Soteriology The Doctrine of Salvation

SOTERIOLOGY

THE

DOCTRINE

OF
SALVATION
Table of Contents
Section 1: Introduction ................................................................................................................. 4
Section 2: Salvation In The Old And New Testament Is Not

Different ....................................................................................................................... 4
Faith............................................................................................................................... 4
Blood ............................................................................................................................. 5
Obedience ..................................................................................................................... 5
Section 3: Salvation Effected By The Gospel Only ................................................................. 5
Necessary For All .................................................................................................................... 7

Only One Gospel ..................................................................................................................... 11
Section 4: Salvation Accomplished Only By Vicarious Blood Sacrifice ............................... 12
Atonement .................................................................................................................. 12
Sacrifices ................................................................................................................................... 12
Substitutionary ......................................................................................................................... 12
Blood ......................................................................................................................................... 12
Origins ....................................................................................................................................... 13
Origins Of The Idea Of Sacrificial Blood Sacrifice .............................................................. 13
The Implementation Of Substitutionary Blood Sacrifices .................................................. 13
Three Pre-suppositions Of Sacrificial System ....................................................................... 14
Section 5: All of Salvation’s Provisions A Result Of Grace .................................................................. 16
Section 6: The Provision Of Salvation On Mankind Generally ............................................ 17
Substitution .............................................................................................................................. 17
Propitiation ............................................................................................................................... 17
Redemption ............................................................................................................................... 18
Reconciliation ........................................................................................................................... 18
Justification ............................................................................................................................... 19
Section 7: The Provision Of Salvation Upon The Individual (Regeneration) ..................... 20
U sage Of The Word ......................................................................................................... 20

The Nature Of Regeneration ............................................................................................ 20
How It Is Effected ............................................................................................................. 20
Section 8: The Narrow Sense Of The Word "Regeneration" .................................................. 21
Instantaneous .................................................................................................................... 22
An Act Of God ................................................................................................................... 22
Precedents To The Instant Of Regeneration Of Infilling Of The Spirit ..................... 24
How The Infilling Of The Spirit Occurs (And Accompanying Phenomena) .......... 24
Section 9: The Wider Sense Of The Word "Regeneration" ..................................................... 26
The Act Of God In Drawing The Sinner ........................................................................ 26

Drawn By His Constitution .............................................................................................. 27
Drawn By His Nature ....................................................................................................... 27
Drawn By The Holy Spirit ............................................................................................... 27
Response In The Individual ............................................................................................. 27
Hearing The Gospel .......................................................................................................... 29
Believing The Gospel (Faith) ........................................................................................... 30
Repentance ......................................................................................................................... 31
Water Baptism ................................................................................................................... 35
The Efficacy Of Water Baptism ....................................................................................... 48
Removal Of Adamic Curse .............................................................................................. 54
Sanctification (Holiness) .................................................................................................. 55
Holiness Of Spirit .............................................................................................................. 58
Holiness (Separation) Of The Human Soul (Mind) ..................................................... 59
Holiness (Separation) Of The Human Body ................................................................. 60
Section 10: A Word To New Christians ...................................................................................... 67
Eating Right ....................................................................................................................... 67

Exercise ................................................................................................................................ 68
Proper Rest ......................................................................................................................... 68
Notes
Section 1: Introduction
Soteriology, or the doctrine of salvation, is the primary theme of both

Old Testament and New Testament theology. The doctrine is founded
upon five presuppositions:
1. That mankind is guilty before a just God and estranged from God.
2. This guilt and subsequent estrangement leaves man condemned to
death - both physical and spiritual.
3. Mankind is hopelessly mired in this condition and cannot escape by
his own efforts.
4. God has a personal interest of reconciling mankind to Himself.
5. God has activated this personal interest in the form of a "plan" of sal-
vation. The execution of this plan is the message of the Bible.
Section 2: Salvation In The Old And New Testament Is

Not Different
The message of salvation is progressively unfolded in Holy Writ.

From the book of Genesis, the salvation message begins as a dim thread
which expands ever more brightly as the spiritual drama unfolds. The
Old Testament pre-figures and looks forward to the coming of the Christ-
Redeemer. Its salvation message is incomplete and awaiting the coming
of He whom Isaiah spoke: " ... the Lord hath anointed me to preach good
tidings unto the meek; He hath sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to
proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to them
that are bound" (Isa. 61:1).
Regardless of the degree to which the plan of redemption was un-

veiled at any given time, the basic requirements for receiving salvation
and its benefits have always been, and still are, the same. These are:
•Faith
"But without faith it is impossible to please Him: for he that

cometh to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder
of them that diligently seek him" (Heb. 11:6).
This has been true throughout both the Old and New Testament.
It was by faith that Abel, Enoch, Noah, Ahraham, Jacob, Rahab, Moses,
etc. received a good report (Heb. 11:2). That this refers to salvation can be
clearly seen from Rom. 3:3; Gen. 15:6; In. 3:16, 7:38, 11:26; Acts 8:37, 16:31,
19:4; Rom. 10:9-11.
SOTERIOLOGY—The Doctrine Of Salvation 4

Notes
• Blood
"Without shedding of blood is no remission" (Heb. 9:22). From the ear-

liest scriptural record, the necessity of substitutionary blood sacrifice to
cover man's iniquity is evident (Gen. 3:21, 4:4). The primary idea is that
man is under condemnation of the death penalty (from the curse of sin).
The only way he can escape this is if someone dies in his stead.
While there was no one qualified in the Old Testament to replace him,
he could, by the offering of bulls and goats, display his faith in God, thus
holding back the judgment of God until the qualified Redeemer would
appear (Mt. 26:28; Heb. 9:12-23; Acts 20:28; Col. 1:14).
Why did God choose blood? Because death was required as the pen-
alty of sin, and blood was the proof of death. This blood, when applied
before God, testified that the required death was accomplished (Heb. 9:23-
28).
• Obedience
Too many scriptural references to enumerate stress the necessity of

obedience to the revealed will of God.
Obedience is not meritorious works by which man "earns" salvation,

but rather is a result of faith acting in the human heart. The very fact of
revealed law (Gal. 3:24) silently testified to the necessity of obedience. The
following scriptures, along with many others, illustrate the necessity of
obedience: Deut. 11:27; I Sam. 15:22,23; Jer. 7:23; Mt. 7:21, 24-27, 8:27; Acts
5:29, 6:7; Rom. 1:5, 6:16, 15:18, 16:26; II Thess. 1:8; Heb. 5:9; I Pet. 1:22,4:17;
I In. 5:1-3.
That belief (faith) and obedience are inextricably related is also clearly
seen in Rom. 10:16.
" ... they have not all obeyed the gospel. For Esaias saith, Lord, who
hath believed our report?"
Section 3: Salvation Effected By The Gospel Only
Many human religions and humanistic philosophies have professed

ways and means whereby mankind could escape the penalty and prob-
lem of sin. However, scripture is not only clear but emphatic that the sal-
vation of any (and every) man comes only through the gospel of Christ.
This fact is clearly enunciated in scripture.

Notes
"If the gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost" (II Cor. 4:3) .
John, speaking of Christ, identifies Him as being" ... the true Light,
which lighteth every man that cometh into the world" (In. 1:9). Paul de-
clares that those washed and cleansed shall inherit the kingdom of God,
but not others (I Cor. 6:9-11; Gal. 5:19-21).
The Bible is written to and for the sane and those able to compre-
hend. Any outside of that are not specifically dealt with. We assume they
are dealt with according to God's unerring justice. From this, we deduce
that children and the severely retarded are granted entrance to mercy
commensurate with what is right and just - therefore, assumed to be in
safety.
The real solution to man's dilemma is to find a way to get the right-
eousness that God has and to appropriate it for himself. Man is guilty.
Only God only is in right standing with the true standard of jurisprudence
(i.e., Himself). Man, if he is to escape death and damnation, must find a
way to appropriate the righteousness of God for himself (i.e., to cover
himself with the righteousness of God). He must seek to find some point
(or place) in history where something has "broken the barrier" between
God and humanity (i.e., a point where the righteousness has been revealed
for the benefit of the world). If one can discover the location where this
righteousness has been revealed for man's benefit, then he can find escape
or deliverance (salvation). Otherwise, he is hopelessly mired in futility,
spiritual darkness, and condemnation to death.
This is why the news of Christ's coming is called the "gospel" or "good
news" - for the Bible declares that it is here, in the gospel of Jesus Christ,
that God's righteousness has been revealed.
"For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of

God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and
also to the Greek. For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from
faith to faith: as it is written, the just shall live by faith. For the wrath
of God is revealed from heaven against all. ungodliness and unrighte-
ousness of man ... " (Rom. J:16-18).
From the above verses, we note the following:
1. The wrath of God is revealed from heaven against the unrighteousness

of mankind ( v. 18).
2. Only by appropriating God's righteousness for Himself can man be
made righteous - hereby escaping the wrath of the righteous God (v.
17).
3. Paul strongly and clearly reveals the one place wherein the righteous-
ness of God has "broken through" to mankind ("for therein is the right-
eousness of God revealed").

Notes
4. That one place where God's righteousness has "broken through", or

been revealed to mankind, is in the gospel of Jesus Christ ("the gos-
pel... it is the power of God unto salvation").
5. Although a person's knowledge of the gospel may be very limited, he/
she must go ahead and have faith in what they do know (i.e., they
must start in faith from whatever place they are in understanding).
This faith, if followed diligently, will open the way to increasing reve-
lation of the power and scope of the gospel as it brings the candidate
to complete deliverance (i.e., salvation - " ... from faith to faith" v 17).
The gospel of Christ is the only hope of the human race for deliverance
from guilt and death. This is the clear teaching of scripture.
"That in the dispensation of the fullness of times he might gather to-

gether in one all things in Christ both which are in heaven, and which
are on earth: even in him" (Eph. 1:10).
That Christ and His gospel is not just "one of many ways" to salvation
is clear from such passages as the following:
"For by Him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in
earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or
principalities, or powers: all things were created by Him, and for Him;
and He is before all things, and by Him all things consist" (Col.
1:16,17).
"For in Him dwelleth all the fullness of the Godhead bodily. And ye are
complete in Him, which is the head of all principality and power" (Col.
2:9,10).
"But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto
you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed.
As we have said before, so say I now again, If any man preach any
other gospel unto you than that ye have received, let him be accursed ...
But I certify you, brethren, that the gospel which was preached of me is
not after man. For I neither received it of man, neither was I taught it,
but by the revelation of Jesus Christ" (Gal. 1:8,9,11,12).
For those who" obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ" , ever-
lasting destruction is promised (II Thess. 1:8).
May God help the church to fulfill the Great Commission (Mt. 28:19),
for in the gospel of Jesus Christ only lies the great hope of the world!
Necessary For All
By stating that the gospel is necessary for all we mean that every sin-
gle individual born onto earth is born with the curse of sin already upon

Notes
them. This curse is transmitted from generation to generation, regardless

of whether the previous generation is "born again" or not. With the fall of
Adam, this curse of sin has come upon the entire race.
" ... by one man sin entered unto the world, and death by sin; and
so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned ... " (Rom.
5:12).
" ... as by the offence of one judgment came upon all men to con-
demnation ... " (Rom. 5:18).
It is not that the acts of giving birth or conceiving are in themselves

sinful, but from the moment of conception a person possesses a sinful na-
ture.
In the beginning God created man in His image, as a triune being (one
person - three levels of consciousness). His spirit provided him with
awareness of God, his soul gave him consciousness of himself, and his
body provided him with the medium for awareness of the physical world.
Of this, James Beall, states: "man's spirit, which was his point of contact
with God, was designed to rule over the soul and body. As man re-
sponded directly to God through the Spirit, the rest of his being came into
alignment with God. God communicated to Adam's spirit, and his soul
and body were blessed as this fellowship pervaded his whole being. When
Adam sinned, the spirit which was to rule over his soul and body died -
just as God had warned that it would. This resulted in an inner imbalance
and loss of control over impulses and desires. Worst of all, sin resulted in
the severing of direct fellowship between God and man. In place of inti-
macy came estrangement. Man was no longer comfortable in God's pres-
ence. Fear took over where love had reigned".
Many non-believing thinkers take great offense to the doctrine of

original sin - declaring it to be a root cause of the guilt (which plagues
society) used by religion for the purpose of manipulating and controlling
the populace.
It is true that charlatans and religionists have, from time to time, used
the fact of inward guilt for selfish purposes and in unethical ways. This is
as despicable and detestable as the unbeliever purports it to be. However,
it should be clearly understood that the evil religionist didn't create the
condemnation in the individual, he simply took advantage of what he
recognized was already there. It is also true that unbelievers are also
guilty of capitalizing upon the universal condition of guilt in the human
race.
The primary point is that denying inward guilt doesn't make it disap-
pear. The answer is not to ignore the problem and pretend that it will go
away. It won't.- It is the product of a curse on a fallen race. While corrupt
religion exacerbates the guilt problem, so do the philosophers who seek

Notes
to cure the problem by denial of its existence. The evidence of original sin
in the race, and its consequent burden of guilt and aberrant behavior, is
exemplified in human society "a million times a day". The preponderance
of evidence of the condition is utterly overwhelming. The degree to which
the unbeliever vehemently denies it is testimony that is proportionate to
its existence.
So (what is the cure and how does it effect deliverance? The cure is
the true gospel of Jesus Christ. Its way of working is what the doctrine of
salvation is all about.
The fact that "all are under sin" is an important one. The gospel gains
its great significance on the presupposition that all men are sinners,
hence need salvation which the gospel provides. The Apostle Paul me-
ticulously drives this point home in the early part of his Roman's dis-
course. He emphasizes that all men, regardless of race, are utterly guilty
before God.
"What then? are we better than they? No, in no wise: for we have be-
fore proved both Jews and Gentiles, that they are all under sin; As it is
written, there is none righteous, no, not one: There is none that under-
standeth, there is none that seeketh after God. They are all gone out of
the way, they are together become unprofitable; there is none that doeth
good, no, not one. Their throat is an open sepulcher; with their tongues
they have used deceit; the poison of the asps is under their lips: Whose
mouth is full of cursing and bitterness: Their feet are swift to shed
blood: Destruction and misery are in their ways: And the way of peace
have they not known: There is no fear of God before their eyes. Now we
know that what things soever the law saith, it saith to them who are
under the law: that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may
become guilty before God" (Rom. 3:9-19).
"But the scripture hath concluded all under sin, that the promise by
faith of Jesus Christ might be given to them that believe" (Gal. 3:22).
Here in Galatians, Paul assumes that they understand that all are un-
der sin until "the promise by faith of Jesus Christ might be given to them
that believe".
Those guilty are not considered by God to be ignorant of their guilt

or "innocently guilty", but rather actively' and rebelliously guilty con-
sciously suppressing the truth which God is attempting to reveal.
"For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness
and unrighteousness" (Rom 1:18).
Paul declares that when they saw God "manifest" (v. 19), and learned
about Him from "His nature" (v. 20), they did not glorify Him as revealed
(v. 21), but instead strongly turned away from God becoming progres-

Notes
sively more corrupt (v. 22-27), until they completely sought to obliterate
God from their knowledge and became reprobate and totally rebellious (v.
28-32).In the span of five verses in Romans 5, Paul declares us to be
"without strength" (v. 6), "ungodly" (v. 6), "sinners" (v. 8), and God's
"enemies" (v. 10). He declares that man's alienation is alleviated only by
the application of the gospel to the life of the individual. Upon seeing
God's true view of sin, the sinner should never allow himself to compla-
cently rely upon the "goodness" of God to placate the "wrath" of God. The
only thing that will placate the wrath of God is the righteousness of God
applied to the life of the sinner, thereby making the sinner righteous. The
sinner can find this righteousness of God only through the gospel of Jesus
Christ - for that is the one place in human history where it has been re-
vealed for man's appropriation of it unto himself (Rom. 1: 16, 17).
God declares that every sinner has sufficient revelation of truth to jus-
tify his being subject to the wrath of God.
" ... that which may be known of God is manifest in them; for God hath
shewed it unto them. For the invisible things of him from the creation of
the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are
made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without
excuse" (Rom. 1:19,20).
Considerable discussion has been made concerning whether or not

there are those who have "never heard", and consequently will not be held
responsible for obedience to the gospel. There is no debate, however, as to
the position of the scripture. Being as Holy Writ is our only authoritative
guide, we should heed its message soberly - the declaration is clear.
"For as many as have sinned without law shall also perish without law:
and as man as have sinned in the law shall be judged by the law" (Rom.
2:12).
Some have taken Romans 2:14 to imply that the heathen will be judged
by a "different" rule of judgment (or law) than those exposed to the writ-
ten Word.
"For when the Gentiles, which have not the law, do by nature the
things contained in the law, these, having not the law, are a law unto
themselves" (Rom 2:14).
This verse does anything but make allowance for alternate routes to
God's righteousness, other than through obedience to the gospel. There
are not "two laws". Paul's repeated use of the word "the" before "law" indi-
cates that he is not teaching that there is another law. Rather, he declares
that the inclination toward God and righteousness is in the very constitu-
tion of man's spiritual makeup. This law that they have within themselves
parallels perfectly the law which scripture contains. It is not a "different"

Notes
law, but the same law - only received from a different source. He here in-
dicates that one's knowledge of God comes from several sources, all of
which man will be fully held accountable for. These sources of knowledge
are:
• natural creation (Rom. 1:20)
• human nature (Rom. 2: 14)
• the unwritten law (Rom. 2: 14)
To the person who is led toward God by sources other than the Bible,
God sees their sincerity and sends them the gospel (Acts 10, 17:27, 19:1-6).
There is only one name and one person whereby we must be saved.
"Neither is there salvation in any other: For there is none other name
under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved" (Acts
4:12).
"For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone that be-
lieveth" (Rom. 10:4).
Only One Gospel
We have already discovered that there is only one gospel. Four times
in Romans 1, Paul speaks of "the" gospel (v. 1,9,15,16). Other times he
speaks of it as "the faith" (1:5), "the power of God unto salvation" (1:16),
"my gospel" (2:16), etc. When he speaks of "being justified freely by His
grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus" (3:24), he means that
they are justified through the gospel. When he speaks of "believing on
him that justifieth the ungodly" (4:5), and of the "the righteousness of
faith" (4:13), he is not indicating another route to God's salvation, but
rather is simply using different terminology to indicate different facets of
the same, one and only gospel. When he speaks of "imputed righteous-
ness" (4:24), the imputation of righteousness is not apart from the gospel,
but rather through the gospel (5:1). When he declares: "they which receive
abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness shall reign in life by
one, Jesus Christ" (5:17), he is not projecting that this is a gift apart from
the gospel, but rather, it is the same thing - for it is in the gospel that the
grace and righteousness of God is made available to us (Rom. 1:17; Eph.
1:13; I Cor. 4:15; Acts. 20:24). The declaration of scripture is clear - there is
only one Gospel (or "saving message"). The student should be careful of
"rationalizing" about who will and will not be saved. Scripture is em-
phatic that the abyss between God and man is a fact, and that it can only
be bridged by the application of God's righteousness to man - thus as-
suaging God's wrath on sinners. The only place God's righteousness is
applied is through the gospel (Rom. 1:16,17).

