Mark Of Maturity #1 - Doctrinal Purity

Marks of Christian Maturity

The next three weeks we're going to be doing a series on maturity, Christian maturity. Begin today and I'm going to go for a couple of weeks after that. Let me ask you this, what would you say are some of the marks of Christian maturity?

If we were to put together a list, what are the marks of Christian maturity? Anyone? Growing in the grace and the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. Very good. What's the reference to that by the way?

Anybody know? I'm asking way too much. Steve? What's that 1 Peter? Okay, it's the second epistle. 2 Peter 3 .18. The very last verse of 2 Peter. Very important verse. Very good. Growing in the grace and knowledge.

Now you know what some of the IBS students of mine had to suffer with. Anybody else? So growing in the grace. What else is a mark of Christian maturity? Ezra? Obedience to the word. Obedience to scriptures.

Very good. Growing in grace. Obedience to the scriptures. Anybody else? Yes. Displaying the fruit of the Spirit. Very good. Galatians 5. Charlie? Excellent. Proper responses to life's challenges, blessings and hurdles.

I like that. Everything in general in life. I was told once, and you probably have heard it, that as you grow in maturity in the Christian life, you go from becoming hard-hearted and soft-skinned to soft-hearted and thick-skinned.

So you're able, as you mature in the faith, to face those trials in life. I saw the hint, Steve? True and complete love for the brethren. I love that. Which actually is not only a mark of maturity, but the Apostle John says is an evidence of salvation, right?

1 John 3 .14. By this we know we have passed from death to life, if we what? Love the brethren. Hold on. Anybody else? Yes, Barbara. Fervent prayer. Being fervent in prayer. Romans 12. Excellent. Alright, I'll give you a second round.

I like that. Ever-increasing victory over sin. Great list. Growing in the grace and knowledge of our Lord. Obedience to the scriptures. The fruit of the Spirit displayed. Handling life's challenges. Loving the brethren.

Fervent prayer. Ever-increasing victory over sin. This morning we're going to look at three marks of maturity over the next three weeks. If you would turn with me to Ephesians 4. Ephesians 4. We're going to look at the first mark of Christian maturity.

And all those answers were very good. Very biblical. But the one we're going to look at today wasn't touched on. Ephesians 4. Beginning in verse 12. Reading down to verse 14. Paul writes, and he, referring to Christ, gave...

So these are gifts that Christ himself gives to the church. He gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds, or pastors and teachers. Why? Verse 12. Well, actually I begin in verse 11.

I'm sorry. "...to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ.". Until what? What's the ultimate goal? "...until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood...".

There it is, maturity. "...to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ.". For what purpose? "...so that we may no longer be children, tossed to and fro by the waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by human cunning, by craftiness and deceitful schemes.".

Scott. Here, you need this.

He's sweating, so he's lying. So mark number one of Christian maturity, according to this in Ephesians. Doctrinal purity. Doctrinal purity. Now, of course, if you've been at BBC for any length of time, you've come to have a love for doctrine.

Doctrinal purity. Notice what he says here, what Paul says here. Doctrinal purity is essential first for church unity. Doctrinal purity is essential for church unity. There are people who say, well, we just love Jesus.

Let's just all be united. But Paul says in verse 13,. "...until we all attain to the unity of the faith...". "...of the faith, the content of our faith, doctrine, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, so we may no longer be children tossed to and fro by the waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine.".

There can be no ecclesiastical unity apart from doctrinal unity. Of course, you've got to ask, which doctrines are we talking about? If we disagree on certain ones, which doctrines unite us? And we'll get to that at the very end as we finish our class.

So doctrinal purity is essential for church unity. Notice earlier in the chapter there in Ephesians 4, the context highlights this also. Beginning in verse 3, Paul says,. "...eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.".

There it is, unity. Verse 4,. "...there is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called to the one hope that belongs to your call, one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all who is over all and through all and in all.".

