SYSTEMATIC THEOLOGY
Essential Doctrines of Christianity
Essential Doctrines of Christianity
The Bible God Works of God Angels Humans Sin Salvation Christ Holy Spirit Church End Times Afterlife
WORKS OF GOD:
creation
CREATION – God created everything (Col 1:16; Rev 4:11; Acts 4:24; 14:15), spiritual and physical (Neh 9:6; Col 1:16), out of nothing (Gen 1:1; Ps 33:6, 9; Heb 11:3 cf. Col 1:16).
- God is distinct from his creation (Ps 90:2).
- God is distinct from his creation (Ps 90:2).
preservation
PRESERVATION - God sustains his creation in an ongoing and moment-by-moment basis (Heb 1:3; Col 1:16-17; Acts 17:28; Job 34:14-15).
God's sovereign plan
GOD’S SOVEREIGN PLAN – God’s foreordaining of all that is and will be.
- There is nothing outside of God’s ultimate control (Rom 8:28). He is sovereign over good (Eph 2:10) and bad (Acts 2:23). He is sovereign over life and death (Ps 127:3; 139:16; Job 14:5; Is 57:1), and when and where each person would live (Acts 17:26). God is sovereign over the rise and fall of nations (Job 12:23; Ps 22:28; Acts 17:28; Dan 4:34-35). He is the ultimate cause of natural events (Ps 104:14; Job 38:32; Matt 5:45), and is sovereign over events that might seem like chance (Prov 16:33) or that might seem extremely minor (Matt 10:29).
- There is nothing outside of God’s ultimate control (Rom 8:28). He is sovereign over good (Eph 2:10) and bad (Acts 2:23). He is sovereign over life and death (Ps 127:3; 139:16; Job 14:5; Is 57:1), and when and where each person would live (Acts 17:26). God is sovereign over the rise and fall of nations (Job 12:23; Ps 22:28; Acts 17:28; Dan 4:34-35). He is the ultimate cause of natural events (Ps 104:14; Job 38:32; Matt 5:45), and is sovereign over events that might seem like chance (Prov 16:33) or that might seem extremely minor (Matt 10:29).
IS GOD REALLY SOVEREIGN OVER EVIL? IS EVIL A PART OF HIS PLAN?
It may seem concerning that God is sovereign over evil, but that just means that there is nothing outside of God’s ultimate control. God chose to create free-willed beings even knowing that some would reject him. He permitted sin and evil to come into his creation and would use them for the overall good within his ultimate plan (Rom 8:28; Is 45:7). God does not commit evil (James 1:13-14 et al.). God takes the effects of evil and turns them to the ultimate good, or sometimes uses ‘evil’ as judgment for evil (Ps 76:10; Gen 50:20; Ex 4:21 cf. Ex 8:15 & Josh 11:20; 2 Sam 24; Ex 9:16 cf. Rom 9:17ff). It should give us comfort knowing that God is sovereign over evil and that all things will work out for the good of those who love him (Rom 8:28).
CAN WE HAVE FREE WILL IF GOD HAS A SOVEREIGN PLAN?
God’s knowledge of a certain future does not negate free will or show its absence. Knowledge does not equal causation. For instance, we can have knowledge of a choice someone made last week, but that does not mean we caused it. God stands outside of time. He is transcendent. This means that he does not watch our lives like a spectator at a parade, seeing one float at a time. He stands above and views all the floats at once. Therefore God can have perfect knowledge of what we will do next week without directly causing it or forcing it to happen. If we compare God’s sovereign plan to a painting on a canvas, then the free-willed choices are like brush strokes made by man that God arranges in such a way that a beautiful masterpiece is the ultimate result.
Miracles
MIRACLES - When God works in a way contrary to the natural order that he set up.
- When a person dies it is natural for the body to decay, and so the resurrection of Christ is a miraculous event (Acts 4:10). When a person steps out of a boat onto a lake, they sink, and so it is miraculous when Jesus and Peter walked on water (Matt 14:25ff). In the OT, God was often referred to as the one who miraculously delivered Israel from slavery. Miracles, like everything else, are a part of God’s overall sovereign plan.
- There is another sense in which everything is miraculous. Creation was a miraculous event and the moment by moment sustaining of the universe is miraculous in that everything would vanish without God sustaining it. And in a sense, the sovereign plan is miraculous as God works out all things for the good. But if everything is considered miraculous then it takes away from the idea of a miracle, and so the term miracle should probably only be used when God works contrary to the natural order.
- When a person dies it is natural for the body to decay, and so the resurrection of Christ is a miraculous event (Acts 4:10). When a person steps out of a boat onto a lake, they sink, and so it is miraculous when Jesus and Peter walked on water (Matt 14:25ff). In the OT, God was often referred to as the one who miraculously delivered Israel from slavery. Miracles, like everything else, are a part of God’s overall sovereign plan.
- There is another sense in which everything is miraculous. Creation was a miraculous event and the moment by moment sustaining of the universe is miraculous in that everything would vanish without God sustaining it. And in a sense, the sovereign plan is miraculous as God works out all things for the good. But if everything is considered miraculous then it takes away from the idea of a miracle, and so the term miracle should probably only be used when God works contrary to the natural order.
Guidance
GUIDANCE – God communicates with his creation.
