FAQ

Confession - Justification - Sanctification

There are many people out there called "grace teachers." There are also many things they teach which bother me like ‘as believers we do not need to confess our sins,’ and sanctification being a one time process at salvation (putting justification and sanctification all into one basket). Another weird teaching would be that we do not need to repent.  Could I have your thoughts?

I don’t know if this will make sense…but much of this can be found in our Gospel Class Lesson 3 about salvation.

I believe that all of our sins have already been forgiven at the moment of the cross, so in one sense asking for forgiveness doesn't make sense, but confession does. 2 Cor 7:10 tells us that godly grief produces a repentance that leads to salvation without regret, whereas worldly grief produces death. Many of these teachers see repentance too closely resembling guilt (I believe) and misrepresent it...repentance is stepping away from what drug us into sin in the first place. We are to confess our sins to each other, as it will keep us accountable and help us to grow. Repentance is what we then do in our remorse for our sin...walk away from it. Because we have been forgiven doesn't give us the right to live as antinomians (those who believe everything is OK to do because we have been forgiven).

Element holds the position that sanctification could be defined as "salvation in present time." We are saved positionally, but are being made daily more into the likeness of Christ. Hebrews 10:14 For by a single offering he has perfected for all time those who are being sanctified. Through the blood of Christ we ARE holy, but are being remade and renewed, so to speak, everyday to be conformed to the likeness of the Son. God initiates, marks out, and secures our salvation, and it cannot be broken. What He begins, He is sure to end (bring to completion). 

We also hold that sanctification fuses man’s responsibility, God’s work, and the church’s equipping in the process of a believer’s growth in Christ.

  • Ephesians 4:11-16 And he gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds and teachers, to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ, until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ, so that we may no longer be children, tossed to and fro by the waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by human cunning, by craftiness in deceitful schemes. Rather, speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ, from whom the whole body, joined and held together by every joint with which it is equipped, when each part is working properly, makes the body grow so that it builds itself up in love.
     
  • Philippians 2:12-13Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, so now, not only as in my presence but much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure.
     
  • Romans 8:28-30 “And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God,to those who are called according to His purpose. For those whom He foreknew, He also predestined to become conformed to the image of His Son,so that He would be the firstborn among many brethren; and these whom He predestined, He also called; and these whom He called, He also justified; and these whom He justified, He also glorified.”


The chain of salvation works like this:

  • Foreknowledge is God’s intimate knowledge of events and His people –before the foundation of the world He predestined, He knew us. This causes much controversy.
  • Called has to do with conversion or bringing of one to faith.
  • Justified means to be legally acquitted from wrongdoing (this is past tense for those in New Covenant relationship with Jesus).
  • Sanctification (salvation in present time) is the process of maturity as God conforms us to His Son’s image. As I said, sanctification fuses man’s responsibility, God’s work, and the church’s equipping in the process of a believer’s growth in Christ.
  • Glorification is the final completion of God’s purpose in salvation, which includes our death and resurrection.

Apostles Creed: "He descended into hell?"

A friend of my husband is always trying to get reactions out of believers and see how far he can push them. He had put up a huge thing about how Jesus went to hell after he died. I guess I had never really studied it. I was wondering if you could shed some light for me.

Well, first off, this is the problem when people do not know their bible, or who know very little, try to tell everyone else what the bible teaches. What he is referring to isn't in the bible, it is part of what is known as the apostles creed.

The first thing you need to know about the Apostles Creed is that it wasn't written by the apostles. The Apostles Creed was used as a baptismal creed (in the 4th century). The Creed was changed into what was called "the received form," the version most people know today, by the Roman church in the 7th-8th century. This received form included the phrase, "He descended into hell." The apostles creed wasn't even used universally until the 16th century.

There are 12 changes from the original form to the received form of the creed. The clause "he descended into hell" was believed to have been first reported in the West by Rufus Aquileia (390). In the East, the clause is found in the Arian Creeds (about 360) by Venanitus Fortunatus (590).

But the word for descended is the word DOWN and the word for Hell (in the original Greek) is the word for GRAVE (some Latin scholar decided this should be translated as "inferos" which means "Hell fire" or inferno). In the original creed it was simply meant to be a reference to His physical death.

Wayne Grudem says, “the phrase ‘descended into hell’ was not found in any of the early versions of the Creed...until it appeared in one of two versions from Rufinus in A.D. 390. Then it was not included again in any version of the Creed until A.D. 650.”

In the great reformed Westminster Confession of Faith, they went out of their way to remove any opportunity for confusion on this issue. In the section of their Confession of Faith explaining the Apostle’s Creed, they rendered the phrase as “He was buried, and remained under the power of death for a time.”

Some people like to also point to Ephesians 4:9 where it says Christ "descended," but we are to read the scriptures in context. Ephesians 4:9-10 in context says In saying, “He ascended,” what does it mean but that he had also descended into the lower regions, the earth? He who descended is the one who also ascended far above all the heavens, that he might fill all things.

What this means is that in the incarnation, Jesus taking on flesh, He descended from the highest heavens (Luke 2:8-14 in the birth narrative) to the lowest regions (to the earth). When Jesus walked the earth he suffered, was crucified, was buried, but He also defeated death and rose again. This is why it says He then ascended and is now seated in the highest heavens at the right hand of the Father (See Acts 1:9 and 2:33).

