Class Notes: 2/7/2016

Mark 16:15; Acts 1:8; The doctrine of witnessing part 46

In our study of the doctrine of witnessing Mark 16:15; Acts 1:8; we are examining the doctrines that undergird the gospel so that we can understand how and why it is God alone who made it possible for our so great salvation exclusively by grace through faith alone in Jesus Christ alone. Eph 2:8-9;

As part of the study we are presently reviewing the content of the Gospel message itself under the category of the "Doctrine of the Gospel that we last studied in 2013." 1Cor 15:1-4; John 3:16; Acts 16:31;

God's Word clearly states that in salvation the object of faith is our Lord Jesus Christ who as undiminished deity and perfect humanity is the quintessence of merit, Col 2:9; The source, the immutable Word of God. is impeccable.

When we stopped last time last time we were reviewing faith perception. We noted that the Greek word "Pistis" translated "Faith" is used for having faith or to believe in the active sense and as "the faith" or doctrine or what is believed in the passive sense.

We also noted that "the faith, the doctrine or the Word reveals God's decree from eternity past and anyone who believes "the faith" is believing or trusting God's decree from eternity and as a result they will always be completely protected because what is in the decree has to happen or God is not God. Isa 26:3-4; NET

This is why prayer works. Mark 11:23-24; Our prayers are heard twice. Once in eternity before the creation Eph 1:4; where they are answered and programmed into the Divine Decree and then again at the time we actually pray to God where God's answer that was already recorded in the Divine Decree in eternity is read out and executed in time.

Because of the divine decree prayer is not only contemporaneous it is eternal because it is programmed into the divine decree from eternity past.

Very few believers understand how and why prayer works so they don't use it very much. Paul understood the power of prayer so he was constantly asking for prayer support. Col 4:3; 1Thes 5:25; 2Thes 3:1-2;

"Pistis" is also used to refer to and attribute, when it is translated as "faithfulness" or "reliability," as in Titus 2:10; and 2 Thes 1:4;

Gal 3:26; "For you are the sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus." The moment anyone believes in Christ, God enters them into an irrevocable relationship with Him.

During the Church Age everyone who believes in Jesus Christ becomes a child of God through faith in Jesus Christ.

The believer's relationship as a child of God is irrevocable. It can never be lost regardless of the believer's failure because God always remains faithful to do so would be for Him to cease to be immutable God. 2Tim 2:13; Rom 11:29;

Always remember that when we believe God's Word we believe in and unchanging eternal reality that is more certain than what is visible because the faith or the doctrine is tangible evidence. Heb 11:1; Net

When witnessing always remember that it is the faithfulness of God through the ministry of the Holy Spirit that takes the gospel message that the believer communicates and presents it to the unbeliever so that the unbeliever can understand it and make a free will decision for or against Jesus Christ.

This means that it is not the believer's job to try to compel anyone to believe. The believer's job is to simply communicate the gospel when it is requested and leave the results to God the Holy Spirit.

Because of the divine decree prayer is a critical component of effective witnessing. Paul prayed for those he was witnessing to. Rom 10:1;

This means that the most effective witnesses will be mature believers who understand and use the power of prayer. Prov 11:30;b

The believer's only weapon in evangelism is the pertinent content of God's Word. The content of God's Word that is addressed specifically to the unbeliever is the Gospel. 1Cor 1:18; Eph 6:17; Heb 4:12; John 3:16;

Rom 1:14-17; describes what the believer's mental attitude is to be regarding witnessing. As a child of God the believer owes the gospel to the human race and should always be ready to communicate it without reluctance. 1Pet 3:15; NET

Always remember that everyone who believes the Gospel will be saved. 1Tim 2:3-4;

An individual believers failure to witness cannot stop the faithfulness of God. God knows when and where there will be people with positive volition and He will get the Gospel information to them in some way.

A perfect example of this is the story of Jonah where God called Jonah who was an unwilling evangelist to go to Nineveh to witness to the Assyrians in spite of his negative volition.

Jonah did not want to witness to the Assyrians because he knew from prophecy in the divine decree that Assyria would eventually destroy Israel. God knew from the divine decree that the Assyrian people in Jonah's generation were positive to the Gospel so He provided them with the information they needed to be saved.

The fact that a later generation of Assyrian people would destroy Israel and then themselves be destroyed by God did not matter. Every individual in every generation must make their own free will decision and God always honors positive volition whenever and wherever it is found regardless of subsequent negative volition.

As believers we have the opportunity to choose to weather or not participate with Jesus Christ in His endeavor to save mankind. If we do, the reward that the believer receives for witnessing is the crown of rejoicing that our Lord Jesus Christ conveys to every believer who chooses to evangelize. 1Thes 2:19-20; Phil 4:1;

This concludes our doctrine of witnessing. Mark 16:15; And He said to them, "Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation.

Spiritual freedom from the tyranny of satan's cosmic system and the OSN begins with believing the Gospel under the principle that Jesus stated to the Jews who had believed in Him;

John 8:31-32; "If you continue in My word, then you are truly disciples of Mine and you will know the truth, and the truth will make you free."

Paul states this principle in Gal 5:1; "It was for freedom that Christ set us free; therefore keep standing firm and do not allow yourselves to be placed under a yoke of slavery again."

We see from this that God has provided His Word in its various categories to provide freedom for mankind. Divine Establishment provides human freedom in the devil's world.

The Gospel irrevocably frees us positionally from spiritual death in the slave market of sin.

Bible Doctrine provides the information that we need to have the cognitive freedom necessary to live in the freedom of the spiritual life that we received from God at the moment we believed the Gospel message at salvation.

We see from this that believing God's word always leads twosome facet of freedom. This brings us to a study of the Doctrine of Freedom.

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