GOD : God is one (Eph.4:6; Deu.6:4). He is Omnipotent, Omnipresent, and Omniscient.
TRINITY of God : Gen.1:26, Isa.6:3, 8, 42:1; 48:16; Mat.28:19, Jn.14:16,26; 2 Cor.13:14; Rev.4:8
Man is triune : Body, Soul & Spirit - Gen.1:26; I Thes.5:23; Rom.7:23.
Satan is triune : Dragon or Old serpent (Rev.12:4, 9), Anti-Christ (Rev.13:1), False Prophet (Rev.13:11).
Dispensations :
Ten dispensations are : -
i) The Angelic dispensation
ii) The Dispensation of Innocence
iii) The Dispensation of Conscience
iv) The Dispensation of Law
v) The Dispensation of Transition
vi) The Dispensation of Grace
vii) The Dispensation of Tribulation
viii) The Dispensation of Great Tribulation
ix) The Millennial Reign
x) The Coming Eternity.
Seven Ages are :-
Past Eternity, Angelic period, Innocence period, Old World (2 Pet.2:5), Present world (Gal.1:4; Eph.1:21), World to come or Millennium (Heb.6:4-6) and Coming Eternity.
Salvation : Three aspects of salvation – saved, being saved and will be saved.
Saved : When we receive born again experience we are saved (salvation of soul).
Being saved : Daily die and daily live for Christ experience (salvation of spirit); in every steps of salvation, there is a `salvation’.
Will be saved : Final salvation of our body (I Pet.1:4)
Salvation can be lost (Heb.6:4-8, Mat.13:25, Mat.7:21)
SEVEN STEPS OF SALVATION :
1. Born again : Conviction of sin, repentance for sin, confession and forsake of sin and accept Jesus Christ. Aspects of Born again, Conviction, confession, repentance, restitution, reconciliation.
2. Water Baptism: Council of God (Luke 7:30), Noah and family got saved through water (I Pet.3:20), Abraham crossed the river (Josh.24:2), Israelites crossed Red Sea (I Cor.10:4). A laver kept in the door of the tabernacle (Exo.38:8) in which Priests washed their body while going to minister into the holy place of the tabernacle. I Kg. 7:23 – Salomon’s molten sea is a type of water baptism. All Christian churches administers water baptism, nobody deny the truth of water baptism but mode is different. Water baptism is a step to enter into the kingdom of God (John 3:5), Water baptism is for those who believe and repent (Mk.16:16; Act.2:38). Baptism is one and not once baptism (Eph.4:5), There are doctrine of BAPTISMS (Heb.6:1), so one should study it in detail. At baptism, our old man die and we put on Jesus Christ (Rom.6:4; Gal.3:27). Right Water Baptism helps a person to receive Holy Spirit and therefore St.Paul gave a second water baptism to some disciples of John (Act.19:1-7). Even if we receive Holy Spirit first, we should obey to the truth of water baptism (Act.10:47,48). By taking the Water Baptism we begin to fulfill the righteousness of God in our life (Mat.3:15). Water Baptism is a burial of our old man and therefore sprinkling baptism is not biblical. John gave baptism in Enon since there was much water (Jn.3:23).
3. Holy Spirit: God gave His Spirit to them that obey His commandments (Act.5:32). It is the promise of the Father (Luke 24:49) and Gift from Him (Act.2:38). Holy Spirit comes in our heart (Rom.5:5) and sanctify our body, soul and spirit (I Thes.5:23; Mat.13:33). We have been sealed by the Holy Spirit for the day of redemption (Eph.1:14; 4:30). Holy Spirit will lead us to all truth (Jn.16:13) and those who are lead by the Holy Spirit, they shall be called the sons of God (Rom.8:14). Holy Spirit helps us in our prayer (Rom.8:26; Jude 20). Our names will be written in the Lamb’s book of Life (Rev.21:27).
4. Divine Healing : This is the promise of God (Exo.15:26, Ps.103:3). Jesus died for our sickness (Is.53:4; I Pet.2:24). Jesus healed all kinds of sickness (Mat.11:5). He gave commands to His disciples to do the same ministry (Mat.10:8). Divine healing is the `children’s bread’ (Mat.15:26). Asa searched after the physician when he was sick instead of seeking God (2 Chro.16:12). When we are sick, we should call the elders of the church (Jas.5:14,15). There are four kinds of healing; natural healing, witchcraft healing, medical healing and divine healing.
