Questions on Christian doctrine (Full Version)

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Matt27 -> Questions on Christian doctrine (5/6/2008 10:38:00 AM)

I recognize that I am a sinner who deserves Hell. I accepted Jesus Christ as my Lord and Savior so that I can be saved from Hell. I believe that I am saved by grace, not by works, although works should come as a result of my faith. As long as I have accepted Christ as my Savior does any other point of doctrine matter?

There are Christians who believe in predestination and others in free will. Some Christians view Revelation as a prophecy of the end of the world before the Second Coming of Christ, others view that the tribulation described is the persecution of the Christians in first century Rome, while others view Revelation as purely symbolic. Some Christians believe that at any second now they will be raptured while others don't. Does any of this matter so long as Christ is your Savior? Can you just live your life and whatever happens will be God's will?

My next question is do the different views expressed above influence the way you worship? Does a Christian who believes in the rapture worship God differently than a Christian who does not? Does a Christian who supports predestination worship differently than a Christian who supports free will?

Thank you.



JimboFletch -> RE: Questions on Christian doctrine (5/6/2008 11:21:19 AM)

When one is born again, they are in a very real sense a spiritual baby. It is not God's intention that we remain in that state but to grow in grace and knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. The more you read & study the Bible and practice your faith, the more doctrines (teachings) you are going to become exposed to. Over time, those doctrines should form a consistent and defendable understanding of the Bible, Christianity, and God. That will effect our character and our relationship with God (including worship) and others.



CherishedbyGod -> RE: Questions on Christian doctrine (5/6/2008 11:45:05 AM)

Hi Matt,

I appreciate your concern and I am so grateful you are a Believer!

The doctrines you bring up, while important, are peripheral issues.

The focus of our journey with Christ needs to be getting to know Him better. As we get to know Him better we will love Him more. Then our focus should turn to loving Him in return and wanting to please Him and loving others.

Our focus needs to be on our relationship with the Lord, a love relationship that should deepen as we go on in our walk with Him. Of course, this involves spending time with Him in prayer and studying Him in His word.

Doing the above is what will influence your worship the most....



URForgiven -> RE: Questions on Christian doctrine (5/6/2008 1:31:06 PM)

quote:

ORIGINAL: Matt27

I recognize that I am a sinner who deserves Hell. I accepted Jesus Christ as my Lord and Savior so that I can be saved from Hell. I believe that I am saved by grace, not by works, although works should come as a result of my faith. As long as I have accepted Christ as my Savior does any other point of doctrine matter?

There are Christians who believe in predestination and others in free will. Some Christians view Revelation as a prophecy of the end of the world before the Second Coming of Christ, others view that the tribulation described is the persecution of the Christians in first century Rome, while others view Revelation as purely symbolic. Some Christians believe that at any second now they will be raptured while others don't. Does any of this matter so long as Christ is your Savior? Can you just live your life and whatever happens will be God's will?

My next question is do the different views expressed above influence the way you worship? Does a Christian who believes in the rapture worship God differently than a Christian who does not? Does a Christian who supports predestination worship differently than a Christian who supports free will?

Thank you.


You are right Matt, in reality, there is nothing else that truly matters. You have Christ, which means you have been given all that you will ever need.

The Christian life IS Christ. It is Him living in and through you as you abide [trust, depend] in Him.

Our worship is to offer our bodies as living sacrifices to God. This is what pleases Him...not whether we are five pointers or Westleyens, or whatever other label people like to place on themselves.

All these other areas of interest are just icing on the cake, if they are kept in perspective. If we become focused on our doctrines and traditions and forget our first love, then they will be an anchor that weighs us down, instead of of something that lifts us up to God.

Allow the Holy Spirit within you to lead you, and to open your eyes to the truth that is in the Word of God, He will not disappoint.

Peace



TheoJunkie -> RE: Questions on Christian doctrine (5/6/2008 9:05:42 PM)

Matt,

All doctrines -- regardless of what they are, or what they are about-- are the result of what a person has taken from Scripture.

What a person takes from Scripture (i.e., a person's doctrines) defines and guides how that person views God, and how they view themselves before God.

How one views God... and how one view's oneself before God... directly and inevitably impact everything in a Christian's life... how they worship, how they pray, how they work, whether they are at peace, etc etc etc.

Some doctrines do not have as big of an impact on the above as others... and so, not all doctrines are as important (/central) as others.

The doctrines that are most closely related to the Gospel are those that have the most impact on a Christian's walk and how they approach/regard God.

And then there is the simple proposition that Absolute Truth is a real concept... that for any given question, there is but one correct answer-- whether we can know that answer or not. If absolute truth is real, and God is unchanging and uncompromising... then EVERY point of doctrine matters to some degree.... if only because it speeds or delays our attainment of "all truth".

So yes. All points of doctrine matter... some have eternal impact, some have immediate practical impact, some have general/long term practical impact, and some don't impact anything very severely at all. But they all impact something in some way.



SureHope -> RE: Questions on Christian doctrine (5/7/2008 5:39:07 AM)

quote:

ORIGINAL: TheoJunkie

Matt,

All doctrines -- regardless of what they are, or what they are about-- are the result of what a person has taken from Scripture.

What a person takes from Scripture (i.e., a person's doctrines) defines and guides how that person views God, and how they view themselves before God.

How one views God... and how one view's oneself before God... directly and inevitably impact everything in a Christian's life... how they worship, how they pray, how they work, whether they are at peace, etc etc etc.

Some doctrines do not have as big of an impact on the above as others... and so, not all doctrines are as important (/central) as others.

The doctrines that are most closely related to the Gospel are those that have the most impact on a Christian's walk and how they approach/regard God.

