You're not going to bore us with doctrine now are you? No, I'm not.
Once you get past the idea of studying Christian Doctrine, you find out how important the understanding of it really is to your Walk and even to your love of God. When studying Church History, you begin to understand how the early Church fathers and theologians wrestled with all of these issues. Not only that, but why orthodoxy is so important to the Faith.
But first, what the heck is Christian Doctrine? Doctrine is really just a fancy word for "teaching." So, when we say "Christian Doctrine," we're simply talking about What Christianity Teaches! That's it. Now I ask, "do you believe what you believe?" When you respond, "yes," I will then ask, "why?" or "what is your basis of your belief?" As followers (disciples) of Jesus Christ, we should be able to freely talk about what we believe and why believe.
The apostle Peter said it best: "Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect,..." 1 Peter 3:15. And further: "Therefore, dear friends, since you already know this, be on your guard so that you may not be carried away by the error of lawless men and fall from your secure position. But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and forever! Amen." 2 Peter 3:17-18. Are we Believers prepared? Unfortunately, not always well.
Out of all of the teachings or Doctrines of the Christian Faith, I believe 4 (just four, that's all) are essential for us all to understand personally and to be able to communicate to others. Once you have these down, many of the "blanks" sort of fill themselves in.
The Four Essential Doctrines of the Christian Faith are: the Tri-Unity of God (otherwise known as the Trinity), the Deity of Christ (Jesus is the God-Man), Salvation (how God restores fellowship with His creation), and Grace (why God does what He does).
Understanding these Essential Doctrines, I believe, strengthens us. I look at it this way: Faith is stronger than Hope. Not that Hope is bad; not at all. Hope is a VERY Good thing, but Faith is better. Think about it; if I have "Hope," the "facts" I'm basing my hope on what may be "fuzzy" or not clear or clearly articulated information or "facts." Faith, on the other hand is based upon clear or "tangible" facts, all of the evidence is there. My Faith is much stronger and therefore my general Faith in what I believe about God, Jesus, Salvation and Grace (among other beliefs) is Strong. My eternal "hope" is based on "faith" which is based on Biblical (as well as historical and evidential) facts.
The order in which we look at these Doctrines also helps place them in a proper perspective. We go from an understanding of "Who" God is to "What" important role that Jesus the Christ played in "How" God's Salvation of man takes place and "Why" God chooses to extend Grace to His creation. In examining these Doctrines, we funnel down through the Who, What, How and Why as well as build up through the Who, What, How and Why. The Doctrines are a funnel as well as a pyramid. In the center is Jesus. Right where He should be.
Take the time to go through this study. Take your time as you go through the study. Allow God and His Word to illuminate your heart and mind to Him. Whether you do this alone or with a small group or a Sunday school class, I believe you will be blessed and encouraged.
More than that, the more and better you know God, the better He is able to use you in bringing others to Christ. That's exciting!
Here is what you will need: commentary, study guides to download and print all in one place - the Essentials of Christian Doctrine Study.
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A Survey of Bible Doctrine By Charles C. Ryrie / Moody Publishers Ryrie's A Survey of Bible Doctrine offers an easy-to-understand overview of the various doctrines of the Bible written especially for the layperson. Ryrie examines a wide range of topics, including: the nature of God, the inspiration of Scripture, Christ, the Holy Spirit, the angelic world, the nature and depravity of humans, salvation, the church, and the last things. Ryrie argues for the contemporary relevance of the Bible in this accessible and engaging survey of its key teachings. |
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What's So Amazing About Grace? By Philip Yancey / Zondervan Grace is the Church's great distinctive. It's the one thing the world cannot duplicate, and the one thing it craves above all else for only grace can bring hope and transformation to a jaded world. What is grace? If grace is God's love for the undeserving, then what does it look like in action? If Christians are its sole dispensers, how are we doing at lavishing grace on a world that knows far more of cruelty and un-forgiveness than it does of mercy? What's So Amazing About Grace? |
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Knowing God: 20th Anniversary Edition By J.I. Packer / Inter-varsity Press J. I. Packer's Knowing God has become a classic of the Christian faith. Why? While it gives us information about God with clarity and grace, it does much more---it aids us in actually knowing him, in building our relationship with him, and helps draw us closer to him in love and worship. This 20th anniversary edition of Packer's classic has new Americanized text, reader-friendly type, and a new preface. Study guide not included. |
