Wednesday, March 10, 2010
We All Began As Something Else - My Perspective on Adoption
This morning, I am doing something absolutely crazy...I am mailing off our adoption forms. I would be lying if I didn't tell you that I am truly excited about this whole process. As adoption has been at the forefront of my brain as of late, I must admit that I have been amazed at how it appears in the Christian Worldview. The truth is....we all began as something else. Before we came to faith in Christ, we were lost orphans. Now that we are redeemed, we understand that the religion that God loves best is taking care of the very things we once were. How insightful, how merciful, how sovereign is the God that we serve. He called you and me out of darkness, so that we may be used by him to call others out of the same bleak place. One way of doing this is by expanding both our literal and our spiritual families through the power of the gospel. I know this may sound rather stupid coming from someone in seminary, but isn't it amazing how much the gospel can not only transform individuals, but can transform families? First, God makes one unit out of two people, then he allows this unit to expand their joy by bringing in a child. As Christian couples that view themselves in the shadow of the cross and know the wonderful blessing of being image-bearers of God, this new child may look different, may smell different, may even speak a different language, but to them and to me, that does not matter. After all, we are all grafted in to the vine. And really, God calls us to love people, period. But how hard is it to love someone that is exactly like you. So consider this, adopt a child or help someone to adopt. It truly is kingdom work.
Friday, March 5, 2010
Christian Questions and Answers for Adoption Forms - My Personal Manifesto on Faith?
Christian Questionnaire Answers
Who is Jesus Christ?
Jesus is the second member of the Godhead sent by the Father to take on human flesh, live a sinless life, and be crucified, dead, buried, and resurrected, that those who come to believe in Him might have everlasting life. He is both fully God and fully man, born from the virgin Mary, and was the sacrifice or propitiation for our sin. Through His work on the cross, He bore the wrath of God the Father for the sins of those whom He loved in our stead, making a payment of infinite value to God Himself for our transgressions. He is both Lord, Savior, Prophet, Priest, and King in our lives. He died for our sins and will one day come again to gather His Church to rule with Him. To be as succinct as possible, He is both our personal Lord to whom we submit, and our personal Savior to whom we owe all the praise honor and glory. We believe that all of Scripture speaks to the above-mentioned facts.
How does one become a Christian?
One becomes a Christian by grace through faith in Christ alone; it is solely a work of God and cannot be earned by man. (Ephesians 2:8-9). Specifically, the Apostle Paul goes even further in Romans 10:9 to say that “if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.” To become a Christian, one must confess their guilty status as a sinner, truly repent of their offenses to God, believe that He was raised from the dead, and humbly submit themselves to Christ and accept Him as their personal Lord and Savior.
What does it mean to be born-again or to be born of God as mentioned in Bible passages such as John 3:3-8 and 1 John 3:9, 5:1, and 5:4?
John 3:3-8 is the passage where Jesus is teaching Nicodemus concerning the regeneration of the believer. Nicodemus is somewhat confused by this need to be born again, mistaking Jesus’ words to imply a need for a physical rebirth. What Scripture teaches that Jesus meant by being born again is that the Holy Spirit imparts to us a new spiritual and eternal life. When we are regenerated, we are no longer dead in our transgressions but are able to respond to the call of the Holy Spirit to trust in Christ as our Lord and Savior for our salvation. In 1 John 3:9, John here describes the primary evidence that someone truly is born again. If someone has truly accepted Jesus Christ, then they will not habitually sin because the Spirit, or “seed” as it is referred to in this passage, remains in the believer and transforms their desire to practice sin into a desire to please God through righteousness. In I John 5:1, John again mentions the new birth or what it means to be born again in connection with the God the Father. This verse explains that at the moment we are born again through the Holy Spirit enabling us to believe in Christ as the Messiah, we become children of God the Father which is proved by an intense love for Jesus His Son. Later on in verse 4, John explains that the born again believer is victorious because he able to overcome Satan and the sinful aspects of this world through his faith in Christ.
How do you know that you have complete assurance that you are going to heaven? What Bible verses can you name that give you this assurance?
