Protestant Statement of Faith Questions

[Tdigaetano]

There is one true God, eternally existing in three persons -- Father, Son, and Holy Spirit -- each of whom possesses equally all the attributes of Deity and the characteristics of personality. Jesus Christ is God, the living Word, who became flesh through His miraculous conception by the Holy Spirit and His virgin birth. Hence, He is perfect Deity and true humanity united in one person forever.

Ok Agree.

He lived a sinless life and voluntarily atoned for the sins of men by dying on the cross as their substitute, thus satisfying divine justice and accomplishing salvation for all who trust in Him alone.

Ok Agree.

He rose from the dead in the same body, though glorified, in which He lived and died. He ascended bodily into heaven and sat down at the right hand of God the Father, where He, the only mediator between God and man, continually makes intercession for His own.

Question: Who are "His own" that Jesus is making continuous intercessions for?

Man was originally created in the image of God. He sinned by disobeying God; thus, he was alienated from his Creator. That historic fall brought all mankind under divine condemnation.

Ok agree.

Man's nature is corrupted, and he is thus totally unable to please God. Every man is in need of regeneration and renewal by the Holy Spirit.

Question: How does this renewal happen? And what does it do to renew us?

The salvation of man is wholly a work of God's free grace and is not the work, in whole or in part, of human works or goodness or religious ceremony. God imputes His righteousness to those who put their faith in Christ alone for their salvation, and thereby justified them in His sight.

Question: What does this faith of Christ consist of? (His teachings, His actions, He exisited, or anything else?)

It is the privilege of all who are born again of the Spirit to be assured of their salvation from the very moment in which they trust Christ as their Savior. This assurance is not based upon any kind of human merit, but is produced by the witness of the Holy Spirit, who confirms in the believer the testimony of God in His written word.

Question: If a person who trusted in Christ as their Savior wen't through a hard time and ended up rejecting Christ and God are they still assured of their salvation?

The Holy Spirit has come into the world to reveal and glorify Christ and to apply the saving work of Christ to men. He convicts and draws sinners to Christ, imparts new life to them, continually indwells them from the moment of spiritual birth and seals them until the day of redemption. His fullness, power and control are appropriated in the believer's life by faith.

Question: At the day of Redemption, does the Holy Spirit leave us?

Every believer is called to live so in the power of the indwelling Spirit that he will not fulfill the lust of the flesh but will bear fruit to the glory of God.

Question: What is considered the "Lust of the flesh"? What if the believer doesn't bear fruit?

Jesus Christ is the Head of the Church, His Body, which is composed of all men, living and dead, who have been joined to Him through saving faith. God admonishes His people to assemble together regularly for worship, for participation in ordinances, for edification through the Scriptures and for mutual encouragement.

Question: What if someone doesn't want to assemble together?

At physical death the believer enters immediately into eternal, conscious fellowship with the Lord and awaits the resurrection of his body to everlasting glory and blessing.

Question: So when a believer dies he goes straight to heaven?

At physical death the unbeliever enters immediately into eternal, conscious separation from the Lord and awaits the resurrection of his body to everlasting judgment and condemnation.

Questin: So when an unbeliever dies he has to wait to go to hell? Where does a believer that doesn't produce fruit go?

Jesus Christ will come again to the earth -- personally, visibly and bodily -- to consummate history and the eternal plan of God.

Ok agree

The Lord Jesus Christ commanded all believers to proclaim the Gospel throughout the world and to disciple men of every nation. The fulfillment of that Great Commission requires that all worldly and personal ambitions be subordinated to a total commitment to "Him who loved us and gave Himself for us."

Question: Where in the Bible does Christ command "All Believers" to proclaim the Gosple throughout the world and to disciple men of every nation?


If there are more then these 14 points that protestants use as their statement of faith please post....
Found these at http://www.ccci.org/about-us/ministry-profile/statement-of-faith.aspx

 

[ForeverChristian]

Ok Agree.



Ok Agree.



Question: Who are "His own" that Jesus is making continuous intercessions for?

His own here is referring to those of His flock, those who believe in Him through baptism.


Ok agree.




Question: How does this renewal happen? And what does it do to renew us?

The renewal most often refers to the renewing waters of baptism.

"...He saved us, not becaues of works done by us in righteousness, but according to His own mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit, whom He poured out on us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior, so that being justified by His grace we might become heirs according to the hope of eternal life." Titus 3:5-7


Question: What does this faith of Christ consist of? (His teachings, His actions, He exisited, or anything else?)

Faith is the belief that God sent Jesus to the world to save everybody who believed from God's own wrath against sin. And when I say wrath of God or refer to it, it doesn't mean what it sounds, the wrath of God is more like the backside of God's love. It isn't destruction, it is more like a psychological warfare.

