are described in this

book.

- Revelation 22:19 (NLT)

CANONIZATION

Ever wondered how the Bible came to be The Bible? It’s

actually a very interesting story. The Scriptures were written

over a period of approximately 1,500 years, between 1400

BCE and 90 AD. They were written in Hebrew, Aramaic,

and Greek, and were later translated into other languages,

such as Latin. Though debated by many, most scholars

believe that the Old Testament was canonized (or finalized)

at a council held in Jamnia in 90AD, with the New

Testament following several years later in a letter by

Athanasius in 367AD.

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The term canon is used to describe the finalization process

as it means “standard.” So what standard was used to

determine the books that made it into the Bible? Age?

Language? Spiritual Merit? The number of people that

believed the book should be included (popular vote)? None

of these were used. In fact, the primary factor that

determined whether a book was included in the Bible was

this: whether or not its inspiration was directly attributable

to God. For the Old Testament, this determination came in

the form of recognizing the writing of God’s messengers

and prophets. For the New Testament, this determination

came from the apostles, who had direct access to Jesus, or

their students.

Many books were immediately accepted into the Bible; but

some were disputed. For the Old Testament, the Song of

Solomon (too sexy), Ecclesiastes (too negative), Esther (no

mention of God), Ezekiel (too critical), and Proverbs

(contradictory) were all debated prior to being accepted.

For the New Testament, Hebrews (lack of agreement on

author), James (seems to disagree with Paul’s writings), 2

Peter (disagreement on authorship), 2 John, 3 John, Jude,

and Revelation (controversial topic) were all challenged

before being included in the Bible. Not every work made it

in, as is the case with those called the Apocrypha, which

means “difficult to understand.”

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These books include:

• Additions to Esther • Bel and the Dragon • Prayer of Azariah and the Song of the Three Jews • Susanna • Prayer of Manasseh • Ecclesiasticus • Wisdom of Solomon • Tobit • Judith • Baruch • Letter of Jeremiah • 1 & 2 Maccabees • 1 & 2 Esdras

These were not accepted into the Protestant Bible because

they lack sufficient evidence that they were divinely inspired.

VERSIONS

There are many versions of the Bible available today for

personal study; but it hasn’t always been that way. John

Wycliffe completed one of the first English translations of

the Bible in 1382. This was not met with the acceptance

you might expect, as the official language of the Church of

England at the time was Latin. By 1414, reading the Bible in

English became a capital offense! In 1604, the atmosphere

remained tense, but King James I commissioned a new

version of the Bible be translated. This wasn’t necessarily a

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result of his deep religious convictions, but was in response

to a request by Puritans, and to address an uprising in which

Catholic separatists tried to assassinate him by blowing him

up with kegs of gunpowder!

One of the most beautiful works of prose ever

commissioned, the King James Version of the Bible is still in

use by many today. Forty-seven scholars completed the

seven-year project to translate the Bible into English. Strict

rules had been established to insure that the translator’s

personal eccentricities and political prejudices were not

included. The King James Translation of 1611 was based

primarily on the Bishop’s Bible, but also on the Tyndale,

Matthew, Great, Coverdale, and Geneva Bibles.1 As a

matter of fact, the Geneva Bible was the version of Scripture

pilgrims brought with them to America, and used during the

founding of America (not the King James Version). Today,

because of discoveries such as the Dead Sea Scrolls, much

more accurate versions of the Bible are available for study.

Scholars have over 5,000 manuscripts available from which

to translate, dating as far back as 200BC to 70AD.

1 “King James Bible,” accessed 4 September 2015,

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TRANSLATION VS. PARAPHRASE

With so many versions available, it is easy to be confused as

to what you are reading. What exactly is the difference

between a translation and a paraphrased version? A

translation seeks to preserve the number of words and

grammatical constructions from the original (word-for-word).

Paraphrased versions seek to accurately convey the same

meaning of the original in a new language, but are not

concerned about preserving the same number of words or

grammar.

For Bible study, a good translation is in order, such as the

New American Standard Bible (NASB), widely regarded as

the most accurate translation available today. For daily

devotion or general reading, a good paraphrase works best,

such as the New Living Translation (NLT). For reference

purposes, word-for-word translations, such as the NASB and

KJV versions are written on the High School Senior (12th

grade) reading level, while paraphrase versions are easier to

comprehend, as they are generally written on the sixth

grade level.

No matter what version you choose, the most important

thing you can do is to read and apply the words found in

the Bible. For in God’s Word we truly find the words that

lead to better life.

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Question 3

Who is God? 4 for the Lord is high above the nations; his glory is higher

than the heavens.

5 who can be compared with the Lord our God, who is

enthroned on high?

– Psalm 113:4-5 (NASB)

The most basic of all principles within Christianity is a belief

in God. But what kind of God is He? What is He like? How

old is He? What does He do? Where is He? What does He

want with us? We cannot understand the many facets of our

being without first examining the One Who made us.

