ESSENTIALS OF REFORMED DOCTRINE Dctrine Class by REV. DANIEL KLEYN, Missinary f the Prtestant Refrmed Churches in America
Why study Essentials f Refrmed Dctrine? 1. Because dctrine is imprtant! This is denied by many. Are nt interested in dctrine They say: Dctrine is nly fr thelgians fr ministers and seminary prfessrs! Dn t want dctrine in preaching They say: Be mre practical in yur preaching! Deal with current issues! Reject dctrine because they claim that dctrine divides They say: We must be tlerant f ther peple s beliefs! The Bible clearly teaches that Dctrine is imprtant: Hsea 4:6 Jhn 17:3 II Peter 3:18 Ephesians 2:20-22 II Timthy 3:16-17
Hsea 4:6 My peple are destryed fr lack f knwledge: because thu hast rejected knwledge, I will als reject thee, that thu shalt be n priest t me: seeing thu hast frgtten the law f thy Gd, I will als frget thy children. Jhn 17:3 And this is life eternal, that they might knw thee the nly true Gd, and Jesus Christ, whm thu hast sent. II Peter 3:18 But grw in grace, and in the knwledge f ur Lrd and Saviur Jesus Christ. Ephesians 2:20-22 And are built upn the fundatin f the apstles and prphets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief crner stne; In whm all the building fitly framed tgether grweth unt an hly temple in the Lrd: In whm ye als are builded tgether fr an habitatin f Gd thrugh the Spirit. [Dctrine is the fundatin f the church.] II Timthy 3:16-17 All scripture is given by inspiratin f Gd, and is prfitable fr dctrine, fr reprf, fr crrectin, fr instructin in righteusness: That the man f Gd may be perfect, thrughly furnished unt all gd wrks. [Dctrine is practical.]
Why study Essentials f Refrmed Dctrine? 1. Because dctrine is imprtant 2. Because Refrmed dctrine is imprtant! -- (Nte: Refrmed = Biblical!) Abslute svereignty f Gd in His eternal Will in His Prvidence in Salvatin (man s wrks d nt earn salvatin, but are a fruit f salvatin) 5 slas f the Refrmatin Scripture alne Grace alne Faith alne Christ alne Glry t Gd alne 5 pints f Calvinism (TULIP) Ttal Depravity Uncnditinal Electin Limited Atnement Irresistible Grace Preservatin f the Saints
Why study Essentials f Refrmed Dctrine? 1. Because dctrine is imprtant 2. Because Refrmed dctrine is imprtant 3. Because dctrine must be used by us 1. Refrmed in dctrine leads t. Refrmed in wrship Refrmed in church gvernment Refrmed in ur lives 2. Nt enugh simply t knw the truth. Must als lve the truth, believe the truth, cnfess the truth (witness), and live the truth. Smene may knw it all, but that des nt mean he is saved. If smene knws it but des nt als lve it, live it, etc., then a greater judgment (Matthew 11:21-24 But I say unt yu, It shall be mre tlerable fr Tyre and Sidn at the day f judgment, than fr yu. And thu, Capernaum, which art exalted unt heaven, shalt be brught dwn t hell: fr if the mighty wrks, which have been dne in thee, had been dne in Sdm, it wuld have remained until this day. But I say unt yu, That it shall be mre tlerable fr the land f Sdm in the day f judgment, than fr thee ).
What will we study in Essentials f Refrmed Dctrine? A Systematic Treatment f Dctrine Bible is nt like a textbk. The Bible is nt a Refrmed Dgmatics bk. Essentials helps us t study all the dctrines f the Bible. We are able t study all the dctrines in a systematic (rganized, lgical) way. [Nte: Essentials bklet clsely parallels the Belgic Cnfessin f Faith. ] The Six Lci f Refrmed Dctrine Thelgy (re Gd) Anthrplgy (re man) Christlgy (re Christ) Sterilgy (re salvatin) Ecclesilgy (re church) Eschatlgy (re last things) The ne thing we study in all dctrine is t knw Gd thrugh Jesus Christ, which is necessary fr salvatin (Jhn 17:3).
Class Frmat One lessn each week (usually). First Part -- Explanatin f the Dctrine/Truth. Secnd Part G thrugh the Extra wrk. Opprtunity fr questins each week. In preparatin fr class, d Extra Wrk ahead f time: Nte cncerning the Extra Wrk (frm Preface): The gal f the extra wrk is t encurage [yu] t becme acquainted with Scripture, ur creeds, and sme f ur Prtestant Refrmed literature.