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   (5) Abraham and the Covenant of the Torch Genesis 15:12-17  “ When the sun went down, a deep sleep fell on Abram, and great darkness and fear came upon him. Then the LORD said to Abram,  ‘ Know for certain that your descendants will be strangers in a land that is not theirs and will serve them, and they will oppress them four hundred years. I will punish the nation they serve, and afterward they will come out with great possessions. You will be buried in peace with your ancestors at a good old age. In the fourth generation your descendants will return here, for the iniquity of the Amorites has not yet come to fruition. ’”  When the sun had set and it was dark, a smoking firepot appeared, and a burning torch passed between the pieces. While sunset signifies the end of the day, here it symbolizes the end. The coming of Jesus Christ into the world is said to be the beginning of the end. Therefore, the above words can be considered prophetic words about Jesus Chr...

  Question 56: What do you believe about forgiveness of sins? A: I believe that because of the atonement of Christ, God does not condemn me for my sins or the sinful nature that has enslaved me. Rather, God has, by grace, imputed to me the righteousness of Christ, thereby freeing me from eternal judgment. The term "sin nature" is not a biblical expression. The Bible speaks of greed, and greed signifies the original sin of wanting to be like God through idolatry. Colossians 3:5 says, "Therefore put to death your earthly members: sexual immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry." The place where this original sin of the mind resides is the body of sin (the body of flesh: Greek: sarx), and this body of sin must die. Therefore, it must die in union with Jesus Christ. Romans 6:6-7, "For we know that our old self was crucified with him so that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves to si...

  Question 55: What does it mean to have "the fellowship of saints"? Answer: First, as members of a community, believers are united with Christ and share in all his riches and gifts. Second, each believer has a duty to use his gifts gratefully for the benefit and edification of others. The fifteenth clause of the Apostles' Creed in Latin reads: And the Latin, translated into English, reads: sanctorum communionem (Latin) the communion of saints (Latin translated into English) The community of saints, as seen in Latin, refers to the church community where saints gather today. The church community is a community of saints who are in the Holy Spirit. Only saints who have been baptized in the Holy Spirit form the church community. It does not refer to the believers gathered in churches today. This community of believers in the Holy Spirit is a shared goal: to establish God's kingdom on earth. Establishing God's kingdom on earth does not mean simply building...

  Question 54: "Concerning the Holy Catholic Church" What do you believe? Answer: I believe that the Son of God, through the Holy Spirit and the Word, from the beginning of time to the end, gathers, protects, and preserves the saints chosen for eternal life from among all mankind, united in the true faith. Of course, I belong to this community and will always remain a member of it. The fourteenth clause of the Apostles' Creed in Latin reads as follows: And the Latin, translated into English, reads as follows: sanctam Ecclesiam catholicam. the holy Catholic Church Unlike the Latin, the English Apostles' Creed was changed to the holy universal church. In Latin, it refers to the Holy Catholic Church, with the Pope as its supreme leader, and can be seen as referring to the Catholic Church as a denomination. However, the Reformation, led by leaders like Martin Luther and Calvin, expanded from criticism of the Catholic Church's corruption and doctrinal probl...

  Question 53: What do you believe about the "Holy Spirit"? Answer: First, the Holy Spirit, together with the Father and the Son, is eternal God. Second, the Holy Spirit has come to me personally to unite me with Christ through true faith, to share in all His blessings, to comfort me, and to be with me forever. In the Old Testament, the Holy Spirit is referred to as the Spirit of Jehovah, and in the New Testament, as the Spirit of Christ or the Spirit of Jesus. The Holy Spirit is a being in God's image, a light of life that comes from God, but cannot be said to be God in and of itself. Acts 16:6-7 "Now when they had passed through the Phrygian and Galatian region, having been forbidden by the Holy Spirit to preach the word in Asia, when they had come to Mysia, they tried to go into Bithynia, but the Spirit did not permit them." Ton Logon ( τ ὸ ν λ ό γον ) means Christ, the Word. Paul, who was with Timothy, tried to preach the gospel in Asia, but the Hol...

  Question 52: What comfort does the second coming of Christ "to judge the living and the dead" bring you? Answer: Even in the midst of persecution and suffering, I look up to heaven and confidently await the Lord of Judgment, who will stand before God's judgment seat in my place and thus remove all curse from me. Christ will inflict eternal punishment on all his enemies, but he will lead all the saints, including me, into the joy and glory of heaven. Jesus does not judge the spiritually living, but the spiritually dead. Therefore, those born again of water and the Spirit are already seated in heaven and are therefore not subject to judgment. A temple is established within the hearts of those born again of the Spirit, and Jesus returns and dwells in that temple. Therefore, the one within the temple becomes the Lord and Savior. However, Jesus will return to the world in the last days to judge those who do not believe in Jesus or who, among his followers, do not belie...