In the gospels we find the angel Gabriel revealing the name of God’s son and Messiah as Jesus, “because he will save his people from their sins.” Isaiah prophesied that He was punished for the sins of others (Is. 53:4-6). Paul wrote that He paid the ransom (1 Tim. 2:5-6) as did Jesus himself (Matt. 20:26-28).

The word atone means, “to make amends for one’s crime.” Biblically speaking, the crime of man was sinning against God and the penalty for this crime is death (Rom. 6:23). Therefore, to amend for this crime there must be death. This is how Jesus amended for the crime. He died on the cross. Thus, He atoned for the sins of man.

To skip to the end of this flow of thinking, those who are welcomed into heaven are those who have had their sin atoned. There crime against God has been amended and paid for by Jesus’ death. And, in contrast, those who are eternally punished in hell did not have their penalty paid. Otherwise, their punishment is wrong.

Now, to fill in the blanks here, we must reconcile the two realities: (1) Jesus paid the price, and (2) not all have had the price paid. Obviously, the atonement is limited in one way or another. Did Jesus actually pay the price or did He potentially pay the price? If Jesus really succeeded at paying the price for sin, then He intentionally paid the price for only some. If Jesus potentially paid the price for sin, the He intentionally paid the price for all and failed with some.

Of course, the doctrine of actual atonement says that Jesus actually accomplished that which He intended on accomplishing when He came to atone. He came, as the angel declared, to save his people from their sins. God had some people in mind. These people “were appointed to eternal life” according to Acts 13:48.

To say otherwise causes serious problems in several ways. If Jesus paid it all for all people, then first, we would have people in hell being punished for sins that have been amended. Second, we would have people in heaven who are no different than those in hell. This is at best. At worst, we would have a Jesus who failed at his mission.

The doctrine of actual atonement teaches that Jesus successfully paid the price for sin on the cross. In connection to the doctrine of limited atonement, His success was for the sake of those He appointed to save.

Verses for further reflection:
Isaiah 53:4-6
Matthew 20:26-28
1 Timothy 2:5-6
John 3:16
Acts 20:28
Romans 8:30

We know from the Scriptures that not all people go to heaven. Many go and will go to hell. And they do so because their sins were not atoned for. Therefore, all Christians believe in a limited atonement. Otherwise, he or she would be a Universalist (believing that all go to heaven).

Since only those who repent and believe will be saved, the real question is this: To whom and by whom is the atonement limited? One view says that humans limit the atonement. They argue that Jesus died on the cross to make the payment of sins possible. And by doing so, they limit the effect of the atonement. They argue that Jesus died for the whole world – meaning all people. But not all people have faith in His work. So people limit the power of His atonement.

Another view says that God limits the atonement. They argue that Jesus died on the cross to actually save those whom He predestined to save. And by doing so, they limit the extent of the atonement. They argue that Jesus died for those whom He elected – meaning some people. So God limits the reach of His atonement.

So the response is either of the two. God limited the extent of the atonement to those whom He predestined or man limited the effect of the atonement to those who are special enough to believe.

So the response is either of the two views. If man limited the atonement, than the effect and power of the work of Jesus is limited but the extent and reach is for all. Thus, those who are special enough to repent and believe do so. God shares the glory of salvation with man.

If God limited the atonement, than the effect and power of the work of Jesus was actual and certain but the extent and reach of such work was limited to some. Thus, those who repent and believe do so because of God’s work. God deserves the glory.

Historically, this doctrine has been referred to a Calvinistic belief, but as mentioned, all Christians must identify a limitation in some sense. To say otherwise is heretical for God is not saving all people.

Verses for further reflection:
Isaiah 53:4-6
Matthew 1:21; 20:28
John 10:27-30
Acts 20:28
Romans 8:30
John 10:14-15
Ephesians 5:25

Every church has a doctrine of predestination since it is unavoidable. The word appears more than five times in the New Testament in one form or another. Even more if you count its synonyms. Still, churches do not necessarily agree at the doctrine’s most deepest level.