ATTRIBUTES OF GOD

God is life! His very name “I AM,” which appears in Exodus

3:14, indicates that He is a living God and presupposes His

existence.

God replied to Moses, “I am who I am. Say this to the people of Israel: I am has sent me to you.” – Exodus 3:14. (NLT)

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Every other creature depends on something outside of itself

in order to survive. Not God! He needs nothing, but is the

One Who gives life to all!

…and human hands can’t serve his needs—for he has no needs. He himself gives life and breath to everything, and he satisfies every need. – Acts 17:25 (NLT)

God is infinite, which means He cannot be confined to a

location, or be measured by how much space He occupies.

To answer the question, “Where is God?” with an exact

location is impossible to do because He cannot be

contained in a physical place. God is the One Who brought

space and time into being, and there is no place where God

cannot be found.

24 The God who made the world and all things in it, since He is Lord of heaven and earth, does not dwell in temples made with hands; 25 nor is He served by human hands, as though He needed anything, since He Himself gives to all people life and breath and all things. – Acts 17:24 (NASB)

God is not bound by time, but is conscious of the

succession of points in time. God has infinite knowledge,

and factored it into the creation of the world. He knows

every genuine possibility of every situation that could ever

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occur and it was He Who built them into creation.

And there is no creature hidden from His sight, but all things are open and laid bare to the eyes of Him with whom we have to do. – Hebrews 4:13 (NASB)

God is constant. That means He doesn’t change. God

doesn’t increase in love, in knowledge, in age, or change

His mind. For God to change His mind would mean that He

is not perfect.

For I, the Lord, do not change. – Malachi 3:6 (NASB)

God is morally pure, absolutely free from anything wicked or

impure. He is holy, righteous, and just. His holiness

requires that anyone desiring a relationship with Him be

holy as well.

Be ye holy, because I am holy. – Leviticus 11:45 (KJV)

Because He is righteous, He only commands what is right

and will have a positive effect on the believer who will obey

Him. His commands will never deviate from His character or

Word, and the purity of God’s holiness requires that the

consequences for sin be paid.

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For the wages of sin is death. – Romans 6:23 (KJV)

This raises an interesting question about the very nature of

God. What is God made of?

THE TRINITY

The word Trinity is not in the Bible, but the evidence for its

existence is quite overwhelming. The concept of the Trinity

is that God Himself is an entity of three distinct persons, that

make up a unified being: God the Father, God the Son, and

God the Holy Spirit.

Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, - Matthew 28:19

The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit, be with you all. – 2 Corinthians 13:14

Each entity within the Trinity is equal with one another, or

else they would not be God. But, each performs a different

role.

Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: 6 Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: - Philippians 2:5,6

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Jesus receives His instructions from the Father, as has

intentionally placed Himself under the Father’s authority.

I can do nothing on My own initiative. As I hear, I judge; and My judgment is just, because I do not seek My own will, but the will of Him who sent Me. – John 5:30

The Holy Spirit receives direction from the Father as well,

and is an intentional advocate for each believer. All three

work in concert together as equals.

WHAT GOD DOES There are many acts for which God is responsible; however,

we’ll only focus on those related to man. God is the

sustainer of all things. Through His strength and love for

man, he sustains those who rely upon Him.

Cast your burden upon the Lord and He will sustain you; He will never allow the righteous to be shaken. – Psalm 55:22

God also draws people to Himself so that they may be

saved. His desire is that everyone ever born would be

saved. Many times we get the incorrect perception of God.

We don’t chase or seek after him to be saved; it is God, out

of His passionate love that pursues and draws us to be

saved.

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No man can come to me, except the Father which hath sent me draw him: and I will raise him up at the last day. – John 6:44

God has always been, and always will be. His very nature is

to redeem mankind and bring everyone back into a

relationship with Himself.

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Question 4

Who is Satan? Now the serpent was more crafty than any beast of the field which the Lord God had made. And he said to the woman, “Indeed, has God said, ‘You shall not eat from any tree of the garden’?”

- Genesis 3:1

Who is Satan, and where did he come from? Why would he advise Eve to blatantly disobey God? It’s because he had already made that same choice himself, and has convinced thousands upon thousands to do so as well. Noted psychologist Sigmund Freud asserted that Satan was the personification of unconscious human drives.2 However, Satan did not originate in the mind of man. Satan is a fallen angel created by God. Satan was created by God, committed sin, and was cast out of heaven sometime before the events recorded in Genesis 3:1.

The prophet Ezekiel, in Ch. 28, provides a picture of this spiritual warfare as it unfolded, through his prophecy against the king of Tyre.

2 Rosemarie Sponner Sand, The Unconscious Without Freud, (Plymouth: Rowan and Littlefield, 2014), 88.

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“Thus says the Lord God, You had the seal of perfection, Full of wisdom and perfect in beauty. You were in Eden, the garden of God; Every precious stone was your covering: The ruby, the topaz and the diamond; The beryl, the onyx, and the jasper; The lapis lazuli, the turquoise and the emerald. And the gold, the workmanship of your settings and sockets was in you. On the day that you were created They were prepared. You were the anointed Cherub who covers, And I placed you there. You were on the holy mountain of God; You walked in the midst of the stones of fire. You were blameless in your ways From the day you were created Until unrighteousness was found in you.

