Cornerstone Berean Church: Recent Episodes
Cornerstone Berean Church
Profound judgment came upon Judah, but an even more profound display of power and mercy has come in the extension of God’s redemption to the ends of the earth.
Paragraph 2Moreover, man having brought himself under the curse of the law by his fall, it pleased the Lord to make a covenant of grace,2 wherein He freely offers unto sinners life and salvation by Jesus Christ, requiring of them faith in Him, that they may be saved;3 and promising to give unto all those that are ordained unto eternal life, His Holy Spirit, to make them willing and able to believe.42 Gen. 2:17; Gal. 3:10; Rom. 3:20–213 Rom. 8:3; Mark 16:15–16; John 3:164 Ezek. 36:26–27; John 6:44–45; Ps. 110:3
Paragraph 1The distance between God and the creature is so great, that although reasonable creatures do owe obedience to Him as their creator, yet they could never have attained the reward of life but by some voluntary condescension on God's part, which He hath been pleased to express by way of covenant.11 Luke 17:10; Job 35:7–8
God’s judgment will rightly fall upon those who disregard His warnings and continue in disbelief, but He has made a way for all who will trust in Him.
6.1 Although God created man upright and perfect, and gave him a righteous law, which had been unto life had he kept it, and threatened death upon the breach thereof, a yet he did not long abide in this honor; Satan using the subtlety of the serpent to subdue Eve, then by her seducing Adam, who, without any compulsion, did willfully transgress the law of their creation, and the command given to them, in eating the forbidden fruit, b which God was pleased, according to His wise and holy counsel to permit, having purposed to order it to His own glory.a Gen. 2:16–17 b Gen. 3:12–13; 2 Cor. 11:3
We are inclined to boast in our own abilities, but the only basis for our boasting and our only hope for blessing is the LORD Himself.
There is a sickness of soul that leads to great grief, but there is a balm administered by Jesus the Physician that perfectly heals and fully restores.
Paragraph 5The most wise, righteous, and gracious God does often times leave for a season His own children to manifold temptations and the corruptions of their own hearts, to chastise them for their former sins, or to discover unto them the hidden strength of corruption and deceitfulness of their hearts, that they may be humbled; and to raise them to a more close and constant dependence for their support upon Himself; and to make them more watchful against all future occasions of sin, and for other just and holy ends.15 So that whatsoever befalls any of His elect is by His appointment, for His glory, and their good.1615 2 Chron. 32:25–26,31; 2 Cor. 12:7-916 Rom. 8:28Paragraph 6As for those wicked and ungodly men whom God, as the righteous judge, for former sin does blind and harden;17 from them He not only withholds His grace, whereby they might have been enlightened in their understanding, and wrought upon their hearts;18 but sometimes also withdraws the gifts which they had,19 and exposes them to such objects as their corruption makes occasion of sin;20 and withal, gives them over to their own lusts, the temptations of the world, and the power of Satan,21 whereby it comes to pass that they harden themselves, under those means which God uses for the softening of others.2217 Rom. 1;24–26,28, 11:7–818 Deut. 29:419 Matt. 13:1220 Deut. 2:30; 2 Kings 8:12–1321 Ps. 81:11,12; 2 Thess. 2:10–1222 Exod. 8:15,32; Isa. 6:9–10; 1 Pet. 2:7–8—Paragraph 7As the providence of God does in general reach to all creatures, so after a more special manner it takes care of His church, and disposes of all things to the good thereof.2323 1 Tim. 4:10; Amos 9:8–9; Isa. 43:3–5
5.4 The almighty power, unsearchable wisdom, and infinite goodness of God, so far manifest themselves in His providence, that His determinate counsel extends itself even to the first fall, and all other sinful actions both of angels and men; a and that not by a bare permission, which also He most wisely and powerfully binds, and otherwise orders and governs, b in a manifold dispensation to His most holy ends; c yet so, as the sinfulness of their acts proceeds only from the creatures, and not from God, who, being most holy and righteous, neither is nor can be the author or approver of sin.da Rom. 11:32–34; 2 Sam. 24:1; 1 Chron. 21:1 b 2 Kings 19:28; Psalm 76:10 c Gen. 50:20; Isa. 10:6–7,12 d Psalm 1, Ps. 21; 1 John 2:16
True healing and deliverance from shame and judgment will not come by superficial salve but by the faithful application of gospel truth.
