"Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience. Let us hold fast the profession of faith without wavering; (for He is faithful that promised)" (Hebrews 10:22-23). Those who live in doubt and fear concerning salvation and fitness for Heaven are apparently looking to someone other than Jesus Christ and His completed work on the cross for holiness and righteousness before God. If so, is this not unbelief? Even as saved sinners, we have never performed or obeyed well enough to merit acceptance with God. We trust Christ and what He accomplished as our Substitute and Surety on the cross, not what we have done nor are doing. As the hymn states, "My hope is built on nothing less than Jesus' blood and righteousness. I dare not trust the sweetest frame, but wholly lean on Jesus's name." There is no real and solid assurance to be found in anyone or anything else. Believing the demands of God were met in Christ for me is my ONLY hope and rest. When a believer doubts this, he is looking to someone other than Christ and His blood alone. God’s Word is very clear on this matter – “Having therefore, brethren, boldness to enter into the holiest BY THE BLOOD OF JESUS, by a new and living way, which HE HATH CONSECRATED FOR US, through the veil, that is to say, His flesh” (Hebrews 10:19-20).
--- Pastor Bill Parker
It is true that “in the mouths of two or three witnesses shall every word be established.” Yet, if ten million agree on something that is not to be found in the Holy Scriptures or contrary to them, their agreement does not make it true or right. Men find security and confirmation in the agreement of others with them. They have little “mutual admiration societies” in which they praise each other, hold others in contempt and believe themselves to be the only ones that are right. This was the way of the Pharisees that Christ publicly rebuked with scathing words. Our praise is to be to Christ who alone is right; our agreement is to be with Him and His gospel; and our loyalty is to be to Him and His brethren.
--- Pastor Gary Shepard
CHRIST AND HIS DOCTRINE
Salvation is found only in Christ. “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved, and thy house” (Acts 16:31). We must not think, however, that salvation is in believing Christ to the exclusion of believing His doctrine. “Whosoever transgresseth, and abideth not in the doctrine of Christ, hath not God. He that abideth in the doctrine of Christ, he hath both the Father and the Son” (2 John 1:9). What is “the doctrine of Christ?” The doctrine of Christ is the teaching which the Lord gave to His apostles of which He is the sum and substance and concerns who He is and the work He did. He is truly God and Man, the Surety and Mediator of the everlasting Covenant; He is our Prophet, Priest and King. His work was that of substitution, satisfaction, reconciliation and redemption. He suffered, died and arose in the stead of His sinful people to make reparation to divine justice which demanded death for sin thereby restoring us to God. He paid the redemptive price owed to divine law which held us for ransom. There is no separating believing Christ from believing the doctrine of His finished work on the cross by which He justified and established righteousness for all those the Father gave Him. He who is the Savior of sinners is now enthroned in heaven where He appears at the Father’s right hand on the behalf of His brethren and carries on His work of advocacy and intercession. He sends His Spirit to regenerate those He redeemed and bring us to believe Christ and His doctrine. As our Advocate, He presents our worship and works to the Father which are made acceptable through His person and perfections. “The doctrine of Christ” is also called “good doctrine” (Pro 4:2; 1 Tim 4:6), “the doctrine of the Lord” (Acts 13:12), “sound doctrine” (1 Tim 1:10; 2 Tim 4:3; Titus 1:9; 2:1), “the doctrine of God our Savior” (Titus 2:10) and “the doctrine which is according to godliness” (1 Tim 6:3). Notice that in each of these passages “doctrine” is singular, whereas “doctrines” is used five times in the Word of God (Mat 15:9; Mark 7:7; Col 2:22; 1 Tim 4:1; Heb 13:9) and always in association with error. “Doctrine” points to one body of truth which is found in one glorious person, the Lord Christ Jesus. You cannot and must not divorce Christ and His doctrine.
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