This tract looks at three major, foundational doctrines of Biblical Christianity. Why is this important? Well we are living in the days when sound doctrine is not important to people. Many are forsaking sound teaching and Biblical doctrine. Unity is encouraged at the expense of doctrine. In fact some spiritually and doctrinally appraised people think it is unloving to stand up for sound Biblical doctrine! At all sides there are many that deny the Bible, deny the Trinity, deny salvation by faith alone, deny that the Lord Jesus is the only way to be saved, deny the doctrine of hell, deny the virgin birth of the Lord Jesus Christ, and deny many other fundamental doctrines in Scriptures.
What does the Bible say about sound Biblical doctrine in the last days? Will people be lovers of the truth? Will people seek out and embrace sound teaching? Here is what God says:
2 Timothy 4
2 Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine.
3 For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears;
4 And they shall turn away [their] ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables.
Notice verse 3 above. People will not endure sound doctrine but instead will be more interested in fables that tickle the ears. What doctrines am I talking about. This tract will cover three doctrines: the Lord Jesus is the only way to be saved, the Trinity, and salvation by faith apart from works. These doctrines have such importance that if a person or group denies any of them then they are preaching a soul-damning heresy. Lets begin by looking at three Biblical doctrines:
1) The first foundational doctrine is the fact that the Lord Jesus is the ONLY way to heaven! There is no other way for a person to be saved and go to heaven outside faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. If a person trusts in anything other than the Lord Jesus Christ he will perish and spend eternity separated from God in hell. This means that Mohammad cannot save, Buddah cannot save, church cannot save, Mary/priests/popes cannot save, or any other so called saviour or 'religious system'. Salvation is ONLY through the Lord Jesus Christ. Below are a couple of verses that state very clearly that the Lord Jesus is the Only way to be saved.
John 14
6 Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.
Acts 4
12 Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.
2) The second foundational doctrine is the Trinity. Although the word 'Trinity' is not found in the Bible the doctrine and concept certainly is. The doctrine of the Trinity states that within the ONE God there exists three Divine Persons: God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. These three Divine Persons are the ONE God. The following example shows the Trinity in the Resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ.
(A) The Father raised the Lord Jesus
"Unto you first God, having raised up his Son Jesus, sent him to bless you, in turning away every one of you from his iniquities" (Acts 3:26). "And to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead, even Jesus which delivered us from the wrath to come" (1 Thess 1:10).
(B) The Lord Jesus raised Himself
"Jesus answered and said unto them, Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up....But he spake of the temple of his body" (John 2:19,21).
(C) The Holy Spirit raised the Lord Jesus
"But if the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, he that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth in you" (Romans 8:11).
The previous verses show that the Father raised the Lord Jesus, the Lord Jesus raised Himself, and the Holy Spirit raised the Lord Jesus. The Trinity is shown in the resurrection.
This final verse shows that it was God Almighty who raised the Lord Jesus: "Because he hath appointed a day, in the which he will judge the world in righteousness by that man whom he hath ordained; whereof he hath given assurance unto all men, in that he hath raised him from the dead" (Acts 17:31).
3) The third foundational Biblical doctrine we will look at is salvation by faith apart from works. What role does works have in Biblical salvation? Does a person have to earn or merit salvation by performing good works? Or does the Bible state that salvation was completed by the work of the Lord Jesus on the Cross and there is nothing a lost sinner can do to add to or subtract from His finished sacrifice?
Ephesians 2
8 For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: [it is] the gift of God:
9 Not of works, lest any man should boast.
10 For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.
Lets have a look at the above verses. Notice verses 8 & 9 clearly state that salvation is not of ourselves... salvation is NOT by works. This means a lost sinner cannot earn or merit salvation. As a result (verse 9) no one can boast that they 'earned' salvation by doing good works. Rather salvation is received by faith and trust in the Lord Jesus Christ. Verse 8 also states that salvation is a 'gift' of God. Here is a question? If a person has to work to earn a 'gift' then is the 'gift' really a gift? Would the word 'wage' be a better word than 'gift'? You see a gift is freely received apart from works. On the other hand a wage is earned by performing some kind of work. Since verse 9 clearly states that salvation is NOT by works and verse 8 states that salvation is a 'gift' then we can easily see that salvation is a gift that is to be freely received. In fact salvation cannot be earned or merited in any way.
All this leads to another question. If good works do not save then what role do works play in the saved persons life? Look above at verse 10. Notice that AFTER salvation God has a job (good works) for that person to do. The good works do not save but are a natural offspring of saving faith. In fact if a person does not have good works AFTER salvation then questions can be raised about the salvation of that person. Was that person really saved in the first place??? Good works clearly do not save but good works ALWAYS follow true saving faith. It is as natural as an apple tree producing apples.
CONCLUSION
In this tract we have covered three basic doctrines that cults, false teachers, and deceivers seek to pervert to the end result of leading many to a Christless eternity. I would encourage people to stand up for the truth in these closing days of human history before the return of the Lord Jesus Christ. Deception and false teaching will abound. Watch and be warned of any teacher or group that denies any one of the three doctrines presented in this tract. They are false teachers and deceivers who are presenting another gospel than that which is found in the Bible.
Galatians 1
6. I marvel that ye are so soon removed from him that called you into the grace of Christ unto another gospel:
7 Which is not another; but there be some that trouble you, and would pervert the gospel of Christ.
8 But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed.
9 As we said before, so say I now again, If any [man] preach any other gospel unto you than that ye have received, let him be accursed.
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