Chapter 5.1-3: Of Divine Providence5.1 God the good Creator of all things, in His infinite power and wisdom does uphold, direct, dispose, and govern all creatures and things, a from the greatest even to the least, b by His most wise and holy providence, to the end for the which they were created, according unto His infallible foreknowledge, and the free and immutable counsel of His own will; to the praise of the glory of His wisdom, power, justice, infinite goodness, and mercy. c
Apart from grace, people will seek after selfish desires and will accumulate for themselves prophets and priests to support and validate their selfishness, and this to their own harm.
On the basis of His nature of grace, God appeals to Israel (and to us now) to be reconciled to Him, and He promises to bring full restoration of relationship when they do.
PARAGRAPH 6As God hath appointed the elect unto glory, so He hath, by the eternal and most free purpose of His will, foreordained all the means thereunto;13 wherefore they who are elected, being fallen in Adam, are redeemed by Christ,14 are effectually called unto faith in Christ, by His Spirit working in due season, are justified, adopted, sanctified,15 and kept by His power through faith unto salvation;16 neither are any other redeemed by Christ, or effectually called, justified, adopted, sanctified, and saved, but the elect only.1713 1 Pet. 1:2; 2 Thess. 2:1314 1 Thess. 5:9–1015 Rom. 8:30; 2 Thess. 2:1316 1 Pet. 1:517 John 10:26, 17:9, 6:64—PARAGRAPH 7The doctrine of the high mystery of predestination is to be handled with special prudence and care, that men attending the will of God revealed in His Word, and yielding obedience thereunto, may, from the certainty of their effectual vocation, be assured of their eternal election;18 so shall this doctrine afford matter of praise,19 reverence, and admiration of God, and of humility,20 diligence, and abundant consolation to all that sincerely obey the gospel.2118 1 Thess. 1:4–5; 2 Pet. 1:1019 Eph. 1:6; Rom. 11:3320 Rom. 11:5–6, 2021 Luke 10:20
PARAGRAPH 3By the decree of God, for the manifestation of His glory, some men and angels are predestinated, or foreordained to eternal life through Jesus Christ,7 to the praise of His glorious grace;8 others being left to act in their sin to their just condemnation, to the praise of His glorious justice.97 1 Tim. 5:21; Matt. 25:348 Eph. 1:5–69 Rom. 9:22–23; Jude 4—PARAGRAPH 4These angels and men thus predestinated and foreordained, are particularly and unchangeably designed, and their number so certain and definite, that it cannot be either increased or diminished. 1010 2 Tim. 2:19; John 13:18—PARAGRAPH 5Those of mankind that are predestinated to life, God, before the foundation of the world was laid, according to His eternal and immutable purpose, and the secret counsel and good pleasure of His will, hath chosen in Christ unto everlasting glory, out of His mere free grace and love,11 without any other thing in the creature as a condition or cause moving Him thereunto.1211 Eph. 1:4, 9, 11; Rom. 8:30; 2 Tim. 1:9; I Thess. 5:912 Rom. 9:13,16; Eph. 2:5,12
Idolatry is dangerously deceptive and powerfully alluring, but it is detestable to God and amazingly foolish.
Understanding idolatry and knowing the shape of our idols is essential for overcoming temptation and for finding peace in this evil age.
God has decreed in himself, from all eternity, by the most wise and holy counsel of His own will, freely and unchangeably, all things, whatsoever comes to pass; a yet so as thereby is God neither the author of sin nor has fellowship with any therein; b nor is violence offered to the will of the creature, nor yet is the liberty or contingency of second causes taken away, but rather established; c in which appears His wisdom in disposing all things, and power and faithfulness in accomplishing His decree. da Isa. 46:10; Eph. 1:11; Heb. 6:17; Rom. 9:15,18 b James 1:13; 1 John 1:5 c Acts 4:27–28; John 19:11d Num. 23:19; Eph. 1:3–5s
Despite God's great love and faithfulness, Israel turned away from Him to worthless gods to satisfy their desires and allay their fears but discovered only emptiness and ruin.
Jeremiah was called by God to pronounce judgment upon Judah at a time that made this work dangerous to himself and required him to gird himself up with great courage and faith, setting an example for us to follow.
Chapter 2.2: Of God and of the Holy Trinity – God’s External Relations God, having all life,17glory,18goodness,19 blessedness, in and of Himself, is alone in and unto Himself all-sufficient, not standing in need of any creature which He hath made, nor deriving any glory from them,20 but only manifesting His own glory in, by, unto, and upon them; He is the alone fountain of all being, of whom, through whom, and to whom are all things,21 and He hath most sovereign dominion over all creatures, to do by them, for them, or upon them, whatsoever Himself pleases;22 in His sight all things are open and manifest,23 His knowledge is infinite, infallible, and independent upon the creature, so as nothing is to Him contingent or uncertain;24 He is most holy in all His counsels, in all His works,25 and in all His commands; to Him is due from angels and men, whatsoever worship,26 service, or obedience, as creatures they owe unto the Creator, and whatever He is further pleased to require of them.17 John 5:26 18 Ps. 148:13 19 Ps. 119:68 20 Job 22:2–3 21 Rom. 11:34-36 22 Dan. 4:25,34–35 23 Heb. 4:13 24 Ezek. 11:5; Acts 15:18 25 Ps. 145:17 26 Rev. 5:12-14.
The Lord our God is but one only living and true God; whose subsistence is in and of himself, infinite in being and perfection; whose essence cannot be comprehended by any but himself; a most pure spirit, invisible, without body, parts, or passions, who only hath immortality, dwelling in the light which no man can approach unto; who is immutable, immense, eternal, incomprehensible, almighty, every way infinite, most holy, most wise, most free, most absolute; working all things according to the counsel of his own immutable and most righteous will for his own glory; most loving, gracious, merciful, long-suffering, abundant in goodness and truth, forgiving iniquity, transgression, and sin; the rewarder of them that diligently seek him, and withal most just and terrible in his judgments, hating all sin, and who will by no means clear the guilty.[1 Corinthians 8:4, 6; Deuteronomy 6:4; Jeremiah 10:10; Isaiah 48:12; Exodus 3:14; John 4:24; 1 Timothy 1:17; Deuteronomy 4:15, 16; Malachi 3:6; 1 Kings 8:27; Jeremiah 23:23; Psalms 90:2; Genesis 17:1; Isaiah 6:3; Psalms 115:3; Isaiah 46:10; Proverbs 16:4; Romans 11:36; Exodus 34:6, 7; Hebrews 11:6; Nehemiah 9:32, 33; Psalms 5:5, 6; Exodus 34:7; Nahum 1:2, 3.]
For us to live as our heavenly Father’s children, we must engage with Him by maturing in our understanding of this adoption and the authority we are now under.
For us to live as our heavenly Father’s children, we must engage with Him by maturing in our understanding of this adoption and the authority we are now under.
The Lord our God is but (a) one only living, and true God; whose (b) subsistence is in and of himself, (c) infinite in being, and perfection, whose Essence cannot be comprehended by any but himself; (d) a most pure spirit, (e) invisible, without body, parts, or passions, who only hath immortality, dwelling in the light, which no man can approach unto; who is (f) immutable, (g) immense, (h) eternal, incomprehensible, (i) Almighty, every way infinite, (k) most holy, most wise, most free, most absolute, (l) working all things according to the counsel of his own immutable, and most righteous will, (m) for his own glory, most loving, gracious, merciful, long suffering, abundant in goodness and truth, forgiving iniquity, transgression and sin, (n) the rewarder of them that diligently seek him, and withal most just, (o) and terrible in his judgments, (p) hating all sin, and who will by no means clear the (q) guilty.
In his closing words, Paul gives us three key priorities for the health and life of our Christian community.
Because God is faithful to His promises, we can be surely assured that He will sanctify us completely and will preserve us blameless until the end.
The Holy Spirit has been given to enlighten and empower us to bear the fruit of God’s Light, but we are tempted to quench His influence both personally and corporately.
As a people who are taught and empowered by Christ, it is God’s will for us that we rejoice always, pray unceasingly, and give thanks in every circumstance.
Love for one another will lead us to speak truth to each other according to the need of the moment.
God gave His Son to reconcile us to Himself, thus making peace; and He has given us the ministry of reconciliation, commanding us to make peacemaking a priority.
The whole counsel of God concerning all things necessary for His own glory, man's salvation, faith and life, is either expressly set down or necessarily contained in the Holy Scripture: unto which nothing at any time is to be added, whether by new revelation of the Spirit, or traditions of men.9 Nevertheless, we acknowledge the inward illumination of the Spirit of God to be necessary for the saving understanding of such things as are revealed in the Word,10 and that there are some circumstances concerning the worship of God, and government of the church, common to human actions and societies, which are to be ordered by the light of nature and Christian prudence, according to the general rules of the Word, which are always to be observed.11
The Lord has given you leaders for your good; and for your good, you are to acknowledge them and hold them in highest regard, always pursuing peace in the church.
