{"id":90751,"date":"2021-03-12T06:09:00","date_gmt":"2021-03-12T11:09:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/keriritenour.com\/grace\/essential-doctrine\/"},"modified":"2023-10-07T22:40:25","modified_gmt":"2023-10-08T02:40:25","slug":"essential-doctrine","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/keriritenour.com\/grace\/essential-doctrine\/","title":{"rendered":"Essential Doctrine"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size\">Colossians 2:6-8: \u201cAs ye have therefore\nreceived Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk ye in him: <sup>7<\/sup>Rooted and built\nup in him, and stablished in the faith, as ye have been taught, abounding\ntherein with thanksgiving.&nbsp; <sup>8<\/sup>Beware\nlest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition\nof men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size\">Doctrineis truth revealed from Scripture regarding God, His ways, and His purposes.\nDoctrine, then, comes from the Bible itself. Doctrine is what the Scriptures\ntell us about God and the things of God. Although nature portrays His existence\nand His attributes, we receive clarity in Scripture based upon its teaching. What\nare the \u201cessential\u201d doctrines of the Christian faith?&nbsp; How important are they?&nbsp; What do we actually need to believe and what\nis at stake?&nbsp; For the Scriptural answer, we\nexamine:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"has-medium-font-size\">\n<li>Historical Context: written between A.D. 58-62, the apostle Paul was the\nprimary author of the Book of Colossians (Colossians 1:13) with Timothy also\ngiven some credit (Colossians 1:1).&nbsp; As\nwith all the early churches, the issue of Jewish legalism in Colosse was of\ngreat concern to Paul. So radical was the concept of salvation by grace apart\nfrom works that those steeped in Old Testament law found it very difficult to\ngrasp. Consequently, there was a continual movement among the legalists to add\ncertain requirements from the law to this new faith. Primary among them was the\nrequirement of circumcision which was still practiced among some of the Jewish\nconverts. Paul countered this error in Colossians 2:11-15 in which he declares\nthat circumcision of the flesh was no longer necessary because Christ had come.\nHis was a circumcision of the heart, not the flesh, making the ceremonial rites\nof the Old Testament law no longer necessary (Deuteronomy 10:16, 30:6; Jeremiah\n4:4, 9:26; Acts 7:51; Romans 2:29).&nbsp;\nColossians was written explicitly to defeat the heresy that had arisen\nin Colosse, which endangered the existence of the church. While we do not know\nwhat was told to Paul, this letter is his response.&nbsp; We can surmise based on Paul\u2019s response that\nhe was dealing with a defective view of Christ (denying His real and true\nhumanity and not accepting His full deity). Paul appears also to dispute the\n\u201cJewish\u201d emphasis on circumcision and traditions (Colossians 2:8-11; 3:11). The\nheresy addressed appears to be either a Jewish-Gnosticism or a mix between\nJewish asceticism and Greek (Stoic?) philosophy. He does a remarkable job in\npointing us to the sufficiency of Christ.&nbsp;\nThe Book of Colossians contains doctrinal instruction about the deity of\nChrist and false philosophies (1:15-2:23), as well as practical exhortations\nregarding Christian conduct, including friends and speech (3:1-4:18).<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"has-medium-font-size\">\n<li>Grammatical Usage:&nbsp; Beginning with\nv. 6, \u201creceived\u201d in the Greek is \u201cParalambano\u201d which in the Greek means to\n\u201cobtain from another\u201d \u2013 in the first phrase referencing Jesus as Savior; \u201cwalk\u201d\nor \u201cperipateo\u201d meaning, \u201cactivities of life\u201d referencing Lordship; V. 7\n\u201crooted\u201d is \u201cRhizoo\u201d meaning \u201cto strengthen, ground, fix or establish\u201d; \u201cbuild\u201d\nbeing \u201cepoikodomeo\u201d meaning, \u201cto build upon\u201d in the sense of\ninstruction\/conviction; \u201cfaith\u201d or \u201cPistis\u201d meaning, \u201cthe conviction of truth\u201d\nreferring to Jesus Christ and His exclusivity; \u201cabounding\u201d or \u201cPerisseuo\u201d\nmeaning, \u201cto exceed, furnish in abundance\u201d; V. 8 \u201cbeware\u201d or \u201cBlepo\u201d meaning,\n\u201cdiscern, consider carefully\u201d; \u201cspoil\u201d or \u201csulagogeo\u201d meaning \u201ccarry you\naway\u2026lead captive\u201d with a direct reference to a false teacher; \u201crudiments\u201d or\n\u201cstoicheion\u201d meaning, \u201ca row or series\u201d referring to non-God related\nassumptions, precepts or beginnings.