PURPOSE
The purpose of The School of Christianity is to address a wide array of theological, doctrinal, and practical issues which, it is hoped, will be of interest to all devoted disciples of our Lord Jesus Christ. To accomplish this, writing will be offered for the reader’s consideration under the following headings: An Outline of Christian Thought; Articles; Bible Studies; and Church/State Issues. In discussing the proposed topics, I will endeavor to be as thorough as possible. As a result, questions will no doubt arise which will call for further consideration beyond the scope of the subject at hand. Therefore, The School of Christianity should be thought of as a work which is in a continuing state of development. Consequently, there will be times when writing will appear to conclude abruptly or with something more which needs to be said or considered. The writing you find here is designed for those who want something more than sound bite Christianity; those for whom Christianity is exactly what the Scriptures say it is, namely, the ultimate and transcendent reality for every aspect of this life and of the life to come. May I heartily and cordially invite those who visit The School of Christianity to read slowly, deliberatively, and prayerfully. Please do not hesitate to contact me with any thoughts, questions, or objections which may arise during your perusal of this site. Dialogue and discussion are most welcome.
A STATEMENT OF FAITH
1) There is one true and living God. He is revealed in three distinct persons, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, yet He is one God in both essence and purpose.
2) Mankind, male and female, are created in the image and likeness of God. Because of Adam’s sin, mankind has become directly subject to physical corruption and death. The reality of the influence of this physical corruption and death upon the spirit and soul of man has inclined all men to the pursuit of self-gratification in all things. This, coupled with the temptations which are brought to bear against mankind from the world, the flesh, and the devil, make sin, and the temporal and eternal consequesnces of sin, a universal reality.
3) The Son, the second person of the Trinity, willingly emptied Himself of His divine privileges and took upon Himself complete humanity. He is, therefore, the only-begotte Son of God, Jesus of Nazareth, fully human and fully God. He is both Lord and Christ.
4) After living a perfectly sinless life, Jesus of Nazareth willingly allowed Himself to undergo the mockery, shame, and suffering of trial and crucifixion, offering Himself as the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world.
5) After death by crucifixion He was buried. On the third day He arose from the dead, triumphant over sin and death. After His resurrection He was present on the earth for forty days after which He ascended to the right hand of the Father.
6) On the basis of His perfect life, culminating with His death, burial, and resurrection, salvation from both the guilt and power of sin and death is available to all universally, on condition of repentance toward God and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ. This salvation is eternally secure and certain on condition of perseverance in faith and that obedience which must result from true saving faith.
7) Subsequent to His ascension, Jesus sent the promise of the Father, the Holy Spirit, the third person of the Trinity, to endue His Church, individually and corporately, with power from on high, to accomplish the work which He commanded in His Great Commission.
8) To this end, the Holy Spirit has come to convict the world of sin, righteousness, and judgment; to bring the lost sinner to repentance toward God and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ; to bring the saint into increasing conformity to the image of Christ through the work of sanctification.
9) At the right time, Jesus Christ will return in the glory of His Father as King of kings and Lord of lords to judge the living and the dead with righteousness, justice, and perfect impartiality.
10) The Bible is the God-breathed and living Word of the true and living God. It is the sole, absolute, infallible, and final authority for all Christian doctrine, and for every aspect of Christian life and practice.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
My name is Steve Aivazis, and I am the author of the material you will be reading on The School of Christianity, unless otherwise indicated. It is only right and reasonable that you know something about me, or anyone for that matter, who endeavors to communicate a Christian message of any kind derived from the Bible and the truths contained therein.
After many years of turmoil and self-deception, I was truly converted in September 1980 at the age of twenty-five. I was someone who knew all the right answers. I had been brought up in the Church and knew the scriptures and basic Christian doctrine concerning Jesus of Nazareth. I truly believed that the Bible is the Word of God, that Jesus is the Son of God, that He died on the cross for my sins and the sin of the world, that He was resurrected on the third day, that He ascended back to the Father, and that He is coming again. Notwithstanding this, my life was a life of self-will and self-indulgence. What I truly believed in my head had no real place in my heart through saving faith. My life, especially my attempts to live the Christian life, was entirely self-generated.
One wonderful evening, while alone in my mother’s living room, this fact was pressed mightily upon my conscience with Holy Spirit conviction. I knew that self was the problem and that it was time to choose once and for all which way I was going to go, no turning back. I yielded myself to my Lord in confession, repentance, and submission to His Lordship and saving grace. It was at that moment that my life changed. Bible study and prayer became real, and my most cherished activities. My priorities were completely transformed. My soul’s allegiance was henceforth centered on the Lord Jesus Christ and His cause in this world.
In the years that have followed my regeneration, I have been privileged to be involved in a variety of Christian endeavor: student, short term missionary, Bible camp counselor, lay preacher, Sunday School teacher, and church elder. However, it was during Christmas break of 1981 that I received what I have since considered to be the primary and driving burden of my heart: a yearning for a genuine spiritual awakening in the USA; genuine repentance, reformation, and revival in our churches. This was powerfully brought home to my heart and mind as I read Heart-Cry for Revival by Stephen F. Olford, and subsequently the Memoirs of Charles G. Finney and his Lectures on Revival.
Since that time I have devoted countless hours to prayer, Bible study, meditation, and observation in endeavoring to understand the teaching of the scriptures relative to this burden, understanding, first of all, that the comprehensive study of this subject is nothing other than the study of true, scriptural Christianity as it touches every aspect of both the individual Christian life and the life of that corporate Christian fellowship we call the Church. It is my aim, therefore, to share something of the fruits of these labors on the pages of this website.