One, one, one. Unity of the faith. Christian unity can only come through doctrinal unity. But of course, Paul's point here is to highlight a mark of Christian maturity, which is doctrinal purity. Notice in verse 14 how he puts it,.

"...we may no longer be children tossed to and fro by the waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine.". Children in the faith are tossed. What a graphic description, tossed by the waves of every wind of doctrine.

That word doctrine in Greek is basically just a teaching, the content of biblical teaching, vivascalia. And how does that happen? How are people who are immature tossed by every wind of doctrine? Paul explains it, by human cunning, by human cunning, by craftiness in deceitful schemes.

So doctrinal purity is of the essence in order to mature in the Christian faith. J. Gratian Machen in his book Christianity and Liberalism said these two simple but profound quotes about doctrine. Christian doctrine lies at the very roots of faith.

Christian doctrine lies at the very roots of faith. And I love this other quote, he says, "...indifferentism about doctrine makes no heroes of the faith.". Being indifferent about doctrine makes no heroes of the faith.

Doctrine is not dry, because doctrine is taken from the living and abiding word of God. Hebrews 4 .12, the word of God is living and active, sharper than a two-edged sword. Doctrinal purity is a mark of Christian maturity.

Well, who are these people who are cunning in a human way and crafty in deceitful schemes? Let me have some people read some scriptures for us. We're going to look at some warnings throughout the whole New Testament from different people who warn us against these false teachers, these false prophets who use human cunning and craftiness in deceitful schemes.

Have somebody read, well, first let's turn to them. I need about five volunteers. Matthew 7 is one reference, verses 15 to 16. Who can look that up? Yes, thank you. Acts 20, verses 28 to 31. 2 Peter 2 .1.

Tom, thank you. 1 John 4 .1. Brian, thank you. And Jude, what chapter? Very good. Verse 4. Tim, thank you. So we'll just read each one at a time. We're not going to have all of you read them. We're just going to highlight the warnings of the New Testament against these false teachers who, as Paul described in Ephesians 4, use human cunning, craftiness, and deceitful schemes.

Okay, let's start with the words of our Lord. Matthew 7. Yeah, that's good. Thank you. Beware the words of Jesus Christ. To not heed the words of Christ here is to not take Him seriously. He says, beware of false prophets.

This is, of course, in the context of the Sermon of the Mount, the greatest sermon ever preached. Beware of false prophets. They come to you. Why does He tell us to beware? They come how? As savage or ravenous wolves.

So we are to beware of these false prophets who use human cunning and craftiness and deceitful schemes. It's not enough. Not only Christ Himself, but the Apostle Paul. Acts 20. I'm sorry, 28 through 31.

That's always struck me, the great Apostle Paul. He says there at the end, in verse 31, that for a period of three years, he did not cease to admonish them with tears. Now, what would cause Paul to be in such a state?

Because he says at the beginning of the passage, he's addressing the Ephesian elders here as a context. In verse 28, he says to them, watch over first yourselves. Ephesian elders, watch over first yourselves.

Elders. And then, watch over the flock of God. Which flock? Which the who made you overseers. The Holy Spirit has made you overseers of the flock of God. Why? Because of these savage wolves. These fierce wolves.

And in verse 30, I'll highlight that he says, from among yourselves, there will arise men speaking twisted things to draw away disciples after them. That's the goal of a false teacher. He uses human cunning and distorts doctrine and leads us not down the path of maturity, but immaturity.

It's to draw people not after the Lord, but after self. Warning from Paul. It doesn't stop there. How about the Apostle Peter? Who had 2 Peter? Tom. Chapter 2, verse 1. Thank you. I highlight again, as Paul said to the Ephesian elders, Peter says here, from among you, and they will do it secretly.

After all, 2 Corinthians 11, right? Paul says what about the devil? He disguises himself as what? An angel of light. That's not enough. How about the Apostle John? The closest companion to our Lord. 1 John 4 .1.

