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X. Last Things
God, in His own time and in His own way, will bring the world to
its appropriate end. According to His promise, Jesus Christ will
return personally and visibly in glory to the earth; the dead will
be raised; and Christ will judge all men in righteousness. The
unrighteous will be consigned to Hell, the place of everlasting
punishment. The righteous in their resurrected and glorified bodies
will receive their reward and will dwell forever in Heaven with the
Lord.
Isaiah 2:4; 11:9; Matthew 16:27; 18:8-9; 19:28;
24:27,30,36,44; 25:31-46; 26:64; Mark 8:38; 9:43-48; Luke 12:40,48;
16:19-26; 17:22-37; 21:27-28; John 14:1-3; Acts 1:11; 17:31; Romans
14:10; 1 Corinthians 4:5; 15:24-28,35-58; 2 Corinthians 5:10;
Philippians 3:20-21; Colossians 1:5; 3:4; 1 Thessalonians 4:14-18;
5:1ff.; 2 Thessalonians 1:7ff.; 2; 1 Timothy 6:14; 2 Timothy 4:1,8;
Titus 2:13; Hebrews 9:27-28; James 5:8; 2 Peter 3:7ff.; 1 John 2:28;
3:2; Jude 14; Revelation 1:18; 3:11; 20:1-22:13.
XI. Evangelism
and Missions
It is the duty and privilege of every follower of Christ and of
every church of the Lord Jesus Christ to endeavor to make disciples
of all nations. The new birth of man's spirit by God's Holy Spirit
means the birth of love for others. Missionary effort on the part of
all rests thus upon a spiritual necessity of the regenerate life,
and is expressly and repeatedly commanded in the teachings of
Christ. The Lord Jesus Christ has commanded the preaching of the
gospel to all nations. It is the duty of every child of God to seek
constantly to win the lost to Christ by verbal witness undergirded
by a Christian lifestyle, and by other methods in harmony with the
gospel of Christ.
Genesis 12:1-3; Exodus 19:5-6; Isaiah 6:1-8; Matthew 9:37-38;
10:5-15; 13:18-30, 37-43; 16:19; 22:9-10; 24:14; 28:18-20; Luke
10:1-18; 24:46-53; John 14:11-12; 15:7-8,16; 17:15; 20:21; Acts 1:8;
2; 8:26-40; 10:42-48; 13:2-3; Romans 10:13-15; Ephesians 3:1-11; 1
Thessalonians 1:8; 2 Timothy 4:5; Hebrews 2:1-3; 11:39-12:2; 1 Peter
2:4-10; Revelation 22:17.
XII.
Education
Christianity is the faith of enlightenment and intelligence. In
Jesus Christ abide all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. All
sound learning is, therefore, a part of our Christian heritage. The
new birth opens all human faculties and creates a thirst for
knowledge. Moreover, the cause of education in the
Kingdom of
Christ is co-ordinate
with the causes of missions and general benevolence, and should
receive along with these the liberal support of the churches. An
adequate system of Christian education is necessary to a complete
spiritual program for Christ's people.
In Christian education there should be a proper balance between
academic freedom and academic responsibility. Freedom in any orderly
relationship of human life is always limited and never absolute. The
freedom of a teacher in a Christian school, college, or seminary is
limited by the pre-eminence of Jesus Christ, by the authoritative
nature of the Scriptures, and by the distinct purpose for which the
school exists.
Deuteronomy 4:1,5,9,14; 6:1-10; 31:12-13; Nehemiah 8:1-8; Job
28:28; Psalms 19:7ff.; 119:11; Proverbs 3:13ff.; 4:1-10; 8:1-7,11;
15:14; Ecclesiastes 7:19; Matthew 5:2; 7:24ff.; 28:19-20; Luke 2:40;
1 Corinthians 1:18-31; Ephesians 4:11-16; Philippians 4:8;
Colossians 2:3,8-9; 1 Timothy 1:3-7; 2 Timothy 2:15; 3:14-17;
Hebrews 5:12-6:3; James 1:5; 3:17.
XIII.
Stewardship
God is the source of all blessings, temporal and spiritual; all
that we have and are we owe to Him. Christians have a spiritual
debtorship to the whole world, a holy trusteeship in the gospel, and
a binding stewardship in their possessions. They are therefore under
obligation to serve Him with their time, talents, and material
possessions; and should recognize all these as entrusted to them to
use for the glory of God and for helping others. According to the
Scriptures, Christians should contribute of their means cheerfully,
regularly, systematically, proportionately, and liberally for the
advancement of the Redeemer's cause on earth.
Genesis 14:20; Leviticus 27:30-32; Deuteronomy 8:18; Malachi
3:8-12; Matthew 6:1-4,19-21; 19:21; 23:23; 25:14-29; Luke
12:16-21,42; 16:1-13; Acts 2:44-47; 5:1-11; 17:24-25; 20:35; Romans
6:6-22; 12:1-2; 1 Corinthians 4:1-2; 6:19-20; 12; 16:1-4; 2
Corinthians 8-9; 12:15; Philippians 4:10-19; 1 Peter 1:18-19.
XIV.
Cooperation
Christ's people should, as occasion requires, organize such
associations and conventions as may best secure cooperation for the
great objects of the
Kingdom of
God. Such organizations
have no authority over one another or over the churches. They are
voluntary and advisory bodies designed to elicit, combine, and
direct the energies of our people in the most effective manner.
Members of New Testament churches should cooperate with one another
in carrying forward the missionary, educational, and benevolent
ministries for the extension of Christ's Kingdom. Christian unity in
the New Testament sense is spiritual harmony and voluntary
cooperation for common ends by various groups of Christ's people.
Cooperation is desirable between the various Christian
denominations, when the end to be attained is itself justified, and
when such cooperation involves no violation of conscience or
compromise of loyalty to Christ and His Word as revealed in the New
Testament.
Exodus 17:12; 18:17ff.; Judges 7:21; Ezra 1:3-4; 2:68-69;
5:14-15; Nehemiah 4; 8:1-5; Matthew 10:5-15; 20:1-16; 22:1-10;
28:19-20; Mark 2:3; Luke 10:1ff.; Acts 1:13-14; 2:1ff.; 4:31-37;
13:2-3; 15:1-35; 1 Corinthians 1:10-17; 3:5-15; 12; 2 Corinthians
8-9; Galatians 1:6-10; Ephesians 4:1-16; Philippians 1:15-18.
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