Gospel Reset Bible Class, Pt.6: The Purposes of Natural and Revealed Knowledge

Posted on May 9, 2019May 9, 2019 by luther

In order to proceed in a systematic way, we need to distinguish the natural knowledge which comes from the creation and the conscience, from the revealed knowledge of God’s Holy Word. God writes the law upon the heart of all men as a curb to control gross outbursts of sin (1 Tim 1:8-10, Romans 2:14-15). God also uses the natural knowledge of creation(Ps 19:1, Rom 1:19-20) to incite men to seek Him (Acts 14:15-17, Acts 17:26-27). By means of natural knowledge, man knows that there is a God and knows that He demands certain things and prohibits other things, but he doesn’t know the identity of that God, nor does He know how to find a gracious God. Natural knowledge creates the need in the hope that through the revealed knowledge of God in Holy Scripture, man would come to know the Triune God and come to believe in the will of God to save man through the suffering and death of His Son, Jesus Christ.

Handout 1: Gospel-Reset-Class-Six-April-28-2019.pdf

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22A Creation: Noah and Ark

Posted on May 8, 2019March 19, 2019 by luther

“Sadly, most churches today are not teaching their young people how to defend their faith. They don’t understand the true history recorded in Scripture that is foundational to all doctrines and the gospel. Most church are not teaching apologetics (how to answer the skeptical questions of this age). Because of this, so many kids are growing up doubting, not defending the Bible as the infallible Word of God. The research Answers in Genesis had conducted by America’s Research Group clearly showed that questions about creation, evolution, age of earth, dinosaurs, Noah’s Ark, the Flood, Garden of Eden, etc., were a major cause of why so many young people were leaving the Church by the time they reached college age. Their churches weren’t teaching apologetics to equip them with answers. Instead, someone else was teaching them apologetics—but false apologetics” (Gospel Reset by Ken Ham, p.70-71).

#36 Parents, Take the Trouble to Train Children In the Catechism

Posted on May 5, 2019February 14, 2019 by luther

These three plainly and briefly contain exactly everything that a Christian needs to know. This instruction must be given, as long as there is no special congregation, from the pulpit at stated times or daily as may be needed, and repeated or read aloud evenings and mornings in the homes for the children and servants, in order to train them as Christians. Nor should they only learn to say the words by rote. But they should be questioned point by point and give answer what each part means and how they understand it. If everything cannot be covered at once, let one point be taken up today, and tomorrow another. If parents and guardians won’t take the trouble to do this, either themselves or through others, there never will be a catechism, except a separate congregation be organized as stated above.

In this manner they should be questioned:
What do you pray?
Answer: The Our Father.
What is meant when you say: Our Father in Heaven?
Answer: That God is not an earthly, but a heavenly Father who would make us rich and blessed in heaven.
What is meant by: Hallowed be thy name?
Answer: That we should honor his name and keep it from being profaned.
How do we profane or dishonor his name?
Answer: When we, who should be his children, live evil lives and teach and believe what is wrong.
And so on, what is meant by the kingdom of God, how it comes, what is meant by the will of God, by daily bread, etc., etc.
So in the Creed:
what do you believe?
Answer: I believe in God the Father, … to the end.
Thereafter from point to point, as time permits, one or two points at a time. For instance:
What does it mean to believe in God the Father Almighty?
Answer: It means to trust in him with all your heart and confidently to expect all grace, favor, help, and comfort from him, now and forever.
What does it mean to believe in Jesus Christ his Son?
Answer: It means to believe with the heart that we would all be eternally lost if Christ had not died for us, etc. (Luther’s Works, v. 53, p.64-67).

21A Creation: Dinosaurs

Posted on May 1, 2019March 19, 2019 by luther

“Land animals (which includes dinosaurs) and man were made on day 6 of the creation week. So we lived at the same time” (A Flood of Evidence, p.157)

“So why did dinosaurs die out? The simple answer is sin. When Adam and Eve sinned (Gen 3) death came into the world… Some specific reasons for their extinction likely include environments (e.g. the ice age that followed the Flood, the destruction of swamp lands by man, and so on), predation by man (cf. Genesis 10:9), diseases, genetic problems, catastrophic events, etc” (The New Answers Book 4, p.42)