Notes
Section 4: Salvation Accomplished Only By Vicarious

Blood Sacrifice
When scripture declares that salvation is come, it approaches the sub-

ject carefully and clearly.
The gospel, pure and simple, is the good news of the coming of Jesus
Christ and what He has accomplished - that, through the shedding of His
blood in His sacrificial death, the full payment for the penalty of sin has
been provided; and that by His resurrection, he has led the way to eternal
life (i.e., salvation) for all those who will believe on Him and what He has
done (In. 3:16).
Christ's death at Calvary was the ultimate sacrifice for the sins of the
world. It was this sacrifice which would "atone" for the sins of the world.
Atonement
Atonement means "to cover". Theologically speaking, it conveys the

idea that something is sacrificed to provide a covering for sin.
Sacrifices
The idea of substitutionary blood sacrifice being necessary to accom-

plish atonement is deeply ingrained in both the Old and New Testament.
Substitutionary
Substitutionary means the life of the animal sacrificed takes the place
of the one who is supposed to die as a judgment for their transgressions
against God. They bring their sacrifices in lieu of their own lives being sac-
rificed. For example, when the death angel passed through Egypt, it
brought God's judgment (death) to every Egyptian household. Israel was
instructed to slay a lamb for each household (Ex. 12). Their act of obedi-
ence of faith in God's Word averted God's judgment - in that the slain
lamb received the judgment in place of the firstborn of the household.
Thus the firstborn was "redeemed" from judgment (Ex. 13:14,15).
Blood
Scripture repeatedly emphasizes that the life of an animal or human is

in the blood. Thus, the shedding of its blood is the equivalent of its giving
up of life itself. The fact that sacrifice as a part of worship originated early
in creation (i.e., prior to the scattering of people in Gen. 11) explains why it
can be found even among the heathen through the ages. The idea of sacri-
fice has been much perverted - followers of false religions have gone so far

Notes
as to slay their own children as sacrifices by casting them in the fire, offer-
ing them to crocodiles, etc. Even Israel, in their times of apostasy, offered
their children to Molech, which is said to have been a graven image (with
outstretched arms) where fires were set at the base until it was extremely
heated, at which time a child would be laid in the arms of the image, and
thus sacrificed.
Even in the world of the occult, the institution of sacrifice can be found.
The universality of sacrifice, though often misunderstood and badly mis-
used, can be explained by the fact that it was instituted by God before the
scattering of the people of the earth. Being scattered, many of the nations of
the earth lost the meaning of the sacrificial system, but retained the ritual.
In reading the continuing scriptural record, it is evident that the di-

vinely instituted sacrificial system came out of the Noahic flood intact.
Scripture is clear that before and after the flood of Noah's day, the necessity
of the sacrificial system was well understood.
Origins
Origins Of The Idea Of Sacrificial Blood Sacrifice
While there was no need for the atoning sacrifice prior to the fall, God,
in his foreknowledge, knew that man would need redemption by a substi-
tutionary sacrifice. Thus, the idea of atonement predates human history.
Rev. 13:8 declares Christ as "the Lamb slain from the foundation of the
world". I Peter 1: 19,20 reveals Christ as "foreordained before the foundation
of the world" (c.p. Ex. 12:2-6 when the Lamb was "foreordained" before it
was slain). Titus 1:2 shows eternal life to be "promised before the . world
began". The Church was intended "before the foundation of the
world" (Eph. 1:4).
From this we see that sacrifices were not a "stop-gap", last minute idea,
conjured up to save the race. Instead, it was foreknown and predestined
by God before the world began.
The Implementation Of Substitutionary Blood Sacrifices
The first intimation of the implementation of an atoning sacrifice in

scripture is found in Gen. 3. Here is described Adam and Eve's attempt to
cover themselves with fig leaves, and their subsequent failure.
Instead God covered them with animal skins.
While scripture does not give the source of the skins, it follows that
they were from slain animals (i.e., blood sacrifices). Apparently from this
beginning, the idea of sacrifices as a way to come to God was firmly and
deeply entrenched in the human race. However, as time went on, man's

Notes
rebellion overflowed, and "when they knew God, they glorified him not as
God (Rom. 1:21). Hence, the flood of Noah, and later on the confusion of
tongues and scattering of the race at Babel (Gen. 11).
Genesis 4 records the first sacrificial offering by man - the son of Adam
- righteous Abel. Why do we say "righteous" Abel? Because the blood
"covered" him from the penalty of death when his sacrificial animal died
in his stead. He was thus accounted as having God's righteousness ap-
plied to himself (Rom. 1:16,17). Here we see again the pattern established
of an innocent animal dying so that the guilty party may be "covered" or
spared. The animal did not actually take the place of the sinner, but fore-
shadowed the coming of Christ which would die for the sinner. God ac-
cepted man's display of faith by this act of obedience.
History faithfully records the failure of the nations to walk in the light
revealed to them in creation (Rom. 1:20). Even Israel, who was given the
revelation of the one true God turned to idols, in spite of strong instruc-
tions not to do so (Num. 33:52). This depravity moved them deeper and
deeper into idolatry and self-degradation (Rom. 1:19-32). However, scrip-
ture is clear in revealing that, even in the idolatrous and immoral, there
remains ready evidence that all know, or have known, the truth of the one
Deity who supersedes all others (Acts 17:23-28). This important point
should be remembered when discussing the question of salvation for
those who have purportedly "never heard" the truth.
Three Pre-suppositions Of Sacrificial System
The sacrificial system (even the perverted system of the heathen) pre-
supposes three things:
A. Confession
Man confesses his dependence upon God, and acknowledges Divine

right to be over him.
B. Worship
Man's sacrifices are a sign of relinquishment of all self-rights to God.

By offering his sacrifice, he reveals his faith in God and thereby worships.
C. Atonement
Thirdly, man intuitively recognizes an estrangement between himself

and God. He has inward anxiety and is aware of being at odds with God.
Anxiety is not synonymous with worry. Worry stems from concern of cir-
cumstances outside of the individual. Anxiety is much deeper and comes
from the condition of man's fallen nature. So he brings his offering as a
substitution which receives the judgment meant for himself. The blood of

Notes
the animal "covers" him and averts the wrath that he senses is due him.
The sacrificial system of Israel had a rather complex set of sacrifices to

keep man's relationship with God free of obstacles. For example, if a per-
son committed a sin, he brought a sin offering which was slain and offered
up to God. This was a sacrifice of atonement. Once a year the High Priest,
on the "Day of Atonement", offered up the blood of a sacrifice for the sins
of the whole nation (Lev. 23:26-32). If one had trespassed against his
neighbor, he was then obligated to bring God a sacrifice of worship (Lev.
1). He was eligible now to be enjoined to God in fellowship by offering the
sacrifice of fellowship (Lev. 3).2
As can be seen by a study of the Old Testament, Israel had numerous

sacrifices. All of them filled a specific need in man's relationship with God,
whereby fellowship and communion could be re-instituted. Different ani-
mals, fowl, and plant life were used in these diverse sacrifices, with the
intent of fulfilling the necessary requirements for peace and right-standing
with God.
In, reality, none of the Old Testament sacrifices had power to obtain
and provide true atonement. The very fact that the sacrifices had to be re-
peated again and again showed their innate weakness (Heb. 10: 1,2). By
comparison, Jesus Christ, the supreme sacrifice atoned "once for all" (Heb.
10:10).
"For it is not possible that the blood of bulls and goats should take away
sins" (Heb. 10:4).
The sacrifices were a temporary and incomplete accommodation for sin

until the perfect sacrifice should come. By this act of obedience by the shed-
ding of blood, man's faith that a perfect sacrifice was someday coming was
accepted of God.
As Myer Pearlman explains, the inadequacy of the system was also de-
tectable in that the priests who offered the sacrifices were imperfect. Only
the High Priest could enter the Holy of Holies, and that only once a year.
The remainder of the priests were not allowed into the Holy of Holies, for
" ... the way into the holiest of all was not yet made manifest" (Heb. 9:8).
However, with the coming of Christ, the old system was superseded by the
new, the imperfect by the perfect.
"And every priest standeth daily ministering and offering oftentimes

the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins: But this man, after
he had offered one sacrifice for sins forever, sat down on the right hand
of God" (Heb. 10:11,12).
Thus, we see that the Old Testament saints did indeed receive justifica-
tion by faith (Rom. 4:16,23), which was manifested in their obedience as
revealed in their offering of blood sacrifices. However, the justification was

Notes
not effected by their animal sacrifices, but by Christ (Heb. 9: 15). The Old
Testament sacrifices simply "rolled their sins ahead" to Calvary, where they
were accounted for once and for all (Rom. 3:25).
Section 5: All Of Salvation's Provisions

A Result Of Grace
Grace can be defined as the unmerited, unsolicited, and unrecom-

pensed favor and power of God to do His will. All man has, including life
itself, stems from the grace of God. It is a gift of God (Rom. 6:23). The
Christian loves God and serves Him, and will be rewarded by Him. How-
ever, none of this is "payment" to God for His grace. Our love is, in the fi-
nal analysis, really His love returning unto Himself, since He is love and
the source of love.
It should be understood that God's pardoning of sinners by His grace

does not mean that God does this apart from His justice, for this would be
a contradiction of His own nature. God pardons the sinner by His grace
because the requirements of His justice have already been met in Jesus
Christ opening the way for man to experience the grace of God. Man finds
favor because the righteousness of Christ is imputed to him by regenera-
tion, or the new birth. As typified in Abraham's intention of offering Isaac
an offering to God, God provides the power of justification for every hu-
man being.
In summarizing the general provision of salvation to mankind, it

should be pointed out that they are just that - provisions. They are pro-
vided for every human being, but not automatically applied to every indi-
vidual. Pardon may be promised to those involved in a rebellion, but is
only profitable to those who surrender. Salvation's provisions in Christ
are the birthright of the whole human race (Rom. 5:18), but in order to
benefit from it, it must be valued and appropriated by each individual for
themselves (In. 7:37-39; Acts 16:30,31,34). This accepting of God's gift
(Acts 2:38) is not a meritorious work whereby man "earns" salvation, but
is rather the open heart of humility responding and reacting to God's gift
and its resultant reactions in the recipients’ life. That salvation is the "free
gift of God" is clearly enunciated in scripture (Rom. 3:24,25, 8:32). It is un-
merited and no amount of human effort "earns" it (Eph. 2:8-9; Titus 3:5;
Phil. 2:13). While man does elect of his own volition to accept or reject sal-
vation (Acts 2:40; Phil. 2:12, etc.), if he does choose to submit to God's
plan for his life, then it is God who does the work of salvation, and man
who gratefully accepts God's gift. Even the power to choose is from God.
One may then say that if this is so, then man can thwart God's will,
which makes God less than all-powerful. The answer to this is that God's
will is to some degree "layered", and one degree is subject to His "higher"
will to grant man choice. Thus, His ultimate .design is not thwarted re-
gardless of the individual's acceptance or rejection of God's provision of

Notes
salvation. A rough equivalent of this can be seen in the father's will for
the prodigal to come home, yet his "higher" will was that the prodigal
should learn to appreciate from personal desire rather than coercion.
Section 6: The Provision Of Salvation On Mankind

Generally
1. Substitution
The earliest teaching of scripture is that the penalty for sin is the death
of the sinner (Gen. 2:17). The Old Testament sacrifices were used to be
sacrificed vicariously, or in place of the sinner. The animal became the
victim in place of the sinner. It was the sinner's substitute. The priest rep-
resented the sinner, and the altar represented God. The idea of the substi-
tutionary sacrifice of the Old Testament is fulfilled in Christ in the New
Testament.
"For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that
whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting
life" (In. 3:16).
All of scriptures most moving passages portray Christ as our substi-

tute.
"Surely he hath borne our griefs, and" carried our sorrows... He was
wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities, the
chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are
healed" (lsa. 53:4,5).
Herein lies an important reason why scripture instructs the believer

that he is to do all in the name of Jesus Christ. He is our substitute, and as
such, his name is invoked in worship, repentance, baptism, and supplica-
tion
.
2. Propitiation
The word "propitiation" connotes a reconciling, a bringing together,

an arranging of things in such a way as to make favorable. Propitiation is
a fulfilling of the demands and judgment claims of a righteous God by the
atoning sacrifice. Christ is this propitiation (Rom. 3:25; I In. 2:2, 4:10). Sin
separates. Propitiation is a return, a drawing nigh to God.
"Propitiation", as used in Rom. 3:25, is the same Greek word as "mercy

seat". "Mercy seat" means "covering" and conveys the idea of an atoning
sacrifice.

Notes
This whole idea can be seen and more clearly understood in the taber-
nacle plan God gave to Israel. The ark of the covenant (Ex. 25:10,22), rep-
resented the presence of a God who is a righteous governor in the midst
of Israel. His demands were represented by the tablets of stone within the
ark, upon which the Ten Commandments were written. The lid on the ark
was known as the mercy seat. Where the ark (and the Ten Command-
ments within) represented the demands of righteousness, and testified
that God would not tolerate or overlook sin, the lid on the mercy seat rep-
resented the other extreme. The mercy seat "covered" the law. It was on
this mercy seat that the High Priest sprinkled blood once a year for an
atonement for the people. Here was an "answer" to the demands of God's
justice. The blood of the sacrifice sprinkled on the mercy seat averted the
judgment. In the person of Christ, God Himself became the sacrificial
Lamb and took the penalty for sin (Gen. 22:8; Rev. 5:6,7). The demands of
the law were fulfilled, and the sinner was delivered from judgment.
3. Redemption
To redeem, scripturally speaking, is to buy back by paying the re-

quired price - to loose from bondage by paying the necessary debt. Christ
our redeemer died on the cross - died for the sinner and paid all his due,
thus effecting redemption (Mt. 20:28; Gal. 3:13; Titus 2:14; I Pet. 1:18; Rev.
5:9).
The idea of a "redeemer" is found fore-shadowed in the Old Testa-

ment law of the kinsman - redeemer (Lev. 25:47-49; Heb. 2:9-16). This law
allowed a way for a man, who had sold his property and himself into
slavery (to pay his debt), to be redeemed and have his property and free-
dom returned to himself. This could be done at any time if the needy had
a man who was kin to him who could (and would) pay the required price
to buy back his property and freedom. This all typified Jesus Christ who
is our kinsman (Heb. 2:11,12), who was willing and able to redeem us ( I
Cor. 6:20; II Cor. 8:9).
4. Reconciliation
To reconcile is to bring man back to a peaceful and satisfactory rela-

tionship with God. The work of reconciliation does not begin with the
sinner seeking God, but rather with God seeking the sinner.
"God hath reconciled us to Himself by Jesus Christ" (II Cor. 5:18).
The church is given this "ministry of reconciliation" .
" ... and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation; To wit, that
God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto Himself, not imputing
their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the word of
reconciliation" (II Cor. 5:18,19).

Notes
Salvation and reconciliation began with God.
Reconciliation is Christocentric, not anthropocentric. It is not initiated

nor centered in man, but rather Christ. God clothes Adam and Eve with
skins, teaches Abel proper sacrifice, provides Israel with the Passover
Lamb and the atonement sacrifice, and gives the world the son of God as
the final once and for all Lamb (Jn. 3:16). God provides mankind the
means to salvation, including the ability to have faith. Christ's death has
made the perfect sacrifice for every man to appropriate for himself by
God's prescribed method (Acts 2:38).
5. Justification
The judicial term "justify" means to declare acceptable, to acquit, (and,

when used theologically, to deem righteous).
The idea of justification is that there is a courtroom scene, in which the

sinner stands guilty before God, but because Christ satisfies the demands
of justice on the sinner, he receives a sentence of acquittal.
Justification is made possible by the death, burial, and resurrection of

Christ, hence this historic happening is termed the "good news", or
"gospel". The joy of the christian life is directly related to his being par-
doned and deemed righteous by Christ's vicarious sacrifice.
While justification is effected by God at Calvary for mankind in gen-

eral, it becomes effective in the life of the individual through regeneration.
Its provisions are brought into effect only through regeneration, or the
new birth. Regeneration, or the new birth, is the medium by which the
gospel, through faith, is applied to the individual (Rom. 1:16,17, 3:21,22). It
is a state in which the believer stands justified before the justice of God
(Rom. 5:2). Neither past sinfulness (no matter how gross), nor present im-
perfections affect his standing before God. He is completely secure as long
as he is indwelt by the spirit of Christ within. God declares him acceptable,
and none can change it (Rom. 8:34).
Man cannot effect his own justification, for he is inherently sinful.

However, Christ vicariously took man's guilt upon Himself at Calvary,
thus setting mankind free from God's judgment.
Justification goes beyond forgiveness.
Justification not only effects pardon of the sinner, but, when appropri-
ated by the sinner, places the sinner in a new standing with God, as right-
eous. The criminal becomes more than a pardoned criminal, he becomes as
though he never sinned and enters into a communion with God. Justifica-
tion (by way of regeneration) subtracts sins, then adds the imputed right-
eousness of Christ. Justification is effected by regeneration, or the new

Notes
birth. Logically, its application to the individual is preceded by regen-

eration.
Section 7: The Provision Of Salvation Upon The

Individual (Regeneration)
Usage Of The Word
The inward change from sin to salvation, from Adam's family to

Christ's family, from death to spiritual life, is regeneration. It is called a
new life, a resurrection, a new birth, born again, a new creature, a renew-
ing, etc. Regeneration is that act by which God gives spiritual life to the
individual (Eph. 2:1,5,6). Regeneration is the change of heart or nature
effected by the power of the Holy Ghost in the life of the believer. The
spiritual life lost in Adam (Gen. 2:17) is regained in Christ (Rom. 5:18).
Regeneration is a transformation from sin to sanctification, and is empha-
sized by the Lord as being absolutely essential to being part of God's
kingdom (Jn. 3:5).
Life is union. Death is separation. Therefore, when we speak of spiri-

tual life, or being "born again", we mean spiritual union with God. The
human spirit is "re-born" in this action which reconciles to God. Regen-
eration, or the new birth, is the point at which the general blessings of
Christ's substitutionary sacrifice, propitiation, redemption, justification, rec-
onciliation, and sanctification are applied to the individual. Without the
new birth, there is no provision for the salvation of the individual. Without
regeneration, Christ's substitutionary sacrifice avails nothing for the indi-
vidual - the price paid for redemption goes unused, the justification made
possible remains unapplied, and sanctification remains impossible. Scrip-
ture plainly teaches that salvation is applied to the individual through re-
generation and cannot be found by any other means (In. 1:12,13,3:5; Titus
3:5).
The Nature Of Regeneration
How It Is Effected?
Regeneration is effected by the action of God who turns the heart of the
sinner to Himself (In. 6:44,65, 12:32). Man cannot save himself.
However, regeneration is not (and cannot be) effected without exertion

on the part of the sinner. While God turns the soul toward Himself, the sin-
ner must also turn himself toward God (Mark 16:16; Acts 2:38, 16:30,31;
Rom. 10:9, etc.). This should not be thought of as man "earning" salvation,
but rather it is a response, appropriating (i.e., taking to Himself that which
God has provided).

