Christian Doctrines: Repentance, Faith, Salvation
Understanding Repentance and Faith
Repentance is necessary because all are guilty of sinning.
Repentance is primarily an intellectual activity.
Repentance is produced by the ministry of the Word and by a fresh vision of God.
Faith is vitally important to us, for it affects every aspect of our lives.
Faith is composed of only one element, assent, for it basically involves emotions.
What are the results of repentance?
- a) The entire community rejoices at the sinner’s action.
- b) The family of the repentant sinner rejoices.
- c) Heaven rejoices with the sinner who turns to God.
- d) People of the world rejoice because of the good change.
When people feel sorry for their sins, this affects their:
- a) Intellect.
- b) Emotions.
- c) Will.
Which aspect of repentance is involved in decision-making?
- a) The physical aspect.
- b) The emotional aspect.
- c) The intellectual aspect.
- d) The act of the will.
What does it mean for a sinner to recognize they have offended God?
- a) The intellect is involved in repentance.
- b) An emotional problem exists in the sinner.
- c) The sinner lives in an enlightened society.
- d) Sinners are hearing a message of judgment, not love.
Simply stated, we might say that faith is:
- a) An act by which we express our confidence in God and begin to hope in His grace.
- b) The act of grasping firmly some truth we have heard and relying on this.
- c) The act by which we place our confidence in God, allowing Him to direct our actions.
- d) Simply a blind leap toward that which we desire.
How is living faith, which pleases God, shown?
- a) The complete commitment of our lives to Christ.
- b) Simple trust in God, with no accompanying actions or works.
- c) Believing something about Jesus.
- d) Reliance on the intellect, not on the emotions or will.
What is a quality of the good actions of living faith?
- a) They are instrumental in saving a person.
- b) They give evidence of the health and vitality of one’s faith.
- c) They show that a sinner is worthy of salvation.
- d) They should be demonstrated to impress the unbelieving world.
What do we understand by degrees of faith?
- a) One always has little faith which will increase in time.
- b) One moves from a lesser degree of faith to a greater.
- c) Having received greater faith, one can never have less.
- d) Faith is living and growing, and can mature in everyone.
The Nature of Conversion
Repentance and faith equal conversion.
The only measure for true conversion is the Word of God.
How are repentance and faith related to conversion?
- a) Only in that all are part of the salvation experience.
- b) In a very small sense, since all three are related to the Holy Spirit’s work in people.
- c) Because each is related to an aspect of salvation.
- d) Directly, for they prepare the sinner for conversion.
How is conversion brought about?
- a) Self-knowledge, showing one has not met a moral standard.
- b) A curious mind seeking an unknown Savior.
- c) Human response to the ministry of the Word, and the activity of the Spirit.
Which of the following is NOT a result of conversion?
- a) We receive eternal life and are saved from eternal death.
- b) Our sins are blotted out.
- c) We are instantly perfect, with full spiritual knowledge.
- d) We have new relationships with God and people.
How do repentance, faith, and conversion affect us?
- a) They affect our total being: emotions, intellect, and will.
- b) They are exclusively the work of God; we have no part in these.
- c) They are words which have no difference in meaning.
- d) They are the irresistible work of God.
Regeneration: Being Born Again
The need for regeneration is universal, for all have sinned.
In regeneration, God gives spiritual life to the repentant one, and he or she is born again.
How is regeneration presented in the Bible?
- a) A change which affects only a person’s attitudes and beliefs.
- b) Creating new values in one wanting a better life.
- c) Arising from sincere convictions of good people.
- d) Birth from above or by the Spirit.
Why is regeneration necessary?
- a) People have guilt feelings as a result of their sin.
- b) Pressure is placed upon the sinner by his or her family.
- c) Because of the nature of people and the nature of God.
- d) Because of the expectations of society.
What is one common misconception about regeneration?
- a) It is the same as conversion.
- b) A person is regenerated by baptism.
- c) This experience is essentially a change of one’s mind.
- d) The requirements vary from one culture to another.
Which statement describes the experience of regeneration?
- a) Sinners lost in the desert of sin come to Christ, the oasis, as the only solution for their problems.
- b) Sincere people struggle up the mountain by different paths, and all these eventually lead to the same place.
- c) One changes by his or her own efforts, education, and knowledge.
Justification: Declared Righteous by God
Justification is faith plus the observance of the Law.
As guilty sinners stand condemned before a holy God, they need justice.
Justification is an objective work that takes place before the throne of God.
How is God’s righteousness upheld when sinners are justified?
- a) God’s declaration is sufficient without payment for sin.
- b) A person’s good works are payment for his or her sins.
- c) Our sins are transferred to Christ and His righteousness is transferred to us.
