Are creeds, confessions, and theological language important?
Suppose you live in an area with a lot of crime. Would you leave your door open?
NO.
Yet, that's exactly what many professing Christians are doing with regards to their spiritual lives, their doctrinal understanding, and those of their children.
This sort of thinking finds its roots in the early 1800's and the New School movement, which included men like Charles Finney. The New School had some legitimate criticisms, but in effect, they threw the baby out with the bath water.
This movement sought to promote emotionalism over an academic, solidly biblical approach toward understanding Christianity. This emotionalism appealed more to the ignorant populace in the frontiers, rather than a straightforward explanation of the Gospel. Unfortunately, this philosophy continues today amongst various sects. There is a strong discouragement against studying doctrine and church history, for example.
However, here's the issue.....the Church formulated it's doctrinal statements in order to protect against heretics. They crafted the language so that thieves and robbers couldn't enter in and claim ungodly things, such as denying the deity of Christ or the Trinity.
These doctrines are fundamental to the personal and mission of Jesus Christ. And, they are perpetuated today through creeds, confessions, and catechisms.
Some today want to allow such a flexible definition of core Christian concepts that thieves and robbers can enter into the fold, and ultimately pollute the faith. Their re-definitions would ultimately lead to this.
Such individuals despise creeds, confessions and catechisms. Their churches, members, and children are not reflecting sound doctrine as a result. And, sound doctrine is what nourishes the soul, and leads to proper worship.
You should study the Bible first and foremost. But, studying the creeds, confessions, and catechisms are important, too. It is not "Roman Catholic" to use these tools. This is a distortion which began with this "New School" group.
The carnal mind is also fiercely independent and thinks it is the ultimate authority on truth. It does not give the proper respect to church history. Many real Christians continue to exhibit this fierce independence and don't acknowledge that the church is built upon a history of godly men who extend into the past. This is part of the fleshly thinking we have inherited from our father Adam.
I would strongly encourage reading some of the creeds, confessions, and catechisms of the Church. You may not agree with every point, but you will definitely know what some of the groups believe if you read them.
For beginners, you might try the 1689 London Baptist Confession or the Westminister Confession. I don't agree with every single point of these confessions, but the way that they lay out their belief system is solid. General Baptists have one called Baptist Faith and Message, too.
In Reformed churches, some children know more about Scripture than adults in other congregations today. It really should humiliate adults who think they understand a lot about the Bible.
Some might think it's a form of brainwashing, but apparently they are perfectly OK with allowing the world to program the brains of their children. Disgusting in my mind. I know that if I had children, I would use a tool like the New City Catechism, or I would consider myself to be a very poor Christian parent.
Here is an account by Tim Keller concerning his son, Jonathan, and the New City Catechism:
When my son Jonathan was a young child, my wife, Kathy, and I started teaching him a children’s catechism. In the beginning we worked on just the first three questions:
Question 1. Who made you?
Answer. God
Question 2. What else did God make?
Answer. God made all things.
Question 3. Why did God make you and all things?
Answer. For his own glory.
One day Kathy dropped Jonathan off at a babysitter’s. At one point the babysitter discovered Jonathan looking out the window. “What are you thinking about?” she asked him. “God,” he said. Surprised, she responded, “What are you thinking about God?” He looked at her and replied, “How he made all things for his own glory.” She thought she had a spiritual giant on her hands! A little boy looking out the window, contemplating the glory of God in creation!
What had actually happened, obviously, was that her question had triggered the question/answer response in him. He answered with the catechism. He certainly did not have the slightest idea what the “glory of God” meant. But the concept was in his mind and heart, waiting to be connected with new insights, teaching, and experiences.
Such instruction, Princeton theologian Archibald Alexander said, is like firewood in a fireplace. Without the fire—the Spirit of God—firewood will not in itself produce a warming flame. But without fuel there can be no fire either, and that is what catechetical instruction is.
Advance warning: I don't care what cultists claim concerning their denial of the creeds, confessions, and catechisms of Christianity. Your agenda is obvious. You don't want biblical truth to shine through the darkness.