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"has-medium-font-size\">\n<li>Literal Application: \u201cSo as you have obtained salvation in Christ Jesus, always walk in association with Him as Lord of your life because you have been grounded and, by being strengthened in righteous conviction in association with Him and be being established in Jesus as <em>the<\/em> Truth, just as you were taught you always overflow with thanksgiving.&nbsp; Watch out to discern for those who are seeking to lead you astray through philosophy and vain deceit, in keeping with the conventional wisdom of men and in line with the basic assumptions of the un-Godly, and not in keeping with Christ (and the instruction you have received).\u201d<br>Contextual Interpretation: In his epistle to the Colossians, the apostle Paul gave an example of the application of doctrine to life. The church at Colossae was embracing a kind of false teaching, as we know from reading Paul\u2019s letter to them. The false teaching was not in the form of \u201cgetting their facts wrong\u201d about God so much as it was in the form of living in ways inconsistent with the gospel (Colossians 2:16-23).&nbsp; &nbsp;<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size\">The believers of Colossae\nhad apparently embraced a combination of elements of Judaism, angel worship,\nand asceticism. False humility and \u201cspirituality\u201d in an unbiblical sense seem\nto have been the root attitudes that supported such forms of religious\nexpression.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size\">In his response, Paul could have simply told them to\nstop certain practices and to change their attitude. To be sure, he did tell\nthem to change their ways; chapter 3 in particular is full of righteous\ninstruction. However, the particular situation at Colossae required a deeper understanding of\nthe Christian faith, especially an understanding of the identity of Christ.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size\">Paul\u2019s teaching about Jesus Christ was necessary in\norder to lay a foundation for correcting the Colossians\u2019 behavior. Paul\u2019s\ndoctrine of Christ was crucial for addressing the situation at this church. Paul\nwrote to the Colossian church regarding correct belief in the nature of Christ\n\u2013 His supremacy in the universe\u2014His deity, His authority, and His ultimate\nreconciliation of the universe to God\u2014to put right from the foundation of the false\nworship going on in &nbsp;Colossae (Colossians\n2:6-8).&nbsp; <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size\">The Colossians\u2019 false Christology had much to do with\ntheir false worship. In these verses, Paul begins his discussion of the\nColossians\u2019 particular problems with an exhortation to continue living in the\nfaith, along with a distinction between Christ and the \u201cbasic principles of\nthis world\u201d that were the foundation of the church\u2019s problem.&nbsp; This is exactly what happens when a Christian\nor a church either do not understand the essential doctrines of the faith or\nignore them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size\">Verses 9-15 of Chapter 2 go on to describe the\nrelationship between Christ and the Christian. Building on the idea of the\nsupremacy of Christ that he began in Chapter 1, Paul discusses the relevance of\nChrist\u2019s high position to salvation and to the Christian life then in vv. 16-23,\nPaul is ready to address the specific issues that are disrupting the Colossian\nchurch \u2013 specifically, elements of false worship. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size\">Our life and worship have their roots ultimately in\nour concept of God and Christ. That is, right living is founded on right\ndoctrine, while a failure to grasp sound doctrine can have profound negative effects\non the individual Christian life and the Christian church as a whole.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"has-medium-font-size\">\n<li>Scriptural Comparison: Many\nChristians (and non-Christians) have preconceived ideas about the term \u201cdoctrine\u201d\nwithout ever investigating it. These ideas are often negative, reflecting a\nlong history on the part of the church to emphasize \u201ccorrect theology\u201d as more\nimportant than the Bible, obedience to God, or sometimes, even God Himself.