Though this was spoken against the literal king of Tyre, the prophecy reveals intimate details about the origin of the sinister mastermind behind his rise to prominence.

Focus on the four key words that Ezekiel used to describe Satan in this passage: anointed cherub who covers. This provides key information about what Satan was intended to be.

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The Hebrew word for anointed here is: (mim-shakh’) ח ׁש מ מ – which means expansion as with extended wings.

The Hebrew word for Cherub : (ker-uv) - Means one בּור ּכwho is near to God, admitted into His presence.

The Hebrew word for covers (sa-hahk) – means to ך כ ס protect, to hedge about, to fence in. Taken together, as the anointed Cherub who covers , we can see that Satan was meant to be a protector of the glory of God, and as such had unparalleled access into the presence of the Lord. But instead of protecting God’s glory, he tried to usurp it for himself. In Isaiah 14:12-14, we find Satan’s attempt to overthrow God, and herein lies the original sin.

“How you have fallen from heaven, O star of the morning, son of the dawn! You have been cut down to the earth, You who have weakened the nations! But you said in your heart, I will ascend to heaven; I will raise my throne above the stars of God, And I will sit on the mount of the assembly In the recesses of the north. I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will make myself like the Most High.’

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Notice the focus is continually on Satan throughout the passage. Every sin that we commit today begins exactly the same way:

1. In our heart 2. When we elevate ourselves to the position of

God.

But let us explore that position for a moment. Do we really believe that we are capable of acting with the same authority as God in our lives? No, absolutely not. We can’t fix everything, heal every wound, and anticipate every situation. But what we are actually doing is placing our own authority in direct opposition to God’s authority, and that is called rebellion.

Exodus 20:13 says “For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft…”

Rebellion is demonic, for it originated with Satan. By nature we cannot equal God, but by our actions we try to spatially orient ourselves above Him. That means that we try to keep up the pretense that we have things under control, and have everything we need within ourselves. But the truth is this: There is only One person around which everything revolves, and it isn’t us!

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Question 5

Who am I? 26 Then God said, “let us make man in our image,

according to our likeness;”

– Genesis 1:26 (NASB)

WHO WE ARE

We are uniquely made. God placed special consideration

into making you. He used wisdom in intentionally

distinguishing between genders when creating people – His

most prized possessions.

God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them. – Genesis 1:27 (NASB)

We are meant to be caretakers of the wonderful world He

made. That means that we should be wise stewards of the

earth’s resources. We are made after God’s own pattern –

all other creatures were made after their own kind. Not us!

We were made in the image of God!

Everyone has a body, soul, and spirit. The presence of your

body is fairly obvious, right? But what is the difference

between the soul and the spirit? To put each of these parts

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in perspective, let us define them in relation to God.

Body – The body is not just a “container of the soul,” nor is

it the “source of all pleasure.”3 The physical body is that

which was created to carry out the will of God on the earth.

It was also necessary in order to complete God’s

redemptive plan for man.

He personally carried our sins in his body on the cross so that we can be dead to sin and live for what is right. By his wounds you are healed. – 1 Peter 2:24

Soul – That which relates to the mind and personality of a

person and is meant to reflect the attributes of God.

Spirit – The eternal part of every person that will exist for

eternity. This is your identity before God.

Not only were we made in the image of God, but God

intends that our life should bear the likeness of His image.

Every aspect of our lives should be made-over into the

image of God. We have an eternal purpose of bringing

honor and glory to God – that is why we were created!

3 John D. Laing, Ph. D., “Theological Anthropology,” (classroom lecture notes, SYSTH 3003 – Systematic Theology, Fall, 2013), 8.

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So that the proof of your faith, being more precious than gold which is perishable, even though tested by fire, may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ. – 1 Peter 5:7 (NASB)

PERSONHOOD

What makes a person, a person? This question has been

debated all the way to the Supreme Court. In defining what

makes a person, some focus on traits that distinguish

humans from the animals. Others define personhood in

terms of human behavior, or by what a person can do. Still

others say that society itself determines who a person is. In

the scientific community, personhood is measured by

biological data or brain activity.

This measurability has driven the discussion of personhood

from what makes a person to when does a person become a

person. Few societies still hold the view that personhood is

established at birth; however, the controversial Rowe vs.

Wade decision of 1973 places the instantiation of life at fetal

viability, or the third trimester of pregnancy.4 It is

interesting, however, that many physicians determine the

end of life by the lack of brain activity within a person. Brain

activity begins in a baby at six weeks of pregnancy.

4 “Row vs. Wade,” accessed 3 September 2015, http://caselaw.findlaw.com/us-supreme-court/410/113.html.

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The Bible says that life begins at conception, and that God

determines who we are.

Before I formed you in the womb I knew and approved of you as My chosen instrument, and before you were born I separated and set you apart, consecrating you; and I appointed you as a prophet to the nations. - Jeremiah 1:5 (NASB)

For you did form my inward parts; you did knit me together in my mother’s womb. 14 I will confess and praise you for you are fearful and wonderful and for the awful wonder of my birth! Wonderful are your works, and that my inner self knows right well. 15 My frame was not hidden from you when I was being formed in secret [and] intricately and curiously wrought [as if embroidered with various colors] in the depths of the earth [a region of darkness and mystery]. 16 Your eyes saw my unformed substance, and in your book all the days [of my life] were written before ever they took shape, when as yet there was none of them. - Psalm 139:13 (AMP)

We also have a purpose while we are here on earth. God

gave man instruction to work (cultivate and keep) His

garden. What are we to be cultivating and keeping today?

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Question 6

What is Sin? Therefore, just as through one man sin entered into the

world, and death through sin, and so death spread to all

men, because all sinned.

- Romans 5:12 (NASB)

Where did sin come from? Adam and Eve in the Garden of

Eden, right? Not so fast.

THE ORIGIN OF SIN

Before God made mankind, He created angels and

commanded them to worship Him.

Were you there when I laid the foundation of the earth? Tell me, if you have understanding. When the morning stars sang together and the sons of God shouted for joy? – Job 38:4,7 (NASB)

Though angels had power and were given the privilege of

worshiping God, they were also given a free will and the

freedom to make the choice to obey – or not. And that is

where we first find sin.

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But you said in your heart, ‘I will ascend to heaven; I will raise my throne above the stars of God, - Isaiah 14:13 (NASB)

You were blameless in your ways From the day you were created Until unrighteousness was found in you. – Ezekiel 28:15 (NASB)

In pride Satan believed himself to be equal with God, and

wanted to be in charge. In response, God threw him out of

Heaven to the earth. That’s where he lied to Eve, distorting

God’s own Words.

The serpent said to the woman, “You surely will not die! 5 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. – Genesis 3:4 (NLT)

It is interesting to note that both Adam and Eve were

already like God! They were made in His image. Satan was

not selling them anything better than they already

possessed; yet they believed his lie. Satan told them that

God was keeping something from them that was good, and

that they should take it upon themselves to secure that

goodness. After all, they deserved it, and if they didn’t look

out for themselves, no one would.

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This struggle still goes on in the hearts of men and women

today. Every sin we commit may be traced to Satan’s origin

wrongdoing – we want to assume to role of God in our life.

We know more – we know better – we know what is right,

when God is the One Who is the very essence of truth.

THE EFFECT OF SIN

As soon as Adam and Eve disobeyed God’s command, they

experienced something they had never felt before: guilt and

shame.

Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together and made themselves loin coverings. – Genesis 3:7 (NASB)

This act of willful rebellion resulted in far reaching

consequences. Prior to this point in the Bible, there had

been no mention of certain death. But, because of his

disobedience mankind now suffers physical death. Far

worse than this, however, is the fact that mankind died

spiritually, as sin separates people from God.

Man chose to obey his will over the guiding principles laid

down by God, and his actions marred the image of God in

which he was made. The fellowship that humans once freely

enjoyed with their Creator was now broken.

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So He drove the man out; and at the east of the garden of Eden He stationed the cherubim and the flaming sword which turned every direction to guard the way to the tree of life. Then the LORD God took the man and put him into the garden of Eden to cultivate it and keep it. – Genesis 3:14 (NLT)

From the moment Adam and Eve sinned, the tendency to

sin has been present in all of their descendants.

Therefore, just as through one man sin entered into the world, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men, because all sinned. – Romans 5:12 (NASB)

Because of the sin that Adam and Eve committed in Eden,

mankind is in need of a Redeemer. God, in his infinite love,

saw this need before the world was created and prepared a

way for us to be forgiven for our sins.

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Question 7

Who is Jesus? 29 Then he asked them, “But who do you say I am?”

Peter replied, “You are the Messiah.”

- Mark 8:29

THE PERSON OF CHRIST

God knew that we would need a mediator, even before He

created us, so Jesus was prepared from before the

beginning of the world.

For He was foreknown before the foundation of the world, but has appeared in these last times for the sake of you . 1 Peter 1:20 (NASB)

Jesus, God’s Son, became flesh, a man, by means no other

has ever before. It was a supernatural event, and He was

born without sin.

Now the birth of Jesus Christ was as follows: when His mother Mary had been betrothed to Joseph, before they came together she was found to be with child by the Holy Spirit. – Matthew 1:18 (NASB)

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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 Corinthians 5:21 (NASB)

During the time Jesus was on the earth, His mission was to

reveal the message that all people were in need of hearing.

