Doctrine & Behavior
The word translated 'doctrine' in the scriptures means instruction, especially as it applies to lifestyle application. Doctrines are a set of core beliefs that guide our interpretation and application of scripture.
There are many doctrines in the bible. The are several major doctrines such as Bibliology (the doctrine of the Bible), Eschatology (the doctrine of last things), Christology (the doctrine of Christ), and Ecclesiology (the doctrine of the Church) to name a few. The doctrine of Soteriology deals with salvation. How, when, where and why were we saved.
Often times people shy away from diving deep into these doctrines, especially the doctrine of salvation. For instance, as long we know God is all powerful and Jesus saved us, why go deeper and cause problems? After all, we need to be unified and usually it’s the more difficult doctrine of 'how one acquires salvation' that cause divisions and factions (and denominations) in the church.
Our job as Christians, is to stay as unified possible when it comes to theological doctrines. However, this is no excuse to avoid difficult topics, especially when done in a spirit of unity, love, and in searching the scriptures. After all, God did create doctrines and to skip over them in scripture would be a disservice to the Lord who bought us.
Another reason we must not avoid digging into doctrine, is doctrine always dictates behavior. For instance, if your doctrine of the Trinity is off, so will your behavior, especially as it relates to prayer (to say the least). If your doctrine of salvation is off, and you believe you need to earn your salvation, your view of God’s grace will be skewed.
Paul told Timothy the following about the doctrines he was teaching him:
[1 Timothy 4:15-16 NIV] 15 Be diligent in these matters; give yourself wholly to them, so that everyone may see your progress. 16 Watch your life and doctrine closely. Persevere in them, because if you do, you will save both yourself and your hearers.
Paul is saying the salvation of Timothy and his hearers rides heavily on their knowledge of doctrine.
In this sermon, we will begin a three part study on John 17:1-5. In these first five verses of this chapter, we see some very important doctrines that if missed or misinterpreted, will skew our view of salvation, and worse yet, dictate the wrong behavior when it comes to living out our salvation in the kingdom of God.
It would be helpful for you to read the entirety of chapter 17, which is often referred to as Jesus’ High Priestly prayer.
These first five verses are packed with such amazing truths about God’s love for you that when applied in the correct doctrinal context, it magnifies the Triunity of God's redemptive work, and brings Jesus' atoning work at the cross, the Son of God, into a more sharp, crisp focus.
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