Jan 16, 2025

Jan 16, 2025

From time to time, I often hear two approaches from Christians to the idea of “doctrine”. The first is the elevation of doctrine to a point of identity. Church history is filled with stories like this, even at times leading to the worst of outcomes, like fragmented churches or war between countries. As sin affects the human heart at such a deep level, we can replace our identity with Christ with an identity of some certain doctrine. The effect is when we see a church building two blocks away from another church building both proclaiming the name of Jesus but with different labels, identifying their differences, proud to not be the “other”. On the other hand, the second view is to minimize doctrine, or diminish its importance. This might be motivated by the pragmatic approach, which boils all of God’s Word down to the lowest common denominator. I’ve heard phrases like, “doctrine divides, love unites.” The effect is often a truncated view of God’s word, and a shallow display of discipleship. Christians loose their interest in things like the church, the beauty of Jesus, and their faith remains infantile. This is often the beginning of the de-conversion story of walking away from obedience to Jesus in adulthood.
J. Gresham Machen, chair of New Testament Theology at Princeton Seminary, once remarked, “Indifferentism about doctrine makes no heroes of the faith.” I have noticed in my pastoral ministry that a third way, or approach, to doctrine is what often grows disciples into healthy spiritual formation. The third approach keeps the wonder and awe in the study of God and His truths. How? To quote Machen again, “Faith is indeed intellectual; it involves an apprehension of certain things as facts; and vain is the modern effort to divorce faith from knowledge. But although faith is intellectual, it is not only intellectual. You cannot have faith without having knowledge; but you will not have faith if you have only knowledge.” Machen is saying in effect, you must have facts to grow in faith.
Knowing your Bible, the history of the Church, the hard work of reading and studying is an imperative to growing as a disciple. But growing in faith doesn’t lead to a cold heart. Machen comments again “The more we know of God, the more unreservedly we will trust him; the greater our progress in theology, the simpler and more child-like will be our faith.” You see getting to know God, doing the necessary and rewarding work of engaging with God leads to a child like wonder, a simple but profound faith. I’m convinced that Holy Spirit uses growth in knowledge of the Father and the Son to soften us to love and tenderness for each other, and ground us in firm unwavering orthodoxy which we will protect. Where do you need to grow? In prayer? In knowledge of the Bible? In serving one another or committing to love a church community? Which side do you resort to? How can you move toward the third approach? Do you even want to?
Ben Melli

Week At A Glance

Sunday, January 19th

9:00 Adult Bible Study – Chapel (see Syllabus below)

10:00 a.m. Worship Service

Monday, January 20th

5:30 p.m. Bell Choir Practice

Tuesday, January 21st  

7:00 a.m. Men’s Bible Study and Breakfast

1:00 p.m. Presbyterian Women meet in Fellowship Hall

Wednesday, January 22nd 

10:00 a.m. Ladies AM Bible Study (LAMBS)

7:00 p.m. Choir Practice

Thursday, January 23rd

10:00 a.m. Bible Babes

 

Please Note:

Annual Meeting of the Congregation

The Session of the Church has called for the Annual Meeting of the Congregation to take place February 2nd following worship service. Please plan on sticking around for this meeting.

EVENTS CALENDAR

DIRECTORY UPDATE 2025

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DIRECTORY UPDATE 2025

If you are not in our church directory and would like to be, or need to update your info, please email the church office. And don’t forget to let us know if you would like to be added to the Mid-Week Newsletter list.

CONTACT US

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