Spirit-Empowered Theology

A Concise, One-Volume Guide

D.D. Carrin

• Publisher: Chosen Books
• Year: 2017
• Print ISBN: 9780800798178
• eBook ISBN: 9781441230997
• Topic: Theology & Religion
• Subtopic: Christian Denominations

A Concise, One-Volume Guide to Spirit-Empowered Theology

Many Spirit-filled believers, even those intimately familiar with Scripture, sometimes struggle to express theology in clear terms. Charles Carrin, esteemed Spirit-empowered evangelist and scholar, can help.

In this one-volume reference, he explores the core areas of theology--including the Bible, God, creation, sin, salvation, church, last things--from a Spirit-empowered viewpoint. He also specifically addresses key topics for charismatic and Pentecostal believers, including
· baptism of the Holy Spirit
· functions of the spiritual gifts, including the controversial gift of tongues
· healing and deliverance ministry
· angels, demons, and the supernatural miracles of God
· God's plan for Israel

This comprehensive work by a respected Spirit-filled pastor will help you grow in understanding about what you believe--and confidence about why.

Part 1
Who Is God?

1.
What Is God’s Nature and Being?

First of all, it is impossible to identify God. We have neither the conceptual ability to comprehend Him nor the vocabulary to describe Him. He is, and exists in, a dimension we have never seen. Our sources of information are threefold: His sovereign choice to reveal Himself to us, Scripture and the revelation of nature (see Matthew 11:27; Romans 1:19–20; 1 Corinthians 2:10; 2 Timothy 3:16).

What we know is this: God Almighty is the Original Cause, Creator, only deity, eternal and First Being of all things; He alone is sovereign. He is the initial source and personification of perfect love, perfect purity, perfect purpose and perfect power. All energy, all intelligence comes from Him. Only He had the choice of saying or not saying, “Let there be light.” He so chose, light came, darkness vanished and creation had begun. Intelligent design and order were instantly and universally established by His Word (see Colossians 1:17; Hebrews 11:3).

As Sovereign, possessing all power and free range, it is His uncontested privilege to be what He chooses. He is not restrained in any capacity. By His own choice, God the Almighty exists in singularity and multiplicity. He alone has the capacity to transcend time, space and all the limitations that exist within—and without—our cosmos. He created it. It is subject to Him. He is independent of everything, dependent on nothing. Of His Being, we have no capacity to describe Him. Atheists have no capacity to deny Him.

2.
How Do We Know That God Is Trinitarian?

While maintaining absolute unity within Himself, God sovereignly manifests His Being in three divine Personages: Father, Son and Holy Spirit (see Genesis 1:26; John 1:1–14; 2 Corinthians 13:14).

In reference to Himself in Genesis 1:1, God used a plural subject, elohim, but a singular verb, bara’: “In the beginning God created. . . .” This unusual model of His oneness in plurality established a pattern that is followed consistently in the Genesis account of Creation—even though it is in violation of basic Hebrew grammar, which insists that nouns and verbs agree in number. It is equally significant that when Genesis speaks of pagan gods—elohim—it reverts to its original format of noun/verb agreement. God’s introduction of Himself immediately challenges us with His plurality.

In the opening pages of Scripture, God the Almighty revealed His Trinitarian nature to Abraham in bodily form. Abraham is the father of faith both to Jews and Christians. The Jews acknowledge Him in His singularity; Christians acknowledge Him in His plurality. Both are correct.

The language of Scripture reveals this:

Genesis 18:1: “The LORD appeared to” Abraham in the form of

Genesis 18:2: “three men . . . standing by him.”

Genesis 18:21: The LORD said, “I will go down [to Sodom].”

Genesis 18:22: “Then the men . . . went toward Sodom” but

Genesis 18:22: “Abraham still stood before the LORD.”

Genesis 19:1: “Now the two angels [the Lord] came to Sodom in the evening.”

In this setting, the Lord appeared to a man as a man: He stood before Abraham in human form. At the same time He (note the wording: “I” will go down to Sodom) appeared in Sodom as two angels. This Trinitarian display of Himself is obvious and unmistakably clear.

