For Christians, faith is mainly based on the work and teachings of Jesus Christ. In Hebrews 11:1 Paul defines faith as follows: “Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.”(Hebrews 11:1) The passage confirms that in compliance to the scripts, Faith is indeed a leap of trust. A risk to believe in something we do not see. Consequently, it has become a synonym for salvation. For Paul, Faith and salvation began in the cross and the resurrection of Christ; it also concerns justice, and reconciliation granted to men by God.
In his introduction, Arrington reviews the Biblical doctrine of salvation and how that it is the heart of the Christian faith. He asserts that the significance of Soteriology is to show all that God has done to set us free from the bondage of sin and guilt in order to bring us to the glorious condition of blessedness that Christians enter when Christ returns from heaven (21). In the New Testament, Arrington states that the words save and salvation have a wide range of meanings. Those meanings include strong physical components in that faith in Jesus saves and that salvation offers options such as deliverance from enemies and bodily health but it is predominately used in the New Testament as delivering us from sin. His focus is on how God used Christ and his death at Calvary and that the writers of the gospels utilize narratives on the P... ... middle of paper ... ...me ideology of Christ and how he was the only one that could fill the need for the perfect sacrifice.
It begins at the point where the person responds to God and is related to God’s plan of redemption. The only difference in opinion is held by the Pentecostals who even among themselves are divided in their opinion on what it means to be sanctified. The Holiness Pentecostals holds to the belief that original sin is removed and there is a second definite work of the Spirit which sanctifies... ... middle of paper ... ... is faith, which is to “return to what took place at salvation.” Faith and obedience are keys to spiritual victory as we are called to pursue holiness and be sanctified (Col. 2:11-12). Conclusion In conclusion, each scholar contributed to the different Protestant views on sanctification as well as commented on each view which gives us a good understanding. It is apparent that there are more similarities than differences (which are largely due to the interpretation of terms and definitions).
For instance, Acts 2 speak of “The Day of Pentecost” when the Spirit of God descended upon the believers in Jerusalem. Dallas Willard points out in his book Renovation of the Heart: Putting on the Character of Christ, “the Spirit of God now calls his people to live from an adequate basis for character transformation, resulting in obedience to and abundance in Christ. He goes on to say, “Spiritual formation is something we human beings can and must undertake- as individuals and in fellowship with other apprentices of Jesus.” As previously stated spiritual formation is not just for the inner man, Willard agrees it must show forth evidence of character transformation. He also indicate fellowship with other believers is also an aspect or element of spiritual formation. Willard positions his focus on understanding the human being as a “whole person” is key to understanding how “the six aspects of “human life,” which are controlled by the heart all work together and interplay make up “human
Jesus was viewed as a historical figure that we can learn from spiritually and the Bible is used as a source of knowledge on Christian history (Bingham 152, 153). In this theological movement being a Christian is considered “nothing but feeling and experience” (Lane 238). Following is the Evangelical theology which evolved from the Pietism and Revivalist movement (Olson 33). Charles Finney, a leader in Evangelism, emphasized the need and ability to evangelize the world while also maintaining the power of free will” thereby influencing all but not trying to control the mind of the masses (Lane 253, 254). As well as being a supreme authority Evangelist’s believe that because the Bible was written by man through God’s instruction the Bible is both fully man’s and God’s (256).
It is insufficient to experience one without the other. Therefore, the Trinity becomes the anchor, which gives validity and balance to the working of the Holy Spirit in every believer’s life. It is essential for every Christian to take the time and diligent study to look at the historical evidence concerning the Holy Spirit to see if they point to a greater or lesser need for the Holy Spirit’s involvement in the Christian life. Then to look at theological and scriptural evidence that would suppo... ... middle of paper ... ... Diego, CA: Aventine Press, 2006. Erickson, Millard J. Christian Theology.
For starters, Jesus chose Paul specifically to spread his word and filled him with the Holy Spirit (Acts 9:1-19). Alternatively, Shaw claims that “the conversion of Paul was no conversion at all [but] it was Paul who converted the religion” (Shaw 415). This is a bold statement and neglects the fact that a disciple named Ananias was also involved in the conversion, which validates that this was not Paul’s imagination. God, instead, “promised beforehand through his prophets in the holy scriptures” that Paul would “be an apostle” (Romans 1:1-2). Additionally, others believe that Jesus chose Paul but still suppose Paul taught a different religion.
The goodness of God can inspire a person to do the best things not because he is obligated to do it, but because the love of Christ inspires him to do so. Also, I want others to see that Christianity is not just about the dos and don’ts, but it is about the love for Christ and what He can do through me, and for me. Conclusion The purpose of this paper is to help the reader understand the essentials of Christianity and at the same time, understanding who God is. God is the Sovereign Creator filled with love and grace. His Son left the throne and became a sacrificial lamb to atone the sins of humanity.
Salvation or "being saved" means redemption from the power of sin. In practical terms, God 's salvation is what we need to get to heaven or attain eternal life. (Leitch, 2010) Salvation is a major theme in the many parts of the Bible and the Qur’an. It was written in to the stories so that followers of the religion would adhere to the rules and regulations set by God and achieve the common goal: eternal life in heaven. Salvation in religion will be explored through a brief overview of Salvation and what it means in the general sense, Salvation in the texts in the Bible, the teaching of salvation in Christianity and Islam and how this differs.
According to Millard J. Erickson, “Ephesians is a listing of various offices in the church, Romans and 1 Peter catalogue several basic functions performed in the church and 1 Corinthians is a matter of special abilities”. It is my intention to highlight the gifts of manifestation found in 1 Corinthians’12:4-11 and the gifts of ministry found in Ephesians 4:1. Thesis Statement, “while some Christians would view Spiritual Gifts as a threat to the structure of a church, many Christians, like myself, believes that these Gifts of the Holy Spirit are edify and perfecting of the body of Christ”. UNDERSTANDING THE GIFTS Many Christians will go through life wondering if they have a gift and if they do, they are unsure what it is and how to properly function within the administration of the gift. Ephesians 4:11-13, states “And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers; For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ: Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fu... ... middle of paper ... ...lications, 2005.