The doctrine teaches that our final destination, heaven or hell, is decided by God before we were even born. In other words, before we existed, God decided to save some people and allow the rest to perish. The emphasis is on God’s divine choice. Few churches will disagree with this, if any.

However, the line is drawn when we seek to answer, how does God choose? This is also included in the doctrine and is where churches have divided for ages. There is even a hint of argument in Paul’s letter to the Roman believers when he taught this subject (Romans 9).

We can reduce these differences to two views. The Non-Reformed view, and most common today, holds that God looks down the corridors of time to see if man will believe or not. If he does, then God predestines him for salvation. This view points to God’s foreknowledge and rests ultimately upon man’s decision.

The Reformed view argues that salvation is more a rescue mission rather than a discovery mission. And God, by His own pleasure, decides who will be saved and who will not. This argument points out that man’s fallenness has effected his will and mind so much that his desires are not for God. This view says that man is dead and unresponsive to God until God makes him alive. It rests ultimately upon God’s will and regeneration. Man chooses to be saved after his desires are renewed.

So the difference lies in how God makes his decision. He does after seeing man’s decision or He does so by His own will making man capable of the decision. It can also be said that either view differs from the other on the radical corruption of sin. Neither view is heretical in its elementary form.

Verses for further reflection:
Ezekiel 36:26-27
Zephaniah 1
John 3:16-17
Romans 1:16-17
1 Corinthians 1:26-31
1 Thessalonians 1:6-10

The same is true of Bible. When looking through the manuscripts in question, we look to see if God’s signature is upon it. In other words, we ask ourselves, “Does this document appear to be the writing of God?”

Without getting into complex details of how we got our books of the Bible, we would say that all sixty-six books found in the protestant Bible bear the signature of God. They are clearly messages of divine inspiration. In a more complex sense, this is called the canon of Scripture.

The word canon means standard or measurement. When we speak of “the canon of Scripture,” we are talking about a specific list of books that have meet the standard of divine authorship. The sixty-six books of the Bible clearly bear the signature of God. They have divine authorship.

The bigger question is not which books are included, but how the included books were measured. To answer this, we would need much more time and energy since it is best explained through the culmination of creation’s existence. However, a simple explanation of the how people recognize God’s signature throughout time may suffice.

Throughout time, God has been speaking to mankind in many ways. He first spoke to Adam walking freely through the garden. He then spoke to Prophets who would communicate to His people. His speaking reached its climax when when He spoke through Jesus.

No matter how He spoke, He spoke consistently and clearly. The Jews, God’s chosen people, recognized the voice of God as a child would recognize his or her father. They knew when God was speaking because He spoke to them so much. So, as God would speak through His prophets, the Jews would receive the messages. The messages would bear God’s signature and divine authorship.

In short, with no intention to trivialize the matter, we know the sixty-six books of the Bible to be God’s writings. They have no contradiction with each other, with history, or with science. They consistently communicate the same divine message. And they have been proved in various ways.

For these reasons, and many more, we can be sure that the sixty-six books of the Bible are in fact Holy Scripture – God’s writings to us.

Verses for further reflection:
Hebrews 1:1-2
Exodus 32:16
Luke 24:44-56

Luke recorded the announcement of this truth. He wrote that an angel named Gabriel appeared to a young virgin woman in Nazareth. He tells her that she will conceive in her womb and bear a son. He will be great and will be the Son of the Most High. His name will be called Jesus.

She was a faithful Jewish child and believed, but was still perplexed on how she would become pregnant without any sexual relations with a man. It was important that Jesus be born of God and not of any man since he was to be holy, so the angel told her “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you.”

Although the teaching is often called “the virgin birth,” it is really the conception that is important. The actual birth of Jesus was not miraculous. However, conceiving a child without the help of a human father is a divine intervention. It is miraculous. Thus, the doctrine is that a virgin woman conceived the Son of God in her womb by the power of God.

Since there was no human father involved in this conception, there was no passing of sin to the baby. The child was then born holy as the angel promised. He was also born of a woman, which means that he was fully human. However, he was not wholly human. He was also divine. He was both fully man and fully God.