Q&A Hypnotism

Q: I have struggled with certain things for awhile, I have been praying a lot and have even gotten a mentor through a Women Mentoring Women ministry. But I have been thinking of adding hypnotism to my prayer to try and kick certain things in a healthier direction. I know two Christians who have used this method to help with smoking addictions, and they quit. Would I be doing something sinful in God's eye to use hypnotism with his Word?

A: Well, hypnotism is one of those areas that I tend to get into trouble with a lot of people because I think it is a terrible idea. Let me see if I can explain.

Franklin Dunham  writes this as a definition of hypnosis: "Hypnosis, mental state of heightened suggestibility, characterized by trance-like sleep. The basis of hypnosis is the fixation of the subjects attention upon a gradually narrowing source of stimulation, until he is attendant upon only the directions of the hypnotist. This is variously achieved by repetition of instructions in a low, level voice, or having the subject fix his gaze upon a light in an otherwise dark room. The subject remembers nothing of what he did during the hypnotic period. Certain effects may be suggested to continue after the subject returns to consciousness; these are called post-hypnotic suggestions." The University One-Volume Encyclopedia; 1967; p 421 (underlines are mine)

For centuries hypnotism was used by witchdoctors and shaman spirit mediums alike to attain altered states of consciousness. The development of hypnosis as a field of study in the context of medicine and psychology (most agree) dates from the claims of Fredrich Anton Mesmer (1733 - 1815). Mesmer was an Austrian doctor who performed therapeutic healings induced by magnets, but he is considered to be the Father of Hypnotism.

Mesmer says, “Disease was the result of imbalance in the patient’s animal magnetism” A French investigating team was commissioned to check out Mesmer and found his healings were attributed to the power of suggestion. In spite of the serious flaws in the claims of Mesmer, his theories and practices opened doors to further examination of the nature and effect of hypnotism.

After the world wars, hypnotism was revived and integrated inextricably into the field of medicine. In 1956, the American Medical Association pronounced that Hypnosis was ‘a valuable therapeutic adjunct.’

Some Christians believe the use of  hypnotism, in any form, is occultic and demonic. I don't think it is as ominous as all that, but I believe it is very dangerous. By putting yourself in a hypnotic state is making yourself very vulnerable. Imagine your brain pattern is like a keyboard, in hypnosis you are walking away from the keyboard and allowing something, or someone, else to sit down and start typing.

As Christians what we must understand is Jesus, first and foremost. He is the salvation for not only our souls but our entire lives. It is Jesus who can make us whole and lead us into the life He calls us to…part of redemption is laying everything (including what you still struggle with) at His feet.

The Scriptures remind us that God's Spirit will guide us into all truth. One of the ways that He will do this is by guiding our thoughts into what the correct answers are as we are trying to figure something out. But you will not be able to hear him in the midst of hypnosis because you are letting go of all He told you to keep a hold of.

2 Corinthians 10:5 tells us: We destroy arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God, and take every thought captive to obey Christ. This means that we are directly responsible for what we choose to think about and dwell on. This right does not belong to anyone else, including any hypnotist, who may want to plant their thoughts and suggestions into your mind.

I do not believe that hypnotism is something any Christian should be involved in. Instead, we should be submitting all things to Jesus. One day God will want to use you to help someone WALK through their struggle and pain. It will do no good if you say, "I had hypnosis and got all better"…even though the outcomes of hypnosis are debatable. That doesn't point anyone to Jesus, it points them to trying to find an altered state of consciousness rather than trusting God to see us through a particular trial.

Please, I would encourage you, to hold Christ's hand and walk through your struggle with Him. One small step at a time in the hand of your savior.

Q&A Matthew 6

Matt 6:14-15 For if you forgive others their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you, but if you do not forgive others their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses. I’m trying to wrap my mind around being forgiven for past present and future sins, while not looking at this as maintaining or working for your salvation. I understand that if you are truly born again you will forgive, but these verses make it sound like God can hold forgiveness for the times you don’t forgive. Can you help me with this?

Sure thing. So many people seem to have the same view of these verses and it is just bizarre.

First off, when Jesus paid for our sins it was ALL of our sins past, present, and future. It would be totally contrary to the truths stated in scripture if we had a moment of unforgiveness in our hearts and God negated the work of the cross.

When Jesus spoke these words it was before He paid for our sins, before the cross. In one sense we SHOULD forgive others and a CONSTANT unforgiving heart is probably an indicator of an unregenerate heart (someone who doesn’t truly follow Jesus). But every time you hold a grudge until the Spirit works you through it does not mean you are going to burn in hell.

Colossians 3:12-13 Put on then, as God's chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience, bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive. In the New Testament post-resurrection context, Colossians shows we have BEEN forgiven and that is the model of why we SHOULD forgive.

Check Yourself

I thought I would write a quick little blog about being careful what you ask us at Element. If you send us a question, that question may end up on our website if we think it can help others.

Lately I have been getting a lot of questions and have been posting our answers (with a lot of editing to the questions to keep the innocent, private). But we wanted you to be aware that if you are thinking it, and you decide to ask it, we think that other people are thinking and wondering as well.

Most of the time we, at Element, have such a different view than a lot of other churches, that we don’t anticipate what you are thinking that well. Not assuming we know what you are thinking is a good thing at times, but it also can bite is in the dairy air (or the buttocks).

So you are warned…ask and we will answer, but everyone may get your answer as well.

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