- God communed and communicated with Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden (Gen 2:15-17; 3:8-9). After the fall, God still communicated with people including Abraham, Moses, and all of the other prophets (Gen 12:1; Ex 3:1-6; Jer 1:2; Jonah 1:1; Mal 1:1 et. al.). There are times that God spoke directly (Num 12:8; 1 Sam 3:1-21), through dreams (Num 12:6), through visions (Num 12:6; Is 1:1), and through his Holy Spirit (1 Peter 1:10-11). He guided Israel using a pillar of fire by night and a pillar of cloud by day (Ex 13:21). God gave us his Word, the Bible; he gave laws and precepts, and the Holy Spirit to show us how we are to live (Psalm 1:1-3; Jer 31:33; 2 Tim 3:16). He also spoke through his son, the Word of God (Heb 1:2; John 1:1).
- God communed and communicated with Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden (Gen 2:15-17; 3:8-9). After the fall, God still communicated with people including Abraham, Moses, and all of the other prophets (Gen 12:1; Ex 3:1-6; Jer 1:2; Jonah 1:1; Mal 1:1 et. al.). There are times that God spoke directly (Num 12:8; 1 Sam 3:1-21), through dreams (Num 12:6), through visions (Num 12:6; Is 1:1), and through his Holy Spirit (1 Peter 1:10-11). He guided Israel using a pillar of fire by night and a pillar of cloud by day (Ex 13:21). God gave us his Word, the Bible; he gave laws and precepts, and the Holy Spirit to show us how we are to live (Psalm 1:1-3; Jer 31:33; 2 Tim 3:16). He also spoke through his son, the Word of God (Heb 1:2; John 1:1).
answering prayer
ANSWERING PRAYER – God hears and responds to cries of his creation (2 Kings 20:5).
- God answers prayer through providential natural occurrences as well as through miracles.
- God answers prayer through providential natural occurrences as well as through miracles.
DO OUR PRAYERS REALLY CHANGE GOD OR DO THEY JUST CHANGE US?
- The Bible expresses that prayer is effective, and can effect how God will act (James 4:2; Luke 11:9-10; 2 Chron 7:14; 1 John 1:9). If our actions, like working, walking, breathing, etc. have consequences and make a difference then why should prayer be different?
- Often God works without us asking in prayer and we often fail to acknowledge the numerous gifts that he has given. However, there are other times when he only gives us things when we ask for them. This may be because he wants to make it clear that the gift is from him. This is really the greatest aspect of the gift, knowing that we have a relationship with the Creator of the universe, and that he is listening and caring for us. This is one of the reasons that we pray in Jesus’ name. In doing so, people can see that there is authority and power in the person and name of Jesus. Answered prayer in his name is an arrow that points people to the greatest gift of all, which is the salvation that is found in knowing Christ (John 14:13-14; 15:16; 16:23-24 cf. Eph 5:20; Acts 3:6-4:7; 19:13-17; 1 John 5:14-15).
- God’s omniscience and foreknowledge allows him to know what we will pray for, and so it is a part of his overall sovereign plan.
- Often God works without us asking in prayer and we often fail to acknowledge the numerous gifts that he has given. However, there are other times when he only gives us things when we ask for them. This may be because he wants to make it clear that the gift is from him. This is really the greatest aspect of the gift, knowing that we have a relationship with the Creator of the universe, and that he is listening and caring for us. This is one of the reasons that we pray in Jesus’ name. In doing so, people can see that there is authority and power in the person and name of Jesus. Answered prayer in his name is an arrow that points people to the greatest gift of all, which is the salvation that is found in knowing Christ (John 14:13-14; 15:16; 16:23-24 cf. Eph 5:20; Acts 3:6-4:7; 19:13-17; 1 John 5:14-15).
- God’s omniscience and foreknowledge allows him to know what we will pray for, and so it is a part of his overall sovereign plan.
Redemption
REDEMPTION – The accomplishing, offering, and applying of our salvation.
- Each member of the Trinity has a different role in the work of salvation. The Father sent the Son into the world (John 3:16; Gal 4:4; Eph 1:9-10). The Son accomplished redemption (John 6:38; Heb 10:5-14). And the Spirit applies redemption to believers (John 3:5-8; Titus 3:5; Eph 1:13-14; 1 Cor 12).
- Each member of the Trinity has a different role in the work of salvation. The Father sent the Son into the world (John 3:16; Gal 4:4; Eph 1:9-10). The Son accomplished redemption (John 6:38; Heb 10:5-14). And the Spirit applies redemption to believers (John 3:5-8; Titus 3:5; Eph 1:13-14; 1 Cor 12).
judgment
JUDGMENT – All sin will be punished and everything will be made right.
It is not God’s desire that anyone should perish (2 Peter 3:9). He let sin go largely unpunished until Jesus came to pay for sin, which gets credited to those who accept his salvation (Rom 3:25). However, there are those who will refuse to repent and accept salvation, and so a Day of Judgment is to come (Matt 12:36; Acts 17:31; Rom 2:5-11; 2 Pet 2:9; 3:7; 1 John 4:17; Jude 6; Rev 20:11-15).
It is not God’s desire that anyone should perish (2 Peter 3:9). He let sin go largely unpunished until Jesus came to pay for sin, which gets credited to those who accept his salvation (Rom 3:25). However, there are those who will refuse to repent and accept salvation, and so a Day of Judgment is to come (Matt 12:36; Acts 17:31; Rom 2:5-11; 2 Pet 2:9; 3:7; 1 John 4:17; Jude 6; Rev 20:11-15).
The Bible God Works of God Angels Humans Sin Salvation Christ Holy Spirit Church End Times Afterlife