The combination of his humanity and divinity are necessary for his redeeming work. Since a human transgressed against God, a human must pay the penalty. Jesus,being fully man, paid that penalty. He also lived a completely holy life since he was also fully God.

The implications are strong. To be saved from your sin, you must believe this truth. To deny it, is to deny Jesus as the Son of God and you render all of his atoning work useless. Thus, there is no way to be saved. For this reason, the doctrine of the virgin birth is one of the most fundamental and essential doctrines we have.

Verses for further reflection:
Luke 1:26-38
Isaiah 7:10-16
Matthew 1:23
Romans 1:3-4
1 Corinthians 15:45-49
Galatians 4:4

However, the truth is that Jesus did rise from the dead. And so Paul’s argument goes, “For as by a man came death,” speaking of Adam, “so also in Christ shall all be made alive” (1 Cor. 15:21). In Adam we all die. But in Christ (namely, His resurrection) we shall all live eternally.

The resurrection of Christ seals the deal. His testimonies, His life, His judgments, His forgiving, His promising, His decrees all depend on His ability to follow through with His resurrection work. When Jesus rose from the dead – He settled it. His resurrection made the most powerful statement this earth has ever heard – Jesus is God and is victor over sin and death.

There is plenty of biblical evidence for the resurrection. Matthew recorded the account describing that Mary Magdalene and some others witnessed the tomb to be empty where Jesus’ dead body once laid. An angel appeared to them saying that Jesus was not there; rather “he has risen, as he said” (Matt. 28:6).

Luke also wrote of this account and mentions later that Jesus walked with two men on the road to Emmaus (Luke 24:13:36). He also appeared to hundreds more and the disciples collectively. The letters of the New Testament depend on this truth. In fact, the final book of the Bible, John’s Revelations, says that Jesus will soon return. If He were still dead, all of these accounts would be wasted. The resurrection proves much.

Unlike the other few resurrections in the Bible, like Lazarus, Jesus’ was unique. The other ones could be defined as a reconstitution of the body. That is to say that the body was made alive again – yet it was still the same body that would die again. Jesus, on the other hand, was raised with an incorruptible body. It was one that would never die or suffer again.

Still, this new body was a physical body. It could be touched and seen. To say that Jesus’ resurrected body was ghostly or meta-physical would also render the Christian faith useless. Thus, it is important to say that Jesus was raised from the dead, and raised in a new physical, yet incorruptible body.

Verses for Reflection:
1 Corinthians 15:12-34
Matthew 28:1-20
Mark 16:1-8
Luke 24:1-53
John 20:1-21:25

Traditionally, the baptism of the Holy Spirit referred to an immersion into the body of Christ. In Paul’s letter to Titus, he wrote that this spiritual baptism is twofold. First, it regenerates the soul by washing away sin, which is symbolized in the immersion of water. Secondly, it makes the soul new in Christ, which is represented in the coming up out of the water, and symbolic of resurrected life. This twofold baptism is the transformation from death to life. As Paul wrote, it happens at conversion when “He saved us” (Titus 3:5).

On the other hand, more nontraditional beliefs hold to the idea of a “second renewal” that takes place after conversion. This view was developed during the early 1900’s and became widely popular in the 1960’s with the spread of the Charismatic Movement. Rather than a baptism into the body of Christ, it is taught to be a baptism into the Spirit of Christ resulting in a manifestation of spiritual gifts (namely, the gift of speaking in tongues). However, such a teaching is really unwarranted and does not consider the historical progression of the early church.

