158 – Terminology – Part 5 (Cont.)

SEMESTER 4

158 – Terminology – Part 5 (Cont.)

BIBLE INSTITUTE OF CORRESPONDENCE

 COURSE:  THEOLOGY IV LESSON # 58
WORDS AND TERMS DESCRIBING THE SAVING ACTIVITIES OF GOD

RANSOM:

Essentially the same as redemption; In fact they are interchangeably translated from the greek; To buy back, or to buy out of bondage. It is very akin to redemption and carries the idea of the price of a bond slave being paid by another, him thus being freed from his state of bondage. The analogies of ransom and redemption teach, not simply the payment of the required price of redemption, but the actual setting free of the one who is redeemed, or ransomed.

 SUBSTITUTION:

One thing placed for, or in the stead of, another: Christ, putting Himself in our place to suffer the just vengeance of God upon sin, and standing in our stead before God, offering the righteousness which is required of us, but which we cannot of ourselves offer.

 IMPUTATION:

The act of imputing or crediting to one’s account. It carries three basic senses in the Bible.

  1. The sin of Adam being credited or imputed to all his offspring.2.
  2. The sin of the elect from out of Adam’s fallen race being imputed to Christ.3.
  3. The righteousness of Christ being imputed to the believer or the elect of Adam’s race.

 CALLING:

The work of God in summoning or bringing men to Himself. This is revealed to us in Scripture in two basic senses.

  1. The gospel call, (general call) which goes forth in the word of God and which is conveyed to men by preaching. This may be regarded as a general call which is issued to all men who hear and potentially issued to all men everywhere. (1 Cor. 1:23)
  2. The Spirit’s call, (effectual call) which goes directly to the hearts of God’s elect, and which effect is regeneration. This is not a general call but a personal and effectual call. It is actually the determining as to whether the general call ever takes saving effect, and is always finally obeyed. (1 Cor. 1:23-24)

 REGENERATION:

That aspect of salvation which describes the infusion of life into the dead soul. It is the aspect of salvation which is referred to by Christ as being born again. (Jn. 3:3) It is also the aspect of salvation which is illustrated by the resurrection of Lazarus.

 BAPTISMAL REGENERATION:

The belief that man must be baptized in water in order to be regenerated. Essentially, all who hold to this persuasion will also insist that water baptism is not just a necessary effect, but is actually the causative factor in the new birth.

 DECISIONAL REGENERATION:

The belief or teaching that regeneration comes as a result of the sinner’s decision to let Christ save him. That is to say that the sinner decides to be born again, and as a result of his decision, he receives life.

 GOSPEL REGENERATION:

The belief or teaching that man must hear and believe the Gospel before he can be regenerated, not just chronologically but logically, and that the power of regeneration actually has been vested in the Gospel.

 INVITATIONAL REGENERATION:

The belief or teaching that man experiences regeneration or the new birth because of answering the Gospel invitation. That is to say that by this means, he is the determining factor in his own “new birth.”