Notes
In being born again, the processes of God turning the sinner and the
sinner turning himself occur simultaneously. However, prior to the instant
of regeneration (i.e., infilling of the Spirit), the drawing of the soul by God
(hearing, being drawn to repentance, etc.) precedes the turning of the soul
to God. When the drawing of God is greeted by the submission of man,
reconciliation and regeneration is brought to pass. These are important
truths. The idea that man can save himself, or is saved because he con-
trols his ultimate destiny, is a humanistic, man-centered idea that is not in
agreement with scripture.
Hence, we can see that regeneration of the individual is accomplished

by both passive and active elements in the sinner. While it is effected
while the sinner passively waits for the Spirit to draw him (In. 6:44) and
fill him (Acts 2:38, note "receive"), he nevertheless must actively exert
himself also (Psa. 100:4; Acts 17:27; Mt. 11: 12,13; Lk. 16:16; In.'7:37, etc.).
This ability to feel God and respond is given by God, but must be allowed
to operate by the individual.
Understanding the passive and active aspects of regeneration assists

us in understanding the scripture. Oftentimes, the change salvation
brings to man is credited entirely to the power of God. In other places, as
noted above, scripture emphasizes the necessity of action by the sinner in
obtaining salvation. The reconciliation of the alienated parties (God and
the sinner) is instigated by God, but must be accepted and reciprocated
by the sinner.
Regeneration and its aspects can be explained only so far, as God has
revealed them. The subject of regeneration is the sinner. The result is
spiritual life. Scripture does not explain all the metaphysics of the process
of regeneration. However, it does describe the change effected, thus avail-
ing us of some explanation.
When we speak of the "change" effected by regeneration, it is not

meant that there is a change in the substance of the soul, nor does it mean
that the instantaneous miracle of regeneration consists in an act of the
soul of the sinner. It is received passively. Peter states: " ... ye shall receive
the gift of the Holy Ghost" (Acts 2:38). This does not mean that the be-
liever is in a "static" state at the moment of regeneration, but rather is in a
state that could be described as "dynamic passivism". The instant of re-
generation (i.e., the infilling of the Spirit - Acts 2:4) is preceded by exer-
tion on the part of the individual (i.e., desire) and succeeded by exertion
on the part of the individual (Le., desire) and succeeded again by exertion
on the part of the individual (i.e., growing in grace). The instant of regen-
eration itself is the act of God alone.
Section 8: The Narrow Sense Of The Word

"Regeneration"

Notes
In the narrow sense of the word "regeneration" is:
Instantaneous
In scripture, regeneration is used In both a narrow sense and a

broader sense.
When the word is used in scripture in its strict, or narrow sense, it is

speaking solely of the instant in which the soul is regenerated by the mi-
raculous reception of the Spirit in the heart (Acts 10:44-46, 11:14-17;
Rom. 2:28,29; Phil. 3:3). It is the instantaneous change from spiritual life-
lessness to spiritual resurrection (Rom. 6:5-10). It is receiving the gift of
the Holy Ghost (Acts 2:4,38). Finney stated that regeneration is an in-
stantaneous change from entire sinfulness to entire holiness. In the nar-
row sense of regeneration, this is true. It is at the point of the infilling of
the Spirit that the sinner is blessed with new life.
An Act Of God
In this strict usage, regeneration is solely an act of God. In speaking to

Abraham, God informs him that He (God) will provide "Himself a lamb
for a burnt offering" (Gen. 22:8). The new birth is being "born from
above" (i.e., God initiates, God forgives, God baptizes with the Holy
Ghost). God does all in effecting salvation. For salvation to be effected,
four elements were needed. God fulfilled all four by Himself - He was the
provider of sacrifice (Gen. 22:8), He was the sacrifice (Acts 20:28), He was
the High Priest which presented the sacrifice (Heb. 8:1-2, 9:11-14,24,25,26),
and He was the place in which the sacrifice was offered (Heb. 7 :27).
There is no doubt that regeneration is an act of God's power (In. 1:12).

However, it does not automatically follow that it cannot be resisted, or
that there is a pre-chosen "elect" group of individuals who have been
picked by God prior to any personal choosing - who, regardless of circum-
stances, are pre-destined to be saved. The converse is that all others are
predestined to eternal damnation, and must have been damned according
to the will of God. This conclusion is based on an erroneous conception of
the irrepressibility of the will and power of God -"whatever is, is the will
of God, else it would not exist, for His will is omnipotent and infallible".
This produces an unscriptural position of fatalism.
It is true that when God absolutely wills something, it is impossible of

failure. However, it does not immediately follow that everything that is
was willed by God to be so. The truth is that He does not impose His gift
of righteousness on the unwilling and undeserving heart (II Sam. 22:27).
His perfect will is that man, being created in the image of God, has the
prerogative of discrimination (i.e., the power of preference, or choice).
It is obvious that many things exist which are at odds with the perfect
will of God. It is not the will of God that any should perish (II Pet. 3:9).

Notes
Sickness is not the perfect will of God. Sin is not the perfect will of God.
Famine is not the perfect will of God. Although God does not will evil, He
does allow that which is adverse to His perfection. He wills to permit it.
However, while He passively allows evil, He does not actively will it. Just
as there are degrees of reward and degrees of punishment in God's econ-
omy, there are also degrees of tolerance and intolerance. He wills to toler-
ate the existence of sin - at least temporarily. At this point in time, His will
concerning man's freedom and privilege to choose governs His will to
eradicate that which is not consistent with His righteousness. For now
God's long-suffering governs His execution of justice. His creating man in
His own image (i.e., with the power to choose) precedes the sovereign pre-
destination of every individual. This is not an example of man governing
God (i.e., anthropocentric power) by the power of choice, but rather God
governing Himself and His own power by the governing of His own will.
He has chosen (willed) to allow, with limitations, the laws of cause and
effect to operate in the universe (Mt. 5:45).
For God to choose to passively tolerate evil is a very different thing

from being the instigator of evil. God did not create evil as some abstract
"thing". He did, however, create humans (and Lucifer also, in whom the
first evil is found), with the capacity to make wrong choices. Evil is the by-
product of the incorrect use of the power of choice. The "recipe" for mak-
ing evil is to improperly mix choice and desire. The result is the thing
called sin, which does not (and cannot) have life in and of itself, but does
have existence similar to the way in which some diseases have existence -
it has life as long as it works within something else which does have inde-
pendent life.
We mention this to clarify that God does not will the damnation of any
individual. He did not foreordain that Adam and Eve (nor Lucifer) must
sin, nor did He create in outer space somewhere a thing called" evil".
However, He did include the results of choice with the privilege of choice,
which accounts for evil. Even then, His mercy prevailed and is manifest in
His intervention in human hopelessness at Calvary. To accept the idea that
God has predestined men to certain salvation or destruction reduces the
power of human choice to a mere game as God toys with man - thus mak-
ing God the author of deceit. Choice is to man as part of His constitution,
resulting from being made in the image of God. This tremendous power in
the hands of man (i.e., to determine his own destiny) is a sobering thought
and responsibility. Furthermore, if all the evil that exists is created by God
as an actual "thing" which opposes His will, then we have an irreconcil-
able contradiction to reason and also to the nature of God. A tree repro-
duces itself. While God does temporarily will to tolerate the existence of
evil, the righteous God does not produce unrighteousness.
Beyond this, we cannot go. It is impossible for the creature to compre-

hend the infinitude and inexhaustibility of the mind of God and its work-
ings.
In conclusion, while instantaneous regeneration is absolutely an act of

Notes
God, it does not occur apart from the surrendered will of the candidate.
While the phenomenon of instantaneous regeneration is not in itself an
active grasping of the human will, it does require cooperation of the hu-
man will (Jn. 20:22).
Precedents To The Instant Of Regeneration Of Infilling Of The Spirit
Scripture reveals that several things must occur in the individual

prior to the instant of being filled with the Holy Spirit, or regenerated. In
the wider sense of regeneration, these are included as a part of regenera-
tion and are plainly declared to be essential to salvation. They are: hear-
ing the gospel, believing the gospel, repentance, and water baptism.
As we shall see in the wider usage of "regeneration", these are part of

the process of regeneration.
How The Infilling Of The Spirit Occurs (And Accompanying Phenom-

ena)
The human heart is prepared for the reception of the Spirit by the
precedents mentioned above. By this time, if the precedents have been
thoroughly accepted and embraced by the individual with the whole be-
ing (Deut. 6:5,6; Mt. 22:37-38), the individual is in a state of total surren-
der to God. The spirit is contrite. The will is surrendered. It no longer re-
sists, but completely capitulates to God in the joy of faith. The emotions
are unusually tender, and the individual is uninhibited and free of self-
consciousness. There is no begging, no requesting forgiveness - that is all
done and past. The soul has already been freed of guilt, which the indi-
vidual senses. However, he/she also senses the existence of an inner vac-
uum that nothing but God's indwelling Spirit can fill. The span of time
shortly preceding the Spirit baptism is usually, but not always (Acts
10:44), characterized by spoken worship (Psa. 100:4). The soul actively
worships and seeks after God until the moment of the impartation of the
Spirit upon the believer.
The instant the Holy Spirit falls upon the open heart of the believer,
he (the believer) becomes inundated with a consciousness of God's pres-
ence. This ecstasy may be expressed physically in a subdued manner or in
a tremendous burst of joy and physical enthusiasm, but the ecstasy is
there. Also, in virtually all the scriptural instances of receiving the Spirit,
it is evident that they spoke in other tongues (In. 7:35-37; Acts 2:1-13, 9:17-
18, 10:44,45, 16:34, 19:6, etc.).
The presence of the Spirit is observable on the countenance of the can-

didate. At the moment of the Spirit's baptism, whether the outward dis-
play of emotion is reserved or enthusiastic, tremendous spiritual power is
observable on the recipient (Acts 2:6,12,13,15, 8:18, etc.). It is accompanied
with joy, a deep euphoric sense of inward power / contentment, and ful-
fillment (Acts 2:11, 8:39, 16:34).

Notes
The scriptural record of the founding of the churc~ records that, at the
time of the infilling of the spirit, all the recipients:
• Were in one accord (Acts 2:1)

• Experienced a "sudden" sensation of rushing wind from heaven (Acts
2:2; Jn.20:22)
• A flame settled upon each of them (Acts 2:3)
• They spake with other tongues as the Spirit gave them utterance (Acts
2:4)
• This speaking in tongues was actually praising and worshiping God
in languages previously unknown to the speakers (Acts 2:7,11), Note
that it was not speaking with other tongues for the "purposes of evan-
gelism",
• It was followed by a strong, clear-cut proclamation that this saving
experience was for all people everywhere (Acts 2:38,39).
In the succeeding scriptural case histories of regeneration in the New

Testament, they all serve to verify the experience of Acts 2. While the cir-
cumstances vary, the experience and complete message was always the
same. From these, we see that the instant of regeneration. was manifested
initially in the convert by the following:
• A state of ecstasy. The initial salvation experience was always deep and
usually profoundly emotional.
• A deliverance from the grips of debilitating habits - evil spirits (Acts 8:5
-7; Rom. 1:16-17).
• A change in affections and mental / spiritual appetites. In fact, the
change, in both inward feelings / ideas and outward lifestyles /
goals, can be described as no less than extreme and radical. This
change, like the others herein mentioned, was not in any way the ex-
ception, but was the norm (Acts 9:1-31).
• Speaking with other tongues consistently accompanied the instant of re-
generation in scripture. The Jewish believers accompanying Peter in
Acts 10 considered it the certain sign that Cornelius' household had
indeed received the same regeneration infilling that they (Peter and
others) had earlier received (Mk. 16:17; Acts 2:4, 8:18, 10:46, 19:6; I Cor.
14:18; Isa. 28:11,12).
• Praise and worship, both in other tongues and the believers native lan-
guage, accompanied the instant of regeneration (i.e., infilling of the
Holy Spirit>". This initial "tongue-speaking" was not for the purpose
of interpretation, but rather was a total yieldedness to God as an initial
sign of the Spirit's infilling of the believer (Mk. 16:17; Isa. 28:11,12; Acts
2:4,11, 10:44-48). This praise and worship was a joyous response to
God in recognition of sins removed and the infilling of the Spirit.
• A power for testifying and witnessing and for performing supernatural events.
This power was so obvious in the spiritually new born as to astound
both the believers and their critics (Acts 1:8, 4:33, 5:5,11,12,29,42, 6:8,15,

Notes
9:1-43, etc.).
Chapter 9: The Wider Sense Of The Word "Regeneration"
The wider sense of regeneration includes the whole process by which

the heart of the sinner is turned from sin to salvation.
Narrowly speaking, "regeneration" is not used to designate the com-

plete work of transformation from sinner to saint. We "were saved" at a
specific time - instantaneously. We "are saved" as we live the Christian life.
We "will be saved" when we obtain the heavenly state. The narrow defini-
tion of regeneration applied only to the instantaneous miraculous instant
when the candidate initially experienced salvation.
In the wider sense, regeneration includes:
A. The Act of God in Drawing the Sinner
• Drawn by his constitution.

• Drawn by his nature.
• Drawn by the Holy Spirit.
B. Response in the individual.
• Hearing the gospel.

• Believing the gospel (faith).
• Repentance.
• Water baptism and receiving the Holy Spirit is covered under the
"Instant of Regeneration" .
• All consequent holiness and Christ-likeness (Sanctification).
I Cor. 6:11 may be said to depict the instant of regeneration. On the

other hand, actual subjective holiness and Christ-like growth in the indi-
vidual is progressive and evolving, hence the many scriptural exhortations
to "grow in grace, and knowledge" (II Pet. 3:18; Eph. 3:16-20, etc.). The
process of regeneration is radical and far-reaching and is, in fact, a re-
creation of the entire spiritual, psychological, and philosophical base upon
which the individual's life is structured. This is not an overstatement. The
new life includes a new interpretation of past experiences, a new under-
standing of present circumstances and purposes, and an awareness of a
breath-taking future.
The Act Of God In Drawing The Sinner
The act of God in drawing the sinner precedes the sinner's turning to

Notes
God. God draws the sinner in three specific ways - each on a higher level
than the preceding.
Drawn By His Constitution
First God draws man through man's constitution. Man is so consti-

tuted as to need order and structure in his life. For example, if we bring
enough discordant sounds and events into man's life, he will lose his san-
ity. His makeup demands order, and the author of order is God. Man is of-
ten drawn to God as the consciousness of disorder in his life increases. This
is not unnatural. He seeks "peace", "rest", etc. - all which are by-products of
being in alignment (i.e., order) with God and man's own make-up or consti-
tution.
Drawn By His Nature
Secondly, God draws man through man's conscious nature. Along with
Job, "Oh that I knew where I might find him", is the plaintive cry of the hu-
man race. Although often pathetically, inadequate, and grossly misguided,
all religion, true or false, is testimony to man's being drawn toward God.
God draws man through man's nature, which is so constructed as to seek
God. While it is true that man's carnal nature abhors God, it is nevertheless
true that, by virtue of his being- made in God's image, he is drawn by his
spiritual nature toward God and desires God. As is evident from history, as
well as scripture, man hungers for God. This hunger is God indirectly
drawing man through man's nature.
Drawn By The Holy Spirit
Thirdly, God is drawing man by His Holy Spirit. As we have seen, man
inherently is drawn by God and seeks for communion with God. This na-
ture and constitutional inclination toward God is activated by the Holy
Spirit by the application of the Word of God to the heart of the individual.
The primary method of application of the Word is by proclamation (i.e.,
preaching and teaching). When the heart of man, which is already drawn to
God by constitution and nature, is "pricked" (Acts 2:37) by the preached
Word, and if that heart accepts the Spirit's prompting toward surrender,
then the process of regeneration has begun through the hearing of the
Word.
Response In The Individual
The scripture is never hesitant to include the necessary responses in

the sinner to the drawing of God's Spirit (e.g., faith, repentance, etc.) as
part of the process of regeneration. In other words, both the drawing by
God of the sinner to Himself and the response of the sinner to God's
drawing are necessary parts to (and must be included in) any scriptural
definition of the process of regeneration - or the new birth. Furthermore,
these responses are not, and were never meant to be, categorized as

Notes
"work" (i.e., meritorious deeds) whereby a person "earns" salvation. For

example, "faith" is a responsive act of the human spirit. It is man's favor-
able reaction to the hearing of God's - Word. It is necessary for salvation.
It is not a "work" whereby one "earns" or "merits" their salvation. It is,
rather, a part of the process of regeneration which stems from man's re-
sponse to God, and as such, is essential to salvation. The same is true of
repentance, baptism, etc.
Sixteenth / seventeenth century reformation theology, in an attempt

to escape from salvation by "works" and dependence on the ritualistic
Romish church for salvation, and in an honest effort to forever establish
that the "just shall live by faith", sometimes categorized any action by
man as "works", and as such, unnecessary for salvation. The underlying
thought was that emphasis on man's response detracts from the essential
truth that salvation was solely the gift and provision of God, and nothing
could be done to merit it. As the historic church of the day had so misused
its authority and misconstrued the Word of God, the reformers nobly en-
deavored to overcome this error by emphasizing that salvation was a gift
of God, not a gift of the church or man.
There were of course, abuses. Some took "grace" as license to live on

lawless, iniquity while continuing to claim salvation under the guise of
"grace".
While this was extreme (if taken to the fullest with all the attendant
implications), the powerful doctrine of justification by faith nevertheless
accomplished the crucial task of freeing the masses from slavish depend-
ence upon the whim of carnal church leaders who, in many cases, did not
know God for themselves.
Thus, in the circumstances of the times, the tenacious defense of God's

provision of salvation, totally apart from man's actions, was necessary.
This mighty pivotal truth of "the just shall live by faith" was indeed tram-
pled underfoot for centuries - thus providing a convenient method of en-
slaving the masses with dependence on rituals and the whim of men for
the hope of salvation. This despicable misuse of the truth of God eventu-
ally prompted a spiritual revolution. Thus, when Luther boldly pro-
claimed, and later others espoused, the great truth that "the just shall live
by faith", this became the impetus for men to assert themselves in a search
for God, independent of sacraments and rituals. This finally resulted in
true encounters with God's love on a personal basis. Delivered from de-
pendence upon unscriptural rituals, penances, superstitions, false doc-
trines, etc., and for the first time experiencing the fervency of dynamic per-
sonal-fulfilling relationship with God, it is no wonder that scholars sought
ways to protect this new-found spiritual freedom from dependence upon
(or subjugation to) a return to dead forms and attempts to "earn" salva-
tion by pleasing men. Thus came about an utter disdain for anything that
smacked of salvation by human effort, and a rejection of any idea that
man in any way provided input toward his own salvation.

