Doctrines

Doctrines I have been thinking about the latest doctrinal debates. My thoughts are "Why don't we just focus on the Bible in order to have unity?" Before Holy Scriptures came along, traditions were relied on. Now that God have provided the Holy Scriptures that have been AGREED by the "CHURCH". Therefore, traditions stays with the denomination of the "CHURCH" while the Holy Scripture in the FINAL authority. Christians are divided on doctrine issues (teaching issues). This have been going on since the New Testament days (Read First Corinthians 9:11-17). Doctrines (teachings) that impacted many Christian lives and they are using doctrines more than they are using Holy Spirit to guide their Christian walk. Don't get me wrong, doctrines are important and Christians might argue for those issues. But, how far? What shall we unite with and from what shall we separate? I have studies and listed a guide for me to follow. I am putting this in my journal and my Bible. Maybe if I share this with you, you might want to take this idea and modify to your own personal guidance. Foundational: Hebrews 6:1-2 NIV Therefore let us leave the elementary teachings about Christ and go on to maturity, not laying again the foundation of repentance from acts that lead to death, and of faith in God, instruction about baptisms, the laying on of hands, the resurrection of the dead, and eternal judgment. False teachers who teaches "ichy ears" sermons and invite those who listen to join their concept of Christianity. 2 Timothy 4:4 (NKJV) "and they will turn their ears away from the truth, and be turned aside to fables." Proverbs 1:7 The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge. Proverbs 19:2 Titus 1:1-2 The knowledge of the truth that leads to godliness— a faith and knowledge resting on the hope of eternal life, which God. Proverbs 2:10 For wisdom will enter your heart, and knowledge will be pleasant to your soul. Proverbs 18:15 The heart of the discerning acquires knowledge; the ears of the wise seek it out. Proverbs 23:12 Apply your heart to instruction and your ears to words of knowledge. Traditional: 1 Corinthians 15:1-4 NIV Now, brothers, I want to remind you of the gospel I preached to you, which you received and on which you have taken your stand. By this gospel you are saved, if you hold firmly to the word I preached to you. Otherwise, you have believed in vain. For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures. It is very important to know that God (Father, Son, Holy Spirit), Church and the Bible are the three most important aspects of my spiritual life. A wise Christian should be committed into action of reading, putting faith in the Word, and surrender to the Holy Spirit so that I can learn from the heart. What are we lacking? People talk about Church, Tradition and Bible. They forget the most important which is the Holy Spirit who is able to lead us to all three (Church, tradition and Bible). Creedal: 2 Timothy 3:16 NIV All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness. When I read my Bible, the Holy Spirit gives me life (see John 6:63). The Bible is Book of Life. Spiritual truth is spiritually discerned. Spiritual wisdom begins by the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is not from the Church. The Holy Spirit is directly from God. In 1 Corinthians 2:10, God has revealed it to us by his Spirit. "Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight." Proverbs 3:5-6 The Holy Spirit (through Jesus Christ) is the final authority. When Jesus said that the Comforter is coming, He was saying: "The Comforter will not come to stand on His own, to speak on His own authority." He will guide you into all truth-He will speak and act on the authority of the divine Godhead: Father, Son and Holy Spirit. God is spirit and faith is required to know Christ and then, the Holy Spirit will reveal who God really is. Studying the Bible (Holy Scriptures) flows and help understand God's Word through the Holy Spirit as Authoritative, Divinely inspired, Apostolic, and True - a position held by nearly all Christians. Salvation: Acts 2:38 NIV 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. God's Grace and Gift: Ephesians 2:8 For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God. Jesus Christ is our all in all. We need but trust Him and He will take care of the rest. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved (Romans 10:8b-10). The heart believes and the mouth confesses. Both are necessary to salvation (of course to some healing). Faith is a gift from the Holy Spirit, without the Holy Spirit, you can't have faith and without the Holy Spirit, you can't be spiritual. If you don't have faith, then you don't have the Holy Spirit. Faith don't come before the Holy Spirit. Holy Spirit comes before Faith. Paul was a Pharisee and he wrote in Romans 16:18 "For such people are not serving our Lord Christ, but their own appetites. By smooth talk and flattery they deceive the minds of naive people." Paul knew as a Pharisee what Jesus was talking about when He rebuked other Pharisees about faith. As a disciple, my Christian faith should be inward, not outward because the Bible teaches that faith is of the spirit and not of the flesh. Acts 15:8 God, who knows the heart, showed that he accepted them by giving the Holy Spirit to them, just as he did to us. Avoid: Romans 16:17-18 NIV I urge you, brothers, to watch out for those who cause divisions and put obstacles in your way that are contrary to the teaching you have learned. Keep away from them. For such people are not serving our Lord Christ, but their own appetites. By smooth talk and flattery they deceive the minds of naive people. New babes fails to understand the true nature of the Christian life, which is not static but dynamic and expanding. Many of us had plenty of time to mature and we had adequate time to grow and change is not a problem. The letter of Jude was a blunt letter to Christians. Jude, a brother of James who wrote the letter of James. The key objects of the letter are: False teachings and Holy Faith. Ephesians 4:14-15: No prolonged infancies among us, please. We'll not tolerate babes in the woods, small children who are an easy mark for impostors. God wants us to grow up, to know the whole truth and tell it in love--like Christ in everything. We take our lead from Christ, who is the source of everything we do. Acts 17:11: They were treated a lot better there than in Thessalonica. The Jews received Paul's message with enthusiasm and met with him daily, examining the Scriptures to see if they supported what he said. Hebrew 5:14: solid food is for the mature, who have some practice in telling right from wrong. Test: 1 John 4:1 NIV Dear friends, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world. Our hearts are like a garden and must be kept free from weeds and insects. To expect the fruits and flowers bloom in an untended heart is to misunderstand completely the processes of Grace and God's will. Teach me your way, O LORD, and I will walk in your truth; give me an undivided heart, that I may fear your name." — Psalm 86:11. The Holy Spirit that leads my thoughts and shapes my character. Our true moral and spiritual state is revealed by the Spirit through prayer and studying the Word. Are we studying the Bible for our spiritual growth and observing (obeying) God's Word? Is our personal Bible study a daily discipline for our spiritual growth to make sure I don't fall into false teachings? Detest: Jude 1:22-23 NIV Be merciful to those who doubt; snatch others from the fire and save them; to others show mercy, mixed with fear—hating even the clothing stained by corrupted flesh. A faithful Christian will learn and see to it that his/her anticipations conform to the revealed Word of God and he/she has nothing to doubt or fear in life or in death.