And then there is the simple proposition that Absolute Truth is a real concept... that for any given question, there is but one correct answer-- whether we can know that answer or not. If absolute truth is real, and God is unchanging and uncompromising... then EVERY point of doctrine matters to some degree.... if only because it speeds or delays our attainment of "all truth".

So yes. All points of doctrine matter... some have eternal impact, some have immediate practical impact, some have general/long term practical impact, and some don't impact anything very severely at all. But they all impact something in some way.

John,
This is a sound description of the huge importance of doctrine in a believer’s life. I appreciate the clear link you have made between doctrine and one's view of God, self and life which directly affects one's lifestyle. Awesome post!

The more a genuine believer understands sound doctrine (the truth of God's word) the more his love for Christ will increase and the more he will be conformed to the image of God - from glory to glory. The more a Christian loves and enjoys Christ Jesus, the more God is glorified. This is ultimately the correct use of doctrine - that God is glorified (marveled at and seen as the supreme treasure and all the actions that come from treasuring Christ). This is why doctrine is so important.

Blessings,
SH



cognitivemagic -> RE: Questions on Christian doctrine (5/7/2008 4:23:36 PM)

Excellent question.

Yes, doctrine does form a pattern of worship.

For instance, if a percentage of people accept a "charismatic" understanding of spiritual gifts, their "worship" (both in and out of church) is going to take on a particular form that will look different from those that don't. This is obvious when observing Pentecostal behavior with high church Lutherans and Anglicans.

Furthermore, a "dispensational" eschatology will affect attitudes of evangelism and cultural engagement that will have a strikingly different character from those of the "postmillenial" persuasion. And of course, these are "worshipping" attitudes.

When I was starting out learning about the faith, I was fortunate to have older and more experienced spiritual advisors who directed me to look at Christianity historically. What I discovered was that ancient Christianity was much different than the Protestantism that I was partly raised in. And this led to questions that you have raised. Fortunately, after 17 years of study, prayer and struggle, I finally reached a resolution in what I think and feel is the best option for me: Eastern Orthodox Christianity.



figmentPez -> RE: Questions on Christian doctrine (5/8/2008 7:12:47 PM)

quote:

ORIGINAL: Matt27

As long as I have accepted Christ as my Savior does any other point of doctrine matter?


Yes!!!! It matters who you believe Jesus Christ to be! Your knowledge of God is not complete, no human has complete knowledge of God, and it matters not only that we are correct in our belief, but that we seek to know ever more about Him, and that the knowledge we add is truth.

I strongly encourage you to seek after ever greater knowledge of He that saved you. Learn to know the eternally begotten Son of God, and the Father who sent Him. Get to know the person of the Holy Spirit who indwells all believers. Know the triune God for who He has revealed Himself to be in scripture. With that knowledge, deepen your love for Him, so that you can better love Him and your neighbor. For all of God's commandments depend on our love of Him with all that we have, and then loving others because He loves us.



Aphobos -> RE: Questions on Christian doctrine (5/12/2008 12:10:49 AM)

"In essentials, unity. In non-essentials, liberty. And in all things, charity."

This is one of my favorite sayings. It is popular within the Anglican Church. I'm not sure who originally said or wrote it. Over the years, it has been attributed to Augustine, Melancthon, Wesley, and still others. Regardless of the source, it is a profound and deeply significant statement -- one that should be adopted by all Christians at all times. It establishes the importance of doctrine within the context of relationship.

Broadly, there are three categories of doctrine with which the Christian must contend: essential, non-essential, and heretical. It is vitally important that the he discern one from the other. Else there can be no peace within the body of Christ and no unified defense against her enemies without. Let me explain.

Essentials
While Christianity is much more than a set of propositions, it is certainly not less than that. There are some propositions to which all Christians must subscribe in order to properly be called 'Christian'. You touched on some of the more important ones in your opening paragraph.

I think the Apostle's Creed, properly understood, is an excellent if not exhaustive summary of essential Christian doctrine.


Non-Essentials
Scripture, history and tradition encompass much more than the essentials of the Christian faith. It has been said that the main message of the Bible is so simple that a child can understand it. Yet that message is found within the context of vastly more complex messages. While a child can easily discern the main message of scripture, theologians spend their lives wrestling with the details.

For the most part, these are non-essential issues. Should infants be baptized, or only professing adults? Should Christians speak in tongues today? Does Revelation 20 have to do with a future millennial reign or a present spiritual one? These are all adiaphora -- disputable matters. No one's salvation depends on his/her position with regard to them. Thus, Christians are free to hold a variety of opinions.


Heresy
This third category is more or less an inversion of the first two. Heresy involves either the rejection of essential Christian doctrine or the elevation of non-essential to the level of essential. Sometimes, both travesties occur within the same heretical proposition. Those who hold heretical views are usually not Christian (though they vehemently claim otherwise).

*****

In order to maintain peace within the body of Christ, believers must agree to disagree about certain things. Not every doctrinal dispute is a hill on which they must die. There is liberty in many areas of Christian thought and expression. The more we come to understand and appreciate our differences in these areas, the more interdenominational fellowship we can enjoy. We are, after all, one body.

Yet Christians should not pursue this unity at the expense of truth -- especially when that truth may decide a person's eternal destiny. The church is charged with defending the faith once for all delivered to the saints. She must not compromise on essential doctrine. That is the dark side of modern ecumenism -- the vain quest for peace at all costs. There can be no meaningful peace when truth lies slain at the altar. Sadly, this is exactly what many in the ecumenical movement have done.

Knowing the difference between essential doctrine, non-essential doctrine, and heresy will help the Christian to grow and mature in the community of faith. And if enough Christians do that, who knows? Maybe the visible church will be so strong and effective as to make the Devil stand up and take notice. It's been a very long time since that's happened.

In Christ,

~Aphobos



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