Notes
While the positions above were necessary and did tremendous good,
care must nevertheless be taken, lest one flee from one extreme so radi-
cally that he wings past the truth to the opposite extreme. This is precisely
what takes place when, in the process of regeneration, human action
(response, reciprocatory exertion, etc.) is categorized as "works". The
truth is that they are not "works", but rather absolutely necessary and
proper reactions to the moving of the Spirit -without which, salvation
cannot be effected. The responses are there because the individual moved
upon is alive - hence reactive. As such, these reactions are necessary (Le.,
Lk. 13:3,5), and are included by scripture as integrated into the process of'
regeneration. The provision of salvation by God is of no effect unless ap-
propriated by man. This appropriation is necessary for regeneration.
These actions of obedience are not "meritorious works", or "works of the
Law", or something apart from, and extraneous to regeneration - and
should not be classified as such. Instead the response (or obedience) is
absolutely essential (II Thess. 1:8).
Hearing The Gospel
As we have already seen, sinners can be drawn toward God before

hearing the gospel. The fact is that probably all sinners are drawn to one
degree or another (In. 12:32). However, being drawn is only a beginning.
To be saved, one must call upon the name of the Lord (Rom. 10: 13).
Paul emphasizes that hearing the gospel is a necessary prerequisite to

salvation.
"How then shall they call on Him in whom they have not believed?
And how shall they believe in Him of whom they have not
heard?" (Rom. 10:14).
"Hearing" in the passage above means to hear the gospel proclaimed

by men. By this we mean that, when scripture speaks of "hearing" the gos-
pel, it is not referring to "hearing" from God in some mystical, non-human
form (e.g., "in the wind" or "from an Angel", etc.). God has chosen men to
proclaim the gospel. Thus, one hears the gospel as it is preached by a hu-
man. What a sobering responsibility for the preacher (Le., the angelic be-
ing did not preach to Cornelius, but directed him to a man who would
bring him the gospel - Acts-l0).
" ... and how shall they hear without a preacher? So then faith cometh
by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God" (Rom. 10:14,17).
Christ's final words were a commission to the Apostles too.
"Go ye therefore and teach all nations ... teaching them to observe all
things whatsoever I have commanded you". (Mt. 28:19,20)
This was the method used by Christ Himself (Mt. 4:23). When this

Notes
method is adhered to, Christ assures His supernatural blessings (Mt. 28:20;
Acts 1:8; Mk. 16:17,18).
While it is true that someone may be saved from a personal study of

the Bible, the general thought here is that, without hearing the gospel
preached as revealed in the Bible, one cannot be saved.
Scripturally speaking, hearing has a two-fold meaning. First, hearing

means to hear the gospel proclaimed by someone as described above. This
proclamation may be a preacher preaching (Acts 5:42), or a non-preaching
church member witnessing (Acts 8:4). However, it is a hearing with the ac-
tual physical ear (and/or brain) as well as the spirit.
Whenever scripture speaks of hearing in the deeper sense, it clearly

takes on an added meaning. To "hear" the gospel in a way that effects sal-
vation is more than just hearing with the physical ear, or even the brain. It
means to accept what is heard as being truth and to be willing to respond
accordingly. It includes not only hearing, but understanding and positive
response (Mt. 13:13-18). Hearing in the full scriptural sense carries with it a
pronounced blessing (Mt. 13:16,17), in which the Spirit strongly urges the
hearer to partake, by acceptance in faith, of that which is heard (Rom. 10:6-
8; Rev. 2:7,11,17,29; 3:6,13,22). It is "hearing" on this level that becomes a
first step towards salvation.
Believing The Gospel (Faith)
Definition Of Scriptural "believing" is more than being mentally per-

suaded of the veracity of a given statement of truth. Scriptural believing is
faith. The difference is that mental persuasion may affect the intellect
alone, whereas "faith" affects not only the intellect, but also the will and
emotions. When the scripture exhorts to "believe on the Lord Jesus
Christ" (Acts 16:31), it is referring to faith. When one has faith in the gos-
pel preached, it means they mentally accept it and they totally embrace it
with their will and emotion, or whole being. This shows the obvious rea-
son why salvation oftentimes is such a radical change in the recipient's
life. Because of this, the life of the sinner is abruptly elevated to a complete
different set of values, and a totally new lifestyle - hence the term "born
again" (In. 3:5).
To simply "believe" to any degree is insufficient (Mt. 7:21-27; In. 2:23-

25; Acts 8:18,19; Jms. 2:19). Paul emphasized justification by faith more
than any other writer, yet he strongly insisted that saving faith is insepara-
bly bound up with obedience. He taught that the mystery of God's re-
demptive plan (the church) has been made known to all nations for the
"obedience of faith" (Rom. 16:26). The New International Version trans-
lates this last phrase as made known " ... so that all nations might believe
and obey him". God's grace brings obedience to the faith (Rom. 1:5). Christ
worked through Paul to make the Gentiles obedient (Rom. 15:18). Simi-
larly, Luke recorded that a great number of priests were "obedient to the

Notes
faith" (Acts 6:7). Faith and obedience are so closely linked that a lack of
obedience to God is proof of a lack of faith. 3
"But they have not all obeyed the gospel. For Isaias saith, Lord, who
hath believed our report? (Rom. 10:16)
Necessity Of
The necessity of believing in order to receive salvation is repeatedly em-

phasized throughout scripture. This whole-hearted acceptance of the mes-
sage of truth is seen as the minimum acceptable position for receiving salva-
tion. Compare In. 1:12, 3:16, 3:18 36 4:39,41,42, 5:46,47, 6:29,35, 7;38,39, 8:24,
10:37,42, 11:25,26,27,40,45,48, 12:11, 28,39,42,46, 13:19, 14:1,10-12; Acts
8:12,37, 10:43, 16:31; Rom. 1:16,17, 3:22,28,30, 4:5,24, 10:9-17, etc.). As in obvi-
ous, the necessity for believing is set out in scripture in no uncertain terms.
Origin of
The ability to believe (or have faith) for salvation came from God. A
measure of faith is given to every man (Rom. 12:3). This potential faith (i.e.,
faith which contains potential to be activated to salvation) is given to all,
but does not effect salvation unless activated by the will to surrender to
God.
We can increase our faith by hearing the Word of God and by genera-
tion of the Holy Spirit (Rom. 10:17). We are responsible for letting God de-
velop faith in us and for using the faith He has placed in our hearts.4
Repentance
Definition of
The change in the heart of the sinner, by which he turns from sin to
God, is termed repentance. It works in the total human - affecting his intel-
lect, will, and emotions. It involves a change of direction, an about face.
One's view changes -feelings change / goals change. The sinner is brought
to an abrupt face to face with his sins (recognized sins). He admits his sin
(confession). He has godly sorrow (conviction). He turns from sin
(forsakes). He attempts to repair the damage he's caused others
(restitution) (Lk. 15:17-21).
Intellectually, there is a change of perspective.
Sin is recognized. Guilt is the resulting sense. A sense of unworthiness,

uncleanness, and helplessness grips the heart (Psa. 51; Rom. 3:20). How-
ever, repentance is not a permanent self-loathing, but is based on the sin-
ners understanding of his true, defiled condition (Job 42:5,6). The first re-
action of a human touched by God is not joy. To teach such is to teach a

Notes
shallow religion. The first reaction is a recognition of sinfulness and the

need of God, and is virtually always accompanied with a deep sense of
sobriety. It is a thorough self-emptying and imploring of God's mercy and
love to fill the repentant heart.
There is no true recognition of sin other than by God's working in the

heart. True preaching to the sinner effects this resulting revelation of sinful
condition. It enables the sinner to see himself objectively - as God sees
him. Through repentance, the sinner takes God's part against himself and
places his agreement on God's side against himself. We sense the injustice
with which God has been treated, and recognize what our sins mean to
God. The divine essence in man, as a result of being made in God's image,
will not let its own essence and origin suffer wrong uncorrected. It is this
deepest part of man which advocates God's claims and takes God's part
against our own sins and multitudinous transgressions.
Emotionally there is a deep and thorough change of feeling. Rather than

a sense of well-being and self-justification, the repentant heart feels deep
sorrow for sin. It recognizes infractions against goodness, mercy, and jus-
tice, and implores the Lord to remove this sinfulness and forgive trans-
gressions (Lk. 18:23; II Cor. 7:9,10).
There is a difference between repentance (which produces sorrow for

sin) and shame (as a result of sin and fear of the resultant judgment). The
latter is selfish, while true repentance is unselfish.
True repentance does not consider consequences or others' opinions,

but rather views sin as a transgression against God and a defilement of the
person to the uttermost. It is a state in which personally the repentant per-
son feels their guilt (Lk. 5:8).
True repentance never includes a sense of despair and hopelessness.

Sorrow without hope may be remorsefulness, but it is not repentance. Re-
pentance, when it is finished, drives out despair, and replaces it with a
sense of having been forgiven and freed from sin's dominion.5 In godly
sorrow is always found the element of hope. If the element of hope is
missing, then the sorrow does not stem from repentance.
How do we know this is true? Because repentance is a product of faith,

and the nature of faith is belief in a positive future (i.e., hope).
It is true that conscience is present in every human accusing or excus-

ing one's actions. However, it is the Holy Spirit which convinces of sin
(Rom. 2:15). Why is the Holy Spirit needed? "Conscience is the witness of
the Law, the Spirit is the witness to grace. Conscience brings legal convic-
tion. The Spirit brings evangelical conviction. The one begets a conviction
unto despair, the other a conviction unto hope. Conscience convinces of
sin committed, of righteousness impossible, of judgment impending. The
Comforter convinces of sin committed, of righteousness imputed, of

Notes
judgment accomplished - in Christ. God alone can reveal the divine view
of sin, and enables man to understand it". 6
The will of man is also deeply affected by repentance. It effects an in-

ward turning from sin to a will or disposition to seek pardon and clean-
sing (Jer. 25:5; Psa. 51). The intellect and emotions are included in this
turning, along with the will - as is exemplified in Acts 2:38. The idea of
repentance, as applied to the will, is somewhat different from what it is
as applied to the emotions or intellect. In reference to the will, repentance
implies a turning from sin rather than a sorrow for sin. Repentance joins
man to Christ in being repulsed by sin and the devastating results of it.
This aspect of repentance is seen clearly in the Prodigal Son " I will arise
and go to my Father" (Lk. 15:18).
In contrast to the idea of individual predestination, repentance pre-

supposes free will in the human heart. Scripture, by its exhortation to
men to repent, assures acceptance to all who will do so.
Repentance Not Salvation
Repentance is part of the process of regeneration, and as such is nec-

essary to salvation; but, in and of itself, is not salvation ("repentance unto
salvation" - II Cor. 7:10). Repentance is a negative, not a positive, element
of conversion. The positive element is the infilling of the Spirit. Repen-
tance is a subtraction of sin from the individual, but not a filling with the
Spirit. Repentance alone does not constitute a filling, but rather an emp-
tying - it is not renewal, but rather removal (of sin). It is a pre-requisite to
the instant of regeneration.
Repentance is not a meritorious work whereby one earns or merits

salvation. It is inextricably tied to faith (Mk. 1:15). It is a work of God in
the human heart (Acts 5:31, 11:18; II Tim. 2:25) as well as a response on
the sinner's part to the Spirit's prompting (Acts 2:38; Mt. 3:2, etc.). As
such, it is an integral and essential part of the process of regeneration.
Repentance produces sorrow for sin, not only because of its dreadful con-
sequences, but because of the human heart's spiteful disposition in oppo-
sition to the loving God.
Necessity Of Repentance
Just as faith is necessary for salvation, so is repentance. In fact, wher-

ever true faith is found, repentance also is found. Repentance and faith
cannot be separated. And any time there is faith, there is repentance.
Conversely, where there is true repentance, there is faith. However, faith
always precedes real repentance. "Repentance ... follows the first moment
of faith, but it precedes the full expression of saving faith (the new birth
experience). Perhaps it is best to describe repentance as the first 'faith re-
sponse' to the gospel, for repentance stands at the beginning of a life of
faith and is itself the initial act of faith. "7

Notes
Throughout the Old Testament, the idea of repentance is found.

Blood sacrifices typify repentance wherein the dying animal represents
Christ dying for the sinner, and the sinner dying out to sin (Rom. 6:6). It
is death, not in the sense of being meritorious, but rather in the sense of
being a necessary preparation to entering the presence of God (i.e., infill-
ing of the Spirit).
In the Old Testament tabernacle, the priest first went to the brazen
altar where death took place. He then proceeded to the laver for wash-
ing. This is typical of water baptism and the washing by the Word. He
was then anointed with holy anointing oil, which was typical of the in-
filling of the Holy Spirit. He then could dwell in the presence of God in
the Holy Place and sustain himself on the shewbread - this being a type
of the spiritual life lived and sustained in the presence of God (Heb.
10:19-22). Thus the process of regeneration is typified in the priest's ap-
proach to God in the Old Testament tabernacle. And, just as the sacrifice
of the brazen altar of necessity preceded the washing and anointing with
oil, so repentance of necessity precedes water baptism and Spirit bap-
tism (Acts 2:38).
Repentance has always (since the fall of man) been a requirement for
approaching God. The Old Testament prophets repeatedly called Israel
to repentance. The New Testament opens with the message of John the
Baptist to "repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand" (Mt. 4:17).
Christ' emphasized, " ... except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish" (Lk.
13:3). The twelve apostles learned early the importance of repentance
and " ... they went out, and preached that men should repent" (Mk. 6: 12).
Christ instructed that after His departure (ascension) "repentance ...
should be preached in His name" (Lk. 24:47). This is precisely what the
apostles did preach on the birthday of the church.
"But Peter, standing up with the eleven, lifted up his voice, and said
unto them ... repent ... " (Acts 2:14,38).
And finally, the ascended Christ exhorts the church to "repent or else I
will come unto thee quickly ... " (Rev. 2:16). Obviously, repentance is a ne-
cessity in the process of regeneration.
Origin Of Repentance
The repenting sinner is accepted by God, thus making God the giver of
forgiveness. Also, repentance itself is the gift of God (Acts 11: 18) to the
acknowledging of the truth (II Tim. 2:25). It is the goodness of God that
leads men to repentance (Rom. 2:4), and the contrition (sorrow), which
accompanies salvation, is from God (II Cor. 7:10) and works in the human
heart by the Holy Ghost (Jn. 16:8).
Water Baptism

Notes
Origin
Water baptism and its conjunction with salvation begins with the proc-
lamation of John the Baptist.
"I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance ... " (Mt. 3:11).
Christ Himself establishes water baptism as an essential part of the

New Testament christian experience. He does this prior to the church's
founding.
"Verily, verily, I say unto thee, except a man be born of water and of
the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God" (Jn.3:5).
"He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved ... " (Mk. 16:16).
"Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them ... “(Mt.
28:19).
In Lk. 24:47, Christ instructs that repentance and remission of sins

should be preached in His Name, beginning at Jerusalem. That the apostle
clearly understood this to include water baptism as is seen in Acts 2:38.
"Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ
for the remission of sins ... “Acts 2:38).
The use of water in religious ritual and for a figure of baptism in the
Old Testament is not unusual.
1. The flood of Noah is spoken of as baptism which was the means of

salvation for Noah and his family. In a sense, the flood was a baptism
of the earth itself, by which sin was washed from it.
2. The baptism of Moses through the Red Sea was a symbol of water bap-
tism, by which they were delivered from their past bondage of sin, and
by which Israel recognized its new found freedom and new identity as
a nation (1. Cor. 10:1-5)
3. Water was also used in the religious washings for purification of the
Hebrews. Anything impure was washed with water. Water was used
for symbolic cleansing by being sprinkled on the individual (Num.
19:13). The central idea of Old Testament religious use of water was
washing or cleansing. Something washed in water was considered
cleansed. It was an act of purification.
Mode
The New Testament mode of baptism was to immerse the candidate

in water. To baptize meant to dip - to dye by dipping (Rev. 19:13).

Notes
That baptism was by immersion is evident from numerous passages

of scripture.
"Then went out to him {i.e., John the Baptist} Jerusalem, and all Judea,
and all the region round about Jordan, and were baptized of him in Jor-
dan, confessing their sins" (Mt. 3:5,6).
"And Jesus, when He was baptized, went up straightway out of the

water ... " (Mt. 3:16).
"And as they went on their way, they came unto a certain water: and
the eunuch said, see here is water; what doth hinder me to be baptized?
And he commanded the chariot to stand still. And they went down both
into the water, both Philip and the eunuch; and he baptized him. And
when they were come up out of the water ... " (Acts 8:36,38,39).
In Romans 6:4, Paul makes baptism analogous to burial. To be buried,

as in the ground (or in a cave) was to be totally surrounded by (or en-
closed) by material from which the grave was made (dirt, rock, etc.). So
water baptism means to be totally surrounded (or enclosed) by the water.
One of the arguments often used against water baptism by immersion

is that the water baptism of John was likened to the Spirit baptism of
Christ.
“I indeed baptize you with water ... but he that cometh after me ... he
shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost and fire" (Mt. 3:11).
We know that Spirit baptism is accomplished by a "pouring out" (Joel

2:28) upon the candidate, thus excluding the idea of the candidate being
"dipped" or immersed in the Spirit.
The answer to this is that to be baptized does not mean only that the
candidate is to be "dipped" in the ingredient (Spirit, water, rock, dirt, etc.),
but rather that he is completely surrounded by (or enclosed) by that in
which he is being buried (or baptized). As anyone who has ever received
the baptism of the Holy Spirit will quickly attest, they were indeed totally
immersed in the Spirit. They also know that to have the Holy Spirit
"poured out" upon them very certainly means to be completely saturated
with it, or "sot" with it (Acts 2:1-4,13). Lastly, they know that baptism of
the Spirit is certainly no mere sprinkling!
Another oft-used argument in favor of sprinkling (or affusion) as be-

ing the proper mode of baptism is that in Heb. 9:10, the word
"baptize" (KJV "washing") is used to include Old Testament rituals or
sprinkling. To this we give a three-fold reply.

Notes
• First, the idea of sprinkling for baptism is foreign to the New Testa-
ment. The Greek language has words used for "sprinkle" and "pour",
but these are never used of baptism.
• Secondly, some Old Testament washings did indeed mean to be

wholly enclosed or completely washed in water - in no way (either in
fact or in type) violating the idea of baptism by immersion.
• Thirdly, all Old Testament uses of water for washings and/or sprin-
kling for religious purification prefigured baptism to one degree or
another. The fact to be derived from the type was that it signified pu-
rification and in reality qualified the candidate for the communion of
God and His people. Whenever water or blood was used in sprinkling
in the Old Testament (for purification, etc.), it symbolized that the
thing sprinkled was totally immersed in the cleansing being typified.
An example of this is seen in Isa. 63:1-3.
"Who is this that cometh from Edom, with dyed garments from Boz-
rah ... Wherefore art thou red in thine apparel, and thy garments like
him that treadeth in the winefat? I have trodden the wine-press alone;
... and their blood shall be sprinkled upon my garments and I will stain
my raiment" (lsa. 63:1-3).
While some use this scripture (in conjunction with Rev. 19:13) to teach
baptism by sprinkling, it in fact teaches saturation (i.e., the "garments" of
verse 1 were completely dyed, saturated, surrounded by the liquid).
Thus, with all sprinkling in the Old Testament, it symbolized the washing
of complete immersion in the New Testament.
Formula
The formula for baptism is prescribed by Christ in Matt. 28:19, and

used for the first time by the Apostle Peter in Acts 2:38. Christ gave the
command to baptize men "in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and
of the Holy Ghost". Starting with the. Apostle Peter on the Day of Pente-
cost (to whom the keys were given for the initial entry into salvation in
the church age), in every succeeding recorded instance, they baptized all
converts in the name of Jesus - sometimes preceding the name "Jesus" with
"Lord" or succeeding it with "Christ", but always in the name of Jesus
(Acts 2:38,8:16,10:48,19:5,22:16; I Cor. 1:13).
Numerous fanciful and/or untenable explanations have been seem-

ingly given for this contradiction - Christ commanding to do one thing
and every single recorded church leader seeming to do another.

