Chapter Nine

The Practical Outworking of Theology in The Church

            We have seen how someone may come to know the Lord as Savior and begin the "journey of maturity."  A natural desire of our being born again is to know more about the One who has saved us and then to please Him.  This is accomplished through the learning and application of Scripture in many areas of living (the whole counsel of God): doctrine, reproof, correction, and instruction in righteousness.  When the pastor exhorts and admonishes the believer he is actually, for all practical purposes, implementing the principles found in 2 Timothy 3:15-16.  The basis for Christian growth must be doctrine.  Every new Christian should strive for knowledge about God, learn his personal responsibility to God, educate himself in the principles of Scripture, and have a desire to be taught by the Holy Spirit.  His theology must be immediately usable!  It is this immediate recognition of personal responsibility which stimulates the new Christian and gives him an appreciation for his new faith and life.  The church has the important task of training the convert while stimulating all other believers to reach a  lost world for Christ.  The church has certain characteristics and ordinances which authenticate it as a New Testament Church.  A functional definition of a New Testament Church could be described as:

 A local body of believers that have been born again by the Holy spirit of God; and have been baptized by immersion in water; are under the headship of Christ; fulfill the commission of Christ (Matthew 28:19-20); meet together on a regular basis for the purpose of worship, preaching, teaching, edification; and use their gifts for the proclamation of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.