Since my inception into Christianity I have been raised in a Christian school/church, I went to college for a time studying under professors, then from there have had somewhat close relationships with pastors having many intellectual conversations on Theology and Doctrines, studied many books and read many articles.
However, here is what I am observing through my many classes, conversations and readings when it comes to the doctrines that are in the church today. There are many who while explaining the doctrines they hold to, cite their own reasoning, history, or teachings of other men rather than scripture or "whole of scripture". What do I mean by "whole of scripture"? Well, they will throw out a phrase from the Bible. Phrases from the Bible can be very powerful and will have great meaning, but it cannot be used apart from the rest of Scriptures and how they direct the meaning of that phrase.
Here, however, lie the problems with Doctrinal Ideology, here is the great abyss in which we find ourselves whilst we are plagued with this problem. First and foremost is the fact that we take away from the truth and if we take away from the truth we take away from its power. If I tell someone they don't have to repent in order to be saved then I am a liar or if I tell them they need to repent but they can go on living according to their own ways and need not recognize Jesus as Lord then I have deceived them and thereby send them on a potential path to hell. There are many other doctrines this applies to not just salvation, but we must be careful not to take away from the truth.
The other major issue that it causes is schisms in the church. Today we have so many different doctrines going around the "church" that there is great confusion and disunity. (The author of which is not God) The idea that as long as we are together in our beliefs in our local church is all that matters and we will do our part in kingdom building doesn't cut it anymore. Maybe it was tolerable in the age of a very "religious" nation that the United States use to be, but it is not that anymore and we need to gather our strength and resources. You can see what it did to Europe by the church being split and ununified, it has fallen apart and is merely now but a vapor. (By church I mean the born again believers who put their faith in Christ alone...I speak neither of ecumenicalism nor the blending of faiths) So here we are in America barely able to hold ourselves up against the world because we would throw walls up against each other because others do not agree fully with our own personal beliefs.
But to go back to my original issue with Doctrinal Ideology it is not the repercussions (although they are tragic) but the ideology itself. It is the way of thinking that if a certain doctrine is true than that means this principle must be true even though there are scriptures that say otherwise, and they begin to ignore those scriptures or simply twist them to fit their beliefs. First of all the original doctrine that they are basing their subsequent doctrines on may be flawed itself...not that it always is though. And they end up so entangled in thought and philosophy, deceived by the devil, that they don't know how to get back to ground zero.
Now you may be saying, "Give me an example". Well I am not going to do that, because here is the very issue...it again opens up argument and debate and this is very unproductive especially in this type of blog format. But let's look at the History of "Theology". Theology dawns back to the age of the Catholic church which I believe at all times was apostate. Theology is a Study of God as if we have any right to study Him in the same way we would study a worm or pig. Many have said that through theology we know God, but the Bible says through Christ we know God. So we see unregenerate men in the middle ages trying to know and understand God simply because they were in a religion that based itself on the Bible though it and they were far from God. But many of the traditions and doctrines that we hold to today have some sort of basis in this time period. Even John Calvin the "Father" of Calvinism was superseded in his beliefs by St. Augustine of Hippo (Catholic Bishop) and John Calvin was a very ruthless man who if you look at his life would be very hard to prove that he was a Christian. Now I am not saying that to play one side or the other in the Calvinism/Armenian debate but simply let us really look at the origins of our doctrines. I personally go back and forth in this Calvinism debate and am trying to reconcile the scriptures involved, but I cannot hold to a set of beliefs because they were nicely put together by a certain individual and have credible philosophical merit. Logically I can absolutely understand the TULIP philosophy, but the points must be undoubtedly substantiated by scripture. But like in one of my previous blogs I stated regardless of our point of view we must simply obey the command of Christ and bear fruit. But there are so many other doctrines out there that I do not want to focus on just one. I simply want us as followers of Jesus to obey Him and His wishes. John 13:35- "by this will people know that you are my disciples, that you have love one for another." and John 17 as Christ prays that all who believe in Him will be united as He and the Father are one.
Before the establishment of the Catholic Church the Christians were undergoing persecution so for them it was simply to survive and bear fruit. Yes, they had false teachers, but I don't believe they were as subtle as they are today. (Satan has had many years to craft his technique) Do we need severe persecution to again get us on the right track? Paul gives us this warning-
(Rom 16:17-18)
I appeal to you, brothers, to watch out for those who cause divisions and create obstacles contrary to the doctrine that you have been taught; avoid them. For such persons do not serve our Lord Christ, but their own appetites, and by smooth talk and flattery they deceive the hearts of the naive.
In fact in Romans 14 Paul says not to get involved or even discuss these minor differences so as to not build potential strife and in chapter 15 says this- (Rom 15:5-7)
May the God of endurance and encouragement grant you to live in such harmony with one another, in accord with Christ Jesus, that together you may with one voice glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore welcome one another as Christ has welcomed you, for the glory of God.
So what should our Primary Doctrine be? What is the doctrine that unifies us in the name of Jesus Christ? I believe Paul puts it very eloquently here-(Php 3:8-15)
Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God that depends on faith-- that I may know him and the power of his resurrection, and may share his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, that by any means possible I may attain the resurrection from the dead. Not that I have already obtained this or am already perfect, but I press on to make it my own, because Christ Jesus has made me his own. Brothers, I do not consider that I have made it my own. But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. Let those of us who are mature think this way, and if in anything you think otherwise, God will reveal that also to you.
Let’s look at what Paul is saying:(understand the context of this passage is in the midst of his warning of men promoting false doctrines to the Philippians...people who would take them from their Jesus and lead them away from their heavenly calling-
1. We must be willing to give up all (whether material, knowledge, or prestige) to know Christ
2. By knowing Christ we will have a righteousness not of our own that comes from the law but by faith in Him
3. To know Christ and His Power- A power so great that it conquered death
4. To share in the sufferings of Christ so that through them we can become like Him
5. None of us are perfect as of yet, but we continue on to eventually to obtain it because we belong to Christ
6. It is not of our works or efforts, but our commitment to Him that we press on toward Him
7. Those of us who are mature need to think in this way and if there are doctrines you do not understand continue to think this way and God will reveal them to you
And yet beyond doctrine we have churches that are still battling over KJV issues and music issues, these aren't even biblical doctrinal issues, but reasoning issues that comes from personal preferences and logic. So let us put away all envy, malice and strife seeking after Jesus and walk in the Love that He so audaciously marched.
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