Natural healing : No treatment, no prayer, faith is not worked in such healing. E.g. dog used to eat leaves when it is sick.
Witchcraft Healing : Satan is the author of sickness and we surrender to Satan and get a temporary relief. There is no victory but surrender to our enemy.
Medical Healing: Sickness starts in our soul and then it comes to our body. Root cause of sickness is our sin. Doctors treat our bodily sickness and not for our sin. It is like a drumstick tree. If you remove the branches, after some time again the tree will grow. Otherwise, it is like removing the spiders’ web from our house to clean, instead of killing the spider.
Divine Healing : When we confess our sins to God, He first forgives our sins and thereby we receive physical healing too. One woman who had blood issue spent all her money for treatment and finally she came to Jesus and got healed (Luke 8:43). From the above, we find that Divine Healing is for God’s people and there is no other healing for them.
5. Separation Life : (Act.2:40; 2 Cor.6:14) When we maintain the separation life, God will be our Father.
6. Sanctification Life : God has called us for sanctification (I Thes.4:7) and it is the will of God (v.3). Holy in all our walk. Be ye holy, as I am holy says the Lord (I Pet.2:15. “…for Judah hath profaned the holiness of the LORD which he loved” (Mal.2:11). Sanctification by the blood of Jesus (I Jn.1:7,9) by His word (Jn.15:3; 17:17) and by His Spirit (Rom.15:16; I Thes.5:23).
7. Victorious Life : Throne is promised for the victorious man child (Rev.12:5, 3:21). Victory over Satan, over world and flesh (I Jn.2:16). Jesus took victory over all these three (Mat.4:1-10).
Order of resurrection :
There is an order for resurrection (I Cor.15:23; Dan.12:13). Mainly, these are divided into two – Better Resurrection or First Resurrection (Heb.11:35; Rev.20:6) and Second Resurrection. Sl. No.2 to 5 comes under better resurrection or first resurrection and 6 & 7 comes in Second Resurrection.
1. Christ (1 Cor.15:23)
2. Bride of Christ at His secret coming or at the end of Grace period (I Cor.15:23). He will come like a thief (I Thes.4:16; 5:2). Immediately after the rapture, there will be a seven years tribulation on this earth when Antichrist will rule this world with one currency. First 3.5 years he will persecute the left behind people of the church (Mat.25:1-10) and at the same time Jews will get help from him to build their temple. In the middle, he will break the covenant with Jews and will start persecute Jews (Dan.9:27; Mat.24:15)
3. Tribulation Martyrs (Rev.12:17; Mat.24:31; 25:1-10) when Jews will see Him (Zech.12:10). This will take place in the middle of the seven years tribulation period.
4. Enoch & Elijah : During the second half of the tribulation, Enoch and Elijah will come one this earth and will fight for Jews against Antichrist. They are the two who went to heaven without tasting death and they are the first fruit of Conscious Period and Law Period respectively. Finally they will be killed and their body will be seen on the streets of Jerusalem for 3.5 days over T.V. and other media (Rev.11:9).
5. O.T.saints and General martyrs: At the end of the tribulation period (Mat.11:18) after Armageddon War.
All these five groups will rule this earth during millennium on this earth together with Jesus (Rev.20:4-6).
6. Resurrection of saved people, whose names are written only in the book of life (Rev.20:12-15).
7. Resurrection of sinners. Those who have not believed God, those who have not accepted the salvation of Jesus, those who have gone back from God and all that are not included in the above five groups.
Both 6 and 7 groups will be gathered before the White Throne of Jesus (Mat.25:34) as sheep and goat at the end of millennium after Gog Magog war.
PLACES IN ETERNITY :
There are different places or mansions in heaven or eternity (Jn.14:1-3). There are least, great, greater and greatest in the kingdom of God (Mat.11:11, 25:45; Lk 9:48).
Tabernacle of Moses is a type and shadow of heaven (Heb.8:5) in which we see 3 places, outer-court, holy place and most holy place. In eternity also we see three places – New Earth, New Heaven and New Jerusalem (Rev.21:1-3). Mercy Seat is a type of Zion where God dwells, which is inside the Most Holy Place.
Who will go to where?
New Earth : All saved people at the end of White Throne Judgement.