To answer the first part of the question, we believe that we have complete assurance that we are going to heaven because the Word of God teaches the eternal security of the believer. If one is truly saved by God, then His salvation is impossible to thwart. See the following verses for support of this idea (these are just a quick list, again, we would argue that the entire canon of Scripture argues for this teaching):
“In Him, you also, after listening to the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation – having also believed, you were sealed 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 own possession, to the praise of his glory.” Ephesians 1:12-14
“Now He who establishes us with you in Christ and anointed us is God, who also sealed us and gave us the Spirit in our hearts as a pledge.” 2 Corinthians 1:21-22
“Now He who prepared us for this very purpose is God, who gave us the Spirit as a pledge.” 2 Corinthians 5:5
“Who will separate us from the love of Christ? Will tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? Just as it is written, ‘For Your sake we are being put to death all day long; we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered.’ But in all things we overwhelmingly conquer through Him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, will be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Romans 8:35-39
“For this is the will of My Father, that everyone who beholds the Son and believes in Him will have eternal life, and I Myself will raise him up on the last day.” John 6:40
If you stood before Christ and he asked, “Why should I let you into heaven?”, what would be your response?
First, we would hit our knees before our God and say that, though we do not deserve to enter into heaven, we can because we accepted the free gift of salvation that Christ himself provided for sinners like us through His death on the cross as testified about in His own words i.e. the Bible.
Who is and what are some of the functions of the Holy Spirit?
The Holy Spirit is the third person of the Godhead. First mentioned in Genesis 1:2, He appears throughout the Old Testament and empowers the followers of God to do special works according to the Father’s will. In the New Testament, Jesus describes the Spirit as “the Helper” that will “convict the world concerning sin and righteousness and judgment.” John 16:8. As far as functions go, the Spirit is the basic presence of God manifested in the world and in believers. In terms of specific functions, He inspired the writers of Scripture, calls believers to repentance by convicting them of their sin, regenerates believers, aids in the sanctification and eventual glorification of believers, helps in the perseverance, prayers, and overall unity of believers, and testifies to the glory of Jesus Christ to the glory of God the Father.
How do you deal with the sin problem in your life?
Because we believe in the total depravity of humanity, we would contend that the Word of God teaches Jesus deals with our sin problem once and for all in His atoning sacrifice on the cross. However, even though we are redeemed, believers still continue to struggle with sin in our lives. We deal with the problem of being sinners not yet glorified by confessing our sin to one another, being a part of a local church for corporate worship where we regularly hear the preaching of the Word that convicts of sin, and by attending small groups where believers hold each other accountable for their sin and obedience to Christ. Though Christ cleanses us from all sin without any human help, we do believe that we have a responsibility to pursue righteous living in an attempt to be holy as God himself is holy. 1 Peter 1:16. In addition, though we continually struggle with temptations of our fleshly nature, we know that God always will not allow us to be tested by more than we can stand and he will always provide us with a way to escape temptation as taught in 1 Corinthians 10:13.
What do you believe a person is to do to grow spiritually?
First, we would argue that a constant and disciplined reading of the Word of God helps us to grow spiritually because this is His revelation concerning Himself. The Word is the primary tool for the conviction of sin, for the preaching that will bear the message of salvation, and one of the primary agents of sanctification. In Psalm 1:1-2, David teaches that “Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the wicked, nor stands in the way of sinners, nor sits in the seat of scoffers; but his delight is in the law of the LORD, and on his law he meditates day and night.” This Psalm connects spiritual blessings and maturity with a passion for the Word. God’s message to believers is critical for growth as a Christian. Second, we believe that believers should come together as a community on a constant basis for the common purpose of glorifying God and holding each other accountable concerning our sin. Luke’s testimony of the early church in Acts teaches, “they devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers.” Acts 2:42. You cannot do Christianity alone. Even in Genesis, God said that it was not good for man to be alone. Having a strong faith community to mentor, correct, encourage, discipline, love and cherish believers and all out of a love for God and His glory is absolutely vital for spiritual maturity. You will notice that it mentions the apostles’ teaching; this is another way of stating the significance of Scripture. Lastly, the believer must make a daily decision to die to self, to personally kill their own sin by trying live as Christ did. Jesus himself once said “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me.” This means a constant battle must be waged everyday for the believer. We must lay down our selfishness and pick up the righteousness that only Christ can give. We must follow in the footsteps of Joshua and choose everyday which God we are going to serve: the one who sent His Son to die for our sins or the sick parodies we make ourselves out to be.
