Disciples Global Network

Central to the hope of the Apostolic Faith is the future bodily resurrection of the dead, which is based on the past resurrection of Jesus . The biblical faith is focused on the future. The doctrine of salvation includes the future resurrection of the dead, which will also mark the arrival of the New Creation. The New Testament links this coming resurrection to two events: The past Resurrection of Jesus, and his “arrival” or ‘ Parousia ’ at the end of the present age. Our salvation will remain incomplete until Christ returns and raises us from the dead.

Jesus Christ fulfills the promise to bless all nations in Abraham. There is salvation in No Other Name . Basic to the biblical doctrine of redemption is the covenant with Abraham and his “ Seed .” It included the promise that “ all the nations of the Earth would be blessed in him ,” and the Patriarch would have innumerable descendants. How and when are the nations blessed? Who is Abaham’s “ Seed ” destined to inherit the promises?

The Gospel of Jesus Christ liberates men and women of every nation from the stain of sin and the fear of death . The Epistle to the Hebrews begins by presenting Jesus as the ultimate expression of the Word of God. God has provided his ultimate answer to sin and death in His Son. By his one-time sacrificial death , Jesus cleansed God’s people of the stain of sin and freed them from Satan’s tyranny; therefore, the Father exalted Jesus and made him our “ High Priest forever ” who mediates life and salvation to his “ brethren ” – (Hebrews 1:1-4).

Jesus means ‘Yahweh saves.’ In the man from Nazareth, the Salvation promised by the God of Israel has arrived in all its glory . The angel informed Joseph that the child carried by betrothed, Mary, was “ begotten of the Holy Spirit .” He instructed Joseph to name the child ‘ Jesus ’ - “ Call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins .” This name pointed to the saving act of God for humanity that He was about to reveal to the world. The world would behold the “ Salvation of Yahweh ” in Jesus of Nazareth.

The equality of Jews and Gentiles before an impartial and just God is pivotal to Paul’s Gospel. They stand or fall before Him on the same basis . Paul wrote his  Letter to the Romans  with two purposes. First, to prepare the ground for his visit to the city and his planned missionary trip to Spain. Secondly, to deal with conflicts between Jewish and Gentile believers. In the Letter, Pual explained his Gospel, and he then discussed the status of the Jewish people and the conflicts troubling the Roman Church.

Paul expresses his goal of going on to completion, a process that will culminate in bodily resurrection when Jesus arrives in glory . Paul instructed the congregation of Philippi to go on to “ perfection ” in Jesus. Bodily resurrection must take place for the consummation of this process and the completion of our salvation. This will occur when Jesus appears “ on the clouds of Heaven .” God will continue to perform what He began with our conversion until “ the Day of Christ .” Salvation is a process throughout our lives.

Paul provided the Assembly of Thessalonica with instructions on how believers must live in anticipation of the “ Day of the Lord .” It will not overtake them since they “ are not in darkness .” They are the “ Sons of Light ” and the “ Sons of the Day .” Unlike the unrighteous of this fallen age, the watchful believer who lives in the light of the Gospel will not be caught off guard by that Day’s sudden arrival.

What identifies the people of God and determines membership in His Assembly is Jesus, especially the Messiah revealed on the cross, and nothing else! This does not mean that the Law of Moses served no purpose, but it is not the basis for determining who is acquitted of sin by God. Right standing before Him is obtained “ through the faith OF Jesus Christ ,” and not “ from the deeds of the Law .”

The saints in Thessalonica responded to the preaching of the Gospel by turning from “ idols to serve the living and true God .” Their life orientation changed radically because of their new faith in and allegiance to Jesus Christ. Rather than a comfortable life in Macedonia, they chose a path that virtually guaranteed opposition and persecution.

The Good News announced by Jesus of Nazareth offers salvation and life to men and women of every nation and people . After his resurrection, Jesus declared: “ All authority in heaven and on earth is given to me, therefore, go and make disciples of all nations !” He then dispatched his disciples to announce his Lordship and salvation to the “ ends of the Earth .” The Gospel commenced with his Death and Resurrection; therefore, his life-giving message must be announced to all men. The Son of God has achieved salvation for his people!