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size\">As a result, theology has encountered hard times in\nrecent decades, making Paul\u2019s warning in 2 Timothy 4:3 an increasing reality:\nthe creation of false doctrine for the purpose of satisfying personal desires.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size\">In order for\nus to have a sure foundation for what we believe, God revealed His Word (the\nBible) as the basis for our beliefs.&nbsp; God\ncannot error (Heb. 6:18) and neither can His Word (Jn. 17:17).&nbsp; Without a divinely authoritative revelation\nfrom God, such as we have in the Scriptures, we could never be sure of the\ndoctrines that are necessary for salvation or our hope for eternity. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size\">Through the\nhistory of the church, Christianshave divided theScripturesinto\ncategories. These theological categories, while themselvesnot derived\ndirectly from Scripture, allow us to speak and think about God in ways the\nhuman mindcan grasp more easily:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"has-medium-font-size\">\n<li><strong>Theology <\/strong>is the study of God and His attributes, including His\ntriune nature<strong>.<\/strong> <\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Christology <\/strong>is the doctrine of Christ, including His divine and\nhuman natures, as well as His work on the cross on behalf of humanity. <\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Pneumatology <\/strong>is the doctrine of the Holy Spirit, including his\nnature and His operation in the church and the world. <\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Bibliology <\/strong>is the doctrine of Scripture, including its\ninspiration and authority. <\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Anthropology <\/strong>is the doctrine of humanity (man). <\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Hamartiology <\/strong>is the doctrine of sin. <\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Soteriology <\/strong>is the doctrine of salvation. <\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Angelology <\/strong>is the doctrine of angels, including Satan and demons.\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Eschatology<\/strong> is the doctrine of last things, including the return\nof Christ and the ultimate destiny of individuals. <\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size\">Not\neverything revealed in Scripture is of equal importance to the Christian. As\none grows in the Christian life, it will be important to differentiate between\ndoctrines that are of primary importance and those that are secondary in\nnature. Some are worth dying for while others are not. Paul spelled out what\nwas most important in his preaching: <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size\">\u201cFor I\ndeliver to you as of first importance, what I also received, that Christ died\nfor our sins according to the Scriptures , and that He was buried, and that He\nwas raised on the third day according to the Scriptures, and that He appeared\nto Cephas, then to the twelve.\u201d \u2013 1 Corinthians 15:3-5<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size\">Tragically,\nChristians are sometimes divided over doctrines that may be important, but not\nabsolutely necessary. This creates rifts in the body of Christ. Just as tragic,\nChristians often fail to stand up for what is most important, capitulating to\nviews that may actually be in opposition to true Christianity. &nbsp;The following are the essential Christian\ndoctrines.&nbsp; They concern themselves with\nwho God is, who Jesus Christ is and God\u2019s love for people including his desire\nto save them.&nbsp; These absolutely necessary\nand essential doctrines include:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"has-medium-font-size\">\n<li><strong>God\u2019s Unity<\/strong>.\u00a0 There is only one God.\u00a0 He has always existed and will always exist.\u00a0 There is one \u2013 and only one \u2013 God, creator of the universe.\n<ol>\n<li>What do I\nactually need to believe? <strong>There is only\none God.<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>What is at stake?\n<strong>Knowing the only true God (John 17:3).<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Key Scripture? <strong>Dt.\n6:4; Ex. 20:2-3; Is. 43:10-11<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"has-medium-font-size\">\n<li><strong>God\u2019s\nTri-unity.<\/strong>\u00a0 While there is only one God, He exists\neternally in three Persons: the Father is called God (2 Th. 1:2); the Son\n(Jesus) is called God (Jn. 1:1-5; 10:30-33; 20:28; Heb. 1:8; Ph. 2:9-11); the\nHoly Spirit is called God (Acts 5:3-4; 2 cor. 3;17).