GLC - DOC - 170426 - Basic Doctrines 1 Leaders Guide REF

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LEADER’S
GUIDE
for EXAMINE Section
IMPORTANT NOTE: This section contains teaching explanations inside pa-

rentheses that guide and help the discussion leader elaborate on each point
in this lesson. You will also find the fill-ins, or answers to the blank spaces in
the workbook. The goal is not to parrot the explanations but to study, reflect
and express these directly and clearly as you lead the discussion in your small
group.
You have the option to add related illustrations or statements for further
clarification. However, deviating from the outline or adding major points is
not encouraged, to ensure transferability of the lesson to your Dgroup mem-
bers who are expected to teach the same things to their future or current
disciples, as well as to limit the time devoted for each lesson.
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DOCTRINE AND APPLICATION
Romans 1–11 Romans 12–16

Doctrine Application
Ephesians 1–3 Ephesians 4–6
Colossians 1–2 Colossians 3–4
Hebrews 1–11 Hebrews 12–13
“If you continue in My word, then you are truly disciples

of Mine; 32 and you will know the truth, and the truth will
make you free.”
John 8:31–32
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SESSION 1:
The Doctrine of God: His Nature and Attributes
Our Statement of Faith – God
We believe that there is only one sovereign God, eternally existent in three
Persons: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. He is the independent Creator of
the heavens and the universe; He is all-knowing, all-powerful, just, loving,
completely truthful, and holy.
Cf. Genesis 1:1, 26, 27; Psalm 90:2; Matthew 28:19; 1 Peter
1:2; 2 Corinthians 13:14; Isaiah 6:3; Titus 1:2; John 3:16;
1 Chronicles 29:11–12.
I. Arguments for God’s Existence

The Bible makes no attempt to defend God’s existence it simply
declares that He exists and proceeds to tell us who He is, what He
is like and all that He has done. In fact the Bible says that only a fool
would deny the existence of God.
The fool has said in his heart, “There is no God.” They are corrupt, they
have committed abominable deeds; There is no one who does good.
(Psalm 14:1)
However there are a number of good strong rational arguments for

the existence of God that we can use when talking to people that do
not respect God’s Word.
Chart 1.1: Summary for Arguments for the existence of God
DEFENSE DEFINITION
The This is an argument based a. Everything that has a
cosmological on cause and effect. beginning has a cause.
argument b. The universe had a beginning
so it had a cause.
c. God is the causeless one
who had no beginning.
d. Therefore God is the one
who created the universe.
Book 6: BASIC DOCTRINES, Leader’s Guide

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DEFENSE DEFINITION
The This argues that the a. If something has been clearly
teleological argument universe is evidence of a designed to perform a
great designer. specific function it must have
From the Greek word (Intelligent Design) a designer.
“telos” which means b. The universe clearly shows
design. marks of design. Therefore it
was created.
c. God exists and He designed/
created the universe.
The moral argument The universal existence a. People everywhere
of moral standards would recognize a moral code.
be impossible without an b. Right and wrong imply a
absolute moral Governor. standard or law.
c. To have a law you must have
a lawgiver.
d. This lawgiver is God.
II. The Nature of God

A. God is Spirit
God is spirit, and those who worship Him

must worship in spirit and truth.
John 4:24
Jesus Himself has told us that God is spirit. While He can certainly
indwell a body He does not have or regularly inhabit a body as
we do. The Bible does however use anthropomorphisms. This is
when it attributes human characteristics to God in an effort to help
us understand Him better.
B. God is a Trinity.
a. The Bible teaches us that there is only one God, eternally
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existent as Three Persons; the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
While this doctrine may be difficult to understand it cannot be

denied. The whole Bible teaches us that our God is a tri-unity
of three distinct persons.
God has revealed many things to us through His Word but

His revelation is not exhaustive, many things remain hidden
from us.
“Bring me a worm that can comprehend a man,

and then I will show you a man
that can comprehend the triune God.”
JOHN WESLEY
“The secret things belong to the Lord our God, but the
things revealed belong to us and to our sons forever, that
we may observe all the words of this law.”
Deuteronomy 29:29
b. The Bible shows us that these three persons are distinct:
1. The Father IS NOT

IS NOT the Son. THE THE
FATHER SON
2. The Son IS NOT IS IS
the Holy Spirit.
GOD
IS
3. The Holy Spirit

T
NO
NO
IS NOT the Father. IS

T
IS
THE
HOLY
SPIRIT
c. Each of these three persons is God.
1. The Father IS God.

2. The Son IS God.
3. The Holy Spirit IS God.

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Chart 1.2: Biblical References for the Trinity
OLD TESTAMENT NEW TESTAMENT

One God “Hear, O Israel! The Lord “yet for us there is but one God,
is our God, the Lord is the Father, from whom are all
one!” things and we exist for Him; and
(Deuteronomy 6:4) one Lord, Jesus Christ, by whom
Cf. Isaiah 43:10, 46:9 are all things, and we exist through
Him.”
(1 Corinthians 8:6)
Cf. Ephesians 4:4–6,
1 Timothy 2:5, James 2:19
Three Then God said, “Let “Go therefore and make disciples
Persons Us make man in Our of all the nations, baptizing them
image, according to Our in the name of the Father and the
likeness” Son and the Holy Spirit,
(Genesis 1:26a)
(Matthew 28:19–20)
Cf. Isaiah 6:8, Psalm 110:1, Cf. Matthew 3:16–17,
Hosea 1:7 Titus 3:4–6
Chart 1.3: Biblical References for the Deity of all Three Persons
of the Trinity
THE DEITY OF ALL THREE PERSONS

Father one God and Father of all who is over all and through all and in all.
(Ephesians 4:6) Cf. John 6:27, 1 Corinthians 8:6, Galatians 1:1
Son But of the Son He says,

“YOUR THRONE, O GOD, IS FOREVER AND EVER, AND THE
RIGHTEOUS SCEPTER IS THE SCEPTER OF HIS KINGDOM.
(Hebrews 1:8) Cf. John 1:1–17, John 17:5, Colossians 1:16, Titus 2:13
Holy Do you not know that you are a temple of God and that the Spirit
Spirit of God dwells in you?
(1 Corinthians 3:16) Cf. John 3:5–8, Acts 5:3–4, 1 Corinthians 6:19
See also:
John 3:34–35; John 14:26; John 15:26; John 16:13–15; Romans 14:17–18;
Romans 15:13–17; Romans 15:30; 1 Corinthians 6:11, 17–19; 1 Corinthians
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12:4–6; 2 Corinthians 1:21–22; 2 Corinthians 3:4–6; Galatians 2:21–3:2;
Galatians 4:6; Ephesians 2:18; Ephesians 3:11–17; Ephesians 5:18–20;
Colossians 1:6–8; 1 Thessalonians 1:1–15; 1 Thessalonians 4:2,8; 1
Thessalonians 5:18–19; 2 Thessalonians 3:5; Hebrews 9:14; 1 Peter 1:2; 1
John 3:23–24; 1 John 4:13–14; Jude 20–21.
“There is only one God, but in the unity of the Godhead

there are three eternal and coequal Persons;
the same in substance or essence
but distinct in subsistence or existence.”
DR. A . FRUCHTENBAUM
III. The Attributes of God
God is the greatest thought the mind can entertain and what we think
of God is the most important thing about us. The gospel is all about
who Jesus Christ is and what He has done for us. A wrong view of God
totally destroys the message of salvation. Having a right view of God
is also essential for Christian living and evangelism.
“An attribute of God is whatever God has

in any way revealed as being true about Himself.”
A . W. TOZE R
A. The attributes of God are truths that God Himself has revealed
to us so that we may know and love Him.
The human heart is filled with questions. What is God like? What
kind of God is He? How can we expect Him to act towards us?
The answers to these questions affect our lives, character and our
ultimate destiny. God has provided answers in three ways:
a. In His Creation. (Romans 1:20)

b. In His Word. (Isaiah 40:1–31)
c. In His Son. (Hebrews 1:1–3)
“The heaviest obligation lying upon the Christian Church

today is to purify and elevate her concept of God
until it is once more worthy of Him”
A . W. TOZE R

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B. There is no contradiction between God’s attributes.
He does not need to stop one in order to operate another like we

do. They all work together in perfect harmony. Our love may grow,
diminish, run hot or cold and at times cease all together. God’s
love does not work this way, when He loves He is simply being
who He is, who He has always been and who He always will be.
a. God is eternal. (Psalm 90:1–2, 1 Timothy 6:16)
God has no beginning and no end. He is not bound by time,

He created it.
He is everlasting.
Lord, You have been our dwelling place in all

generations. Before the mountains were born Or
You gave birth to the earth and the world, Even from
everlasting to everlasting, You are God.
Psalm 90:1–2
b. God is omniscient. (1 John 3:19-20, 1 Corinthians 2:10)
God is all knowing. Nothing in the past, present or future is

hidden from Him.
He knows everything.
We will know by this that we are of the truth, and will assure
our heart before Him in whatever our heart condemns us;
for God is greater than our heart and knows all things.
1 John 3:19–20
c. God is omnipotent. (Jeremiah 32:17, Revelation 1:8)
God is all powerful. He has unlimited power and all power that
exists comes from Him.
He can do anything.
‘Ah Lord GOD! Behold, You have made the heavens and
the earth by Your great power and by Your outstretched
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arm! Nothing is too difficult for You,
Jeremiah 32:17
d. God is immutable. (Malachi 3:6, James 1:17)
God does not change. Change moves in three directions:
a. From better to worse.

b. From worse to better.
c. From one order of being to another.
God is perfect. His perfections forever rule out any change.
“For I, the LORD, do not change; therefore you, O sons of

Jacob, are not consumed.
Malachi 3:6
e. God is just.
God always acts righteously. He does not just justly, He is just.

God will always do what is right.
“For I proclaim the name of the LORD; Ascribe greatness

to our God! “The Rock! His work is perfect, For all His
ways are just; A God of faithfulness and without injustice,
Righteous and upright is He.
Deuteronomy 32:3–4
f. God is love. (1 John 4:8–10)
Love is an essential attribute of God. God does not exercise

His love independently of His other attributes. In fact they
enhance each other.
• His love has no end – He is Eternal.

• His love for you remains with you – He is Omnipresent
• His love for you has no limit – He is Infinite
• His love for you is pure – He is Holy
• His love for you is always right – He is Just

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In God we see unconditional, self-sacrificing, everlasting love.
The one who does not love does not know God, for God
is love. By this the love of God was manifested in us, that
God has sent His only begotten Son into the world so
that we might live through Him. In this is love, not that we
loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the
propitiation for our sins.
1 John 4:8–10
g. God is truthful. (John 14:6, 16:13, Psalm 31:5)
Truthfulness is another essential attribute of God. God cannot

lie and never breaks His Word. Everything He has promised
has and will come to pass. He is completely truthful.
Into Your hand I commit my spirit; You have ransomed me,

O LORD, God of truth.
Psalm 31:5
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
h. God is holy. (Exodus 15:11, 1 Samuel 2:2, Isaiah 6:3–5)
God’s holiness is difficult to define because it encompasses

all of His attributes. He is separate, distinct and in a class of
His own. He is morally pure and never does anything wrong
or contrary to His being.
“We cannot grasp the true meaning of the divine

holiness by thinking of someone or something
very pure and then raising the concept to the highest
degree we are capable of. God’s holiness is not
simply the best we know infinitely bettered.
We know nothing like the divine holiness.
It stands apart, unique, unapproachable,
incomprehensible and unattainable.
The natural man is blind to it. He may fear
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God’s power and admire God’s wisdom,
but His holiness he cannot even imagine.”
A . W. TOZE R
“Wrath, unlike love, is not one of the intrinsic

perfections of God. Rather, it is a function of God’s
holiness against sin. Where there is no sin, there is
no wrath — but there will always be love in God.
Where God in His holiness confronts His image-bearers
in their rebellion, there must be wrath, or God is not
the jealous God He claims to be, and His holiness is
impugned. The price of diluting God’s wrath
is diminishing God’s holiness.”
D. A . C ARSON
“Who is like You among the gods, O LORD? Who is like

You, majestic in holiness, Awesome in praises, working
wonders?
Exodus 15:11

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SESSION 2:
The Doctrine of the Bible: Inspired, Inerrant,
and Infallible
Soli Deo Gloria Glory to God Alone
By In Through
Sola Sola Sola
Grace Christ Faith
Gratia Christus Fide
Alone Alone Alone
Sola Scriptura By Scripture Alone
I. Sola Scriptura
The foundation for everything we believe is the Scripture. The
Bible alone, as the very words of God, is our ultimate authority in
everything. God has given us His entire message in the Bible and
it is our only standard for faith and life.
The wise will be put to shame; they will be dismayed and trapped.
Since they have rejected the word of the LORD, what kind of
wisdom do they have?
Jeremiah 8:9
Our Statement of Faith: The Bible
We believe that the Bible (66 books: 39 Old Testament books and 27
New Testament books) is the Word of God — supernaturally inspired,
inerrant, and infallible. It is our supreme authority in all matters of
faith, doctrine, and conduct. We also affirm its sufficiency, clarity, and
necessity for genuine Christian living.
Cf. 2 Timothy 3:16; 2 Peter 1:20–21; Psalms 119:105; Psalms 19:7–11;

Proverbs 30:5.
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II. The Nature of the Scriptures
A. The Bible is the Word of God.
This belief is based on the many claims throughout the Bible that
it is in fact God’s Word. The Bible declares that it is the Word of
God over 4000 times.
For this reason we also constantly thank God that when

you received the word of God which you heard from us,
you accepted it not as the word of men, but for what it
really is, the word of God, which also performs its work in
you who believe.
1 Thessalonians 2:13
a. The Bible is the written word of God.
The Old Testament records a number of instances where

God’s words was written down.
(Exodus 31:18; Deuteronomy 31:9–13).
In the New Testament, Jesus promises His disciples that the

Holy Spirit would bring to their remembrance the words that
He had spoken. They would then testify and write down the
things He said for other generations to follow
(John 14:26, 17:20).
B. Jesus is the living Word of God or the Logos.

