The Evangelical Methodist Church
catechism the journey of faith __________
“We should so work as if we were to be saved by our works; And so rely on Jesus Christ, as if we did no works.” —Francis Asbury: God’s Circuit Rider (1745-1816)
The Evangelical Methodist Church
CATECHISM Published by the authority of the 30th General Conference of the Evangelical Methodist Church, held in Indianapolis, Indiana March 12-15, 2010 General Editor: Dr. Edward W. Williamson, General Superintendent Department of Publications Editor: Mrs. Peggy Trim, Deaconess
Copyright Š 2012 by the General Conference of the Evangelical Methodist Church Department of Publications PRINTING 2012
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means without written permission from the Department of Publications. All Scripture is quoted from the New International Version (NIV) of the Bible unless otherwise noted. Printed in USA by 48HrBooks (www.48HrBooks.com)
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Evangelical Methodist Church International Headquarters P. O. Box 17070 Indianapolis, IN 46217 Location: 6838 South Gray Road Indianapolis, IN 46237
Additional copies of this publication may be ordered by contacting the Department of Publications at:
Phone: 317-780-8017 Email: publications@emchurch.org www.emchurch.org
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Table of Contents Foreword .................................................................................. 6 Lesson 1: Our History and Commitment ............................... 7 Lesson 2: The Articles of Religion ....................................... 15 Lesson 3: A Biblical View of the Scriptures ........................ 39 Lesson 4: A Biblical View of God and Humanity ................. 41 Lesson 5: A Biblical View of Sin and Redemption .............. 47 Lesson 6: A Biblical View of God’s Plan for Salvation ........ 51 Lesson 7: Sanctification ..................................................... 55 Lesson 8: A Biblical View of the Church and the Sacraments ......................................................... 59 Lesson 9: A Biblical View of Eternity .................................. 65 Lesson 10: Missions ............................................................ 69 Lesson 11: Our Government: Congregational and Connectional ............................................... 79 Lesson 12: Membership Responsibility ………. .................... 83 Lesson 13: Membership ...................................................... 89 Membership Covenant ...................................... 90 Appendix A: John Wesley’s The Scripture Way of Salvation A Break-Through Sermon .................................... 91 Appendix B: The Scripture Way of Salvation, John Wesley’s Sermon in Modern English … ............... 99 Appendix C: Explanatory Notes, Evangelical Methodist Articles of Faith ……………………… ................. 113 Appendix D: Basic Denominational Principles .................. …..127 Answers to Lesson Questions ................................................ 129
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Forward The General Board of Christian Education congratulates you for taking this step in expanding your knowledge of the basic doctrinal teachings to which the Evangelical Methodist Church adheres. The EMC is Wesleyan in doctrine which promotes purity of heart and a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. It is the desire of this Board that as you embark upon your journey through this study you will come to know the EMC better and appreciate its stand for holiness. While this study perhaps will not answer all your questions, it will serve as a foundation upon which you, as a student, may build your understanding of the Wesleyan tradition. As you work your way through this study, you will not only develop a better understanding of what the EMC is, but also establish personal disciplines of study which will serve you well as you grow in your personal relationship with the Lord. While this study gives you a basic understanding of the EMC, it also gives you information for becoming a disciple of Jesus Christ. Another study, Discipleship Training, A Venture in Learning and Accountability offered by the General Board of Christian Education, will help you become more disciplined in your daily walk with the Lord. It will also give you tools to disciple others, thus fulfilling the Great Commission that Jesus gave the Church while it waits for His return. The pastor and lay leaders will enlarge and supplement this material to accommodate their local church mission statement and unique missional ministries. 2010-2014 General Board of Christian Education Members: Rev. Debbie Miller, Chair Rev. Dan Cottrell Dr. William Dean Rev. John Gentry Mr. Benoit Kitenge Rev. Robert Perkins Rev. Daniel Stiles
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esson 4 A Biblical View of God and Humanity
The Bible is “the Book of God.” Romans 1:19-20 states, “…since what may be known about God is plain to them, because God has made it plain to them. For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that people are without excuse.” God reveals Himself in us, in the world around us and all throughout the Bible. God reveals Himself in many ways, showing us who He is and what He is like, what He likes and what He doesn't like, how He loves us and how much He loves us. But, in the first part of this chapter we will focus just on what the Bible says about Him. The Bible also reveals the nature of humanity. A l l individuals are persons of sacred worth in the image of God, knowing they find their truest fulfillment in Christian community within the local church fellowship. The Bible tells us about what we were intended to be, what sin has done to our nature, and how we are brought back to the way we should be. We will focus on what the Bible says about us in the second part of this chapter. We will spend more time in this chapter on God than on ourselves, and that is fitting in so many ways. What the Bible says about God… Before we get started, though, we need to understand that one lesson in this book cannot discuss everything the Bible tells us about God; there is just too much to tell. John, the author of a gospel account, three letters, and the book of Revelation, wrote this about Jesus, God the Son, in John 21:25, “Jesus did many other things as well. If every one of them were written down, I suppose that even the whole world would not have room for the books that would be written.” In other words, you are going to have to read your Bible, pray and be open to seeing Him in your life.