Notes
To avoid error, some have simply stated that it is safer to follow Christ
than the Apostles. This shallow reasoning is unsatisfactory - as all scrip-
ture is inspired, and the disciple who penned Matt. 28: 19 stood in full
agreement with Peter in Acts 2:14.
Others have stated that Matt. 28: 19 is truly a formula, while Acts 2:38
simply meant "by the authority of”. This is completely arbitrary, and is
based upon an incomplete accounting of the utterances of Christ called the
"Great Commission" as recorded in Mt. 28:19 (c.p. Lk 24:45-47).
It is evident, from a comparison of the accounts of the Great Commis-

sion in the synoptic gospels, that no dichotomy exists between the use of
the formula as recorded in Mt. 28: 19 as compared to the formula used by
the Apostles in every 'other place (Acts 2:38, 10:48, 19:5, 22: 16, etc.).
Matthew records the Great Commission as:
"Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of
the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost ... " (28:19).
Mark's record is:
" ... Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature.
He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth
not shall be damned. And these signs shall follow them that believe; in
my name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new
tongues ... " (16:15-17).
Luke captures it with Christ speaking of Himself accordingly.
"Thus it is written, and thus it behoved Christ to suffer, and to rise

from the dead the third day; and that repentance and remission of sins
should be preached in his name among all nations, beginning at Jerusa-
lem" (24:45-47).
In response to the command of Christ in Lk. 24:45-47, Luke (who was

also the writer of the book of Acts) records that in fulfillment of the com-
mand of Christ, Peter on the day of Pentecost (when queried concerning
the way of salvation) responded with an exact fulfillment of the Lk. 24:45-
47 command.
"Repent, and be baptized everyone of you in the name of Jesus Christ

for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy
Ghost" (Acts 2.38).
Why did the early church, without exception, baptize in the name of
Jesus? The evidence points to the fact that the New Testament writers con-
sidered that, while "Father", "Son", and "Holy Ghost" were necessary terms

Notes
for distinction of revelation of the one true God, they were not names.
They unhesitatingly assert that the final, full, and complete revelatory
name of God is Jesus. As we shall see, the writers joyfully pointed out Old
Testament Jehovistic quotations as being directly fulfilled in the name of
Jesus.
They not only asserted it - they reveled in it! They seemed to have a
special awareness that when the name of Jesus was praised, one need fear
leaving out the Father and/or the Holy Ghost, for to them the name of
Jesus encompassed the complete revelation of the Godhead as Father, Son
and Holy Ghost. Thus they saw no contradiction whenever one said to
baptize "in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost",
and another said that "repentance and remission of sins should be
preached in His {i.e., Christ's} name". The New Testament is replete with
evidence that, to them, the risen "Lord Jesus" was the "Jehovah-Elohim" of
the Old Testament - revealed to man as the "Christ". Thus Peter concludes
his Pentecost sermon.
"Therefore let all know assuredly, that God hath made that same Jesus,
whom ye have crucified, both Lord and Christ" (Acts 2:36).
From the resurrection and Great Commission forward, the disciples

did not view Christ Jesus as a mere man, nor even as "only" the Messiah.
They recognized Christ's humanity as being from thenceforth "deified".
Hence, Peter readily applies Psa. 110: 1 to the risen Savior.
"For David ... saith himself, the Lord said unto my Lord, sit thou on
my right hand, until I make thy foes thy footstool" (Psa. 110:1).
It is easy to see from this that the Apostles understood the risen Christ
as the enfleshment of the Godhead (Col. 2:9), and knew that they were
complete in Him (Col. 2:10). Thus, they were satisfied to do all things, in-
cluding baptism, in "His" name (Col. 3:17).
History of Baptism in The Single Name
We have already seen that baptism was administered in the name of

Jesus in apostolic times. Church history quite thoroughly documents that
this remained the case for the next hundred years or so of the church ("The
trinitarian baptismal formula ... was displacing the older baptism in the
name of Christ").8
The shepherd of Hermas speaks of baptism "in the name of the

Lord", and in the "name of the Son of God". 9 The Didache speaks of bap-
tism "into the name of the Lord" 10. Justin spoke of baptizing" .. .in the
name of God, the Father and Lord of the universe, and of our Saviour
Jesus Christ and of the Holy Spirit" 11. Irenaeus stated that "we are made
clean by means of the sacred water and the invocation of the Lord"12. All
four of the above were written in or around the second century A.D.13

Notes
From the chart, we conclude that:
NAME TIME FAVORABLE UNFAVOR- UNCERTAIN

ABLE
Stephen, Bishop of Rome 3rd Century *
Cyprian, No. Africa 3rd Century *
Farmilian, Bishop Of Caesarea A.D. 256 *
Abrose A.D. 340-398 *
Council of Constantinople A.D. 381 *
Constitutions of the Holy Apostles 4th or 5th Century *
Church in Constantinople In Letter To A.D. 450 (approx.) *
Justinian Code A.D. 529 *
Council of Constantinople A.D. 553 *
Martin Damium, Bishop of Braga A.D. 550 (Approx.) *
Bede of England A.D. 673-735 *
Council of Frejus A.D. 792 *
Pope Nicholas I A.D. 858-867 *
Peter Lombard A.D. 1160 (Died) *
Hugo Vicotor A.D. 1141 (Died) *
Thomas Aquinas A.D. 1225-1274 *
Martin Luther A.D. 1525 *
Michael Servetus A.D. 1540 *
Emmanuel Swedenburg Reformation Era *
Francis Cornurel & Many Generals 17th Century *
Many Baptists 17th Century *
Willaim Penn Reformation Era *
Some Quakers Reformation Era *
Some New England Congregationalists 19th Century *
Many Plymouth Brethren 19th century *
Many Pentecostals, Charismatics, Some 20th Century *

Sabbatarians

Notes
The New Testament church baptized in the single name exclusively.

Baptism in the single name has been practiced throughout history.
In post-apostolic times (from time to time), it was not only widespread,
but (in early times) dominant and (in earliest post-apostolic times) used
exclusively.
Many later scholars regarded it as valid.
The ruling church hierarchy regarded it as valid.14
In the Great Commission, as recorded by Matthew, it is noteworthy

that Christ precedes it by saying, "all power is given unto me in heaven
and in earth". With the death, burial and resurrection, the humanity of
Christ Jesus is victoriously "deified". While Christ is deity prior to the
death, burial and resurrection, after the resurrection, even His humanity is
highly exalted (i.e., He is the medium and expression by which all divine
revelation of God and authority from this time forward is known).
"In Him dwells all the fullness of the Godhead bodily" (Col. 2:9).
He is now highly exalted and God gave " ... him a name which is
above every name: That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow ...
" (Phil. 2:9-10).
"All authority is given unto me... go ye therefore!" Nothing can be

plainer than this. The Commission in Matthew emphasizes an aspect of
the Gospel too often neglected, but about which Christ is very jealous. To
fulfill the Great Commission in the manner Christ intended, we must
"teach all nations" that "all authority has been given unto Him". The Apos-
tles fulfilled both Matthew and Luke on the Day of Pentecost (Acts 2:36-
38).
This same basic message is found in virtually every Apostolic sermon

recorded in the Book of Acts, and in the same order. First, the exalted posi-
tion of the post-resurrection Christ. Secondly, the resultant benefits to hu-
manity through the name of Jesus (Acts 3:13,16,19, 4:10-12, 5:31,32,
7:55,56,60, 10:42,43, 13:33,38, 17:3,7,30,31, 26:13,16,18).
John Paterson states: "Regardless of one's beliefs concerning the per-

sonality of God, one must admit that the Father could give all authority in
heaven and in earth to the Son, and that such a gift would automatically
transform the name of the Lord Jesus Christ into a name representing and
carrying all the authority of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy
Spirit. It is clear that Matthew, far from contradicting the other writers,
records a great truth and an essential of the gospel message - one which
was translated into action by the Apostles with decisive finality". 15
The Great Commission is recorded in Mt. 28:18-20; Mk. 16:14-18; Lk.

Notes
24:45-51; In. 20: 19-23; and Acts 1:6-9. It is evident that this was repeatedly
the subject during the 40 days of Christ's ministry between the resurrec-
tion and the ascension. Mark and John record the first accounts made in
Jerusalem on the eve of the resurrection, while they sat at meat. Matthew's
account is a later recording, occurring on the Mount of Olives shortly be-
fore the ascension.
The Apostles clearly understood, at this point, the identity of the

Christ, the events about to transpire, and the way they would take place.
At the very beginning of His post-resurrection instruction (In. 20:22), Je-
sus breathed on and illuminated the minds of the disciples by the Holy
Ghost (Acts 1:2). He "opened their understanding that they might under-
stand the scriptures" (Lk. 24:45). In Luke 24:48, the disciples were in-
structed to be "witnesses of these things" (i.e., the things He had inter-
preted to them from the Word). Christ "expounded unto them... the
things concerning Himself - His death, burial, and resurrection, and how
this was applied to their lives by repentance (Lk.24:47), water baptism
(Mk. 16:16; Mt. 28:19), and the infilling of the Holy Ghost (Lk. 24:49; In.
20:22).
"How did the Apostles fulfill the expectation of Jesus? Compare the
message of the Apostle Peter on the Day of Pentecost and note the consis-
tent interpretation of the Commission. God never intended baptism to be
used to indicate adherence to some theological dogma with which it had
no logical connection. If this were acknowledged, I believe that many
brethren, who do not feel that they can abandon their conception of the
Deity, would nevertheless practice baptism into the name of Jesus".16
May we further point out, in agreement with Mr. Paterson, that to

baptize in Jesus name does not necessarily mean, nor prove or disprove,
that the Father and the Son are separate persons in the Godhead - or that
the Holy Ghost is the Son. It does emphatically assert that the name of
Jesus is the name above every name (Phil. 2:9), and is without question
the exalted, highest revelatory name of God - which is the precise reason
that it was sent from Heaven to Mary to be applied to the Christ-child (Lk.
1:31), who was the embodiment of the highest revelation by God to man.
To baptize in Jesus name does not automatically infer that the Father is the
Son, but rather that the Father is in the Son, reconciling the world.
The use of God's name, for whatever reason, is a serious, important

matter. Scripture soberly intones the message that God's name should not
be taken vainly.
It is this name "Jehovah" that we are commanded to "fear" (Deut.

28:58). This name is to be exalted (lsa. 12:2,4). This is the name used in Jer.
23, where "lying prophets" are threatened by God for making them forget
God's name. This is the name by which God made His covenant with Is-
rael in Ex. 6:3. And, as J. Paterson goes on to declare: "centuries later, when
God wished to reveal Himself not merely to one race, but to a perishing
world (when he wished to proclaim through the medium of one supreme

Notes
name both the exalted personal position of the Mediator of the new and
better covenant and his condescension to man), He did it by the use of this
same glorious name - 'Jesus' or ' Jehovah the Saviour'" .17
Concerning the name "Jehovah", C.I. Scofield states: " The primary
meaning of the name LORD {Jehovah} is 'the self-existent One'''. Literally,
He that is who He is, therefore the eternal "I AM". "Havah", from which
"Jehovah" or Yahweh" is formed, signifies also "to become" - that is to be-
come known, thus pointing to a continuous and increasing self-revelation.
Combining these meanings of "Havah", we arrive at the meaning of the
name Jehovah. He is "the self-existent one who reveals Himself'. The name
is, in itself, an advance upon the name "God" (EI, Elah, Elohim), which
suggests certain attributes of Deity, as strength, etc., rather than His essen-
tial being.
Jehovah is distinctly the redemption name of Deity. When sin entered

and redemption became necessary, it was Jehovah Elohim who (Gen. 3:9-
13) clothed them with "coats of skins" (Gen. 3:21) - a beautiful type of
righteousness provided by the LORD God through sacrifice (Romans
3:21,22). The first distinct revelation of Himself by his name Jehovah was
in connection with redemption of the covenant people out of Egypt. The
name of Jesus is the Greek form of the Hebrew "Jehoshua" meaning
"Jehovah is salvation". Twelve times God is referred to as Savior in such
Old Testament scriptures as Isaiah 43:3,11: "For I am the LORD {YHVH}
thy God, the Holy One of Israel, thy Saviour ... I, even I, am the LORD
{YHVH}; and beside me there is no saviour" (YHVH is the Hebrew equiva-
lent of "Jehovah" without the vowels). 18 Obviously, salvation for mankind
came at Calvary. The Apostle Paul speaks of this redemption being accom-
plished by "the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ, who gave himself
for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself
a peculiar people, zealous of good works" (Titus 2:13-14).
We again here lay stress upon the fact that the above is not here dis-
cussed for the purposes of attempting to explain anything concerning the
person of or distinctions of Father, Son, or Holy Ghost. That is another
subject. While the same scriptures may be used to discuss the nature of the
Godhead, we are here only interested in pointing out that, regardless of
the idea of relationship of the Father to the Son, the fact is emphatically
clear in scripture that the entirety of the Godhead is encapsulated in one
name and one name only, and that one name is Jesus.
"Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name
under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved" (Acts
4:12).
"Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name
which is above every name: That at the name of JES US every knee
should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under
the earth; and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is
Lord, to the glory of God the Father" (Phil. 2:9-11).

Notes
Note that the Father is glorified by exaltation of the Name of Jesus -

not "another" name.
David Gray, goes on to state: "Some have tried to lessen the impact of
this ... truth by translating Jesus to mean merely 'salvation'. But the fact is
irrefutable - attested to by such reliable Greek and Hebrew scholars as
Strong, Thayer, Vine, and Peloubet, who assert that the name Jesus incor-
porates in it the very name YHVH with the suffix 'sins' (Greek) or
'shua' (Hebrew) added. It is this suffix which means salvation".19 "Jesus"
in Greek is the equivalent of "Jehoshua" or "Jehovah-shua", or "JHVH-
shua" in Hebrew". Of this Paterson states: "I have known them (Le.,
preachers) to say 'Jesus means Saviour - not Jehovah the Saviour'. When
they say this they are either utterly ignorant or utterly dishonest, for in-
disputable evidence is found in Numbers 13:16 where Moses changed the
name of Oshea the son of Nun. His name, another form of Hosea, meant
'Saviour' - and such He was to Israel's national life. Moses, being a
prophet, recognized him as a type of the greater Saviour and added the
Covenant name JAJi - hence J ahoshea or Joshua.
Then, because the name Joshua or Jesus was bestowed on Jewish chil-
dren by fond parents, some preachers pretend to believe that the name of
our Lord Jesus is 'only a common name'! Full well they knew that there is
only one Jesus whose name was announced from Heaven, and who was
declared by the Angel to be 'Saviour, which is Christ, the Lord' (Mt. 1:21;
Lk. 2:11). We do not 'preach another Jesus' (II Cor. 11:4)". Matthew Henry,
in his Commentary on the Bible, states: "Jesus is the same name with
Joshua, the termination only being changed, for the sake of conforming it
the Greek. Joshua is called Jesus (Acts 7:45; Heb. 4:8). There were two of
that name under the Old Testament who were both illustrious types of
Christ. Christ is our Joshua - both the Captain of our salvation and the
High Priest of our profession, and in both our Saviour".
"The name Jesus became the highest and greatest name of God, might-
ier even than YHVH. 'Far above all principality, and power, and might,
and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this world, but
also in that which is to corne ... ' (Eph. 1:21)".20
Just as 'Shema' (the truth of one God) is at the very heart of the Old
Testament, so the 'shem ha Meforash' (the ineffable name) is at the very
heart of the 'Shema'. "21
God first revealed "the ineffable name" to Moses, in response to his

query as to God's Name.
"And God said unto Moses, I AM THAT I AM: and he said, Thus
shalt thou say unto the children of Israel, I AM hath sent me unto
you. And God said moreover unto Moses, Thus shalt thou say unto
the children of Israel, the LORD God {Jehovah-ElohimJ of your fa-

Notes
thers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob,
hath sent me unto you: this is my name forever and this is my memo-
rial unto all generations" (Ex. 3:14-15).
Everyman's Talmud, by Dr. Abraham Cohen, goes on to explain: "To

the Oriental, a name is not merely a label as with us. It was thought of as
indicating the nature of the person or object by whom it was borne. For
that reason special reverence was attached to 'the distinctive name' of the
Deity which He had revealed to the people of Israel, viz. The tetragram-
mation, JHVH {or 'Jehovah,}".22 It is an oft documented fact that the Jew-
ish people were so fearful of taking God's name in vain that they refused
to utter the holy name of God, and substituted "Adonai" wherever
"Jehovah" appeared in scripture.
The Name of God Resident in Christ
Before proceeding, we again emphasize that this section is an attempt

to illuminate the truth that the entirety of the Godhead is encapsulated in
the name - this personal name embodies the marvelous fact of the pro-
gressive revelation of God and His plan of redemption. The name of God
was in Christ, and scripture is very clear concerning this fact.
Zechariah prophesied of Christ's triumphal entry into Jerusalem thus:

"Behold the King cometh" (Zech. 9:9). Luke records three very important
things concerning this (Lk. 19:37-40). First, upon Christ's entry, "the whole
multitude of the disciples began to rejoice and praise God with a loud
voice ... Saying, Blessed be the King that cometh in the Name of the Lord:
peace in heaven, and glory in the highest." Note that "the King cometh in
the Name of Jehovah" was a settled issue in Heaven. Secondly, the Phari-
sees considered the application of this scripture to Jesus as improper and
said: "Master, rebuke thy disciples". Thirdly, note the remarkable answer
of Christ: "I tell you that, if these should hold their peace, the stones
would immediately cry out", To quote John Paterson, here we have "an
endorsement unparalleled in Sacred Writ!" Paterson, continues: "The same
prophet, referring to Christ's second coming, said: 'his feet shall stand in that
day upon the Mount of Olives, and Jehovah my God shall come... and all the
saints with thee ... And the LORD shall be King over all the earth: in that day
shall there by one LORD, and His name one (Zech. 14:4,5,9)."
In Jn. 5:43, Christ Himself declared: "I am come in my Father's

Name ... " He also laid claim to the same name "Jehovah" which was
given to Moses in Ex. 3:14,15 (See In. 8:58). Rev. 14:1 speaks of saints who
have the Lamb's (Father's) Name written in their forehead. Rev. 22:4 de-
clares the Lamb's name shall be in their foreheads. Christ stated, "I have
manifested thy name" (In. 17:6). He further states, concerning the Father's
Name: "Father holy, keep them in the name of thee which thou has given
to me, that they may be one as we. When I was with them, I kept them in
the name of thee which thou ,has given me ... " (In. 17:11,12, Nestle's Gk.
Eng. N.T.). The Revised Version reads: "Holy Father, keep them in Thy
Name which Thou hast given Me". Matt. 1:21 and Lk. 1:31 record when