The Bible tells us that long ago God spoke to the Fathers and the
Prophets in many portions and many ways and these make up the
Old Testament that promised His coming. (Hebrews 1:1–2)
In the past God spoke to our ancestors through the prophets

at many times and in various ways, but in these last days he
has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed heir of all
things, and through whom also he made the universe.
Hebrews 1:1–2
• Then when the time was right God spoke by sending the living
Word of God, His Son Jesus Christ. (John 1:1, 14)

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• Jesus put God’s nature and character on display for all to
witness.
• The New Testament records what Jesus said and did.
C. CCF rejects any deficient understanding of the Bible.
a. The Bible only contains the words of God.
b. The Bible becomes the word of God when the reader has
some kind of spiritual encounter with God.
Approaching the Word of God like this shows only a partial belief
in the Inspiration of the Scriptures.
All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking,

correcting and training in righteousness, so that the servant of
God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.
2 Timothy 3:16–17
III. Canon of the Scripture

A. The Canonical Books
The 39 Old Testament books and 27 New Testament books are
the canonical books.
The Greek word “kanon” means reed or measuring stick and later
came to mean the rule of standard by which the ancient writings
were determined as sacred Scripture. The canon of Scripture is
the list of all the books that belong in the Bible.
B. The Basis for Canonicity 1

“Which writings should be considered canonical and how did the
church come to that position? Historically, the church since the
fourth century has accepted the sixty-six books of the Old and
New Testaments as the authoritative canonical books.”2
1
Paul P. Enns, MOODY HANDBOOK OF THEOLOGY MOODY PRESS Chicago, Illinois
2
https://www.biblegateway.com/resources/asbury-bible-commentary/Canon-Scripture
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While the Apostles would have told the early church which writings
were inspired, things got a little confused during the 200+ years
of persecution that followed. God saw to it that His Word was
preserved during this difficult period and the leaders of the Church
came together in Carthage in 397 AD and all 66 books in our current
Bible were agreed upon.
Various tests or criteria applied to determine canonicity
1. Apostolic authorship
(This meant that the book either had to be written by an

apostle or backed by one so that either way there was
apostolic authority behind the book. The book’s authors were
apostles or have a close connection with an apostle. Mark
wrote under Peter’s authority, and Luke wrote under Paul’s
authority3).
2. Christ-centered content
(The book should reflect consistency of doctrine with what

had been accepted as orthodox (right or correct) teaching. As
such, it should have a Christ-centered teaching, among others.
The spurious “gospel of Peter” and other literatures spreading
at that time were rejected as a result of this principle.4)
3. Inspiration
(The book should reflect the quality of inspiration. The

Apocrypha and Pseudepigrapha were rejected as a result of
not meeting this test. The book should inspire, convict, and
edify local congregations and individual believers. The book
should bear evidence of high moral and spiritual values that
would reflect a work of the Holy Spirit.5)
3
Ibid
4
https://www.biblegateway.com/resources/asbury-bible-commentary/Canon-Scripture
5
Ibid

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4. Acceptance of the churches
(In order to be part of the canon, the book should be accepted

by the church at large. The recognition given a particular book
by the church was important and false books were rejected as
a result. As the books circulated they had to gain acceptance
by the churches. Actually there was no book that was doubted
by any large number of churches that eventually was accepted
into the canon.6)
• The 39 Old Testament books and 27 New Testament

books were finally recognized by the Church during the
Council of Carthage (397 AD) as part of the biblical canon.
• The word ‘testament’ simply means covenant.
The Old Testament refers to the Old Covenant which God gave to
Israel. It was preparation for the coming of Jesus Christ, a shadow
of the awesome things to come in the New Covenant.
(Hebrews 9 – 10:1)
The New Testament refers to the New Covenant which was

the fulfillment of the Old. Jesus Christ would come fulfilling the
promises of the Old rendering it obsolete and establishing a New
and better Covenant through His death.
(Hebrews 8:13, 9:15)
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Ibid
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IV. The Truthfulness of the Scripture
A. The Bible is supernaturally Inspired, Inerrant, and Infallible.
“The Bible in its entirety is God’s written word to man,

free of error in its original autographs,
wholly reliable in history and doctrine.
Its divine ‘inspiration’ has rendered the Book

‘infallible’ (incapable of teaching deception) and ‘inerrant’
(not liable to prove false or mistaken).”
CHARLES H. PINNOK
For prophecy never had its origin in the human will, but prophets,
though human, spoke from God as they were carried along by the
Holy Spirit.
2 Peter 1:21
“[Inspiration is] God superintending human authors

so that using their own individual personalities,
experiences, thought processes and vocabulary they
composed and recorded without error
His revelation in the original copies of Scripture.”
DR. JOHN MACARTHUR
B. The Bible is Inspired.

a. The Bible says there are “many ways” in which the actual
words of the Bible were written. (Hebrews 1:1)
1. Sometimes God spoke directly to the author, who simply

recorded what he heard.
Exodus 20:1–17
2. At other times the author based much of his writings on

interviews and research.
Luke 1:1–3

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3. At other times, the Holy Spirit brought to mind things that
Jesus taught.
John 14:26
Regardless of the way the words came to the authors, the

words they put down were an extension of them – their
personalities, skills, backgrounds and training. But they were
also the exact words God wanted them to write. The very
words that God claims to be His own.
b. The Church affirms that the whole Bible is inspired, and this
inspiration extends to every word in the original manuscripts.
⊲⊲ Inspiration is plenary = all parts
⊲⊲ Inspiration is verbal = all words
• At CCF we believe in “full verbal plenary inspiration.”

This means that the inspiration extends to the very words
themselves (verbal) not just concepts or ideas, and that the
inspiration extends to all parts of Scripture. (plenary)
I will bow down toward Your holy temple And give thanks to
Your name for Your lovingkindness and Your truth; For You have
magnified Your word according to all Your name.
Psalm 138:2
C. The Bible is Inerrant.

The Bible claims to be inerrant or incapable of being wrong about
anything it says. The Bible in its original manuscripts and correctly
interpreted is completely free from error.
This includes all doctrine, history, ethics and the social, physical
or life sciences.
God ensured that the truths He wanted written down by the

various human authors of the Bible, were truthfully communicated.
Nothing the human authors wrote was false or mistaken.
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Sanctify them by the truth; your word is truth.
John 17:17
However inerrancy is primarily concerned with the words

themselves not the content. Inerrancy declares that the document,
written by the inspired writer, was without error. These scrolls
were then copied by scribes.
The word scribe (sopherim) means counter, they were named

this way because they would count the letters and words of each
manuscript to make sure they did not miss anything. Mistakes
meant destroying the papyrus and starting again.
After the exile in Babylon they formed communities of scribes to

preserve and circulate the Scriptures.
The Dead Sea Scrolls7
One of these communities lived in Qumran, a village located

about twenty miles east of Jerusalem. In 1947, a young
Bedouin shepherd discovered the Dead Sea Scrolls.
These were leather and papyrus scrolls that were later

determined to be nearly twenty centuries old. There were
tens of thousands of scroll fragments dating from the third
century B.C. to A.D. 68.
Photo: A portion of the Isaiah scroll, one of the Dead Sea

Scrolls discovered in the Qumran caves in 1947.
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Paul E. Little, KNOW WHY YOU BELIEVE Scripture Press Publications, Inc. 1999

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This vast collection of manuscripts included portions from
every single book in the Old Testament except Esther and
included a complete scroll of Isaiah.
They confirmed the accuracy of one thousand years of both

the record and the history of the Hebrews—that is, from 200
B.C. to A.D. 916. The extensive evidence found strengthens
our confidence in the histories previously uncovered.8
“The Word of God is like a lion. You don’t have to

defend a lion. All you have to do is let the lion loose,
and the lion will defend itself.”
CHARLES SPURGEON
D. The Bible is infallible.

While inerrancy focuses on the words themselves, infallibility
is primarily concerned with the content of Scripture. Infallibility
teaches us that the Bible is incapable of making mistakes or being
wrong. While the Bible does not give us an exhaustive opinion
on every subject there is, when God chooses to speak about
anything, what He says is absolutely true.
The law of the Lord is perfect, restoring the soul; The testimony
of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple. The precepts of
the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart; The commandment of
the Lord is pure, enlightening the eyes.
Psalm 19:7–8
For truly I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not
the smallest letter or stroke shall pass from the Law until all
is accomplished.
Matthew 5:18
a. The Scientific Infallibility of the Bible

1. It is only recently that modern science has discovered that
circumcision of an infant is best performed on the 8th day
8
Paul E. Little, KNOW WHY YOU BELIEVE Scripture Press Publications, Inc. 1999
22
due to the chemical prothrombin peaking on that day.
• This chemical causes blood clotting making the 8th

day the safest day to do it.
• God knew this already and ordered His people to do

it on this day thousands of years ago.
And every male among you who is eight days old shall be
circumcised throughout your generations, a servant who
is born in the house or who is bought with money from any
foreigner, who is not of your descendants.
Genesis 17:12
2. Ship builders today know that maximum stability in the water

requires that a ship be six times longer than the width.
• God told Noah to build the ark according to these

dimensions 4,500 years ago.
This is how you shall make it: the length of the ark
three hundred cubits, its breadth fifty cubits, and its
height thirty cubits.
Genesis 6:15
3. Other examples of scientific facts that are recorded in

the Bible:
• The earth is a sphere. (Isaiah 40:12, Job 26:10, Luke

17:34–36)
• The earth floats in space. (Job 26:7)
• The earth rotates on an axis. (Job 38:12-14)
• The continents used to be joined. (Genesis 1:9)
• The stars are uncountable. (Jeremiah 33:22)
• A water canopy surrounded the earth prior to the
flood. (Genesis 1:6)
• The Bible says the life is in the blood. (Leviticus 17:11)
• The oceans is fed by springs on the sea floor.
(Job 38:16)

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• There are mountains on the ocean floor.
(Jonah 2:5–6)
• The Bible solved the chicken or egg dilemma.
(Genesis 1:20–22)
• Light can be divided. (Job 38:24)
• All human beings came from one man. (Acts 17:26)
• The sun moves in a circuit. (Psalm 19:6)
• Air has weight. (Job 28:25)
• Jet stream explained. (Ecclesiastes 1:6)
• Electromagnetic waves identified. (Job 38:35)
• The Pleiades star cluster is gravitationally bound,
while the Orion star cluster is loose and disintegrating
because the gravity of the cluster is not enough to
bind the group together. (Job 38:31)
“Can you bind the chains of the Pleiades? Can you

loosen Orion’s belt?
Job 38:31
b. The Prophetic Infallibility of the Bible

1. Prophecy is another wonderful proof of the Bible’s
infallibility. The Bible made hundreds of prophecies about
people and events some thousands of years before those
people were born.
2. There are at least 353 distinct prophecies that were

fulfilled by Jesus Christ and they were all written hundreds
of years (and in some cases thousands of years) before
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His birth. Here are just a few for you to consider:
Chart 2.1: Summary of how Jesus fulfilled prophecy

about the Messiah
PROPHECY DESCRIPTION FULFILLMENT

Isaiah 7:14 Born of a virgin Luke 1:34–35
Micah 5:2 Born in Bethlehem Luke 2:1–6
Jeremiah 31:15 Babies massacred Matthew 2:16–18
Hosea 11:1 Flee into Egypt Matthew 2:13
Judges 13:5 Be called a Nazarene Matthew 2:23
Psalm 41:9 Betrayed by a friend Luke 22:48
Zechariah Sold for 30 silver Matthew 26:15
11:12–13
Psalm 27:12 Falsely accused Matthew 26:59
Isaiah 53:4–5 Smitten and spat on Matthew 27
Isaiah 53:7 Silent when accused Matthew 26:63
Isaiah 53:3 Rejected by the Jews Matthew 27:22
Psalm 69:4 Hated without cause Matthew 27:23
Psalm 22:16 Hands & feet pierced John 19:18
Psalm 22:18 Gambled clothing Matthew 27:35
Isaiah 53:12 Die with the wicked Matthew 27:38
Psalm 22:6–8 Mocked and insulted Matthew
27:39–44
Isaiah 53:9 Buried with the rich Matthew
27:57–61
Psalm 16:10 Rise again Matthew 28
c. Not a single prophecy from the Bible has ever been

disproven.
A vivid example of the accuracy of Biblical prophecy would be

the prophecies regarding Tyre.
Tyre was the capital city of the ancient Phoenician Empire

and the most powerful city they had. They had great wealth,

25
power and many allies. They also had a huge navy and an
impregnable fortress on an island about half a mile off the
coast of the city.
The Bible often associates a nation with its greatest city.

