Part Two of Nine: The Five essential Doctrines
The crux of part one was focus, focus on Jesus Christ and Him crucified [1]. We learned that the church has lost its first love and focus, not in just this day but for the last two millennium plus. Oh, we still love Jesus all right but somewhere along the line, we have begun to think and worry too much about the nonessentials. We have lost our first love [2].
Do not misunderstand; these nonessentials are important but not so important as to cause a schism (division) in the body [3]. Nonessentials would include things like Eternally Security, eating meat or vegetables, Eschatology, Baptism through dunking or sprinkling, on what day is the Sabbath, or whether the tribulation will be pre, mid, or post. (I’m a pan trib’er myself in that everything will pan out in the end.) Many more nonessentials abound. Anything above Jesus is idolatry.
It is this author’s opinion that we misunderstand the meaning of unity. Again, the Bible teaches us what it means. Therefore, read Romans chapter 14 [4]. However, in the nonessentials, there must be liberty. Paul exhorts the church to unification. Chapter 14 even tells us how we should unify ourselves. This week though, we want to concern ourselves with the essentials of the Christian faith. There are five of essential doctrines with a few secondary ones. They’re not less in significance or power, but the first dictates the second. With that said, Paul says that there must be unity in the essentials. Therefore, follow with me as we read Romans 15:5-7.
v5 Now the God of patience and consolation grant you to be likeminded one toward another according to Christ Jesus:
v6 That ye may with one mind and one mouth glorify God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.
v7 Wherefore receive ye one another, as Christ also received us to the glory of God. [Romans 15:5-7]
In our proof text above, Paul exhorted the church to unification [5]. Like we learned last week, the church is in deep division through tens of thousands of Christian denominations, most of whom built their church on the nonessentials all because of that division and consternation. If we want to see miracles and the move of God, we need to refocus on Jesus Christ. There must be a hunger for our worship and fellowship with Him. Christ is no respecter of persons, for that, which He did 2000 years ago. . .He can still do today.
This week, I’ll be going over the five essential doctrines of the Christian faith. Quickly, here are the five essential doctrines. I’ll split these up in chewable chunks through a daily blog this week to cover all five so we don’t have to wait weeks for questions that we might have. These will run daily this week or until we cover all five. Quickly, here are the five essential doctrines of the Christian faith along with a few secondary essentials.
1. The Deity of Christ (Monday 5/28/2018)
2. Salvation by Grace (Tuesday 5/29/2018)
3. The Resurrection of Jesus Christ (Wednesday 5/30/2018)
4. The Gospel (Thursday 5/31/2018)
5. Monotheism (Friday 6/4/2018)
Here are a few secondary essentials (Tuesday 6/5/2018)
1. Jesus is the only way to salvation
2. The Virgin Birth
3. The Trinity
4. Authority of the Scriptures
So let’s get to them. Monday I’ll go over the number one Essential doctrine, “The Deity of Christ.”
_________________________________
[1] 1 Corinthians 2:2
[2] Revelation 2:4
[3] Romans 15:5-7
[4] Romans 14:1-4
[5] We are also the church and as such, it applies to us as well.
STAYING ON COURSE 