The literal, physical resurrection of Christ 1 Cor. Salvation by grace through faith alone Eph. Beliefs that fall outside these clear biblical teachings are called heresy. Biblical fellowship in the worship of God, the work of God, and doing the will of God with others should be based on these fundamentals, apart from which genuine Christian fellowship cannot exist Gal.
Things not included in the six cardinal doctrines that have been mentioned fall into the area of non-essentials. It is important to understand, however, that non-essential does not mean unimportant. Philip Melanchthon challenged believers to give varying levels of Christian freedom to one another in these areas.
Depending on the clarity of scriptural teaching on any given subject, believers should show humility and understanding to those holding different perspectives. I suggest three categories of non-essentials to guide our understanding of biblical fellowship. They are matters of conviction, matters of conscience, and matters of choice. Matters of conviction involve issues of moral or theological importance that the Bible addresses in what you believe to be clear or unmistakable ways.
Whereas these are not issues that are as foundational as, say, the validity of the resurrection, they are incredibly important.
As such, though we should extend liberty to other Christians, we may sometimes have a sharp disagreement on issues such as these with professing believers who maintain alternative positions. Even the apostles had forceful discussions, so confrontation cannot always be avoided Gal. Matters of conscience involve those things either not specifically addressed in the Bible or that are not absolutely clear in Scripture due to nuances of language, cultural considerations, or challenges of interpretation.
Means and methods used for the improvement of society and the establishment of righteousness among men can be truly and permanently helpful only when they are rooted in the regeneration of the individual by the saving grace of God in Jesus Christ. In the spirit of Christ, Christians should oppose racism, every form of greed, selfishness, and vice, and all forms of sexual immorality, including adultery, homosexuality, and pornography.
We should work to provide for the orphaned, the needy, the abused, the aged, the helpless, and the sick. We should speak on behalf of the unborn and contend for the sanctity of all human life from conception to natural death.
Every Christian should seek to bring industry, government, and society as a whole under the sway of the principles of righteousness, truth, and brotherly love. In order to promote these ends Christians should be ready to work with all men of good will in any good cause, always being careful to act in the spirit of love without compromising their loyalty to Christ and His truth. Exodus ; Leviticus ; Deuteronomy ; ; Psalm ; Micah ; Zechariah ; Matthew ,; ; ; Mark ; ff. In accordance with the spirit and teachings of Christ they should do all in their power to put an end to war.
The true remedy for the war spirit is the gospel of our Lord. The supreme need of the world is the acceptance of His teachings in all the affairs of men and nations, and the practical application of His law of love.
Christian people throughout the world should pray for the reign of the Prince of Peace. Isaiah ; Matthew ,; ; ; Luke ,38; Romans ; ; ; Hebrews ; James Church and state should be separate. The state owes to every church protection and full freedom in the pursuit of its spiritual ends. In providing for such freedom no ecclesiastical group or denomination should be favored by the state more than others. Civil government being ordained of God, it is the duty of Christians to render loyal obedience thereto in all things not contrary to the revealed will of God.
The church should not resort to the civil power to carry on its work. The gospel of Christ contemplates spiritual means alone for the pursuit of its ends. The state has no right to impose penalties for religious opinions of any kind. The state has no right to impose taxes for the support of any form of religion. A free church in a free state is the Christian ideal, and this implies the right of free and unhindered access to God on the part of all men, and the right to form and propagate opinions in the sphere of religion without interference by the civil power.
Genesis ; ; Matthew ,24; ; ; John ; Acts ; Romans ; ; Galatians ,13; Philippians ; 1 Timothy ; James ; 1 Peter ; ; It is composed of persons related to one another by marriage, blood, or adoption. Marriage is the uniting of one man and one woman in covenant commitment for a lifetime.
The marriage relationship models the way God relates to His people. A husband is to love his wife as Christ loved the church. He has the God-given responsibility to provide for, to protect, and to lead his family. A wife is to submit herself graciously to the servant leadership of her husband even as the church willingly submits to the headship of Christ.
She, being in the image of God as is her husband and thus equal to him, has the God-given responsibility to respect her husband and to serve as his helper in managing the household and nurturing the next generation. Children, from the moment of conception, are a blessing and heritage from the Lord.
Parents are to teach their children spiritual and moral values and to lead them, through consistent lifestyle example and loving discipline, to make choices based on biblical truth.
Children are to honor and obey their parents. Genesis ; ; ; Exodus ; Deuteronomy ; Joshua ; 1 Samuel ; Psalms ; ; ; ; ; Proverbs ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ,15; ; ; ,17; ; Ecclesiastes ; ; Malachi ; Matthew ; ; ; Mark ; Romans ; 1 Corinthians ; Ephesians ; ; Colossians ; 1 Timothy ,14; 2 Timothy ; Titus ; Hebrews ; 1 Peter Want to learn more? We'd love to hear from you. There are believers everywhere. It's amazing that no matter where you are in the world when you meet another believer, it's like you suddenly feel at home.
That's why God made fellowship so important. He wanted us to come together so that we always know we're not alone. Fellowship allows us to build those lasting relationships so we're never by ourselves in the world. Coming together is a great way for each of us to grow in our faith. Reading our Bibles and praying are great ways to get closer to God, but each of us has important lessons to impart to one another. When we come together in fellowship, we teach each other things. God gives us a gift of learning and growing when we come together in fellowship we show each other how to live as God wants us to live, and how to walk in His footsteps.
When you meet together, one will sing, another will teach, another will tell some special revelation God has given, one will speak in tongues, and another will interpret what is said.
But everything that is done must strengthen all of you. Actively scan device characteristics for identification. Use precise geolocation data. Select personalised content. Create a personalised content profile. Measure ad performance. Select basic ads. Create a personalised ads profile. Spending time with other believers can often lift us up a little bit.
They help us to keep our eyes on God. God also works through them to provide us what we need in darker times. Coming together with others can aid in our healing process and give us the encouragement to move forward. And let us not neglect our meeting together, as some people do, but encourage one another, especially now that the day of his return is drawing near. Coming together with other believers in worship and conversation helps to remind us that we are not alone in this world.
There are believers everywhere. Coming together is a great way for each of us to grow in our faith. Reading our Bibles and praying are great ways to get closer to God, but each of us has important lessons to impart to one another.
When we come together in fellowship, we teach each other things.
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