Ordination Theology (God's Way Of Salvation, Salvation Accomplished, Salvation Applied)

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1. What is a covenant?

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-It is an agreement between persons. The elements of a covenant consist of parties, obligations/stipulations, promises, oaths/vows, blessings and curses and witnesses.
God’s covenant with man is described as a “voluntary condescension on God’s part” (WCF 7). [COP POW]

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2. What is the Covenant of Works? Who are its parties?

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-(WSC 12) When God had created man, he entered into a covenant of life with him, upon condition of perfect obedience; forbidding him to eat of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, upon pain of death.
-The parties are God and Adam, as well as all the descendants of Adam.

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3. Is there a present validity to the Covenant of Works?

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-The present validity of the Covenant of Works is the federal headship of Adam. He is our representative, and his sin and the subsequent effects of the fall are passed down to his descendants. We have sinned, fallen, and reaped the consequences of disobedience in Adam.

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4. What is the Covenant of Redemption? who are its parties?

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-(WSC 20) God, having out of his mere good pleasure, from all eternity, elected some to everlasting life, did enter into a covenant of grace to deliver them out of the estate of sin and misery, and to bring them into an estate of salvation by a Redeemer.
-(WLC 31) The covenant of grace was made with Christ as the second Adam, and in him with all the elect as his seed.

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5. Discuss the Covenant of Grace

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-Gracious = God had no obligation to enter into covenant and his word is the insurance of its validity.
-Trinitarian = Father elects, Son justifies, Spirit applies effectually
-Eternal = cannot be broken
-Particular = only effectual for the elect, not universal in scope
-One covenant of grace with various administrations (dispensations)

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6. How is the Covenant of Grace related to the Abrahamic Covenant? Mosaic? Noahic?

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-The promised Redeemer (seed of Gen 3:15 is coming one step closer in the covenant with Abraham. God chooses one man to be the eventual father of the promised Redeemer, the scope of the covenant encompasses all nations (eventually), and the sign of circumcision is added to the covenant as a physical reminder of God’s faithfulness to his covenant.
- The stipulations of the law are given in great detail under this administration of the covenant, regarding sacrifice, worship, and community, as a response to the redemption God achieves on behalf of his people.
- This administration of the covenant underscores God’s intention not to abandon the work of his hands but to sustain, preserve, and redeem his good creation through families, despite the ongoing presence of sin in the world.

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7. Discuss the relationship between the Old and New Covenants. Defend from Scripture.

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a. WCF 7. 6
b. WLC 32, 33, 34, 35
c. There is one covenant with different dispensations. (Galatians 3:14) Gal 3:14-15 He redeemed us in order that the blessing given to Abraham might come to the Gentiles through Christ Jesus, so that by faith we might receive the promise of the Spirit. (15) Brothers, let me take an example from everyday life. Just as no one can set aside or add to a human covenant that has been duly established, so it is in this case.
d. There is a distinction between the Old and New (Heb 8:6-7 But the ministry Jesus has received is as superior to theirs as the covenant of which he is mediator is superior to the old one, and it is founded on better promises. (7) For if there had been nothing wrong with that first covenant, no place would have been sought for another.....Heb 8:13 By calling this covenant "new," he has made the first one obsolete; and what is obsolete and aging will soon disappear.), and the New in this sense replaces the old.

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8. Explain and defend with Scripture proofs the orthodox doctrine of the person of Christ.

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-(WSC 21) The only redeemer of God’s elect is the Lord Jesus Christ, who, being the eternal son of God, became man, and so was, and continues to be, God and man in two distinct natures, and one person, forever.
-Luke 1:35 = birth of Christ, fully man
-Colossians 2:9= fully God
- Hebrews 1:1-4 = the union of both God and man

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9. Briefly discuss the natures of Christ, including:
a. Was Christ a human person?
b. Does Christ have a soul?

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c. (WSC 22) Christ took to himself a true body and a reasonable soul, being conceived by the power of the Holy Spirit in the womb of the virgin Mary and born of her, yet without sin.

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10. What is kenosis?

