March 1, 2009
SOVEREIGN GRACE BAPTIST CHURCH
Of Princeton, New Jersey

Hebrews 13: 9: Be not carried about with divers and strange doctrines. For it is a good thing that the heart be established with grace; not with meats, which have not profited them that have been occupied therein.

MEETING LOCATION
Rocky Hill Firehouse, 2nd floor
150 Washington Street, Rocky Hill, NJ, 08553

SCHEDULE OF SERVICES
Sunday 10 AM Bible Class
11 AM Morning Worship
Thursday 7:00 PM Mid-week Service

WEB ADDRESSES AND MAILING ADDRESS
www.sovereign-grace.us/
www.sermonaudio.com/sgbcpnj
www.freegraceradio.com

Clay Curtis, Pastor
7 Birch Street
Pennington, New Jersey, 08534
Phone: 615-513-4464
Email: clay@sovereign-grace.us

CONTRASTS BETWEEN TRUTH AND ERROR
Hebrews 13: 5-13

Verses 5, 6 proclaim that Christ is the Way and will keep you in the way you should go. Verse 9 says that error will carry you about--out of the way.

Verse 7, 8 calls on us to remember faithful pastors which God sends, to follow Christ whom they follow, considering that everything they teach ends in one: Christ Jesus the same yesterday and today and forever. Verse 9 warns us not to be carried about by those whose teachings vary and are foreign. Men add things other than the one doctrine of salvation by grace in Christ Jesus the Lord through faith in him.

Verse 9 teaches us that man's instructions will tell us there are some things which man must do. Those teaching will carry us about in the flesh away from focusing on Christ Jesus--be not carried about with divers and strange doctrines. But the second half of the verse teaches that through God's doctrine, the Spirit grounds us in truth, in the heart, because it is through the doctrine of God's grace that he establishes the heart of his children--it is good that the heart be established by grace.

Verse 9 teaches us that outward observances, traditions and ceremonies have not profited them whose time is occupied in those things. Yet, when this verse declares it is good that the heart be established by grace it teaches us that through the doctrine of Christ Jesus, our King and Savior profits us because Christ is the riches of God's free salvation.

Verse 10-13 teaches us that Christ Jesus is not only our High Priest, not only our Sacrifice to God, but also the Altar where we are fed as we worship our God. Yet, those who focus on this bodily tabernacle--on a variety of service, on touch not, taste not, handle not--have no right to partake of Christ our living Bread, who separated us with his own blood. Leave your sacrifices behind and go out by faith to Christ.

Confession
Romans 10:10: For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.
Confession of Christ is not merely the lips saying that we agree with God that there is no righteousness but the righteousness of God manifest in the faithfulness of Christ Jesus, but also when our hearts are at rest in Christ through faith. The false heart is betrayed when we say with the lips that we submit to the righteousness of God then go about to establish our own (Rom 10: 3.)

Doctrine and Doctrines
Doctrine means teaching or instruction. Concerning Christ Jesus we read, "And they were astonished at his [DOCTRINE]: for he [TAUGHT] them as one that had authority, and not as the scribes" (Mar 1:22.)

Throughout scripture, the word "doctrine" is almost always in the singular when it describes God's doctrine (Joh 7: 16, 17; 2 Joh 1: 9; Rom 16: 17.) Usually, when the scriptures refer to man's teachings the word is in the plural (Mat. 15:9; Mar 7: 7; Col 2: 22; I Tim 4: 1; Heb 13: 9.)

The doctrine of Christ is singular because no matter the subject (or where it is found in scripture) it is concerning Christ Jesus the Son of God whose person and office never changes. God's doctrine feeds the appetite Christ gives. The appetite he gives in spirit is for Christ Jesus the same yesterday and today and forever. The doctrines of men are many because they feed only the flesh of men. The appetites of men change and vary from one moment to the next. So do their doctrines.

Divers Doctrines
Divers doctrines are teachings invented by men which offer a variety so as to please men.

The pack of snacks mom brings home with all different kinds of goodies in it is called a-"variety" pack. It has "various" flavors and colors for whatever appeals to your taste or your eye at the moment. Those are "divers" snacks.

Man has invented a "variety" of teachings concerning God, concerning man's condition and concerning salvation. Such teachings are designed by man to appeal to whatever men's taste may be at the moment because men change. God's doctrine is one. It does not change. The teaching of God is always, continually the same because it is concerning Jesus Christ the same yesterday and today and forever (Heb 13: 7-9.)

Strange Doctrines
Strange doctrines are teachings not found in God's word.

If you were lost and your father sent someone to teach you the way to get home that would be true doctrine. Yet, someone else comes along teaching a way which will carry you about from the way your father taught you. You know their teaching is "strange" because it does not agree with the word--the teaching or doctrine--of your father.

God's word is his doctrine sent down from heaven. Any time you are taught by men, compare what men teach to what God teaches in his written word. If what they instruct agrees with God it is true doctrine; if what they teach does not agree with God's word, if it is not in agreement with the person and work of Christ Jesus, or if it is foreign to the teaching that salvation is by grace, then you can be sure they are teaching strange doctrines--be not carried about (Heb 13: 9.)

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