Our Doctrine
There are so many religions, and so many “Christian” ways, that it may seem hard to know which is the true way. The true way leading to the Father will be based on bible practices and complete belief in the word of God, rightly dividing the word of truth (II Timothy 2:15). This true way is based on the Doctrine of Jesus, and the commandments of God (Revelation 19:10; Revelation 12:17). Our religion will be vain if it believes in one and denies the other, for Jesus and God are one.
Based on the truth
There is the gospel and doctrine of God (II Thessalonians 1:8, I Peter 4:17). The true worship of God is based on the word of God. We hear Jesus say in St. John 17:17 “sanctify them through thy truth, thy word is truth”. The power of the word of God can sanctify us.
Jesus tells us in St. John 4:24 that the true worship of God is in spirit and in truth. That truth is from the foundation of the earth, hence David wrote:. “and the truth of the Lord endureth forever”. Psalms 117 and Moses proclaimed that “He is the God of truth, and without iniquity” (Deuteronomy 32:4), and that the Spirit is truth (I John 5:6). This means that any doctrine not based on the word of God will not lead us to God. This truth will lead us to finding out what God wants of us if we want to serve and please him. Seeking the truth will mean that we must ask where our doctrine comes from. The doctrine and commandments of men are contrary to the word of God, and are not based on the truth, because they do not originate from the truth (St. John 8:44).
The doctrine is any religious practices and believes we hold. Any practice which was never commanded by God no matter how good the intentions were, no matter how much we dedicate the practice to God, if it is not commanded by God, is not of God. God told King Saul by the mouth of Samuel the Prophet, “hath the Lord as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices as in obeying the voice of the Lord?” (I Samuel 15:22). In seeking the truth we have to see if our practices originate from the word of God and can be backed by the scriptures to be so.
Believes in Jesus Christ
The true way starts and ends with Jesus. Not just believing that he lived on this earth, but believing in Jesus Christ as the lamb of God which taketh away the sin of the world (St. John 1:29). For Jesus said himself “No man cometh to the Father but by me.” St. John 14:6. Any religion which denies that Jesus Christ is the Son of God, and the he is the Messiah, the Christ, the Son of the Living God and Saviour of the world, does not lead to the Father, and the end thereof is death (Proverbs 16:25).
Jesus is that true way (St. John 14:6, Acts 4:12). If we walk as he walked, live as he lived, he will lead us to the Father, and there we will find life and rest unto our souls (St. Matthew 11: 28-30). This everlasting life, can be obtained only through Him. If we die we shall live, if we are alive, he promises that we will never die (St. John 11:25-27). “This is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom thou hast sent” (St. John 17:3). It is incomplete to believe that Jesus was a Prophet, but deny that he died for the sins of the world, and is risen, and is now sitting on the right hand of God. He that believe not is damned already (St. John 3:18).
The Doctrine must expose sin and lead to repentance
The bible tells us that Jesus came preaching the gospel of the Kingdom of God and saying the time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand, repent ye and believe the gospel (St. Mark 1:14-15). We cannot speak of repentance without acknowledging the presence of sin. This means that Jesus came, as St. John 16:8 says, to reprove the world of sin. He did not come to approve of sin, but to reprove sin. Jesus told the young rich ruler, “if thou wilt enter into life keep the commandments” (St. Matthew 19:17; St. John 14:21,23; St. John 15:10). and told us that we can demonstrate our love for him by keeping the commandments
Loving God and seeking the truth will also mean that when we find that we are not in line with God, we will turn from the wrong way (Isaiah 55:7), and follow the way which pleases God despite how long we have lived, believed, practiced or walked our familiar way. It is not the truth, to find the truth and choose to continue in the wrong way. When we are truly converted, the spirit of truth will lead us to repentance not to be repented of (II Corinthians 7:10).
God has given man the commandments as a Plan of Salvation. There is a promise of life in keeping the commandments. On the other hand there is death in not keeping the commandments. Disobedience to the commandments is sin, which the wages thereof is death but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord (Romans 6:23). The wrath of God will be upon us if we disobey and disregard any one of the commandments (Ephesians 5:6). The plan of God for man has always involved choice. That choice has been between good (God) and evil (devil), life and death, blessing and cursing (Deuteronomy 30:15). Still God pleads with us to choose life that we might live (Deuteronomy 30:19). That blessing is in keeping the commandments: “Blessed are they that do his commandments, that they may have the right to the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates into the city” (Revelation 22:14). Jesus says his yoke is easy, and his burden is light (St. Matthew 11:30), and that his commandments are not grievous (I John 5:3 ).
These are but few guidelines and criteria we can use to measure if the doctrine is of men or of God. Jesus encourages us to ask, seek and to knock. The Lord is pleading with us to seek for the old paths, (Jeremiah 6:16) and that when we find it, we must walk in it, we must hear his voice, and not harden our hearts” (Hebrews 3:15).
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