Do you have a time when you pray and read God’s Word?
Yes. We strive to have a family devotion every night possible that includes both prayer and the reading of Scripture. This will continue with our children when God so chooses to bless us with them.
Do you regularly attend a church? What denomination or type of church do you attend?
Yes. We attend a local Southern Baptist Church.
Who is Jesus Christ?
Jesus is the second member of the Godhead sent by the Father to take on human flesh, live a sinless life, and be crucified, dead, buried, and resurrected, that those who come to believe in Him might have everlasting life. He is both fully God and fully man, born from the virgin Mary, and was the sacrifice or propitiation for our sin. Through His work on the cross, He bore the wrath of God the Father for the sins of those whom He loved in our stead, making a payment of infinite value to God Himself for our transgressions. He is both Lord, Savior, Prophet, Priest, and King in our lives. He died for our sins and will one day come again to gather His Church to rule with Him. To be as succinct as possible, He is both our personal Lord to whom we submit, and our personal Savior to whom we owe all the praise honor and glory. We believe that all of Scripture speaks to the above-mentioned facts.
How does one become a Christian?
One becomes a Christian by grace through faith in Christ alone; it is solely a work of God and cannot be earned by man. (Ephesians 2:8-9). Specifically, the Apostle Paul goes even further in Romans 10:9 to say that “if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.” To become a Christian, one must confess their guilty status as a sinner, truly repent of their offenses to God, believe that He was raised from the dead, and humbly submit themselves to Christ and accept Him as their personal Lord and Savior.
What does it mean to be born-again or to be born of God as mentioned in Bible passages such as John 3:3-8 and 1 John 3:9, 5:1, and 5:4?
John 3:3-8 is the passage where Jesus is teaching Nicodemus concerning the regeneration of the believer. Nicodemus is somewhat confused by this need to be born again, mistaking Jesus’ words to imply a need for a physical rebirth. What Scripture teaches that Jesus meant by being born again is that the Holy Spirit imparts to us a new spiritual and eternal life. When we are regenerated, we are no longer dead in our transgressions but are able to respond to the call of the Holy Spirit to trust in Christ as our Lord and Savior for our salvation. In 1 John 3:9, John here describes the primary evidence that someone truly is born again. If someone has truly accepted Jesus Christ, then they will not habitually sin because the Spirit, or “seed” as it is referred to in this passage, remains in the believer and transforms their desire to practice sin into a desire to please God through righteousness. In I John 5:1, John again mentions the new birth or what it means to be born again in connection with the God the Father. This verse explains that at the moment we are born again through the Holy Spirit enabling us to believe in Christ as the Messiah, we become children of God the Father which is proved by an intense love for Jesus His Son. Later on in verse 4, John explains that the born again believer is victorious because he able to overcome Satan and the sinful aspects of this world through his faith in Christ.
How do you know that you have complete assurance that you are going to heaven? What Bible verses can you name that give you this assurance?
To answer the first part of the question, we believe that we have complete assurance that we are going to heaven because the Word of God teaches the eternal security of the believer. If one is truly saved by God, then His salvation is impossible to thwart. See the following verses for support of this idea (these are just a quick list, again, we would argue that the entire canon of Scripture argues for this teaching):
“In Him, you also, after listening to the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation – having also believed, you were sealed 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 own possession, to the praise of his glory.” Ephesians 1:12-14
“Now He who establishes us with you in Christ and anointed us is God, who also sealed us and gave us the Spirit in our hearts as a pledge.” 2 Corinthians 1:21-22
“Now He who prepared us for this very purpose is God, who gave us the Spirit as a pledge.” 2 Corinthians 5:5
“Who will separate us from the love of Christ? Will tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? Just as it is written, ‘For Your sake we are being put to death all day long; we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered.’ But in all things we overwhelmingly conquer through Him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, will be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Romans 8:35-39
“For this is the will of My Father, that everyone who beholds the Son and believes in Him will have eternal life, and I Myself will raise him up on the last day.” John 6:40
If you stood before Christ and he asked, “Why should I let you into heaven?”, what would be your response?