\u00a0 He is one substance but three Persons in\nrelationship.\u00a0 There are more than 60\nBiblical passages which mention three Persons together.\n<ul>\n<li>What do I\nactually need to believe? <strong>God is one\nessence, three Persons<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>What is at stake?\n<strong>The unity and relational nature of God<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Key Scripture? <strong>Mt.\n3:16, 17; 28:19; 2 Cor. 13:14<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"has-medium-font-size\">\n<li><strong>Human\nDepravity.&nbsp; <\/strong>Since God is a personal Being, He wants personal\nrelationships with human beings.\u00a0 Human\ndepravity means that every human is spiritually separated from God, totally\nincapable of saving himself.\u00a0 When Adam\nsinned, he died spiritually and his relationship with God was severed.\u00a0 Additionally, all of Adam\u2019s descendents are\n\u201cdead in trespasses\u201d (Ep. 2:1).\u00a0\u00a0 Without\na new birth no one can enter life (Jn. 3:3).\n<ul>\n<li>What do I\nactually need to believe? <strong>We are sinful\nand cannot please God by our own good works alone.&nbsp; We will never be \u201cgood enough.\u201d<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>What is at stake?\n<strong>When we try to deal with the problem of\nseparation and death on our own terms, we will fail, resulting in eternal\nseparation from God.<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Key Scripture? <strong>Rom.\n3:10, 11<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"has-medium-font-size\">\n<li><strong>Christ\u2019s\nVirgin Birth.&nbsp; <\/strong>Jesus was born as a result of a miracle: Mary, Jesus\u2019\nmother, became pregnant without ever having sexual relations.\u00a0 The doctrine of Jesus\u2019 Virgin Birth is not\nprimarily about Mary\u2019s virginity and miraculous conception.\u00a0 Though this miracle fulfilled a preordained\nprophecy (Is. 7:14), the reason it is essential has to do with god\u2019s\nsupernatural intervention.\u00a0 Our sin is\nnot merely something we do \u2013 it is who we are.\u00a0\nIt is inborn.\u00a0 Our depravity is\ntransmitted to us from our parents (Ps. 51:5; 1 Corinthians 15:22; Romans\n5:12-15).\u00a0 Because God interrupted the\nnatural birth process in the case of Jesus, Jesus did not inherit a sin\nnature.\u00a0 In other words, Jesus no only\ndid not sin, He had no inclination to sin even when tempted.\u00a0 He was perfect.\n<ul>\n<li>What do I\nactually need to believe? <strong>Jesus became a\nhuman being through supernatural conception in Mary\u2019s womb<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>What is at stake?\n<strong>God\u2019s supernatural intervention in order\nto break the chain of sin.<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Key Scripture? <strong>Matthew\n1:18-23<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"has-medium-font-size\">\n<li><strong>Christ\u2019s\nSinlessness<\/strong>.\u00a0 Christ was born of a virgin; He did not\nsuffer the effects of a sin nature.\u00a0\nThroughout his life Jesus remained sinless.\u00a0 Because of our sin, we could not have a\nrelationship with God; but because Jesus did not sin He was perfectly able to\nrepresent us before God.\n<ul>\n<li>What do I\nactually need to believe? <strong>Jesus was\nperfect.<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>What is at stake?\n<strong>The ability of Christ to represent us\nbefore God and thus provide salvation to us.<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Key Scripture? <strong>2\nCorinthians 5:21; Hebrews 4:15; 1 Peter 2:22<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"has-medium-font-size\">\n<li><strong>Christ\u2019s\nDeity<\/strong>.\u00a0 The only way for humans to be restored\nspiritually to God was for God to build a bridge across the gap of\nseparation.\u00a0 So God, while retaining his\nfull God nature, became a perfect man in Christ in order to bridge the\nchasm.\u00a0 It He is not both God and man He\ncannot mediate between God and man (1 Tim. 2:5).\u00a0 Jesus Christ is the second person of the\nTrinity.\n<ul>\n<li>What do I\nactually need to believe? <strong>Jesus Christ\nis, in essence, God.&nbsp; He is divine, not\njust a good teacher or a righteous man.<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>What is at stake?\n<strong>Jesus\u2019 ability to save.<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Key Scripture? <strong>John\n1:1; Col. 2:9; Hebrews 1:8<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"has-medium-font-size\">\n<li><strong>Christ\u2019s\nHumanity.