In the  Gospel of Matthew , an angel informed Joseph that the child carried by Mary was “ begotten of the Holy Spirit ” and instructed him to name the child ‘ Jesus ’ - “ Call his name Jesus,  for he will save his people from their sins .” This name pointed to the saving act of God for humanity that He was about to reveal to the world.

Central to the biblical doctrine of salvation is the promise of redemption. God will not abandon what He first created. The term signifies the recovery of that which was lost. The universe has been enslaved by sin and condemned to decay and death. All living creatures die eventually. However, in the redemptive plans of the Creator, the end state of the things and creatures redeemed by Him will be vastly superior to their original state. This idea is epitomized especially in the bodily resurrection of the righteous.

After his resurrection, Jesus declared: “ All authority in heaven and on earth is given to me, therefore, go and make disciples of all nations! ” As the Sovereign over all things, he dispatched his disciples to announce his Lordship and Salvation to the “ uttermost parts of the Earth .” The Era of Salvation commenced following his death and resurrection; therefore, the message of reconciliation must be announced to all mankind. The man named ‘ Jesus ’ had achieved salvation for his people.

The righteousness of God refers to His faithfulness. He fulfills His promises, and this is demonstrated by the salvation He has provided in Jesus . Paul stresses the “ righteousness of God ” in his Letter to the Romans, the righteousness that is revealed whenever the Gospel is proclaimed. This message is the “ power of God for salvation to everyone who believes ,” including “ Jews and Greeks ” alike. Salvation is available to all men through the “ faith of Jesus Christ ,” God’s “ Righteous One ” (“ From faith for faith… My Righteous One will live from faith ”).

The Book of Revelation applies several terms to the saints who are under assault from without and within. The men who were redeemed by the “ Lamb ” form a single company that transcends all national, social, and cultural boundaries, and for them, persecution and “ tribulation ” are neither aberrations nor things to be feared. Persevering through trials while bearing witness is what it means to follow the “ Lamb wherever he goes .”

In the  Book of Genesis , God implemented His plan to redeem humanity by establishing His covenant with Abraham, beginning with the summons for the Patriarch to leave his homeland and journey to the “ land I will show you .” Yahweh would produce a “ great nation ” from him, and the covenant would bless all the “ Tribes of the Earth .” From the start, the promise of territory was central to the Abrahamic Covenant.

Jesus summoned his disciples to proclaim the Good News of his Kingdom to every inhabited corner of the Earth . The Gospel of Jesus Christ is not about reforming society or governments. His message summons all men to repent and join a radically new social order and political reality, the  Kingdom of God . His message is contrary to the political ideologies of the present world order. We must respond positively to his invitation since the end of the age is approaching when the existing system will disappear from the planet.

Men are not put in right standing before God from the works of the Mosaic Law, but instead, from the faith of Jesus Christ .  In his letter to the assemblies in Rome, Paul demonstrated that all men have sinned. Jews and Gentiles both have violated God’s revealed will, therefore, no one is justified before Him “ from the works of the Law .” Jews have the Mosaic Law but fall short of its requirements. Gentiles have the witness of their conscience yet live and even revel in their sins. If no one is set right before God “ from the works of the Law ,” how can anyone be reconciled with Him?

In  Romans , Paul presents his most detailed explanation of the “ Good News of God ,” a message centered on His Son, Jesus Christ. He was dealing with conflicts between Gentile and Jewish believers in the Assembly of Rome and preparing the ground for taking the Gospel to the western regions of the Roman Empire. In the process of doing so, he addressed several related topics, including death, redemption, the Law, resurrection, and the New Creation.

In his  Letter to the Romans , Paul describes in detail the message of salvation that he proclaims among the nations. He declares that it is the “ power of God for salvation ” to all men who accept it. Due to humanity’s sin, two forces are at work in the world -  Righteousness  and  Wrath . In Jesus of Nazareth, God has provided the solution to humanity’s desperate plight and made it available to all men through the “ faith OF Jesus Christ .”