When Babylon fell so did the Babylonian Empire. When
Nineveh fell so did the Assyrian Empire and when Tyre fell,
the Phoenician Empire ceased to exist.
In the 26th chapter of Ezekiel (592-570 BC) seven things are

predicted to happen to the city of Tyre:
PROPHECY VERSES
Nebuchadnezzar will destroy Ezekiel 26:8
the mainland city
Many nations would come against Tyre Ezekiel 26:3
Tyre would be bare and flat like the top of a rock Ezekiel 26:4
Fishermen will spread their nets out on the site Ezekiel 26:5
The debris would be thrown into the water Ezekiel 26:12
The ancient city would never be rebuilt Ezekiel 26:14
The ancient city would never be found again Ezekiel 26:21
When Alexander the Great conquered the island of Tyre he

brought an end to the Phoenician Empire.
Tyre later fell under the rule of others. But the Phoenicians never
rose to power again and their city was never heard of again.
“Alexander the Great reduced Tyre to ruins...

The larger part of the site of the once great city
is now bare as the top of a rock –
a place where fishermen now spread their nets to dry.”
SECU L AR H ISTORIAN PH I LLI P M YERS
General History for Colleges and High Schools
26
V. The Authority of the Scripture
We have learned that the Bible is inspired, inerrant, and infallible.
These things clearly show it’s supreme authority in matters of faith
and practice.
• Our doctrine and conduct must be governed by the Scriptures.

God’s Word should determine what we believe and how we
respond in Christian living.
• We believe in its sufficiency, clarity, and necessity for genuine

Christian living.
All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof,
for correction, for training in righteousness; so that the man of God
may be adequate, equipped for every good work.
2 Timothy 3:16–17
A. The Bible is Sufficient.

The Bible is able to accomplish all of God’s purposes here upon
the earth. It is all we need for salvation and spiritual growth.
⊲⊲ Powerful to convict. (John 16:5–14)

⊲⊲ Powerful to convert. (1 Peter 1:23)
⊲⊲ Powerful to conform. (1 Timothy 6:3)
⊲⊲ Powerful to console. (Psalm 119:49–52)
⊲⊲ Powerful to correct. (2 Timothy 3:16)
So will My word be which goes forth from My mouth; it will not

return to Me empty, without accomplishing what I desire, and
without succeeding in the matter for which I sent it.
Isaiah 55:11
B. The Bible is Clear.

This does not mean that interpretation or good Bible teachers are
unnecessary. It means that the central message of the Bible can
be understood by all who read it with God’s help. Even a child can

27
understand who Jesus is and what He has done for them at the
cross with the Holy Spirit’s help.
...and that from childhood you have known the sacred writing
which are able to give you the wisdom that leads to salvation
through faith which is in Christ Jesus.
2 Timothy 3:15
“These words, which I am commanding you today, shall be on

your heart. 7“You shall teach them diligently to your sons and
shall talk of them when you sit in your house and when you
walk by the way and when you lie down and when you rise up.
Deuteronomy 6:6–7
C. The Bible is Necessary.

At CCF we believe that the Word of God is necessary for knowing
the gospel, for maintaining spiritual life and for knowing God’s will.
God has given us His Word; it is complete and perfect in every

way. All you need to know to enter into a personal relationship
with Jesus Christ and live a life that is pleasing to God is found
within its pages.
for you have been born again not of seed which is perishable but
imperishable, that is, through the living and enduring word of God.
1 Peter 1:23
But He answered and said, “It is written, ‘MAN SHALL NOT LIVE
ON BREAD ALONE, BUT ON EVERY WORD THAT PROCEEDS
OUT OF THE MOUTH OF GOD.’
Matthew 4:4
28
VI. The Illumination of Scripture9
The Holy Spirit will enlighten all true believers and help them understand
the Word of God.
• Without Him you can never truly understand the truths revealed in
God’s Word because they are God’s thoughts. (1 Corinthians 2:11)
• He is our helper and will not only help us understand these truths
but apply them as well. (John 14:16-17, Galatians 5:25, Ephesians 5:18)
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.
1 Corinthians 2:14
VII. Abiding in Scripture!

How to abide in God’s Word:
1. Hear the Word to Be Equipped Ephesians 4:11–12

2. Read the Word to Be Healthy Psalm 1:1–3
3. Study the Word to Be Wise Psalm 119:97–104
4. Memorize the Word to Be Skilled Matthew 4:1–11
5. Meditate on the Word to Be Fruitful Joshua 1:8
6. Apply the Word to Be Obedient James 1:22–25
7. Proclaim the Word to Be Reproductive Colossians 1:28
9
Paul P. Enns, Moody Handbook of Theology

29
SESSION 3:
The Doctrine of Christ: His Deity and Personhood
By In Through
Sola Sola Sola
Grace Christ Faith
Alone Alone Alone
I. Sola Christus
The heart and soul of the gospel message is the person and work of the
Lord Jesus Christ. Our salvation is accomplished through His mediatorial
work. He and He alone can mediate between God and man.
For Christ also died for sins once for all, the just for the unjust, so that
He might bring us to God, having been put to death in the flesh, but
made alive in the spirit;
1 Peter 3:18
Our Statement of Faith: Jesus Christ
We believe that Jesus Christ in the flesh was both God and man, was
conceived by the Holy Spirit, and was born of a virgin. He lived a
sinless life. He was crucified and died to pay the penalty for our sins.
By His blood, the Lord Jesus Christ made a perfect sacrifice for sin
once and for all time.
He was raised from the dead on the third day. Later, He ascended to
the Father’s right hand where He reigns as the Head of the Church
and intercedes for believers. We believe He is coming again, bodily
and visibly, to the earth to set up His Kingdom.
30
Cf. Matthew 1:22–23; Isaiah 9:6; John 1:1–5,14; Hebrews 4:14–15;
1 Corinthians 15:3–4; Romans 1:3–4; Acts 1:9–11; 1 Timothy 6:14–15;
Titus 2:13; Ephesians 1:22; Hebrews 7:25.
II. The Person of Jesus Christ

There is no other personality in the history of the world that has the
same influence as Jesus had.
“Christ is the great central fact in world’s history.

To Him everything looks forward or backward.
All the lines of history converge upon Him.
All the great purposes of God culminate in Him.
The greatest and most momentous fact which the history
of the world records is the fact of His birth.”
C H A R L E S S P U R G E O N 10
A. Jesus Christ is Fully God
The Bible states very clearly over and over again that Jesus Christ
is God.
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and
the Word was God. 2He was in the beginning with God. 3All things
came into being through Him, and apart from Him nothing came
into being that has come into being.
John 1:1–3
And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us, and we saw
His glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father, full of
grace and truth. 15John testified about Him and cried out, saying,
“This was He of whom I said ‘He who comes after me has a
higher rank than I, for He existed before me.’”
John 1:14–15
For of His fullness we have all received, and grace upon grace.
17
For the Law was given through Moses; grace and truth were
10
Sherwood Wirt and Kersten Beckstrom, Living Quotations for Christian (New York: Harper and Row
Publications)

31
realized through Jesus Christ. 18No one has seen God at any
time; the only begotten God who is in the bosom of the Father, He
has explained Him.
John 1:16–18
“I and the Father are one.” …The Jews answered Him, “For a good
work we do not stone You, but for blasphemy; and because You,
being a man, make Yourself out to be God.”
John 10:30–33
…For by Him all things were created, both in the heavens and on
earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or
authorities – all things have been created through Him and for Him.
Colossians 1:15–16
These verses clearly teach us that Jesus Christ is God Himself...
• The Word was with God in the beginning. (John 1:1–2)

• The Word was God. (John 1:1)
• He created all things. (John 1:3)
• Nothing was created apart from Him. (John 1:3)
• The Word became flesh and dwelt among us. (John 1:14)
• He was born after John but existed before him. (John 1:15)
• His name is Jesus Christ. (John 1:17)
• He is God. (John 1:18)
a. He is the image of the invisible God.

He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation.
Colossians 1:15
• The invisible God has been made visible in Jesus Christ.
• He is the “eikon” of God.
• In New Testament Greek “eikon” means an exact replica,
a precise copy, a representation.
(Today the closest word we have would be a photograph. God

is invisible but God has shown us who He is in Jesus Christ.)
32
b. He is the firstborn of all creation.
…the firstborn of all creation…He is before all things, and in

Him all things hold together. 18He is also head of the body, the
church; and He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead,
so that He Himself will come to have first place in everything.
Colossians 1:15,17–18
This does not mean first in time, it means first in position.
The word “prototokos” (firstborn) means the right to rule, the

heir, the ranking one, the one in authority, the chief one.
(It is the highest in rank. It is a title that has to do with inheritance.

For the Jew the firstborn was the one who inherited everything.
This passage is saying everything that was made, was made
by Him and for Him and He will inherit it all.)
c. He is the form of God.
Have this attitude in yourselves which was also in Christ

Jesus, 6who, although He existed in the form of God, did not
regard equality with God a thing to be grasped, 7but emptied
Himself, taking the form of a bond servant, and being made
in the likeness of men.
Philippians 2:5–7
The word ‘form’ (morfeè) in verse 5 means “the outward

expression of the inward nature.”
So the Holy Spirit is telling us that Jesus Christ is God and

equal to the Father and the Holy Spirit in every way.
(The word ‘form’ (morfeè) means “the outward expression

of the inward nature.” So the Holy Spirit is telling us that
Jesus Christ is God and equal to the Father and the Holy
Spirit in every way. But He emptied Himself, laying aside the
independent use of His own attributes as God. He became

33
a man, in a sinless physical body. He used that body to be a
servant. He took that body to the cross and willingly died so
that you and I might live. (Philippians 2:6–8)
d. He is the fullness of deity.
…rather than according to Christ. 9for in Him all the fullness

of Deity dwells in bodily form,
Colossians 2:8–9
1. The word ‘fullness’ (pleroma) means “the sum total of all

that God is, all of His being and attributes.”
(So the Bible is clear that Jesus Christ possessed full deity in
bodily form. In theology we call this the “hypostatic union.” This
term simply describes how God the Son took on a human nature
but remained fully God. Jesus is fully God and fully human.)
B. The Necessity of Jesus’ Full Deity 11

1. Only someone who is infinite God could bear the full penalty
for all the sins of all those who would believe in him—any finite
creature would have been incapable of bearing that penalty
2. Salvation is from the Lord (Jonah 2:9 NASB), and the whole
message of Scripture is designed to show that no human being,
no creature, could ever save man—only God himself could
3. Only someone who was truly and fully God could be the one
mediator between God and man (1 Timothy 2:5), both to bring us
back to God and also to reveal God most fully to us (John 14:9).
C. Jesus Christ is fully man.
The Bible teaches clearly about the humanity of Christ. The Bible
is very clear about the humanity of Jesus. It is an essential doctrine
and equally important as His deity for us.
11
Wayne Grudem, Systematic Theology
34
Chart 3.1: Biblical Proof of Jesus’ Humanity
Proofs of Jesus’ Humanity
Jesus’ birth Isaiah 7:14; Luke 2:7
Jesus’ circumcision Luke 2:21
Jesus’ childhood Luke 2:40, 52
Jesus wept John 11:35
Jesus grew hungry Matthew 4:2, 21:18
Jesus grew tired John 4:6, Matthew 8:24
Jesus’ suffering and death John 19:30
Chart 3.2: New Testament Summary of Jesus’ Deity and Humanity

HE IS 100% GOD HE IS 100% MAN
He is worshiped (Matthew 2:11) He worshiped the Father (John 17)
He was called God (Hebrews 1:8) He was called man (Mark 15:39)
He was called Son of God (Mark 1:1) He was called Son of Man (John 9:35)
He is prayed to (Acts 7:59) He prayed to the Father (John 17)
He is sinless (Hebrews 4:15) He was tempted (Matthew 4:1)
He knows all things (John 21:17) He grew in wisdom (Luke 2:52)
He gives eternal life (John 10:28) He died (Romans 5:8)
All the fullness of deity He has a body of
dwells in Him (Colossians 2:9) flesh and bones (Luke 24:39)
The Necessity of Jesus’ Full Humanity 12

• For representative Obedience
For as through the one man’s disobedience the many were made
sinners, even so through the obedience of the One the many will
be made righteous.
Romans 5:19
(Jesus was our representative and obeyed for us where Adam had
failed and disobeyed. We see this in the parallels between Jesus’
12

35
temptation (Luke 4:1–13) and the time of testing for Adam and Eve
in the garden (Gen. 2:15–3:7). It is also clearly reflected in Paul’s
discussion of the parallels between Adam and Christ, in Adam’s
disobedience and Christ’s obedience. (Rom. 5:18–19; 1 Cor. 15:45-
47). Jesus had to be a man in order to be our representative and
obey in our place.13)
• To Be a Substitute Sacrifice.
…so that He might become a merciful and faithful high priest in things
pertaining to God, to make propitiation for the sins of the people.
Hebrews 2:17
(If Jesus had not been a man, he could not have died in our place
and paid the penalty that was due to us. (Heb. 2:16–17; cf. v. 14).
Jesus had to become a man, not an angel, because God was
concerned with saving men, not with saving angels. It is important
here to realize that unless Christ was fully man, he could not have
died to pay the penalty for man’s sins. He could not have been a
substitute sacrifice for us.14)
• To be the One Mediator Between God and Men.

