“INTRODUCTION TO SYSTEMATIC THEOLOGY” (Part two)

Intro: We learn Systematic Theology, to Accurately interpret the Holy Scriptures. A reminder from last week, God ONLY SPOKE TO THREE GROUPS OF PEOPLE: Jew, Gentile, And The Church. We must remember the Five Keys:

There are basically (5) Keys to understanding the Bible:

1.) Historically: Jewish history, Jesus and the early church, King David and not King Saul.

2.) Biography: In the beginning God, Creation, Prophets.

3.) Analytically: Analyze the scriptures.

4.) Spiritually: The Bible is “ALIVE”. Typology, The Bible is God’s Treasure to us.

5.) Humbly: I will never know all the Holy Bible.

There is what some call The Principle of Failure but we can be assured GOD HAS NOT DOOMED US TO FAIL:

Rom 8:37  Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us.
Rom 8:38  For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come,
Rom 8:39  Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

1Jn 4:4  Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them: because greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world.

We actually have to try very hard to fail! IF WE ARE TRUELY SAVED. The most definite reason we do not understand the scriptures is WE LACK ILLUMINATION!

Illumination:

A.) Infusion of intellectual light; an enlightening of the understanding by knowledge, or the mind by spiritual light.

B.) Inspiration; the special communication of knowledge to the mind by the Supreme Being.

Our Doctrine: Simply put is “What We Believe”.

Proof Text:

Joh 3:3  Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, [he cannot see] the kingdom of God.

The Apostle John states: If you are not Born Again, “Saved”, Then We Just Cannot See What God HAS For US In His WORD.

Joh 7:17  If any man [will do his will], (he shall know of the doctrine), whether it be of God, or whether I speak of myself.

The Apostle John states again:

If we are in the will of God, WE WILL KNOW IF OUR DOCTRINE IS TRUE!

I.) YOU HAVE TO BE GUIDED BY THE HOLY GHOST:

     a.) Our Mind Is Darkened:

2Co 4:3  But if our gospel be hid, [it is hid to them that are lost]:
2Co 4:4  In whom [the god of this world hath blinded the minds] of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them.

     b.) 1Co 2:14  But the [natural man] receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.
1Co 2:15  But he that is spiritual judgeth all things, yet he himself is judged of no man.
1Co 2:16  For who hath known the mind of the Lord, that he may instruct him? (But we have the mind of Christ).

Php 2:5  Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus:

     c.) We Are Taught By Divine Revelation:

Mat 11:25  At that time Jesus answered and said, I thank thee, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent, and [hast revealed them unto babes].

Luk 10:21  In that hour Jesus rejoiced in spirit, and said, I thank thee, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent, and [hast revealed them unto babes]: even so, Father; for so it seemed good in thy sight.

     d.)  Isa 29:10  For the LORD hath poured out upon you the spirit of deep sleep, and hath closed your eyes: the prophets and your rulers, the seers hath he covered.
Isa 29:11  And the vision of all is become unto you as the words of a book that is sealed, which men deliver to one that is learned, saying, Read this, I pray thee: and he saith, I cannot; for it is sealed:
Isa 29:12  And the book is delivered to him that is not learned, saying, Read this, I pray thee: and he saith, I am not learned.
Isa 29:13  Wherefore the Lord said, Forasmuch as this people draw near me with their mouth, and with their lips do honour me, but have removed their heart far from me, and their fear toward me is taught by the precept of men:
Isa 29:14  Therefore, behold, I will proceed to do a marvellous work among this people, even a marvellous work and a wonder: for the wisdom of their wise men shall perish, and the understanding of their prudent men shall be hid.
Isa 29:15  Woe unto them that seek deep to hide their counsel from the LORD, and their works are in the dark, and they say, Who seeth us? and who knoweth us?
Isa 29:16  Surely your turning of things upside down shall be esteemed as the potter’s clay: for shall the work say of him that made it, He made me not? or shall the thing framed say of him that framed it, He had no understanding?
Isa 29:17  Is it not yet a very little while, and Lebanon shall be turned into a fruitful field, and the fruitful field shall be esteemed as a forest?
Isa 29:18  And in that day shall the deaf hear the words of the book, and the eyes of the blind shall see out of obscurity, and out of darkness.

Our greatest ABILITY is AVAILABILITY: The Holy Bible will always be as sealed book to the lost, TO THE SINNER.

II.) I SURRENDER:

     a.) I must Surrender my Opinions and my Ideas.(The Bible is always right NO MATTER WHAT I THINK ).

Rom 3:3  For what if some did not believe? shall their unbelief make the faith of God without effect?
Rom 3:4  God forbid: yea, let God be true, but every man a liar; as it is written, That thou mightest be justified in thy sayings, and mightest overcome when thou art judged.

   1.) I MUST “ADMIT”: The Word Of God is INSPIRED.

   2.) I MUST “SUBMIT”: Myself to God’s WORD.

   3.) I MUST “COMMIT”: The Word Of God to MEMORY.

   4.) I MUST “TRANSMIT”: Give the Word Of God to others. I must WITNESS.

     b.) The Hardest thing for me to do is to UNLEARN What I Have already LEARNED WRONG.

I must stay Humble. God Says:

Jas 4:8  Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you. Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye double minded.
Jas 4:9  Be afflicted, and mourn, and weep: let your laughter be turned to mourning, and your joy to heaviness.
Jas 4:10  Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he shall lift you up.

III.) GOD WILL REVEAL ONLY WHAT I WILL OBEY:

     a.) Proof Text:

Mat 13:10  And the disciples came, and said unto him, Why speakest thou unto them in parables?
Mat 13:11  He answered and said unto them, [Because it is given unto you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven], (but to them it is not given).
Mat 13:12  For whosoever hath, to him shall be given, and he shall have more abundance: but whosoever hath not, from him shall be taken away even that he hath.
Mat 13:13  Therefore speak I to them in parables: [because they seeing see not; and hearing they hear not, neither do they understand].
Mat 13:14  And in them is fulfilled the prophecy of Esaias, which saith, By hearing ye shall hear, and shall not understand; and seeing ye shall see, and shall not perceive:
Mat 13:15  (For this people’s heart is waxed gross, and their ears are dull of hearing, and their eyes they have closed; lest at any time they should see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and should understand with their heart, and should be converted, and I should heal them).
Mat 13:16  [But blessed are your eyes, for they see: and your ears, for they hear].

     b.) God only reveals Truth to those willing to obey:

We stunt our own growth when we do not obey God.

     c.) Some never grow because they are half hearted:

The capacity of my heart will control my knowledge of the word.

     d.) I MUST PUT ALL MY HEART INTO ALL THAT I DO FOR GOD.

It is more a soul thing than a brain thing.

Amen