Being Sound in our Doctrine

This past Sunday we looked at five big categories of biblical doctrine, along with an erroneous belief about each one that is growing in popularity. Below I have listed each category, along with some additional scripture passages that help us know what to believe from the Bible.

1. Doctrine of Scripture: though many now assert that the Bible cannot be trusted, the Bible itself claims to be God’s words and can be trusted. For more supporting passages, take a look at Psalm 119:160, John 16:13, and 2 Peter 1:20-21.
2. Doctrine of God: though many believe God changes, the Bible teaches that God remains consistent in both his character and purposes. Examples of this can be seen in Malachi 3:6, James 1:17, and Psalm 33:11.
3. Doctrine of Sin/Humanity: though many now believe that humans are not inherently sinful, the Bible clearly states that they are, in places such as Psalm 51:5, Jeremiah 17:9, Ephesians 2:1-3, and Romans 8:8.
4. Doctrine of Christ/Salvation: despite the popular view that all religions are the same, Jesus is the only way to God. This is true because he alone is God (John 1:1, Hebrews 1:1-3), and he alone is the perfect sacrifice for our sins (Galatians 4:4-7, Titus 2:11-14, Heb. 7:23-28).
5. Doctrine of Church: the Bible clearly presents following Christ as something to done corporately, rather than in isolation. The idea of belonging to a particular group of believers in a local congregation can be seen in 1 Corinthians 5:12 and 11:18, as well as in 1 Timothy 5:9, 16. Additionally, the framework of being in submission to godly leaders also supports this idea (cf. 1 Peter 5:1-5, Hebrews 13:7).

Below is a link to the Grace Church statement of faith, which outlines the core doctrines we affirm from Scripture: Grace Church Statement of Faith