Teaching/Doctrine

Doctrine is important. In fact it is mission critical.

24 These also who erred in spirit will come to understanding, And those who complained will learn doctrine.” Isaiah 29:24

What is Doctrine?

Teaching or Doctrine simply means our ability to understand who God is and what is doing in and through the cross of Jesus. The more we understand what God is doing and expecting form us, the more we can co-operate with him and by FAITH and bear the fruit He wants.

It is clear that God is working a great "Spiritual" work in the individual Christian and and then also in the church as a whole. Us all being one body.

Understand

23. “But he who received seed on the good ground is he who hears the word and understands it, who indeed bears fruit and produces: some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty.” Matthew 13:23

Comprehend

1. In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.2. He was in the beginning with God.3. All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made.4. In Him was life, and the life was the light of men.5. And the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it.

John 1:1-5

Wisdom, Revelation, Knowledge

16. do not cease to give thanks for you, making mention of you in my prayers:17. that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give to you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him,18. the eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that you may know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints,19. and what is the exceeding greatness of His power toward us who believe, according to the working of His mighty power

Ephesians 1:16-19

We do need our natural minds to be renewed and aligned with that which the Spirit is doing in us. We need to understand how the cross and the Spirit work in us to achieve the righteousness and will of God. We need to know if we can and should cease from all sin or whether ongoing slip-ups are OK.

Spiritual understanding – not “Greco-Roman” academic compliance or memorization

13. These things we also speak, not in words which man’s wisdom teaches but which the Holy Spirit teaches, comparing spiritual things with spiritual.14. But the natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; nor can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.15. But he who is spiritual judges all things, yet he himself is rightly judged by no one.16. For “who has known the mind of the Lord that he may instruct Him?” But we have the mind of Christ. 1 Corinthians 2:13-16

These things are critical

16. Jesus answered them and said, “My doctrine is not Mine, but His who sent Me.17. “If anyone wants to do His will, he shall know concerning the doctrine, whether it is from God or whether I speak on My own authority.

Jn 7:16-17

It truly is the Spirit who guides us into all truth, and doctrine should not be understood to be book knowledge or perfect human understanding. However if we do not have clarity in our renewed minds, by the Spirit, about how and what and Who the Spirit is bringing to us, and in us we will end up grieving and quenching the Spirit and trying to please God in the flesh like the man Paul describes in Romans 7.

63. “It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh profits nothing. The words that I speak to you are spirit, and they are life. Jn 6:63

5. Not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think of anything as being from ourselves, but our sufficiency is from God,6. who also made us sufficient as ministers of the new covenant, not of the letter but of the Spirit; for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life. 2 Co 3:5-6

When the Spirit has enlightened our hearts and our minds have been renewed we begin to see, believe, comprehend and do the eternal righteousness that God has designed us for.

16. do not cease to give thanks for you, making mention of you in my prayers:17. that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give to you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him,18. the eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that you may know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints,19. and what is the exceeding greatness of His power toward us who believe, according to the working of His mighty power20. which He worked in Christ when He raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly places,21. far above all principality and power and might and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this age but also in that which is to come.22. And He put all things under His feet, and gave Him to be head over all things to the church,23. which is His body, the fullness of Him who fills all in all.

Eph 1:16-23