For there is one God, and one mediator also between God and
men, the man Christ Jesus,
1 Timothy 2:5
(Because we were alienated from God by sin, we needed

someone to come between God and ourselves and bring us back
to him. We needed a mediator who could represent us to God and
who could represent God to us. There is only one person who has
ever fulfilled that requirement: “There is one God, and there is one
mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus” (1 Tim.
2:5). In order to fulfill this role of mediator, Jesus had to be fully
man as well as fully God.15)
13
Ibid
14
Ibid
15
Ibid
36
• To Be Our Example and Pattern in Life.
the one who says he abides in Him ought himself to walk in the
same manner as He walked.
1 John 2:6
(Jesus had to become a man like us in order to live as our example

and pattern in life. 1 John 2:6; 1 John 3:2. Paul tells us that we are
continually being “changed into his likeness” (2 Cor. 3:18), thus
moving toward the goal for which God saved us, that we might
“be conformed to the image of his Son” (Rom. 8:29). Especially in
suffering we have to consider Christ’s example (1 Peter 2:21) and
look to Jesus the pioneer and perfecter of our faith” (Heb. 12:2).
Our goal should be to be like Christ all our days, up to the point
of death, and to die with unfailing obedience to God, with strong
trust in him, and with love and forgiveness to others (Heb. 12:3;
Phil. 3:10; cf. Acts 7:60; 1 Peter 3:17–18 with 4:1).16)
• To be the pattern for our redeemed bodies.

So also is the resurrection of the dead. It is sown a perishable
body, it is raised an imperishable body… Just as we have borne the
image of the earthy, we will also bear the image of the heavenly.
1 Corinthians 15:42, 49
(Paul tells us that when Jesus rose from the dead he rose in a new
body that was “imperishable...raised in glory...raised in power...
raised a spiritual body” (1 Cor. 15:42–44). This new resurrection
body that Jesus had when he rose from the dead is the pattern
for what our bodies will be like when we are raised from the dead
(1 Cor. 15:23, 49). Jesus had to be raised as a man in order to be
the “first-born from the dead” (Col. 1:18), the pattern for the bodies
that we would later have.17)
16
17
Ibid

37
• To Sympathize with Us.
For we do not have a high priest who cannot sympathize with our
weaknesses, but One who has been tempted in all things as we
are, yet without sin. (Hebrews 4:15)
(The author of Hebrews reminds us that “because he himself

has suffered and been tempted, he is able to help those who are
tempted” (Heb. 2:18; cf. 4:15–16). If Jesus had not been a man, he
would not have been able to know by experience what we go
through in our temptations and struggles in this life. But because
he has lived as a man, he is able to sympathize more fully with us
in our experiences.18)
18
Ibid
38
SESSION 4:
The Doctrine of Christ: His Life and Works
I. Introduction
A. Highlights of the Life of Christ
Jesus Christ’s identity and life is fascinating as it is very intriguing.
The gospel centers in Jesus Christ’s unique life as well. Christ is
the life of Christianity and its very heart. But what makes Jesus’ life
so unique? We cannot exhaust here all what Jesus did when He
was still on earth but in this session we will look at the highlights
of His life and works.
a. He was born of a virgin.
Mary said to the angel, “How can this be, since I am a virgin?”
35
The angel answered and said to her, “The Holy Spirit
will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will
overshadow you; and for that reason the holy Child shall be
called the Son of God.
Luke 1:34–35
1. Salvation is a supernatural work of God.

(The virgin birth of Christ is an unmistakable reminder
that salvation can never come through human effort, but
must be the work of God himself. Our salvation only comes
about through the supernatural work of God, and that was
evident at the very beginning of Jesus’ life (Gal. 4:4–5).19)
2. Christ’s true humanity without inherited sin.
(The virgin birth also makes possible Christ’s true

humanity without inherited sin. Luke 1:35 connects this
conception by the Holy Spirit with the holiness or moral
purity of Christ, and reflection on that fact allows us to
understand that through the absence of a human father,
Jesus was not fully descended from Adam, and that this
19

39
break in the line of descent was the method God used to
bring it about that Jesus was fully human yet did not share
inherited sin from Adam.20)
3. Unity of Christ’s full deity and full humanity in one person

(The virgin birth made possible the uniting of full deity
and full humanity in one person. This was the means God
used to send his Son into the world as a man. God, in
his wisdom, ordained a combination of human and divine
influence in the birth of Christ, so that his full humanity
would be evident to us from the fact of his ordinary human
birth from a human mother, and his full deity would be
evident from the fact of his conception in Mary’s womb by
the powerful work of the Holy Spirit.21)
b. His lived a sinless life.
For we do not have a high priest who cannot sympathize with

our weaknesses, but One who has been tempted in all things
as we are, yet without sin.
Hebrews 4:15 (cf. 2 Corinthians 5:21)
• Jesus was not tainted with sin

• He offered Himself without blemish.
• He kept God’s law perfectly
(Unlike any other sinful human being, Jesus was not tainted
with sin, afflicted with error and frailty common to all other
men. He is presented in the Bible as sinless in life. The Bible
tells us that Jesus offered Himself without blemish. He kept
God’s law perfectly and was able to do what other human
beings had ever been able to achieve.)
20
Ibid
21
Ibid
40
c. He performed miracles, wonders and signs.
‘Men of Israel, listen to this: Jesus of Nazareth was a man

accredited by God to you by miracles, wonders and signs, which
God did among you through him, as you yourselves know.
Acts 2:22
(As you read the gospel accounts, Jesus is portrayed as a

miracle worker and performs wonders and signs. He raises the
dead, feed the five thousand, calm the storm, heals the sick,
drive out demons, etc. The Bible recorded so many miracles
that Jesus did. The miracles that Jesus performed were in fact
signs pointing to his divinity as He does the supernatural and
demonstrated his rule over creation as its Creator.)
d. His atoning death.
And He Himself is the propitiation (satisfaction) for our sins;

and not for ours only, but also for those of the whole world.
1 John 2:2
• Perfect sacrifice. Paid for our sin

• He satisfies the just and holy demands of God.
• We can be reconciled with God (at – one – ment).
(So the death of Jesus Christ was a substitutionary sacrifice.

He died in our place, paid for our sin, so that we could be
reconciled to God. Jesus’ death on the cross was a perfect
sacrifice for sin once and for all time. It made forgiveness
possible because His substitutionary death satisfied the just
and holy demands of God. Jesus paid the price for our sin so
that we could be reconciled or “at-one” with God.)

41
e. His resurrection from the dead.
and that He was buried, and that He was raised on the third
day according to the Scriptures 1 Corinthians 15:4
• On the third day, Jesus rose from the grave

• It is the cornerstone of Christianity
(The Bible teaches us that on the third day Jesus Christ rose
from the grave. So He conquered both sin and the wages of
sin, death. The resurrection of Jesus Christ is central to our
faith. It is the cornerstone of Christianity and without it we
have no hope.)
Chart 4.1: Implications if there was no resurrection:
Preaching the gospel would be pointless 1 Corinthians 15:14

Our faith in Christ would be for nothing 1 Corinthians 15:14
The Apostles would be liars 1 Corinthians 15:15
Everyone would be lost in their sins 1 Corinthians 15:17
All former believers would have gone to hell 1 Corinthians 15:18
Christians would be the world’s most pitiful 1 Corinthians 15:19
people
You cannot be a Christian and deny

that Jesus rose from the grave!
1. The resurrection of Jesus Christ is a historical fact.
• Jesus burial clothes and napkin left in the tomb

• Proud Roman soldiers guarding the tomb found no body
• Multiple witnesses
(Unlike any other dead religious leaders, Jesus resurrected

bodily from the grave and was witnessed by many
people. The bodily resurrection of Christ is historically and
42
experientially defensible. The bodily resurrection of Jesus
is a historical fact. Even though it is a miracle, this aspect of
His Person and work is inseparable from His supernatural
birth, life, and death. The resurrection was the vindicating
event of His sinless life and redemptive death.)
Chart 4.1: Resurrection Appearances of Jesus Christ

People Who Saw Jesus Alive Bible References
Two women outside of Jerusalem Matthew 28:9–10
Mary Magdalene John 20:15–18
Two travelers on the road to Emmaus Luke 24:13–32
Peter in Jerusalem Luke 24:34
Ten disciples in the upper room John 20:19–25
Eleven disciples in the upper room John 20:26–31
Seven disciples fishing John 21:1–23
Matthew 28:
Eleven disciples on the mountain in Galilee
16–20
More than five hundred people 1 Corinthians 15:6
James 1 Corinthians 15:7
Disciples who watched Jesus ascending Luke 24:44–49;

into heaven Acts 1:3–8
2. The significance of Christ’s resurrection22:
• Ensures our regeneration (new spiritual birth).

Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus
Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth
into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus
Christ from the dead,
1 Peter 1:3
22

43
(Peter explicitly connects Jesus’ resurrection with our
regeneration or new birth. In His resurrection, Jesus
earned for us a new life just like His. In our spirits we
are made alive with new resurrection power. Thus it is
through his resurrection that Christ earned for us the
new kind of life we receive when we are “born again.”
(Eph. 2:5–6; cf. Col. 3:1; Phil. 3:10). Paul knew that even
in this life the resurrection of Christ gave new power
for Christian ministry and obedience to God. Paul
connects the resurrection of Christ with the spiritual
power at work within us (Eph. 1:19–20; Rom. 6:4, 11).23)
• Ensures our justification (made righteous)

He was delivered over to death for our sins and was
raised to life for our justification.
Romans 4:25
And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled

himself and became obedient to death-- even death on
a cross! Therefore God exalted him to the highest place
and gave him the name that is above every name
Philippians 2:8–9
(When Christ was raised from the dead, it was God’s

declaration of approval of Christ’s work of redemption.
Because Christ “humbled himself and became
obedient unto death, even death on a cross” (Phil. 2:8),
“God has highly exalted him . . .” (Phil. 2:9). By raising
Christ from the dead, God the Father was in effect
saying that he approved of Christ’s work of suffering
and dying for our sins, that His work was completed,
and that Christ no longer had any need to remain
dead. If God “raised us up with him” (Eph. 2:6), then,
by virtue of our union with Christ, God’s declaration of
approval of Christ is also his declaration of approval
23
Ibid
44
of us. Christ’s resurrection gave final proof that He
had earned our justification.24)
• Ensures that we will receive perfect resurrection

bodies.
1 Cor. 6:14, 15:20
(The New Testament several times connects Jesus’

resurrection with our final bodily resurrection. “And
God raised the Lord and will also raise us up by his
power” (1 Cor. 6:14). Similarly, “he who raised the
Lord Jesus will raise us also with Jesus and bring us
with you into his presence” (2 Cor. 4:14). Paul says
that Christ is the “first fruits of those who have fallen
asleep” (1 Cor. 15:20). Paul uses a metaphor from
agriculture to indicate that we will be like Christ. Just
as the “first fruits” or the first taste of the ripening
crop show what the rest of the harvest will be like for
that crop, so Christ as the “first fruits” shows what our
resurrection bodies will be like when, in God’s final
“harvest,” he raises us from the dead and brings us
into his presence.25)
f. His ascension into heaven.
While He was blessing them, He left them and was taken up

into heaven.
Luke 24:51
• Heaven does exist in the space-time universe.

• Jesus received glory, honor, and authority as one who
was both God and man.
After He said this, He was taken up before their very eyes, and
a cloud hid Him from their sight. They were looking intently
up into the sky as He was going, when suddenly two men
24
Ibid
25

45
dressed in white stood beside them. “Men of Galilee,” they
said, “why do you stand here looking into the sky? This same
Jesus, who has been taken from you into heaven, will come
back in the same way you have seen Him go into heaven.”
Acts 1:9–11
(Jesus’ physical presence left the disciples when he returned

to heaven, but the Holy Spirit soon came to comfort them and
empower them to spread the gospel of salvation (Acts 2:1-4).
Jesus’ work of salvation was completed, and he sat down at
the right hand of God, where he has authority over heaven
and earth. Seeing Jesus leave must have been frightening,
but the disciples knew that Jesus would keep his promise to
be with them through the Holy Spirit.)
g. His session at God’s right hand.

After the Lord Jesus had spoken to them, He was taken up
into heaven and He sat at the right hand of God.
Mark 16:19
1. Completion of Christ’s work of redemption.

