Condensed Theology Lecture 33

8/6/2019 Condensed Theology Lecture 33

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Condensed Theology

A Primer in Systematic Theology



Soteriology:

The Doctrine of Salvation

What does the Bible teach about

salvation?



Review



Review

• Salvation Is Union with Christ

• Primordial Union with Christ

• Temporal Union with Christ – Monergism

– Synergism



Review:

Temporal Union with Christ

The Initiating Acts of God



Review: Temporal Union with

Christ: God‘s Initiating Acts

• (Effective) Calling

• Regeneration

• Calling and regeneration are monergistic;God is the sole actor; human responseand/or activity is entirely absent.



Review:


Man‘s Response to Divine Activity



Review: Temporal Union with

Christ: Man‘s Response

• Repentance

• Faith

• Repentance and faith are synergistic; Godgrants faith and repentance; nevertheless,we repent and believe.



Review:


God‘s Responsive Activity



Temporal Union with Christ:

God‘s Responsive Acts

• Justification

• Adoption

• Sanctification• Glorification

• No one will be justified, adopted,

sanctified, or glorified who is not converted(who does not exercise saving repentance

and faith).



Temporal Union with Christ:

God‘s Responsive Acts

Adoption



What Adoption Is Not



What Adoption Is Not

• Adoption is not justification

• Adoption is not regeneration

– John 1:12-13: But as many as received Him, to them

He gave the right to become children of God, even tothose who believe in His name, who were born, not ofblood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man,but of God.

– 1 John 3:1: See how great a love the Father hasbestowed on us, that we would be called children ofGod; and such we are.



What Adoption Is



What Adoption Is

Old Testament Background



What Adoption Is:

OT Background

• Rom 9:4: …who are Israelites, to whombelongs the adoption as sons, and theglory and the covenants and the giving of

the Law and the temple service and thepromises…

• Exod 4:22: Then you shall say to

Pharaoh, ―Thus says the LORD, ‗Israel isMy son, My firstborn.‘‖



What Adoption Is:

OT Background

• Deut 14:1-2: You are the sons of the LORD yourGod; you shall not cut yourselves nor shave yourforehead for the sake of the dead. For you are a

holy people to the LORD your God, and theLORD has chosen you to be a people for Hisown possession out of all the peoples who areon the face of the earth.

• Hos 11:1: When Israel was a youth I loved him,And out of Egypt I called My son.



What Adoption Is

New Testament Fulfillment



What Adoption Is:

NT Fulfillment• The status of adoption enjoyed by the people of

God under the Old Covenant is not fully realizeduntil the inauguration of the New Covenant.

• Gal 3:23-26: But before faith came, we werekept in custody under the law, being shut up tothe faith which was later to be revealed.Therefore the Law has become our tutor until Christ, so that we may be justified by faith. Butnow that faith has come, we are no longer undera tutor. For you are all sons of God through faithin Christ Jesus.



What Adoption Is:

NT Fulfillment• The status of adoption enjoyed by the people of

God under the Old Covenant is not fully realizeduntil the inauguration of the New Covenant.

•2 Cor 6:18: “

And I will be a father to you, Andyou shall be sons and daughters to Me,‖ Saysthe Lord Almighty.

• Rom 9:26: AND IT SHALL BE THAT IN THE

PLACE WHERE IT WAS SAID TO THEM, ―YOUARE NOT MY PEOPLE,‖ THERE THEY SHALLBE CALLED SONS OF THE LIVING GOD.



What Adoption Is:

NT Fulfillment

• Paul‘s notion of adoption was not only informed

by its Old Testament background, but also by itscultural-historical background.

• The term itself refers to the state of having beenformally and legally declared someone‘s child

who had not previously been that person‘s child.

They are from that moment forward to be treated

and cared for as if they were a natural child, withall the rights and privileges of their new status.



