Building our faith with the correct doctrine

Building our faith with the correct doctrine

The blueprint for living the Christian life today is found in Paul’s epistles. It contains the instructions for laying the foundation, 1Co 3:10, as well as the materials for building up the Body of Christ. The problem why Christianity is in the shape it is, is because preachers and teachers are using the wrong ‘materials’. They proclaim that we must go by what Jesus said in His earthly ministry. Yes! You read that correctly! We operate by the doctrine revealed to Paul today, Rom.11:13,  not by the doctrine taught by Jesus in His earthly ministry. The materials for building the Body of Christ today are what we read in Paul’s epistles, not in the ‘red letters’ of the Gospels. Why? It’s because Jesus was ministering the Kingdom doctrine to Israel. The entire earthly ministry of Jesus was to prepare Israel to receive the Kingdom. We are not in the Kingdom program today! We are under new instructions in the Grace program, which, by the way, Jesus, in His heavenly ministry, revealed to Paul for us.

Eph 3:1-2  For this cause I Paul, the prisoner of Jesus Christ for you Gentiles,  2  If ye have heard of the dispensation of the grace of God which is given me to you-ward:

The Kingdom program is based on law. It is conditional. This is why Jesus taught the following,

Mar 9:43  And if thy hand offend thee, cut it off: it is better for thee to enter into life maimed, than having two hands to go into hell, into the fire that never shall be quenched: … 47  And if thine eye offend thee, pluck it out: it is better for thee to enter into the kingdom of God with one eye, than having two eyes to be cast into hell fire:

Jesus also taught that to enter the Kingdom, one had to do the following,

Mat 19:21  Jesus said unto him, If thou wilt be perfect, go and sell that thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come and follow me.

People who claim to go by what Jesus said only look at the blessings and the benefits of the Kingdom, but they remain silent on these conditional statements. Who of them, for the sake of the Kingdom, would pluck their eye out, or cut off their offending hand? Who of them would sell ALL their possessions and give it to the poor so they can have treasures in heaven? People that put themselves under the Kingdom program today simply end up making themselves liars and hypocrites. These conditional statements of the Kingdom program are not in effect today.

The point I'm making is that to Paul was given the grace to lay the foundation of the Body of Christ, and to provide the gospel and doctrine by which we should adhere to. Christ's ministry to Israel was completely separate from our grace program today. The Kingdom program has been temporarily suspended, so it is crucial that we understand and live by Paul’s ministry.

Paul laid that foundation and now we must be established and build up upon the doctrine provided in his epistles,

1Co 3:10-11  According to the grace of God which is given unto me, as a wise masterbuilder, I have laid the foundation, and another buildeth thereon. But let every man take heed how he buildeth thereupon.  11  For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ.  

Let me end this post with another important passage that Paul writes to us. In it he mentions that we are to be rooted and established in the faith which we have been provided in his writings. Anything else outside of his writings are vain and would spoil us from the knowledge of Christ and His purpose for us in grace.

Col 2:6-10  As ye have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk ye in him:  7  Rooted and built up in him, and stablished in the faith, as ye have been taught, abounding therein with thanksgiving.  8  Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ.  9  For in him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily.  10  And ye are complete in him, which is the head of all principality and power: