Depending on your background, the words doctrine and theology may conjure up images of a priest in clerical attire, or perhaps a seminary school. The truth is, these words refer to something every person who considers themselves a Christian should be involved in, the study of God’s Word. Several of the books we have recently made available at our Resource Center are aimed at helping you take a deeper look at different Biblical topics. Christian Beliefs, subtitled 20 Basics Every Christian Should Know by Wayne Grudem explores topics like the authority and sufficiency of the Bible, the Trinity, Sin, Salvation (topics we include in our Foundational Doctrine at Grace) as well as other topics such as prayer, Christ’s return, and heaven (topics that fit into our Structural Doctrine).
Christian Beliefs is a condensed version of Wayne Grudem’s Bible Doctrine (which itself is a condensed version of Systematic Theology). While Grudem states that his goal in this book was to make these areas of doctrine understandable to those who are new believers, I would recommend this book more to those who already have a good working understanding of the Gospel and how to apply it to your life (A Gospel Primer for Christians comes to mind). As you continue to grow in your faith and understanding of the Gospel, you should begin to dig into other Biblical topics, as they give you a richer understanding of God and His story of redemption for us. For example, understanding what it means to be adopted into God’s family brings immense joy and humility as you begin to realize just how undeserving you are of the blessing and glory God intends for you. Learning more about Christ’s return and the end times should produce in you both excitement, and a longing to reach others with the good news of Jesus.
One thing to note is that different people have widely differing viewpoints on some areas of doctrine (election, Christ’s return & final judgement, for example). While the Bible is authoritative, inerrant, and sufficient for knowing God as He intended us to, it does not speak exhaustively about every topic or question we may have. It is important not to take a strong doctrinal stance on areas that are not necessarily spelled out completely in Scripture. We do not want to add or take away from God’s word. As you explore areas of doctrine in this book, or any, the goal should be to grow in your understanding of God, not to form a hard stance on something God has not. Learning to live with humility in the tension of hard areas of Doctrine is important for all Christians.
Doctrine is one of the topics we touch on at our Discovery class, and if you have not participated in one of the classes, I’d encourage you to come to the next one at your campus. You can find out more at http://www.gracechurchsc.org/whats-going-on/getting-connected/
- Chris McGowan, Connecting Pastor