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- Kenosis is a theological term from Philippians 2:5-11 which refers to the incarnation of Christ. He is described as having “emptied himself” and taken human form. In taking on human flesh, Christ is spoken of undergoing some manner of self-limitation. The emptying has two aspects to it: taking on the likeness of sinful humanity and enduring death on the cross. Dr. Bayer underscores the humility of Christ in not exercising all the privileges of the godhead in the incarnation.

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11. Did Christ lay aside any of his divine attributes at the incarnation?

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-No, Colossians 2:9 - “in Christ, all the fullness of the deity lives in bodily form”

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12. Docetism

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Christ only appears to become a man, the suffering and other human traits were merely imaginary phenomena - not a true body and a rational soul at the incarnation. John 20 and Thomas touching the nail prints and the wounded side of Jesus.

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• Arius

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Christ is not the eternal son of God, the first created being. John 1:1-14.

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• Nestorius

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Christ is divided into two persons, a human and divine. Colossians 2:9.

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• Apollinarius

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• Apollinarius= Christ lacked a human soul. WSC 22 - “reasonable soul”

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• Eutyches

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• Eutyches= Christ only had one nature, a mixture of both human and divine. WSC 22- “two distinct natures”.

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13. Are any these early heresies regarding the nature of Christ held today? If so, by whom?

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-The Jehovah Witnesses and the Mormons hold a form of Arianism.

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14. Explain and defend the doctrine of the “communication of properties.”

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- A term within Christology that attempts to account for the way in which each of Christ’s natures’ properties are interchanged in the unity of his personhood. Both the human and divine properties are held in common by the one person of Christ in the incarnation.

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15. Define the following names:
Jesus, Son of Man
Christ, Son of God
Lord, Lamp of God

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a. Jesus = he will save his people from their sins
b. Son of Man= Jesus favorite title for himself, taken from the book of Daniel
c. Christ = Messiah, the anointed one of God
d. Son of God= Jesus unique reality as the second member of the trinity
e. Lord= New Testament designation for Christ as Yahweh.
f. Lamb of God= Jesus as the sacrificial lamb who takes away the sins of the world

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16. How was Christ born?

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Christ, the Son of God, became man, by taking to himself a true body, and a reasonable soul, being conceived by the power of the Holy Ghost, in the womb of the Virgin Mary, and born of her yet without sin. WSC #22

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17. Explain and defend the Virgin Birth.

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Christ, the Son of God, became man, by taking to himself a true body, and a reasonable soul, being conceived by the power of the Holy Ghost, in the womb of the Virgin Mary, and born of her yet without sin. WSC #22
-Isaiah 7:14, Luke 1:16-38

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18. Trace the revelation of the person and work of Christ from the beginning of the Old Testament.

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a. promised redeemer in Gen 3:15
b. prophet, priest, and king
c. temple implements, sacrifices, and laws
d. Angel of the Lord

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19. What is the humiliation of Christ?

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Christ’s humiliation consisted in being born and that in a low condition made under the law undergoing the miseries of this life the wrath of God and the cursed death of the cross, in being buried and continuing under the power of death for a time.” WSC #26

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20. Define and distinguish the active and passive obedience of Christ.

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-Active = He fulfills the stipulations of the moral law in perfect obedience
-Passive= He willingly undergoes the curses of the law for our sakes.

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21. What happened in the resurrection of Christ?

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Christ's exaltation consisteth in his rising again from the dead on the third day, in ascending up into heaven, in sitting at the right hand of God the Father, and in coming to judge the world at the last day. – WSC#28

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22. Discuss the “glorified body”

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- The glorified body is the resurrected state whereby the body is animated and guided wholly by the Spirit, free from sinful inclinations, imperishable, glorious and powerful.

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23. What are the offices of Christ? How does Christ execute them?