First, we would hit our knees before our God and say that, though we do not deserve to enter into heaven, we can because we accepted the free gift of salvation that Christ himself provided for sinners like us through His death on the cross as testified about in His own words i.e. the Bible.
Who is and what are some of the functions of the Holy Spirit?
The Holy Spirit is the third person of the Godhead. First mentioned in Genesis 1:2, He appears throughout the Old Testament and empowers the followers of God to do special works according to the Father’s will. In the New Testament, Jesus describes the Spirit as “the Helper” that will “convict the world concerning sin and righteousness and judgment.” John 16:8. As far as functions go, the Spirit is the basic presence of God manifested in the world and in believers. In terms of specific functions, He inspired the writers of Scripture, calls believers to repentance by convicting them of their sin, regenerates believers, aids in the sanctification and eventual glorification of believers, helps in the perseverance, prayers, and overall unity of believers, and testifies to the glory of Jesus Christ to the glory of God the Father.
How do you deal with the sin problem in your life?
Because we believe in the total depravity of humanity, we would contend that the Word of God teaches Jesus deals with our sin problem once and for all in His atoning sacrifice on the cross. However, even though we are redeemed, believers still continue to struggle with sin in our lives. We deal with the problem of being sinners not yet glorified by confessing our sin to one another, being a part of a local church for corporate worship where we regularly hear the preaching of the Word that convicts of sin, and by attending small groups where believers hold each other accountable for their sin and obedience to Christ. Though Christ cleanses us from all sin without any human help, we do believe that we have a responsibility to pursue righteous living in an attempt to be holy as God himself is holy. 1 Peter 1:16. In addition, though we continually struggle with temptations of our fleshly nature, we know that God always will not allow us to be tested by more than we can stand and he will always provide us with a way to escape temptation as taught in 1 Corinthians 10:13.
What do you believe a person is to do to grow spiritually?
First, we would argue that a constant and disciplined reading of the Word of God helps us to grow spiritually because this is His revelation concerning Himself. The Word is the primary tool for the conviction of sin, for the preaching that will bear the message of salvation, and one of the primary agents of sanctification. In Psalm 1:1-2, David teaches that “Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the wicked, nor stands in the way of sinners, nor sits in the seat of scoffers; but his delight is in the law of the LORD, and on his law he meditates day and night.” This Psalm connects spiritual blessings and maturity with a passion for the Word. God’s message to believers is critical for growth as a Christian. Second, we believe that believers should come together as a community on a constant basis for the common purpose of glorifying God and holding each other accountable concerning our sin. Luke’s testimony of the early church in Acts teaches, “they devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers.” Acts 2:42. You cannot do Christianity alone. Even in Genesis, God said that it was not good for man to be alone. Having a strong faith community to mentor, correct, encourage, discipline, love and cherish believers and all out of a love for God and His glory is absolutely vital for spiritual maturity. You will notice that it mentions the apostles’ teaching; this is another way of stating the significance of Scripture. Lastly, the believer must make a daily decision to die to self, to personally kill their own sin by trying live as Christ did. Jesus himself once said “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me.” This means a constant battle must be waged everyday for the believer. We must lay down our selfishness and pick up the righteousness that only Christ can give. We must follow in the footsteps of Joshua and choose everyday which God we are going to serve: the one who sent His Son to die for our sins or the sick parodies we make ourselves out to be.
Do you have a time when you pray and read God’s Word?
Yes. We strive to have a family devotion every night possible that includes both prayer and the reading of Scripture. This will continue with our children when God so chooses to bless us with them.
Do you regularly attend a church? What denomination or type of church do you attend?
Yes. We attend a local Southern Baptist Church.
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