Teaching Resources International

Preface to the Study

Nothing in Christianity is of greater importance than the resurrection of Jesus Christ.  The resurrection of Jesus makes Christianity unique among all the other religions of the world.  Every other religion has its founders and holy men, but none but Christianity has a Risen Savior!  This is why Peter said, “Neither is there salvation in any other, for there is no other name under heaven given among men whereby we must be saved” (Acts 4:12).  Such a statement is not narrow-minded or arrogant.  It is a simple fact—no one else has died for sins and risen from the dead.  As a National Chinese friend of mine always says, “If you can find a better savior, serve him!”  You won’t; you can’t—there is but one who is risen from the dead—Jesus Christ, our savior.

Christ’s resurrection is essential for our salvation.  If Jesus is not risen from the dead, then his payment for sins was not acceptable to the Father.  As Paul notes: “”If Christ be not raised, then your faith is in vain and you are still in your sins” (1 Corinthians 15:17).  His resurrection also proves his claim to be the Son of God (Romans 1:3-4).  His resurrection also insures our resurrection.  In 1 Corinthians 6:14, Paul connects our resurrection with his: “And God raised the Lord and will also raise us up by his power.”   Similarly in 2 Corinthians 4:14, he says, “he who raised the Lord Jesus will raise us also with Jesus and bring us with you into his presence.”  His resurrection also provides strength for life.  In Philippians 3:10, Paul speaks about “the power of his resurrection” as a regular source of strength.  And his resurrection gives us reason to continue to serve him each day and hope for the life to come!

We hope that the various articles in this issue will remind you of the importance and power of the resurrection of Jesus.  May you know the power and the presence of our risen Savior in your lives every day!

To God be the Glory, alone and forever!

By His Grace, Jim & Debbie

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Preface to the Study

In our last issue, we presented a number of articles on “The Death of a Believer.”  A believer’s death is precious for many reasons, but one of the greatest reasons is found in the Apostle Paul’s statement, “For me to live is Christ and to die is gain.”  Paul understood that the believer has the best of both worlds and that God’s best can never be taken from him.  If he lived, he did so in the grace and power of the Lord.  Nothing in this world could ever take away the love of Christ, not even death itself (Romans 8:38-39).  But, while living in this world is truly a great joy for the believer because he has Christ, death means something even better – Christ’s presence and eternal fellowship with the Father.

The doctrine of heaven provides the foundation for the believer’s joy in this world and his hope for the world to come.  A right view of heaven helps the believer loosen his grip on this world, knowing that he has a far better inheritance in heaven (Hebrews 10:32-34).  A right view of heaven causes the believer to rejoice over the death of loved ones who die in the Lord.   A right view of heaven enables the believer to face all things even death itself, knowing that to be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord!

We hope this issue may help you to “set your hearts on things above, not on things on the earth” (Colossians 3:2).  We pray that, as you read about the glories of heaven, the things of earth will grow strangely dim, and that your desire will be that many others may join you in His eternal kingdom.  We hope the articles contained in this issue will help you to be “heavenly-minded” and to look forward to the joy of being “forever with the Lord!”  To God be the Glory, alone and forever!

By His Grace, Jim & Debbie

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The doctrine of assurance is a much needed topic among Christians. Some today have allowed this blessed doctrine to become a catch-word for “easy-believism.” Certainly there are many in our generation who are “assured” of their salvation because they have walked the aisle or prayed a prayer. Even though their lives have never shown any indication of saving grace, they remain convinced that they have assurance because of what they have done (praying a prayer, walking the aisle, etc.). True biblical assurance is never based on what we have done, but solely on what Christ has done.

In reaction to this abuse and misunderstanding of assurance, many Christians have abandoned it and, in doing so, have taken away the comfort and strength of the gospel itself. The recovery of a biblical understanding of assurance is vital for our day.