We are in a battle for souls, and we are called to engage the fight through personal preparation and by purposeful cooperation.
The Lord has given us work to do and axes to do the work, but we must take the time to sharpen our axes if we are to be wise in the work.
Remembering God’s undeserved kindness toward us produces humility and gratitude, lending to godliness toward others and a focused faithfulness in our lives.
Prayer is a primary means of grace. In the Word we hear His voice and in prayer because of Christwe have His ear. Scripture not only informs the attitude with which we should pray, it also directs and inspires us in what we should pray.
God is fully aware of just how dark and chaotic life becomes. As our great Shepherd, He brings this darkness and chaos instigated by evil and our carnal nature to its knees. In fact, He transforms our thinking during the sanctifying process by directing us to “delight in Him.”
Thesis: Gathering is a means of grace to the believer that connects believers to hear the gospel, illustrate the gospel, and confirm the gospel through the church as a primary means of discipleship and edification for the believer.
From CBC Statement of Faith: We believe that Christ is the Head of the Church, which is His body, established to bring God glory. All who have trusted in Christ as Savior are members of this body. Christians should commit themselves to worship, prayer, instruction, fellowship, stewardship, and service in a local church. The church is responsible to represent Jesus Christ in the world through godly living and evangelism. All believers are commanded to participate in two church ordinances: believers’ baptism, by immersion if pos sible, and the Lord’s Supper; the bread and cup symbolizing Christ’s body and blood.
Main Idea: The full assurance of faith, the full assurance of understanding and the full assurance of hope rest entirely in the eternal decree of God as revealed in His Word of truth.
The word of God should be communicated with confidence and authority, denying neutrality and overcoming diffidence.
Three truths about the grace of God motivate us to live as a new people I. Live as a new people because the grace of God has appeared. (11) II. Live as a new people because the grace of God brings salvation. (11, 14) III. Live as a new people because the grace of God trains us. (12-13)
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Glorification is the final step in the application of redemption. It will happen when Christ returns and raises from the dead the bodies of all believers for all time who have died, and reunites them with their souls, and changes the bodies of all believers who remain alive, thereby giving all believers at the same time perfect resurrection bodies like his own. (Grudem, 828)
Sound doctrine in the lives of women is displayed by their example of personal holiness, their domestic orientation, and their properly ordered households.
Sanctification: We believe that every believer has been set apart with a perfect standing before God. As believers yield themselves to the Holy Spirit, they will experience spiritual growth in holiness but not perfection in conduct in this life. Believers will battle the world, the flesh and the devil, but living by faith in Christ results in transformation of the heart and authentic righteous living. Future rewards are determined primarily by what motivates Christian behavior. Those whose behavior is an outflow of finding their identity in Christ will be rewarded. (Berean Fellowship of Churches – Articles of Faith VII)
All Christian men are called to live their lives in a manner that is fitting for sound doctrine.
Definition: Justification is our declared righteousness before God, made possible by Christ’s death and resurrection for us. Occurs at the time of regeneration, through the instrument of faith, as a product of our adoption and union with Christ, whereby His life, death, and resurrection benefit us on account of our union with Him.
Main Idea: Justification is not a relic of a particular era, that is the Reformation, nor is it equative to salvation, that is justification does not equal salvation, but it is a crucial element of the application of salvation. Human beings are unable to live in accord with the character of God and thus need an alien righteousness to be declared righteous before Him. This alien righteousness comes to us from God as part of our union with Christ and we are united to Christ through the instrument of faith, which is a gift. Justification is by faith alone, but faith is never alone – good works always follow.
Because the church will face the threat of false teachers and corrupt doctrine, we must be committed to persistently promoting the truth and aggressively refuting corrupt doctrine.
Regeneration is the sovereign work of God whereby the Holy Spirit changes our hearts (nature), and inclines us to repent and believe. In regeneration, God makes us new and applies to us every saving grace in Christ. “The Ordo Salutis”: The biblically logical order/ application of salvation.
It is essential for the health of the church to appoint qualified men who serve as examples that are shaped by the Word and shepherds who shape others by the Word.
Corporate Witness: The effects and implications of the gospel on display in the life of God’s people collectively.