That message still needs sharing today! Everywhere Jesus

went, He told people about their need to be forgiven for

the things they had done wrong. Many perceptions of

Jesus today do not include this side of Jesus’ character, but

He loves everyone so much that He doesn’t want anyone to

spend their eternity in Hell.

From that time Jesus began to preach and say, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand. – Matthew 4:17 (NASB)

For God did not send the Son into the world to judge the world, but that the world might be saved through Him. – John 3:17 (NASB)

During His time here on earth, Jesus was God’s

representative before man. Now, He is man’s

representative before God! Jesus intercedes on behalf of all

those who come to God through Him. Not only is Jesus the

path by which we get to God, He is the payment by which

we are able to stand before Him once we get there!

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For as much as you know that you were not redeemed with corruptible things, such as silver or gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers; But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot. Who was foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifest in these last times for you, Who by Him do believe in God, that raised Him up from the dead, and gave Him glory; that your faith and hope might be in God. – 1 Peter 1:18

Consider this. Jesus:

1. Stands in the presence of God for us. (Hebrews 9:24) 2. Prays for us. (John 17:9) 3. Defends us versus Satan, and speaks on our behalf. (Romans 8:33)

Can you imagine having an advocate whose prayers are

never interrupted?

Jesus is also the Messiah, the One sent to deliver us from

our sins and assume control of our lives. After He lived a

perfect life here on earth, He was crucified on a cross, was

buried, and rose from His grave three days later. He was

then given all power in both heaven and earth (Matthew

28.18). Because of this, Jesus is the only path to God.

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Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me. – John 14:6

THE WORK OF CHRIST

Jesus provides a way to restore the relationship mankind

lost by the effect of sin at the Fall in the Garden of Eden. By

coming to earth and being incarnated into flesh, living a

sinless life, dying on a cross, then rising from the dead three

days later, Jesus provided payment for our sins. This is

called atonement.

This act provides a perfect example of the type of

dedication God desires from each of us. It demonstrated

God’s passionate love for each one of us, and emphasized

the seriousness of sin and the holiness of God’s character.

Jesus’ atonement was an act of supreme triumph over sin

and death that liberated us from their destructive power and

satisfied our debt of sin before God the Father.

The effects of this wonderful atonement are threefold:

• Freedom from the penalty of sin – we no longer must

spend eternity in hell!

• Freedom from the effects of sin – we may no longer

carry the guilt and shame of our sin!

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Therefore, [there is] now no condemnation (no adjudging guilty of wrong) for those who are in Christ Jesus, who live [and] walk not after the dictates of the flesh, but after the dictates of the Spirit. – Romans 8:1

• Restoration of fellowship with God the Father.

17 And He came and preached peace to you who were far away, and peace to those who were near; 18 for through Him we both have our access in one Spirit to the Father. – Ephesians 2:17-18

Every person has a need to be reconciled to God (whether

they recognize it or not). God’s desire is for Jesus to be our

Reconciliation and Jesus is the only path to God.

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Question 8

Who is the Holy Spirit? 16 And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Advocate, who will never leave you.

- John 14.16

THE NATURE OF THE HOLY SPIRIT

Virtually no one challenges the deity of God the Father, and

that of Jesus the Son may be argued effectively through His

incarnation and sacrifice. But we have a harder time, as

humans, understanding the deity of the Holy Spirit. As He is

part of the Trinity, He is fully God. Just as Jesus is equal to

God, and is God, the Holy Spirit is equal to God.

But Peter said, “Ananias, why has Satan filled your heart to lie to the Holy Spirit and to keep back some of the price of the land? 4 While it remained unsold, did it not remain your own? And after it was sold, was it not under your control? Why is it that you have conceived this deed in your heart? You have not lied to men but to God. – Acts 5:3-4

The Holy Spirit possesses all of the attributes of God. He

has, or it may be better stated, is all knowledge (1

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Corinthians 2:10-11). He is all-powerful (Romans 15:18), and

is infinite.

For if the blood of goats and bulls and the ashes of a heifer sprinkling those who have been defiled sanctify for the cleansing of the flesh, 14 how much more will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself without blemish to God, cleanse your conscience from dead works to serve the living God? - Hebrews 9.13

THE WORK OF THE HOLY SPIRIT

Just as Jesus is the path to God, the Holy Spirit performs a

specific role in the Trinity as it relates to mankind. The

Apostle John tells us that the Holy Spirit convicts believers

of sin. Not only does he point out the areas of our lives that

need improvement, but also provides the power to make

the change! The Holy Spirit works within each one of us to

regenerate us into a form more like the image our Father

every day!

14 For this reason I bow my knees before the Father, 15 from whom every family in heaven and on earth derives its name, 16 that He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with power through His Spirit in the inner man, - Ephesians 3:14-16

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For I am confident of this very thing, that He who began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus. – Philippians 1:6

At the time a person asks Jesus for forgiveness and repents of their sin, the Holy Spirit indwells them, taking up permanent residence within their innermost being.

