CHAPTER 3

JESUS CHRIST:
GOD’S GIFT FOR
OUR SALVATION
LESSON 3.1
GOD’S PLAN
FOR
RESTORING
FELLOWSHIP
WITH FALLEN
HUMANS
humans who usually
see only self-
centered love, love
that gives so it may
receive something.
God did create
humans because he
needs their love. He
desires a love
relationship, but he
gave far more love
than we could ever
return to him.
He can shower His
unlimited love, not to
receive in return
their love for His
self-gratification. The
Bible calls on
believers to love
God. But that
command is for our
own good, not to fill
a void in God’s
personality.
the plan of salvation
as God’s bottle or
tube of glue, by
which He sweeps up
the shuttered
fragments and
patiently and
methodically glues
the many broken
pieces together. But
a rebuilt lamp is
never as good as the
original.
condition. He is not a
frustrated adult
running around after
Satan picking up the
damaged pieces and
trying to make the
best of a bad
situation. No, He
forces the wrath of
Satan, like the wrath
of humans to bring
praise to His name
(cf. Psalm 76:10)
Active in Personal
Salvation
God does not force
His salvation on
anyone. He simply
offers it to everyone.
Because of this truth,
some people
conclude that anyone
who does accept
God’s salvation has
done something to
save him- or herself.
he or she will be saved
whether the person
wants to be saved.
Neither of these
extreme positions is
correct. Those who
believe individuals can
accept or reject God’s
free offer of salvation
are called Arminian.
Those who deny that
people have any free
will or choice in the
matter are called
Calvinists.
thoughts agree that God has
chosen people but differ in
how they are selected.
Arminians believe being
chosen is about deciding for
oneself.
Yes, God has chosen us, and
so we must decide to be with
Him. On the other hand,
Calvinism says we are a
chosen people, and whether
we choose or not, God will
always have the upper hand
in loving us. He has the
ultimate choice of whether
to save us.
Assembly of God
stand on salvation
Salvation is received
through repentance
toward God and faith
toward the Lord Jesus
Christ.
We are saved by this
gospel, but only if we
hold firmly
1 Corinthians 15:1-2
but God’s Word declares that
a sacrifice was essential to
restoration. “Without the
shedding of blood there is no
forgiveness” (Heb. 9:22). The
Old Testament says the same
thing. “For the life of a
creature is in the blood… it is
the blood that makes
atonement for one’ life
(Leviticus 17:11). The Jews
had for centuries slaughtered
and sacrificed animals as
commanded by the Law. But
Jesus, as the divine Son of
God, was the perfect Sacrifice
offered once for all (Heb.
10:10)
Old Testament
Prophecies about a
coming
Savior/Messiah

- Birth of Jesus Micah

(ca. 700 B.C.) Micah
5:2, 4, 5

- Triumphal Entry
Zechariah (ca. 500 B.
C. ) Zechariah 9:9
- Death of Jesus
Zechariah (ca. 500 B.
C.) Zechariah 12:10
- Passion of Christ
Psalm (ca. 1000 B.
C. ) Psalm 22:14-18
- Christ Suffering and
Ministry (ca. 700 B.
C.) Isaiah 53:4-7. 9,
11-12
Jesus is the one and
only Son of God (John
3:16). At the same
time He was also the
Son of Man by virtue
of being born into
this world through
the Virgin Mary. The
first word of His
name, Jesus, means
Savior (Matthew
1:21).
The word Christ
means “the Anointed
One” or the “the
Messiah.” He was
both human and
divine during His
years on earth. His
Father is our
Heavenly Father, God
himself, His mother
was Mary.
part of the Godhead,
but He was also
sinless. They had to a
greater degree all the
bad traits, as well as
the good traits, of
living men and women.
But to have a sinless
representative of the
God “who does not
change like shifting
shadows” (James 1:17)
is unheard of in the
history of the pagan or
secular world.
Lamb of God, Jesus
became our blessed
Savior. But He also
spoke the words of
heaven to sinners
and saints alike.
Someone has said
that Jesus is God’s
way of spelling
himself out in
language we can
understand.
Christ’s Death
Resurrection and
Ascension

New life begins with

salvation. Before
salvation, a person
is spiritually dead
(Eph. 2:1). There is
no Spirit-filled Life
(Foundational truth
2) before salvation.
for His follower.
Finally, there is no
glorious future of
seeing Jesus face-
to-face
(Foundational Truth
4) and living with
Him throughout
eternity without
first experiencing
God’s free offer of
salvation. It all
begins at the Cross.
Crucifixion.
(Phil. 2:8)
- Evidence of the
Resurrection
The written sacred
record
is more reliable
than all the other
histories that have
been written about
the event from that
day to the present.
by the Romans to
make sure nothing
improper was done
to the body point
clearly to the reality
of the resurrection
of Jesus.
The testimony of
the Disciples who
saw Jesus after His
Resurrection is
powerful evidence.
Regeneration
- The New birth
At salvation, each
person becomes a
child of God. This act
grace truly a new
birth. The term
“adoption” and “full
rights of sons” are
ways of describing
our being brought
into God” family at
salvation,
A New Creature
Regeneration is the
change brought
about by the Spirit of
God, making a
person a new
creature in Christ.
(2 Corinthians 5:17)
The word justify is a
judicial or legal term
meaning “to acquit”
or “to declare
righteous.”
Justification is the
easiest of these
theological terms to
define because in
English it can be
remembered as just
as if, I had never
sinned.
Redemption