&nbsp; <\/strong>Jesus was also fully human.\u00a0 Jesus got tired; He slept; He sweated; He got\nhungry and thirsty.\u00a0 Without being fully\nhuman, Jesus could not pay the price for human sin.\u00a0 He needed to be divine to have the power to\nsave us, and He needed to be human in order to adequately represent us.\u00a0 Christ had to be both divine and human.\n<ul>\n<li>What do I\nactually need to believe? <strong>Jesus Christ\nwas fully human, as well as fully divine.<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>What is at stake?\n<strong>Confidence in Jesus\u2019 ability to fully\nrepresent humankind in atonement<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Key Scripture? <strong>John\n1:14; Phil. 2:7, 8; Heb. 2:14<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"has-medium-font-size\">\n<li><strong>The Necessity of God\u2019s Grace.&nbsp; <\/strong>Because\nof human depravity, we cannot save ourselves.\u00a0\nIt is by God\u2019s grace alone that salvation is possible.\u00a0 God is right to call humankind to account for\nsin.\u00a0 However, by His grace, undeserving\npeople will be united in fellowship with him and avoid judgment.\u00a0 Without God\u2019s grace, no one could come into\nrelationship with God.\u00a0 Relationship with\nGod is peace, joy and eternal life itself (Jn. 17:3).\n<ul>\n<li>What do I\nactually need to believe? <strong>God \u2013 and God\nalone \u2013 is able to rescue us.<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>What is at stake?\n<strong>Our relationship to God, eternal life.<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Key Scripture? <strong>Eph.\n2:8, 9; Jn. 15:5; Titus 3:5-7; Rom. 9:16<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"has-medium-font-size\">\n<li><strong>The Necessity of Faith.&nbsp; <\/strong>Faith\nis trusting that God can and will save us.\u00a0\nNo one can earn salvation.\u00a0 No\namount of good works can every repay the debt that is owned to God.\u00a0 However, by trusting in Him and thankfully\naccepting His gift of salvation, we can be united with God.\u00a0 Faith is an act on our part, but it is not a\nwork.\u00a0 Faith is trusting God to do what\nwe could not do for ourselves (Eph. 2:8, 9; Titus 3:5).\n<ul>\n<li>What do I\nactually need to believe? <strong>That faith,\nnot works, connects us to God.<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>What is at stake?\n<strong>Whether we want to be judged by what we\ndeserve or with God\u2019s underserved favor (grace).<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Key Scripture? <strong>Heb.\n11:6; Rom.\n4:5<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"has-medium-font-size\">\n<li><strong>Christ\u2019s\nBlood Atoning Death.&nbsp; <\/strong>The penalty for sin is death \u2013 not only physical death\n(separation of the soul from the body) but also spiritual death (separation of\nourselves from God).\u00a0 The penalty we owe\nto God was paid by Christ through His death, the shedding of His innocent blood,\non the cross (Heb. 9:22; Luke 22;20; 1 Peter 1:19).\n<ol>\n<li>What do I\nactually need to believe? <strong>Only Christ\u2019s\nsinless life, sacrificial death and bodily resurrection can bring us to God.<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>What is at stake?\n<strong>The unique nature of Jesus\u2019 work of\nsalvation on the cross.<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Key Scripture? <strong>Lk.\n22:20; Heb. 7:27; 9:22; Mk. 10:45; 1 Peter 1:19; 2;24; 3:18; Jn.14:6<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"has-medium-font-size\">\n<li><strong>Christ\u2019s\nBodily Resurrection.<\/strong>\u00a0 The atoning death of Christ paid our sin\ndebt, but the process was not complete until He had defeated death by being\nphysically resurrected in the same body (John 2:19-21).\u00a0 Because Christ is the victor over death and\nthe prototype of a new, glorified physical body, all of humanity will be\nresurrected and live forever in either heaven or hell.\n<ol>\n<li>What do I\nactually need to believe? <strong>Jesus rose\nbodily from the grave.<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>What is at stake?\n<strong>The proof that Jesus conquered death.<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Key Scripture? <strong>Romans\n4:25; 10:9; Luke 24:39<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"has-medium-font-size\">\n<li><strong>Christ\u2019s\nBodily Ascension.&nbsp; <\/strong>Christ died for our sins and was physically\nresurrected for our salvation.