Living Up to Doctrinal Statement
- Wilber C. Lugo Carrera
- Jun 14, 2025
- 2 min read
Universal Beliefs of the Christian Church
All Christian churches have doctrinal statements. Doctrines are a body of principles and beliefs held and taught by a religious organization. They are a foundation and guidelines for those living and believing in such statements. Although Christian denominations differ in specific doctrines, some can be considered universal beliefs, such as the divinity of Christ, worship of the Triune God, the inerrancy of the Word of God, the fall of humanity and its corrupted nature, and others. Thus, those individuals who are part of a Christian community need to realize how essential doctrines are, for they build the church’s identity and belief and serve biblical instructions and the proclamation of the Gospel.[1]
Guidance for Christian Spirituality
Christian doctrinal statements do not originate from nothing. The Bible is the constitution of the Christian faith; it specifies what is to be believed and what is to be done.[2] Doctrines are drawn from the Bible and serve as guidance for Christian spirituality. Thus, if doctrinal statements are in harmony with the content of the biblical canon, then they are trustworthy. Millard J. Erickson states that the study and understanding of doctrine are not optional for Christians because they are essential to their relationship with God (corrects their thoughts about the Lord), connect experience and biblical truth (shapes their worship and service), and separate believers from other secular and religious systems.[3] Consequently, after considering and studying the Christian church’s beliefs (subjective to the denominational affiliation), believers must live up to its denominational statements.
Living Up to Doctrinal Statements
A.W. Tozer expounded that believers tend by a “secret law of the soul” to move toward their mental image of God. [4] Thus, doctrinal statements are crucial for all believers (newborn or mature in faith) if they are biblically aligned. Knowledge of Christian doctrine can fix any misunderstanding about God and the church. Additionally, it supports believers in spiritual growth and transformation, gives them the identity of a citizen of heaven, and makes them one with all other Christian churches as they connect through universal beliefs.
[1] Robert Smith Jr., Doctrine that Dances: Bringing Doctrinal Preaching and Teaching to Life (Nashville, TN: B&H Publishing Group, 2008), 11.
[2] Millard J. Erickson, Introducing Christian Doctrine 3rd ed. (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Academic, 2015), 7.
[3] Erickson, Christian Doctrine, 5.
[4] A.W. Tozer, The Knowledge of the Holy (New York, NY: HarperCollins Publishers, 1961), 1.
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