6.3 After Incorporation

Chapter 6: Salvation
6.1 Predestination and Election'
6.2 The Conditions of Salvation

6.3 After Incorporation
6.3.1 Faith and Repentance

• We walk by faith and not by sight (2 Cor. 5:7).
• Hebrews 11--the faith chapter gives examples of faith among God's people (e.g., 11:6).
• Confession of sins (2:1--1:9 is more about pre-Christian sins)
• 2 Corinthians 7:10
• Progressive glorification! 2 Corinthians 3:18

6.3.2 Christian Maturity (a.k.a. entire sanctification)

• Hebrews 6:1--"Let us go into perfection"
• Philippians 3:15--"As many of us as are mature"
• 1 Thessalonians 5:23--"May God sanctify you entirely"
• Matthew 5:48--"Be complete as your heavenly Father is complete."
• 1 Peter 1:15-16--"Be holy as I am holy"

6.3.3 Falling Away

• The Apostle Paul: 1 Cor. 9:24-27; Phil. 3:10-12--Paul did not consider his own resurrection, glorification guaranteed.
• Romans 8:31-39 is talking about external forces, not a believer separating him or herself.
• Romans 11:19-21 speaks of branches that are grafted in being grafted back out.
• Hebrews and Apostasy: 3:14; 6:4-6; 10:26-27; 12:16-17
• John is more deterministic in its language. Speaks of individuals that leave having never truly been in (e.g., 1 John 2:19). However, "no one can take them out of my hand" is again about external forces rather than internal ones (John 10:28).

6.3.4 Final Justification

• 2 Corinthians 5:1-10 final justification by works
• Romans 2:5-10--final judgment according to works
• James 2--justification by faith and works

6.4 Proclamation of the Gospel (consider moving to Christology)
6.4.1 What is the Gospel?

• The pre-gospel in the Synoptics--good news of the kingdom of God, the approaching reign of God, in earth as in heaven
• 1 Corinthians 15:1-8--good news of the death, resurrection, and lordship of Jesus, and all that it entails.
• Romans 1:3-4--Jesus is king!
• The good news is that Jesus is Lord, and all that it entails.

6.4.2 The Great Commission

• Matthew 28:19-20--Go make disciples, baptizing, teaching
• 1 Corinthians 1:21--God has chosen to save the world using proclamation
• Preaching is the norm for evangelization--Romans 10:14-17
• Acts 1:8--the apostolic witness to the resurrection

6.4.3 Anonymous Christians?

• Beyond Israel--Abraham as a model (Gen. 15; Rom. 4; cf. Job, Nineveh)
• Romans 1:20--natural revelation and general knowledge of God
• Acts 17:27--nature as basis for seeking God
• John 1:9--the lighting of everyone
• A possible theology of prevenient grace

Previous "chapters"
Chapter 1: What is Biblical Theology?
Chapter 2: Theology of God
Chapter 3: Creation and Consummation
Chapter 4: Sin and Atonement
Interlude: A Theology of Israel
Chapter 5: Jesus the Christ