What is the Doctrine of Christ? (2)

Steven J. Wallace

"Whoever transgresses and does not abide in the doctrine of Christ does not have God. He who abides in the doctrine of Christ has both the Father and the Son" (2 John 9).

Having the Father and the Son is conditioned upon staying within the doctrine of Christ. To go beyond this teaching is to violate Christ and be guilty of trespassing. To map out the teaching by way of a formula, we see:

• Doctrine ± Response = The State of Fellowship

• Doctrine − Abiding = Does Not Have God

• Doctrine + Abiding =Has the Father and the Son

2 John 9 is teaching the same truth that is found in other passages that simply use other expressions. Let's look at three.

Matthew 7:21-23

"Not everyone who says to Me, 'Lord, Lord,' shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven. Many will say to Me in that day, 'Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?' And then I will declare to them, 'I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!'"

What is the Lord saying?

• Will of Father − obedience = Depart from Me

• Will of Father + obedience = Enters Kingdom
  

The same message is found in the Lord's picture that follows with the wise and foolish builders (see Matt. 7:24-27).

• Sayings of Jesus + hears − does = house falls

• Sayings of Jesus + hears + does = house stands
  

The information that has come down from heaven requires a response by man. It is to be heard and then obeyed for the desired outcome. What should stand out to us in this discussion is that the subjects in this text were not denying the teaching about Jesus. They fully embraced Him verbally calling Him "Lord." What went wrong? He was "Lord" in word only. They did not obey what He called them to do. Although they boasted of doing things "in His name" they were lawless. They were out of fellowship with Christ because they were not doing the will of the Father.

2 John 9 is the same teaching found here restated!

John 8:31

"Then Jesus said to those Jews who believed Him, 'If you abide in My word, you are My disciples indeed.'"

My Word + abide in = True Discipleship

What is strongly implied is its contrast:

My Word − abide in = False Discipleship

2 John 9 is the same teaching found here restated! John 12:48 states, "He who rejects Me, and does not receive My words, has that which judges him—the word that I have spoken will judge him in the last day."

Colossians 1:21-23

"And you, who once were alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now He has reconciled in the body of His flesh through death, to present you holy, and blameless, and above reproach in His sight—if indeed you continue in the faith, grounded and steadfast, and are not moved away from the hope of the gospel which you heard, which was preached to every creature under heaven, of which I, Paul, became a minister."

What is promised in this passage?

The Faith + Continue = Holy, Blameless, Above Reproach in His Sight

"The Faith" is the gospel. As Paul preached the faith, so he was preaching the gospel (Gal. 1:11, 23). The gospel was not limited to one teaching "about" Jesus but encompasses all the teaching from Jesus and His apostles that leads us to live sanctified lives. The apostles gave the commandments of the Lord (1 Cor. 14:37).

2 John 9 is the same teaching found here restated!

When scanning the New Testament, one reads about the departure of Hymenaeus and Philetus (2 Tim. 2:17, 18). Their message was cancer-like. The effect was devastating to the faith of some. We quickly discover that they were not denying anything directly tied to the person of Jesus or the life that He lived. Rather they were denying the doctrine of Christ that pertains to the future resurrection. They claimed that it had already happened! In doing this, they strayed from the truth. Yet, the truth is in Jesus and connected with His grace (Eph. 4:21; Jn. 14:6; 1:17). Therefore, to stray from the truth is to stray from Jesus and the grace which He brought.

Do not be moved away from the hope of the gospel!

.