Doctrine, Discernment, Division, & Direction

This lesson runs the rabbit trail we’ll not get a chance to go down during the morning message!

Let’s Talk Doctrine

The Necessity of Salvation

Romans 3:23 ESV

...for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,

Romans 6:23 ESV

For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

What IS Salvation?

Acts 16:31 ESV

And they said, “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved, you and your household.”

The Necessity of Repentance

Acts 2:38 ESV

And Peter said to them, “Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.

Who is Jesus?

The only Son of the True and Living God

2nd Person of the Trinity

The singularity of God

The necessity of His death, burial, resurrection, ascension

His physical return

The resurrection of the saints

His judgement for all

https://www.gotquestions.org/essentials-Christian-faith.html

Articulating Core Doctrine

We are not, generally, a creed-reciting church, but creeds and confessions have value

Apostles’ Creed &

The International Standard Bible Encyclopaedia, Volumes 1–5 1. Old Roman Form

“I believe in God the Father Almighty. And in Jesus Christ His only (begotten) Son our Lord, who was born of the Holy Ghost and the Virgin Mary; crucified under Pontius Pilate, and buried; the third day He rose from the dead; He ascended into heaven, and sitteth at the right hand of the Father, from thence He shall come to judge the quick and the dead. And in the Holy Ghost; the holy Church; the forgiveness of sins; the resurrection of the body; (the life everlasting).”

(Early Roman Form, c. mid-4th century)

Likely existed in earlier baptism confessions as early as the 2nd century

As heresies arose, things needed to be clarified

Nicene Creed further refined the doctrine to

The Lexham Bible Dictionary The Creed of 325

We believe in one God, the Father Almighty, Maker of all things visible and invisible.

And in one Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of God, begotten of the Father [the only-begotten; that is, of the essence of the Father, God of God], Light of Light, very God of very God, begotten, not made, being of one substance with the Father; by whom all things were made [both in heaven and on earth];

Who for us men, and for our salvation, came down and was incarnate and was made man;

He suffered, and the third day He rose again, ascended into heaven; from thence He shall come to judge the quick and the dead.

Further refined in Athanasian Creed c.5th century

These things are the core of the Gospel accompanied by statements that combat heresy

None of these creeds, nor the many confessions or catechisms are infallible in and of themselves, but all lean on the infallible Scripture

We must be discerning as we listen to teachers, study using both scholarly and popular books, magazines...even music

Let’s Talk Discernment

General Concept

Discernment is defined as “the quality of being able to grasp and comprehend what is obscure; an act of perceiving something; a power to see what is not evident to the average mind.” The definition also stresses accuracy, as in “the ability to see the truth.” Spiritual discernment is the ability to tell the difference between truth and error. It is basic to having wisdom.

That from https://www.gotquestions.org/spiritual-discernment.html

Knowing what resources—AND WHAT PEOPLE—to trust is, in and of itself, an act of discernment

It’s related to both wisdom and knowledge

What concerns do we have?

Other Gospels

Galatians 1:9 ESV

As we have said before, so now I say again: If anyone is preaching to you a gospel contrary to the one you received, let him be accursed.

2 Peter 2:1 ESV

But false prophets also arose among the people, just as there will be false teachers among you, who will secretly bring in destructive heresies, even denying the Master who bought them, bringing upon themselves swift destruction.

1st Tim. and Jude are also filled with warnings...it should be no surprise to us that they are here

The Gospel plus ANYTHING is NOT the Gospel!

Anything that denies the divinity or diminishes the person and work of Jesus is NOT the Gospel

What Do We See?

...that gives us concern

Denial of divinity of Jesus—to include cults

Health and wealth gospels

Progressive theology

Works-based salvation—to include “ritualized Christianity”

Hyper-grace movement

New Apostolic Reformation & similar movements

Let’s Talk Division

A controlling verse would be:

2 Corinthians 6:14 ESV

Do not be unequally yoked with unbelievers. For what partnership has righteousness with lawlessness? Or what fellowship has light with darkness?

Practical aspect here is that we must control our environment and associations to the degree that they do not have adverse effect on our lives or our doctrine

Dealing with Different Traditions

...within historic Christianity...Who is saved?

Orthodox—Greek, Russian, Eastern, Armenian...others—though with local variation, affirm that only those in the church are within the “Ark of Salvation”

Roman—finds some exceptions, but lean toward the same understanding

Evangelical—to include any post-Reformation churches hold that any true believer in Christ and His finished work on the cross is saved

Though some groups lean into “real truth” being only found within them

Dealing with Differing Worldviews

How do we deal with people who hold to such things as a pro-choice position? ...theistic evolution? ...a borderless society? ...social justice/critical race theory/dei practices...?

Are we condemning? ...gracious? ...accepting?

Do we partner with them?

Let’s Talk Direction

How do we deal with errors, heresy, or disagreements over doctrine?

As a church, as individuals