God

Born Again–the Salvation Experience

The Tree of Knowledge, painting by Lucas Crana...

Image via Wikipedia

Salvation begins with an experience of new birth apart from natural birth into the world. According to the Bible, all humanity has descended from Adam and Eve who were created sinless and perfect by God from the dust of the earth (Genesis 1 :26, 27 ; 2:7). Though brought into existence for fellowship with God, they were given the agency of free will to make personal choices in the newly created world.

At some point this faculty was tested by Satan in a temptation to eat fruit from the forbidden tree of knowledge of good and evil–a temptation that was failed and which changed the nature of humanity forever (Genesis 3:1-20). Because of this failure, the nature of sin was inbred to the offspring of the first family throughout the succeeding generations. This resulted in an innate tendency to rebel against the will of God (Romans 5:12).

In his first letter to the Corinthian Church, the Apostle Paul mentions that the solution to this sin problem, and its penalty is through the remedy of Christ’s sin offering at Calvary and His subsequent resurrection (1 Corinthians 15:21, 22). It is through the death ,burial and resurrection of Christ that fallen humanity rediscovers and experiences the life lost by disobedience of our ancestors in the garden of Eden–a spiritual rebirth.

This born again experience cannot be achieved through an intellectual process, as was clearly explained by Jesus to Nicodemus (John 3:1-18), but through another kind based upon belief in Jesus Christ as the Son of God and faith in His crucifixion and resurrection as being enough for redemption and confession of personal sin. This Salvation of the soul begins with a decided repentance from sin but is consummated by works of the spirit in the life of the individual–justification and regeneration. being born again depends not only upon faith of the person seeking salvation, but also upon the works of grace in the heart by the Holy Ghost.

The Sanctity Of The Home

This is a figure illustrating the greater rate...

Image via Wikipedia

Long before the Church was purchase by Christ, the home was ordained of God in the Garden of Eden. In the beginning the Creator spoke into existence the heavens, the earth, the fish of the sea and the animals of the fields; yet He concluded the sixth day with the creation of husband and wife charging them with dominion and care of the earth (Genesis 1:27, 28). So concerned was God with the quality of relationship of this first family and others that would follow–that He gave principles for its success.

“Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife; and they shall be one flesh” (Genesis 2 : 24). Within this scripture are three specific dynamics that are essential to the success of any home, Christian or otherwise: Leaving, cleaving and weaving

For any marriage to succeed, it is incumbent upon both partners that each leave his/her home of childhood and relinquish the priority of those relationships for the sake of establishing one with the new spouse. Far too many young marriages are jeopardized because of former attachments to parents have not been properly readjusted; in fact, mother and father have not been left behind but are along to the marriage where their involvement brings about eventual complications.

Once parents have been decisively left behind the process of cleaving becomes the business at hand. According to the Strong Bible dictionary, the Hebrew word translated into English as cleave is dabaq, which means to” abide. . .cleave (fast together). . . be joined (together) . . . stick.” In essence, it means husband  and wife are to be glued and bonded together in a close intimate relationship designed for a lifetime of experience.

Such a status for the marital relationship is not a once-and for-all achievement, but a constant process of intimacy that comes about only through nourishment and exclusive commitment to each other on the basis of selfless love. The consequence of cleaving is a weaving together of “one flesh” –first as a single entity that absolves itself from independent rights and personal concerns for sake of the marital relationship, and second in the production of an offspring that resembles both partners and concretely represents the single entity of the marriage itself. (See Matthew 19:5, Mark 10 : 7, 8. and Ephesians 5 : 31). Hence the dynamics of leaving, cleaving,and weaving provide the foundation of marriage and contribute to the growth and success of the husband/wife relationship.

In the Scripture, the role of husband , wife and children and their interrelationship, are given in detail. The fact that they are recognized as “family” roles in no way diminishes or discounts the various social definitions of what constitute a family in American society today. Indeed, they are significant numbers of “families” comprised of childless marriage couples, and single parents with children. Nevertheless, for the purpose of  this article, the nuclear family is understood to consist of the basic roles available to that unit; the husband, wife and children

Related articles

Validity and Authority of Scripture (Inerrant Word of God)

Jesus resurrected and Mary Magdalene

Image via Wikipedia

The validity and authority of  Scriptures is often called into question, mostly by those who believe there is no God.

In an age where skepticism prevails, Pentecostals affirm the Bible as the divinely inspired and inerrant Word of God. Scriptures is the result of God moving upon holy men to carefully record His revelation of truth to all humanity (2 Timothy 3:16, 17 ; Matthew 5:18; 2 Peter 1:20, 21; John 5:39), a source the Church has always considered final and authoritative for doctrine.

Besides this critical claim as the source of infallible truth, there are two other alternative stances taken by others toward the Bible: (1) absolute error and (2) a composite of both truth and error. The first alternative is clearly understood and rejected by Pentecostals, though the second poses a more complex problem. Liberal scholars often point to contrived inconsistencies and contradictions in the Bible; however, if only discreet parts are accepted as true, then the whole must be judged as ultimately unreliable.

Further, it is argued, if the divinely infallible Christ is related to fallible Scripture, how can an errant word of God reveal an inerrant Christ who is believed to be the incarnate Word? Such logic is contradictory and inconsistent with the foundation necessary for strong Christian faith. Therefore, Pentecostals categorically reject all perspectives of Scripture opposing that of absolute inerrancy and divine inspiration.

In addressing this issue, Pentecostals offer further logic as notable evidence for this stand. First, it is of inconsistent character for a trustworthy God who desires reconciliation with lost humanity to offer a flawed revelation of the divine plan. Second, the power of life-transformation attests to the truth of the Bible; the lives of countless millions have been miraculously changed by the word of God.

Finally, that a pervasive unity and harmony exist in Scripture, despite the diversity of authors and centuries separating them, lends strong support to the Bible as the infallible word of God.

Though a majority of mainline protestant denominations reject the Bible as accurate and divinely inspired, Pentecostals hold steadfast to that claim and faithfully depend upon its truth as the foundation for their beliefs and practice.

http://kevinnunez.org/2011/11/20/authority-god-governs-his-people-through-scripture/