1 A Gospel of Grace Retain the standard of sound words which you have heard from me, in the faith and love which are in Christ Jesus. Guard, through the Holy Spirit who dwells in us, the treasure which has been entrusted to you, (2 Timothy 1:13-14). Paul s charge to Timothy is relevant for us today. We are to guard the treasure. What is this treasure but the standard of sound words? What are these sound words but the gospel (v.8)? The charge is to retain and guard. We preserve the gospel truths from corrosive apathy and defend the gospel truths from false teaching. This is the utmost effort of Gospel Domatics. The author seeks to retain and guard the gospel of Jesus Christ by articulating Scripture s testimony concerning it. Noticeable also is Paul s charge of verse 8: Do not be ashamed of the testimony of our Lord of of me His prisoner, but join with me in suffering for the gospel according to the power of God. In Romans Paul similarly says, I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God unto salvation, (1:16). Paul s basis for unashamedness is that the gospel is one of power. It is news worth suffering for because it is news according to the power of God (2 Timothy. 1:8). The author also seeks to present the fullest, most accurate picture of salvation possible, in that salvation is of the Lord. This study takes Christ seriously when He told His disciples that it is the Spirit Who gives life, the flesh profits nothing, (John 6:63). The word gospel means good news. The good news is simply that there is grace. Yet, this simple statement may carry very little weight for you, because you have yet to recognize you need for grace. In order to most fully understand the gospel grace that is extended to you this day, you must first comprehend the fierce wrath that rests upon your back. The bad news must come before the good news, or else you will have no taste for the good news. There must be a proper understanding of God, of man, of Christ, and of the prescribed response. I pray that this resource entitled Gospel Dogmatics I: Gospel Grace will prove helpful in articulating the gospel message. This resource is designed to be interactive. I have used the NASB (New American Standard Bible) for the study notes, but the ESV (English Standard Version) or HCSB (Holman Christian Standard Bible) could work well in substitute. Because of the design of this resource, it will be most useful if printed out and written on with a Bible open to the side. As a final note: this study is Public Domain and available for any type of distribution, so long as no profit is made by the distributer. All Scripture quotations from the NASB unless otherwise stated. first edition // April, 2017
2 Gospel Dogmatics I: Gospel Grace Who is God? God is Holy (Lev. 19:2; 22:32-33; 1 Sam. 2:2; Ps. 11:4; 22:3; 77:13; 145:21; Isa. 6:1-5; 43:15; Rev. 4:8; 15:4) Isaiah 6:1-5 Holy primarily refers to something being set-apart, unique, with some implications of sinless-ness. What is significant about the Seraphim s threefold declaration? Consider v.3 in light of v.5. Leviticus 22:32-33 The word sanctified is related to holy, and refers to something being set apart. So what is God telling the Israelites to do? Generally speaking (so, not the specifics of Leviticus), what would this require of the Israelites? What would this require of you? Psalm 77:13...Isaiah 6 showed God as holy, but what is different about this verse? What are some implications to draw from this? God is Just (Deut. 32:4; 2 Chronicles 19:7; Job 34:12; Prov. 11:1; Isa. 61:8; Nah. 1:1-8; Rom. 3:26; 12:19; Rev. 20:12-13) Deuteronomy 32:4...Explain this verse in your own words.
3 2 Chronicles 19:7...What does it mean that God won t take a bribe? Or have no part in...partiality? What does this say about His justice? Proverbs 11:1...What does God hate? What is God pleased with? Ps. 115:3 tells us that God does what pleases Him. What are some implication you can draw from this? Nahum 1:1-8...God s wrath is an expression of His justice. Write down some observations you see concerning God s wrath and justice in this passage. God is Loving (Deut. 7:7-10; Ps. 145:8-9, 15-16; Matt. 5:44-45; Lk. 6:35-36; Jn. 3:16; Ac. 14:16-17; Rom. 5:8; Eph. 1:3-6; 1 Jn. 4:8-10) Towards All Creatures (Universal Disposition) Psalm 145:9, 15-16...What does God do for all things He has made? What does it mean for God to be good to all? Matthew 5:44-45...How should we live in response to God s love for creation?
4 Towards Sinful Humanity (Anthropic Disposition) Ezekiel 18:23...Comment on the contrast between what God doesn t and does have pleasure in. Luke 6:35-36...Who is Christ speaking this to? How is this invitation an expression of Ezekiel 18:23? Towards His Elect (Salvific Disposition) Ephesians 1:3-6...How is God s love for His elect different from His love for humanity in general? Obviously God differentiates in His love. Do we do this as humans? 1 John 4:8-10...How do we know what love is? How does God show His love for His people? Romans 5:8...Who is the us mentioned here? How does the cross demonstrate the love of God for His people?
5 Who is Man? The Effects of Sin (Gen. 6:5; 2 Chron. 6:36; Ps. 32:1-2; 51:3-4; 130:3; Jer. 17:9; Matt. 15:16-20; Mk. 10:17-27; Jn. 3:20-21; Rom. 1:17; 3:9-18; 5:12; Gal. 3:11; Eph. 2:1-3) Guilty (A Blemished Record) Psalm 32:1-2...What does this passage imply every person has? If these things are a blessing, then what is the normal state of things for mankind? Romans 5:12...Comment on this verse. Psalm 130:3...What implication(s) can be drawn from this verse? John 3:20-21...Who is responsible for the deeds of those who come to the Light? So, without God, where does mankind remain? If all do evil, then all are guilty of evil. So, what hope do we have without God?
