The factors necessary for learning doctrine

 

            1. The believer must have positive volition toward the Word of God and realisation of the importance of Bible doctrine resident in his soul. This comes through some exposure to teaching, through adversity in experience, divine discipline, it comes in many ways.

            2. The expression of positive volition in regular and consistent attendance at the local church where doctrine is taught. This involves positive identification of your own right pastor.

            3. The filling of the Spirit which is provided in grace through the rebound technique.

            4. Objectivity with regard to personality, grooming, public speaking, and the character of the pastor.

            5. Objectivity with regard to the content of the pastor’s message. The content may seem irrelevant for the moment. The content may be critical of you personally and even intrude upon your present lifestyle. The content may not be euphemistic enough for you, therefore you don’t think it is spiritual. You associate spirituality with euphemisms and therefore you are personally offended. Or the content may have no personal interest for you at the moment. All of these must be approached with objectivity and you must concentrate in spite of these. This requires some measure of growth.

            6. The believer must have patience in hearing doctrine he does not understand.

            7. The believer must have privacy in public assembly of the local church and he must give privacy to other members of the royal family of God. This is application of the principle, live and let live. Therefore the believer must avoid gossip, maligning, critical attitude toward other believers.

            8. The believer must have good manners which, in effect, is thoughtfulness toward others in the congregation. The believer must not create a disturbance through body movement, must not talk and discuss while the pastor is teaching.

            9. Believers must exercise maximum self-discipline by concentration on the message.

            10. Believers must understand the grace principle of giving and willing to give without coercion to support the administration of their local church.