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For a master copy of the outline, click here: Basic Bible Doctrine
To Listen on YouTube, click here: The Principles of the Doctrine of Christ (Heb 6:1-2) (Part 1) - Repentance From Dead Works; Faith Toward God
The Principles of the Doctrine of Christ (Heb 6:1-2)
I. The importance of knowing the principles of the doctrine of Christ
1. I have fed you a lot of spiritual meat over the last two and a half years, but it's also good to give you some milk from time to time.
2. It is important for a pastor to teach things both new and old (Mat 13:52).
A. For the children in the church and for the brethren who are newer in the faith, it is important to get the milk of the word so that they can grow thereby (1Pe 2:2).
B. For the older and more mature brethren, it is good to be reminded of things you already know or knew (2Pe 1:12-13; 2Pe 3:1-2; Jude 1:5).
C. Paul considered the things we are going to be studying the foundation of the doctrine of Christ (Heb 6:1).
i. Doctrine - 1. The action of teaching or instructing; instruction; a piece of instruction, a lesson, precept.
ii. Foundation - 1. The action of founding or building upon a firm substructure; the state or fact of being founded. 6. fig. a. A basis or groundwork on which something (immaterial) is raised or by which it is supported or confirmed; an underlying ground or principle; the basis on which a story, fiction, or the like is founded.
iii. "If the foundations be destroyed, what can the righteous do?" (Psa 11:3)
3. If you abide not in the doctrine of Christ, you have not God; but if you abide in the doctrine of Christ, you have both the Father and the Son (2Jo 1:9): hence the importance of knowing the basics.
II. The principles of the doctrine of Christ
1. Repentance from dead works (Heb 6:1)
A. Repentance - 1. The act of repenting or the state of being penitent; sorrow, regret, or contrition for past action or conduct; an instance of this.
B. Repent v. - 1. refl. To affect (oneself) with contrition or regret for something done, etc. (cf. 3.) 3. intr. To feel contrition, compunction, sorrow or regret for something one has done or left undone; to change one's mind with regard to past action or conduct through dissatisfaction with it or its results.
C. The first step of being practically (not eternally) reconciled to God is to feel sorrow and regret for one's sins and to change one's mind and course of life as a result.
i. God is close to those of a contrite heart (Psa 34:18; Isa 66:2).
ii. Contrite adj. - 1. lit. Bruised, crushed; worn or broken by rubbing. 2. fig. Crushed or broken in spirit by a sense of sin, and so brought to complete penitence.
D. Repentance from dead works.
i. Dead adj. - II. Deprived of or wanting some ‘vital’ or characteristic physical quality. 11. Without fire, flame, or glow; extinguished, extinct. III. Without animation, vigour, or activity; inactive, quiet, dull. 16. a. Without vigour or animation, lifeless.
ii. Work n. - 1. Something that is or was done; what a person does or did; an act, deed, proceeding, business; in pl. actions, doings
iii. The works that unregenerate and unconverted people do are dull, lifeless, and useless.
iv. The reason for this is that the unregenerate are spiritually dead in sins (Col 2:13), so it follows that their works are dead as well.
v. It takes the blood of Christ to purge one's conscience from dead works in order for him to serve the living God (Heb 9:14).
E. Repentance is the first commandment of the gospel (Mar 1:15; Act 2:37-38).
F. Repentance is a universal call of the gospel (Act 17:30).
G. Repentance includes repenting of both sinful living and false beliefs.
i. Wicked sins such as uncleanness, fornication, lasciviousness, and wickedness must be repented of (2Co 12:21; Act 8:22).
ii. False beliefs must be repented of as well, and the truth must be acknowledged (2Ti 2:24-26).
iii. Notice that repentance is a gift that is given by God (2Ti 2:25).
H. Repentance is turning to God and doing works which demonstrate it (Act 26:20).
i. This is the repentance that John the Baptist required of his converts (Luk 3:7-9).
ii. Repentance includes turning from sins such as selfishness and covetousness, and instead helping others (Luk 3:10-11).
iii. Repentance includes turning from sins such as theft and fraud (Luk 3:12-13).
iv. Repentance includes turning from sins such as violence, lying, deceit, and covetousness, and instead being content with what one has (Luk 3:14).