Brian. Thank you. Of course, the context that, just to bring it into play here, the context that John is writing to, he's attacking Gnosticism, which didn't deny the incarnation of Christ, because spirit is good and matter is evil, so Jesus cannot take on human flesh, because that would distort him.

That's why he says in verse 2 of that passage, the one who denies that Jesus has come in the flesh is an antichrist. So that's what he's trying to attack there. But nonetheless, the general principle is to test every spirit.

Why? For many false prophets have gone out into the world. We need to test the spirits. And finally, Jude, verse 4. Tim. Excellent. Ungodly. Little characteristics of a false teacher. Perverted. Have crept in unnoticed.

You see the theme here? From among your own selves, Peter says secretly, have crept in unnoticed, because they're motivated from their own heavenly father, the devil. John 8. So the warnings are in abundance from Christ, from Paul, from Peter, from all the apostles, from John, from Jude.

So in order to continue in the process of maturity, doctrinal purity is of the essence. And in order to stay on the path of doctrinal purity, you have to beware, as all of them said, of these false prophets.

Turn with me for a sec together, if you would, to Titus, chapter 1, verse 9. Titus, chapter 1, verse 9. Of course, this is the passage, along with 1 Timothy 3, where Paul gives the qualifications for an elder, for an overseer, for a pastor, for a shepherd, for a leader in his body.

But I wanted to highlight here, verse 9, what Paul says to Titus is really the twofold purpose of a pastor. The twofold purpose of a pastor from a positive perspective and then from a negative perspective.

And as it relates, of course, to this mark of maturity. Titus 1 .9, Paul says, He, the overseer, the shepherd, the pastor, must hold firm to the trustworthy word as taught. Why? Purpose clause, hynna clause.

So that he may be able to give instruction in sound doctrine. So that's the first purpose. He is to give instruction in sound doctrine. On a positive note. But from also another perspective, and also to do what?

To rebuke those who contradict it. Churches today are filled with leaders and pastors and elders who not only don't do the... The second thing is almost like off the page, off the planet. Really? I'm going to rebuke those who contradict sound doctrine?

Never mind doing even the first thing. To give instruction in sound doctrine. It's so dry and boring. No one's going to show up. The seats are not going to be filled. But Paul says, if you are to be faithful to what God has called you to and to lead people to Christian maturity, you're to instruct in sound doctrine and rebuke those who contradict it.

Because otherwise, the flock will be attacked by savage wolves and they'll be tossed to and fro by every wind of doctrine. Very significant. How did you feel when Pastor Mike called out Benny Hinn a couple of weeks ago?

He called him out by name. We have one elect here. Look, a pastor who does not expose false teachers, how? By calling them out by name, watch this, has abdicated his God-ordained calling as a pastor.

A pastor who does not expose false teachers by calling them out by name has abdicated his role, his God-ordained calling as a pastor. And not only that, he's endangering the flock for which the Holy Spirit has made him an overseer.

If we go by that verse alone, most of the pastors in evangelicalism today will be disqualified. This is the force of the argument that the Scriptures give us, that in order to continue in Christian maturity, that is the goal.

Right? Who knows? What is the verse that's on the Sunday bulletin? I think it's still on there since the bulletin changed. Steve? That's right, Colossians 128, which we'll cover that in more detail next week.

Pastor Mike preached on that his first Sunday back last fall. The goal is Christian maturity. And in order to achieve that is to be able to not be tossed by every wind of doctrine. When I was pastoring, there was an interesting incident where I was calling out people by name.

I was getting a little harassment for it, but that's okay. And one of the people I named was... Some people I would name were local people, but one person I named, TV personality Joel Olsteen. And one of the ladies in our church had heard his name associated with Crescendum.

So she figured, okay, he's kosher, he's okay. She didn't know much about him. But because I called him out by name, she went and did some more research. And she came to me the following Sunday and said, he doesn't believe the gospel.