Two distinctly different but vitally important announcements were being made at this moment: The promise of Isaac as the royal seed through whom the Redeemer would come, and, simultaneously, God’s vengeance on the sinfulness that would cause the Redeemer’s death. In our present three-dimensional realm, this display of plurality and singularity at the same time is not possible. God’s realm puts no restraint on Him.

3.
How Is God Both Singular and Plural?

Scripture’s opening lines introduce us to God’s plurality and singularity: “God said, ‘Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness” (Genesis 1:26).

From the beginning of Creation, God’s ultimate plan was that mankind would someday rule and reign with Him (see Revelation 5:10; 20:6; 22:5). His giving Adam dominion over the earth and every living thing was the introduction of that plan. This was done in spite of humanity’s foreknown rebellion and fall into sin. Against that setting of rebellion, God would display His grace as superior to mankind’s disgrace.

To qualify humanity for this role, God planned further to impart His own nature into mankind. This is “Christ in you, the hope of glory” (Colossians 1:27; see also 1 Corinthians 6:19; 1 Peter 1:23). The bestowing of the seed and nature of Christ in us can only happen because of God’s allowing divisibility and repetition within Himself (see Romans 8:10; Colossians 1:27; 1 John 3:9). He could not impart Himself into mankind had He been an indissoluble, solitary Being.

At the same time, “the Lord is One.” Difficult to understand? Yes. But true. His dimension exists without the limitations of ours. In Christ, God became human that humans might become godlike: “He called them gods, to whom the Word of God came” (John 10:35; see also Exodus 4:16; 7:1). This is the same Word that became flesh: “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. . . . And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth" (John 1:1, 14–15).

4.
What Are the Three Great Attributes of God?

First, God is omniscient. Not only does He know everything, having perfect foreknowledge of all events universe-wide (see 1 John 3:20), but Isaiah wrote that He “[declared] the end from the beginning, and from ancient times things that are not yet done” (Isaiah 46:10). Jesus taught that even a sparrow cannot fall to the earth apart from the Father’s knowledge. The hairs of our heads are numbered (see Matthew 10:29–30). There is not an unspoken word in our tongues that God does not already know (see Psalm 139:4). He even saw us in the womb (see Psalm 139:15–16).

Solomon expressed this truth perfectly when he said, “You alone know the hearts of all the sons of men” (1 Kings 8:39). “There is no creature hidden from His sight, but all things are naked and open to the eyes of Him to whom we must give account” (Hebrews 4:13). God is incapable of ignorance.

Second, God is omnipotent. He is all powerful. As Creator, He is unlimited in sovereignty and strength. He said, “Let there be light,” and light came! (Genesis 1:3). No other power could resist Him. The universe also needs His power and strength to sustain it. Job said, “I know that You can do everything, and that no purpose of Yours can be withheld from You” (Job 42:2). “The Lord said to Moses, ‘Has the LORD’s arm been shortened?’” (Numbers 11:23). Nowhere is God’s omnipotence seen more clearly than in the act of Creation. “By the word of the LORD the heavens were made, and all the host of them by the breath of His mouth” (Psalm 33:6). Jesus declared, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth” (Matthew 28:18–19).

Third, God is omnipresent. He is everywhere. It is impossible for Him to be absent anywhere. David said, “If I ascend into heaven, You are there; if I make my bed in hell, behold, You are there. If I take the wings of the morning, and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea, even there Your hand shall lead me” (Psalm 139:8–10). While the Father occupies the throne of heaven, Jesus at His right hand, His Spirit permeates the universe and all regions beyond.

5.
What Is the Sovereignty of God?

Three attributes of God bring the unavoidable realization that He is sovereign.

He is omniscient. God knows everything.

He is omnipotent. God is all powerful. As Creator, He is unlimited in strength.

He is omnipresent. God is everywhere. It is impossible for Him to be absent anywhere.

His will, authority, power are irresistible. God Almighty is answerable only to Himself. There is none other to whom He can or should give account. Creation came into being because He alone willed it to be so. The world will end when He chooses. Of Himself He said, “I am God, and there is no other; I am God, and there is none like Me, declaring the end from the beginning, and from ancient times things that are not yet done, saying, ‘My counsel shall stand, and I will do all My pleasure’” (Isaiah 46:9–10). “No one can restrain His hand or say to Him, ‘What have You done?’” (Daniel 4:35).

