Christology 6

Series: Critical Doctrine1Timothy 4:16 “Watch your

life and doctrine closely. Persevere in them, because if

you do, you will save both yourself and your hearers.”

Doctrine Someone said, “Doctrine is necessary to

inform us how we may be saved by Christ, but it is Christ who saves.”

S. Lee Homoki wisely informs us, “Doctrine is the foundation for the Christian life. Everything about the execution of living a life pleasing to the Lord is built upon it. We can’t have right living without right doctrine.”

J.C.Ryle asserts, “We should no more tolerate false doctrine than we should tolerate sin.”

CHRISTOLOGY The Deity of Christ The Humanity of Christ

The incarnation The proofs of His humanity

The Union of Deity and Humanity of Christ

The Kenosis of Christ ??? The impeccability of Christ The earthly life of Christ

The Events of His life

The Offices He occupied

The Resurrection and Ascension of Christ The fact of the Resurrection The nature of the

Resurrection The significance of the

Resurrection The importance of the

Ascension

The Present Ministry of Christ

The Future Ministry of Christ

The Present Ministry of Christ

Charles Ryrie relates that, “The present ministry of Christ is chiefly related to His people in contrast to the present work of the Spirit which includes ministries to unbelievers, like enlightening and regenerating.”

The predominant ministry of Christ, when He lived on earth, was to His personal disciples, and likewise His continual concern in heaven is for His true disciples. However the Holy Spirit was given to empower the Church to make disciples of Nations.

He is Interceding for Us

Hebrews 7:25 “Therefore he is able to save completely those who come to God through him, because he always lives to intercede for them.”

The continual prayers (He always lives) of Christ for His people, ensure that we are saved completely, this is the truth behind the doctrine of the Eternal Security of the believer.

We stay saved in Christ provided we stay saved; in the sense that we do not turn our backs on Christ and reject Him as our Lord and Saviour.

He is Interceding for Us

John 17:15-17 My prayer is not that you take them out of the world but that you protect them from the evil one. They are not of the world, even as I am not of it. Sanctify [Greek: hagiazo (set apart for sacred use or make holy); them by the truth; your word is truth.

His prayer is that we be sanctified so that we overcome the evil one and don’t sin.

HOW TO BE SANCTIFIED 1Jn. 1:8-9 “If we claim to be without sin, we deceive

ourselves and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.”

He is Defending Us 1John 2:1 “My dear children, I write this to you

so that you will not sin. But if anybody does sin, we have one who speaks to the Father in our defence — Jesus Christ, the Righteous One.”

This is why we repent, for as we repent (Which means to ask forgiveness and turn from that sin) Christ speaks to His Father on our behalf, He is our advocate before the Father, and defends us by pointing to the Cross: 1John 2:2 He is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours but also for the sins of the whole world. [Or, He is the one who turns aside God’s wrath, taking away our sins...]

He is Defending Us For God’s wrath was poured out on Christ

and He was our substitution, our propitiation (Appeased and satisfied God), our Redeemer, our Reconciler, therefore the Righteousness of Christ has been imputed to us as we repent.

Just as when we turn on the tap and then we get water to have a shower, when we turn on the tap of repentance, we are sprinkled with His blood and made clean before Him.

He is Building Many Rooms

According to the Word of God, Jesus has a current mansion building ministry.

John 14:1-3 “Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God; trust also in me. In my Father’s house are many rooms; if it were not so, I would have told you. I am going there to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am.

He knows when we are leaving this planet and He is currently making sure that there is a dwelling waiting for us to live in when we get there.

He is Building the Church

Matthew 16:18 “And I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it”

He is now building His Church and like living stones we are being built into His Church.

1Peter 2:4-5 “As you come to him, the living Stone — rejected by men but chosen by God and precious to him — you also, like living stones, are being built into a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.”

He Gives Ministries to the Body of Christ Ep. 4:11-13 “It was HE who gave some to be

apostles, some to be prophets, some to be evangelists, and some to be pastors and teachers, to prepare God’s people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fulness of Christ.”

These ministries along with the 9 gifts discussed in 1Corinthians 12:7-11 were given to the Church from Christ, to build up the Church.

Christ Indwells In Us Now

Galatians 2:20 “I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.”

Not only does the Holy Spirit indwell in us, but Christ dwells in us.

The Word is clear that Jesus is one with the Holy Spirit but He Himself is not the Holy Spirit.

Christ Indwells In Us Now

So when the Word of God tells us that Christ lives in us, we must believe that He Himself is in us.

Colossians 1:27 “To them God has chosen to make known among the Gentiles the glorious riches of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.”

John 14:15-17 “If you love me, you will obey what I command. And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Counsellor to be with you for ever — the Spirit of truth.”

Here the Holy Spirit is referred to as another counsellor, then there must be one already: I believe Christ is referring here to Himself.

He Answers Prayers Christ is actively listening to our petitions and honouring

our prayers, so let’s take a look at the specifications laid down in Scripture in relation to this.

John 15:7 IF you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be given you.

James 1:6-8 “But when he asks, he must believe and not doubt, because he who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. That man should not think he will receive anything from the Lord; he is a double-minded man, unstable in all he does.”

Mark 11:24, "Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours."

Remain in the Vine In John 15:1-16 Jesus encourages believers to remain

in Him and that our fruitfulness in ministry is dependant on our remaining in Him.

However He goes so far as to say, John 15:6 “If anyone does not remain in me, he is like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned.”

This Scripture speaks of someone who once was in Christ; for how could this person be encouraged to remain in Christ, if he never was in Christ in the first place.

The result of not remaining in Christ and turning away from Him is eternal punishment in Hell.

Remain in the Vine Hebrews 6:4-6 “It is impossible for those who

have once been enlightened, who have tasted the heavenly gift, who have shared in the Holy Spirit, who have tasted the goodness of the word of God and the powers of the coming age, if they fall away, to be brought back to repentance, because to their loss they are crucifying the Son of God all over again and subjecting him to public disgrace.”

This verse is crystal clear that some people who have been enlightened (known the truth), been gifted from above, had the Holy Spirit like you and I have, have tasted the Word (the truth of God’s Word), if they fall away, it is impossible for them to be brought back to repentance.

Conclusion Christ lives to intercede for us and help us to get

across the finish line without losing our salvation. Contrary to “Once Saved, Always Saved” Doctrine,

there are too many Scriptures that speak to the contrary.>

When we confess faith in Christ and believe in our hearts that Christ is Lord we are saved, if we hold on to the faith and do not recant of His name.

Hebrews 3:6 “But Christ is faithful as a son over God’s house. And we are his house, if we hold on to our courage and the hope of which we boast.”>

Coming Up in Christology

The Deity of Christ The Humanity of Christ

The incarnation The proofs of His humanity

The Union of Deity and Humanity of Christ

The Kenosis of Christ ??? The impeccability of Christ The earthly life of Christ

The Events of His life

The Offices He occupied

The Resurrection and Ascension of Christ The fact of the Resurrection The nature of the Resurrection The significance of the

Resurrection The importance of the

Ascension

The Present Ministry of Christ The Future Ministry of Christ

Coming Up in Critical Doctrine

Christology - Jesus Christ

Theology Proper – Attributes of God

Pneumatology – Holy Spirit

Bibliology – The Bible Angelology – Angels,

fallen and unfallen

Anthropology – Man Soteriology –

Salvation Ecclesiology – The

Church Eschatology – End

Times Israelology – Israel