There is nothing more important than our relationship with God.  The eternal destiny of our souls depends on whether or not we are in favor with Him.  Sadly, many religious people do not realize what it takes to establish a relationship with God.  Actually, there is not just one thing that God requires of us to be in fellowship with Him.  Instead, there are many factors that determine if we are right with Him.  Of course, faith is required (Hebrews 11:6), but more than that is necessary, not only to become a child of God, but even to maintain fellowship with Him after we are born again.  In order to be a Christian, one must believe in Jesus (John 8:24), repent of his or her sins (Acts 3:19), confess Christ (Romans 10:9-10), and be baptized (Mark 16:16).

After one obeys the gospel, he or she must walk worthy of it (Philippians 1:27), and continue to grow in Christ (2 Peter 1:5-10).  This involves a life wherein we are walking after the Spirit and not after the flesh (2 Corinthians 5:7).  It involves abstaining from the works of the flesh (Galatians 5:19-21), doing the will of God (Matthew 7:21), and loving our fellow man (Luke 10:25-28).  Being right with God also demands that we abide in the doctrine of Christ (2 John 9-11).  This is often where people in the religious world fall short.

In order to abide in the doctrine of Christ, one must first know what it is.  The doctrine of Christ simply refers to the teachings of Christ, but not just to that which He preached personally.  After Jesus returned to the right hand of God (Acts 7:56), He then started teaching through His hand-picked ambassadors, that is, the apostles.  When Jesus was here on earth, He told the apostles, “The one who hears you hears me, and the one who rejects you rejects me, and the one who rejects me rejects him who sent me”  (Luke 10:16).  The apostles’ teachings, then, were actually the teachings of Christ.  When Paul wrote to the brethren at Corinth, he said, “If anyone thinks that he is a prophet, or spiritual, he should acknowledge that the things I am writing to you are a command of the Lord” (1 Cor 14:37).  Of course, when the apostles spoke or wrote, they did so by the inspiration of the Holy Spirit Who guided them into all truth (John 16:13).  So then, when we read the teachings of the apostles and other inspired men of the New Testament, we are reading the teachings of Christ.  Those teachings make up the doctrine of Christ and include all the teachings of the New Testament.  When we speak of abiding in the doctrine of Christ, then, we are speaking of abiding in the teachings of the New Testament.

Many people believe that doctrine isn’t important.  “As long as one believes in Jesus,” they say, “what you teach or practice carries only nominal significance.”  However, abiding in the teachings of Christ is more than a little significant, it is critically important. Don’t forget that those who don’t abide in the doctrine of Christ, for whatever reason, do not have God.  Everything we practice or preach must be verified by scripture, that is, by the teachings of the New Testament.  How we worship God in local churches must be confirmed by the Word of God.  When we partake of the Lord’s Supper (first day of the week, Acts 20:7), must be in accordance with the teachings of Christ.  How we praise God musically (singing rather than playing, Ephesians 5:19; Colossians 3:16), must be proven by scriptures.  How the local church is organized (elders, deacon and saints, Philippians 1:1), with there always being a plurality of elders with equal authority (Acts 14:23; 20:17), and that only oversee the church that appointed them to be elders (1 Peter 5:2), must be verified by the New Testament.  The doctrine of Christ is clear on these and many other issues in which we must abide.  Paul said that we must have authority for all that we do and say (Colossians 3:17).

Does the church you attend partake of the Lord’s Supper whenever it wants to, or on the first day of the week?  Be sure you have scripture to back up your answer.

Does the church you attend use musical instruments when they sing?  If so, what New Testament passage authorizes it?

Does your church have one pastor or a plurality of pastors who oversee only the flock that is among them?

These are all critical questions because it is essential that we abide in the doctrine of Christ if we want to maintain fellowship with Him.  While abiding in the doctrine of Christ is only one factor in having a relationship with God, it is still a major factor, and if we fail to do so, John warns us that we do not have God.