I never hear him talk about sin. So when we do that, it's important because we're able to show the flock and keep him on the pathway to maturity. Turn with me to this excellent Old Testament passage in Ezekiel 34.

Ezekiel 34, verses 1 through 10. This is God speaking through the prophet Ezekiel against the shepherds of Israel. Old Testament. And I'll read through it, just 10 verses, and then I'll just highlight a few points as it relates to the mark of Christian maturity being doctrinal purity and the responsibility of shepherds in that stead.

Ezekiel 34. The word of the Lord came to me. Verse 2. Son of man, prophesy against the shepherds of Israel. Prophesy and say to them, even to the shepherds, thus says the Lord God. Ah, shepherds of Israel, who have been feeding yourselves, should not shepherds feed the sheep?

You eat the fat, you clothe yourselves with the wool, you slaughter the fat ones but you do not feed the sheep. The weak you have not strengthened, the sick you have not healed, the injured you have not bound up, the strayed you have not brought back, the lost you have not sought, and with force and harshness you have grueled them.

So they were scattered because there was no shepherd and they became food for all the wild beasts. My sheep were scattered. They wandered over all the mountains and on every high hill. My sheep were scattered over all the face of the earth with none to search or seek for them.

Therefore, you shepherds, hear the word of the Lord. As I live, declares the Lord God, surely because my sheep have become a prey and my sheep have become food for all the wild beasts, since there was no shepherd and because my shepherds have not searched for my sheep, but the shepherds have fed themselves and have not fed my sheep.

Therefore, you shepherds, hear the word of the Lord. Thus says the Lord God. Behold, I am against the shepherds and I will require my sheep at their hand and put a stop to their feeding the sheep. No longer shall the shepherds feed themselves.

I will rescue my sheep from their mouths that they may not be food for them. Pretty strong words. Just highlight three things here that come forward from the text. The first one is that this passage is bookend from the beginning at the end with this reality, that God is against shepherds who feed themselves and not the flock.

He's against them. We can go to Romans 8. If God is for us, who can be against us? Can God be against? Sure. James 4, 6, 1 Peter 5. God gives grace to the humble but resists the proud. So God is against here.

He makes it very clear in verse 1 and 10. Prophesy against the shepherds. Say to them, even to the shepherds, our shepherds who have been feeding yourselves. And then verse 10. I'm against the shepherds.

God is against the shepherds who feed themselves. Why? Because the goal is Christian maturity. Not to be tossed by every wind of doctrine. Secondly, notice that eight times here in this passage, God refers to the sheep, which he's given the shepherds to shepherd as my sheep.

Right. Paul said to the Ephesian elders, which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers. Notice in verse six, my sheep were scattered. They wandered over all the mountains and on every high hill. My sheep were scattered.

Verse eight. He mentions it four times as I live, declares the Lord God surely because my sheep have become a prey and my sheep have become food since there was no shepherd. And because my shepherds have not searched for my sheep, but the shepherds have fed themselves and have not fed my sheep.

Verse 10, two more times as does the Lord God behold them against the shepherds. And I will require my sheep at their hand and put a stop to their feeding the sheep. No longer shall the shepherds feed themselves.

I will rescue my sheep. Pastors and elders were simply under shepherds of the chief shepherd, Jesus Christ, who happens to be the head of his body. God is saying here, I'm taking this seriously because they are my sheep.

They are my sheep. And I want them to continue to be shipped, to be fed properly so that they will continue in Christian maturity in doctrinal purity. And the last note I wanted to highlight for you is he says in verses two to three and verses eight and 10, he refers to these shepherds as feeding themselves and not the sheep.

Can you imagine that? Never forget one time. The last time we were in Greece, we were up in Northern Greece and you're driving through the hills and through the mountains and, and you can see constantly actual shepherds still herding their sheep.

It's pretty neat to just stop in the car and watch how they do that. And can you imagine that these shepherds were not caring for their sheep, but caring for themselves. This is the imagery that God is using here.