The expression baptism of the Holy Spirit is mentioned only seven times in the New Testament. Each can be grouped into three categories according to how they refer to baptism:

1. Referring to the Future Work of Christ
   The first four occurrences appear in the gospels. They are narratives of the same event where John the Baptist predicted that Jesus would spiritually baptize in the future. He taught that his own baptism was only symbolic of Christ’s actual work (Matthew 3:11, Mark 1:8, Luke 3:16, and John 1:33).
2. Referring to the Day of Pentecost
   The next two occurrences appear in Acts. The first of the two (Acts 1:8) takes place before Jesus ascended to Heaven. He tells the disciples to wait for the coming spiritual baptism that would soon take place on the Day of Pentecost. The second is found in Acts 11:16 and is referring back to the John the Baptist’s prediction being fulfilled on Pentecost.
3. Referring to the Work of Conversion
   The remaining occurrence seems to be the clearest in respect to the nature of spiritual baptism. It is found in Paul’s letter to the church in Corinth. He writes, “For by one Spirit we were all baptized into one body, whether Jews or Greeks, whether slaves or free, and we were all made to drink of one Spirit” (1 Corinthians 12:13). Here, Paul clearly teaches as he did Titus that baptism is the immersion into the body of Christ. It is in essence the work of conversion.

We can remember the truths of regeneration and renewal found in the spiritual baptism as we experience the physical baptism of ourselves and of others. It should remind us of our deep Christian unity as the body of Christ. As the saying goes, “One Spirit; One Baptism; One Church.”

Verses for Reflection
Joel 2:28-29
John 7:37-39
Acts 2:1-11
1 Corinthians 12
1 Corinthians 14:26-33

Articles on Spirit Baptism
Two Views (Description of the Traditional and NonTraditional Views)
Point of Transition (The Truth About Pentecost)

The word baptism² is used many times in the Bible. Literally it means, “to immerse” into something. In the context of water baptism, the word means “to immerse into water.” More specifically, being plunged or dipped completely below the water threshold. In the Bible, this was the way that John the Baptist and the early Christians baptized, and the way Jesus was baptized.

The act of baptizing is symbolic of the deep, spiritual truth of being born again. In baptism, people choose to identify themselves with the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Water baptism illustrates the spiritual transformation that has already taken place in the soul of the repentant sinner who submits to the authority of Christ. Paul describes it in Romans 6:3-4:

“Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life.”

Just as Christ died, was buried, and rose again, we too die to our sin and are raised in a new life because we are now identified as being in Christ. Physical baptism illustrates the reality of the spiritual baptism of the person being baptized.

In his letter to Titus, Paul says that baptism represents the washing away of our sins and the renewal of the Holy Spirit which occurs at regeneration.

Baptism does not convey grace to the sinner and thereby regenerate the soul. It is not necessary for salvation. It is an outward sign of an inward transformation that has already happened. Therefore, baptism should occur after a person is born again – not before. And when baptism is performed, it should be immersion and not sprinkling. Any other ritual would not symbolize the truth it represents.

Verses for Further Reflection
Romans 6:1-11
Colossians 2:11-15

Articles on Water Baptism
Submerge or Sprinkle? (How should we baptize?)
Symbolize or Save? (Why should we baptize?)
Believers or Babies? (Who should we baptize?)

Notes

1. The words sacraments and ordinances can be used interchangeably to describe the practice of baptism. For years, Protestants have declined to use the term ‘sacrament’ when describing baptism in order to prevent confusion with the Roman Catholic Church’s doctrine of the Sacrament of Baptism, which holds to the conveying of grace and not the symbol of such a reality.
2. Baptism comes from the Greek word ‘baptizo’ which, when translated, means: “to plunge, dip or immerse.” Baptizo is consistently used in this context throughout ancient Greek literature, both inside and outside of the Bible.

The Bible tells us that Jesus was condemned to death by crucifixion under Pilate’s rule.

Pilate, while not absolute in his power, was a “king” of a kingdom. He understood the concepts of kingly authority and ruling. From day to day, he made numerous decisions that affected people’s lives in different ways. He stood above all those in his province as their superior authority. His rule was extensive.

However, as many do today, Pilate could not seem to grasp the concept of the Kingdom of God. His conversation with Jesus about the Kingdom of God is recorded for us in John 18:33-38. Pilate begins by asking Jesus if he is the King of the Jews. Jesus responds with His own question, “Did you conceive this on your own or is that what you have heard?”. Pilate was not a Jew and so God’s kingdom was not something he understood, and so he replies “Your own nation and the chief of Priests delivered You to me.”