Main Idea: Jesus calls the church to a corporate life of love, unity, joy, and purity in order to display and commend the gospel to each other and to the world.
The authority of the Word, the hope of eternal life, and our confidence for obedience are all grounded in the faithfulness of God.
Major Themes
There is an essential connection between sound doctrine and sound living. There is an essential connection between the grace of God, godly living in the present, and future glory.
God has given us prayer for great purpose and has invested it with great power, but pride keeps us from it.
Because the Lord is near, we can rejoice in all circumstances and stand courageously and calmly against the world, entrusting ourselves into His care.
A proposition. Church discipline has largely been neglected. By a failure to develop cultures of discipleship… By neglecting the practice of both formal and visible discipline. This neglect has led to an incorrigible and uncorrectable church culture (cf. 1 Corinthians 5:6). Divorce rates and cohabitation. General immorality. Doctrinal impurity. This neglect has contributed to impotency both in terms of evangelism and broader cultural influence. This neglect is due to misunderstandings of both the purpose, practice, and produce of discipline (e.g. “shunning,” “unloving,” “punitive,” “harsh,”, etc.).
The term “doctrine” could basically be defined as “teaching”. It refers to a belief or set of beliefs held to and taught by aperson or by a group. Doctrine is always practical because it serves as a compass for our lives and, depending on thespecific doctrine, it can have implications for salvation, for how we live, for how the church functions, etc... Christianity isformed around specific doctrine, and there is no aspect of our lives that is untouched by biblical doctrine.“Sound” doctrine carries with it the idea of being accurate, reliable, and faithful. At its root, it comes from a medicalterm meaning whole or healthy. Biblically sound doctrine then, is doctrine that is faithful to the teaching of the entirebible. It accurately interprets the parts in terms of the whole, and it conforms to the gospel (1 Tim 1:10-11).Church leaders are commanded to teach sound doctrine (Titus 2:1) – doctrine that is reliable, accurate, and faithful tothe Bible, and all Christians are to keep a close watch on their life and doctrine (1 Tim 4:16). Our aim in this study todayis to be reminded of the importance of sound doctrine.
Because the LORD is righteous in all His ways and kind in all his deeds, we can count on Him to be near to us when we call upon Him in truth.
In His mercy and according to His lovingkindness, the LORD has summoned us into His presence and expects us to draw near in earnest, intimate, and expectant prayer.
Drawing near to God together in the local assembly is essential to the preservation of the church, to the sanctification of the saints, and to the perseverance of God’s covenant people.
Because we have been given free access into the presence of God through Christ, let us draw near to Him in true sincerity and confident faith and receive from Him the manifold gifts of His grace.
John truthfully testified to the person and works of Jesus; and though his words were inadequate, yet God’s word is sufficient and sufficiently reveals the power of His cross to us.
After Jesus revealed Himself by providing a great catch of fish to His disciples and by feeding them, He graciously restored Peter to the work of feeding His flock and readied him for his final test.
Jesus commissioned His disciples with a mission to proclaim the powerful message of His cross and to call people to confess and believe that He is the Christ, the Son of God.
Our Covenant Agreement I understand that by becoming a member of Cornerstone I am committing, by God’s grace and to the best of my ability, to the faithful practice of the4things such that I can gladly agree to the following statements: Gathering: I will regularly gather in corporate worship with my CBC family. Connecting: I will connect with the CBC community by seeking to involve myself in relationships that are aimed at discipleship and that are gospel-shaped. Serving: I will find ways to serve within the CBC community. Sharing: I will seek to grow in my desire and ability to share the gospel with the lost in my circles of influence, and I will strive to openly share my life with my CBC family, inviting and giving prayer and support in times of need.
On the first day of the week, Jesus,the new and better Adam, came forth from the grave to inaugurate a new and better faith built upon a new and better power.
Having fully accomplished our atonement and having fulfilled the Scriptures concerning His death, Jesus willingly died and was buried to reopen the way to Paradise.
Jesus’ crucifixion publicly and powerfully proclaimed redemption for all, profoundly fulfilledprophecy, and provided opportunity for Him to practice law-keeping compassion.
Apologies for some audio issues during the recording. The beginning is a bit truncated.
Jesus’ serenity amid the hypocrisy and abuse of those savages in power who were pretending to do justice demonstrated His sovereignty and assures us of hope in Him.
Though Jesus’ arrest appeared to be a failure, His mission was proceeding according to His plan, which involved His voluntary humiliation and suffering on our behalf.