Sanctification:
Immediate And
Progressive
1 Corinthians 6:11. In
this meaning,
sanctified is related
to justification. Like
justification,
sanctification is
God’s declaration of
righteousness.
But the emphasis of
justification is
release from the guilt
of sin. The emphasis
of sanctification is
breaking the
bondage of sin.
Salvation
A new convert publicly
declares he or she is now a
follower of Jesus Christ by
being baptized in water. All
believers regularly partake
of Holy Communion to
remember the great work
of Christ did for our
salvation. Water baptism
and the Lord’s Supper
(Holy Communion) are the
two ordinances of the
church. Both are essential
to a full appreciation of our
salvation.
The symbolism of
water baptism
Water baptism is a simple
object lesson portraying the
fundamentals of the gospel.
Being immersed under the
water speaks of Christ’s death
and burial. The raising of the
convert out of the water
symbolizes Christ’s
resurrection and victory over
death. In this symbolic act the
convert spiritually identifies
with Christ and his saving
work. Paul speaks of being
“buried with him in baptism
A Biblical Pattern
Pentecostal believers
almost unanimously
practice immersion as the
correct form of water
baptism. We see all other
forms as unscriptural.
Other churches follow
different traditions; but
the Bible, not tradition,
should be our pattern.
Churches that believe in
infant. Pentecostal
oppose both sprinkling
and infant baptism
Baptism in the
Name of the
Godhead
Several references in
the Book of Acts
mention baptism in
Jesus' name (Acts
8:16, 10:48, 19:5). On
the basis of these
verses, one
Pentecostal group,
informally identified
as "Jesus Only"
But the exact
command of Jesus to
His disciples was
"baptizing them in
the name of the
Father and of the Son
and of the Holy
Spirit' (Matthew
28:19). How should
these passages be
brought into
agreement?
We believe that when
the writer of Acts was
referring to water
baptism, he was
especially focusing on
the salvation aspect of
new life through Jesus
Christ in contrast to
John's baptism or a
Jewish baptism.
Through the Matthew
passage, Jesus was
giving the disciples the
One of the three Acts
passages is
contrasting Christian
baptism with John's
baptism. This passage
required simple labels
for the baptisms for
the sake of comparison
and did not intend to
offer a theological
formula. These labels
(John's baptism and
that done in Jesus'
Water baptism is an
important ordinance of
the church. Water
baptism is an outward
sign of an inward
work. In itself it has no
saving power. People
are baptized because
they are saved, not in
order to be saved.
Although baptism is
not absolutely
essential to salvation,
As Peter preached on
the Day of Pentecost,
he charged his
listeners: "Repent and
be baptized, every one
of you, in the name of
Jesus Christ for the
forgiveness of your
sins. And you will
receive the gift of the
Holy Spirit'"' (Acts
2:38). To refuse to be
baptized when there is
The Lord's Supper:
Passover
Replacement
The Lord's Supper as part
of the New Covenant took
the place of the Old
Testament Passover
Feast. On the night before
the Crucifixion, Jesus and
the Twelve were recalling
the events of Israel's
deliverance from Egypt.
Taking up the bread and
the wine that were on the
"While they were
eating, Jesus took
bread, gave thanks
and broke it, and gave
it to his disciples,
saying, 'Take and eat;
this is my body.' Then
he took the cup, gave
thanks and offered it
to them, saying, 'Drink
from it, all of you. This
is my blood of the
covenant, which is
The Seriousness of
the Lord's Supper
The ordinance of Holy
Communion is a solemn
and important ceremony.
Those who partake are
given special warning to
prepare themselves for
the holy occasion.
"Therefore, whoever eats
the bread or drinks the
cup of the Lord in an
unworthy manner will be
guilty of sinning against
This caution should not
frighten a Christian into
abstaining from the
Lord's Supper.
The command to partake
is still valid. "A man
ought to examine himself
before he eats of the
bread and drinks of the
cup" (1 Corinthians
11:28). Partaking of Holy
Communion reminds us
that our experience of
salvation must be kept
current. The Christian
Until Jesus Comes
Paul told the Corinthians:
"Whenever you eat this
bread and drink this cup, you
proclaim the Lord's death
until he comes" (1
Corinthians 11:26).
The Bible gives no directive
on the frequency for the
partaking of communion.
It seems appropriate,
therefore, to observe the
memorial frequently enough
that we are regularly
reminded of the atoning
work of Jesus Christ. On the
The Security of the
Believer and
Warnings against
Falling
One of the great debates
in evangelical circles for
centuries has been
eternal security versus
the free will of humans.
There are verses in
Scripture to support both
views. Whichever view a
person supports, there
In this lesson, we will
look at the biblical
passages that are
used by each side in
the debate. Then we
will attempt to provide
a position that gives
full importance and
value to all the biblical
references.
Salvation Cannot Be
Taken From Us
Below are the primary
verses Calvinists use to
support their belief in
eternal security. For the
sake of focus, verses may
not be quoted in their
entirety. One can check the
entire passage by the
reference at the end of
quoted verses. Appeal is
also made to over twenty-
five references to "eternal
life" in the New Testament.
"I give them [my
sheep] eternal life,
and they shall never
perish; no one can
snatch them out of my
hand. My Father, who
has given them to me,
is greater than all; no
one can snatch them
out of my Father's
hand" (John 10:28-29).
"For those God
foreknew he also
predestined to be
conformed to the
likeness of his Son....
And those he
predestined, he also
called; those he called,
he also justified; those
he justified, he also
glorified" (Romans
8:29-30).
What Predestination
Means
Eternal security and
predestination are
companion teachings of
Calvinistic belief. In
Romans 8 and 9, Paul
emphasizes the fact that
God took the initiative in
planning and providing
salvation and a restored
relationship. Staunch
Calvinists have taken this
truth to mean that
The position of the
Assemblies of God
concerning eternal
punishment is set
forth in its “Statement
of Fundamental
Truths” as follows:
Section 15. The Final
Judgment. There will be a
final judgment in which the
wicked dead will be raised
and judged according to
their works. Whosoever is
not found written in the
Book of Life, together with
the devil and his angels, the
beast and the false prophet,
will be consigned to
everlasting punishment in
“the fiery lake of burning
sulfur: This is the second
death” (Revelation 21:8;
Warnings against
Taking Salvation
Lightly
The Bible does not teach
"once saved, always
saved" or "once a
Christian, always a
Christian." Just as there
are Scripture verses
that give us assurance
of our salvation, there
are verses that warn
against the great
"So, if you think you are
standing firm, be careful
that you don't fall!" (1
Corinthians 10:12).
"Because of the increase
of wickedness, the love
of most will grow cold,
but he who stands firm
to the end will be saved"
(Matthew 24:12-13).
"Some have rejected
these [faith and a good
conscience] and so have
shipwrecked their faith"
• Total Depravity. A
person has no ability
to respond to God's
offer of salvation.
(Scripture records
humanity's depravity
but invites individuals
to respond to God's
offer of salvation.)
• Unconditional
Election. Sovereign
God before the
Creation chose
(elected) some
individuals to be
saved without
regard to a future
decision to accept or
reject salvation.
(Scripture teaches
the elect are those
who accept God's
• Limited Atonement.
Christ died only for
those who were
unconditionally
elected to salvation.
(Scripture teaches that
Christ died for the
entire human race.)
• Irresistible Grace.
The people elected
cannot resist or reject
salvation. (No basis in
Scripture)
• Perseverance of the
Saints. Once saved,
the elect will
persevere to the end
and enjoy eternal life.
(Scripture teaches that
believers can fall from
grace.)
Chapter 5 The
Holy Spirit:
God’s Agent in
Today’s World
The Promised Holy
Spirit
It was Jesus himself who
said, "If you love me,
you will obey what I
command.
And I will ask the Father,
and He will give you
another Counselor to be
with you forever the
Spirit of truth. The world
cannot accept him,
Love for Jesus and
obedience to His
commandments are
absolutely necessary if
we are to receive the
special blessings God
has prepared for us. The
Holy Spirit, as Comforter
and Counselor, is at the
top of the list of our
spiritual blessings.
The Holy Spirit: God's
Agent in Todays World

