First Order Doctrines

By NeoFundy

http://exfide.com/blog/?page_id=14

While I didn’t appreciate it like I should have when I was there, I have grown to love and appreciate the BJU Creed:

“I believe in the inspiration of the Bible (both the Old and the New Testaments); the creation of man by the direct act of God; the incarnation and virgin birth of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ; His identification as the Son of God; His vicarious atonement for the sins of mankind by the shedding of His blood on the cross; the resurrection of His body from the tomb; His power to save men from sin; the new birth through the regeneration by the Holy Spirit; and the gift of eternal life by the grace of God.”

So, we have accepted the taxonomy of three categories of doctrine: first, second, and third order doctrines. We need to add that practice also has a corresponding taxonomy that parallels the doctrinal taxonomy already mentioned. This will become more apparent as we move forward, but what we need to do now is begin to delve into the specifics of each category and how we should determine the proper category for a specific doctrine or practice.

At this point, we will address the first order doctrines and their corresponding practice. “Wait a minute,” you can hear some say. “Are there really some non-negotiable, fundamental, practices for the believer???” I believe there are, and that this area has been sadly neglected by both ends of the discussion. In fact, I am willing to submit that it is the area of practice that has so undermined both ends of the spectrum doctrinally.

Let’s look at the categories of doctrine that I believe are first order doctrines:

1. The person of Christ (Full deity, full humanity, virgin birth)
2. The work of Christ (sinless life, selfless sacrifice, resurrection, future return and ultimate restoration)
3. The revelation of Christ (Inspiration, inerrancy, sole authority, sufficiency, and perspicuity of Scripture)
4. The reconciliation of Christ (substitutionary atonement, faith alone, grace alone, Christ alone, regeneration, and restoration of fellowship with God)
5. The worship of Christ (accepting and proclaiming the lordship of Christ, Glorification of the Father through the exaltation of the Son, and progressive transformation of the believer into the image of Christ)

If we can agree that the above are essential to Christianity, then there are clear practical implications of each category of doctrine. To deny the practice while accepting the doctrine is to undermine the veracity of our profession. Here are what I believe to be first order practice:

1. Belief in Christ (faith in Him, as He has been revealed)
2. Trust in Christ (reliance upon Him as the sole savior and reconciler of men)
3. Submission to Scripture (obedience to the revelation of the will of God, the person of Christ, and commitment to discipleship)
4. Fellowship in Christ (participating in relationship with God in prayer and obedience motivated out of love and humility; this includes a corresponding love for His people)
5. Practice of Christ (reflecting the image of God in all that is said and done - living worship, particularly as reflecting the image of Christ in humility and love)

Just as when you remove one of the five doctrinal principles, you remove the essence of Chrsitianity; if you remove any of these five practices, you also destroy the essence of what it means to be Christian. This isn’t to say that we should expect unanimity in the application, but a Christian cannot deny the requirement of any of them.