Down to Earth But Heavenly Minded

I just finished my last project and was wondering where I was going to go next. The thought came to me about sound doctrine in my beliefs. Sound doctrines are important in one’s spiritual life. What you believe will guide your way through life.

In 2nd Timothy 4:3 English Standard Version tells us: “For the time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching, but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions.”

The question is, do we live by feelings or by the Word of God?

This is happening right now. We are living in the last days. We read about things that are going on today. In 1st Timothy 6, we find the subject on False Teachers and True Contentment. This is a warning for us, “If anyone teaches a different doctrine and does not agree with the sound words of our Lord Jesus Christ and the teaching that accords with godliness, he is puffed up with conceit and understands nothing. He has an unhealthy craving for controversy and for quarrels about words, which produce envy, dissension, slander, evil suspicions, and constant friction among people who are depraved in mind and deprived of the truth, imagining that godliness is a means of gain. But godliness with contentment is great gain, for we brought nothing into the world, and we cannot take anything out of the world. But if we have food and clothing, with these we will be content. But those who desire to be rich fall into temptation, into a snare, into many senseless and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction. For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evils. It is through this craving that some have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many pangs.”

In this writing, I am going to layout some sound doctrines to live by. First, I will start with the MAJOR DOCTRINES.

1. THE BIBLE. Every word in the original writings of the Holy Scriptures is inspired of God, authoritative and without error. The Bible is the only written revelation of God to man and is infallible. (2 Timothy 3:16; 2 Peter 1:21; Proverbs 30:5-6).
2. THE GODHEAD. There is one God, existing eternally in three persons – Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. God is a Spirit, infinite, eternal, and unchangeable. (Exodus 34:6-7; Deuteronomy 6:4; Matthew 28:19; John 4:24; 10:30; Acts 5:3-4; 2 Corinthians 13:14; Hebrews 1:8-12).
3. JESUS CHRIST. The Lord Jesus is the eternal Son of God. He entered the human race miraculously by being born of a virgin. He did not sin and He could not sin. He died as a substitute for all the sins of the human race, was buried, and rose bodily from the grave and ascended to the Father’s right hand where He now ministers as our Great High Priest. (Matthew 1:21-23; John 1:1,14; Acts 1:9; Romans 1:3-4; 2 Corinthians 5:21; Hebrews 4:14-15; 7:25; 13:8; 1 Peter 2:24; 3:18).
4. THE HOLY SPIRIT. The Holy Spirit convicts and converts the sinner. He regenerates, indwells, baptizes, and seals all true believers in Christ and empowers them to live a holy life. (Matthew 28:19; John 16:8; Romans 8:9-16; 1 Corinthians 12:13; Ephesians 1:13-14).
5. MAN. Adam was created in the image and likeness of God and was an innocent being. He subsequently sinned, and as head of the human race he passed on a sinful nature to all mankind. All men are sinners by nature but also by practice. Apart from God’s salvation man is lost eternally. (Genesis 1:27; 9:6; Romans 5:12; Ephesians 2:1).
6. SIN. Sin is violation of or disobedience to the revealed will of God. It is also a state, the absence of righteousness, or anything that falls short of the perfect glory of God. God has established that the penalty for sin is death. (Isaiah 53:6; Ezekiel 18:4; Romans 3:23; James 2:10; 4:17; Revelation 20:11-15).
7. SALVATION. Without the shedding of the precious blood of Christ, there is no remission of sin. Salvation is by grace through faith in the Lord Jesus Christ and entirely apart from law-keeping or good works. All those who hear and understand the gospel, repent of their sin, and trust in Jesus Christ alone as their Lord and Savior enter into salvation. (Mark 1:15; John 1:12-13; Acts 4:12; Romans 10:9-13; 1 Corinthians 15:1-4; Hebrews 9:22).
8. THE ASSEMBLY. The universal Church is made up of all true believers in the Lord Jesus from Pentecost to the Rapture. Each local assembly or church should be a miniature of the universal Church, expressing the great truths of the latter. The local assembly is made up of believers in the Lord Jesus who have been baptized following their conversion and who meet together for teaching, fellowship, breaking of bread, prayers, and evangelism. Christ is the head of each assembly and He entrusts leadership to the elders, men who are recognized as Christ’s under shepherds. Each assembly is to consider having deacons to serve the practical needs of the assembly. (Acts 2:42-47; 1 Corinthians 12:12-13, 27; Ephesians 1:22-23; 5:24-25,30; Acts 6:3-6; 1 Timothy 3:1-13; Hebrews 13:17).
9. ORDINANCES. There are two Christian ordinances, baptism and the Lord’s Supper. Baptism by immersion signifies that the believer has died with Christ, has been buried with Him, and has risen to walk in newness of life with Him. The Lord’s Supper is a memorial feast at which believers worship the Lord and show forth His death until He comes again. In accordance with the early church, the Lord’s Supper should be celebrated every Lord’s day. (Matthew 28:19-20; Luke 22:19-20; Acts 10:47-48; 20:7; 1 Corinthians 11:26).
10. We believe that the term marriage has only one meaning: the uniting of one man and one woman in a single, exclusive union, as stated in Scripture (Genesis 2:18-25; Matthew 19:4-6).

Next we will look at OTHER IMPORTANT DOCTRINES.

1. ASSURANCE AND SECURITY. All true believers can know that they are saved on the authority of the Word of God. Those who are in Christ are safe and secure for all eternity. (John 10:28-29; Romans 5:1; 2 Timothy 1:12; 1 John 5:13). 
2. CHRISTIAN LIFE & PRIORITIES. Christians are called to live a holy life. They are to be disciples of Jesus Christ, and as such, to live lives of service and testimony in the power of the Holy Spirit. This service includes ministry in the assembly and propagation of the gospel to the whole world. They are forbidden by Christ to lay up treasures on earth and are promised a reward in heaven for faithfulness in serving God on earth. (Matthew 6:19-34; Mark 8:34-35; 1 Corinthians 3:12-15; 1 Peter 1:15-16 1 John 2:6). 
3. SPIRITUAL GIFTS. Christ gives to each believer, at conversion, by the ministry of the Holy Spirit, some gift or gifts to equip him to serve the Lord and edify other believers. Gifts are given by a sovereign act of the Holy Spirit and not in respect to the desires or prayers of men. The Gifts are to edify and build up the church knitting it together in love. (Romans 12:6-8; 1 Corinthians 12:7-11; 14:22; 2 Corinthians 12:12; Ephesians 2:20; 3:5; 4:11-12; Hebrews 2:3-4). 
4. FUTURE EVENTS. God has revealed different dispensations, or stewardships, with corresponding rules governing life and relationship with God. In every dispensation the way of salvation is by faith alone. The present dispensation is the age of grace. The church did not exist prior to this age, and does not take the place of Israel in the prophecies of Scripture. We believe in a personal return of the Lord Jesus who will Rapture the Church. There will be a time of tribulation when the antichrist will proclaim to be God. Also God will pour out His wrath in judgment on the world but not the Church. Christ’s thousand year reign on earth, and the eternal state of punishment for the unsaved and blessing for the saved. (Matthew 24:21, 29-30; 25:46; Romans 6:14; 1 Corinthians 10:32; Ephesians 3:2-6; Colossians 1:25-27; 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18; 5:4-10; Hebrews 7:18-19; Revelation 10:1-6).

Each believer should be in absolute agreement with the MAJOR DOCTRINES in the doctrinal statement. In secondary matters, nonessentials or matters of moral indifference, there shall be liberty.