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 14:17

It is this sealing of the Holy Spirit that keeps us safely part of

God’s forever family from the moment of salvation

throughout eternity. From within each believer, the Holy

Spirit then teaches (John 14:26) how to live a better life.

Some, by their deeds and misconceptions regarding

salvation, have soiled the perception associated with its

assurance. By taking God’s forgiveness for granted, many

have given rise to the phrase “Once Saved, Always Saved,”

by which many Baptist Churches are held in derision.

The assurance of salvation, defined as getting saved, then

being free to live your life according to your own agenda,

with license to sin, is found nowhere in God’s Word. In fact,

the opposite is true. The term for assurance of salvation, as

promised by God, is Perseverance of the Saints (Security of

the Believer). Jesus says that those who truly believe and

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are saved will show themselves to be members of His family

because of the real change that takes place within their

hearts. How do we know we will not lose our salvation?

1. Jesus says so.

And I give them eternal life, and they shall never lose it or perish throughout the ages. – John 10:28 (AMP)

2. The Holy Spirit has sealed us. We did not set the seal,

and we are not powerful enough to break it!

[He has also appropriated and acknowledged us as

His by] putting His seal upon us and giving us His

[Holy] Spirit in our hearts as the security deposit and

guarantee [of the fulfillment of His promise]. – 1 Corinthians 1:22 (AMP)

3. The penalty for our sins (eternity in hell) was paid by

Jesus’ death on the cross – once. Once we accept

that payment, we are no longer under that law of sin

and death.

1 Therefore there is now no condemnation for those

who are in Christ Jesus. 2 For the law of the Spirit of

life in Christ Jesus has set you free from the law of sin

and of death. – Romans 8:1,2

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4. Once we have the Holy Spirit within us, nothing can

separate us from God ever again!

33 Who shall bring any charge against God’s elect

[when it is] God Who justifies us?34 Who is there to

condemn [us]? Will Christ Jesus, Who died, or rather

Who was raised from the dead, Who is at the right

hand of God actually pleading as He intercedes for

us?35 Who shall ever separate us from Christ’s love?

Shall suffering and affliction and tribulation? Or

calamity and distress? Or persecution or hunger or

destitution or peril or sword?36 Even as it is written,

For Thy sake we are put to death all the day long; we

are regarded and counted as sheep for the

slaughter.37 Yet amid all these things we are more

than conquerors and gain a surpassing victory

through Him Who loved us.38 For I am persuaded

beyond doubt (am sure) that neither death nor life,

nor angels nor principalities, nor things impending

and threatening nor things to come, nor

powers,39 Nor height nor depth, nor anything else in

all creation will be able to separate us from the love

of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. – Romans 8:33

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5. People do not start (or stop) being Christians

by their works; however, you will be able to

identity true believers by them.

18 Now someone may argue, “Some people

have faith; others have good deeds.” But I say,

“How can you show me your faith if you don’t

have good deeds? I will show you my faith by

my good deeds.” – James 2:18

19 These people left our churches, but they

never really belonged with us; otherwise they

would have stayed with us. When they left, it

proved that they did not belong with us. – 1 John 2:19

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Question 9

What is Salvation? 16 For I am not ashamed of this Good News about Christ. It is the power of God at work, saving everyone who believes—the Jew first and also the Gentile.

- Romans 1:16

Jesus is the only path to God, and the Holy Spirit is the

means by which a person is drawn to Jesus. But what does

salvation mean, exactly? Is it a one-time event?

THE BEGINNING OF SALVATION

In order to come to Jesus and be saved, we must be called.

We do not come on our own. God’s desire is that everyone

would be saved; however, the reality is that few will be.

The Lord is not slow about His promise, as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing for any to perish but for all to come to repentance. – 2 Peter 3:9

God the Father draws all to a relationship with Him through

Jesus the Son by persuasion of the Holy Spirit. This is very

important to understand. We cannot nag, convince,

rationalize, bribe, or otherwise make a person get saved.

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Drawing someone to Jesus is completely a work of the Holy

Spirit – period.

God is faithful, through whom you were called into fellowship with His Son, Jesus Christ our Lord. – 1 Corinthians 1:9 (NASB)

…and that no man can say that Jesus is the Lord, but by the Holy Ghost. – 1 Corinthians 12:3 (NASB)

THE COMPONENTS OF SALVATION

It happens every Sunday throughout the world at the end of

sermon after sermon.

“Now with every head bowed and every eye closed. If you would like to ask Jesus into your heart, repeat after me…”

Isn’t that all there is to salvation? A simple prayer followed

by baptism? No-o-o-o! There are many more wonderful

components to salvation than that!

At the point of salvation, the Holy Spirit indwells every

believer. On the inside, a dramatic change takes place that

you may or may not even be aware of. The Holy Spirit

resurrects the spirit that was dead to sin within you and

creates a new you capable of following Jesus!

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Even when we were dead in our transgressions, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), - Ephesians 2:5 (NASB)

This is called conversion, and it is made up of two parts:

repentance and faith. Repentance is turning AWAY from

sin, based on a conscious realization that it separates us

from God, sorrow for our participation in it, and a desire to

enter into a relationship with God.