After he had provided purification for sins, he sat down at
the right hand of the Majesty in heaven.
Hebrews 1:3
(Jesus’ sitting at God’s right hand is a dramatic indication

of the completion of His work of redemption. This signifies
that the work was complete and portrays His exalted
position. Christ’s sacrifice was final and complete. Just as
a human being will sit down at the completion of a large
task to enjoy the satisfaction of having accomplished it, so
Jesus sat at the right hand of God, visibly demonstrating
that his work of redemption was completed.26)
26
LIFE APPLICATION BIBLE COMMENTARY HEBREWS By Bruce B. Barton, Dave Veerman, Linda K.
Taylor
46
2. Jesus received authority over the universe.
who has gone into heaven and is at God’s right hand —
with angels, authorities and powers in submission to him.
1 Peter 3:22
which he exerted in Christ when he raised him from the

dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly
realms, 21 far above all rule and authority, power and
dominion, and every title that can be given, not only in
the present age but also in the one to come
Ephesians 1:20–21
(The act of sitting at God’s right hand is an indication

that He received authority over the universe. In ancient
cultures, to sit at a sovereign’s “right hand” indicated
a position of great favor and authority. At God’s right
hand, Christ has royal power and dignity as a result of
his resurrection. All the rulers, authorities, powers, and
dominions in heaven and on earth, of both the visible
and invisible world (physical government and spiritual
forces), come under the authority of Christ himself.
Whatever power exists not only in the present age but
also in the one to come will be under Christ’s authority.27)
3. Jesus received authority to pour out the Spirit

on the Church.
‘Exalted to the right hand of God, he has received from
the Father the promised Holy Spirit and has poured out
what you now see and hear.
Acts 2:33
(Not only is Christ had risen from the grave; he now sits in
the most authoritative, sovereign position in the universe.
That is why Jesus had the authority to pour out the Spirit
with results that the audience could see and hear.)28
27
Ibid
28
Ibid

47
B. The Offices of Christ
(If we are to summarize the work of Christ, we can look at three
offices that describe what He has accomplished for us and continue
to do. There were three distinct major offices among the people
of Israel in the Old Testament. These three offices foreshadowed
Christ’s own work in different ways. Therefore we can look again
at Christ’s work, now thinking about the perspective of these
three offices or categories. Christ fulfills all these three offices and
more.29)
The Prophet.
For Moses said, ‘The Lord your God will raise up for you a
prophet like me from among your own people; you must listen
to everything he tells you. Anyone who does not listen to him
will be completely cut off from among his people.
Acts 3:22–23
✓✓ He reveals God to us and speaks God’s words to us
(No singular prophet completely revealed the will of

the Father except Jesus Christ. When Christ came
He completely revealed the Father to the people; He
explained the Father to the people (John 1:18).30)
✓✓ Jesus is the prophet whom Moses predicted, but is far

greater than any prophet
(He is the one about whom the prophecies in the Old

Testament were made. (Luke 24:25-27; 1 Peter 1:11) Thus,
the OT prophets looked forward to Christ in what they
wrote, and the NT apostles looked back to Christ and
interpreted his life for the benefit of the church.31 Jesus
was not merely a messenger of revelation from God (like
all the other prophets), but was himself the source of
revelation from God. The word of the LORD came to the
OT prophets, but Jesus spoke on his own authority as the
29
30
Paul P. Enns, MOODY HANDBOOK OF THEOLOGY MOODY PRESS Chicago, Illinois
31
48
eternal Word of God (John 1:1) who perfectly revealed the
Father to us (John 14:9; Heb. 1:1–2).32)
The Priest.
The priest represented man to God. Psalm 110:4 establishes
Christ’s priesthood according to the order of Melchizedek (cf.
Heb. 5:6-10; 6:20; 7:11, 17). As a priest:
✓✓ He offers a sacrifice to God on our behalf

✓✓ Is Himself the perfect sacrifice offered
✓✓ He continually represents the believer
✓✓ He completely saves the believer
✓✓ He has no personal sins to impede His work as priest.
✓✓ Christ finished His priestly work by one offering
The King.
On his robe and on his thigh he has this name written: KING
OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS
Revelation 19:16
which he exerted in Christ when he raised him from the dead

and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly realms, far
above all rule and authority, power and dominion, and every
title that can be given, not only in the present age but also in
the one to come. And God placed all things under his feet and
appointed him to be head over everything for the church.
Ephesians 1:20–22
✓✓ The King of Kings and Lord of Lords

✓✓ He rules over the church and the universe
(In the OT the king has authority to rule over the nation of
Israel. In the New Testament, Jesus did have a kingdom
32
Ibid

49
whose arrival he announced in his preaching (Matt. 4:17,
23;12:28, et al.). He is in fact the true king of the new people of
God. Thus, Jesus refused to rebuke his disciples who cried out
at his triumphal entry into Jerusalem, “Blessed is the King who
comes in the name of the Lord!” (Luke 19:38; cf. vv. 39–40;
also Matt. 21:5; John 1:49; Acts 17:7).)
(After his resurrection, Jesus was given by God the Father

far greater authority over the church and over the universe.
God raised him up and “made him sit at his right hand in the
heavenly places, far above all rule and authority and power
and dominion and above every name that is named, not only
in this age but also in that which is to come; and he has put
all things under his feet and has made him the head over all
things for the church” (Eph. 1:20–22; Matt. 28:18; 1 Cor. 15:25).
“I am trying here to prevent anyone saying the really

foolish thing that people often say about Him: I’m ready
to accept Jesus as a great moral teacher, but I don’t
accept his claim to be God. That is the one thing we
must not say. A man who was merely a man and said
the sort of things Jesus said would not be a great moral
teacher. He would either be a lunatic — on the level
with the man who says he is a poached egg — or else
he would be the Devil of Hell. You must make your
choice. Either this man was, and is, the Son of God,
or else a madman or something worse. You can shut
him up for a fool, you can spit at him and kill him as a
demon or you can fall at his feet and call him Lord and
God, but let us not come with any patronizing nonsense
about his being a great human teacher. He has not left
that open to us. He did not intend to.”
C.S. LEWIS, Mere Christianity
50
SESSION 5:
The Doctrine of Salvation: Saved from Sin’s
Penalty, Power and Presence
By In Through
Sola Sola Sola
Grace Christ Faith
Alone Alone Alone
I. Introduction
A. Sola Gratia
Sola gratia, or “by grace alone”, teaches us that salvation comes
by divine grace or “unmerited favor” only. It is not earned by the
sinner, it is a free gift from God.
B. Sola Fide
Sola fide or “by faith alone”, means that we receive God’s
wonderful gift of salvation through faith and nothing else. We
place all our faith in who Jesus is and what He did for us at Calvary
and God declares us righteous or right with Him.
Then he believed in the Lord; and He reckoned it to him as

righteousness.
Genesis 15:6
For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of
yourselves, it is the gift of God; 9not as a result of works, so that
no one may boast.
Ephesians 2:8–9

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II. The Nature of True Salvation
We believe that salvation – with its forgiveness of sins, impartation
of a new nature and eternal life – is a free gift from God. This gift is
received when a person trusts in Jesus Christ to be his only Savior and
Lord. It is given by God’s grace and cannot be earned by man through
good works, baptism, church membership or any other means.
Cf. Romans 6:23; Ephesians 2:8–9; John 14:6; John 1:12; Titus 3:5;
Galatians 3:26; Romans 5:1
A. We believe that Salvation is a free gift from God.

1. We did nothing to earn or deserve it; it is undeserved favor, a gift
of grace. Salvation has always been apart from human works.
For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not
of yourselves, it is the gift of God; 9not as a result of works, so
that no one may boast.
Ephesians 2:8–9
2. Our God is a saving God and the Bible teaches us that He does
not want anyone to perish. (2 Peter 3:9)
But God is righteous, holy, perfect in all His ways and He can
never have fellowship with sin.
For You are not a God who takes pleasure in wickedness; no
evil dwells with You.
Psalm 5:4
3. The Bible describes man as unrighteous; a sinner and separated

from God because of his sin. Man is in need of salvation. In the
book of Romans we are told that no man is good in God’s eyes,
not even one! (Romans 3:10)
a. By birth - Psalm 51:5

b. By nature - Ephesians 2:3
c. By practice - Romans 3:12
d. By choice - Romans 3:23
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...for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.
Romans 3:23
⊲⊲ The most common New Testament word used for sin is

‘hamartia’. It is used in various forms around 227 times. This
word simply means “to miss the mark”.
• In Biblical doctrine, God’s target for each of us is perfect

righteousness. However, because of our sinful nature we
have missed the target and are guilty before a holy and
righteous God.
1. Just like an archer when we miss the target, we end up

hitting something else. We call this sin.
2. Over and over again the Bible tells us that Jesus came
to save us from our sins.
⊲⊲ The salvation that He has provided is so awesome and complete

that it spans our past, present and future.
• Justification - Saved from sin’s penalty.

• Sanctification - Saved from sin’s power.
• Glorification - Saved from sin’s presence.
B. Saved from Sin’s Penalty.

The message of the gospel is simple. Once genuine repentance for
sin and faith in the person and work of the Lord Jesus Christ has
taken place, God freely forgives all sin.
1. We are then saved from sin’s penalty which is death or eternal

separation from Him in hell.
2. However God did not just forgive us our sin, He also declared
us right with Him and proclaimed us righteous. We call this
“justification” and it was all prophesied over 700 years before
Jesus was born, by the prophet Isaiah.

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“But He was pierced through for our transgressions, He was
crushed for our iniquities; the chastening for our well-being fell
upon Him, and by His scourging we are healed. All of us like
sheep have gone astray, each of us has turned to his own way;
but the Lord has caused the iniquity of us all to fall on Him”.
Isaiah 53:5–6
“As a result of the anguish of His soul, He will see it and be

satisfied; by His knowledge the Righteous One, My servant,
will justify the many, as He will bear their iniquities.”
Isaiah 53:11
So we see that God sent Jesus into the world to die for our sin.
3. He satisfied God’s just and holy penalty for sin and then
declared us righteous or right with Him.
For Christ also died for sins once for all, the just for the unjust,
so that He might bring us to God, having been put to death in
the flesh, but made alive in the spirit;
1 Peter 3:18
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
54
4. If we come to God in genuine repentance, trusting only in the
person and work of the Lord Jesus Christ for our salvation, God
has guaranteed us forgiveness for sin and the free gift of His
righteousness.
For as through the one man’s disobedience the many were

made sinners, even so through the obedience of the One the
many will be made righteous.
Romans 5:19
C. Saved from sin’s power.

However forgiveness for sin and the free gift of His perfect
righteousness is just the beginning of our incredible salvation. God
did not just save us and leave us at the mercy of this sinful world.
1. The Bible tells us that God is at work in us conforming us to the

image of His Son, the Lord Jesus.
For those whom He foreknew, He also predestined to become

conformed to the image of His Son, so that He would be the
firstborn among many brethren;
Romans 8:29
While He accepts us the way we are, He certainly won’t leave

us that way.
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
We call this aspect of our salvation “sanctification” and it simply

means that we have been sanctified or “set apart” for God.
2. The Bible makes a distinction between positional righteousness

and practical righteousness.
3. Over and over again we are reminded that even though we are
righteous in Christ, we need to learn to live like it, working it out
in our daily lives. Our practice needs to match our position.

55
“So then, my beloved, just as you have always obeyed, not as in my
presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your
salvation with fear and trembling; 13 for it is God who is at work in
you, both to will and to work for His good pleasure.”
Philippians 2:12–13
The unbeliever only has the capacity for sin, even the good things
he does are tainted by sin. But God has placed within the believer a
brand new nature with the desire to live righteously.
4. We can still sin because we will not be totally free of our sinful
nature until we go to heaven. However, we now have the God
given ability to say no to sin and live godly lives. (Romans 6:6)
5. We have been set free from sin’s power and have become
slaves to righteousness. (Romans 6:18)
a. KNOW
...knowing this, that our old self was crucified with Him, in
order that our body of sin might be done away with, so that
we would no longer be slaves to sin...
Romans 6:6
b. BELIEVE
Even so consider yourselves to be dead to sin, but alive to
God in Christ Jesus. Therefore do not let sin reign in your
mortal body so that you obey its lusts...
Romans 6:11–12
c. YIELD
And do not go on presenting the members of your body
to sin as instruments of unrighteousness; but present
yourselves to God as those alive from the dead, and your
members as instruments of righteousness to God. For sin
shall not be master over you, for you are not under law but
under grace.
Romans 6:13–14
56
And having been freed from sin, you became slaves of
righteousness.
Romans 6:18
D. Saved from sin’s presence.

Finally the Bible assures us that there is also a future element to our
salvation and one day we will also be saved from the presence of
sin. We will receive a new body, a glorified body and sin will have
been eliminated from our lives forever.
1. We call this doctrine glorification and it refers to the future glory

that we will enjoy as we spend the rest of eternity with Him.
“Father, I desire that they also, whom You have given Me,
be with Me where I am, so that they may see My glory which
You have given Me, for You loved Me before the foundation
of the world.
John 17:24
For those whom He foreknew, He also predestined to become

conformed to the image of His Son, so that He would be
the firstborn among many brethren; 30and these whom He
predestined, He also called; and these whom He called, He
also justified; and these whom He justified, He also glorified.
Romans 8:29–30
So our salvation is complete, God has thought of everything

and even speaks of the future elements of our salvation in a
past tense because they are certain.
2. Our sin has been dealt with past, present and future and the
Bible assures us that the moment our sin was dealt with we
received eternal life.

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Chart 5.1: Our Complete Salvation
SALVATION
You have been saved from sin’s penalty Justification
You are being saved from sin’s power Sanctification
You will be saved from sin’s presence Glorification
This is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God,
and Jesus Christ whom You have sent.
John 17:3
3. Eternal life is not a quantity of time but rather a quality of living.

