Spiritual Doctrinal Views, Explained in Detail

My doctrinal views on sin; salvation; the Bible; the church; the church’s mission program; the officers of the church; beliefs and practice of stewardship; evangelistic and missionary commitments; commitment to the Lordship of Jesus Christ in my life.

Regarding sin, none of us are righteous. Paul writes in Romans 3:10 that “none of us are righteous, no, not one:” as he pronounces the world guilty before God of sin. He further cites verse 23 “For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;” to remind us that no one is perfect and that we’ve all failed at one point or another in our lifetimes and will continue to do so either through commission or omission. The idea of original sin is derived from Genesis 3 after Adam eats the forbidden fruit and attempts to hide from an omnipotent God courtesy of the guilt he has felt. His sin – and subsequent expulsion from the Garden of Eden – was passed on to all of us, an unwanted inheritance. Even David gets into the act of acknowledging sin in Psalm 51:5 when he confesses to being “shapen in iniquity; and in sin did my mother conceive me.” This statement does not specify if he was conceived in the Puritanical tradition by married parents, but because of iniquities that predated him, he was born into sin. However, he was not condemned to a life of sin.

Salvation is not a trinket we receive for being so good rather it is the daily saving of our souls from certain death. It is an absolute benefit only from God (Psalm 68:20). While we cannot work our way into heaven, God works in us daily “both to will and to do of his good pleasure” as evidenced in Philippians 2:12-13 and reiterated in our servanthood in Ephesians 6:5.

The Bible is “given by the inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: That the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works” (2 Timothy 3:16-17). Since it came from God, it cannot be anything else but perfect. Some of the people inspired to transcribe His word include Moses, Ezra, David, Solomon, Isaiah, Matthew, Mark, Luke, John, Peter, Paul, and Timothy. John 1:1 also states “in the beginning was the Word, the Word was with God, and the Word was God”.

The church is not the physical four walls where we congregate at minimum once a week; it is the whole collection of us. Its primary mission is a soul saving one that introduces men to God through the birth, life, death, and resurrection of His only son Jesus Christ that whoever believes in Him shall not die a spiritual death instead enjoys everlasting life (John 3:16).

In Acts 6:1-7, the church only calls for two officers:  the pastor and the deacon. The pastor teaches while the deacon serves. No other positions are necessary for God’s campaign. In addition, the deacon must be qualified per 1 Timothy 3:8-13 as grave; presenters of one consistent message even as the tenor has to fit differing groups for a clear understanding; sober minded; not solely pursuit of earthly wealth; and holds the mystery of the faith in a pure conscience.

A good steward is one who serves faithfully in this order:  the Lord, the pastor, the church. He or she is willing to do the necessary work as tasks are determined – or even forecasted. Matthew 9:37 reminds us that the harvest truly is plenteous but the laborers are few as an indictment that not everyone who wants the title is willing to roll up his or her sleeves to do the work. He or she also gives a tenth not only of finances, but also time (where I have personally fallen short) and visibility to others as an example of someone who is trying to live what thus saith the Lord.

Evangelistic and missionary commitments are sharing Jesus in spoken and written word along with daily deeds and making the necessary sacrifices to ensure a successful ministry – even if that means losing sleep, in my case. This also includes visiting the sick and shut-ins as well as making contact with those who have either fallen by the wayside or chosen a different direction reassuring them that God is a loving God and no problem is too great for Him to solve. However, just because I am not waving a “Look at me!” arrow does not mean I am not actively following His commandments. Introverted personalities such as mine tend to revel in the background; not everyone is desirous of being seen, as that can sometimes be misconstrued as Pharisee behavior.

My commitment to the Lordship of Jesus Christ is dying daily for Him to the extent:  I am crucified with Christ nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God who loved me, and gave himself for me. – Galatians 2:20

That daily death also includes maintaining the appropriate familial hierarchy:  God, Jesus, husband, wife, child in that order (Colossians 3:18-21). Note what happened to Ahab when he let Jezebel do the decision-making and leading in their kingdom for the importance of why God demands such accountability for husbands.

Beyond dying daily, Romans 12:1-2 implore me to be a living sacrifice, holy, and acceptable unto God which is a reasonable service not to conform to the ways of this world rather a transformation of the renewal of the mind that I may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect will of God.