Some Christians take

lightly the work of the
Holy Spirit today. The
Father and the Son have
personalities with
counterparts in the
human family, but the
Holy Spirit may seem
less important.
Church historians have noted
that the Christian church of
the Middle Ages made very
little mention or study of the
Holy Spirit. But we are now
living in days that could be
called the "Age of the Spirit."
We are seeing the fulfillment
of Joel's prophecy. "I will pour
out my Spirit on all people.
Your sons and daughters will
prophesy, your old men will
dream dreams, your young
men will see visions. ven on
The Role of the Spirit in
the Trinity
Can we just talk about
"God" in the singular as
the Islamic faith does
when it calls Allah their
god? It is useless to try to
redefine God in human
terms. We must take His
divinely inspired Word,
the Bible, as the true
description of the
Godhead. To us, God is as
the Commandment states,
Yet that one God consists of
three Persons: the Father,
the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
The "Jesus Only" Teaching
There are some Christians
even evangelicals and
Pentecostals- who do not
believe in the Trinity.
Unitarians deny the divinity
of Jesus and say that God is
a single Person. This
doctrine is not Christian and
is not difficult to disprove
from the Bible. But what
about those persons who do
One Pentecostal group that
holds this view is referred
to as the "Jesus Only"
churches. They teach that
the three Persons
mentioned in the Bible are
really only names for
different manifestations of
one Person. They speak of
Jesus as the most
important form of God
because that is the form in
which God revealed himself
to humankind.
But He stopped being the
Father when He became
the Son. Then when Jesus
ascended into heaven and
was no longer walking on
this earth, He took on the
form of the Holy Spirit. So,
Jesus was in the form of
the Father at one time,
the human form of Jesus
at another time, and
finally in the form of the
Holy Spirit as He is today.
According to this heretical
Can you refute this wrong
belief from God's Word? The
Triune God
The best proof that the
Trinity is one God in three
Persons is the Gospel
account of John's baptism of
Jesus. You may study the
story in Matthew 3:13-17,
Mark 1:9-11, or Luke 3:21-
22. In this one incident,
recorded in detail three
times, we find all three
members of the Trinity
present at the same time:
God's Attributes
Applicable to All Three
Persons
When we speak of the
attributes or
characteristics of God, we
are describing the
qualities of each of the
three persons. When we
find it necessary to note
the unique
characteristics of one of
the three Persons, we
The word is a theological
term, first used during
the second century, to
describe the obvious
You sent "Threeness"
within the unity of God.
The divine God is one
being of three distinct
Persons. Each One of
them expresses the unity
of the Godhead. Yet each
of the three is very
conscious of and
The word Trinity is not
the same as tritheism, or
the belief in three gods.
Since God is infinite in
His being, and since we
are finite, we are not able
to know Him exactly as
He is. Yet He has told us
some things about
himself that help us
understand in a limited
way who He is and what
He expects of us. The
The attributes of God
point out various sides of
His character.
God is a Spirit.
He thinks, feels, speaks,
and can have direct
relationship with
creatures made in His
image. He cannot be seen
with natural eyes or
perceived by our natural
senses. God can manifest
himself in bodily form
God is Infinite.
He is not subject to
natural and human
limitations. He is
throughout, and greater
than, His creation. He is
eternal
(1 Kings 8:27; Revelation
4:8-10).
God is Omnipotent.
He is all-powerful (Job
42:2; Matthew 19:26;
Revelation 19:6).
God is Omniscient.
He knows all things. His
knowledge is perfect; He
does not have to reason,
search, or learn gradually
(Job 12:13;
Job 36:4-5; Proverbs
3:19).
God is All-wise.
In addition to knowing
everything, God applies
that knowledge in the
best possible way to
God is Sovereign.
He has the absolute right
to govern and deal with
His creatures as He
pleases (Daniel 4:35;
Matthew 20:15;
Romans 9:19-21).
God is Holy.
He is morally perfect; He
does only righteous acts
(Isaiah 6:3; Genesis
18:25).
God is Faithful.
God is Merciful.
(1 Corinthians 10:13;
Matthew 24:35).
For one of the most eloquent
reminders of the everlasting
mercy of God, read Psalm
136. God's mercy was best
God is Love.
manifested in sending Christ
into the world (Luke 1:78).
God is Good.
This is the attribute that
caused God to send His Son
to die for our sins (John
3:16).
Human-like activities
include teaching (John
14:26), witnessing or
testifying (Romans 8:16),
speaking (Revelation 2:7),
and revealing (1 Peter
1:12).
Some of the names by
which the Holy Spirit is
identified are helpful in
calling attention to the
distinctive characteristics
of the Third Person of the
As the Spirit of God, He is
an executive carrying out
the will of God.
As the Spirit of Christ
(Romans 8:9), He comes in
the name of Christ and
gives glory to the Son.
As the Comforter or
Paraclete (John 14:16), He
stands beside and sustains
believers in their time of
need.
As the Holy Spirit, He seeks
to impart holiness and
sanctification to us.
As the Holy Spirit of Promise
(Ephesians 1:13), He is the
manifestation of God that
was promised throughout
the Old Testament.
As the Spirit of Truth (John
14:17), His mission is to
reveal Jesus Christ, the Way,
the Truth, and the Life.
As the Spirit of Grace
(Hebrews 10:29), He imparts
As the Spirit of Life (Romans
8:2), He gives and preserves
both natural and spiritual
life.
As the Spirit of Adoption
(Romans 8:15), He brings us
into the family of God.
These aspects of the Holy
Spirit describe what the
Holy Spirit is doing in the
church today. Capturing the
relationship between the
Holy Spirit and the church,
Dr.
Wherever the true Church
is, there is also the Holy
Spirit at work. In its fullest
sense, the Church did not
come into existence until
the Day of Pentecost,
because it was on that
occasion that the Spirit
came upon the assembled
body of believers" (55).
What an important and
wonderful member of the
Trinity is the Holy Spirit!
The Spirit's Part in Producing
Holy Lives
One might ask why the Holy
Spirit is the only member of
the Trinity who has the word
"holy" in His name. It is not
because He is more holy than
the Father or the Son. From
our last lesson, we learned
that God is holy (Isaiah 6:3
and throughout Scripture).
So each of the members of
the Trinity is holy. Peter
called Jesus "the Holy One of
God" (John 6:69). And in His
So, the Holy Spirit is not
more holy than the Father or
Jesus. The Holy Spirit is so
named for two reasons: (1) to
set Him apart from spirits
that are not holy, and
(2) to identify the believer's
increasing sanctification or
holiness as His primary
ministry (Romans 15:16; 2
Thessalonians 2:13; 1 Peter
1:2).
Progressive Sanctification
The Bible uses several
symbols or pictures in
helping us to understand
the nature of the Holy
Spirit. These include,
among others, wind (John
3:8), streams of living
water (John 7:38-39),
anointing oil (1 Samuel
16:13), and a dove (Luke
3:22). Yet the symbol of
fire carries with it a special
At the initial experience of
Holy Spirit baptism on the
Day of Pentecost, what
looked like tongues of fire
settled on the heads of
those who were about to
be filled with the Spirit
(Acts 2:3).
John the Baptist foretold
the special gift Jesus
would give to His
followers:
"He will baptize you with
Avoiding Legalism is
holiness a set of dos and
don'ts that someone else
has prescribed? What
behaviors are acceptable,
and which are sinful? Are
some things considered
acceptable in some
countries or states but
wrong in other countries
or states?
How do you apply biblical
principles to contemporary
The Bible obviously
teaches standards of
morality and personal
relationships. It also gives
principles like "Avoid every
kind of evil" (1
Thessalonians 5:22) or
"Abstain from all
appearance of evil" (KJV).
But who should define
"evil"? Specific things are
mentioned in Scripture as
evil, and there should be
Understanding that biblical
truth, we can then consider
three principles of choice that
please God.
1. Personal convictions are not
always universal commands.
The Holy Spirit develops in
each believer applications of
Scriptural truth. He leads us
from one step of commitment
and obedience to another step.
All believers are not at the
same point in their spiritual
development. For instance, one
younger convert was offended
when the Sunday school
2. The influence our actions
may have on fellow
believers must also guide
our choices. After Paul had
finished telling the
Corinthian believers that
idols were nothing at all and
eating meat offered to idols
was not sinful, he explained,
"But not everyone knows
this. Some people are still
so accustomed to idols that
when they eat such food,
they think of it as having
3. The Christian's personal
rights are no reason for
denying fellow believers
their rights. A real mark of
spiritual maturity is the
move from self-centered
concern ("What can the Holy
Spirit do in my life to meet
my needs?") to concen for
ministry to others ("What
can the Holy Spirit do
through me to meet the
needs of others?"). We need
to spend more time learning
The Baptism in the Holy
Spirit