To this end, we have prepared two editions on the Doctrine of Assurance – this Spring issue and the Summer issue to follow. In this issue, we have placed the focus on Assurance itself. In the Summer issue, we will include other related aspects, including questions about perseverance and falling away. Also, this issue includes two articles that will have follow-up articles in the next issue. The first is “A Conversation on Assurance” by A. W. Pink. This “conversation” focuses on the person who refuses to honestly examine his conversion. “Another Conversation on Assurance” in the next issue will focus on the humble hearted believer and provide some indications of true conversion. Additionally, this issue includes an article by J. C. Ryle on “Assurance.” Ryle’s book on assurance is one of the best available and we only have space to include small portions. The next issue will include a article by Ryle that is really the 4th point of this article. We’ve titled it, “Reasons Assurance Is Not Attained.”

Thanks for your prayers and support for this ministry. With the Apostle Paul, we say, “He who began a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ!” To Him be all the glory for His great salvation!

By His Grace, Jim & Debbie

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No one today would say that death is “precious.”  Certainly the testimony of most of the human is the opposite—death is terrible and greatly to be feared.  Most fear death for the wrong reasons.  They fear the pain and agony that might be faced in death, or perhaps they fear the separation from loved ones, or maybe they fear the loss of the things of this world.  But the greatest fear should not be death itself, but what happens after death.  Jesus told his disciples, “Do not fear those that can kill the body but cannot kill the soul.  But rather fear Him who is able to destroy both the body and soul in hell” (Matthew 10:28).  Death for the non-believer ought to be feared, not because of death itself, but because of the eternal consequences of dying apart from a savior.

But the testimony of Scripture regarding the death of believers is wonderfully different—it is considered “precious in the sight of the Lord!”  Why is this so different?  There are many reasons, only of few of which can be explored in this short issue.  Their death is precious because they are precious to the Lord, because they will have sweet reunion and fellowship with the saints who have gone before them, and because they will rest from the toil of their labors and be free from their pains and sorrows.  Most of all, death is precious for believers because “to be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord.”  For those whose hearts desire the Lord more than anything or anyone, death becomes “precious” though it still includes deep waters to pass through.

We hope this issue may help you to have a Biblical view of the death of believers and be able to “grieve, but not as those who have no hope” when a dear brother or sister dies in the Lord.   We also hope that our next issue on “Heaven” will serve as a companion to this one in helping believers see death as glory for those who know Him.  To God be the Glory, alone and forever!

By His Grace, Jim & Debbie

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Perhaps one of the most neglected doctrines in Reformed Theology is the doctrine of the Holy Spirit.  Much of this neglect stems from fears related to concerns about emotional excesses and the operation of certain spiritual gifts.  But the work and ministry of the Holy Spirit is essential in all theology.  Without a proper understanding of and dependence upon the Holy Spirit, our theologies would be little more than Pelagian moralism.  If there is anything that Reformed teaching affirms, it is the emptiness of human efforts apart from the power and activity of God.  This is why the doctrine of the Holy Spirit must be understood and taught today.

For this reason, this issue begins with a foundational article by A. W. Pink on the importance of this doctrine.  Pink’s article reminds us of the danger of slipping back into a flesh/works orientation if we ignore the work of the Holy Spirit.  Although the compilation is no longer in print, A. W. Pink’s The Holy Spirit contains a number of helpful articles that far surpass the scope of this publication.

We have also included a doctrinal study by John Calvin on “The Divinity of the Holy Spirit” and a practical study by Thomas Watson entitled “A Godly Man Has the Spirit of Christ in Him.”  The article by Jonathan Edwards deals primarily with an exposition of 1 Corinthians 13:8 in which Edwards examines the work of the Spirit in eternity.

The issue is rounded out by articles by William Gurnal (“Praying in the Spirit”), Charles Spurgeon (“The Holy Spirit in the Covenant”), and A. W. Pink (“The Work of the Spirit”).  Each provides insights to various aspects of the ministry of the Holy Spirit.

We hope this issue is helpful in providing some often neglected study on the Holy Spirit.  However, we realize that the work of the Spirit is so pervasive and so important that many other aspects and areas could be studied also.  We hope this issue will provide a springboard for additional studies on the Holy Spirit that each reader might consider.  Most of all, we pray that the work of the Spirit might become the foundation of all that we do in life and ministry.

By His Grace, Jim & Debbie

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