N0010
There is a foundation to the Christian faith. A believer cannot grow to maturity and have fruitful service without this foundation. The elementary teachings of the faith are present from the beginning of human life and are present throughout Scripture. The basic teachings of the foundation are necessary for every aspect of life in God.
1. Creation is revelation. God created and rules all things for the manifestation of his glory. There is no other revelation of God’s glory. There is no direct (beatific) vision of God.
2. Eternal life is knowing God. This is revealed in human nature and in the tree of life. Eternal life is not going to heaven or the absence of natural evil.
3. Knowledge of God is through dominion. This is man’s original call. Through dominion, man develops all the powers latent in the creation, and so comes to know the revelation of God that is in the creation.
4. The earth shall be full of the knowledge of God. As God ended his work and rested, so man will complete his work of dominion and rest. The purpose of dominion is to fill the earth with the knowledge of God. The Sabbath is a perpetual reminder of man’s work and hope.
5. The original sin is the denial of reason, the life of God in man. Before man ate the fruit, he believed what was false about God and himself. He had to shut his eyes (stop using reason) to avoid seeing the obvious difference between the creator and the Creature.
6. The wages of sin is spiritual death. Death as meaninglessness is inherent in the denial of reason as the life of God in man. Punishment is not externally imposed and future. Death is intrinsic to sin and is present now. There is no punishment for sin in addition to death.
7. Natural evil is God’s continuing call to repentance. It is toil, strife, and physical death. It was imposed not as punishment but with the promise of life after rejection of earlier calls to repentance. It calls man to stop and think deeply about the basic issues of life.
8. Redemption is through sacrifice (vicarious atonement). Infinite justice must be satisfied for sin. Infinite mercy satisfies justice through the suffering of one who stands in our place.
9. Repentance assumes forgiveness, and forgiveness requires special revelation. Special revelation is required in order to know that God forgives sin and how God forgives sin.
10. Scripture is the Word of God written. It is redemptive revelation, assuming the existence of sin in the denial of clear general revelation. It is consistent with what can be known of God and man from general revelation. Given the nature of sin in man, Scripture must be from God. The central teaching of Scripture is about the person and work of Christ, the redeemer who stands before God in our place.
11. Being brought back to life from spiritual death is the sovereign work of God. Having denied the life of God in himself as light, man cannot restore that life in himself. God restores man to life as he is pleased to show his mercy.
12. The work of the Spirit of God in and through the church is the means to grow in spiritual life. Pastor/teachers prepare believers for work that builds the body of Christ. The work of the pastor/teachers is summed up in the historic creeds of the Church. The marks of a true church are sound teaching, proper observance of the sacraments as affirmation of faith, and discipline on the basis of the teaching and one’s affirmation.
Tags: foundation; revelation; dominion; sin; redemption
Editor’s note: N0010 was written in the early 1990’s.
For further reading, consult the list of other publications by Dr. Gangadean.
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