The Pentecostal
experience, the baptism in
the Holy Spirit, was the
secret to the powerful
growth of the Early Church.
It revolutionized believers
and sent them as
missionaries to the ends of
the known world. Over the
centuries, the Church
But once again, in the past
one hundred years, the
Holy Spirit has been
moving as was promised by
Joel. "And afterward, I will
pour out my Spirit on all
people. Your sons and
daughters will prophesy,
your old men will dream
dreams, your young men
will see visions.
Even on my servants, both
men and women, I will pour
An Experience Available
to All Believers
People search for
alternative sources of
spiritual power and
energy —the power of the
mind, of non-Christian
religions, and even of
satanically inspired
spirits. Yet the true
supply is unlimited; it
need only be allowed to
work in individual lives.
The Bible tells us of the
supernatural power and
energizing strength
available to Christians
through the work of the
Holy Spirit. But sinners
refuse to allow the Spirit to
do His work in their lives,
and Christians live below
the provision of
supernatural power that
has been made available to
them.
Living in the Holy Spirit
Every Pentecostal Christian
should read the Book of
Acts at least once a year.
The excitement and vitality
of Early Church Pentecost
is the best encouragement
to living the same life
today. All five instances of
infilling by the Holy Spirit
(Acts 2; 8; 9; 10; and 19)
should be studied in-depth
in various translations.
The Persistent Seeker
Some who have long desired
and prayed for the baptism in
the Holy Spirit, but have not
received, may begin to
question if they are really
saved. But one can have
assurance of salvation,
without doubting, until the
promised Baptism is received.
In the meantime, obedience
and motives must be
examined. After the believer
has asked the Holy Spirit to
reveal any sin or relationship
Sin against the Holy Spirit

The work of the Spirit in

individual lives can bring
great blessing. But there
are corresponding
responsibilities expected of
each person in whom the
Spirit moves. We must
cooperate with the work
the Spirit seeks to
accomplish.
The Bible lists several ways in
which Christians can hinder
the move of the Spirit. We
can lie to Him as Ananias did
(Acts 5:3). We can grieve Him
(Ephesians 4:30). We can
quench, smother, stifle, or put
out the fire or power of the
Holy Spirit (1 Thessalonians
5:19). We can resist Him (Acts
7:51). Christians grieve the
Spirit when they fail to use
the provision of the
indwelling Holy Spirit to
produce holy and fruitful
Supernatural Evidence of
the Spirit's
Powerful Presence
To persons not accustomed to a
Pentecostal worship service, a
message in tongues they
cannot understand may seem
frightening. Meaningless
sounds suggest to them that
the speaker is not in touch with
reality. They may even suspect
pagan or demonic excesses.
However, to the person who
believes the Bible and its
encouragements to be filled
Purpose of Tongues
Pentecostals recognize in
Scripture three distinct uses
or purposes of tongues.
1. There is the initial
evidence, properly
documented in Acts by such
statements as "All of them
were filled with the Holy
Spirit and began to speak in
other tongues" (Acts 2:4).
They were filled with the
Spirit and spoke in tongues.
There is no record in
Scripture of these tongues
2. There are devotional
tongues, or prayer
language, for times when
the human intellect falls
short of knowing what to
ask for in prayer. At such a
time, the Spirit prays
through the Spirit-filled
believer with groans and
tongues that cannot be
expressed in human
language (Romans 8:26).
Devotional tongues, of
3. The gift of tongues operates
in the public worship service,
within appropriate guidelines. It
is to this use of tongues Paul is
referring in
1 Corinthians 12:30. Some non-
Pentecostals loosely call all
three of these uses
"the gift of tongues" and quote
Paul when he asks the
rhetorical question, "Do al have
the gift of tongues?" The
answer to that question is
obviously no, but every believer
can receive the post-salvation
baptism in the Holy Spirit and
Tongues as prayer
language. There are times
when a believer faces an
extreme situation, so
critical that he or she does
not know how to pray.
Praying in tongues at such
a time can be the Spirit
himself interceding in
behalf of the need.
This privilege is certainly
included in Bible
references to praying "in
The gift of tongues. This
gift is not available to
every Spirit-filled believer,
only to those the Spirit
chooses to use in edifying
the worshiping
congregation (1
Corinthians 12:10, 30).
Critics of the Pentecostal
belief in the baptism in the
Holy Spirit point to pagan
cults and heathen rites
that made use of tongues,
Human or Heavenly
Language
Critics of the Pentecostal
understanding of biblical
tongues have described
tongues as, among other
things, a miracle of
hearing, meaningless
sounds, and foreign or
ancient words spoken from
a universal memory bank.
There is often a quick
assumption that the person
Encouraging Others
After one has become a
Christian, there can be a
number of reasons for not
immediately receiving this
special experience. Some
have wanted the Baptism for
personal gain (see the
account of Simon the
Sorcerer in Acts 8:9). Some
are not sure that tongues
are for today. Others are
afraid to let go and let the
Holy Spirit take control of
Not Required for Salvation
We do not believe, as some
Pentecostal churches do,
that one must speak
tongues to be a Christian.
Salvation comes through
faith in Jesus Christ
sacrificial death for our sins.
But we do believe that the
baptism in the Holy Spirit is
available to all believers, and
that it is an enduement of
empowerment for holy living
and anointed witness: It is
The Fruit and Gifts of the
Holy Spirit