It is entering into a personal relationship with God.
4. E
ternal life begins the moment we are saved from sin’s penalty
and continues into eternity.
5. E
ternal life can never be lost, as that is a contradiction in terms.
Jesus is crystal clear that none that the Father has given Him
will ever be lost.
“This is the will of Him who sent Me, that of all that He has
given Me I lose nothing, but raise it up on the last day.
John 6:39
“My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me;
and I give eternal life to them, and they will never perish; and
no one will snatch them out of My hand. “My Father, who has
given them to Me, is greater than all; and no one is able to snatch
them out of the Father’s hand. “I and the Father are one.”
John 10:27–30
So Christ also, having been offered once to bear the sins of

many, will appear a second time for salvation without reference
to sin, to those who eagerly await Him.
Hebrews 9:28
58
E. Saved by grace.
The Bible is very clear about the basis of our salvation. We receive
it freely by grace, it is a gift from God to us.
⊲⊲ We see God’s grace clearly in the person and work of His Son
the Lord Jesus Christ. God reached out to man, He stepped
out of eternity, became one of us, so that He could take our
place. (Philippians 2:5-8)
⊲⊲ He lived a righteous life for us, died for us and then rose again
providing salvation for all who believe. (John 3:16)
yourselves, it is the gift of God; 9not as a result of works, so that
no one may boast.
Ephesians 2:8–9
The term ‘ grace’ simply refers to God’s unmerited favor. It is not

earned or deserved, it is a gift.
⊲⊲ We did not go looking for God, the Bible says He came

looking for us. Religion says man can reach God through
works, but the Bible says that God reached down to us by
grace. (Romans 3:11)
G od
R eaches
At
C hrist’s
E xpense
“And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us, and we
saw His glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father,
full of grace and truth.”
John 1:14

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F. Saved through faith.
While grace is the basis of our salvation, faith is the means through
which we take possession of it.
⊲⊲ True saving faith involves the whole person, our mind, our
emotion and our will. (James 2:14-26)
⊲⊲ It involves repentance from our sin and complete trust in the

person and work of Jesus Christ to save us from sin and make
us righteous.
Good works CANNOT save you.

Religious traditions CANNOT save you.
Baptism CANNOT save you.
Church membership CANNOT save you.
Other mediators CANNOT save you.
⊲⊲ We are saved by grace, it is a gift from God. We receive this

grace by faith, which requires that we place all of our trust in
who Jesus claimed to be and what He did for us at the cross.
The Bible does talk about different kinds of faith. There were times
when Jesus Himself did not accept peoples faith as genuine. So
how do we know our faith is real saving faith? (John 2:24, 8:31-44)
1. Saving faith is placed in Jesus Christ alone.

(John 14:6, Acts 4:12)
2. Saving faith is based on the Word of God. (2 Timothy 3:15)
3. Saving faith involves the whole person. (James 2:14-26)
4. Saving faith involves real repentance. (Luke 13:3,5)
5. Saving faith always leads to action. (John 10:27)
6. Saving faith produces fruit. (Matthew 7:15-23)
7. Saving faith continues to follow Him. (John 8:31, 1 John 2:19)
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Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace
with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, 2through whom also
we have obtained our introduction by faith into this grace in
which we stand; and we exult in hope of the glory of God.
Romans 5:1–2
And there is salvation in no one else; for there is no other

name under heaven that has been given among men by
which we must be saved.
Acts 4:12

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SESSION 6:
The Doctrine of Salvation:
Saved for Good Works and Witness
By In Through
Sola Sola Sola
Grace Christ Faith
Alone Alone Alone
I. Introduction
A. Soli Deo Gloria
Sola Deo Gloria means that our Christian lives should be
surrendered to the Lordship of Jesus Christ and lived for the glory
of God alone.
Our salvation is based on the teaching of the Scriptures, it

magnifies the person and work of Jesus Christ, it is received by
grace through faith and the only reasonable response on our part
is to live the rest of our lives for God’s glory.
Whether, then, you eat or drink or whatever you do,

do all to the glory of God.
1 Corinthians 10:31
B. CCF Statement of Faith — Good Works

We believe that good works are not the means to salvation but
the expected by-product in the life of a true believer in Christ.
The evidence of true salvation and true faith is repentance, good
works, and changed lives. It is every believer’s responsibility to
62
pursue a life of good works through the power of the Holy Spirit.
Cf. Ephesians 2:8–10; Galatians 6:9-10; Matthew 5:16; 1 Timothy
6:18
yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as a result of works, so that no
one may boast. For we are His workmanship, created in Christ
Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that
we would walk in them.
Ephesians 2:8–10
II. Works and Witness of a Christian

A. Saved from Dead Works
Salvation involves far more than just forgiveness for sins:
1. We have been born again. (1 Peter 1:3)
2. We have become new creatures. (2 Corinthians 5:17)
3. We have been given a new nature. (Romans 6:6)
4. We have been transformed. (2 Corinthians 3:18)
5. We have passed from darkness into the light. (Ephesians 5:8)
“True faith will inevitably manifest itself

in the performance of works of obedience...
The performance of works are the result of faith
and the fruit of justification.”
R. C. SPROUL
Therefore leaving the elementary teaching about the Christ, let

us press on maturity, not laying again a foundation of repentance
from dead works and of faith toward God
Hebrews 6:1
The Bible refers to the works done prior to repentance and faith in
Jesus Christ as “dead works.”

63
They are referred to as dead because you were spiritually dead
when you performed them and because anything not done in faith
is sin and leads to death. (Romans 14:23)
Dead trees don’t produce living fruit and when we were separated
from God in sin, spiritually dead, even our best efforts were as filthy
rags to our holy God. (Isaiah 64:6)
But God, being rich in mercy, because of His great love with which
He loved us, 5even when we were dead in our transgressions,
made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved)
Ephesians 2:4–5
B. Saved for Good Works.

The Bible teaches us that we have been saved for a purpose. God
has already planned out works He wants you and I to do.
For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good

works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in
them. Ephesians 2:10 (Cf. James 2:17, 20,26)
The book of Romans tells us that the only reasonable response to

this awesome salvation we have received is to present ourselves
as living sacrifices to God. (Romans 12:1)
As we do this and learn to walk with the Lord our lives will be filled
with good works.
What are Good Works?
1. Working heartily for the Lord.

Whatever you do, do your work heartily, as for the Lord
rather than for men,
Colossians 3:23
2. Obeying God’s commands out of love.

“If you love Me, you will keep My commandments.
John 14:15
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3. Doing everything for the glory of God.
Whether, then, you eat or drink or whatever you do,
do all to the glory of God.
1 Corinthians 10:31
Whoever speaks, is to do so as one who is speaking the
utterances of God; whoever serves is to do so as one who
is serving by the strength which God supplies; so that in all
things God may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to whom
belongs the glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen.
1 Peter 4:11
4. Serving with a thankful heart. Colossians 3:17

Whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the
Lord Jesus, giving thanks through Him to God the Father.
Colossians 3:17
“Thankfulness to God is a recognition that God

in His goodness and faithfulness has provided for us
and cared for us, both physically and spiritually.
It is a recognition that we are totally dependent
upon Him; that all that we are and have
comes from God.”
JERRY BRIDGES
5. Doing nothing out of selfishness.

Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit, but with
humility of mind regard one another as more important than
yourselves; do not merely look out for your own personal
interests, but also for the interests of others. 5Have this
attitude in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus,
Philippians 2:3–5

65
C. Evidence of Our Salvation
In the Book of James, the brother of Jesus deals with this subject
of works in great detail. He points out three kinds of faith that
are possible and proves that only one kind saves and that is the
kind that works.
1. Dead faith that cannot save. (James 2:14–17)

This kind of person knows about the Bible and the doctrine
of salvation but has never humbled himself before God in
genuine repentance and trusted Christ for his salvation.
This person knows the right words to say but his words are
never proven by his works.
Even so faith, if it has no works, is dead, being by itself.

James 2:17
The Bible assures us that the moment we placed our faith in

Christ alone for salvation we were made alive and life demands
growth and fruit. James repeats three times that faith without
works is dead faith and dead faith cannot save you.
“You will know them by their fruits. Grapes are not gathered
from thorn bushes nor figs from thistles, are they? “So every
good tree bears good fruit, but the bad tree bears bad fruit.
“A good tree cannot produce bad fruit, nor can a bad tree
produce good fruit. “Every tree that does not bear good fruit
is cut down and thrown into the fire. “So then, you will know
them by their fruits.”
Matthew 7:16–20
2. Demonic faith that cannot save (James 2:18–19)

James uses demons as an example of faith that cannot save.
He points out that they believe in God and they are lost.
A quick study through the gospels proves this. The demons

knew who Jesus was and were terrified of Him. (Luke 8:28-31)
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So we see that a person can be intellectually enlightened
and even emotionally stirred up and still be dead and lost.
“Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the
kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father
who is in heaven will enter. 22“Many will say to Me on that
day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and in
Your name cast out demons, and in Your name perform many
miracles?’ 23“And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you;
DEPART FROM ME, YOU WHO PRACTICE LAWLESSNESS.’
Matthew 7:21–23
3. Dynamic faith that saves (James 2:20–26)

We know that faith comes from hearing a message about
Jesus Christ. So if we hear the gospel message, understand it
and believe it to be true the Bible says we are saved.
(Romans 10:17)
a. Saving faith involves the whole person:
• Intellect - understands the truth

• Emotions - experience sorrow for sin, rejoice in and
desire the truth
• Will - acts upon the truth.
b. True saving faith is dynamic because it leads to action and

that action produces good works and fruit in our lives.
So Jesus was saying to those Jews who had believed

Him, “If you continue in My word, then you are truly
disciples of Mine; 32and you will the know the truth, and
the truth will make you free.”
John 8:31–32
“My Father is glorified by this, that you bear much fruit,

and so prove to be My disciples.
John 15:8

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c. Saving faith is demonstrated by God’s people through
personal acts of obedience.
Look up Hebrews 11: 1–31 and write down evidence of real

faith as demonstrated by the biblical characters identified
in the “Hall of Faith” passage. The first two are given as
examples.
⊲⊲ By faith Abel offered a better sacrifice (11:4)

⊲⊲ By faith Enoch pleased God (11:5)
⊲⊲ By faith Noah built an ark (11:7)
⊲⊲ By faith Abraham left his homeland (11:8)
⊲⊲ By faith Sarah had a baby (11:11)
⊲⊲ By faith Abraham offered Isaac (11:17)
⊲⊲ By faith Isaac blessed Jacob and Esau (11:20)
⊲⊲ By faith Jacob blessed Joseph’s sons (11:21)
⊲⊲ By faith Joseph prophesied the Exodus. (11:22)
⊲⊲ By faith Moses’ parents obeyed God not the king.
(11:23)
⊲⊲ By faith Moses chose persecution rather than sin
(11:25)
⊲⊲ By faith Moses left Egypt, its wealth and sin (11:27)
⊲⊲ By faith Moses kept the Passover (11:28)
⊲⊲ By faith Israel passed through the Red Sea (11:29)
⊲⊲ By faith Israel conquered Jericho (11:30)
⊲⊲ By faith Rahab saved the spies and saved her own
life (11:31)
By Faith..
⊲⊲ Conquered kingdoms.
⊲⊲ Performed acts of righteousness.
⊲⊲ Obtained promises.
⊲⊲ Shut the mouths of lions.
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⊲⊲ Quenched the power of fire.
⊲⊲ Escaped death by the sword.
⊲⊲ Were made strong in weakness.
⊲⊲ Became mighty in war.
⊲⊲ Put foreign armies to flight.
⊲⊲ Saw the dead raised to life.
⊲⊲ Were mocked and whipped.
⊲⊲ Were chained and put in prison.
⊲⊲ Were stoned.
⊲⊲ Were sawn in half.
⊲⊲ Were tempted.
⊲⊲ Were put to death by the sword.
⊲⊲ Were forced to live in terrible poverty.
⊲⊲ Were ill-treated.
⊲⊲ Were forced to live in deserts, in caves and in holes.
Hebrews 11:32–40
All these gained approval through their faith! Their faith

was clearly seen in the way they lived! The world was not
worthy of them!
III. Every Christian’s Mission

There is an important relationship between our works and our witness
in the Bible. Time and time again we are told to put Jesus Christ on
display in our lives so that people will see our good works and believe
our message.
Urge bondslaves to be subject to their own masters in everything,

to be well-pleasing, not argumentative, not pilfering, but showing all
good faith so that they will adorn the doctrine of God our Savior in
every respect.
Titus 2:9–10

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Our Statement of Faith – Every Christian’s Mission
We believe that it is God’s will and command for every Christian to

be actively engaged in telling others how to establish a personal
relationship with God through faith in Jesus Christ and in discipling
those who respond to the good news of salvation.
Cf. 2 Timothy 1:7–8, 4:2; 2 Corinthians 5:19–20; Matthew 28:19–20
A. The Importance of Our Witness.

