The Doctrine Of The Holy Spirit Analysis

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Summarize Erickson’s overview of the history of the doctrine of the Holy Spirit. In early church history little was said about the work of the Holy Spirit. His working was mainly relegated to the inspiration of scripture. Later there were arguments of the Holy Spirit’s position in the Trinity and whether he should be viewed as equal to God the Father and God the Son or subservient to them. Others resisted the idea of emotions or feeling. Many believed that reason and rational proof was the only credible belief system as apposed to the more subjective view of the Holy Spirit with emotion and feeling. Even the early church fathers had sharp disagreements on the position and importance of the Holy Spirit. In the late eighteen, early nineteen …show more content…

Erickson distinguishes between conversion and conversions. Scripture does not specify a time in the conversion process. It varies in most cases. However, regeneration is instantaneous. Scripute speaks of believers as “born again” or “having been born again” rather than as “being born again” (Erickson, 874). I believe Erickson is exactly right with his assertion.

Present and evaluate the doctrine of forensic justification. The concept of forensic justification deals with God declaring sinners righteous in his sight. We have been forgive and declared to have fulfilled all that God’s law requires of us. This is possible because of Christ’s death on the cross. When God looks upon the believer, he does not see us separate from Christ, but he sees us through the righteousness of Christ. We are justified because of Christ. The Old Testament teaches that God is the righteous Judge over all human beings. He has the authority to acquit the innocent and condemn the guilty. In the New Testament Jesus paid in full the penalty for our sins, therefore God has pronounced us righteous. Justification is a forensic at imputing the righteousness of Christ to the believer. It is a matter of declaring the person righteous, as a judge does in acquitting the accused. It is not a matter of making the person righteous or altering his or her actual spiritual condition (Erickson,

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