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How to deal
with
a doctrinal problem
How to deal with a doctrinal problem:-
John 8:28-32
Then said Jesus to them, When you have lifted up the Son of man, then shall you know that I am He, and that I do nothing of Myself; but as My Father has taught Me, I speak these things. And He that sent Me is with Me: the Father has not left Me alone; for I do always those things that please Him.
As He spoke these words, many believed on Him [as the Son of God]. Then said Jesus to those Jews which believed on Him, If you continue in My word, then are you My disciples in deed; and you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.
It is not enough to believe in Jesus as the Son of God who came to this earth 2,000 years ago. That's a "historical" Jesus and even the devil knows that to be true, but it doesn't make him into a follower of the LORD.
What we have to believe is that Jesus is our Saviour from sin (as above) and then we will learn from Him about His church and its doctrines.
Which comes first, the chicken or the egg? To one who believes in a creator God the answer is obvious. Jesus made a pair of poultry and then the female produced the egg, fertilized with its mate's help.
It's the same here. It takes two!
Jesus makes the Christian, and then the Christian investigates where to fellowship and what to believe. With the guidance of the Spirit he or she finds the truth clearly set out in the Bible.
The Spirit often helps in this case by sending a church member to you. That's what He did with Saul the persecutor of Christians. He sent him a Christian who explained the three most obvious things of Christianity and who then left him to work out the others with the Spirit and the word.
Acts 9:10-17
And there was a certain disciple at Damascus, named Ananias; and to him said the Lord in a vision, Ananias. And he said, Behold, I am here, Lord. And the Lord said to him, Arise, and go into the street which is called Straight, and inquire in the house of Judas for one called Saul [Paul], of Tarsus: for, behold, he prays, and has seen in a vision a man named Ananias coming in, and putting his hand on him, that he might receive his sight.
Then Ananias answered, Lord, I have heard by many of this man, how much evil he has done to Your saints at Jerusalem: and here he has authority from the chief priests to bind all that call on Your name.
But the Lord said to him, Go your way: for he is a chosen vessel to Me, to bear My name before the Gentiles, and kings, and the children of Israel: for I will show him how great things he must suffer for My name's sake.
And Ananias went his way, and entered into the house...
Did you notice that God had already shown Saul/Paul that Ananias would be coming? He was so sure of His disciple's obedience! Saul was such a sinner in his own eyes that he needed a Christian to give him encouragement, and this is what Ananias did. He did query his specific instructions, but only to make sure that he was hearing correctly.
That's what God is looking for in you. Obedience in strict detail to His requests, and encouragement for others. If you believe and do all that you are shown to do in the Bible, and stop doing and believing all that you find is wrong in your understanding, then you will be given immense knowledge of God's will. And be used by Him to help others find the same "way".
The first requirement is to believe that Jesus is the Son of God as well as being the Son of man - that He is a divine Being. Once you have the basis of Christianity by "lifting Him up" (in crucifixion for you) and have proved it to your satisfaction in your own personal Christian experience you can get busy.
This is how it works:-
1. We read an instruction or a promise in the Bible.
A good place to start is with the Ten Commandments in Exodus 20:1-17.
As you read the Spirit will impress you with the knowledge that these words mean something special to you. It may be just a feeling or it may be that the words will seem to "jump out" of the page towards you. You may even hear them being spoken by someone else. However He does it, the Spirit will direct your attention to them. This is called "getting the light".
Now you must pay particular attention to them.
2. You will need to ask if this is for YOU today or for general knowledge.
Some doctrinal things you learn must be put into operation immediately. Others are for your overall understanding of God's plan for this world. If you really want to do God's will then you will know the difference. If you do today's requirement then you will learn more. If you hesitate or (horrors!) ignore it, you will stand still for a moment, then start to fall away from Jesus.
He is always moving on, and as the kingdom of heaven is a ceaseless approach toward God through Him, you cannot stand still for long. You must either be up with Him or be turning away from Him. Your choice!
3. You then choose (in your mind) to follow His request.
This means that you will take His command (request) and make the effort to fulfil it. Don't worry about all the problems the devil will beset you with about keeping it. His dire predictions will come to nothing for you will find you not only have a Saviour but a Guide and Protector.
Jesus will save you from sin for that is His choice.
Matthew 1:21.The Spirit will guide and protect you for that is His work.
John 16:13.
The Father will take your thanks for that is His pleasure.
2 Corinthians 2:14.
4. As you make the effort God supplies the power to do it.
The reason you get the power at this time is that this is not overcoming a sin but doing an action of righteousness.
It is in this way that you will fulfil God's directions, for doctrine is not just WHAT you KNOW, but also WHAT you DO. If you really believe something you will act on it. That's how you show your faith.
James 2:16-18
And [if] one of you say to them, Depart in peace, be you warmed and filled; notwithstanding you give them not those things which are needful to the body; what does it profit?
Even so faith, if it has not works, is dead, being alone.
Yea, a man may say, You have faith, and I have works: show me your faith without your works, and I will show you my faith by my works.
Did you notice what the works were? Helping others. That's what Jesus considers good works, not going to church and singing hymns. They have their place but are Christian pleasures, not works. He spent most of His time on earth healing and feeding people. Even resurrecting them from the dead! If you love Jesus then you will love those He is trying to save and you will help them too.
He didn't spend a lot of time in discussions on doctrine unless someone wanted to know something. Then He had all the time in the world. So with you, doctrines are important when you, or someone else, want to know what to do. They are NOT important if someone wants to argue over them.
Jesus loves questioners because that's how you grow. In the new world you won't get old, or tired, or sleepy. You will just learn more and more of the character of God and share more and more of it with others. What a life! They won't need food or healing there, but they will need your understanding of God for we are not all the same and see Him differently.
Angels will look forward to discussing doctrine with you also, for doctrine isn't dry old theories or church ideas, but finding out how God works. And you have had experience at that first hand. You might (you could) find out how Jesus could save you from a temptation and yet be in heaven at the same time. Would that be interesting? I'm sure that knowledge will lead to a thousand more questions which it will take eternity to answer.
1 Peter 1:10-13
Of which salvation the prophets have inquired and searched diligently, who prophesied of the grace that should come to you: searching what, or what manner of time the Spirit of Christ which was in them did signify, when it testified beforehand [in Old Testament times] the sufferings of Christ, and the glory that should follow.
To whom it was revealed, that not to themselves, but to us they did minister the things, which are now reported to you by them that have preached the gospel to you with the Holy Ghost sent down from heaven; which things the angels desire to look into.
Wherefore [because of this] gird up the loins of your mind [get into gear], be sober [serious], and hope to the end [work right through] for the grace that is to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ [the second coming]...
We are told that righteousness is revealed step by step as our faith develops from that of a young Christian to that of the mature one.
Romans 1:16-17
For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God to salvation to every one that believes; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek [This deals with the sin problem]. For in it [the gospel] is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith: as it is written, The just shall live by faith. [This deals with the doctrinal problem].
So what should you do next?
5. Get on your knees (in your mind) before God with your Bible.
If you come to His word every day with the spirit of a listener and learner you will find such veins of "gold" there that you will want to spend all your time on earth being a "miner". And you'll get "rich" quick!
However, if in your heart you do not want to do the thing that God has commanded, or if you add or subtract from the specific directions given you, then it will fail.
Want to know more? Go back to the beginning.
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