Article 11, Section 7: Restoration

Section 7: Restoration
A. As promised, Christ will return to this earth to bring final judgment to all evil and to gather together His covenant people from among the physically dead and living to continue in complete, restored, everlasting relationship with God.

1. His return – John 14:1-3; Acts 1:10-11; Revelation 22:7, 20
2. His judgment – 1 Thessalonians 5:2-3; 2 Thessalonians 1:7-9; Revelation 19:11-15
3. His gathering – Matthew 24:30-31; 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18

Thanks, Brenda, for the edit. On Brenda's recommendation, I broke the point down to more manageable pieces. Each "piece" is now labeled as Purpose, Application, and Result. I also was not happy in how I added the phrase "by faith alone." It raised the question of whether we were saying a person had to believe in Christ by faith alone or had to believe that salvation was applied by faith alone. I think that the adjustment has cleared that up. But let me know.

Section 6: Salvation
A. Purpose - Salvation is the activity of God to remove the guilt of sin from people in order to reconcile them to himself for the eventual restoration of perfect and intimate relationship between God and humanity.

1. Purpose and Plan – Romans 3:21-26; Ephesians 1:3-14; 3:7-12; Hebrews 1:1-4

B. Application - God applies Christ’s sacrificial payment for sin to the individual who through repentance and faith, believes in Christ, the revealed righteousness of God. Belief in Christ entails the acceptance of the facts that Christ is God; that the sinless Christ’s sacrificial death paid the penalty for the individual’s own sin; and that the individual has no merit of his own to be worthy of God’s grace.

1. Application of Christ’s righteousness – John 1:12; Romans 3:21-25; 5:15-21

C. Result - The believing person receives remission of sins, justification, sanctification, and adoption in everlasting relationship through the Holy Spirit.

1. Remission of sins – Matthew 26:28; Colossians 1:13-14; Hebrews 10:12-17
2. Justification – Romans 4:23-25; 5:16-18
3. Sanctification – Romans 6; 2 Thessalonians 2:13
4. Adoption – Galatians 4:4-5; Ephesians 1:4-6

Article II, Section 6: Salvation

Section 6: Salvation
A. Salvation encompasses the purpose and plan of God in removing the guilt of sin so that restoration may result in the intimate relationship between God and the crowning work of His creation—humankind.

1. 1. Purpose and Plan – Romans 3:21-26; Ephesians 1:3-14; 3:7-12; Hebrews 1:1-4

B. In salvation, God manifests His grace in applying the sacrificial payment accomplished by Christ through His sinless life, death, and resurrection to the individual who by faith alone in the revealed righteousness of God through Christ (that is, in Christ’s deity, work of vicarious atonement, and application of atonement) thus receives remission of sins, justification, sanctification, and adoption in everlasting relationship through the Holy Spirit.

1. 1. Application of Christ’s righteousness – John 1:12; Romans 3:21-25; 5:15-21
2. 2. Remission of sins – Matthew 26:28; Colossians 1:13-14; Hebrews 10:12-17
3. 3. Justification – Romans 4:23-25; 5:16-18
4. 4. Sanctification – Romans 6; 2 Thessalonians 2:13
5. 5. Adoption – Galatians 4:4-5; Ephesians 1:4-6

Article II, Section 5: Sin

Small section on sin--

Section 5: Sin
A. Sin is any impiety (attitude or action) contrary to the essence and existence of God.

1. Sin – Genesis 6:5; 1 Kings 14:22; Psalm 51:4; 141:4; Proverbs 21:4; Matthew 5:27, 15:19; James 4:17
2. Transgression – A subset of sin in which the sinner violates the revealed law of God – Romans 1:20, 4:15, 5:13

B. Transgression against God results in death (separation from God).

1. Result – Genesis 2:17; 3:19; Proverbs 14:12; Isaiah 59:2; Romans 6:20-23

Article II - Section 4: People

Must we say more than this? Need we say all of this?

Section 4: People
A. God created Adam and Eve without sin.

1. Sinless Creation – Genesis 1:31 (see also Doctrine of God for why God cannot create sin)

B. Individuals are composed of material and immaterial aspects.

1. Material – Genesis 2:7; Psalm 31:9
2. Immaterial – Genesis 2:7; Psalm 31:9; Romans 8:16

C. Since all existence outside God is dependent on God, all existence outside God has a responsibility of obedience to Him

1. Responsibility – Genesis 1:1, 26-27; 2:15-16; Psalm 96:8; Hosea 6:7; Romans 9:20

D. Adam sinned against God resulting in condemnation—separation from God.

1. Adam’s Sin – Genesis 3:1-7
2. Condemnation – Genesis 3:17-19; Proverbs 11:21; Romans 6:23

E. All individuals bear the guilt of Adam’s original sin and corrupted nature.

1. Guilt of Original Sin – Romans 5:12-14, 18-19
2. Corrupted Nature – Genesis 6:5-6; Psalm 58:3; Ecclesiastes 7:20; Jeremiah 17:9