Don't feed yourself, feed the sheep, lead them to Christian maturity through sound doctrine. You receive pastor Mike's email for your summer listening list from S Lewis Johnson. You haven't, if you have good opportunity this summer to get some more basic Bible doctrine in you, there's 41 things.

There's some great stuff in there about the effects of the fall about, uh, the church about end times about the scriptures, basic Bible doctrines. When it passed out a sheet, if I can get somebody to help me out, we'll do, I should have enough.

If I don't, we can share. Thank you. Thanks. Well, and we'll go, we're going to look at some of these from a perspective here that you'll see as you get your sheet. Who knows what a triage nurses tell us?

What is it? What's the triage nurse? What does she do? Well, okay. Okay. Okay. Uh huh. Okay, good. So she directs the people where they should go, but her direction is based upon an assessment that she's made based upon who's got the greatest need or whatever.

And therefore, based on her assessment, she directs him where to go. Al molar talks about this in the sheet that I'm passing out to you. He calls it a theological triage, a theological triage, sort of like a triage nurse where we need to assess.

Okay. So we say there's no church unity apart from doctrinal unity. That's the basis of Ephesians four and there's no Christian maturity apart from doctrinal purity. That's how we mature in the faith by being grounded in the doctrines of the faith.

But how do we determine which doctrines are of the essence in which are secondary and tertiary? So as you'll see on your note there, everyone get a piece. We have three columns there. The first level is what we would call things that doctrines that are essential for salvation.

Okay. The second column, a second level doctrines are they're important for fellowship. Okay. And the third level column, we agree to disagree, not as important. So I have a list of them there and we can talk it out loud together.

And as we walk through this, let's see, where would you place each of these doctrinal statements at the top? First level, second level, a third level. Okay. Elder rule versus congregational rule. Where would that go?

Okay. I heard third, second and first. Okay. The three of you come here. We'll have a match. Okay. Who said first for first of all. Okay. Those who said first, tell me why. Oh no. Go ahead. Okay. Again, let me rephrase the question.

Maybe I, I, I threw some Greek in there and spoken tongues and there was no interpreter. So, uh, that's excellent. What Carol said is the elders, uh, is not the congregational rule. The question is not whether it's one or the other.

Okay. The question is, where do you put that in terms of a doctrinal issue? Do you consider it essential for salvation? Important for fellowship or agree to disagree. Somebody else said second or third Steve.

Okay. Excellent. So command from the scriptures. Yes. Excellent. So second level for that reason. So I heard somebody say third. No, I mean, yes. Okay. Okay. So third level. All right. First of all, second level.

All right. The correct answer is. Okay. Remember the levels, how we categorize them. Is it essential for salvation? No. I agree to disagree. Well, look, if I believed in congregational rule, I wouldn't be here.

So it's not essential for salvation, but it's important for fellowship and for joining hands together in leadership. So I would say it would be important for fellowship. Second level. Okay, so let's see.

Let's go to the right justification by faith. Good. I got my handkerchief ready just in case. Pato baptism, infant baptism versus believers baptism. Two and a half. That's good. 2 .5 Charlie or 2 .3, which was.

Solidly 2 .5. Anybody else was somewhere between two and three. Between one and two. Okay, boy. You have to talk to Al about a rewriting a lot. He'll be doing his list here. I had it under. So we got between one and two and the two seems to be the under important for fellowship.

So, for example, it's not, it's not for salvation, but if I am, believe that the scripture teaches believers, baptism versus infant baptism, I wouldn't be able to be involved in the church that did that.

Erickson. Yes, that's what I mean. I don't mean that I can't. You know, if I'm talking to somebody, I don't know, at some conference and find out they pay to baptize. Like if I went to the shepherds conference and find out somebody was paid to baptize, I automatically walk away from him and start fellowshipping with him.