New Heaven : O. T. Saints, Tribulation Martyrs and General Martyrs including Abel, John the Baptist and Stephen (Mat.11:11)
New Jerusalem : Bride of Christ (perfected New Testament saints) who are built upon the corner stone and foundation stones (Eph.2:20-22) by the Holy Spirit.
Zion : Capital of Eternity where God alongwith His consecrated servants of God of N.T. period will live (Rev.22:5). On the mount Zion, they will be seen as 1,44,000 (Rev.14:1-5). New Jerusalem & Zion together is equal to Most Holy Place of the tabernacle of Moses where Jesus opened a new and living way by His death (Heb.10:19-20). Here 1,44,000 mentioned in chapter 7 and 14 of the Book of Revelation are not one group.
FUNCTION OF THE CHURCH :
Church is one because faith is one, body is one, and head is one. This church is the universal church of God. Names may be different but stands on the apostolic doctrine. Believers are known as sheep and ministers are known as “co-labourers with Christ”. (I Cor.3:9). God appointed five offices in the church for its perfection (Eph.4:11-13). They are the ambassadors for Christ (2 Cor.5:20). To become an ambassador the qualification is Luke 14:26,33. They are shepherds and Jesus is Great Shepherd (I Pet.5:1-5). They have three main responsibilities – to keep the charge of the church, do the ministry in the church and bless the congregation. Since they left everything, God appointed tithes for them. Others have no authority to receive tithes and bless God’s people.
St.Paul was a bachelor (I Cor.7:8). Peter though married, they considered their wife as sisters (I Cor.9:5) after coming for the ministry. They appointed elders in various places when the ministry was enlarged (I Tim.3:1-5). They are the care-takers of the local church and had to preach the same doctrine which Paul and other apostles preached.
According to the Book of Henry, a Deacon is an assistant to the Pastor and Teacher. They may be a church warden, elder, overseer of the poor. The outward business of the church of God is entrusted to them (Neh.11:16).
MINISTRY & GOSPEL
In one sense both believers and servants of God are alike disciples of Christ and they have ministries according to their calling; while believers have the ministry outside the church to preach the `gospel of salvation’ (Eph.1:13), which consists the `oracles of God’ or `primary doctrine’ (Heb.6:1,2) among non-believers, like a part-time ministry, servants of God who have born in Zion (Ps.87:5) by consecrating everything according to Luke 14:26,33 and made themselves eunuchs (Mat.19:11,12) preach the `gospel of glory’ (2 Cor.4:4) inside the church to the believers to bring them to perfection (Eph.4:11-13). Therefore, when a person says that I am going to serve God, he should first realize what kind of ministry he wants to do. Sheep begets sheep and not shepherds. Therefore, bring the new souls is the duty of every believer.
DOCTRINE : (Good doctrine or sound doctrine) – I Tim.4:6; 2 Tim.4:3.
Doctrine is very important in one’s spiritual life. We should not handle the word of God deceitfully (2 Cor.4:2). If any man teach otherwise, and consent not to wholesome words, even the words of our Lord Jesus Christ, and to the doctrine which is according to godliness; (I Tim.6:3). In the Christian world there are various kinds of erroneous doctrines or perverted gospels and Jesus warned us to refrain from erroneous doctrines. St. Paul speaks about `sound doctrine’ (2 Tim. 4:3) or `wholesome word of God’ (I Tim.6:3). St. Paul also speaks about preaching of `another Christ’, `another spirit, another gospel, false apostles, deceitful workers, etc. (2 Cor.11:4,5,13) and such one are accursed (Gal.1:8,9). From this, it is clear that we should follow that `one faith’ (Eph.4:5) or one doctrine and contend for the same (Jude 3). This one doctrine is `apostolic doctrine’ preached by first century apostles, which got all the above seven steps of salvation, doctrine of resurrection, places of eternity, Zion and New Jerusalem, etc. Every child of God should build upon this faith and get ready for His coming. St. Paul says `form of doctrine’ (Rom.6:17) or `dye of doctrine’. All those who go through that dye will be alike and if anyone goes through another dye, he cannot be same. We are living stones (Eph.2:21, I Pet.2:6) and it should be made ready before hand (I Kg.6:7) because while building no sound of hammer or ax should be heard. New Jerusalem is fitly framed together (Ps.122:1,2; Eph.2:22).