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Christ, as our Redeemer, executeth the offices of a prophet, of a priest, and of a king, both in his estate of humiliation and exaltation. WSC #23

Christ executeth the office of a prophet, in revealing to us, by his word and Spirit, the will of God for our salvation. WSC #24

Christ executeth the office of a priest, in his once offering up of himself a sacrifice to satisfy divine justice, and reconcile us to God, and in making continual intercession for us. WSC #25

Christ executeth the office of a king, in subduing us to himself, in ruling and defending us, and in restraining and conquering all his and our enemies. WSC #26

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24. Who is the only redeemer of God’s elect?

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The only Redeemer of God's elect is the Lord Jesus Christ, who, being the eternal Son of God, became man, and so was, and continueth to be, God and man in two distinct natures, and one person, for ever. -WSC 21

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25. What is a redeemer?

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Someone who buys back another from slavery or bondage of some sort.

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26. What is the atonement?

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Christ paying the penalty for our sin. He died my death and paid my debt. It combines the images of justifying, reconciling, substituting, and assuaging God’s wrath.

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27. Was the atonement necessary?

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You bet, baby! Man is spiritually unable to please God or turn away his wrath by nature. We are enslaved to sin, and God must punish sin by death (Romans 3:23). God made Christ who knew no sin to become sin on our behalf that we might become the righteousness of God in Christ Jesus (2 Cor 5:21).

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28. Why isn’t a good life enough to gain salvation?

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Ephesians 2:1-10

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Define:
Expiation, Propitiation
Reconciliation, Redemption
Imputation

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a. Expiation= atonement for sins through the death of Christ on the cross as the sacrifice once and for all
b. Propitiation= turn away/satisfy God’s wrath
c. Reconciliation= restoring alienated people back into fellowship
d. Redemption = to buy back at a price
e. Imputation = to reckon, to charge to one’s account. Christ’s righteousness is imputed to believers.

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30. What is the nature of the atonement? Discuss “penal substitutionary atonement”.

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Galatians 3:13-14 = Christ became a curse for us that we may avoid the curse
2 Corinthians 5:21 = Christ became sin for us that we may receive declaration of righteousness from God.

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31. What of Christ’s remains to be done?

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The calling of the elect to salvation, his second coming, and the subsequent judgement of all the nations.

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32. Were the Old Testament believers saved by Christ?

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-WCF 8.6
Promise of the Redeemer looked forward to by OT saints as we look back at the cross

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33. Will any for whom Christ died be lost?

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NO
- WCF 8.8
-John 6:37
-John 10:27-28
-Romans 8

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27. Was the atonement necessary?

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You bet, baby! Man is spiritually unable to please God or turn away his wrath by nature. We are enslaved to sin, and God must punish sin by death (Romans 3:23). God made Christ who knew no sin to become sin on our behalf that we might become the righteousness of God in Christ Jesus (2 Cor 5:21).

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28. Why isn’t a good life enough to gain salvation?

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Ephesians 2:1-10

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Define:
Expiation, Propitiation
Reconciliation, Redemption
Imputation

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a. Expiation= atonement for sins through the death of Christ on the cross as the sacrifice once and for all
b. Propitiation= turn away/satisfy God’s wrath
c. Reconciliation= restoring alienated people back into fellowship
d. Redemption = to buy back at a price
e. Imputation = to reckon, to charge to one’s account. Christ’s righteousness is imputed to believers.

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30. What is the nature of the atonement? Discuss “penal substitutionary atonement”.

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Galatians 3:13-14 = Christ became a curse for us that we may avoid the curse
2 Corinthians 5:21 = Christ became sin for us that we may receive declaration of righteousness from God.

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31. What of Christ’s remains to be done?

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The calling of the elect to salvation, his second coming, and the subsequent judgement of all the nations.

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32. Were the Old Testament believers saved by Christ?

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-WCF 8.6
Promise of the Redeemer looked forward to by OT saints as we look back at the cross

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33. Will any for whom Christ died be lost?

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NO
- WCF 8.8
-John 6:37
-John 10:27-28
-Romans 8

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• What about the sincere Buddhist (or Moslem, or Unitarian)?

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There sincerity is commendable, but in the end we must declare that they are sincerely wrong.

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8. Define and defend (include Scripture proofs) the doctrine of “justification”.