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Second, we have already introduced this topic in Lesson 2, The Articles of Religion. Rather than recreate those Articles or that chapter, let us take a closer look at those which directly talk about God and about His relationship with man. God is Triune. This is the first Article of Religion; we use the phrases Holy Trinity and Godhead, but it means the same thing – three in one: God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit (Holy Ghost). Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are in the first chapter of Genesis, and all through the creation story the Hebrew word used for God is plural. While the Scriptures do not use the word trinity, they teach that the three Persons of the Trinity are eternally distinct. These same Scriptures also clearly say they are not three separate gods. One example is Deuteronomy 6:4, "Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one,” where the word God is Elohim – a plural word. Another good example is John 10:30, where Jesus says, “I and the Father are one." Evangelical Methodists do not believe in many gods nor in many ways to God. There is one God and one way to God: the Lord Jesus Christ, God manifest in flesh (Deuteronomy 6:4; John 1:14). Jesus is the only Way (John 14:6). No man can come to the Father but through the Son. Jesus spoke of His promise of God the Holy Spirit's continuing presence in our lives, saying, “But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you” (John 14:26). We do need to be careful of two dangers when thinking about the Triune God: (1) Exaggerating the distinctions and trying too hard to separate the persons, and (2) Explaining away the distinctions so much that we ultimately deny that they really do exist. The biblical God of Christianity is the Creator, Sustainer and Sovereign Ruler of the Universe, eternally existent in the Holy Trinity of Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, each with personality and deity. There is perfect unity in the Godhead. Look at Matthew 3:13-17 and John, chapters 13 through 16. Paul gives us a good look at them together in the closing verse of his second letter to the Church at Corinth (2 Corinthians13:14): "May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the 42
Holy Spirit be with you all." He also shows their relationship in Romans 15:30 and especially in Ephesians 4:4-6. To keep this lesson from being too long, we will continue to look at what makes God God, by making short statements with Scripture references that should help start a discussion about that aspect of God. God is a person. We saw this above, but think about this: God has feelings; He thinks; He has a will and desire; He sees; He communicates; He sympathizes; He cares. (1 Peter 5:7) God is spirit. (John 4:24) God is eternal. He has no beginning or end. He always was and always will be. (Isaiah 44:6, 57:15, Psalm 90:2) God is perfect. He is complete in and of Himself! (Matthew 5:48) God is holy. (Isaiah 57:15, Leviticus 19:2) God is omniscient. He has all knowledge, perfect knowledge of everything. (Job 37:16, Romans 11:33, Hebrews 4:13, John 2:2425 God is omnipresent. He is everywhere, not just “somewhere out there� looking down on everything. (Jeremiah 23:23-24, Acts 17:27) God is omnipotent. He is all powerful; He is able to do all that His character and nature wills to do. (Revelation 15:3, 19:6) God is wisdom. Wisdom is the perfect use of knowledge. (Isaiah 11:2, 1 Corinthians 1:24, 1 Timothy 1:17) God is good. God's will is the happiness of all creation. So why is there evil and sin and pain? Because mankind has a free will and may choose; mankind often chooses poorly. (Romans 2:4, Matthew 19:17) God is love. This is the heart of God's relationship with mankind. ( John 3:16, 1 John 3:16, 4:16, 4:19) God is just and righteous. (Isaiah 45:21-23, Revelation 15:3) 43
