Dispensations are the divine administrations of human history and also denotes stewardship, or ‘shepherdship.’ Dispensations refer to various time periods or epochs; age, or ages; and “times and seasons” as stated by Christ Himself in Acts 1:3 (reference with Matthew 10:30; Mark 10:30; Luke 1:70; 18:30; Acts 16:31; Hebrews 2:5). “Stewardship” is used by the Apostle Paul in 1 Corinthians…
Dichotomous or dichotomy refers to unregenerate mankind because he has only a body and soul – two components. The regenerate believer on the other hand has a human spirit added to the body and soul, making the believer “trichotomous” and spiritually alive – as we are born spiritually dead, hence the term “born-again.”
Possession by a demon or demons is an invasion of the body of the unbeliever only. Generally, this occurs through satanic worship, the occult religions, drug addiction, etc. The believer cannot be possessed (but can be influenced) because when we believe, we become the tabernacle, the sanctuary, where God Himself dwells.
Demon influence promotes false thinking based on human viewpoint and world philosophies (the world-systems of satan). Satan is “prince of this world” (John 12:31; 14:30; 16:11; Ephesians 2:2). Demons are followers of satan and have tremendous influence over mankind. Demonic influence is characterized by infiltrating the thinking of believers and unbelievers. Satanic thinking (demon influence) is thinking which is contrary…
Jesus Christ is God. Period. Full stop. He is co-equal and co-eternal with the Father and the Holy Spirit (John 1:1-14; 14:8,9; Colossians 1:15-19; Hebrews 1:1-14; 1 John1:1,2). He is a member of the Trinity (Colossians 2:9). He has always had the same essence as the Father and the Holy Spirit. Jesus Christ has always been the revealed or visible…
The crucifixion is the most extreme, cruel, and degrading punishment ever conceived from the depths of the sinful depravity of man. Before being impaled, the victim was stripped naked and scourged with a flagellum – this is a whip with splinters of rock and bone chips attached to leather thongs. The whip is then whirled against the flesh of the…
A lust-pattern of the soul whereby a person strongly desires, with envy, something that belongs to someone else (Luke 12:15; Romans 1:29; 1 Timothy 6:10; 2 Peter 2:14).
This term regards satan’s world-system – the secular world headed up by satan. The Term Cosmos Diabolicus was first coined by Lewis Sperry Chafer in his book Systematic Theology (Dallas Seminary Press, 1974). (Reference “Cosmic System“)
A philosophical argument for proof of the existence of God as the cause of the universe or the first cause of anything. Cosmology is a branch of metaphysics that deals with the origin and nature of the universe as being orderly.
This term defines the function of the Holy Spirit whereby He makes the Gospel understandable to the unbeliever. The Holy Spirit literally “turns on the light” of the Glorious Gospel of Christ (2 Corinthians 4:3-6) to any unbeliever who is positive toward the Gospel.
There has always been a client nation throughout history, which has had the honor of custodianship of God’s Word and in particular presenting the Gospel to a lost and condemned humanity. Humanity meaning the Adamic race – human race. The United States has been God’s client nation for over two hundred years (but with this sudden, recent turn for the…
The church-age began at Pentecost (Acts 2:1-47) and ends with the revelation that the church has been translated (1 Thessalonians 4:13-18), called the Rapture. Immediately after the rapture of believers, the Tribulation (Matthew chapter 24:4-14) will begin and last seven years. The Rapture is distinguished in Scripture from the Second Coming of Christ, which culminates the Tribulation period (Matthew 24:29-31)….
The term “church” refers to the body of Christ, made up of church-age believers (also called Ecclesiology). The church is not a building, it is a body of believers in Christ, saved during the church-age only (1 Corinthians 12:13,14-27).
The appearance of Christ in bodily form, before His incarnation (the incarnation is the time period in which He became man and went to the cross for you).
Christian activism can involve the political or social arena of reform; snooping into the business of others; invading the privacy of others; self-righteousness and legalism, to name a few. This activism usually involves Christians imposing God on others, or their standards on others. The world is full of bullies who impose or enforce their beliefs on others. Activism results in…
Similar to chain-smoking, chain-sinning involves addiction to a certain sin(s) or a habitual sin(s). We all have areas of weakness and areas of strength. Our sin-weaknesses vary with each individual. Our problems compound when we continuously give in to sin. Every believer struggles with their sin-weaknesses, so none of us are immune to this. The intake of Bible Doctrine on…
Carnality defines the state of the believer who is in perpetual sin, but has not obeyed God by confession (1 John 1:9) and then leaving that sin or sins behind. The command to confess means to humbly admit or acknowledged disobedience (transgression), and move on from it. Carnality is discussed and defined by the Apostle Paul in Romans 7:14-25. When…
These terms refer to the divinely-inspired and officially recognized books of the Bible.
In Christianity, being born-again refers to a person who is “twice born.” Born once of human parents and once and for all of the Holy Spirit, called “Spiritual Birth” – the birth apart from death, or the birth that never again dies (Reference John 3:3,5,7), received at the moment of salvation. Reference Dichotomous.
The Book of Life is one thing in time, and something different in eternity. It is a registry that contains the names of every person who has ever lived throughout history. If they were not believers, their name is removed from the Lamb’s Book of Life at physical death. Only believers remain in the Book of Life. Because each believer…