\u00a0 The 40\ndays later, He was taken up (\u201cascended\u201d) bodily into heaven.\u00a0 Because Christ has ascended to the Father,\nthe Holy Spirit now guides us, shows us where we are wrong and comforts us when\nwe hurt.\u00a0 Jesus\u2019 going to the Father\nmeans our life is kept safe in heaven with God.\n<ol>\n<li>What do I\nactually need to believe? <strong>Jesus\nascended, body and soul, to God.<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>What is at stake?\n<strong>The Holy Spirit\u2019s work in the life of\nthe believer.<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Key Scripture? <strong>Jn.\n16:7; Lk. 24:50, 51; Acts 1:9, 10<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"has-medium-font-size\">\n<li><strong>Christ\u2019s\nIntercession.&nbsp; <\/strong>Christ\u2019s bodily ascension allowed Him to serve as our\nmediator (or high priest) before God.\u00a0 In\nGod\u2019s presence, Christ prays continually on our behalf.\u00a0 Like a lawyer defends someone before a judge,\nso Jesus defends us before the bar of God\u2019s law and against the accusations of\nSatan (Rev. 12;10).\n<ol>\n<li>What do I\nactually need to believe? <strong>Christ\nrepresents our best interests before God<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>What is at stake?\n<strong>Assurance that my prayers are heard by\nGod.<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Key Scripture? <strong>Heb.\n1:3; 4;15; 7:25; 1 Jn. 2;1<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"has-medium-font-size\">\n<li><strong>Christ\u2019s\nSecond Coming.<\/strong>\u00a0 Just as Christ left the world physically, so\nHe will return in the same manner.\u00a0 His\nsecond coming is the hope of the world.\u00a0\nWhen He returns, dead believers will receive their resurrected\nbodies.\u00a0 Believers that are alive when He\nreturns will not die, but will be transformed into immortal, physical\nbodies.\u00a0 Christ\u2019s bodily return to earth\nwill be visible to all, and believers will rule with him in His kingdom and\nlive with Him forever.\u00a0 Those who do not\nbelieve will be separated from God\u2019s goodness forever.\n<ol>\n<li>What do I\nactually need to believe? <strong>Jesus is\ncoming again soon, and we should be ready.<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>What is at stake?\n<strong>Our hope of being together with Christ.<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Key Scripture? <strong>Mt. 24:30; Rev. 22:12; Col. 3:3, 4; Lk. 12:40<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-small-font-size\">Conclusion: Although Scripture addresses many areas, the basic application for us today is the total and complete sufficiency of Christ in our lives, both for our salvation and our sanctification. We must know and understand the gospel so as not to be led astray by subtle forms of legalism and heresy. We must be on guard for any deviation that would diminish the centrality of Christ as Lord and Savior and his atoning work of shedding His blood on the cross. Any \u201creligion\u201d that tries to equate itself with the truth using books that claim the same authority as the Bible, or which combines human effort with divine accomplishment in obtaining salvation must be avoided. Other religions cannot be combined with or added to Christianity as Christ gives us <em>absolute<\/em> and <em>exclusive<\/em> standards in the form of doctrines.\u00a0 They regulate our thinking and consequently our conduct. God\u2019s will is revealed in His word, made plain and confirmed by His Spirit, thus providing the basis for our doctrinal positions.\u00a0 <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Colossians 2:6-8: \u201cAs ye have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk ye in him: 7Rooted and built up in him, and stablished in the faith, as ye have been taught, abounding therein with thanksgiving.&nbsp; 8Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[526,534],"tags":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v22.3 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>Essential Doctrine - Grace Evangelical Free Church<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"noindex, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Essential Doctrine - Grace Evangelical Free Church\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Colossians 2:6-8: \u201cAs ye have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk ye in him: 7Rooted and built up in him, and stablished in the faith, as ye have been taught, abounding therein with thanksgiving.&nbsp; 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