I'm talking about, yeah, being committed. That's a good clarification. Being committed to a local body of believers. Yes. Commitment to the local church. Yes. Thank you for the clarification. Not that I can't sit down and talk with somebody who's, who believes that, but if I'm going to be committed to a local body, if I believe one way or the other, it'd be important to be part of that.

Does that make sense? Oh, as the pastors. Yes. Okay. Yeah. I'm talking, that's a good clarification to talking about the pastors and the elders, but also talking about just as believers, because we're looking at believers, marks of maturity, what we need to discern in terms of doctrine.

Okay. A bodily resurrection of Christ. One deity of Christ. The one levels are easy, right? Ordination of women. Wasn't it Scott who said earlier he was going to say that thing about doctrinal impurity.

So next time I'm going to, I have another handkerchief. It has an S on it. That, so I wouldn't be able to, you know, to, to be at a, at a, at a body, not only as a leader, but as a believer where that was the case, because I feel they're contradicting the scripture.

So that would be, I have it under second level pre mid and post tribulation. Okay. I had under one. Okay. Just kidding. A trend, the Trinity. One. Pre-millennialism and amillennialism. Third. Okay. That's what I had.

The humanity of Christ. One. This is evidence that what expository preaching does, because expository preaching is doctrinal preaching. You can't have expository preaching, which is not doctrinal preaching.

And if I had done this list at some other churches, it'd be like way off the wall. They'd be saying to me, like four and 2 .5. Who knows? Substitutionary atonement. The Lord's supper. Two. You know, there was heated.

Well, we're talking with, I think, Brian earlier, Brian Bartlett, not only on the Lord. Well, let me say the Lord's supper. There was heated debates in the reformation period over the Lord's supper and over pedo-baptism over the Lord's supper.

For example, Zwingli, the reformer, believed in, you know, contrary to what Luther believed. Luther, at one point at a conference, they were at, wrote on a table, and he said, this is my body, quoting the scripture.

And he looked at Zwingli and said, you have another spirit. The reformers amongst themselves over this. Of course, the essence of the Reformation was justification by faith, reclaiming the true biblical gospel.

But even over that, or pedo-baptism versus believers, baptism, the Anabaptists. You know, if you read the history of what was done to them because of that, it was quite alarming. People being killed and drowned because they didn't believe.

I said to Brian, I said, can you imagine if a pedo-baptist church down the street found out we do believers baptism? They came to us and said, okay, we'll gather all together. We're going to drown you now.

This is what was happening in the history of the church, but it would be second level. The authority of scripture and the virgin birth of Christ. One. Now notice from this list, what I want you to notice, the first level, what theology overall is it?

Ah, Soteriology. Yes, comment, question. Yes, go for it. Okay, Charlie responds. No, he raised his hand. Good. Yes. Yes. When it, right, when it's, whether that's a good point, whether it's meritorious towards self, if it's self, if it's salvific, very good point.

If it, so that was my highlight is to the generality. The first level is soteriological. So Charlie is saying, and I'll get back to that question, that if it, if they believe this church, that it is salvific in any way, shape, or form, that's obviously under a number one.

But in terms of that, I mean, you can, you can take that to the nth degree because, uh, first John, one of my favorite epistles, first John two says, by this, we know that we have come to know him when we pray the sinner's prayer.

By this, we know we have come to know him when we keep his commandments. The one who says, I know God and does not do what he says is a liar. And the truth is not in him. Obedience to the scriptures, which somebody earlier said as a mark of maturity is evidence of salvation.

So as the question goes, if we place a scripture as the ultimate authority for our faith and practice for our rule of life versus church tradition, everything else, then it would follow suit the other things.

Uh, so soteriological is of the essence. That's why when I taught IBS last year, that's what I wanted to do is teach on soteriology. Second level issues are what? Theology, pretty much. Ecclesiology. Yeah.

