Grace and Truth
Bible Ministries

Mark 16:15; Acts 1:8; The doctrine of witnessing part 40

In our study of the doctrine of witnessing Mark 16:15; Acts 1:8; we are examining the doctrines that undergird the gospel so that we can understand how and why it is God alone who made it possible for our so great salvation exclusively by grace through faith alone in Jesus Christ alone. Eph 2:8-9;

Last time we started a review of the content of the Gospel message under the category of the "Doctrine of the Gospel that we last studied in 2013." 1Cor 15:1-4; John 3:16; Acts 16:31;

1Cor 15:2; We noted that because of their rejection of God's truth regarding the resurrection the Corinthian believers are missing out on the grace principle that resurrection is God's victory.

We can do nothing to earn or deserve resurrection. The greatest illustration of grace is that the manner and time of both our physical death and resurrection are strictly a matter of God's sovereignty, and therefore are His victory alone.

We noted that the Corinthian believers had a problem believing in a corporeal bodily resurrection because it contradicted what their Greek culture believed.

Their culture taught that physical resurrection was abhorrent so they had rejected that part of the Gospel message and refused to believe it.

They possessed eternal life because they had believed that Jesus was the Son of God but because they rejected the concept of bodily resurrection they are missing out on the blessing that comes from the contentment of soul that comes from believing that they will be resurrected when the exit resurrection or rapture of the Church occurs.

They will actually be resurrected whether they believe in it or not so when it happens it will be quite a shock to them. Rom 3:3; because God's word is truth weather they believe it or not.

Salvation is not their problem. Their problem is their incorrect understanding of God's Word after salvation.

After salvation through faith in Christ alone, rejection or neglect of Bible doctrine will result in failure to enter into post-salvation renovation of the thinking and will result in failure to properly execute the protocol plan of God.

Such failure results in a miserable and frustrating life that is characterized by worry, fear, anxiety and guilt as well as susceptibility self-absorption from emotionalism and arrogance.

This is a problem many believers have today that causes them to fall for human viewpoint thinking and the lies of satan's cosmic panaceas of internationalism, multi-culturalism and anthropogenic global climate change.

Failure to execute the protocol plan of God is always due to ignorance of doctrine. The believer's ignorance breeds arrogance. Believers who are ignorant and arrogant have rejected doctrine so they are unable to apply doctrine to their lives and as a result they are miserable for their entire life on the earth in their unglorified sin infused humanity.

We see here that the issue in salvation is the person and work of Jesus Christ on the cross. One does not have to believe in resurrection for salvation. Only Jesus Christ's identity is the issue even though resurrection is included as a part of the Gospel to give hope to the believer.

This means that the boundaries of the Gospel help believers understand and appreciate salvation, and give assurance to the principle of eternal security.

What Paul writes about the boundaries of the Gospel are exclusively for the believer they are not for the unbeliever. The unbeliever is to simply believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God. Acts 16:31; John 3:16;

As was the case of the Corinthian believers, most believers bring false information that they had believed before salvation that they assume is true but may not be along with them when they are saved. If it is not true the information has to be unlearned and replaced with God's Word of truth.

Under the ministry of God the Holy Spirit and a qualified pastor teacher the new believer is taught this new information.

1Cor 15:3; "For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received, that Christ died for our sins on the basis of the Scriptures, and that He was buried, and that He was resurrected on the third day on the basis of the Scriptures."

In this verse the words translated "for our sins" is the Greek preposition "huper" plus the genitive of advantage of "ego" and "hamartia."

"Huper" plus the genitive of advantage always expresses substitution. In this case, it teaches the substitutionary spiritual death of Jesus Christ on the cross where he was judged for the sins of all mankind as a substitute.

"Huper" plus the genitive of advantage of "ego is found in three passages including. Rom 5:8;"God commended His love toward us in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died instead of us (in place of us, as a substitute for us)."

1Cor 15:3f; "According to the Scriptures" translated from the Greek "kata" plus the accusative reference from "graphe" means "on the basis of the Scriptures"

The salvation work of Christ on the cross is the issue to the unbeliever. He will often learn about resurrection later because resurrection is generally not explained in the communication of the Gospel.

His being buried refers to Jesus' unique, trichotomous death that followed His work of salvation. His body went into the Tomb, His soul went to the paradise compartment of Hades and His spirit went to the Father in heaven.

The omnipotence of the Father and the Holy Spirit were the agents of His resurrection. That same omnipotent power that raised the humanity of Jesus Christ from the dead is the power that is now available for you to execute the protocol plan of God for the Church.

 

© Copyright 2007, Michael Lemmon Bible Ministries. World Rights Reserved.  This document was created on 1/17/2016