God does not intend an

initial infilling, marked by
speaking in tongues, to be
the extent of your spiritual
experience. After receiving
the baptism in the Holy
Spirit, we must remain filled
with the Spirit as a vital
power and presence in our
lives.
But the gifts are
distributed at the will of
the Holy Spirit. Few
persons,
if any, manifest all the gifts
of the Spirit. But every
Spirit-filled believer should
be demonstrating,
increasingly each day, all
the fruit of the Spirit.
The Fruit of the Spirit: True
Evidence of a Spirit-Filled
Life
Some Pentecostals seem to
believe, "once filled,
always filled." We believe,
however, that each believer
should experience one
Spirit baptism, but then
many fillings. Our
connection with the Holy
Spirit must remain strong
as our walk with the Spirit
Times of Refreshing
Even Spirit-filled
Pentecostals go through
times of testing. We would
like to live continuously on
a mountaintop of spiritual
victory and physical
wholeness. But our sin-
cursed world demands that
we carefully guard and
nurture our relationship
with the Holy Spirit.
Developing Spiritual Fruit
We certainly should not
expect to see in the church
discord, jealousy, anger,
selfish ambition,
dissensions, factions, or
envy. And if we do see any
of them, the fruit of the
Spirit are badly needed.
But the contrast is
powerful.
"The fruit of the Spirit is
love, joy, peace, patience,
God's Aid in Our Maturity
Sanctification and
separation from worldly
values seem to be
unnecessary concepts for
some believers, especially
young people. Parents and
church leaders may hear,
"What is wrong with..?" or
"Why cannot we do it?
Everyone else is." Spiritual
leaders need the help of
the Holy Spirit in giving
Love
If one really has divine
love, that love will take
care of all the details. You
can check yourself to see if
you have godly love by
asking if you have joy,
peace, patience, kindness,
and all the rest.
Joy
The joy of the Spirit is
much more than natural
joy. It exists even in the
Peace
The peace the Spirit gives
is the same kind of peace
Jesus promised His
disciples: "My peace I give
you. I do not give to you as
the world gives. Do not let
your hearts be troubled
and do not be afraid" (John
14:27).
Patience
Tribulation develops
perseverance or patience
Kindness
Kindness is an attribute of
God, but it is not a
consistent human trait.
This fruit is related to
mercy and grace unmerited
or undeserved kindness.
Goodness
God's goodness is a major
theme of Scripture. In a
world that epitomizes just
the opposite, the Spirit
seeks to produce integrity,
Faithfulness
Christ is our faithful High
Priest (Hebrews 2:17) and
notice what compassion and
sacrifice He demonstrated.
Meekness
Like the related fruit of
gentleness or kindness, this
fruit is humanly impossible to
achieve. Society has come to
regard meekness as
weakness. But in reality, it is
inner strength in the face of
difficult or undesirable
Self-control
This fruit of the Spirit
regulates and binds together
all the other fruit. Love
without restraint becomes
passion.
The Gifts of the Spirit: Divine
Power for Edifying the Body
Some might reason that a
person used by the Holy Spirit
in special manifestations in
the public worship service
must have God's approval.
Therefore, they feel that
being used in such a
The Purpose of the Gifts
The gifts of the Spirit are
to be shared with others.
The Spirit filled believer
may edify him- or herself
by praying in tongues (1
Corinthians 14:4) but
building up the church is
the purpose of the gifts.
Grouping the Gifts of the
Spirit
Some Bible scholars group
the gifts of the Spirit into
two classes: word gifts and
deed gifts, or speech gifts
and action gifts. However,
the five categories
suggested by Dr. Anthony
Palma (2001) seem more
helpful in identifying the
significance and uses of
the various gifts (206-232).
Gifts of Leadership
Apostles
Prophets
Pastors Teachers
Evangelists
Helps
Administration Leadership
Gifts of Practical
Assistance
Generous Giving
Serving Showing Mercy
Gifts of Revelation
Word of Wisdom
Gifts of Power
Word of Knowledge
Gifts of Healing Faith
Workings of Miracles
Gifts for Worship
Speaking in Tongues
Prophecy
Interpretation of Tongues
Discerning of Spirits
They are the more
spontaneous and dramatic
gifts.
