Salvation Army Doctrine #2

Hi, this is Bernie Dake. Welcome to the Salvation Army's Words of Life. Welcome to Words of Life. I'm Cheryl Gillum.

And I'm Bernie Dake. Nice to have you with us this week. Last week we launched our new series, We Believe, with Salvation Army Officer Dan Starrett. Throughout the 11-week series, Dan is preaching on the 11 doctrines of the Salvation Army. Last week he discussed our beliefs that the Scriptures of the Old New Testament were given by inspiration of God, and they only constitute the divine rule of Christian faith and practice. And this week, the doctrine Dan is concentrating on is, we believe that there is only one God. Dan has already touched on this, but you'll see throughout this series that these 11 doctrines keep building on each other.

And if any of these are removed, the rest falls apart. It's so important that when you're learning about the doctrines, you kind of understand why they're written in the order that they're written. And I have to admit, I'm an adult now. As a teenager or as a young adult having studied the doctrines, I didn't really understand that part of it. I must have missed that lesson. But now, as I appreciate the foundation I've been given as a Christian person, I really do try to make sure that young people or people that are new to the Salvation Army understand why it is that they're written in that order.

Right. And we, you know, at a very young age, we begin to instill this within our church members, even our youngest church members, and junior soldiers, honored junior soldiers. As an honored junior soldier, which is just a junior member of the Salvation Army, you begin learning about these things, which carries over into our core cadets, which is our team Bible study. And it's just important because there are so many things out there right now that are God's. It's important for us to know there's only one true God. He is the creator. We see that in Scripture, right, which we learned last week is the very foundation of why we believe things and that it's true. And so we learn that he is the creator, the preserver, and the governor of all things. And so it's really important that we just kind of have these, not in our toolbox, but we're really using these for our own spiritual formation and the spiritual formation of the kids that we're developing. Well, I think the toolbox illustration is good because that is what we use when we need to work a problem or, you know, we're trying to figure something out in life. It's such a challenging world that we live in now. And so many different ideas coming at us from every angle. So having this foundation is really great, rooted in Scripture, believing that there's only one God.

I cannot wait to hear what Dan has to say. But if you did miss the first episode, visit us at salvationarmysoundcast.org. We would love to hear any questions that you may have along the way. And if you do, send us an email at radio at uss.salvationarmy.org or call us at 1-800-229-9965. Hold the whole world in the palm of your hand And now we sing to you, for you have made us new Yours is the name above all You alone do we honor You alone do we love You alone are the author of life and the ruler of all We stand in awe of you God and of your majesty Even when we don't understand your ways You breathe new life within us You draw us to yourself Forever lead us through the end of our days For you we only sing Creator, Lord and King Yours is the name above all You alone do we honor You alone do we love You alone are the author of life and the ruler of all Welcome to our continuing look of the doctrines of the Salvation Army and to their practicality in our everyday life. Let's look at doctrine number two. We believe that there is only one God who is infinitely perfect, the Creator, Preserver, and Governor of all things, and who is the only proper object of religious worship. As we focus our attention upon this doctrine of God, which is our theology, let me remind each of us that our beliefs, facts, and values regarding God are and must be based upon the Word of God and not the wisdom or teaching of man.

We don't think up some new ideas or thoughts or impressions or feelings every time some new book is written or somebody acts the part of God in a movie or someone thinks they now have a brand new revelation or some TV personality claims God told him this or that. The Bible, the scriptures of the Old and New Testament, is our fully complete teaching and training about the person and work of God. Let's look at seven things this doctrine teaches us about God. The first one is there is only one God. The Bible only tells us there is one God. For example, in Exodus chapter 20 and verse 3, you must not have any other gods but me and Deuteronomy chapter 4 verse 35, he showed you these things so you would know that the Lord is God and there is no other. God will allow no other God or gods and that's with a small g. Exodus chapter 20 and verse 4, you must not make for yourself an idol of any kind or an image of anything in the heavens above or in the earth beneath or in the sea.

For from eternity and until this day, there is now and always will be only one God. Number two, God is infinitely perfect. We affirm God beyond time and space.

I want you to know that's a tough concept for us to think about. Everything you and I know is surrounded in time. God has no time. He has, is now, and always will be perfect.

He always has been. No other religion in the world claims the perfection of God from infinity. God requires that because he is holy and so tells us that we must be holy. Nowhere in the Bible does it try to prove God's existence or his beginning. It merely understands it and accepts it as a fact.

So if you can prove your God has a beginning, it's not a God, small g. It's just something you made up. Number three, God is preserver. He preserves all things. The world still exists today by God's word and God's will. He preserves all things until his judgment upon the world at the end of the age. All record of every person of man on heaven and earth will not pass away until God decides it will.

There's no bomb. There's no disease, war, pollution, environmental crisis, or anything else that will stop the world. It will stop when God decides it's time. God created the world and will one day destroy earth and heaven. Second Peter chapter 3 and verse 10. But the day of the Lord will come as unexpectedly as a thief.

Then the heavens will pass away with the terrible noise and the very elements themselves will disappear in fire and the earth and everything on it will be found to deserve judgment. We must honor his creation. First starting with his people and then the planet. Number four, God is our governor. God controls all things.

The world is not spinning and spiraling out of control. Don't let the devil convince you somehow that God is not in control. Satan is the author of chaos, confusion, and disorder. We have a God that is a God of order, plans, purpose, and power. God is in control of all things. There are no people, rulers, government, powers, places, or things that God is not in control. God is very aware how from the Garden of Eden until today how man continues to choose his own will and his own way which will lead to destruction. From the smallest element in science to the vast size of the universe God is the creator, preserver, and governor of all things.

Everything. Have you ever noticed that when man is left alone without guidance and direction or control that he ultimately seems to begin to worship something or someone? Number six, God is the only proper object of religious worship. Not people, not places, and certainly not things.

Man has been created with the ability to sense and know someone is greater than he is. Without the Bible, without the Holy Spirit man will and has always worshipped what he has created, imagined, thought up, dreamed about. Whereas the Bible clearly from Genesis 1, 1 says in the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. To all the way to Revelation 22 where God has always been is now and always will be. There is no one else, no place else, nothing that is worthy of our worship. So here's your pick and choose for this doctrine. Isn't it interesting that when we think God has either done something or is not doing something that we think or want or pray for that man will go on and pick a different God and then is surprised that Satan sometimes answers that request and it appears it's working.

So, pick and choose. Are you trying to find a different God because you don't like the one in Scripture? Are you trying to find more gods or make up some more? Or are you trying to lower God down to your level or choose a different creator?

Or are you trying to worship what's in front of you? Joshua said in Joshua chapter 24 verses 14 to 16, So fear the Lord and serve him wholeheartedly. Put away forever the idols your ancestors worshipped when they lived beyond the Euphrates River in Egypt. Serve the Lord. If you refuse to serve the Lord, then choose today whom you will serve. Will you prefer the gods your ancestors served beyond the Euphrates?

Or will it be the gods of the Amorites in whose lands you now live? Joshua said, But as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord. God bless you. The Salvation Army's mission, Doing the Most Good, means helping people with material and spiritual needs. You become a part of this mission every time you give to the Salvation Army. Visit salvationarmyusa.org to offer your support.

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