Every Christian should be actively engaged in telling others how
to establish a personal relationship with God, through faith in
Jesus Christ.
Then discipling those that respond in genuine repentance

towards God and faith in Jesus Christ.
“How I did not shrink from declaring to you anything that was
profitable, and teaching you publicly and from house to house,
solemnly testifying to both Jews and Greeks of repentance
toward God and faith in our Lord Jesus Christ.”
Acts 20:20–21
“And He said to them, “Thus it is written, that the Christ would

suffer and rise again from the dead the third day, and that
repentance for forgiveness of sins would be proclaimed in His
name to all the nations, beginning from Jerusalem. You are
witnesses of these things.
Luke 24:46–48
a. The mission of the church is inseparably tied to the health of

the church. Jesus knew this, sadly many today don’t.
b. Doctrine and duty must go together if evangelism is going to

be effective.
People will not believe your message without evidence and
you are the evidence that God saves people from their sin.
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“Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may
see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven.”
Matthew 5:16
“For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not
of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as a result of works, so
that no one may boast. For we are His workmanship, created in
Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so
that we would walk in them.”
Ephesians 2:8–10
The credibility of the gospel message is inseparably tied to the

lives of the people that claim to believe it.
“Show me your redeemed life and I

might be inclined to believe in your redeemer.”
HEINRICH HEINE, German Philosopher
“It is faith alone that justifies,

but faith that justifies can never be alone.”
J O H N C A LV I N ( A D 1 5 0 9 – 1 5 6 4 )

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SESSION 7:
The Doctrine of Holy Spirit:
His Deity and Personhood
I. Introduction
A. Soli Deo Gloria
Our salvation is based on the teaching of the Scriptures, it
magnifies the person and work of Jesus Christ, it is received by
grace through faith and the only reasonable response on our part
is to live the rest of our lives for God’s glory.
God knew that we could never glorify Him in our own strength, so
He gave us the indwelling Holy Spirit. He illuminates the Scriptures
for us and then empowers us to obey them as we walk with Him.
B. Our Statement of Faith – The Holy Spirit

We believe that the Holy Spirit is God and possesses all divine
attributes. He indwells all believers and baptizes them into the
body of Christ at the moment they trust in Jesus Christ to be their
only Savior and Lord. He controls all true believers and empowers
them to live the Christian life in response to their obedience,
confession of sins, and submission to Him.
Cf. Romans 8:9–11; 2 Corinthians 3:17; John 16:7–13; Acts 1:8; 1

Corinthians 3:16; 1 Corinthians 12:12; Ephesians 1:13; Galatians
5:25; Ephesians 5:18
II. The Truth about the Holy Spirit

In recent days a great deal of interest has been generated in the Holy
Spirit with great emphasis being placed on His ministries, works and gifts.
⊲⊲ There is also great concern for world evangelization and the need
to be utterly dependent upon the power of the Holy Spirit in order
to accomplish this work.
⊲⊲ All these things are wonderful but too often believers have drifted
away from the clear teaching of God’s Word when it comes to the
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person and work of the Holy Spirit.
⊲⊲ Today many believers do not even understand the importance of
the Holy Spirit’s presence and work in their lives.
⊲⊲ So it is vital that we go back to the Bible and learn together about
the person and the work of the Holy Spirit.
A. Knowing the Holy Spirit Biblically.

Simply put, the Bible tells us that the Holy Spirit is God. The Bible
also tells us that the Holy Spirit is a divine person, with a mind,
emotions, and will just like the Father and the Son.
⊲⊲ He is easily the most misunderstood member of the Trinity.
⊲⊲ The ministry of the Holy Spirit is very personal and intimate.
He is the one who has poured out God’s love in our hearts
and become our comforter and helper. (Romans 5:5, John
16:7, Acts 9:31)
⊲⊲ The promise of the indwelling Holy Spirit is an essential part
of the New Covenant.
I will put My Spirit within you and cause you to walk in My
statutes, and you will be careful to observe My ordinances.
Ezekiel 36:27
⊲⊲ The early Church recognised the importance of the person
and work of the Holy Spirit and lived in complete dependence
upon Him for:
-- Salvation.
-- Spirit filled life.
-- Service.
⊲⊲ During the Dark Ages much of this was lost as the Word of
God was set aside in favor of tradition and false religion.
⊲⊲ It was the reformation that brought the Church back to the
clear teaching of the Bible and a renewed interest in the
ministry of the Holy Spirit.

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“The Holy Spirit is the bond by which Christ
efficaciously unites us to Himself.”
J O H N C A LV I N , R e f o r m e r , 1 5 0 9 - 1 5 6 4 A D
“Mortification from a self-strength, carried on by ways

of self-invention, unto the end of a self-righteousness is
the soul and substance of all false religion… The Spirit
alone is sufficient for this work. All ways and means
without Him are useless. He is the great efficient. He is
the One who gives life and strength to our efforts.”
JOHN OWEN, PuritaN, 1616-1683 AD
“Without the Spirit of God we can do nothing. We are

as ships without wind or chariots without steeds. Like
branches without sap, we are withered. Like coals
without fire, we are useless. As an offering without the
sacrificial flame, we are unaccepted.”
C H A R L E S S P U R G E O N , P r e a c h e r, 1 8 3 4 -1 8 92 A D
B. What the Holy Spirit is NOT...

Today many people are confused about the Holy Spirit. There is
so much false teaching about Him that it is necessary to say a few
words about what He is not before we talk about who He is.
-- Thoughts He never gave.

-- Words He never spoke.
-- Actions He never performed.
⊲⊲ All these and more are attributed to the Holy Spirit everyday
by well-meaning Christians and strictly speaking are nothing
short of blasphemy.
a. A Mystical Force.
The rise of the New Age Movement and a resurgence of interest
in mysticism and the occult has led many to misunderstand the
Holy Spirit.
⊲⊲ Films like Star Wars made popular the idea of an mystical
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force that we need to tap into in order to experience spiritual
power.
“Well, the Force is what gives a Jedi his power.
It’s an energy field created by all living things. It
surrounds us and penetrates us;
it binds the galaxy together.”
OBI -WAN KENOBI, Jedi Mas ter (Fic tion)
⊲⊲ It is not unusual for Christians that do not know their Bible

well to think of the Holy Spirit this way.
⊲⊲ While He is certainly unseen and all-powerful He is never
described as a mystical force in the Bible.
b. An Impersonal Power.
The idea that the Holy Spirit is an impersonal power or
influence that we must somehow obtain and use is equally
dangerous.
⊲⊲ This is an animistic belief and often leads to self-exaltation

and pride. Such people often look down on other
Christians as if they possess something others don’t.
⊲⊲ The Bible teaches us that the Holy Spirit is a person to be

worshipped not a power to be abused.
“The conception of the Holy Spirit as a divine influence

or power that we are somehow to get hold of and use,
leads to self-exaltation and self-sufficiency. One who
so thinks of the Holy Spirit and who at the same time
imagines that he has received the Holy Spirit will almost
inevitably be full of spiritual pride and strut about as if
he belonged to some superior order of Christians.”
R. A . TORRE Y
“But if we once grasp the thought that the Holy Spirit

is a divine Person of infinite majesty and glory and
holiness and power, who in marvellous condescension
has come into our hearts to make us His abode and

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take possession of our lives and make use of them,
it will put us in the dust and keep us in the dust.
I can think of no thought more humbling or more
overwhelming than the thought that a Person of divine
majesty and glory dwells in my heart
and is ready to use even me.”
R. A . TORRE Y
c. An emanation from God.

The Holy Spirit did not emanate, originate or flow out of God.
He was certainly not created by God.
IS NOT
THE THE
FATHER SON
IS IS
⊲⊲ He is not inferior
to God. GOD
IS
T
NO
NO
⊲⊲ He is not subordinate IS
T
to God. IS
THE
⊲⊲ He is God. HOLY
SPIRIT
C. The Holy Spirit is...

a. He is God.
We believe that the Holy Spirit is God. He possesses all divine
attributes and is co-equal with the Father and the Son.
⊲⊲ The scriptures clearly teach the doctrine of the Trinity. It is

continually illustrated and taught throughout the entire Bible.
⊲⊲ The Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit are all co-equally
God and together form the Eternal God. (Matthew 28:19)
1. His Name proves He is God.

The Bible uses many different names to describe the Holy
Spirit, His relationship to the Trinity and His work.
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a. The Spirit of God.
⊲⊲ This name shows us beyond a shadow of doubt that
the scriptures consider the Holy Spirit to be God.
⊲⊲ In Paul’s letter to the Corinthians we are told

that the Spirit searches the “depths of God” and
knows “the thoughts of God” because He is God.
For to us God revealed them through the Spirit; for

the Spirit searches all things, even the depths of God.
11
For who among men knows the thoughts of a man
except the spirit of the man which is in him? Even so the
thoughts of God no one knows except the Spirit of God.
1 Corinthians 2:10–11
b. Another Helper.
In John’s gospel Jesus Christ Himself uses this name
to describe the Holy Spirit and the role He would play.
I will ask the Father, and He will give you another

Helper, that He may be with you forever; that is 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 14:16–17
⊲⊲ In the Greek language the word for ‘another’

actually means ‘another of the same kind.’
⊲⊲ So Jesus, who is God, is saying that He will be

going and then He will be sending another Person
of the God-Head to replace Him.
2. His Attributes prove that He is God.

While possessing His own distinct personality the
Holy Spirit also possesses all the attributes that are
associated with being God:

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a. He is all knowing - omniscient (1 Cor. 2:10)
For to us God revealed them through the Spirit; for the
Spirit searches all things, even the depths of God.
1 Corinthians 2:10
b. He is all powerful - omnipotent (Romans 8:11)

But if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the
dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ Jesus from
the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies [a]
through His Spirit who dwells in you.
Romans 8:11
c. He is everywhere present – omnipresent (Ps. 139:7)

Where can I go from Your Spirit?
Or where can I flee from Your presence?
Psalm 139:7
3. His works prove that He is God.

a. The world was created by Him.
(Genesis 1:2, Psalm 104:30)
You send forth Your Spirit, they are created;
And You renew the face of the ground.
b. The Word of God was authored by Him.

(2 Peter 1:21, John 16:13)
for no prophecy was ever made by an act of human
will, but men moved by the Holy Spirit spoke from God.
2 Peter 1:21
But when He, the Spirit of truth, comes, He will guide
you into all the truth; for He will not speak on His
own initiative, but whatever He hears, He will speak;
and He will disclose to you what is to come.
John 16:13
c. The Lord Jesus was conceived by Him. (Luke 1:35)

The angel answered and said to her, “The Holy Spirit
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will come upon you, and the power of the Most High
will overshadow you; and for that reason the [a]holy
Child shall be called the Son of God.
Luke 1:35
D. He is a Person.
When people hear about the Holy Spirit, they often think of
‘an influence’ or an ‘mystical force’ but the Bible teaches us
that He is a person.
1. Proven by His personal attributes.

If we were to define the attributes that make up a person
they could be summed up as intellect, emotion and will.
These three are clearly seen in the Bible’s explanation of
the Holy Spirit:
• His intellect.
⊲⊲ The Bible tells us that the Holy Spirit has a mind
of His own. He knows and searches the things of
God and part of His role is to teach others.
(John 16:13)
• His emotion.
⊲⊲ The scriptures tell us that He loves us, can be
grieved by our sin and warn us not to do it.
(Romans 15:30, Ephesians 4:30)
• His will.
⊲⊲ The Word of God tells us that He makes
decisions and directs the activities of our lives.
(1 Corinthians 12:11, Acts 16:6-11).
They passed through the Phrygian and Galatian region,

having been forbidden by the Holy Spirit to speak the
word in Asia; 7and after they came to Mysia, they were
trying to go into Bithynia, and the Spirit of Jesus did not
permit them;
Acts 16:6–7

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2. Proven by His personal activities.
The Bible records many activities that only a person could
perform lets look at three of them:
⊲⊲ He takes the Word of God and uses it to bring about

conviction in us, showing us that we are sinners that
need a Savior. (John 16:8)
And He, when He comes, will convict the world
concerning sin and righteousness and judgment;
John 16:8
⊲⊲ He guides us into all truth by giving us understanding

of His Word as we are faithful to diligently study it.
(John 16:13)
But when He, the Spirit of truth, comes, He will guide
you into all the truth; for He will not speak on His own
initiative, but whatever He hears, He will speak; and
He will disclose to you what is to come.
John 16:13
⊲⊲ He prays for us. (Romans 8:26)

In the same way the Spirit also helps our weakness;
for we do not know how to pray as we should, but
the Spirit Himself intercedes for us with groanings too
deep for words;
Romans 8:26
⊲⊲ He equips and empowers us for service. (Acts 1:8)
but you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has
come upon you; and you shall be My witnesses both
in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and even
to the remotest part of the earth.”
Acts 1:8
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3. Proven by His personal associations.
We are given a number of instances where the Holy Spirit
relates as a person to others showing His own distinct
personality:
• His relationship to the apostles.

⊲⊲ In the book of Acts we witness the Holy Spirit
personally working with the Apostles in the
decisions they made. (Acts 15:28)
• His relationship to Jesus Christ.

⊲⊲ No one would dispute the personality of Jesus yet
the Bible tells us that while the Holy Spirit is a distinct
person He relates in similar ways. (John 16:14-15)
He will glorify Me, for He will take of Mine and will

disclose it to you. All things that the Father has are
Mine; therefore I said that He takes of Mine and will
disclose it to you.
John 16:14–15
• His relationship to the Trinity.

The Bible is very clear that the Holy Spirit is a co-
equal person with the Father and the Son. (Matthew
28:19, 2 Corinthians 13:14)
He relates to the other Persons of the Trinity as an

equal Person. He relates to the Lord Jesus and the
God the Father in such a way that if the Lord has
personality one must conclude that the Spirit does
also. Yet He is distinct from Christ and God the Father.
⊲⊲ While the Father and Son are both God they

clearly act and interact as two separate and
distinct Persons.
⊲⊲ The Bible demands that we recognize the Holy

Spirit as a Person as well. After all we fellowship

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with Him and we are baptized into His name.
• His relationship to God’s People.

The way that He is treated and affected by God’s
people in the Bible is also proof that He is a Person.
⊲⊲ He can be disobeyed just like Jesus.

(Acts 10:19-21)
⊲⊲ He can be lied to just like Jesus.

(Acts 5:3)
⊲⊲ He can be resisted just like Jesus.

(Acts 7:51)
⊲⊲ He can be grieved just like Jesus.

(Ephesians 4:30)
⊲⊲ He can be insulted just like Jesus.