As the situation demands
or the need arises,
especially in the worship
service, the Spirit can
touch one believer or
another to accomplish His
work of edifying the entire
Body.
1. The Word of Wisdom the
supernatural inspiration for
2. The Word of Knowledge
the supernaturally inspired
utterance of facts that
could only be known by
God and revealed to the
believer by the Holy Spirit.
3. Faith—a special granting
of faith to meet an
emergency or a critical
circumstance with the
confidence that miraculous
intervention will follow.
4. Gifts of Healing a special
surge of divine power that
results in the healing of
disease, illness, or physical
infirmity.
Miraculous Powers
(Working of Miracles)
works of divine.
5 Miraculous Powers
(Working of Miracles)
works of divine power,
other than healing, that
demonstrate God's
6. Prophecy-the utterance
of a divine truth in a
person's own language, as
prompted by the Holy
Spirit.
7. Discerning of Spirits the
God-given discernment to
detect the difference
between words or acts
inspired by God, by Satan,
or by the human spirit.
Through this gift, one may
also discern a person's
8. Different Kinds of
Tongues speaking
supernaturally in a human
or heavenly language
never learned by the
speaker (1 Corinthians
13:1). Tongues delivered as
praise and worship to God
or as a definite message
for the church must be
followed by the
supernatural gifts of
interpretation.
9. Interpretation of
Tongues Just as the
utterance in tongues is not
conceived in the human
mind, so the interpretation
comes from the Spirit
rather than from the
interpreter's intellect.
The Glorious Hope of His
Coming
When we stand in the
presence of Jesus himself,
the fulfilled plan of
salvation and of God's
dealing with humankind
will all be complete. The
perfect fellowship for
which we were created will
be restored-never to be
interrupted again.
End-time Signs
The massive stones of the
temple were impressive. The
disciples could not help
calling Jesus' attention to the
beautiful buildings (Matthew
24:1). But Jesus' response
was not what they expected.
"I tell you the truth, not one
stone here will be left on
another; everyone will be
thrown down" (24:2). The
topic of conversation
changed quickly. "Tell us ...
A study of Matthew 24:4-38
reveals between twenty-five
and thirty signs of the end-
time. The most prominent are
the appearance of deceivers
(v. 5), wars and rumors of wars
(v. 6), famine (v. 7),
earthquakes (v. 7), persecution
and martyrdom (v. 9),
believers being hated around
the world (v. 10), apostasy
(v. 10), false prophets (v. 11),
wickedness and evil
overcoming love (v. 12), signs
and miracles by false prophets
Living By Christ's Teaching
The end-time will be full of
frightful happenings. Since we
will not escape them all, Christ
gave instruction on how to live in
the last days (Matthew 24).
1. Watch out that no one
deceives you (v. 4).
2. Do not be alarmed at the
signs; they must happen (v. 6).
3. Stand firm to the end (v. 13).
4. Continue preaching the gospel
throughout the world (v. 14).
5. Be ready to flee from evil and
persecution (vv. 16-19)
6. Know from the signs
that Christ's coming and
the end are very near (v.
33).
7. Watch continually for
Christ's coming (v. 42).
8. Be ready spiritually for
Christ's return (v. 44).
9. Be a faithful and wise
servant as you await
Christ's coming (vv. 45-
46).
Work While Waiting
The born-again child of God
may wonder why the rapture
has not already taken place.
Sinners and scoffers,
however, interpret the delay
in another manner: "You
must understand that in the
last days scoffers will come,
scoffing and following their
own evil desires. They will
say, "Where is this "coming"
He promised? Ever since our
fathers died, everything
goes on as it has since the
1. God measures time differently
than we do. "With the Lord a day
is like a thousand years, and a
thousand years are like a day" (2
Peter 3:8).
2. God delays His coming because
He desires that more will come to
repentance through His patience.
"The Lord is not slow in keeping
his promise, as some understand
slowness. He is patient with you,
not wanting anyone to perish,
but everyone to come to
repentance" (2 Peter 3:9). So
rather than looking at all the
centuries past, when Jesus could
Pre-Tribulation Rapture and
Believers