Notes
Christ was given the Father's Name to bear. May those who oppose the
Name of Jesus in baptism, or any other way, beware of the promise of
protection to the last-day church to "keep from the hour of temptation
those who have not denied His Name". Denying His Name is no small
matter!
Psalm 44:20-22 prophesies as follows: "For thy sake are we killed all
day long." Just prior to this David declares: "If we have forgotten the
Name of our God, shall not God search this out?" For whose sake were
they "killed"? Paul makes application of these very verses to the Apostles
(Rom. 8:36) which were persecuted and killed for the name of Jesus (c.p.
Mt. 10:22; Acts 4:7, 5:28, 9:21, 15:26; I Pet. 4:14).
"That they may possess the remnant of Edom, and of all the hea-
then, which are called by my name, saith Jehovah that doeth
this" (Amos 9:12).
Peter uses this scripture in reference to what occurred to Cornelius

and his household in Acts 10. He does this in Acts 15:14, "Simeon hath de-
clared how God at the first did visit the Gentiles, to take out of them a
people for His name". James elaborates further in 15:17, "That the residue
of men might seek after the Lord, and all the Gentiles upon whom my
name is called, saith the Lord (Jehovah)." The Apostles directly and un-
hesitatingly applied these scriptures to those over whom the name of Jesus
had been called (c.p. Acts 10:48).
Concerning the name of the Holy Ghost, suffice it to quote Christ: "But
the Comforter which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my
name ... " (In. 14:26).
All was well summed up years ago by Dr. John Munroe Gibson, M.A.,
D.D., Principal of the Presbyterian Theological College, Mc Gill Univer-
sity, and subsequently Moderator of the Presbyterian Church in England,
Concerning the text, "At that day, ye shall know that I am in My
Father, and ye in Me, and I in you" (In. 14:20), Dr. Gibson says, "I am
in my Father - there is the doctrine of the Father. 'Ye in Me' - there is the
doctrine of the Son. 'I in You' - there is the doctrine of the Spirit. That
there is a great region of mystery is evident, but we do not need to ex-
plore it, for if we think of the Father, there is Christ -' I am in the Father,
and the Father in Me.' If we think of the Holy Spirit, the practical thought
is Christ in us - 'I in you' as He puts it here. It comes to this, that practi-
cally Christ is all in all. 'I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life.' It is 'I am'
all the way through. The Divine Name is all in Christ."
Biblical Accounts of Baptism in the Name of Jesus:
Thus, it can be easily seen why the Apostles, and every verifiable ac-
count of baptism in the church for the first 100 years of the New Testa-

Notes
ment Church, was dome in the name of Jesus. While there is not one sin-
gle account of any other formula used for baptism, there are at least ten
New Testament reference which indicate that baptism was done in the
name of Jesus:
1. On the birthday of the church at Jerusalem, Peter commanded the

Jews to be baptized "everyone of you in the name of Jesus
Christ" (Acts 2:38).
2. Philip preached to the Samaritans "concerning the kingdom of God,
and the name of Jesus Christ" (Acts 8:16).
3. Peter preached to the Gentiles. namely Cornelius and his household,
and "he ordered that they be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ, the
Messiah" (Acts 10:48, Amp.N.T,)
4. Acts 9: 1-19 records the conversion of the Apostle Paul. V. 18 records that
he was baptized. In recounting the story in Acts 22, Paul records that
Ananias came to him and instructed him, among other things, to " ... arise,
and be baptized, and wash away thy sins. calling on the name of the Lord."
The Nestle's Greek-English New Testament translates the literal English
thus: "Rising up by baptized and wash away the sins of thee, invoking the
name of him." A study of the Old Testament reveals that calling the name,
or invoking one's name on something indicated ownership. By being bap-
tized in Jesus Name, the New Testament Christians knew this meant they
were His property, Le., the property of God, for, "ye are complete in
Him" (Col. 2:10).
5. Paul instructs the Ephesian disciples of John the Baptist, baptizing them "in
the name of the Lord Jesus" (Acts 19:5 Amp.).
6. The Roman believers were "baptized into Jesus Christ", they were "baptized
into His death", and they were "buried with Him by baptism." To again
quote John Paterson: "In all this elaborate explanation of the meaning of
water baptism, where is there the slightest suggestion that baptism was
intended to be a public avowal of the doctrine of the Trinity? The Father
did not die -was not buried - was not raised from the dead? No one can
read this passage noted Bible expositor, who writes, "I rather think inas-
much as baptism is into the death of Christ, that the formula 'in the
Name of the Lord Jesus Christ' is the correct one."
7. To the Corinthians, Paul writes: "What I mean is this, that each one of
you says, I belong to Paul, or I belong to Apollos, or I belong to
Cephas (Peter), or I belong to Christ. Is Christ, the Messiah, divided
into parts? Was Paul crucified on behalf of you? Or were you baptized
into the name of Paul?" (I Cor. 1:12, Amp.). Paul clearly indicates that
whoever was crucified for them was also the one who's name they
were baptized in. His whole argument for allegiance to Christ hinges
on the fact that it was Christ who was crucified for them, and that it
was Christ's name that they were baptized in.
8. A close comparison of Jn 3:5; Acts 2:38; and I Cor 6 reveals another in-
teresting Pauline statement which undoubtedly is an allusion to bap-
tism in Jesus Name. "And such were some of you: but ye are washed, but ye are
sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of
our God" (I Cor. 6:11).
9. The believers in Galatia were also baptized in Jesus Name. "For as many

Notes
of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ" (Gal. 3:27).
10. The Colossian believers were "co-buried with him in the baptism, in
whom also ye were co-raised through the faith of {in} the operation of
God ... " (Col. 2: 12, Nestle Gk./Eng. Text New Testament). A close
comparison of this text with Rom. 6:3,4, reveals that baptism was in
the name of, and for the purpose of, "burying" the candidate with
whoever had died for them (i.e., Christ). Apostolic precept is good
ground upon which to stand.
Additional Reasons Apostles Baptized In Jesus Name:
1. The church is portrayed as the bride of Christ (II Cor. 11:2). The bride
takes the name of her husband, and thus also takes the name of her
husband's Father. She takes upon her his name, and he inherits his fa-
ther's name (Heb. 1:4).
2. Jesus is our everlasting Father (lsa. 9:6), and we are His Children (Heb.
2:13; I Cor. 15:49). We are not bastards, but as His sons and daughters,
bear His name!
3. The children of Israel, under the Old Covenant, were baptized unto
Moses in the cloud and in the sea (I Cor. 10:1,2). The church under the
New Covenant is baptized unto Christ - of whom Moses was a type.
4. Baptism encompasses both word and deed.
"Whatsoever ye do, in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Je-
sus (Col. 3:17).
Perhaps a quote from Martin Luther holds words of wisdom for all:
"This I have often said, and now say it again, that when I am dead it may
be thought of, and men may learn to avoid all teachers as sent and driven
by the devil who set up to talk and preach about a God simple and sun-
dered from Jesus Christ. If thou wouldst go straight to God and surely
apprehend Him, so as to find in Him mercy and strength, never let thy-
self be persuaded to seek Him elsewhere than in the Lord Jesus Christ. In
Him begin thy art and study, in Him let it abide firm, and wherever else
thine own reason and thinking or any other man's would lead thee, shut
thine eyes and say: 'I must or, I will not know any other God than in my
Lord Jesus Christ'."
The Efficacy Of Water Baptism
Scriptural Statement
Christian water baptism, as an integral part of initiation into the king-

dom of God, is clearly taught in scripture. It is consistently exemplified as
being necessary, and is commanded. Christ with double emphasis (i.e.,
"Verily, verily") states:

Notes
"Except a man be born of water and of the. Spirit, he cannot enter into
the kingdom of God" (Jn. 3:5).
"He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved ... " (Mk. 16:16).
And, in the Great Commission (Mt. 28: 19), Christ includes baptism
as a part of the message of salvation. Peter, in apparent fulfillment of the
Great Commission of Lk. 24:47, introduces baptism on the birthday of
the church as (succeeding repentance) instrumental in the remission of
sins (Acts 2:38). It is interesting that the same word "for" used in Acts
2:38 of baptism (i.e., " ... be baptized ... for the remission of sins") is also
used in Mt. 26:28 of the blood of Christ (i.e., " ... for the remission of
sins"). Thus also, there is undoubtedly here a typical significance to the
"blood and water" which flowed from his side while on the cross (Jn.
19:34)
Numerous other scriptures indicate the sense of necessity with which

the Apostolic church viewed water baptism. Speaking of baptism, Peter
speaks of it as part of what " ... doth also now save us ... "I Pet. 3:20,21.
"And he commanded them to be baptized" (Acts 10:48)
We see that scriptural terminology is bold in its declaration of bap-

tism's place in conjunction with salvation.
"And now, why tarriest thou? Arise, and be baptized, and wash away
thy sins, calling on the name of the Lord" (Acts 22:16).
They considered it important enough that converts were re-baptized,

even though previously baptized by John (Acts 19:1-5). Paul teaches that
the effects of Christ's burial are individually appropriated through water
baptism, whereby " ... we are buried with him in baptism" (Rom. 6:4). He
states that it is the place where we are "planted together in the likeness of
His death ... " (Rom. 6:5). It is through baptism that we are "baptized into
his death" (Rom. 6:3). Paul teaches that this death is the obvious and neces-
sary precedent to resurrection to new life (Rom. 6:8). It seems quite clear
that Paul also apparently refers to water baptism when he refers initial sal-
vation to the mercy of God, and then explains that the mercy of God was
applied by the " ... washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy
Ghost" (Titus 3:5). While it is true that water baptism alone does not regen-
erate, it is equally true that water baptism was consistently a part of the
initiation process of salvation in the New Testament.
Post-Apostolic Church History:
While this volume is primarily intended as a biblical theology, we will

briefly review the doctrine of the post-apostolic church on the subject of the

Notes
efficacy of water baptism.
Throughout church history, many controversies have swirled around

the question of baptism concerning the mode, the formula, the validity of
the baptizer, pre-baptism requirements, re-baptism, etc. Among these
questions is the question of the efficacy of baptism, and consequently the
necessity of baptism for salvation. Did the early church teach baptism as
necessary to salvation?
From New Testament times until 1500 A.D., the answer is an unequivo-
cal "yes". That the New 'Testament church considered it so is evident from
scriptural statement. Numerous post-apostolic documents testify that this
remained the doctrine of the church for probably at least 200 years. Below
are several statements from writings of that time.
The Pastor of Hermas (Approximately 97-100 A.D.)
Hermas states that life is given through the water of baptism, and this
is so necessary that it must, in some way, be applied even to Old Testa-
ment believers (Vis. 3.3.5. Sim. 9.16. 2,3,5). Through baptism, all the sins
which a man has committed are forgiven. " ... there is no other repentance
than this, that we go down into the water and receive the forgiveness of
our past sins" (Mand. 4.3.1; df. 4.1.8). We know that there is "repentance
other than going down into the water. However, this passage shows how
strongly obedience to water baptism was viewed.
Barnabas (96-98 A.D.)
Barnabas teaches that the believer inters upon the possession of the
blessings of redemption through baptism. "In order that we may go down
into the water bewailing our sins and uncleanness, and come up from it
having fruit in our hearts, having reverence and hope in Jesus in our
Spirit" (11.1). Through baptism, therefore, we become free from sin. Our
heart is a dwelling of God (8.15). He continues: "Before we believed in
God, the abode of our hearts was perishable and weak ... so that it was full
of idolatry and the home of devil because we did the things which were
against God. But it is to be builded up in the name of the Lord... How?
Learn - receiving the remission of sins, we are become new creatures,

created again from the beginning" (16.7-9). He goes on to state: "He, who
has thus received with faith in Christ through baptism the forgiveness of
sins and the renewing indwelling of God, will also need to fulfill the 'new
law of our Lord Jesus Christ'" (2.6).
Didache (200-210 A.D.)
The Didache mentions that salvation is applied to the individual by

means of (among other things) baptism.

Notes
The Homily of Clement (Approximately 140 A.D.)
The Homily of Clement teaches that the Christian's baptism has pub-
licly cleansed him from his sins (6.9; 8.6, it is called a "seal").
While the above listed are by no means exhaustive, it does give us knowl-
edge of how baptism was perceived to be an essential part of salvation.
This was not new, but was simply a following on in the path of the scrip-
ture. Others taught similarly. Justin taught (about 150 A.D.) that baptism
brings the pardon of sins and transplants the individual into a new exis-
tence, and without it, there is no salvation (Just. Ap.i, 61). According to
Clement (215, A.D.), it is baptism which makes one a member of the
church and a partaker of salvation. It brings the cleansing from sin, and
thus the capability of apprehending the salvation which the teaching of
the church offers. Thus, one becomes His in faith (initially) through bap-
tism (Paen. i. 6. 113: "Having been baptized... we are made sons. There-
fore, we have washed away all our sins").
The Soteriology of Tertullian also includes baptism. "Repentance is a

means of salvation, as a floating board for the shipwrecked (Paen. 3). In
turn, the sinner, by repentance, qualifies himself for salvation in baptism
(Paen.6 "offers impunity to be purchased by this compensation of repen-
tance"). Hereby, baptism gains a fixed position in the order of salvation.
By baptism, guilt and punishment are removed. "Death having been de-
stroyed through the washing away of sins, and guilt thus removed, punish-
ment is also removed. Man is restored to the likeness of God, as he receives
again the breathing of the Spirit which was experienced in paradise, but since
lost" (bapt. 5). Baptism brings "remission of sins, abolition of death, regenera-
tion of the man, the obtaining of the Holy Spirit" (c. Marc. i. 28). Tertullian's
basic teaching concerning salvation was that it was imparted by the preaching
of the gospel, apprehended by faith, and applied to the individual by bap-
tism."
Origen (254 A.D.) in his pattern of teaching, concerning many biblical

practices and events, considered baptism as being both symbolic and effica-
cious simultaneously. He, who has in faith accepted the teaching of christian-
ity, is baptized. Baptism is not a "symbol" in the modern sense, but as Christ's
miracles of healing were symbols of the healing activity of the Logos. Yet, as
these miracles nevertheless brought real healing to the individual in whose
behalf they were performed, so baptism is for the recipient nothing less than
the beginning and fountain of the divine blessings. It is a symbol of the puri-
fying power of the Logos, but for the individual, it is actual purification.
Through its administration, sins are forgiven and the Holy Spirit bestowed
(Luc. hom. xxi.; in Matt. Iv. 23; ad mart. 30 init.). It is the first remission of sins
(Lev. ii. 4).
According to Methodius (311 A.D.), Christ is born in those who are re-
ceived by baptism into the church. Baptism introduces into the fellowship of
the Spirit and bestows immortality (conv. iii.8).

Notes
The theologians of the Western church taught basically the same concern-
ing baptism (i.e., Christ's blood nullifies death). Thus Christ grants cleansing
from sin (baptism), forgiveness of sins (repentance), the new law and immortal-
ity. This salvation is imparted to man in baptism. In baptism, man experiences
the second birth (cypr. ad Donat. 4; orat. dom. 23). The recipient receives the
Holy Ghost (c.p. 63. 8; 73.9), becomes free from the devil (ep. 69.15) and from
death and hell (ep. 55.22; op. et al. 2). The second birth secures for man's health
(Cypr. hab. virg. 2), and sins are forgiven (Comm. instr ii. 5.8: "in baptism geni-
talia are forgiven thee" cypr. op. et al/ 1).
The church in the 4th century taught baptism as being the effectual laying
of the foundation of the christian life. It brings to the individual regeneration
and renewal, and makes him a member of the church (Basil, serm. 13.4,7). Ac-
cording to Chrysostom (407 A.D. - Chrgs. in Rom. hom. 2.6), it effects the blot-
ting out of sins, which are "washed away as with a flood", and it bestows im-
mortality. "Baptism, release to the imprisoned, the pardon of debts, the death of
sin, the new birth of the soul, a chariot to heaven, an ambassador of the king-
dom, the charism of sonship" (Basil. epl 189.5. serm. 13.5, Cyril, procrat. 16 init.
Greg. Nyrs. cat. 33,35).
Augustine spent time explaining the symbolic aspect of baptism. He also

clearly taught the sacrament of baptism included an actual exertion of divine
energy. God really forgives sin in baptism. Imprinting a character upon the re-
cipient. Baptism works the forgiveness of sins, primarily the forgiveness of the
guilt of original concupiscence - in this consists its chief efficacy." 25 Augustine
frequently speaks of a blotting out of sins (e.g., by baptism.. sins are destroyed
in Ps. 106:3). He teaches that the aim of baptism is the "remission of sins", and
that baptism has essentially to do with deliverance from original sin - as indi-
vidual sins may also be atoned for through repentance.26
There were no basic changes in the historical place of baptism in

church history from Augustine to the time of Anselm of Canterbury (1109
A. D. ) and Peter Abelard (A. D. 1142). At this time, the doctrine was not
changed, but rather re-established as basically the same. Baptism accom-
plishes man's renewal by a putting off of vices and a contribution of vices.
Original sin is remitted; because, through the grace of baptism, the vice of
concupiscence is debilitated and guilt is abolished in baptism (Lombard iv.
31, ii. 32B). 27
The thirteenth century saw the question of how the grace of God,
which originated from God, could be effected through created objects (i.e.,
water of baptism, bread, and wine, etc.). Hugo taught that the "sign con-
tained the grace" (supra. o. 80). Thomas sought to answer the question by
teaching that the principal, from which the instrument of grace came, is
what made it ordained by God.
Against this view, stood the view of Bonaventure and others who
taught that we dare not say that the sacraments (including baptism) con-

Notes
tain grace. This dwells only in the human soul, the sacrament being only a
symbol. Nevertheless, by obedience to the sacrament, which is a covenant
from the Lord, the Lord has obligated himself to (in some way) give grace
to him who receives the sacrament" (bon. sent. iv. d. l, p. 1, a. 9. 2,3,4; brev.
6.1). This view, through its advocacy by Duns Scotus, became the domi-
nant one in the later middle ages.
In most all of the above quoted examples of the historical teaching on

the efficacy of baptism up to this time, it can be noted that, even though theo-
logians correctly interpreted baptism as being a part of God's plan of salvation,
they also veered from biblical theology on the subject in other ways. Biblical
theology taught that the role of repentance and water baptism was one of ,
cleansing and remitting, attending, and usually preceding, the reception of the
Holy Spirit (Acts 2:38, 8:16-20). Within one hundred years or so after the Apos-
tolic Age, as the church moved away from the dynamic Pentecostal experience
of receiving the Holy Spirit, it came to have "profession" instead of
"possession". This, in turn, was reflected in the teaching that the instant of re-
generation (i.e., the infilling of the Holy Ghost) was automatically effected in
water baptism, rather than being a separate spiritual experience. In contrast, the
New Testament church never confused the spiritual work of repentance and
water baptism with the spiritual work of the infilling of the Spirit. While this
fact was confused in church history, and is still a matter of considerable confu-
sion in christianity today, this was not so in the New Testament. Christ includes
water and Spirit in the new birth (Jn. 3:5). In the Great Commission in Lk. 24:44-
49, a clear differentiation is made between repentance, remission of sins, and
the infilling of the Spirit. This is also true of the conversion at Samaria as Philip
preached to them (Acts 8). While they were baptized in the name of Jesus by
Philip, they did not (as many later theologians taught) automatically receive the
Spirit thereby. This happened later (Acts 19:1-6). In Acts 10, the spirit was re-
ceived prior to water baptism, thus again showing that water baptism, in and of
itself, does not automatically presuppose the accompanying birth of the Spirit.
It is important to keep in mind that regeneration is both instantaneous and

a process.
The process includes hearing the word, believing (faith), repentance,

baptism, receiving the Holy Spirit, sanctification, etc. The instant of re-
generation (i.e., spiritual new life) is the moment of receiving the infill-
ing of the Spirit (Jn. 7:37,38; Acts 2:1-4,38, 10:44-46, etc. ).
Eventually, as is always the case with deteriorating spirituality in the

history of the church, more emphasis was put on form and rites, and less
on the transformed life - until baptism was considered efficacious in and
of itself, whether or not it was preceded by faith, repentance, etc. It was
considered efficacious regardless of the condition of the candidate. By
the thirteenth century, one was considered saved by baptism without
regard to any subjective turning toward God. This kind of thinking made
ripe ground for abuses of power by threatening to withhold baptism.
This, in turn, set the scene for the coming of the reformation, which be-
gan a return to more scriptural ideas of regeneration.