Jesus prayed that His Church would be formed by His word, perfected in real unity, and brought safely home to eternal fellowship with Him in His final glory.
Knowing the mission He would give them and the troubles they would face, Jesus prayed for His Apostles, asking the Father to keep them in His name and fit them for the mission.
The hour designated for Jesus toredeem His people had finally come;and in this hour eternal life wasmade sure, and the infinite gloryof God was put on display for theeternal joy of all who would believe.
In order to be fortified for the mission that He’s given us, Jesus teaches that we will need clarity, comfort, humility, and courage.
To our incalculable advantage, Jesus departed this world by way of the cross,ascended to the Father, and sent the Holy Spirit into the world to glorify Christ by testifying to His word and works.
The world hates God and will hate Jesus’ disciples because they preach and live God’s truth, so we ought to prepare for persecution by taking hold of Christ and the helps He gives.
True believers have been united to the life-giving vine of Christ and by remaining in Him will bear the fruits of His life.
Out of pure love the Father made us to be His children; and because we are, Christ loves us and gives precious gifts to us, and we love Him and bear fruits for Him.
All believers are commissioned by Christ to be the instruments He uses to carry out His mission.
God’s gift of salvation was revealed to us in the appearing of His Son who abolished sin and death and brought life and immortality to light through the gospel.
By reminding us of the Way home, Jesus comforts us in our troubles,reassures us in our confusion, and redirects us to our mission.
In connection with His death, Jesus inaugurated a new and better commandment that,when obeyed, would make His followers stand out as a distinct and peculiar people
The great command of all Scripture is to love the LORD alone; and this will entail listening to Him alone, fearing Him alone, and teaching His Word alone.
Prideful self-interest leads to the enslavement of covetousness and never being content, but cultivating Christ-like humility leads to contentment and the sweet freedom of gladly forgetting about ourselves.
• Pride is the twin sister of coveting (vs 16) • Pride seems wise… but its nothing to be proud of (vs 14-15) • The heart of the matter is the matter of the heart (vs 14) • Godly wisdom is proven by Christ-like humility (vs 13)
Because covetousness is desiring something so much that we lose our contentment in God, our only hope for curing covetousness and all of its manifestations is to cherish Jesus Christ as far superior and to delight in Him
Main Idea Sound doctrine is the ground of and motivation for Christian unity, and unity is one of the goals of sound doctrine. Digging In In Ephesian 4, Paul turns from expounding the riches of salvation in Christ to calling the Ephesian church to live in light of those truths: Ephesian 4:1-16 1. In verses one through three, Paul exhorts the Ephesians to walk in a manner worthy of their calling, and then he specifies several specific ways they are to do this. In one sentence or phrase, how would you summarize what Paul is calling the Ephesians to do?
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What does Paul stress about the Christian faith in verses 4-6?
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How does this unity of the faith encourage us to pursue unity with one another? (Hint: If you want you can look back through the first three chapters of Ephesians and consider how the things Paul teaches there foster unity in the church).
Philippians 2:1-11 contains an exhortation similar to the one we just considered: Philippians 2:1-11 4. What does Paull tell the Philippians to do in this passage (v. 2a)?
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By what means are the Philippians to do this (vv. 2b-5)?
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What threats to unity does Paul address in this passage?
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List everything that Paul says Jesus did in this passage (vv. 6-8).
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What has God done in response (vv. 9-11)?
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How does Paul’s teaching about Jesus in verses 5-11 address our temptations of pride, rivalry, and conceit?
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Conceit, rivalries, and the threat of division are all very practical problems. Would you characterize Paul’s instruction about these matters as purely practical? Explain.
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In light of Paul’s teaching in these passages, how would you respond to someone who said, “Doctrine is what divides Christians from each other. What we really need is to pursue unity.”
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In light of Paul’s teaching in these passages, how would you instruct someone who loves sound doctrine but consistently causes divisions within the local church?
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The doctrinal unity we share with other members of our church spills into other areas of our corporate and individual lives. How does doctrinal unity help: a. When church members counsel one another? b. When church members interact with one another’s children? c. When church members encourage one another through trials? d. When church members keep one another accountable in fighting against sin? e. When . . . can you think of other areas?
The 10th Word teaches that the LORD is perfectly pure in His thoughts, desires, and intentions; and it requires that do not desire anything that has not been given to or for us by God and that we pursue purity in our thoughts, desires, and intentions.