(Hebrews 10:29)
“Dear brother, honour the Spirit of God as you would

honour Jesus Christ if He were present. If Jesus Christ were
dwelling in your house you would not ignore Him, you would not
go about your business as if He were not there. Do not ignore the
presence of the Holy Spirit in your soul. I beseech you, do not live
as if you had not heard whether there were any Holy Spirit.
To Him pay your constant adorations. Reverence the august guest
who has been pleased to make your body His sacred abode.
Love Him, obey Him, worship Him.”
C H A R L E S S P U R G E O N , P r e a c h e r, 1 8 3 4 -1 8 92 A D
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SESSION 8:
The Doctrine of the Holy Spirit:
His Work and Our Filling
I. The Work of the Holy Spirit
A. He Indwells All Believers.
When speaking of the Holy Spirit to the disciples, Jesus made an
incredible statement. He told them the Spirit was with them but
that there was coming a time when the Holy Spirit would dwell in
them. (John 14:17)
I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that
He may be with you forever; 17that is 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 14:16–17
This was fulfilled during Pentecost. He came and indwelt those

that believed in the Lord Jesus Christ. Now you might say how is
this different from the Old Testament?
1. In the Church Age, the Holy Spirit indwells every believer and
this is a sign that they are truly saved. In the Old Testament,
He came upon different believers at different times and in
different ways to accomplish the work of God. (Judges 14:5–6)
Then Samson went down to Timnah with his father and

mother, and came as far as the vineyards of Timnah; and
behold, a young lion came roaring toward him. 6The Spirit of
the LORD came upon him mightily, so that he tore him as one
tears a young goat though he had nothing in his hand; but he
did not tell his father or mother what he had done.
Judges 14:5–6
2. Today, the Holy Spirit permanently resides inside the lives of

all true believers, and He will never leave us. (Romans 8:9)

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However, you are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if indeed
the Spirit of God dwells in you. But if anyone does not have
the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to Him.
Romans 8:9
In the Old Testament, He would leave the believer

especially if sin was involved. (1 Samuel 16:14, 2 Samuel
12:13, Psalm 51:11)
Create in me a clean heart, O God, And renew a steadfast

spirit within me. Do not cast me away from Your presence
And do not take Your Holy Spirit from me.
Psalm 51:10–11
B. He Assures Believers.
The Holy Spirit inwardly witnesses to our spirit that we are now
children of God.
This is not to be confused with eternal security. Our relationship

with God will never change, Jesus doesn’t lose sheep.
(John 6:39–40)
However, during times of sin and disobedience where fellowship

with God is hindered this assurance is not always experienced.
Don’t despair, deal with the sin in your life, and you will once again
know the inward witness of the Holy Spirit.
For all who are being led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of
God. 15 For you have not received a spirit of slavery leading to fear
again, but you have received a spirit of adoption as sons by which
we cry out, “Abba! Father!” 16The Spirit Himself testifies with our
spirit that we are children of God,
Romans 8:14–16
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C. He Seals the Believers.
The Bible assures us that the moment we came to genuine
repentance and faith in Jesus Christ we were sealed by the Holy
Spirit.
1. This simply means that He has marked us out as His own

possession and the Holy Spirit within us is God’s guarantee
that all He has promised will come to pass.
In Him, you also, after listening to the message of truth, the

gospel of your salvation—having also believed, you were
sealed in Him with the Holy Spirit of promise, 14who is given as
a pledge of our inheritance, with a view to the redemption of
God’s own possession, to the praise of His glory.
Ephesians 1:13–14
2. The Greek word for “pledge” was often used for a down
payment on a commodity or property. In Greece the word is
still used today to refer to an engagement.
D. He Sanctifies Believers
By faith in Jesus Christ we have been justified or declared
righteous before God. We call this a positional truth. God who is
not ruled by time already sees us glorified. (Romans 8:30)
However, we are not yet glorified and there is still a lot of work to
be done if our practice is to match our position.
So we have been set apart or sanctified by the Holy Spirit and He

will conform us to the image of Jesus Christ as we walk with Him.
Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ, to those who reside as aliens,

scattered throughout Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and
Bithynia, who are chosen 2according to the foreknowledge of God
the Father, by the sanctifying work of the Spirit, to obey Jesus
Christ and be sprinkled with His blood: May grace and peace be
yours in the fullest measure.
1 Peter 1:1–2

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E. He Equips and Empowers Believers
The Christian life is not just difficult, it is impossible! This is another
reason why God has given us the Spirit.
1. He equips us for victory over sin.

But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not carry out the
desire of the flesh.
Galatians 5:16
2. He empowers us to be His witnesses.

but you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come
upon you; and you shall be My witnesses both in Jerusalem,
and in all Judea and Samaria, and even to the remotest part
of the earth.”
Acts 1:8
F. He Illuminates Believers.
The Holy Spirit is called the “Spirit of Truth” and He gave us the
Word of God by the process of inspiration. (John 14:26, 2 Peter
1:20–21)
⊲⊲ As we faithfully study the scriptures He becomes our guide

adding spiritual thoughts to spiritual words.
⊲⊲ This in no way negates the need for gifted teachers to lead

us in a deeper understanding and correct error. (Ephesians
4:11-12)
⊲⊲ But it does assure us that every single one of us can study the
Bible for ourselves and understand it with His help.
Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit
who is from God, so that we may know the things freely given
to us by God, 13which things we also speak, not in words taught
by human wisdom, but in those taught by the Spirit, combining
spiritual thoughts with spiritual words.
1 Cor. 2: 12–13
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G. He Gifts Believers
The Holy Spirit comes bearing gifts. These gifts are spiritual
abilities given by God to empower you for service and to edify
His Church.
⊲⊲ It is believed by most good Bible teachers that you receive

your gift when you receive the giver.
⊲⊲ God the Holy Spirit decides what each person will receive and
every believer receives at least one gift. (1 Corinthians 12:11)
But one and the same Spirit works all these things, distributing
to each one individually just as He wills.
1 Corinthians 12:11
⊲⊲ All gifts are important to the body of Christ, there are no

exceptions. Every believer is expected to discover and use
their gifts to serve God in ministry and edify the church.
(1 Corinthians 12:14–26)
But now God has placed the members, each one of them, in
the body, just as He desired. 19If they were all one member,
where would the body be? 20But now there are many members,
but one body.
⊲⊲ Never forget that every believer is gifted but not every believer
is walking in the Spirit. Your spirituality is determined by your
fruitfulness not your giftedness. (1 Corinthians 1:7, 3:1–3)
If I have the gift of prophecy, and know all mysteries and all
knowledge; and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains,
but do not have love, I am nothing.
1 Corinthians 13:2

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H. He Baptizes Believers.
1. The baptism of the Holy Spirit is seen in action several times
in the Book of Acts but it is only defined once in the New
Testament when the Apostle Paul is forced to correct false
teaching in the Church at Corinth.
For even as the body is one and yet has many members, and
all the members of the body, though they are many, are one
body, so also is Christ. 13For by one Spirit we were all baptized
into one body, whether Jews or Greeks, whether slaves or
free, and we were all made to drink of one Spirit.
⊲⊲ Simply put the Baptism of the Holy Spirit is the act by

which the Holy Spirit places us into the body of Christ, the
Church and this happens the moment we are saved.
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I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that
He may be with you forever;
John 14:16
I. The Holy Spirit fills believers.

The power of the Holy Spirit is available to every believer who
is willing to live in complete dependence upon Him.
⊲⊲ We call this moment by moment, day by day dependence

upon Him “being filled with the Spirit” and as we do this
He takes control of our lives and His power is released in
us enabling us to…
• Produce fruit. (John 15:1–11, Galatians 5:22–25)

• Proclaim Christ. (Acts 1:8)
• Perform good works. (Ephesians 3:20)
And do not get drunk with wine, for that is dissipation, but be
filled with the Spirit,
Ephesians 5:18
What does “be filled” mean?
The verb “fill” here has nothing to do with contents or quantity.

We are not empty vessels waiting to be filled.
However, you are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if indeed the
Spirit of God dwells in you. But if anyone does not have the
Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to Him.
Romans 8:9
⊲⊲ If we belong to the Lord Jesus the Holy Spirit already lives

in us. The primary meaning here is “control.”
And all the people in the synagogue were filled with rage
as they heard these things; 29and they got up and drove
Him out of the city, and led Him to the brow of the hill

89
on which their city had been built, in order to throw Him
down the cliff.
Luke 4:28–29
But because I have said these things to you, sorrow has

filled your heart.
John 16:6
How do you get filled or controlled by the Holy Spirit?
You don’t pray for it, it’s a command!

You don’t wait for it, it’s for right now!
⊲⊲ While the baptism of the Holy Spirit means that I belong

to Christ’s body the Church.
⊲⊲ The filling of the Holy Spirit means that my body belongs

to Jesus Christ, I have presented it as a living sacrifice to
Him. (Romans 12:1)
It is not how much of Him you have!

It is how much of you does He have!
I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who

live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the
flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave
Himself up for me.
Galatians 2:20
⊲⊲ You must die to self.

⊲⊲ You must yield control to Him.
⊲⊲ You must live in complete dependence upon Him.
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The only thing standing in the way of you being filled with the
Holy Spirit is you!
Surrender:
⊲⊲ Your will
⊲⊲ Your mind
⊲⊲ Your body
⊲⊲ Your time
⊲⊲ Your talents
⊲⊲ Your treasure
Now when you release control, He takes over!
Being filled with the Spirit is living in the conscious

presence of the Lord Jesus Christ, letting His mind,
through the Word, dominate everything
that is thought and done.
DR. JOHN MACARTHUR
How do I know I am filled with the Holy Spirit?
1. You will be joyful.

Speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and
spiritual songs, singing and making melody with your
heart to the Lord;
Ephesians 5:19
a. Your relationship with yourself will be right.
b. Your heart will be filled with songs of praise.
2. You will be thankful.

always giving thanks for all things in the name of our Lord
Jesus Christ to God, even the Father; Ephesians 5:20
a. Your relationship with God will be right.
b. Because your heart will be overflowing with
thankfulness for who He is and all He has done.

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3. You will be submissive.
and be subject to one another in the fear of Christ.

Ephesians 5:21
a. Your relationships with others will be right.
b. Because you are humble, servant hearted and
consider others to be more important than yourself.
⊲⊲ Being filled with the Spirit is a moment by moment
complete dependence upon God.
⊲⊲ Dying to self and yielding control of every aspect of
our lives over to Him.
⊲⊲ Filling our hearts and minds with the Word of God and
living every moment in the conscious presence of the
Lord Jesus Christ.
⊲⊲ As we learn to walk with Him this way, we abide in
Him and He produces fruit in us, transforming our
lives, making us more like Him.
“The world has yet to see what God can do with

and for and through and in and by the man
who is fully and wholly consecrated to Him.
I will try my utmost to be that man.”
DW I G H T L . M O O DY
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2

IMPORTANT NOTE: This section contains teaching explanations inside pa-

Romans 1–11 Romans 12–16

“If you continue in My word, then you are truly disciples

I. Arguments for God’s Existence

However there are a number of good strong rational arguments for

Chart 1.1: Summary for Arguments for the existence of God

Book 6: BASIC DOCTRINES, Leader’s Guide

II. The Nature of God

God is spirit, and those who worship Him

While this doctrine may be difficult to understand it cannot be

God has revealed many things to us through His Word but

“Bring me a worm that can comprehend a man,

b. The Bible shows us that these three persons are distinct:

1. The Father IS NOT

3. The Holy Spirit

IS NOT the Father. IS

1. The Father IS God.

Book 6: BASIC DOCTRINES, Leader’s Guide

OLD TESTAMENT NEW TESTAMENT

THE DEITY OF ALL THREE PERSONS

Son But of the Son He says,

“There is only one God, but in the unity of the Godhead

III. The Attributes of God

“An attribute of God is whatever God has

a. In His Creation. (Romans 1:20)

“The heaviest obligation lying upon the Christian Church

Book 6: BASIC DOCTRINES, Leader’s Guide

He does not need to stop one in order to operate another like we

a. God is eternal. (Psalm 90:1–2, 1 Timothy 6:16)

God has no beginning and no end. He is not bound by time,

Lord, You have been our dwelling place in all

b. God is omniscient. (1 John 3:19-20, 1 Corinthians 2:10)

God is all knowing. Nothing in the past, present or future is

c. God is omnipotent. (Jeremiah 32:17, Revelation 1:8)

d. God is immutable. (Malachi 3:6, James 1:17)

God does not change. Change moves in three directions:

a. From better to worse.

God is perfect. His perfections forever rule out any change.

“For I, the LORD, do not change; therefore you, O sons of

God always acts righteously. He does not just justly, He is just.

“For I proclaim the name of the LORD; Ascribe greatness

f. God is love. (1 John 4:8–10)

Love is an essential attribute of God. God does not exercise

• His love has no end – He is Eternal.

Book 6: BASIC DOCTRINES, Leader’s Guide

g. God is truthful. (John 14:6, 16:13, Psalm 31:5)

Truthfulness is another essential attribute of God. God cannot

Into Your hand I commit my spirit; You have ransomed me,

h. God is holy. (Exodus 15:11, 1 Samuel 2:2, Isaiah 6:3–5)

God’s holiness is difficult to define because it encompasses

“We cannot grasp the true meaning of the divine

“Wrath, unlike love, is not one of the intrinsic

“Who is like You among the gods, O LORD? Who is like

Book 6: BASIC DOCTRINES, Leader’s Guide

Soli Deo Gloria Glory to God Alone

Sola Scriptura By Scripture Alone

Our Statement of Faith: The Bible

Cf. 2 Timothy 3:16; 2 Peter 1:20–21; Psalms 119:105; Psalms 19:7–11;

For this reason we also constantly thank God that when

a. The Bible is the written word of God.

The Old Testament records a number of instances where