And He was saying to them all, “If anyone wishes to come after Me, he must deny himself, and take up his cross daily and follow Me. – Luke 9:23 (NASB)

Faith is turning TOWARD Christ for the provision of

salvation. The Greek word for faith actually means “believe

what I say.” Combined, repentance and faith make up

man’s response to God’s offer of salvation:

I will believe, repent, and accept God’s gift.

Once conversion has taken place, the Holy Spirit

regenerates the inside. This involves a reversal of our old

tendencies, and a creation of new loyalties. This is a

completely spiritual occurrence, and cannot be achieved or

maintained by physical effort.

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Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creature; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come. – 2 Corinthians 5:17 (NASB)

But that’s not where the transformation of the believer ends,

as the process of sanctification begins. Sanctification is the

continuing work of God in the believer to make them holy

(exhibiting the characteristics of God). This concerns man’s

moral status before God. This is the process by which the

Holy Spirit applies to the believer the work done by Jesus

Christ in their life.

But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as from the Lord, the Spirit. – 2 Corinthians 3:18

THE RESULTS OF SALVATION

The Bible says that once Jesus saves us, we will spend an

eternity with Him in Heaven. But the effects of salvation are

not just deferred to a heavenly home, but begin here, and

now! True salvation gives the believer the power to live as

God commands.

For it is God who is at work in you, both to will and to work for His good pleasure. Philippians 2:13

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For we also once were foolish ourselves, disobedient, deceived, enslaved to various lusts and pleasures, spending our life in malice and envy, hateful, hating one another. 4 But when the kindness of God our Savior and His love for mankind appeared, 5 He saved us, not on the basis of deeds which we have done in righteousness, but according to His mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewing by the Holy Spirit, 6 whom He poured out upon us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior, - Titus 3.3-6 .

Not only does he give us to power to live a good life, but that is His desire for every believer.

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Question 10

What is Revelation? 10 But[b] it was to us that God revealed these things by his Spirit. For his Spirit searches out everything and shows us God’s deep secrets.

1 Corinthians 2:10

GOD SPEAKS TO MANKIND

When we speak of revelation, we are not referring to the

biblical book of Revelation. Here, we refer to the act of

uncovering information, or the way that God “makes known

what was otherwise unknowable.”5 How does God reveal

Himself to those that believe in Him? Does he speak in a

deep bass voice that shakes the room? Does he rattle

pictures on the wall, control whether a field goal is good in

answer to prayers, or take sides in sporting events?

Overall, there are two types of revelation. The first is

general revelation, and refers to the types of attributes

about God that everyone in the World can see, perceive,

and relate to God. Examples of general forms of revelation

are elements in creation, such as mountains, oceans, and

5 John D. Laing, Ph. D., “Revelation,” (classroom lecture notes, SYSTH 3003 – Systematic Theology, Fall, 2013), 3.

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the sense of a conscience within humans. These types of

revelation span time and space, and are not limited to any

specific individual.

The second form of revelation is special revelation, and

refers to God’s specific actions whereby He chooses to

reveal Himself in a unique, personal way. This type of

revelation is specific to an individual or group of people

during a defined time and place. An example of special

revelation is the Holy Spirit’s salvation call to a person

needing to be saved.

GOD SPEAKS TO YOU

One of the hardest things for Christians today seems to be

hearing from God. Even harder still is discerning what He

wants us to do when it comes time to make a decision. So

how is that done? How do we hear from God and know

when He is speaking to us, and know for certain He is

leading us in a direction?

It is not our job to direct our lives. His role of directing us

includes His responsibility for making His direction known to

us! He does not expect us to walk without direction, but He

does expect us to walk. 6

6 Robert M. Overton, Ph. D., “The Christian Ministry,” (class lecture notes, PASM 3313 – Foundation for Christian

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For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God. – Romans 8:24

Our job is to seek His direction. Did you know that there

are some things that there is no need to take to the Father

in prayer?

• Requests contrary to His Word – God does not honor sin.

• Requests about topics on which He has already Spoken –Matthew 28:18-20 (The Great Commission)

• Requests Consistent with the Mind of Christ –

16 For who has known or understood the mind (the counsels and purposes) of the Lord so as to guide and instruct Him and give Him knowledge? But we have the mind of Christ (the Messiah) and do hold the thoughts (feelings and purposes) of His heart. – 1 Corinthians 2:16

So, what do we pray for direction about? God wants to hear

from His children! The following are a few rules of thumb

when praying for direction:

Ministry, Fall, 2013), 6.

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• Pray about issues not related to morality.

Moral issues have already been settled in His

Word.

• Pray about issues that God has not specifically

spoken about before personally related to

your lives.

• Pray about issues for which you do not possess

spiritual wisdom and about which you are

unable to discern a course of action. This is

where Divine Direction is needed!