Joh 3:36 Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life; whoever does not obey the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God remains on him.


Question: If a person who trusted in Christ as their Savior wen't through a hard time and ended up rejecting Christ and God are they still assured of their salvation?

That is a very tough question that is still debated today... the Bible makes it very clear that anyone who is baptized in the trinity is saved, however, faith is also a part of that. Some say that faith isn't something that we control and that its the Holy Spirit that puts the faith in us. I'm not 100% sure on this answer.. sorry


Question: At the day of Redemption, does the Holy Spirit leave us?

That is in essence asking if God leaves us. Because of the dogma of the trinity, the Holy Spirit is God. When Jesus comes on Judgement day, and we are reunited with Him in paradise, the Holy Spirit is still there dwelling among us.


Question: What is considered the "Lust of the flesh"? What if the believer doesn't bear fruit?

The Lust of the flesh literally means desiring anything that is ungodly, or goes against God.

This isn't a question of should and shouldn'ts, this is more of a "God has so graciously saved me, an undeserved sinful being, from certain damnation; so I will show my gratitude by trying to be a good person and follow His word"

Question: What if someone doesn't want to assemble together?

Are you implying not wanting to go to church? Because I know several very faithful Christians who don't go to church, but worship God with their daily lives. When God calls us to assemble together it means that we need to become a fellowship of believers; who rely on each other, like the church body in Acts.

Question: So when a believer dies he goes straight to heaven?

This is one of the mysteries of death. Jesus is coming to judge both the living AND the dead. So if that means that when we die, we enter into a temporary sleep until Jesus returns to take us to Heaven; I am not sure.

Questin: So when an unbeliever dies he has to wait to go to hell? Where does a believer that doesn't produce fruit go?

Those are two very separate questions, when an unbeliever dies, the relationship with God is eternally broken and can never be fixed. Hell isn't as much as a place you go, but more of an absence of God and that relationship.

We are unable to play the role of God and say that a believer who isn't a very faithful one will be condemned or not. I would like to believe in the grace of God to make that call.

Ok agree



Question: Where in the Bible does Christ command "All Believers" to proclaim the Gosple throughout the world and to disciple men of every nation?

The Great Commission, if you haven't heard of it, here it is:

Mat 28:19 Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,
Mat 28:20 teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age."

If there are more then these 14 points that protestants use as their statement of faith please post....
Found these at http://www.ccci.org/about-us/ministry-profile/statement-of-faith.aspx

[/QUOTE]

 

[dayhiker]

I'd make a suggestion ... post one question at a time.
Its a little overwelming to try to answer that many questions at once.

 

[NorrinRadd]

...
Question: Who are "His own" that Jesus is making continuous intercessions for?

"Us" (believers) -- Rom. 8:34

"Them" (those who draw near to God through Him, Jesus) -- Heb. 7:25

...
Question: How does this renewal happen? And what does it do to renew us?

The citation alludes to Tit. 3:5. There, "renewal" is a parallelism for "regeneration" or "rebirth." It calls to mind John 3, where Jesus told Nicodemus, "You must be born again / from above," and "Unless one is born of water, that is, the Holy Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God."

In the branch of Protestantism with which I identify, we believe we are "born again," "born from above," "born of the Spirit" when we "become His children" by receiving Him and believing in Him. (John 1:12-13)

As is clear in the Titus context, it is at this point that we become "saved," and it happens apart from any meritorious "works" on our part. However, it is also clear from that context (v.8) that "works" are expected to later result.

Question: What does this faith of Christ consist of? (His teachings, His actions, He exisited, or anything else?)

Well, the question you asked is not consistent with the portion of the quote which you "bolded." The quote itself says, "faith IN Christ," not "faith OF Christ."

I take the quote to meant that we trust and rely on Christ to accomplish our salvation, as opposed to trusting our own deeds and righteousness.

Question: If a person who trusted in Christ as their Savior wen't through a hard time and ended up rejecting Christ and God are they still assured of their salvation?

The Calvinist would answer that either the person never really trusted Christ, or didn't truly reject.

We Arminians would answer, "No."

Question: At the day of Redemption, does the Holy Spirit leave us?

I'm not aware of any Scriptures that describe the relationship between the Spirit and believers after the end of this life, so I can't answer that.

Question: What is considered the "Lust of the flesh"?

It's a general Scriptural term (Rom. 13:14; Eph. 2:3; 1 Pet. 4:2; 1 John 2:16) for our various selfish desires in opposition to God.

What if the believer doesn't bear fruit?

Any tree that does not bear fruit will be cast into the fire. (Matt. 3:10, among others.) Every branch that remains in Him *will* bear fruit. (John 15:5) Hence, if one does not bear fruit, apparently one is not a believer -- which is ultimately what causes one to be cast into the fire.

Question: What if someone doesn't want to assemble together?