I. When one learns of the goodness of God towards him, it should lead him to repentance (Rom 2:4).
J. God is longsuffering towards His elect children and desires that they all should come to repentance (2Pe 3:9).
2. Faith toward God (Heb 6:1)
A. Definitions
i. Faith n. - I. Belief, trust, confidence. 1. a. Confidence, reliance, trust (in the ability, goodness, etc., of a person; in the efficacy or worth of a thing; or in the truth of a statement or doctrine). b. Belief proceeding from reliance on testimony or authority. 3. Theol. in various specific applications. a. Belief in the truths of religion; belief in the authenticity of divine revelation (whether viewed as contained in Holy Scripture or in the teaching of the Church), and acceptance of the revealed doctrines. c. The spiritual apprehension of divine truths, or of realities beyond the reach of sensible experience or logical proof. By Christian writers often identified with the preceding; but not exclusively confined to Christian use. Often viewed as the exercise of a special faculty in the soul of man, or as the result of supernatural illumination.
ii. Belief n. - 1. The mental action, condition, or habit, of trusting to or confiding in a person or thing; trust, dependence, reliance, confidence, faith. b. absol. Trust in God; the Christian virtue of faith. 2. Mental acceptance of a proposition, statement, or fact, as true, on the ground of authority or evidence; assent of the mind to a statement, or to the truth of a fact beyond observation, on the testimony of another, or to a fact or truth on the evidence of consciousness; the mental condition involved in this assent.
iii. Believe v. - 1. To have confidence or faith in (a person), and consequently to rely upon, trust to.
B. What the definitions show us:
i. Belief and faith are synonyms, being used to define each other.
ii. Belief is based in facts and evidence that can be seen and observed.
iii. From the evidence that can be observed, a belief is formed.
a. For example: there is a large amount to historical evidence and testimony that George Washington existed and that he was the first president of the United States.
b. No person living today actually saw Washington, but based on credible evidence, we all believe that he existed.
iv. Belief in God and Jesus Christ is likewise based on evidence and testimony from credible witnesses.
a. The creation is evidence for a Creator (Psa 19:1; Rom 1:20).
b. Eyewitnesses of Jesus' life and works wrote down detailed historical accounts of His life.
c. There is credible evidence that the Bible is the word of God, such as fulfilled prophecies, internal consistency, and historical and scientific accuracy.
d. Therefore belief in God and the claims of the Bible which cannot be directly verified is a reasonable faith, just as is believing in George Washington.
C. Faith is a gift of God that He gives to His children in regeneration (Rom 12:3; 1Jo 5:4; Phi 1:29).
D. Faith is the evidence of things not seen (Heb 11:1).
i. By faith we see the invisible God (Heb 11:27).
ii. It's impossible to please God without faith (Heb 11:6).
iii. In order to come to God, one must first believe that He is and that He is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him (Heb 11:6 c/w Psa 19:11).
E. God commands us to have faith in Him.
i. Jesus exhorted His disciples to "Have faith in God." (Mar 11:22)
ii. Faith is a weightier matter of the law (Mat 23:23).
iii. Believing in Christ is doing the work that God would have us to do (Joh 6:28-29).
iv. God commands us to believe on His Son Jesus Christ (1Jo 3:22-23).
v. Jesus said if we believe in God we must also believe in Him (Joh 14:1).
vi. Having faith in Jesus is having faith in God because Jesus is God (Joh 1:1,14; 1Jo 5:7,20).
vii. Believing in Jesus includes believing that He died for our sins according to the scriptures and that He was buried and raised again from the dead three days later according to the scriptures (1Co 15:1-4).
F. By faith, we find rest (Heb 4:3).
G. Those that believe in God shall never be ashamed (Rom 10:11; 2Ti 1:12).
H. Through faith in God, we will obtain a good report and be victorious, no matter what persecution or hardships we may endure (Heb 11:32-40).