This is the point in our search for answers from God that

many believers find themselves stuck. Many report that

they pray and pray and receive no answer. I grew up during

a time when the prevalent attitude was to pray; however,

the usual (and almost expected) answer was silence. Rather

than explore the fact that something might be wrong with

the prayer process, the explanation of this phenomenon was

that if you heard nothing, God was answering with “No,” or

“Wait.”

What a limited view of God this is! The God Who made the

human mind and tongue, Who established language and

the ability to communicate and define even what that means

has been reduced to filling in a three bubble survey

question: Yes, No, or Wait. It boggles the mind. If I tried

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to incorporate that communication model into my marriage,

I wouldn’t be married long! God wants to speak to us, and

we should be hearing from Him. So, how do believers hear

from God?

You start with a heart to DO whatever He says in His answer,

no matter what, where, or how. That means that you seek

Him from a pure heart of obedience.

“Here am I, Lord. Send me” Isaiah 6:8

You begin with regular, sustained times of prayer, that

include periods of intentional listening for God’s voice from

within with an open, obedient heart.

And Samuel said, "Speak, for Your servant is listening ." – 1 Samuel 3:10 And I said, 'What shall I do, Lord?' (Paul) – Acts 22:8 Then I said, 'Behold, I have come (In the roll of the book it is written of Me) To do Thy will, O God .'" Hebrews 10:5 (KJV) (Jesus)

How long? Until you receive an answer. So what happens

when you pray and pray and still receive no reply? Do you

give up, assume God has said wait, or take His silence to

mean that God doesn’t hear you? When God doesn’t

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answer our prayers it is our responsibility to find out why.

What is the barrier?

• Is there sin blocking our communication?

If I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not

hear me; - Psalm 66:18 (NASB)

• Are we asking according to his plan for us?

[Or] you do ask [God for them] and yet fail to

receive, because you ask with wrong purpose

and evil, selfish motives. Your intention is

[when you get what you desire] to spend it in

sensual pleasures. – James 4:3 (NLT)

• Are our relationships right with others?

In the same way you married men should live

considerately with [your wives], with an

intelligent recognition [of the marriage

relation], honoring the woman as [physically]

the weaker, but [realizing that you] are joint

heirs of the grace (God’s unmerited favor) of

life, in order that your prayers may not be

hindered and cut off. [Otherwise you cannot

pray effectively] - 1 Peter 3:7 [AMP]

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Once the barriers are removed, it is our duty to pursue God

steadfastly, to chase after Him knowing it is His duty to

reveal His plan to us.

Great! You have prayed and God has answered, or at

least you think He has. How do you know the answer

is from God and not you?

• If the answer conflicts with His Word, that’s not it.

• If the answer conflicts with the mind of Christ, that’s not it.

• If the answer conflicts with what He has already said, that’s not it.

For God is not a God of confusion but of peace, as in all the churches of the saints. – I Corinthians 14:33

This verse is in the context of voices and speaking in

the church. God wants order when things are being

said so that the message is communicated clearly! He does not send mixed signals!

• He makes it clear to us in a settled conviction

(despite challenges, and not being able to see

the “how”) and growing assurance, as we

continue to grow and meditate on the

direction given.

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It is God that is at work in you, both to will and to work for His good pleasure. – Philippians 2:13

God will cause you to desire to do His revealed plan

for you – this is not a carnal desire, but a spiritual burning for the direction given, in a growing, settled way.

1. In the case of where, it is usually with the sense

that we should stay or leave where we are.

2. In cases of direction, the desire (this is the will to obey) and motivation to move in God’s revealed

path continues to grow (despite fleshly arguments against it – such as our own carnal influences or advice from those where it is evident it was not Spirit-led).

3. In all cases, He gives the energy and power to

obey (this is the work He is doing in you to obey)7

His commands include the POWER to obey them! He will

not tell us to do something we have no power to do. Once

God provides direction, it is our duty to obey Him. We are

not called by Him to decide for ourselves what we should

do or where we should do it. It’s for Him to direct! In this

way we can be confident that we will have life, here, and

have it more abundantly! 7 Overton, 8.

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Bibliography

“King James Bible.” Accessed 4 September 2015. http://www.allabouttruth.org/king-james-bible.htm.

Laing, John D., Ph. D. “Revelation.” Classroom lecture

notes, SYSTH 3003 – Systematic Theology, Fall, 2013.

Laing, John D., Ph. D. “Theological Anthropology.”

Classroom lecture notes, SYSTH 3003 – Systematic Theology, Fall 2013.

Overton, Robert M., Ph. D. “The Christian Ministry.”

Classroom lecture notes, PASM 3313 – Foundation for Christian Ministry, Fall 2013.

“Row vs. Wade.” Accessed 3 September 2015,

http://caselaw.findlaw.com/us-supreme-court/410/113.html.

Sand, Rosemarie Sponner. The Unconscious Without Freud.

Plymouth: Rowan and Littlefield, 2014.

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