DOCTRINAL CONVICTIONS

The church at Antioch, featured in Acts 11:19-15:41, has always been a shining example to me for what a New Testament church needs to be. I have preached numerous messages about this. One series I have looks at “The Model Missionary Church,” from Acts 11:19-21; “The Model Church Member,” in Acts 11:22-26; “The Model Church Leader,” in Acts 11:27-30. So, is it any wonder that the title of Jeff Iorg’s book called, “The Case for Antioch: A Biblical Model for a Transformational Church,” captured my attention? In chapter six, he states that one of the marks of this model church is “Doctrinal Convictions.” Here is how Iorg begins:

Doctrine can be a polarizing word. It sounds dry and boring to some, divisive and legalistic to others. Churches sometimes soften their doctrinal positions, or at least mute their intensity, to lessen this tension and become more attractive to unbelievers. That effort, though well intended, is a misapplication of Paul’s example of becoming “all things to all people, so that I may by all means save some” (1 Cor. 9:22). Flexibility in missionary lifestyle doesn’t equal and must not include compromising doctrinal integrity, especially truth about the gospel. In Antioch, Paul broke new ground in contextualizing the gospel’s presentation but without compromising its message. On the contrary, he undertook extreme measures to defend its purity. Jesus taught a clear gospel. Paul and other New Testament writers articulated its theological nuances as well as its implications for daily living. Healthy churches uphold the gospel and its discipleship demands for believers. Transformational churches stand for truth rather than dilute the message and explain away its requirements for holy living. (pp. 98-99, Kindle edition).

He goes on to note that at Antioch, they established hills “to die on.” These were fundamentals of the faith worth fighting for, and yet there were other matters of preference, instead of principles, that should not divide the church. This was codified in a major church business meeting in Acts 15. The outcome of that was an explosive evangelistic expansion into Gentile territory. Our message must be defended, but methodology can be debated, and that way the mission is not distracted. The old axiom is: “In essentials unity, in non-essentials liberty, in all things charity.”

Saying this is one thing, and doing it another matter. Just read the New Testament! You will see the application of this principle quite challenging. Yet, it, it must be done. Here is how we try to work it out in the churches I serve in the Haywood Baptist Association.

We have essentials that are stated in The Baptist Faith and Message 2000.  To be part of our association requires these be affirmed. Sadly, during my time serving in the role of Mission Strategist, we have had to remove one of our churches that would not align with this doctrine. We will be united in these essentials. There is no room for debate.

But, within that there are non-essentials where we call for liberty. For example, we have pastors and churches that while agreeing that salvation is solely by grace through faith in Christ, differ on exactly how that salvation comes, some holding to traditional Baptist evangelism methods and others defending a Reformed view. All of our pastors and churches believe that Christ is literally coming the second time, judging the world, and that in eternity there will be a heaven for the saved and a hell for the sinners.  Yet, there are varied views on how this will work out. It makes for some interesting debates in Pastor’s Conference, and especially around the lunch table following. 

That calls for charity—for Christian love among the brethren. I will not compromise my views on soteriology (the doctrine of salvation) in my preaching and teaching. I am not a Calvinist, but I can work with, love, and support those who are, so long as they believe, “Jesus saves!”  Nor will I personally bend in my eschatology (the doctrine of last things), as I am a dispensationalist who believes in the rapture of the church and the return of Christ to reign for a thousand years on earth. We have preachers and churches who see the way the end times works out differently, yet I can embrace them and encourage them so long as they affirm, “Jesus is coming again!”

This can be messy. It was in the first century and it still is in the twenty-first century. But, we cannot compromise our core convictions. Sound doctrine must be embraced and taught in our churches. When “love” becomes an excuse to tolerate anything and everything in beliefs and behavior it is not truly love. It is liberalism and licentiousness. We must also guard against legalism where we make mountains out of molehills and turn our personal preferences into dogma. 

May the Holy Spirit guide us through the Holy Scriptures to steadfastly hold to doctrinal convictions!

A PETITION FOR PERCEPTION

Over and again, we find Paul recording his passion for the people of God in his petitions offered for them. In Colossians 2:2-3, we hear his prayer for the churches of Colossae and Laodecia. His plea is for their perception of God—His ways, His will, and His work. 

His prayer is for them to have encouragement in the great realities of God. To know Him and experience the Infinite One is to drink from a fountain that flows forever. What could be more fulfilling?

He pleads for them to be enmeshed in the glorious love of God—hearts knit together with love for Christ and His church. Being in union with the Lord enables us to be bound to one another.

His petition is for them to be educated in the grand mystery of God. 

Here is the source of this mystery. This truth once hidden during the Old Testament is now unveiled in the New Testament—fully revealed in the person of Christ. To see Him is to see God. To hear Him is to hear God. To know Him is to know God. 

This leads to the scope of this mystery. The Apostle speaks of “full assurance,” and “all the treasures.”  These come to us in theological instruction—that is “understanding” and “knowledge.”  These truths inform our thoughts and inspire our zeal. This leads to practical application—“wisdom.”  This is truth that informs and inspires us to go beyond what we know to how we live. It impacts our head, heart, and hands.