6 Wicked (A Blemished Heart) Romans 3:9-12, 18...What happens if you don t fear God? Which verse strikes you the most? Consider v.11b: what are some implication we can draw from this? Matthew 15:16-20...What does this passage imply about mankind s nature? Jeremiah 17:9...Comment on this verse. Bondage of the Will (Gen. 8:21; Jer. 13:23; Mk. 10:17-27; John 3:6; Rom. 3:9-11; 8:6-8; Heb. 11:6) Jeremiah 13:23...Is the inability outside or within the leopard/man? What does this teach concerning the nature of mankind? What is man unable to do? Romans 8:6-8...Explain v.7 & then v.8. Why does man not subject himself to God? What inability is attributed to those who are in the flesh?
7 John 3:6...What principle is found in this verse, in relation to Romans 8:6-8? How, then, can anyone be saved? Man is unable to come to God not because any outside force is making him be this way. He is unable simply because he is unwilling. The problem is in the heart/affections. Man will never love God on his own because he hates God naturally. We say, then, that man s inability is moral. We call this moral inability the bondage of the will. Man s will is bonded in sin, so that sin is all that he ever does. This bondage is the power that sin has over unbelievers. What Did Christ Do? The Cross (Jn. 3:14-16; Rom. 3:21-26; Rom. 5:1, 8; 1 Cor. 2:1-5; 2 Cor. 5:21; Heb. 12:2) Romans 3:24-25a...If something is justified, it is declared righteous/guiltless. Through what are we justified? A propitiation is a sacrifice that appeases wrath. Who displayed Jesus as a propitiation? Romans 3:25b-26...Why did God display Jesus as a propitiation? Why did God need to do this? So, what does the cross prove? John 3:14-15...What story is Jesus referring to here (Numb. 21:6-9)? What does this imply about the cross? What is the purpose for which Christ was lifted up?
8 2 Corinthians 5:21...Paul is obviously speaking in analogous terms here (i.e. Jesus didn t literally become sin on the cross). Paul s point rather is to show that Jesus was treated like a guilty person and we are then treated like guilt-less people. So, what happened on the cross? What did this provide (v.20)? The Resurrection (Ac. 2:32-36; Rom. 1:4; 4:25; 1 Cor. 15:14-17) Vindication of Christ Romans 1:4...Who is this verse referring to? Was He made or declared to be the Son of God? What does it mean to vindicate something? Acts 2:32-36...What three things did God the Father do for Christ in v.32-33a? What did Christ do in v.33b? In light of Peter s testimony that Christ really did rise from the dead, what does he call his audience to know for certain? Vindication of Faith Romans 4:25...In what sense was Jesus delivered over because of our sin? Apply this same logic to the second half of the verse: did Jesus resurrection justify us or prove our justification? What does this have to say about our faith, then?
9 1 Corinthians 15:14-17...If Christ didn t rise from the dead, then why is our faith worthless? Since Christ did rise from the dead, what implications does this bring to our faith in Him? What is Our Response? Repentance (Matt. 3:8; 4:17; Lk. 5:31-32; 24:46-48; Ac. 3:19; 5:31; 11:18; 2 Cor. 7:9-10; Rev. 2:5) Luke 24:46-48...What is repentance? What good is repentance, according to Jesus? Acts 11:18...Who is ultimately responsible for repentance? What does repentance lead to? Revelation 2:5...Comment on this verse. Faith (Gen. 15:6; Jn. 3:16; Rom. 3:27-30; 10:14-17; Eph. 2:8-9; Heb. 12:2; 1 Pt. 1:8-9) Genesis 15:6...What does this verse mean? Why do you think God has chosen to justify people this way?
10 Jn. 3:16...What is the main point of this verse? Who are the ones who receive the eternal life? Romans 3:27-30...Why can t we boast? How, then, are we justified before God?
11 Catechism Q. What does it mean to say that God is holy? A. God s holiness means He is by nature separate and distinct from all creation. Q. What are the three dispositions of God s love? A. Creation receives His benevolence, men receive His gospel, the church receives His salvation. Q. What does it mean that God is just? A. God is immutable and immutably judges creation by His law. Q. What are the two primary effects of sin upon a man? A. Sinners are Guilty (the judicial effect) and Wicked (the ontological effect). Q. In what sense is man unable to come to God? A. Mankind is unable to come to God simply because he is unwilling. Q. What do we call this inability? A. This is man s Moral Inability. Q. What did Christ suffer on the cross? A. Christ suffered the righteous indignation of God provoked by the sins of His people. Q. Where was your salvation secured? A. My salvation was secured on the cross in the death of Christ. Q. What two things did the resurrection demonstrate? A. Christ s resurrection demonstrated His deity and the sufficiency of His sacrifice. Q. What is the relationship between repentance and faith? A. In repentance, I turn from sin in faith, I cling to Christ. Q. Why has God chosen to justify men through faith alone? A. If justified through faith alone, I must give all glory to God.