In response, Jesus graciously explains the concept of the Kingdom of God to Pilate saying, “My kingdom is not of this world, otherwise these men would not be handing me over to you.” In announcing His kingship to Pilate, Jesus acknowledges that His reign is foreign to earth and men. He adds that He has “come into the world, to testify to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth hears My voice.”

The Kingdom of God can therefore be defined as the kingdom over which Jesus rules in absolute sovereignty. He is superior and supreme. There is no ruler above Him. It also suggests, since Jesus is the Creator of all things, that creation is in some sense His kingdom. However, Jesus has yet to exercise His rule in a way that is physical and final. So traditionally, we understand the Bible to teach the Kingdom of God in three different ways.

First, the Kingdom of God has come already. When Christ was on earth the Kingdom was ‘at hand:’ Jesus was the King and all of Creation submitted to His rule. He demonstrated His rule over the elements when he walked on water. He governed men so that some would follow Him. He multiplied food to feed thousands. He exercised sovereignty over disease and sickness by healing men of its effects.

Secondly, the Kingdom of God has come to dwell among us in Jesus’ physical absence through the Person and work of the Holy Spirit. Those know Christ are “of the truth,” are indwelt by the Spirit, and are thus ruled by Jesus. The Kingdom of God is also at the heart of the gospel since, in a nutshell, the gospel means to repent, to die to your own rule, and to live under the rule of Christ. In this way, the Kingdom of God exists today when the gospel is received in the hearts of Christians.

Thirdly, the Kingdom of God will come in the future, upon Christ’s return. The delayed earthly reign of Christ will soon become a reality. As He has come before, so He will come again. However, His second coming will not be one of salvation, but of judgment. He will execute the judgment He has already passed on sin and death and will take His seat on the throne of earth, ruling all of creation as the King of His Kingdom.

Despite centuries of conjecture and postulating by men, the Kingdom of God is not a natural rule of any man, but of the sovereign reign of Christ Himself. Christians are to value the Kingdom of God above everything in this world and to know that Christ’s kingdom is not one of “eating or drinking, but of righteousness and peace and joy” as Paul writes. It is neither world domination nor social reform. It is the regeneration of the heart whereby sinners surrender all to God.

The essence of the Kingdom of God is the gospel – it is Christ Himself.

Verses for Further Reflection
Luke 17:20-21
John 3:3
Romans 14:7

Another baptism – ‘fire baptism’ – has caused quite a stir simply because it has been confused with the events of the Day of Pentecost. Those disciples that were waiting as Jesus had commanded experienced a supernatural event whereby God sent tongues of fire to rest on each of them. The mentioning of fire leads some to believe that fire baptism is synonymous with the spirit baptism that happened to the disciples on Pentecost. But that is not so.

Fire baptism is actually mentioned only twice in the Bible and both occurrences record the same event in history – a discourse by John the Baptist proclaiming the difference between the baptism that he was performing and the coming baptism that the Christ would perform.

He says that Christ will baptize with two mediums: the Holy Spirit and fire. It is clear at this point that there are some definite distinctions between the two. Spirit baptism and fire baptism are not the same thing. Rather, the definitions of both lie in the context of the third chapter of the gospel of Matthew.

John is proclaiming a coming separation work whereby Christ will divide the wheat from the chaff. This was a strong rebuke to some Sadducees and Pharisees who came to disrupt the baptism of John.

John tells these men that “The axe is already laid at the root of the trees; therefore every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown in the fire” (Matthew 3:10). Again, “His winnowing fork is in His hand, and He will thoroughly clear His threshing floor; and He will gather His wheat into the barn, but He will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire.”

Baptism was commonly understood to mean “to submerge or immerse.” Here, John is teaching that Christ will gather those who have repented of their sins and leave the rest to be immersed in the unquenchable fire of hell

In conclusion, God gives Spirit baptism to those who repent from their sins during their lives on earth. But He also reserves a future, eternal baptism of fire for those who refuse to repent.

Verses for Further Reflection
Matthew 3:7-12
Luke 3:16
Revelation 20:15
Isaiah 5:22-24
Isaiah 33:10-14