How does Scripture teach a person is justified?
- a) By faith alone, not by works, penances, or personal merit.
- b) By a combination of the Law, faith in Christ, and good works.
- c) By progressive growth in spiritual life.
Which Scripture best supports justification by faith alone?
- a) Romans 8:1
- b) Galatians 3:5
- c) Titus 3:5
- d) Romans 4:5
Upon what does justification rest?
- a) The pity which God feels for lost sinners.
- b) The grace of God and the cross of Christ.
- c) The need of lost people for an easy way to escape justice.
- d) The yearning of people’s hearts to be put right with God.
Adoption: Becoming Children of God
In adoption, a person receives a new position.
One of the great benefits of adoption is the witness of the Spirit, who verifies our relationship as children of God.
What is adoption according to God’s grace?
- a) Being born again into God’s family.
- b) Being placed as children in God’s family, with a natural child’s rights.
- c) Being freed from the penalty of sin, being declared righteous.
- d) Being given a new nature in Christ.
What change does adoption primarily represent?
- a) A change of rank and position, giving privileges as a son or daughter of God.
- b) A change of nature, dealing primarily with the new birth experience.
- c) A change of standing before God, concerning personal merit.
- d) A change of attitudes and actions affected by conversion.
What is the means of adoption set forth in the New Testament?
- a) The effort and desire of all to respond to God’s love.
- b) The irresistible grace of God towards the elect.
- c) God’s grace receiving us when we receive Christ.
- d) Christ, the fulfillment of the written and moral law.
Which one of the following is NOT a benefit of adoption?
- a) The Father’s love, care, and understanding.
- b) Needs supplied, protection, instruction, and correction.
- c) Boldness to come into His presence as His heirs.
- d) An inheritance never to be lost, however we may live.
Sanctification: Growing in Holiness
Sanctification is being separated from sin unto God.
Relative perfection means that we simply fulfill the purpose for which we were made.
Sanctification is to put off the old self and put on the new.
One who believes that a person can live perfectly has a limited concept of God’s holiness and an individual’s sin.
What is the purpose of sanctification in a believer’s life?
- a) To bring to present perfection his or her experience in Christ.
- b) To bring him or her to full spiritual maturity by one experience.
- c) To make him or her progressively more Christlike.
- d) To give him or her standing as a holy one in God’s sight.
What does the experience of sanctification bring about?
- a) A decisive crisis experience.
- b) A change in us, conforming us to the image of Christ.
- c) A complete and final state of sinlessness in us.
- d) An empowerment for service.
What kind of sanctification does one receive when born again?
- a) Positional.
- b) Progressive.
- c) Relative.
- d) Conditional.
How do those who believe Christians can become sinlessly perfect view sanctification?
- a) As the complete destruction of the carnal nature.
- b) As the baptism in the Holy Spirit, given for empowered service.
- c) As the same as regeneration.
- d) As the final experience which Christians can expect.
What do Pentecostals believe about the baptism in the Holy Spirit?
- a) It is the same as sanctification.
- b) It is only possible for those who are spiritually mature.
- c) It is received when the new birth is experienced.
- d) It is an experience which gives the believer power for service.
What does sanctification give believers?
- a) An experience which will end all struggles with their carnal natures.
- b) The motivation to excel in the use of spiritual gifts.
- c) The desire to seek holiness and to dedicate themselves increasingly to God.
Glorification: The Completion of Salvation
Glorification, our future state, is unrelated to the other doctrines of salvation.
How is glorification related to other salvation doctrines?
- a) In an indirect way, since it concerns the future.
- b) As the final link in the chain; it represents the completion of salvation.
- c) Since it concerns the ultimate perfection of the saints at sanctification.
- d) In no certain way, as the Bible does not deal with it.
How is the promise of glorification guaranteed to us?
- a) By the prophets.
- b) By Christian tradition.
- c) By ordinances which Jesus gave.
- d) By the gift of the Holy Spirit.
What does glorification primarily concern by nature?
- a) Moral perfection.
- b) Judicial standing.
- c) Legal status.
- d) Family position.
On what does the work of glorification primarily rest?
- a) The degree of response in each of us to God’s grace.
- b) The merit of each one, based upon our good works.
- c) The death, resurrection, and intercession of Christ.
- d) The spiritual maturity of believers.
What part of us will be affected at our glorification?
- a) Spirit.
- b) Soul.
- c) Intellect.
- d) Entire being.
How may we define glorification?
- a) The act by which God gives a new nature to those who repent.
- b) The act by which God completes His redemptive work in people, making them ready for eternity.
- c) The act by which God accepts as pure and righteous those who trust Him.
- d) The act by which God translates the living saints to heaven.