As a preacher, I need to be praying this for my congregation. As a member of the church, you ought to be seeking to perceive this reality in the revelation of God in Christ. May this Lord’s Day find the pulpits proclaiming the great treasures of truth and the pews filled with eager listeners soaking it in, intent to live it out!

THE SUBTLETY OF THE WAYWARD

 

The devil is a roaring lion seeking to strike fear into his prey, but is also a sneaky snake that crawls in and waits in the darkness before injecting its fangs of false doctrine into the victim. This is how the serpent attacked Eve—first to doubt the accuracy of the Word of God with a question, “Did God really say?” and then to deny the authority of the Word of God with a contradiction, “No!  You will not die...” (Gen.3:1,4). 

In the prior letter, Paul set the order for the church—that men were responsible to be elders and teach doctrine in the church (1 Tim.2:11-15). The culture is increasingly feminized—masculinity is under attack—and this spirit is growing in the church in the name of equality. 

Of course, there is equality of dignity among men and women.  Neither sex is to be valued above the other. Yet, while there is no difference in dignity and worth, there is a difference in duty and work. We have different roles. The elders of the church are to be men who are the gatekeepers of sound doctrine while the women are to be the homemakers of young disciples. Women have a different role in the church and men have a different role in the home—neither less essential, but not identical.  

The warning here is to beware counterfeits like Jannes and Jambres who opposed Moses with their fake miracles (Ex.7:10-13).  Such frauds exist in Christendom today—offering the promise of miracles—bait that is wrapped around the poison of heresy.  We ignore this uncomfortable teaching to our own peril.

WHAT DO YOU WANT THE CHURCH TO BE?

 

For though I am absent in the flesh, yet I am with you in spirit, rejoicing to see your good order and the steadfastness of your faith in Christ.  (Colossians 2:5)

What do you want the church to be?  That is a question that can bring many answers.  There is no shortage of opinion, or of people willing to express it.  The reality is that those opinions will vary so greatly, that it would be impossible to shape the local church to suit such diverse expectations.  Sadly, much of this is rooted in self-interest and personal preference that leads to a tug of war in the membership.  The pastor may feel like the rope being yanked!  Might I make a radical suggestion?  The church needs to be what Jesus wants it to be!  The pastor hopefully is being led by Him as he seeks to communicate that word to the church.  The people we trust are in tune with faith and obedience in following Christ’s agenda.  What Paul says in Colossians 2 would be a wonderful starting point for the church God wants.

IT WOULD BE A CHURCH THAT EXPRESSES SACRIFICIAL LOVE (v.1-2a).  Paul speaks of his conflict for the church—not with the church!  That’s a big difference!  He was a fighter, but he knew who the enemy was.  He was fighting a spiritual battle for the sake of the church.  Love will do all it can to protect those in their care.  I know I would fight to the death to protect my loved ones from harm.  If we love the church we are willing to pour out our lives to preserve her.  Not only do we face the Devil as an enemy, but discouragement.  So the Apostle goes on to exhort them to encourage each other.  Then, there is the problem of division.  God wants our hearts knit together in love.  Without that, the fabric of our fellowship unravels.

IT WOULD BE A CHURCH THAT EXPERIENCES SPIRITUAL LEARNING (v.2b-4).  The early church had a breadth of fellowship, but also a depth of doctrine.  The church today is plagued by Biblical illiteracy.  Spiritual learning is marked by embracing the truth (v.2b-3).  The Greek language suggests becoming progressively more acquainted with God.  Some people think being spoon fed for an hour on Sunday will give them all the Bible they need.  Such brings an impoverished soul.  We must get into the Word day by day so our lives will be enriched with truth.  People will say, “I need practical teaching,” and by that they want therapeutic moralism—which is what pulpits and devotional books are churning out in evangelicalism today.  Your soul will shrivel.  There is nothing more relevant than the Word of God taught in depth and power.  Paul says this is the way to understanding and wisdom.  Spiritual learning also is marked by exposing the false (v.4).  Think of it as promoting a spiritual immune system that guards the church from false teaching.  Error acts like a deadly virus invading the body.

IT WOULD BE A CHURCH THAT EXHIBITS STEADFAST LOYALTY (v.5).  The “good order” Paul calls for is a military term of soldiers standing shoulder to shoulder in battle formation.  The church needs to stand together like the 300 Spartans who resisted a far larger force and though perishing turned the tide against the Persian invaders.  This requires, “steadfastness.”  We will not desert the church.  We will dig in our heels.  The church is a band of brothers.  May we be loyal to the end!