But God’s nature is love; His sovereignty is only an aspect of His nature. It does not exist independently of His love. Even though God has all power and is independent of every control, He will not violate his own covenant of grace. He loves us and will not change.

This is a foundational truth: God has sovereignly given every human being a will that is free to make the choice of love. As individuals, we are under God’s providential and secret care—like an umbrella over our lives that guides and protects us—but from which we may voluntarily leave.

Freedom provides the only environment in which love can exist. A sovereignly controlled robot is incapable of love. The reality of our free choice—displayed in the framework of God’s sovereignty—is demonstrated in the opening pages of Scripture. After Adam’s first disobedience, God, knowing mankind’s propensity for continuing rebellion, acted “‘lest [Adam] put out his hand and take also of the tree of life, and eat, and live forever’—therefore the LORD God sent him out of the garden of Eden” (Genesis 3:22). At this point God’s sovereignty responded protectively to the danger in the man’s free will; He protected him from greater harm.

From the rim of the universe to the core of every atom, God’s love maintains creation in the same perfection for which it was originally designed. The Hebrew writer explains Jesus’ role in that perfect creation: “Through whom also He made the worlds; who being the brightness of His glory and the express image of His person, and upholding all things by the word of His power, when He had by Himself purged our sins, sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high” (Hebrews 1:2–3). Next, that same love blankets the lives of every individual on the planet. In speaking to the disciples on this topic, Jesus asked them, “Are not two sparrows sold for a copper coin? And not one of them falls to the ground apart from your Father’s will. . . . Do not fear therefore; you are of more value than many sparrows” (Matthew 10:29–31).

Since we are created in God’s image He wants our choices also to be love-motivated. Identically, there could be no honor to Him if our worship were forced and involuntarily given.

Is God sovereign? Yes. Are humans free to obey or disobey? Absolutely. God’s sovereignty does not negate our responsibility.

6.
What Are Some of the Old Testament Names of God?

YHWH: This name is reverenced by Jews as being too holy to speak. For that reason it contains no vowels, thus making it unpronounceable. Many Jews today spell it G_D. God’s identity was revealed to Moses as I AM at the burning bush. It identifies Him in His timeless, eternal state—the One who has always been, is, will always be. He is the One who is without beginning or end. Often identified with vowels as Yahweh, this was the name for God that Jesus used in His preaching.

Jehovah Jireh: Usually translated as “The Lord Will Provide,” this name of God appears in Genesis 22 when He rescued Isaac from the altar and provided a wild ram to die in his place. Abraham called the place Jehovah Jireh, meaning, “in the Mount of the Lord it shall be provided” (Genesis 22:8).

Elohim: Genesis 1:1 introduces us to the name elohim and provides our first knowledge about God’s plurality and His being all powerful. The word means that He is “mighty, strong, famous.” In English we generally put an s at the end of a word to change it from singular to plural. To pluralize a singular Hebrew wo...

Table of contents

• Cover
• Title Page
• Copyright Page
• Endorsements
• Epigraph
• Dedication
• Contents
• Foreword
• Acknowledgment of Consulting Editors
• Introduction
• Part 1: Who Is God?
• Part 2: Who Are We?
• Part 3: What Is the Bible?
• Part 4: What Is the Significance of Jesus’ Death and Resurrection?
• Part 5: What Is the Kingdom of God?
• Part 6: What Is the Church?
• Part 7: What Are the Five-Fold Ministry Gifts?
• Part 8: What Gifts Does the Holy Spirit Impart to Believers?
• Part 9: What about Satan and His Demons?
• Part 10: What Are Foundations of the Faith?
• Part 11: What Are Some Doctrinal Variations?
• Part 12: What Are Some Doctrinal Heresies?
• Part 13: What Are God’s Plans for Israel?
• Part 14: What Are Significant Events in Christian History?
• Part 15: Who Were Significant People in Church History?
• Part 16: What about Scientists and Scripture?
• Part 17: What Is the Covenant Basis of Our Faith?
• Part 18: What Do These Terms Mean?
• Index
• About the Author
• Back Cover