It's less than ideal, but I'm not aware of a specified consequence in Scripture.

Question: So when a believer dies he goes straight to heaven?

Yes. Absent from body = at home with the Lord. (2 Cor. 5:8)

Questin: So when an unbeliever dies he has to wait to go to hell?

Where does a believer that doesn't produce fruit go?

Incongruity: Believers DO produce fruit, or they are not really believers. (Either they never were, or at some point they abandoned faith.)

Question: Where in the Bible does Christ command "All Believers" to proclaim the Gosple throughout the world and to disciple men of every nation?

At the end of each of the four Gospels, and the beginning of Acts. If your objection is that only the Apostles were present on those occasions, and thus the "Great Commission" applied only to them, then the notion is absurd on its face, because in no way did those 11 men travel to the entire world; beyond that, Luke 2 shows the empowering by the Spirit extending well beyond the 12 to 120 or more people initially.

If there are more then these 14 points that protestants use as their statement of faith please post....

Found these at http://www.ccci.org/about-us/ministry-profile/statement-of-faith.aspx

I'll just post links to the Statements of a few denominations or affiliations with which I'm familiar:

CMA

Foursquare Church

AG

IAOGI

CCNA

Calvary Chapel (the two which follow are online books)

-- What Calvary Chapel Teaches

-- The Calvary Chapel Distinctives

Vineyard -- Note that this one is a PDF file.

 

[john parsons]

Hello Tdigaetano, nice to meet you.

Question: Who are "His own" that Jesus is making continuous intercessions for?

His own, aka, the sheep, the elect and the lost. You will call Him Jesus for He will save His people from their sins. (Matt 1:21.)
His own as opposed to those who are not His own. "You do not believe because you are not my sheep." Jesus told some. He did not tell them they did not belong because they did not believe but they did not believe because they were not His sheep. (John 10:26.) His, they listen to Him and follow Him.
John 17:9 I pray for them. I am not praying for the world, but for those you have given me, for they are yours.
We were chosen in God before the creation of the world and we were lost in Adam when he fell. Jesus came to find the lost, those chosen, the elect only.

Question: How does this renewal happen? And what does it do to renew us?

Spirit gives birth to spirit. It? It gives us a new nature that enables us to turn to God in repentance and belief. Regeneration precedes all our actions. If we turn and believe it is because we have been baptised by the Holy Spirit. Turning and believing is the result of renewal not the cause of it.
This rebirth happens only to the elect and it happens in God's time and is the result of God's will not man's decision. (John 1:13.)

Question: What does this faith of Christ consist of? (His teachings, His actions, He exisited, or anything else?)

Belief is trust. I believe Jesus Christ died for my sins and as such I can no longer face God's justice. I have entered God's rest knowing that Jesus stood in my place taking the punishment for my sins.

Question: If a person who trusted in Christ as their Savior wen't through a hard time and ended up rejecting Christ and God are they still assured of their salvation?

They will not be assured but if Christ died for a man's sins then that man is saved regardless of his sins.

Question: At the day of Redemption, does the Holy Spirit leave us?

I was redeemed on the cross. God will never leave us.

Question: What is considered the "Lust of the flesh"? What if the believer doesn't bear fruit?

The believer will produce fruit. For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do. Eph 2:10.
The lust of the flesh and the pride of life is what makes us what we are, sinners. All men suffer this, even the reborn.

Question: What if someone doesn't want to assemble together?

Is it a sin? Did Jesus die for your sins? What happens when a Calvinist has only free will Churches close by and far away?
Church is there to blow faith into flame but one can be an evangelist in Church as well as out of it.
Let your conscience dictate what is what. If you can get away with it accept it. If you find that you must keep justifying a decision then it's probably a wrong choice.

Question: So when a believer dies he goes straight to heaven?

No. When a person is born again he goes straight to heaven because the curtain was torn away. We stand in the presence of God, face to face, at all times.
But yes, when we die we go to be with the Lord in spirit and perfect.

Questin: So when an unbeliever dies he has to wait to go to hell?

Where does a believer that doesn't produce fruit go?

When an unbeliever dies he is held for the Day of Judgment in the condition that he will face when he is resurrected and thrown into hell. God continues the punishment of reprobates even while they live.
A believer will produce fruit. A saint, even when his theology is wrong and he has helped to send many to hell with his false teachings, is still a saint and will not see death. Jesus will greet him as a brother as his body dies. (1 Cor 3:10-15.)

Question: Where in the Bible does Christ command "All Believers" to proclaim the Gosple throughout the world and to disciple men of every nation?

To disciple another would mean that one knows something. Unless one knows one should not teach in this regard but it behoves us all to give the reason for our hope to anyone who asks.

john.

 

[Tdigaetano]

Wow I had abandon this post a long time ago. Thanks for your responses.