The topic of my most recent class discussion was the importance of Doctrine. Rather than preaching, as I have neither the time nor probably the auidence to warrant it, I offer this reflection and question:
The Doctrinal Statements or Creeds and tenents of our faith are the fundamental truths upon which the entire Christian belief is based...the most basic of these being a belief in God the Father, God the Son, God the Holy Ghost, and One Church, One Baptism, One Ressurection, One Life Eternal...
Great words...but what do they mean?
If the above is true, and supporting the above is what qualifies us as Christians...I must wonder, how we can be the Church of Christ if we do not understand the importance of the above? Put another way...why don't we have more Christians arguing for the beauty and truth of our faith based on the existence of a Triune God, and the Incarnate Savior? Our competitors know who and what they are...while we have lost touch with the basic foundations of our faith...and, worse, we don't even realize that we have stopped understanding (or even trying to understand) the words we use to explain our beliefs. How can they even be rightly called our beliefs?
Lord Jesus have mercy on us, the weak and sick representatives of Your body on earth. Raise us to strength, and renew our souls.
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it might be too subtle a difference in wording to be significant, but i would argue that the fundamental truth is not the creed -- it is a language representation of the truth.
that may be significant in pointing out that i think a very large number of people are christians not because they are willing to accept a doctrine, but do not accept the truth behind the doctrine. for example, the pharisees were completely unwilling to accept that Jesus was the truth behind their doctrines. but what incentive do people have to honestly work at understanding God and the Bible if they don't actually believe the Doctrine.
well... actually i'm remember now discussions i've had with people who claim (along with some christian denominations) that verbal affirmation is nothing less than complete acceptance itself... so maybe this is an extended conversation.
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