What Adoption Is:

NT Fulfillment

• Everett Ferguson, Backgrounds of Early Christianity,Second Edition (Eerdmans, 1987, 1993), 62-63:

• ―The person adopted (at any age) was taken out of

his previous condition, all old debts were cancelled,and he started a new life in a relation of sonship tothe new [family], whose name he took and to whoseinheritance he was entitled. The new father now

owned the adoptee‘s property, controlled hispersonal relationships, and had the right ofdiscipline, while assuming responsibility for hissupport and liability for his actions.‖



What Adoption Is

Toward a Definition



What Adoption Is:

Toward a Definition

• Adoption is God‘s gracious act of including

us as members of his family, sons in hishousehold with all the rights and privileges

of our new relationship with him.

• Let‘s break this down…



Adoption Is God‘s Gracious

Act



Adoption Is God‘s Gracious Act

• The reason we say that adoption is God‘s

gracious act hearkens us to the OldTestament notion of the Lord‘s ―adoption‖

of Israel.

• They were not selected because ofanything worthy in them; to the contrary,

they were chosen by God in spite of and indefiance of their unworthiness.




• Deut 7:6-8: For you are a holy people to the LORD yourGod; the LORD your God has chosen you to be a peoplefor His own possession out of all the peoples who are onthe face of the earth. The LORD did not set His love on

you nor choose you because you were more in numberthan any of the peoples, for you were the fewest of allpeoples, but because the LORD loved you and kept theoath which He swore to your forefathers, the LORDbrought you out by a mighty hand and redeemed you

from the house of slavery, from the hand of Pharaoh kingof Egypt.




• In addition to the grace of adoption being impliedby its relation to the Old Testament concept, theNew Testament understands adoption to be agift, and therefore in accordance with grace.

• Gal 4:5: …so that He might redeem those whowere under the Law, that we might receive theadoption as sons.

• Eph 1:5-6: He predestined us to adoption as

sons through Jesus Christ to Himself, accordingto the kind intention of His will, to the praise ofthe glory of His grace, which He freely bestowedon us in the Beloved.



By Adoption We Are Included

as Members of God‘s Family,Sons in His Household



Members of God‘s Family,

Sons in His Household

• As we have already noted, adoptionresults in our inclusion in God‘s family, as

sons in his household.

• As a result, there are certain privilegesthat belong to us with this new status.

• These privileges we can summarize as the

rights and privileges of a new relationshipwith the Triune God.



The Rights and Privileges of

AdoptionA New Relationship with the

Triune God



A New Relationship with

the Triune GodGod the Father




God the Father• We relate to him as our Father Savior rather

than simply Father Creator .

• Acts 17:28: …for in Him we live and move andexist, as even some of your own poets havesaid, ―For we also are His children.‖

• Rom 8:14-15: For all who are being led by theSpirit of God, these are sons of God. For you

have not received a spirit of slavery leading tofear again, but you have received a spirit ofadoption as sons by which we cry out, ―Abba!Father!‖




God the Father

• He understands us (and has compassion)

• Ps 103:13-14: Just as a father hascompassion on his children, So the LORDhas compassion on those who fear Him.For He Himself knows our frame; He ismindful that we are but dust.




God the Father• He provides for us• Matt 6:11: Give us this day our daily bread.• Matt 6:32-33: For the Gentiles eagerly seek all

these things; for your heavenly Father knows

that you need all these things. But seek first Hiskingdom and His righteousness, and all thesethings will be added to you.

• Luke 11:13: If you then, being evil, know how to

give good gifts to your children, how much morewill your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit tothose who ask Him?




God the Father• He disciplines us

• Heb 12:5-7, 10: …and you have forgotten theexhortation which is addressed to you as sons, ―MYSON, DO NOT REGARD LIGHTLY THE DISCIPLINE

OF THE LORD, NOR FAINT WHEN YOU AREREPROVED BY HIM; FOR THOSE WHOM THE LORDLOVES HE DISCIPLINES, AND HE SCOURGESEVERY SON WHOM HE RECEIVES.‖ It is for disciplinethat you endure; God deals with you as with sons; for

what son is there whom his father does notdiscipline?...10For they disciplined us for a short time asseemed best to them, but He disciplines us for our good,so that we may share His holiness.




God the Father• We have the assurance of his love

• Rom 8:15-16: For you have not received a spirit ofslavery leading to fear again, but you have received aspirit of adoption as sons by which we cry out, "Abba!

