Lessons from Issues 4: "True Piety Flows from Pure Doctrine"

Three more weeks to go! Previous "Lessons" are here and here.

• Is teaching/theory (doctrine) different from/inferior to practice (works/piety)? Our culture's sole contribution to Western philosophy is pragmatism: truth is what works. In other words: "God, You're so impractical!" But guess what Scripture says? Love (works, piety) flows directly from doctrine. We can't take the pragmatism of science, lift it out, and apply it to God. See testimony #5002 on the petition.
• Works do not produce faith; rather, faith produces works. Preach the Gospel (Christ's works); this leads to faith, which leads to our works (Christ in us).
• Passages: Philippians 1:3-11; Ephesians 1:15-21 and 4:11-15; 1 Corinthians 1:18-25; Colossians 1:3-10; and 2 Timothy 3:16-17.
• Also: John 1:9-13 (not us, but Him). Elsewhere, too, more emphasis is placed on KNOWING the truth of God's Word than on works.
• Hand in hand: faith and love, doctrine and works.
• God's will: that all come to know Christ.