LEARNING TO WALK

I rejoiced greatly that I have found some of your children walking in truth, as we received commandment from the Father.  (2 John 4)

We call them toddlers.  It is a fit description, as you watch the small child’s wobbly walk.  They are learning.  No baby is born with the skill to walk.  It is developed, with many falls along the way, but finally it is mastered.  The Bible uses the term, “walk,” to describe our spiritual journey.  John mentions it three times in his little second letter.  Christians have a second birth into the family of God, they grow, and learn to walk.  Sometimes we fall down, but if we get up and go forward in faith we make progress.

We do not walk alone (2 John 1-3).  Our Father walks with us, and we journey in fellowship with our brothers and sisters in Christ.  John uses the term, “elect lady and her children,” most likely figurative language referring to the church and her members.  We enter that fellowship by receiving the truth (v.2).  Jesus is the Truth Incarnate indwelling every child of God.  He causes grace, mercy, and peace to flow into us and from us (v.3).

Our walk is in the truth (v.4).  In this brief epistle, John uses the word, “truth,” four times, and an expression akin to it, “doctrine,” three times.  The writer’s emphasis on truth is significant.  What does it mean to walk in truth?  It is to increase in the experiential knowledge of God, growing in doctrinal soundness, and submitting to the truth in obedience.  God has given us His truth in Scripture as a roadmap to direct our walk.  We are to maintain our course with doctrinal fidelity and apply the message in every dimension of our pilgrimage.

Maintaining our balance is vital in learning to walk.  This is where love comes in (v.5-6).  John calls us to a healthy balance of truth and tenderness.  Without love, truth can be harsh and stern.  Apart from truth, love can be mere sentimentality.  Truth and love must be on each arm to aid us in Biblical balance.  As we cannot abandon truth, neither can we forsake love—it is not optional, but essential to walking with God.  Love is the mark of a follower of Christ.  The stronger our love is, the steadier our walk will be.

We walk with God as He holds our hand, but as His child, we hold onto faith—that is again the balance of truth (v.7-11).  As we journey, there are wolves in sheep’s clothing ready to devour us.  They mix truth with error to deceive us.  In a day when many are departing from the faith, we must hold to the old paths of sound doctrine.  Walking in fellowship with God and all who love His Word means we walk away from all who forsake the message, lest they pull us down—perhaps losing reward or exposed as a counterfeit and pulled into hell!  We are warned of a peril so grave as not to even let the cult member enter our home or encourage them in their evil by wishing them well!

After that sobering warning, John concludes with a note of joy (v.12-13).  Truth will triumph over error.  There is victory in Jesus and that is cause to rejoice.  Joy is a fruit of the Spirit.  Although there are troubles on every side as we travel this path from earth to glory, we can walk in joy, nonetheless.  Let’s go!  The end of the road is heaven!

CONNECTED IN GROWTH: Our Guard

 

“that we should no longer be children, tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, in the cunning craftiness of deceitful plotting, but, speaking the truth in love, may grow up in all things into Him who is the head—Christ—from whom the whole body, joined and knit together by what every joint supplies, according to the effective working by which every part does its share, causes growth of the body for the edifying of itself in love.” (Ephesians 4:14-16)

Spiritual growth must be guarded.  If Satan cannot have our soul, he will try to minimize our effectiveness.  Such impotence results from immaturity.  Grow up! 

Paul warns of Satan’s henchmen, who poison the soil of the soul with error, so that we are unfruitful in service.  They prey on those juvenile in their thinking.  Quoting Scripture, they twist it so that while sounding right, it is a distorted and damaging doctrine they declare.  If we do not grow, then we will have a naiveté that leads us to swallow this toxin. 

My youngest grandchild will put anything in her mouth.  Leave the dog dish out and she will be helping our pooch eat.  Pick up a rubber ball, and you note little bite marks.  It seems we must repeatedly ask, “What have you got in your mouth?”  The cure for this is growth.  She will mature and understand there are things you shouldn’t swallow.

That very growth which guards us from error, serves as guardrails to steer us into the thoroughfare of truth.  As the truth is spoken in love, a climate for spiritual growth is created.  The church is to be marked by the clear, compassionate and compelling communication of sound doctrine.  Believers are nourished by Scriptural singing and solid sermons.  The Bible is not used to batter us, but to better us—it is spoken in love.  But, it isn’t a diet of junk food that is served up, but a substantial portion of solid teaching—it is truth.  Where truth is spoken in love, growth is guarded and a healthy church is established.

We will be rooted.  That is, there is a consistent connection to the body of believers.  Spiritual tumbleweeds are “tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine.”  They run to the next celebrity pastor and entertainment center that brands itself as a church.  It becomes a pattern.  Some drop out of church and plop down in front of a TV or computer screen as their shrine.  Error proliferates on the air waves these days.  If you are not active in a local assembly, then growth will not occur.

Our church should be a spiritual hot house where tender plants get rooted and grow to become abundantly fruitful.  The pastor is important, of course.  If there are others on staff, choosing the songs, leading the young, they too are vital in presenting the truth in love.  Teachers of small groups and Sunday School classes partner in this process of edifying the saints.  Yet, according to Paul, every member has a responsibility to build up other believers so that spiritual health leads to Scriptural growth.  What say you?