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"Justification is an act of God 's free grace, where he pardons all our sins, and accepts us as righteous in his sight only for the righteousness of Christ imputed to us, and received by faith alone. "-WSC 33
"..for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that comes by Christ Jesus. "-Romans 3:23-24

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9. What is the basis of justification?

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The finished work of Christ credited to our account by faith.
"Those whom God effectually calls, He also freely justifies; not by infusing righteousness into them, but by accounting and accepting their persons as righteous; not for anything wrought in them, or done by them, but for Christ's sake alone; nor by imputing faith itself, the act of believing or any other evangelical obedience to them, as their righteousness; but by imputing the obedience and satisfaction of Christ unto them, they receiving and resting on Him and His righteousness by faith; which faith they have not of themselves, it is the gift of God. "- WCF 11.1

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10. Explain this statement: "Faith alone saves, but saving faith is never alone.”

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Salvation is by faith alone, but true saving faith unites you to Christ and thus his Spirit conforms you after his image producing works of obedience. All saving faith will produce good fruit.
"Faith, thus receiving and resting on Christ and his righteousness, is the alone instrument of justification: yet is not alone in the person justified, but is ever accompanied with all other saving graces, and is no dead faith, but works by love. "-WCF 11.2
"You see that a person is justified by what he does and not by faith alone." James 2:24

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11. When is a Christian justified?

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When the Holy Spirit applies the work of Christ to you by faith. (When he/she trusts in Christ)
"God did, from all eternity decree to justify all the elect, and Christ did, in the fullness of time, die for their sins, and rise again for their justification: nevertheless, they are not justified, until the Holy Spirit does in due lime, actually apply Christ to them." WCF 11.4

"Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, because through Christ Jesus the Jaw of the Spirit of life set me free from the law of sin and death. "-Romans 8:1,2

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12. What happens when a Christian sins after being justified?

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They may fall under fatherly discipline and need to humble themselves asking for forgiveness.
"God does continue to forgive the sins of those that are justified; and, although they can never fall from the slate of justification, yet they may, by their sins, fall under God's fatherly displeasure, and not have the light of His countenance restored unto them, until they humble themselves, confess their sins, beg pardon, and renew their faith and repentance. " WCF 11.5

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13. How were believers justified under the old covenant?

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They looked forward, in faith, by grace, for send a Messiah to take away restore God’s favor, just as we look back in faith by grace.

"The justification of believers under the old testament was, in all these respects, one and the same with the justification of believers under the new testament." WCF 11.6
"What then shall we say that Abraham, our forefather, discovered in this matter? If in fact, Abraham was justified by works, he had something to boast about-but not before God. What does the Scripture say? Abraham believed God and it was credited to him as righteousness." Romans 4:1-3

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14. Define and defend (include Scripture proofs) the doctrine of “adoption”.

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"Adoption is an act of God' s free grace where we are received into the number, and have a , right to all the privileges, of the sons of God." WSC 34

"The Spirit testifies with our spirit that we are God's children. Now if we are children, then we are heirs-heirs of God and coheirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory." Romans 8:17-18

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"Adoption is an act of God' s free grace where we are received into the number, and have a , right to all the privileges, of the sons of God." WSC 34

"The Spirit testifies with our spirit that we are God's children. Now if we are children, then we are heirs-heirs of God and coheirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory." Romans 8:17-18

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"Sanctification is the work of God's free grace, where we are renewed in the whole man after the image of God; and are enabled more and more to die to sin, and live to righteousness.” WSC #35

" But we ought always to thank God for you, brothers loved by the Lord, because from the beginning God chose you to be saved through the sanctifying work of the Spirit and through the belief in the truth. He called you to this through our gospel, that you might share in the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ." 2 Thessalonians 2:13-14
Romans 6; Romans 8:1-15

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16. Can anyone become perfect (completely sanctified) in this life? Defend (include Scripture proofs).

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No, “This sanctification is throughout the whole man; yet imperfect in this life, there abiding still Some remnants of corruption in every part; whence arises the continual and irreconcilable war, the flesh lusting against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh." WCF 13.2

Romans 7