Christians around the world

right now are being severely
persecuted and martyred.
Many of them believe the
world is already in the
Tribulation. But we must be
careful to distinguish the
tribulation of our everyday
trials, distress, suffering, and
even individual martyrdom
from the Tribulation that
begins on earth after
The Rapture and the
Second Coming of Christ
Jesus Christ is the central
figure of prophecy, just as He
is the central figure of the
entire Bible. To the Christian
who truly loves Jesus, the
sudden appearance of Christ
in the air will hold no fear,
dread, or disappointment. The
words of Paul concerning this
beginning of end-time events
should summarize the
anticipation of all believers:
Change at the Rapture
Although there are references
throughout the New Testament
to the rapture of
the saints, two passages
describe it in the best detail:
"For the Lord himself will come
down from heaven, with a loud
command, with the voice of the
archangel and with the trumpet
call of God, and the dead in
Christ will rise first. After that,
we who are still alive and are
left will be caught up together
with them in the clouds to meet
Tribulation, the Day of the
Lord, and Christ's Kingdom
Since New Testament days,
some people have speculated as
to the time of the Rapture and
the chain of events immediately
following the Rapture. Some
have even tried to set specific
dates, violating the biblical
statement that "No one knows
about that day or hour, not even
the angels in heaven, nor the
Son, but only the Father"
(Matthew 24:36).
Some of the mid-tribulation
and post-tribulation
proponents understand
1 Thessalonians 5:9—"God
did not appoint us to suffer
wrath" —to mean
"God's wrath," not the wrath
of Antichrist and his forces
of evil. But in the context of
the entire chapter, such a
distinction is not justified.
We firmly believe through
Scripture that true believers
If the pre-tribulation view of
the Rapture is right, that
should be incentive enough to
live ready to be snatched
away at any moment. If the
post-tribulation view is right,
that should be incentive to
those believers to draw ever
closer to the only One who can
help them through the horrors
they expect to face.
As we move into our study for
this chapter, here is the
segment of the full
The Tribulation: Seals,
Trumpets, and Bowls
Judgments (Revelation 6-9,
11, 15, 16)
The Seven Seals
Jesus is seen as the Lamb
breaking the seals on the
scroll of God's judgments in
Revelation 6. The first four
seals reveal four horsemen
representing conquest, war,
famine, and death. Rather
than a sequence of brief
judgments, later judgments
The fifth seal shifts the
scene to the altar of the
heavenly temple. The
voices of martyrs under
the altar are heard asking,
"How long.
Sovereign Lord... until
you ... avenge our blood?"
(Revelation 6:10). These
may be those who are
martyred early in the
Tribulation.
The sixth seal represents
"the wrath of the Lamb"
(6:16). The earth and the
heavenly bodies are
shaken to their
foundations as darkness
prevails. The seventh seal
brings silence in heaven
for half an hour
(Revelation 8:1). There is
awe at the judgments yet
to follow,
The Seven Trumpets
Seven angels with trumpets
announce the future
judgments of the wicked
earth: hail and fire mixed
with blood (Revelation 8:7),
a huge burning mountain
thrown into the sea turning
one-third of the sea into
blood (8:8), a great burning
star falling on rivers and
springs, turning the waters
bitter (8:10-11), the sun,
A loud voice interrupts
announcing greater woes yet
to come: the opening of the
abyss or hell, releasing
plagues of locusts looking
like horses going into battle
(9:3-
10), releasing four destroying
angels leading huge demonic
armies to kill one-third of all
humans (9:14-16), yet no one
repents (9:20-21). Afier an
interlude of time, the
seventh trumpet sounds
The Seven Bowls
The seven bowl judgments
are more severe than any of
the preceding judgments.
Revelation I6 describes the
pouring out of the "bowls of
God's wrath on the earth"
(16: 1) ugly, painful sores or
boils received by those who
accepted the mark of the
beast (16:2), seas turned
into blood, killing all life in
them.
(16:3), freshwater rivers and
springs turn to blood (16:4),
increased heat of the sun
scorches unrepentant
persons (16:8-9), total
darkness consumes
Antichrist's kingdom
(16:10), Euphrates River
dries up as preparation for
the battle of Armageddon
(16:12, 16), and the greatest
earthquake the world has
ever known followed by one
The Antichrist
The Bible warns against
false christs or men who
claim to be the Messiah or
Deliverer. But this antichrist
is the Antichrist because he
will be Satan's special
representative from the pit.
Daniel 9:27 and 2
Thessalonians 2:3-10
contain significant facts
about Antichrist and his
activity. There is much
Daniel notes,
"He will confirm a covenant
with many for one 'seven.' In
the middle of the
"seven' he will put an end to
sacrifice and offering." The
"seven" (or "week" in some
translations) corresponds
with the seven years of the
Tribulation. The covenant
seems to refer to an
agreement between the
Jews and the Antichrist,
Earth's Tribulation, Heaven's
Celebration
The rapture of the church
marks the beginning of
events in heaven for the
saints. First is our summons
to the Judgment Seat of
Christ, where our works will
be judged. This will be the
highest court the Christian
ever faces, for each believer
has already been declared
justified.
Reigning with Christ and the
Final
Judgment of the Wicked
Final Conflict Between God
and Antichrist
The unholy trinity will lead the
kings of the earth in preparing
for war against God. The
armies of the Antichrist will
gather at Megiddo, about
twenty miles southeast of the
present-day Haifa, Suddenly,
Christ will appear,
accompanied by a heavenly
army of saints and angels.
What a one-sided battle! No
deaths in Christ's army, The
outcome is so certain that an
The Millennium
1. Christ's rule will be over the
entire earth (Daniel 7:14),
absolute in authority and power
(Isaiah 11:4), and completely
righteous and just (Isaiah 11:3-
5).
2. Israel will enjoy special
privileges (Zechariah 10:6, 8, 9,
12), although Gentiles will be
active participants and receive
blessings as well, "This does not
mean there will be competition
between Israel and the rest of
the church. Each will bless the
3. The curse on the earth
will be lifted during the
Millennium (Isaiah 35).
4. The normally aggressive
nature of animals will be
changed (Isaiah 11).
5. Health, healing, and long
life will be evident (Isaiah 35
and 65).
6. Jerusalem will become the
capital city of the entire
world (Isaiah 60:12, 14).
7. Those who refused to
receive the mark of the
Beast in the Tribulation, and
were martyred for that
choice, will be resurrected
to reign with Christ for the
thousand years (Revelation
20:4).
The above description of the
Millennium and Christ's
earthly kingdom emphasizes
a material kingdom rather
than a spiritual one. In the
8. The truth of God will be
widespread, "as the waters
cover the sea" (Isaiah 11).
9. Righteousness, obedience,
and holiness will characterize
the Kingdom (Isaiah 62;
Zechariah 14).
10. There will be universal
peace (Isaiah 2).
11. There will be great joy and
happiness (Isaiah 12).
12. The Millennium will be a
time of real fullness of the
Spirit (Isaiah 32).
This is what Christ's second
Satan's Last Deception
The Millennium is not
forever, just one thousand
years. Then there must be
another fine-tuning in God's
end-time dealing with the
earth and its inhabitants
before the permanent
perfection of eternity
begins. During the
Millennium there will be
normal family relationships
with children born to
The Great White Throne
Judgment
After the judgment, fire
physically destroys those
deceived by Satan at the
end of the Millennium; all
the wicked who have ever
lived on the face of the
earth (whose names are not
found in the Book of Life)
will be dead. Then will follow
the resurrection of the
wicked dead to stand before