Preparing for my quiz tonight.... Last's week lecture was on the Doctrines of the Holy Spirit and Salvation. Here's a quick run down.....

DOCTRINE OF THE HOLY SPIRIT

Purpose of the Holy Spirit is to mark out what is His, His territory / the King and all that is the King's. In the Old Testament, the King's head was anointed with oil signifying the Holy Spirit's presence and the Lord's choice of King. In Psalm 51 (my favorite), David is crying out to the Lord after he committed adultery and part of his petition is that the Lord would not remove the Holy Spirit from him.

The Holy Spirit meant two things for the King:

(1) Ability to Fight - For example - David and Goliath - many people say that this was a story of David's great courage. This actually would normally be a really stupid thing to do except that the Spirit was upon him and was giving him the ability to kill Goliath.

(2) Gives Wisdom - the King is able to rule, reign, discern and judge adequately because of the Spirit's presence. The Holy Spirit was removed from Saul and evil spirits took its place BEFORE he was physically removed from the throne. Other examples: Spirit came down like a dove on Jesus at His baptism, Spirit comes down at Pentecost and He makes His home with the Bride, our spirit testifies to the Holy Spirit.

Holy Spirit's Work/Job:
(1) Conviction - brings evidence and makes a case against us.
(2) Baptism - Jesus baptizes His church in the Holy Spirit.
(3) Indwelling - Not so much about having the Holy Spirit in you or in me but the church as a whole - He makes His home in the church (universal).
(4) Fullness - Constantly open to the direction of the Holy Spirit. Holy Spirit setting the agenda and we are carried away in it.
(5) Gifts - All Christians believe in the gifts.
(a) Pentecostal - Saved and then sometime after that you are baptized in the Holy Spirit which is only evidenced by speaking in tongues. This is the "fullness" of the gospel, hence, Full Gospel.
(b) Charismatics - Salvation and baptism of the Holy Spirit happen at the same time. All gifts are still operable today, including tongues, prophecy, healing, exorcism, etc.
(c) Open But Cautious - There is no scripture in the NT that states that some gifts are no longer operable. But that because of the abuse of certain extraordinary gifts we should be extremely cautious about the use and identification of such gifts. These people would say that they have never experienced a worship service where someone spoke in tongues to the congregation and then someone else adequately interpreted it for the same congregation. Cautious also about the use of power over others when it comes to certain gifts like "a word from the Lord", this makes it hard for someone to "argue" against you since what you are proclaiming to the congregation or an individual was something that "the Lord said should happen".
(d) Cessationist - Some gifts of the Holy Spirit were used to mark out the apostolic era. They were used, like at Pentecost, to let the church know that the gospel was now global. We now have the New Testament which is all we need for life and godliness and that the Holy Spirit speaks through the word instead of through specific revelatory gifts.
(6) Fruit - He prunes us and cultivates us to bring about healthy fruit.

DOCTRINE OF SALVATION

(1) Free offer - Anyone is called to believe. Only requirements are repentance and faith, upon these salvation is guaranteed. The only problem is that ALL have turned aside and none seek Him therefore none would be saved. Left to ourselves we would find ourselves running further and further away from God. Nothing in us wants to be Holy.
(2) Effectual Calling - While the free offer is being made the Holy Spirit works to call people to repentance and faith. Most people are not saved the first time they hear the gospel. We hear the gospel and hear it and hear it. One day it sounds different - usually not because we all of a sudden have more information.... like.... oh so there were 500 hundred eye witnesses to the resurrection. The Holy Spirit calls us to Himself - declares the light be shown on our hearts/eyes. When someone comes to faith it is because the Holy Spirit was active and working to bring that person to Christ. The proclamation of the gospel combined with the working of the Holy Spirit can save anybody. No one is too far gone nor more "likely" to be saved than any other. Faith is looking outside of ourselves to Jesus... believing. Repentance is agreeing with God regarding His judgment of our sin and our turning from that sin.
(3) Regeneration - Holy Spirit creates a new life - it's as if the the person is starting all over again. Although personalities don't necessarily change, we do however have a new set of affections.
(4) Justification - God declares us Holy!! Because Christ took my condemnation and my penalty, God sees me as already having been judged. My sins are paid for and I am hidden in Christ. This is how the Father sees me... Holy. Satan only has two offensive strategies against the believer at this point..... Fear of Death and Accusations (i.e., you are still under condemnation).
(5) Adoption - We are part of the household of God. Doctrines of Election and Predestination say that God was purposing to bring us into the household all along. Its not about our acceptability, our performance or how lovable we are. God had us in mind before the foundation of the world and HE does what it takes to save and sanctify His own. Adoption is our confirmation that salvation is God's doing from beginning to end and when trouble comes God will not abandon us. He is the One who is keeping us saved. Some object or become defensive over election and predestination because they assume it is saying that if someone wants to be saved and they weren't chosen then they can't be saved. This is obviously not the case taking into consideration both the Free Offer and the Effectual Calling definitions... if ANYONE believes and repents then they shall be saved.
(6) Sanctification - the Father makes us Holy. We are set apart for a specific use. We are not here for common purposes. He uses the Word (preached/taught), Lord's Supper, Baptism, and the work of the Holy Spirit to make us more and more Holy over the span of our entire lives.
(a) Discipline - this is our training for the world to come. He turns us away from those things which are opposed to Christ and toward those things which will prepare us for eternity. He only disciplines His own. This takes time and patience when dealing with ourselves and others.
(7) Perseverance - Anyone who comes to know Christ will continue to follow Christ until the end. We are consistent repenting sinners. God will not allow a Christian to walk away into apostasy.
(8) Assurance - confidence that we belong to Christ. This is not a feeling.