Father!― The Spirit Himself testifies with our spirit thatwe are children of God.

• Eph 1:5: He predestined us to adoption as sons throughJesus Christ to Himself, according to the kind intention ofHis will.

• John Calvin, Commentaries, XXI:120:6: ―TheSpirit…gives to us a well-founded belief that Godregards us with a father‘s love.‖




God the Father• We have assurance of our status as his sons• Rom 8:15-17: For you have not received a spirit

of slavery leading to fear again, but you havereceived a spirit of adoption as sons by which

we cry out, "Abba! Father!" The Spirit Himselftestifies with our spirit that we are children ofGod, and if children, heirs also, heirs of God andfellow heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer withHim so that we may also be glorified with Him.

• Gal 4:7: Therefore you are no longer a slave,but a son; and if a son, then an heir throughGod.




God the Father

• We have the liberty appropriate to our newstatus

• Rom 8:15: For you have not received a

spirit of slavery leading to fear again, butyou have received a spirit of adoption assons by which we cry out, ―Abba! Father!‖

• Gal 4:7: Therefore you are no longer aslave, but a son; and if a son, then an heirthrough God.



A New Relationship with the

Triune GodGod the Son




God the Son

• We relate to Jesus Christ as our brother

• Rom 8:29: For those whom He foreknew,He also predestined to become conformedto the image of His Son, so that He wouldbe the firstborn among many brethren.




God the Son

• We enjoy an inheritance as co-heirs withChrist

• Rom 8:17: …and if children, heirs also,

heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, ifindeed we suffer with Him so that we mayalso be glorified with Him.

• Gal 4:7: Therefore you are no longer aslave, but a son; and if a son, then an heirthrough God.




God the Son

• We enjoy the privilege of suffering withChrist

• Rom 8:17: …and if children, heirs also,

heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, ifindeed we suffer with Him so that we mayalso be glorified with Him.



A New Relationship with the

Triune GodGod the Holy Spirit

A N R l i hi i h




God the Holy Spirit

• We own the leadership of the Holy Spirit

• Rom 8:14-15: For all who are being led bythe Spirit of God, these are sons of God.For you have not received a spirit ofslavery leading to fear again, but you havereceived a spirit of adoption as sons by

which we cry out, "Abba! Father!"

A N R l i hi i h




God the Holy Spirit

• He is the down payment of our inheritance fromthe Father and through the Son.

• Eph 1:13-14: In Him, you also, after listening to

the message of truth, the gospel of yoursalvation—having also believed, you weresealed in Him with the Holy Spirit of promise,who is given as a pledge of our inheritance, with

a view to the redemption of God's ownpossession, to the praise of His glory.

A N R l i hi i h




God the Holy Spirit

• He is the down payment of our inheritance fromthe Father and through the Son.

• 2 Cor 1:21-22: Now He who establishes us withyou in Christ and anointed us is God, who alsosealed us and gave us the Spirit in our hearts asa pledge.

• Rom 8:23: And not only this, but also weourselves, having the first fruits of the Spirit,even we ourselves groan within ourselves,waiting eagerly for our adoption as sons, theredemption of our body.

A N R l ti hi ith




God the Holy Spirit

• He testifies to our new relationship withthe Father

• Rom 8:16: The Spirit Himself testifies with

our spirit that we are children of God.

A N R l ti hi ith




God the Holy Spirit

• He actuates our adoption.

• Gal 4:4-6: But when the fullness of thetime came, God sent forth His Son, born of

a woman, born under the Law, so that Hemight redeem those who were under theLaw, that we might receive the adoption assons. Because you are sons, God has

sent forth the Spirit of His Son into ourhearts, crying, ―Abba! Father!‖

A N R l ti hi ith




God the Holy Spirit

• He actuates our adoption.

• Rom 8:15: For you have not received aspirit of slavery leading to fear again, but

you have received a spirit of adoption assons by which we cry out, ―Abba! Father!‖



Summary



Summary

• Adoption is God‘s gracious act of including

us as members of his family, sons in hishousehold with all the rights and privileges

of our new relationship with him.

Condensed Theology Lecture 33

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