Notes
It was this idea of salvation by baptism that provoked the reformers

to decry baptism as a "cure-all". They rightly insisted that faith, on the
part of the candidate, played an inextricable role in effecting salvation.
While baptism does hold a definite, undeniable place in scripture in the
process of regeneration, it (in and of itself) is not the instant of regenera-
tion. In the Old Testament, while circumcision was an absolute require-
ment to be a part of the nation, it nevertheless was not counted as the
"instant" in which one was accepted. It was absolutely essential, but not
the first thing which was essential. The first thing required was faith. So
it is with baptism. It is scripturally absolutely essential in the process of
regeneration. It is not the instant of regeneration, for the instant of re-
generation is when one is supernaturally, miraculously "born" or "filled"
with the Spirit (Acts 2:38, 10:44).
One may ask how salvation can be both a "process" and "instantaneous". As
previously pointed out, when one speaks of the "instant" of regeneration (i.e.,
"born of the Spirit" Jn. 3:5; Acts 2:1-4), all other factors in regeneration are con-
sidered to be precedents to the instant. On the other hand, when one speaks of
the "process" of' regeneration, all the elements preceding and succeeding the
instant are considered a part of regeneration.
Depending on the context, scripture uses both approaches. At times, be-

cause the precedents to the instant of regeneration are essential, they are spo-
ken of as such, and in this sense have efficacy (Acts 2:38, 22:16; Mk. 16:16, etc. ).
In scripture, none of the elements in the process of salvation are considered
"meritorious work". Christ's gift of salvation demands a response. This re-
sponse becomes the catalyst for the instant of regeneration (Jn. 7:35-37), but in
no way "earns" salvation.
So we see that all the elements in the process of salvation, in a very real
sense, are efficacious. However, this seems (in a unique sense) true of baptism
in removing the adamic curse.
Removal Of Adamic Curse
Theologians throughout history have recognized (in baptism) the remission

of the in-born general guilt on the race stemming from Adam. There is merit to
the idea that the primary function of baptism is to remove the candidate from
being under the federal headship of Adam, and being placed under the new
federal headship of the Second Adam - Jesus Christ. The old Adamic head-
ship is "buried" in baptism, and the candidate arises a member of a new
family - hence, Christ's referral to baptism as part of the new birth (Jn.
3:5).
In the Old Testament, when one's name was called over something, it
indicated ownership. At baptism, man enters and lives under a new king
and a new Father - and, as a son, receives the inheritance of his new Fa-

Notes
ther (i.e., life) in the stead of his old inheritance which is a curse (i.e.,
judgment and condemnation).
Why are both repentance and water baptism necessary for the remis-
sion of sin? Because the curse of sin stems from a dual source. First, from
birth, the sinner carries the curse of sin which is come upon the - whole
race from Adam (Rom. 5:17,18,21; Psa. 51:5). Secondly, he carries the
curse of sin because of his committed sins (i.e., actions), which transgress
the Law (Rom. 2:8,12; Gal. 3:10). So, when one repents, he repents of sins
committed - thus (by faith) moving out from under them into the safety
of Christ's imputed righteousness (Rom. 2:16, 3:22). When one is bap-
tized, he is removed from the curse of his inherited Adamic family, and
born (of the water) into a new family with a new name - Jesus.
However, it is not completely correct to say that repentance is only

for sins committed (e.g., how can one need to repent for something they
didn't do?), and that water baptism is only to remove the Adamic curse.
For, repentance is more than godly sorrow for committed sin. It is, as we
have previously observed, seeing things from God's perspective. It is
feeling about ourselves (individually and collectively) what God feels
(i.e., taking God's part against ourselves and against the race). In re-
pentance, besides having sorrow for (and turning from) our committed
sins, we also feel the same way about man's failures and sins as God feels.
We, in effect, confess the righteousness of God in judging the race.
Water baptism, while it does remove the Adamic federal headship

over the individual, it also (when done as an act of faith) must, of neces-
sity, be involved in the removal of the result of the Adamic curse (i.e.,
committed sins, acts 22:16). "Rising up, be baptized and wash away the
sins of thee, invoking the name of Him" (Nestle's Gr. Eng. New Testa-
ment). Therefore, scripture portrays repentance and baptism as being inex-
tricably bound together in the process of remitting sins (Mk. 16:16; Lk.
24:47; Acts 2:38). One repents for sins committed, but is baptized for re-
moval of sin-curse inherited.
Sanctification (Holiness)
By sanctification, we mean all consequent holiness and Christ-likeness

in the individual subsequent to the initial process of regeneration.
From divine perspective, sanctification is accomplished by the work of
God in separating the individual from their sins and the curse of their sins.
The individual is made "righteous" and considered holy (or sanctified).
This is God's holiness imparted.
Imparted Holiness
By imparted holiness, we mean that the converted individual is holy

by virtue of God's imputation of His own holiness upon the individual.

Notes
The individual has no personal holiness (Psa. 14:3), but receives God's ho-
liness when He receives the Holy Spirit (I Cor. 6:11).
Essentially, there is no other holiness than God's. However, after the

Holy Ghost indwells the believer, God considers His imputed holiness to
be the believer's, and exhorts the believer to "be ye holy for I am holy" (I
Pet. 1:15,16, 2:9; Rom. 12:1; II Tim. 1:9; II Pet. 3:1I, etc.). The believer ex-
periences God's holiness, and the outworking of this in the believer's life is
what the Bible gives the believer credit for as being personal (or ethical)
holiness. Holiness, spoken of in this manner, means to live in such a way
as to see the outgrowth of God's holiness manifest itself within us - so as to
not desecrate the dwelling place of God (i.e., our lives). This is what we
term "ethical" holiness.
Ethical Holiness
“Ethical" means "pertaining to, or treating of ethics and morality" and,

"conforming to right principles of conduct as generally accepted by a spe-
cific profession - a given system of ethics". Thus, ethical holiness refers to
conforming to right principles of morality and conduct accepted by God as
consistent with His kingdom and holiness. It is keeping ourselves in align-
ment with that which is true, pure, and right. It is deciphering the abso-
lutes of God's kingdom, will, and universe - and then acting accordingly.
Does God have a "given system of right principles of conduct"? The

answer is yes, He does. What then is the source from which this system of
ethical holiness stems? The answer is God's nature. Because God is the abso-
lute, He is not only absolute, but absolutely perfect - therefore, all things
concerning His "system of ethics" is in perfect conformity to God. To be holy
is to be like God, to be correct, to be proper. As God is life, and promises life
to those who separate themselves from the "pseudo self-life" and surrender
to He who is the essence of all life, the way of holiness is the "good way",
(i.e., the way of life), and leads to contentment and oneness with God.
Ethical holiness in the life of the believer arises out of a dual condition of the
believer's life. One is surrender, the other separation. In effect the believer's
holiness is real only as they live "Christ's life",
"I am crucified with Christ: Nevertheless I live, yet not I, but

Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I
live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave
Himself for me" (Gal. 2:20).
As scriptural record reveals, that which is holy is always "set apart"

from all uses other than God's service and will. Whether the holy object is
animate or inanimate, if it was used for holy purposes, it was set apart for
the sole purposes of God's service.
The Old Testament tabernacle plan typified the requirements of holiness

for those who would have on-going communion with God. Everything con-

Notes
nected with the tabernacle worship was set apart and used exclusively for
the service of the tabernacle (i.e., it was "holy", "sanctified", "separated",
"called out", "consecrated" - Ex. 40:9-15).
In a sense, this "set-apart-ness" does not belong solely under ethical

holiness - it's applied to inanimate (i.e., incapable of ethics) objects, as well
as to the ministers of the tabernacle. Even the dishes were set apart, or
kept separate from all other uses (Ex. 40:10). Also the priests were conse-
crated and set apart. They were to dedicate their lives exclusively to the
service of God's work (I Pet. 2:9). The ministers of the tabernacle, (and the
Levites) were given no inheritance in the promised land - they were to be
"holy" (i.e., separated, consecrated to the business of God's service -
Deut.18:1-2; Joshua 13:14). The ministers of the tabernacle were to live of
the service of the sanctuary (i.e., the tithe of the people - Deut. 18:3,4,5, I
Cor. 9:11,13,14).
It is interesting to note that not only were the priests holy, but also the
tithe which the people brought was to be considered holy, ("set apart", or
belonging to God), and to be used for no other purpose than the support
of the ministry of the tabernacle - it was utilized at the direction of the
priests. It was to be considered as belonging to the Lord. If one held them
back, he was considered to be "borrowing" from God, and was conse-
quently instructed to add an additional sum to them (Lev. 27:30-34).
There are other elements found in the Old Testament idea of separa-
tion, such as cleanliness. Separation meant separation from that which was
unclean and/or infected (Lev. 10:9-11, 21:1-24, 22:1-33). The priests were to
be thoroughly washed before ministering (Ex. 29:4-6; Lev. 8:6; Num. 19).
Another element connected with holiness was that of anointing. Prior

to all service in the tabernacle, the priests (after being washed) were com-
manded to be anointed with the holy anointing oil (Ex. 30:30). In fact, all
things associated with the service of the tabernacle had to first be anointed
with holy anointing oil. Holiness could not be effected without the anoint-
ing oil, along with the washing by water (Ex. 29:4-6, 30:25-33; Lev. 8:6-13;
Jn. 3:5; Acts 2:38; Titus 3:5; I Cor. 6:11). Where there was no washing by
water and anointing with holy oil, there was no holiness and authority to
minister i n the tabernacle in applying the blood for the sins (the order in
Lev. 8 - first washing, then anointing, then ministry in holy things). As the
scripture references herein show, all of the above foreshadowed basic ful-
fillments of the Holy Spirit and "washing by the water of the Word" as be-
ing essential prior to the work of ministry of a Christian.
Thus, we see that in separation is found the elements of consecration

(i.e., separation for exclusive use), cleanliness (washing), and anointing.
In the New Testament, the counterpart to the Old Testament separa-

tion of God's people is found in both the life of the church and the individ-
ual believer. The church is referred to as "an holy nation" (I Pet. 2:9). The
individual believer is spoken of as "the temple of the Holy Ghost". The Old

Notes
Testament commanded the people to carefully avoid disease, corruption,

and all sorts of uncleanness.
"…cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit,

perfecting holiness in the fear of God" (II Cor. 7:1)
"...be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind" (Rom.

12:2).
Holiness of the believer encompasses his total being. The two verses
above show this to include the total man - body, mind, and spirit. Holiness
in the life of the believer is sometimes erroneously spoken of as "inward" holi-
ness, and "outward" holiness. Actually the holiness of God in the believer,
through the indwelling Holy Spirit, permeates every part of one's life, starting
in the human spirit, then permeating the mind (soul) and body.
"And the very God of peace sanctify you wholly; and I pray God
your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto
the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ" (I Thess. 5:23).
These three areas, spirit, mind, and body must all be holy (i.e., separated,
clean, and anointed with the Holy Ghost).
Holiness Of Spirit
"...let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of... spirit, perfect-

ing holiness in the fear of God" (II Cor. 7:1).
"Renew a right spirit within me" (Psa. 51:10).
Each part of man has various senses - whereby he has contact with the
forces and objects present in the dimension in which that part of him oper-
ates. For example, the spirit of man has certain "senses" in a way that neither
the soul nor the body have. His spirit possesses the sense of worship, (Jn.
3:5,6, 4:23,24), and of faith, hope, thanksgiving, and of love (I Cor. 13:13; Gal.
5:16,22). Prayer generates out of the human spirit, aided by the Holy spirit
(Jn. 4:24; Rom. 8:23,26). Spiritual revelation comes to the spirit of man from
the Spirit of God (I Cor. 2:11-15).
All of the above does not mean that the soul (mind) and body are inca-
pable of participating in those things, for they do. The sensations of the
human experience are expressed throughout one's being. There is an in-
separable (by man) interaction in the make up of a human (Heb. 4:12).
However, it is in the spirit of the person that worship, faith, hope, etc. be-
gins and finds first expression. This expression then continues through the
soul-mind and the body.

Notes
So, what then is holiness of spirit? It is a separation (separation, clean-

sing, anointing), and surrender to God of the faculties and actions of the
spirit.
As we have seen, sanctification of the believer falls into two general cate-
gories - separation and surrender. In separation, we find the elements of
consecration, cleansing, and anointing. Also, we see that these three ele-
ments apply to the whole being of the believer - spirit, soul, and body (I
Thess. 5:23).
The separation of the human spirit includes the element of consecra-

tion (separation), cleansing, and anointing (I Cor. 6:20).
By separation, we mean that the human spirit is to be separated from

uses other than for the purposes of God's will and service. It's "senses"
should be reserved unto God. For example faith (a sense of the spirit)
should be constantly empl6yed - as opposed to doubt, which is the oppo-
site and corrupts the human spirit (Heb. 11:6). Worship of the true God
(Jn. 4:23,24) is a proper separated use of the spirit's sense - as opposed to
idolatry (I Cor. 10:7,14; Phil. 4:6; I Cor. 10:10). Prayer is a proper use of the
spirit in relying upon God - as opposed to self-sufficiency, which is a si-
lent denial of the need for God's anointing (Prov. 3:5; Eph. 6:18; Jude 20).
The human spirit, which is separated to God, will manifest God's love, and
be separated from fear, strife, and hatred (II Tim. 2:4-7; I Cor. 13; I Jn., etc. ).
This love will be translated into love and concern for others (II Cor. 5:14;
Rom. 9:3, 10:1) - as opposed to preoccupation with self.
Holiness (Separation) Of The Human Soul (Mind)
The human soul (seat of emotions) / mind (seat of logic) is also to be

sanctified unto God (I Thess. 5:23; Rom. 12:2; Phil. 2:5). The soul is to be
separated to the uses of God in purity of thoughts - as opposed to filthiness
(II Cor. 7:1; Rom. 12:2; Phil. 4:8), and in sobriety - as opposed to lust and
foolishness (I Cor. 10:6; I Thess. 5:6). Every class of christian is admonished
to be sober- the bishop (I. Tim 3:2; Titus 1:8), their wives (I Tim. 3:11), the
aged-men (Titus 2:2), the old and young women (Titus 2:3,4), the young
men (Titus 2:6). The soul-mind is to be kept protected (i.e., separated to
proper thought patterns by the "helmet" of salvation - Eph. 6:17).
The bondage of fear, in the emotions, is replaced by the spirit of liberty

(Rom. 8:15; II Con 3:17). Carnal reason is to be rejected - as opposed to an
embracing of spiritual revelation (I Con 2:9,10). Carnal wisdom is consid-
ered "unanointed", unholy, and unclean - as opposed to the wisdom of God
(James 3:15,17; I Cor. 1:19-31). Imaginations are to be "cast down" in favor of
the knowledge of God (II Cor. 10:5). Fear is to be rejected, and is replaced by
a "sound mind" (II Tim. 1:7). Wrath is rejected for joy, gentleness, meekness,
temperance, peace, etc. (Gal. 5:22,23).

Notes
Holiness (Separation) Of The Human Body
Just as the Old Testament tabernacle sacrifices were "holy", so the

christian is admonished to 11 present your bodies a living sacrifice,
holy..." (Rom. 12:1).
"...let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh... perfect-
ing holiness"' 1 Cor. 7:1).
Know, ye not that your bodies are the members of Christ?" (I Cor.
6:15).
"What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost
which is in you, Which ye have of God, and ye are not your own?...
therefore glorify God, in your body, and in your spirit, which are
God's" I Cor. 6:19-20).
"Mortify therefore your members which are upon the earth" (Col.
3:5).
The body is to be separated to God, in that it is not to be polluted

by adultery and/or fornication (I Cor. 6:19). It is to be kept cleansed - as
opposed to filthiness (II Cor. 7:1; Heb. 10:22). He, who defiles his body
which is the temple of God, shall be destroyed by God, for the temple
(or dwelling place of God) must be (and is) holy (I Cor. 3:17).
The body is also to be separated from being yoked with unbelievers.

This unequal yo'.zing is taught to be the equivalent of yoking Christ
with Belial, righteousness with unrighteousness, light with darkness,
and the temple of God with idols (II Cor. 6:14-17). The worldly is consid-
ered to be unclean (II Cor. 6:17), and the promises of Fatherhood, by
God to the believer, are taught to be dependent upon the believer's
separation, cleansing, and anointing (II Cor. 6:18, 7:1; I Cor. 6:11).
Men are admonished to "lift up holy hands" (I Tim. 2:8). In Bible days,
this was a common prayer position, and represented the pure, separated
position of the believer from "wrath and doubting". The women believers
are admonished, by both Peter and Paul, to adorn themselves in "modest
apparel", abstaining from artificially attempting to produce physical
beauty by use of accoutrements of the world (i.e., jewelry, pearls, trinkets,
etc. - I Tim. 2:9,10; I Pet. 3:3-5). The teaching seemed to be that the female
believer's inward beauty of spirit, which resulted from being filled with
God's presence, was much greater than these artificial attempts could pro-
duce, and was best exemplified by not allowing it to be screened or ob-
scured by outward adornments. The idea was that Christ was best seen
through the transparency of the believer (I Pet. 3:4).
This was undoubtedly equally true of the male believers, but it appar-
ently was not their practice to so adorn themselves - consequently, they

Notes
received no such admonition. Thus, we see that the believer's body was to
manifest the inward beauty of soul and spirit. Anything which obstructed
this manifestation (i.e., outrageous or sensual clothing, make-up, jewelry,
adornments, etc.), was not consistent with their new identity with Christ,
and thus to be avoided. The whole idea of the believer being "holy" (i.e.,
for the use of God to manifest His beauty and glory to the world) is thus
manifested in the believer.
What is "of this world"? In a word, it's anything which supplants God's
place in our lives. Anything "worldly" falls in this category. A good test is,
does it have to do with "the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eye, or the
pride of life" (I John 2:16). Things which bring glory to the flesh, or appeal
to the carnal nature, certainly conflict with the purity and holiness of the
Christ-life within us.
There are principles for holy living in the Word of God, which help the
believer avoid the tremendous inner conflicts that result from the inward
clash between the holy and the unholy. Below are five of these principles.
Love Not the World
The Bible gives us a true view of the ungodly system that holds our
earth in its sway. Satan is called "the god of this world..." (II Cor. 4:4).
"Love not the world, neither the things that are in the
world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is
not in him. For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh,
and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the
Father, but is of the world" (I John 2:15-16).
Be Ye Separate
Christians must live in the world, but our Lord says that they are not
of it (Jn. 17:14-15). John, the apostle, instructs to walk, "...even as he
walked..." (I Jn. 2:6). The writer states that Jesus was "...holy, harmless,
undefiled, separate from sinners..." (Heb. 7:26). This, then, is how the be-
liever should walk. However, care must be taken not to confuse separation
with isolation. Jesus` mixed with the people freely. However, He never
compromised or participated in ungodliness. He was "in" the world, but
not "of' it.
"...As God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them;
and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. Where-
fore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith
the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive
you, and will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and
daughters, saith the Lord Almighty (II Cor. 6:16-18).
"Touch not the unclean thing", says the apostle. "Why?", we ask, "so we

Notes
can get holy?" “No'" Because we are holy! Again, we see the principle from
the Old Testament, i.e. that which is holy is always "set apart".
So how can the christian touch, or be touched, by any "unclean" thing?