God is merciful. God's perfect justice is tempered with His perfect mercy. We do not get what perfect justice demands and what we deserve; in His perfect mercy, He has already paid that debt. (John 3:16, Romans 11:30-32) God is truth. (Titus 1:2, John 17:17) God is gracious. Grace is favor from God that you can not earn and you will never be worthy of, but God loves you and trusts you with His gifts. (Isaiah 6:8, 2 Corinthians 13:14) God is more than we can understand. (Job 5:9, Psalm 145:3, Romans 11:33, Ephesians 3:8) What the Bible says about humanity… Since the Bible tells us about God, we should also look to see what it reveals about mankind. For reference, you can look back to Lesson 2 and the discussion of Articles of Religion 5 through 26. We were created by God. God created everything for us, and then “God created man.” (Genesis 1 and 2) We were created in the image and likeness of God. (Genesis 1:26) We were created in His image, both male and female. (Genesis 1:27) At this point, we need to discuss what is meant by image and likeness. These two words do not mean a physical resemblance, but instead they are talking about a moral and spiritual image and likeness. We were created as moral creatures: holy, just, and good. Only mankind was created in this moral image and likeness of God. We were created with a responsibility and a purpose. We were told to “be fruitful and multiply” and to rule over God's creation. We were also told that we are to glorify God. (Genesis 1:28, Psalm 8:3-6, Hebrews 2:6-9, 1 Peter 4:11, 1 Corinthians 10:31) We chose sin and ourselves over God. (Genesis 3) We continue to choose sin. (Romans 3:10-12, 5:12, 18, 19; and Ephesians 2:1-3.)
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We are body, spirit, and soul. “...then the LORD God formed the man of dust from the ground (body) and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life (spirit), and the man became a living soul.” (Genesis 2:7) Through your body, you are world-conscious. We have five senses that help us relate to the physical world around us, by God's design. Our bodies, like all of God's creation, belong to God. (2 Corinthians 4:16, 5:1, 2 Peter 1:4, I Corinthians 6:14, 19) Through our spirit, we are God-conscious. God breathed into man the “breath of life” which is our spirit. Just as your body enables you to communicate with the world, your spirit enables you to communicate with God. (John 4:24, Romans 1:9, Romans 8:16) Through our soul, we are self-conscious. Just as your body shows you the world through your senses, your soul shows you yourself through your affections, desires, emotions, and will. (Matthew 11:29, 26:38, Psalm 42:4, 107:9, Song of Solomon 1:7) Perhaps a good summary of this chapter is Psalm 8. LORD, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth! You have set your glory in the heavens. Through the praise of children and infants you have established a stronghold against your enemies, to silence the foe and the avenger. When I consider your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars, which you have set in place, what is mankind that you are mindful of them, human beings that you care for them? You have made them a little lower than the angels and crowned them with glory and honor. You made them rulers over the works of your hands; you put everything under their feet: all flocks and herds, and the animals of the wild, the birds in the sky, and the fish in the sea, all that swim the paths of the sea. LORD, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth!
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Lesson 4 – REVIEW A Biblical View of God and Humanity TRUE or FALSE: 1. _____ God has cloaked Himself in absolute secrecy from creation until now. 2. _____ God is a Trinity 3. _____ God is a person, spirit, eternal, perfect, holy, omniscient, omnipresent, omnipotent, wisdom, love, good, just, righteous, merciful, truth, and gracious. 4. _____ Humans were created by God in His image and likeness. 5. _____ The first humans chose sin and we continue to choose sin.
COMPLETION: 1. What do we mean when we say, God is a person? 2. What do we mean when we say, God is omnipotent? 3. What is the relationship between God's perfect justice and His mercy? 4. What do we mean by God-conscious? 5. What do we mean when we say man was created in God's image and likeness? 6. How was man unique in his creation, compared to the animals?