the salvation army sydney, australia september 21-25, 2009

The Salvation Army

Sydney, Australia

September 21-25, 2009

Brengle CreateThe Conference Bible Study

“Ignorance of the Scriptures

is ignorance of Christ”

St. Jerome

Bible StudyIntroduction

“For where two or three are gathered in my name there am I in the midst of them.”

Matthew 18:20


Acts 1:15--120 Believers

• Acts 2:41--3000

• Acts 4:4--5000

• Acts 4:32--Multitude

• Acts 5:14--Multitudes

• Acts 6:1--Multiplied

• Acts 6:7--Greatly Multiplied


Growth in the Early Church

“And daily in the Temple, and in every house, they ceased not to teach and preach Jesus

Christ.”

Acts 5:42


•Atonement: justification/righteousness, reconciliation/propitiation/expiation, regeneration, salvation

•God’s Grace: common grace; prevenient grace; sanctifying grace; accompanying grace

•Sanctification: perfect love; purity of heart; empowerment by the Holy Spirit


Terms:

• Martin Luther--simul justus et peccator--at the same time we are justified and a sinner

• John Calvin--the Christian pilgrimage

• John Wesley--perfect love: “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind; and love your neighbor as yourself” (Matthew 22:37-40).


“Nearly all the wisdom we possess, that is to say true and sound wisdom, consists of two parts: the knowledge of God and of ourselves. But, while joined by many bonds, which one precedes and brings for the other is not easy to discern.” John Calvin

Bible StudyAll The Wisdom We Possess

•A basic knowledge of God--especially the divine attributes of God

•A basic knowledge of the moral law of God

•The ultimate origin of conscience (not nature; not society)

•A certain measure of free will is supernaturally restored to all people

•Restrains human wickedness; places a check on human perversity


Prevenient Grace: John 1:9

“Dear Lord and Father of mankind,

Forgive our foolish ways;

Reclothe us in our rightful mind;

In purer lives thy service find,

In deeper reverence, praise.” #567


The Nature of Sin:

• Augustine--concupiscence; the cure is self-control (Ephesians 4:22-24)

• Calvin--pride; the cure is humility (which is true self-knowledge) (Philippians 2:5-11)

• Wesley--unbelief which leads to selfishness; the cure is living for something greater than yourself (Philippians 2:1-4)

• Jonathan Edwards--sloth; the cure is discipline (II Timothy 4:5-8)

Bible StudyAll the Wisdom We Possess

“Anger and sloth,

Desire and pride,

This moment be subdued.

Be cast into the crimson tide

Of my Redeemer’s blood”


•Scripture

•Reason

•Tradition

•Experience


The Wesleyan Quadrilateral

“There is no other way by which any means of grace whatsoever can be of any benefit, but by knowledge. All teaching is in vain without learning. Therefore the preaching of the gospel would be wholly to no purpose, if it conveyed no knowledge to the mind.” Jonathan Edwards.


Atonement Means:

•Justification/Righteousness

•Reconciliation/Propitiation/Expiation

•Regeneration

•Salvation

Bible StudyAll the Righteousness We Possess

•Conscience

•Conviction of Sin

•Repentance

•Reconciliation

•Regeneration

•Sanctification

•Glorification


John Wesley’s Order of Salvation:

•Rejoice Evermore

•Pray Without Ceasing

•In Everything Give Thanks


Perfect Love:

•Justification--what God does for us through his Son; Sanctification--what God does in us through His Holy Spirit

•Justification--makes us acceptable to God; Sanctification--makes God desirable to us

•Justification--restores us to the favor of God; Sanctification--restores us to the image of God


Justification and Sanctification compared:

•Justification--saves us from the guilt of sin; Sanctification--saves us from the power of sin

•Justification--confers a new status on us (imputed righteousness): Sanctification--instills a new character in us (imparted righteousness)

•Justification--related to faith; Sanctification--related to love

•Justification--gives us a title for Heaven; Sanctification--makes us fit for Heaven


Justification and Sanctification Compared:

Here’s the Really Good News!

I Believe in Predestination!

And I hope that you do too!

See Ephesians1:1-14


Telos--end, conclusion, goal

•Teleios--complete, perfect

•Be compassionate

•Love friend and foe

•Serve the Lord with an undivided heart

Bible StudyAll the Hope We Possess

Matthew 5:43-48: “Be perfect as your Father in Heaven is perfect.”

•It is a hope for the individual

•It is a hope for the Church

•It is a hope for the present

•It is a hope for the future

•It is a hope in which the future is recognized now in the lives of believers within the Body of Christ


There is an eschatological

dimension to this hope

Jew nor Greek--racial distinctions

• Slave nor Free--status distinctions

• Male nor Female--gender distinctions


Galatians 3:28: In Christ there is neither:

An evil heart of unbelief

• An impetuous will

• A momentary loss of common sense

• Selfishness


Catherine Booth’s View of Sin

(Earliest extant letter, May 18, 1847)

Catherine Booth’s View of Holiness

•Fullness of love that destroys the self and fills the soul with heaven-born generosity

•The perfect heart:perfect in loyalty to God, in obedience, and trust

•Being thoroughly given up to God--full surrender and empowerment for ministry

•Not conforming to the world

•Holiness and good works



William Booth, Purity of Heart, 1902; what holiness is not:

•Not a heart that is never tempted to do evil

•Not a heart that cannot suffer

•Not a heart that cannot sin

•Not a heart, however blessed it may be, that cannot increase in enjoyment, usefulness, and power

the salvation army sydney, australia september 21-25, 2009

Documents

bible study introductionacts

bible study introductionnearly

human perversitybible

john calvinbible study

redeemers bloodbible

sound wisdom

means of grace

salvationgods grace