There are many ways - thus we are admonished by the apostle to be
"vigilant" and "sober". The unclean can come to the believer through un-
wholesome thoughts, or through an obsession with something conflicting
with God's purity. It can, and does, come through various "external"
sources. It can come through any source which impacts man's body, soul, or
spirit, in such a way as to cause it to be polluted, infected, or made unclean.
The arts (music, literature, movies, etc.) all can be, and are, used in ways
which blur the believer's separation unto God. Philosophies, theories, erro-
neous teachings (in general), education gone awry - any, or all of these, con-
tribute to uncleanness of mind, body, and spirit. The believer's hearts and
homes are meant to be a sanctuary, or holy place. Scripture carefully, yet
forcefully, declares that they cannot be holy if they are filled with violence,
immorality, and sensual gratification. Anything, which adversely affects the
separation and cleansing of our spirits, souls, or bodies, is to be avoided.
It would be impossible, to list all of the devices which Satan has created
in attempting to pollute God's people with the "unclean thing". Therefore,
the Holy Spirit leads and guides through the maze of temptations which
Satan places in the path of the holy. Jesus calls the Holy Spirit the
"ComFORTer". This comes from the root "FORT", as in "fortify",
"fortification", etc. The "Holy" Spirit erects a fortification around the
believer to protect from the enemy. Thus the believer is instructed to
carefully listen to this voice of the Holy Spirit (Rev. 2:29).
Abstain From Fleshly Lusts
Those who have been born into the church (that is, God's spiritual
kingdom on earth) have been called out of the world. A heavenly citi-
zenship has been obtained, and the recipients are, "... strangers and pil-
grims on the earth" (Hebrews 11:13). Because believers are now the
people of God, the Apostle Peter entreats to keep away from evil pas-
sions which are able to destroy.
"Dearly beloved, I beseech you as strangers and pilgrims abstain

from fleshly lusts, which war against the soul" I Pet. 2:11).
"...make not provision for the flesh, to fulfill the lusts

thereof"' (Rom. 13:14).
Scripture teaches that, since the fall of man in Eden, within each
individual are two "factions" - the "flesh" or "carnal man", and the
"spiritual man". This fleshly nature cannot please God, and its lusts are
unholy. These lusts are called "the filthiness of the flesh" (II Cor. 7:1).
This does not mean that our bodies are unholy - for scripture de-

Notes
clares that the body is God's temple (I Cor 3:16,17). However, the im-
moral actions (which the body has an inclination towards) are impure
and not in accord with the dynamic Christ-life within us. We "live, yet
not I, but Christ liveth in me..." (Gal. 2:20). Therefore, in order to main-
tain the health of this robust, vital life within, the believer is admon-
ished to be vigilant in regards to avoiding these fleshly lusts.
An example of this is "imaginations". Most of the time, scriptural refer-

ence to "imaginations" has a negative connotation (I Cor 10:4,5). Thus, we
are to beware of vain imaginations. Other obvious things scripture warns of
are immorality, environments of sensuality, nudity, or immodesty, etc.
The Believer Is God's Temple
"Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the spirit
of God dwelleth in you? If any man defile the temple of God,
him shall God destroy; for the temple of God is holy, which
temple ye are. " (I Cor. 3:16-27).
"What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy
Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not -
your own? For ye are bought with a price. " (I Cor. 6:19-20)
"And the very God of peace sanctify you wholly; and I pray God
your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless
unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ (I Thess. 5:23).
Scripture reveals that God has always sought to dwell with man. From
earliest times, God met man wherever man erected an appropriate altar.
Then, beginning with Israel's deliverance from Egypt (Exodus 1), God began
to "tabernacle" with man (i.e., He dwelt among His people in a specific
place). At the giving of the Law at Mt. Sinai, God showed Moses how to
build a tabernacle wherein God would be pleased to dwell. Later, Israel be-
came established in the Promised Land. There they established a permanent
temple. Through the course of history, there were several temples, but
the idea was always the same - God dwelt in the midst of His people.
Because God was there, and because they were "called out ones" (which
is what the word "church" means), they were a select people, a distinct
people, a holy nation (I Peter 2:9). God always dwelt in the exact mid-
dle of their lives, whether it was religious, social, or family life - all re-
volved around the Lordship of the dynamic God in their midst. Thus,
great care was taken to make sure that anything coming in contact with
this sanctuary, or temple, was first determined to be holy and approved
to enter.
When Christ came, He literally became this temple of God. The

Pharisees did not understand that, when He said "Destroy this temple
and in three days I will raise it up" (Jn. 2:19), He was speaking of His
own body. He was the place God dwelt - He was "God with us" (Mt

Notes
1:21), and all the fullness of the Godhead bodily dwelt in Him. (Col.
2:9)
Now, since Christ ascended, we are God's temple (I Cor 3:16,17).

We are Christ's "body" (I Cor. 12:12-27). It is for this reason, the apostle
explains, that we are to avoid anything which pollutes the
"temple" (i.e., our body). Anything immoral (sexual sins, fornication,
etc), anything filthy (cigarettes, tobacco, etc), anything damaging
(drugs, alcohol, etc. ) - all should be understood to be unclean (or un-
holy), and not to be allowed to be associated with the holy temple, our
bodies - for our bodies are the temple of the Holy Ghost (I Con 6:19).
Transparency
"But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy

nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the
praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his
marvelous light" (2 Peter 2:9).
The world is suppose to be able to see God through us. Anything artificial,
dishonest, or deceitful in us, clouds the vision of Christ in us. For example, one
is not to deceive others by acting holy in their spirit when they are not. This is
artificial. This is hypocrisy.
"Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye

are like unto whited sepulchers, which indeed appear beau-
tiful outward but are within full of dead men's bones, and of
all uncleanness. Even so ye also outward appear righteous
unto men, but within ye are full of hypocrisy and iniq-
uity" (Mt. 23:25-28).
Thus, we see God's attitude toward artificiality in the inward-human spirit.
Acts 5:1-11 gives us an account of artificiality or deceit in the human mind

(soul). Ananias and his wife, Sapphira, lied to the Holy Ghost regarding their
giving of money to God's work. This lie was a form of hypocrisy. They "hid"
behind a lie - thus were not transparent. Their minds-souls became involved in
that which was unholy, impure, deceitful. They used "artifice", instead of being
transparent.
Due to the fact that our life is Christ's life living through us (Gal 2:20), it is
easy to see why one is to be completely transparent, so that the world may see
Christ through the believer. Every part of the christian's life is affected by this
call to transparency. Not just spirit and soul, but the body also is involved in
our call to holiness.
"...sanctify you wholly... your whole spirit and soul and body be
preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ" (I
Thess. 5:23).

Notes
To be "sanctified" is to be "made holy" (i.e., set apart).
In regards to our bodies being holy, we have already seen that our bodies
are "God's temple", and he that destroys this temple, "him will God destroy." (I
Cor. 6:19)
The Bible uses two people who stand in stark contrast to exemplify the
difference between a holy person and an unholy person. These are Sarah and
Jezebel.
As surprising as it may sound, these two representative people have sev-

eral things in common. Both were powerful people. Both were influential - so
much so that they have become symbols in contrast. Both were attractive. Both
were beautiful. Jezebel is notorious for her seductive prowess in Israel - so
much so that hundreds of years later, even in the Church Age, God chides the
church.
"I have a few things against thee, because thou sufferest that woman
Jezebel, which calleth herself a prophetess to teach and to seduce my
servants to commit fornication, and to eat things sacrificed to
idols" (Rev 2:20).
Sarah also had a power of beauty that drew people? Her beauty was such
that, on two separate occasions, when her husband Abraham journeyed to a
new territory, he instructed her to say she was his sister rather than his wife.
When they arrived, the beauty of Sarah was so striking that the first people
who saw her sent word to the king of this beautiful woman who had en-
tered his kingdom. In turn, the king sent for her for the purpose of making
her his wife. God protected them - when the king discovered she was mar-
ried, he (being honorable) let her go. Such was the beauty of Sarah.
Where did Sarah get her striking beauty? What was the difference in
these two people - Sarah and Jezebel? The difference is that one's beauty
was artificial, the other's was from within.
Jezebel was certainly not transparent.
“And when Jehu was come to Jezreel, Jezebel heard of it; and she
painted her face and tired (adorned) her head" (II King 9:30).
Now compare the artificial painted beauty above to the scripture be-
low:
"Whose adorning let it not be that outward of plaiting the hair,

and of wearing of gold, or of putting on of apparel; but let it be the
hidden man of the heart, in that which is not corruptible, even the
ornament of a meek and quiet spirit, which is in the sight of God

Notes
of great price. For after this manner in the old time the holy
women also, who trusted in God, adorned themselves... "
Even as Sarah:
"whose daughters are ye, as long as ye do well... (I Peter 3:3-6).
Here is quite a contrast. Jezebel = outward, artificial, superficial, shal-

low, secretive, dishonest. In Sarah's case, note the source of her beauty. Her
beauty emanated from a Christ-like spirit. In turn, and in contrast to Jezebel, the
glory of her spirit which emanated was not hidden with jewelry, face paint, or
sensual apparel. Thus, the Apostle Peter uses her for an example to the christian
to not attempt beauty through artificiality, but rather by having unobstructed
"emanating" beauty from the human spirit.
What was the source of Sarah's beauty? Sarah's beauty came from her
spirit. She was a child of God. God was in her spirit. So it is with the believer.
When we have God in our spirits, we have life. Things with life have "intrinsic"
beauty (i.e., it comes from within, and man-made beauty can never match it).
Jesus showed this in His comparison between a lily and Solomon's kingdom -
showing that life has a beauty that man-made artificiality cannot duplicate (Mt.
6:28,29). It's like comparing a plastic lily to a real one. Life is what makes the
genuine one "genuine". So it is with humans. So it is with the child of God. Un-
der a microscope, the most highly polished work of man will show hundreds of
scratches. When that which has life is inspected, the closer one looks, the more
amazed one is at the unfolding beauty. Again, what's the secret? Life! Only in
the abundance of life can the highest revelation of beauty emanate forth. God
wants the "glory glow" to emanate without the obstruction of artificiality.
The idea of physical artificiality (just as is artificiality of the mind and/or

spirit) is repeatedly associated in scripture with the unholy and the unclean.
"...Though thou clothest thyself with crimson, though tliou deck-

est thee with ornaments of gold, though thou rentest thy face with
painting, in vain shalt thou make thyself fair; thy lovers will de-
spise thee... " (Jer 4:30).
"And furthermore... ye have sent for men... and lo, they came: for
whom thou didst wash thyself, paintedst thy eyes, and deckest thy-
self with ornaments..." (Ezek 23:40).
Compare this with the new woman, the "kingdom woman".
"...women adorn themselves in modest apparel, with shamefacedness

and .sobriety; not with broided hair, or gold, or pearls, or costly ar-
ray ...but with good works" (I Tim 2:9,10).
Wherein does the "kingdom person" derive beauty? From the glorious

Notes
life within! When the '"glory" was on Moses, his face shone with life.
"But if the ministration of death written and engraven in stones,

was glorious, so that the children of Israel could not steadfastly be-
hold the face of Moses for the glory of his countenance; which glory
was to be done away: How shall not the ministration of the spirit be
rather glorious? For even that which was made glorious had no
glory in this respect, by reason of the glory that exeelleth. For if that
which is done away was glorious, much more that which remaineth
is glorious" (II Cor. 3:7,8,10,11).
Section 10: A Word To New Christians
Nutritionists tell us that there are several key factors to health. These
are: eating right, exercising right, and getting proper rest. These same things
are essential to spiritual health.
Eating Right
"...man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word

which proceedeth out of the mouth of God" (Mt 4:4).
Our soul needs food. Our spirits need food. Paul describes the Word of
God as both milk and meat. Whatever we need for sustenance, God's Word
has (Heb 5:12-149 I Pet 2:2). God's Word is bread, meat, and milk for our
soul. The Spirit, in turn, is the water of life.
"...whosoever drinketh o f the water that I shall give him

shall never thirst..." (See Jn 4:7-14).
So, what does this mean? It means that God has provided all we need to
"eat and drink" to keep our new body, spirit, life healthy. Eating unhealthy
(unholy) things, such as we have discussed here, is like ingesting contami-
nated foods or poison. They will bring damaging and fatal reactions. Our new
life is "allergic" to sin. By drinking deeply of the Spirit and the Word, and let-
ting it keep us flushed out, our spirit-life stays robust and strong (Eph 5:26; Ti-
tus 3:5).
Eat the Word - in preaching in teaching, in personal study! Let the "spirit-
well" flow freely through your body, mind, and spirit!
"...the water that I shall give... shall be in him a well of water

springing up into everlasting life (John 4:14).

Notes
Exercise
We all know the importance of exercise for our physical health. Exercise not
only helps the body stay strong, but also makes one feel better. Doctors declare
that (with exercise) something called "endorphins" are released in the brain,
which make one feel better and more "up" - a sense of well being and control of
life's circumstances.
There is a spiritual corollary to this. Jude calls it "building up yourselves on
your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Ghost (Jude , 20). How do we
"exercise" ourselves, building on our most holy faith? Note that our faith is also
"most holy). We do it by "praying in the Holy Ghost!"
What is "praying in the Holy Ghost"? This is important because it is a key to

our health. It's our exercise.
Paul calls "praying in the Holy Ghost", "praying in the spirit". He reveals to
us that '"praying in the Spirit" is the equivalent of praying in other tongues.
"For if I pray in an unknown tongue, my spirit prayeth..." (I Cor.

14:4).
"I will pray with the spirit, and I will pray with the understanding
also..." (I Cor. 14:15).
"He that speaketh in an unknown tongue edifieth. (i.e. "buildeth

up') himself (I Cor. 14:4).
By exercising the spirit-life within us in daily prayer, we maintain and

improve our strength and quality of life.
Proper Rest
Just as proper rest is crucial to physical health, so it is to spiritual

health. How do we get spiritual rest?
The prophet Isaiah talked about this rest and an important key to this
rest.
"For with stammering lips and another tongue will he speak to this
people. To whom he said, This is the rest wherewith ye may cause
the weary to rest; and this is the refreshing..." (Isa. 28:11,12),
The Apostle Paul identifies this scripture as the equivalent of speaking

in other tongues (I Cor. 14:21). Isaiah tells us that in this "spirit--praying"
we find rest.

Notes
It is interesting that the word "rest" in Isaiah is actually "sabbath". In

this spirit-praying we find the New Testament fulfillment of the Old Tes-
tament commandment to "keep the Sabbath day holy" (Ex. 20:8). For the
believer, every day becomes the "holy day", and every day is a day in
which we "rest" in the Holy Spirit.
Our testimony is that in 32 years of Spirit--filled living, careful maturing

of this spirit-life has produced "joy unspeakable and full of glory". It gets
more wonderful daily as we go "from glory to glory!" (II Cor. 3:18).

Soteriology The Doctrine of Salvation

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

Soteriology The Doctrine of Salvation

Uploaded by

Document Information

Original Description:

Original Title

Copyright

Available Formats

Share this document

Share or Embed Document

Sharing Options

Did you find this document useful?

Is this content inappropriate?

Copyright:

Available Formats

Soteriology The Doctrine of Salvation

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

SOTERIOLOGY

Section 1: Introduction ................................................................................................................. 4

Section 2: Salvation In The Old And New Testament Is Not

Section 3: Salvation Effected By The Gospel Only ................................................................. 5

Necessary For All .................................................................................................................... 7

Section 4: Salvation Accomplished Only By Vicarious Blood Sacrifice ............................... 12

Section 5: All of Salvation’s Provisions A Result Of Grace .................................................................. 16

Section 6: The Provision Of Salvation On Mankind Generally ............................................ 17

Section 7: The Provision Of Salvation Upon The Individual (Regeneration) ..................... 20

U sage Of The Word ......................................................................................................... 20

Section 9: The Wider Sense Of The Word "Regeneration" ..................................................... 26

The Act Of God In Drawing The Sinner ........................................................................ 26

Section 10: A Word To New Christians ...................................................................................... 67

Eating Right ....................................................................................................................... 67

Soteriology, or the doctrine of salvation, is the primary theme of both

Section 2: Salvation In The Old And New Testament Is

The message of salvation is progressively unfolded in Holy Writ.

Regardless of the degree to which the plan of redemption was un-

"But without faith it is impossible to please Him: for he that

SOTERIOLOGY—The Doctrine Of Salvation 4

"Without shedding of blood is no remission" (Heb. 9:22). From the ear-

Too many scriptural references to enumerate stress the necessity of

Obedience is not meritorious works by which man "earns" salvation,

Section 3: Salvation Effected By The Gospel Only

Many human religions and humanistic philosophies have professed

SOTERIOLOGY—The Doctrine Of Salvation 5

"For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of

From the above verses, we note the following:

1. The wrath of God is revealed from heaven against the unrighteousness

SOTERIOLOGY—The Doctrine Of Salvation 6

4. That one place where God's righteousness has "broken through", or

"That in the dispensation of the fullness of times he might gather to-

Necessary For All

SOTERIOLOGY—The Doctrine Of Salvation 7

them. This curse is transmitted from generation to generation, regardless

It is not that the acts of giving birth or conceiving are in themselves

Many non-believing thinkers take great offense to the doctrine of

SOTERIOLOGY—The Doctrine Of Salvation 8

Those guilty are not considered by God to be ignorant of their guilt

SOTERIOLOGY—The Doctrine Of Salvation 9

Considerable discussion has been made concerning whether or not

SOTERIOLOGY—The Doctrine Of Salvation 10

• natural creation (Rom. 1:20)

• human nature (Rom. 2: 14)

• the unwritten law (Rom. 2: 14)

Only One Gospel

SOTERIOLOGY—The Doctrine Of Salvation 11

Section 4: Salvation Accomplished Only By Vicarious

When scripture declares that salvation is come, it approaches the sub-

Atonement means "to cover". Theologically speaking, it conveys the

The idea of substitutionary blood sacrifice being necessary to accom-

Scripture repeatedly emphasizes that the life of an animal or human is

SOTERIOLOGY—The Doctrine Of Salvation 12

In reading the continuing scriptural record, it is evident that the di-

Origins Of The Idea Of Sacrificial Blood Sacrifice

The Implementation Of Substitutionary Blood Sacrifices

The first intimation of the implementation of an atoning sacrifice in

SOTERIOLOGY—The Doctrine Of Salvation 13