Ecclesiological issues. So somebody like Al Moller, uh, who believes in, you know, he's Baptist congregational rule, you know, versus somebody who's a elder rule. Uh, they might be able to fellowship together, but not essential for salvation.

But, and the third level is basically what theology? We said pre-trib, post-trib, pre-mil, eschatological. So the first one is soteriological and also theology proper, the nature of God himself, Trinity, who is Jesus, the deity of Christ.

So it's soteriological, Christological, theology proper, which is the nature and essence of God, the Trinity. Those are non-negotiables, non-negotiables, and the others fall suit, uh, second level and third level.

Let me just close. If you turn with me to Jude and we'll close with this comment, Tim, that's interesting. Okay. You know, I've been surprised by what some of the others have said. The, uh, Jay Grayson mentioned in his book, Christian liberalism says, uh, I was surprised for him to say that, uh, Armenians and Calvinists can together fellowship.

And, uh, that's not an issue. And actually, I think Al Mollus is the same thing, but again, that gets kind of, you know, I'm a little bit different on that because doctrinal doctrines of grace primarily relate to soteriological issues.

So if you don't believe in total depravity where everything else falls in suit after that, so you can't have four point Calvinist because total depravity just tells you the rest of the story. Well, there are some Dallas seminary people who, who are four point Calvinist and pray for them.

But yeah, so I think that's much more significant as, uh, I don't fully agree with matron or molar or that because it's so if it, my, my filter is what does it do? Christologically? Soteriologically and doctrines of grace, total depravity election, uh, relate to that.

Now, somebody, God can save somebody. As Charlie mentioned, sound somewhat similarly who, you know, a lot of us, when God saved us, we're our minion in terms of our doctrinal belief until we were shown the scripture.

And we can say what Jesus said to, by the way, remember humility. We can say what Jesus said to Peter. Who do, who do people say that I am? Some of the prophets, some Elijah, who do you say that I am?

You're the crisis, son of the living God. A lot of times we stopped there, but what did Christ say to him after that? Flesh and blood is not revealed this to you, but my father was in heaven. Sure. If your eyes have been open to the truth of the doctrines of grace, give God the glory for opening your eyes for that.

So I would say, so there's people across the board who disagree on that. Uh, mentioned, does it thinks it's okay? Uh, molar in terms of, they can be, uh, truly saved and fellowship in that sense. Uh, so they wouldn't classify it as first level, but I think I'd, I'd lean more towards the first level because it's, so it's, you're logically based.

I don't do 1 .5. Yeah. Let's close with Jude. Look at what Jude says at the end here. Pretty, pretty interesting. So remember the doc, the doctrinal purity is the first mark of Christian maturity. That's why it's important to, you've been established in doctrine to continue in the things you've been established.

Never get to the point where you say, I got it. Yes. God has opened your eyes and he has made certain things clear, but continue to learn those things. And look what Jude says after he spends a whole epistle talking about these false teachers who are leading people done, not the path of maturity.

He says, this is how we had to respond. Verse 20, but you beloved, building yourselves up in your most Holy faith. See that we're to continue to build ourselves up in our most Holy faith and praying in the Holy spirit.

Keep yourselves in the love of God, waiting for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ that leads to eternal life and have mercy on those who doubt. Save others by snatching them out of the fire to others.

Show mercy with fear, hating even the garment stained by the flesh. Now to him who is able to keep you from stumbling and to present you blameless before the presence of the glory, with great joy to the only God, our savior through Jesus Christ, our Lord be glory, majesty, dominion, and authority before all time now and forever.

Amen. So we are to continue to build ourselves up in our most Holy faith in the doctrines of the faith, because that's the pathway to maturity. Father, thanks for your word. Thank you for this time that we can gather around the fellowship of the scriptures and Lord, would you continue to help us to build ourselves up in the most Holy faith as we continue to get grounded in the great and rich doctrines of our Christian faith.

We give you the glory for opening our eyes in Christ's name. We pray. Amen.