Suppose you live in an area with a lot of crime. Would you leave your door open?
NO.
Yet, that's exactly what many professing Christians are doing with regards to their spiritual lives, their doctrinal understanding, and those of their children.
This sort of thinking finds its roots in the early 1800's and the New School movement, which included men like Charles Finney. The New School had some legitimate criticisms, but in effect, they threw the baby out with the bath water.
This movement sought to promote emotionalism over an academic, solidly biblical approach toward understanding Christianity. This emotionalism appealed more to the ignorant populace in the frontiers, rather than a straightforward explanation of the Gospel. Unfortunately, this philosophy continues today amongst various sects. There is a strong discouragement against studying doctrine and church history, for example.
However, here's the issue.....the Church formulated it's doctrinal statements in order to protect against heretics. They crafted the language so that thieves and robbers couldn't enter in and claim ungodly things, such as denying the deity of Christ or the Trinity.
These doctrines are fundamental to the personal and mission of Jesus Christ. And, they are perpetuated today through creeds, confessions, and catechisms.
Some today want to allow such a flexible definition of core Christian concepts that thieves and robbers can enter into the fold, and ultimately pollute the faith. Their re-definitions would ultimately lead to this.
Such individuals despise creeds, confessions and catechisms. Their churches, members, and children are not reflecting sound doctrine as a result. And, sound doctrine is what nourishes the soul, and leads to proper worship.
You should study the Bible first and foremost. But, studying the creeds, confessions, and catechisms are important, too. It is not "Roman Catholic" to use these tools. This is a distortion which began with this "New School" group.
The carnal mind is also fiercely independent and thinks it is the ultimate authority on truth. It does not give the proper respect to church history. Many real Christians continue to exhibit this fierce independence and don't acknowledge that the church is built upon a history of godly men who extend into the past. This is part of the fleshly thinking we have inherited from our father Adam.
I would strongly encourage reading some of the creeds, confessions, and catechisms of the Church. You may not agree with every point, but you will definitely know what some of the groups believe if you read them.
For beginners, you might try the 1689 London Baptist Confession or the Westminister Confession. I don't agree with every single point of these confessions, but the way that they lay out their belief system is solid. General Baptists have one called Baptist Faith and Message, too.
In Reformed churches, some children know more about Scripture than adults in other congregations today. It really should humiliate adults who think they understand a lot about the Bible.
Some might think it's a form of brainwashing, but apparently they are perfectly OK with allowing the world to program the brains of their children. Disgusting in my mind. I know that if I had children, I would use a tool like the New City Catechism, or I would consider myself to be a very poor Christian parent.
Here is an account by Tim Keller concerning his son, Jonathan, and the New City Catechism:
When my son Jonathan was a young child, my wife, Kathy, and I started teaching him a children’s catechism. In the beginning we worked on just the first three questions:
Question 1. Who made you?
Answer. God
Question 2. What else did God make?
Answer. God made all things.
Question 3. Why did God make you and all things?
Answer. For his own glory.
One day Kathy dropped Jonathan off at a babysitter’s. At one point the babysitter discovered Jonathan looking out the window. “What are you thinking about?” she asked him. “God,” he said. Surprised, she responded, “What are you thinking about God?” He looked at her and replied, “How he made all things for his own glory.” She thought she had a spiritual giant on her hands! A little boy looking out the window, contemplating the glory of God in creation!
What had actually happened, obviously, was that her question had triggered the question/answer response in him. He answered with the catechism. He certainly did not have the slightest idea what the “glory of God” meant. But the concept was in his mind and heart, waiting to be connected with new insights, teaching, and experiences.
Such instruction, Princeton theologian Archibald Alexander said, is like firewood in a fireplace. Without the fire—the Spirit of God—firewood will not in itself produce a warming flame. But without fuel there can be no fire either, and that is what catechetical instruction is.
Advance warning: I don't care what cultists claim concerning their denial of the creeds, confessions, and catechisms of Christianity. Your agenda is obvious. You don't want biblical truth to shine through the darkness.
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