Doctrine Matters!

The importance of sound teaching in faith, as highlighted by 2 Timothy 4:3.

What is it that fuels you up?  Everyone of us has that thing that drives us, drives our day.  For some, it’s sports. For some, it is simply work.  Maybe it’s your children, maybe a hobby that you have been engaged in since childhood?  I don't even know if what I just stated lends itself to fully expressing what I am trying to say.  I am talking about that one thing that you keep coming back to repeatedly. That one thing that your conversation always drifts to. That one thing that energizes you and is obvious to everyone as the thing that turns your crank and puts gas in your emotional and intellectual tank. For me, it is God's Word.  I often am found to be the one in a gathering bringing up some thought provoking question that sucks people into a conversation about God's Word… Although sometimes reluctantly for the individual that has to endure it.

However, all of mankind should have that hunger.  We, as created beings should desire God’s Word for it is stated in scripture that we “are not to live on bread and water alone but every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God.” (John 4:4)   After all… it says that God has put eternity in our hearts. (Ecclesiastes 3:11)  We should be naturally drawn.  

Since a young believer at the age of fifteen, I have always been a ravenous reader of the Word. I find it fascinating that God’s Word says in Isaiah 55:11 that it will go and do that which it was sent to do and not return void. 

When I was in grade school, my mother was actually able to accomplish the task of getting me to Sunday school at the local American Baptist Church. In those classes we heard the Word, learned the Word, memorized it and then would do what was called sword drills. Basically we would compete with each other to see who could look up or quote a particular scripture reference the fastest.  Of course it was a competition so we would win something as we did these drills. But, I also received something else.  There was a “God Thing” going on within me. The seed of the Word was being planted, and unknown to me, would germinate and result in explosive growth once I truly came to believe in Jesus as Messiah of my ragged soul.

As a result, as a young believer of fifteen, I had a huge grasp of the Word and much of it began to flow from within me as I would engage in discussions about the Lord.  Basically, I was heavily - A Word of God Guy.  If it wasn’t written within the scriptures, I contested it. I was known for that among my peers and certain Pastors within my local community.

The above mentioned leads me to the following. 

I remember back in the late 90’s when I was still pastoring the local Foursquare Church and I was in this transition place in my life.  I was in the process of transferring my credentials to Open Bible.  I was looking ahead, as to where I could transfer my credentials, so when I finally resign my current position, I would be able to step aside and continue Pastoral work elsewhere. 

(Which I did not really need just to continue doing ministry, for I had always made my actual income from a private business that I owned. So it wasn’t never about making a living.  Credentials, schooling and other religious churchified stuff means nothing in the end.) 

Back to the story of moving on.  I would need to not only step down, but also step aside to allow new leadership the time needed to settle in with the congregation.  Leadership changes are hard enough. Don’t need the former Pastor hanging around making it more difficult. 

While in this transition I bumped into an individual that I knew for many years. He was one of those within the community that knew my position on the Word, the Word, the Word… Teach the Word.   

He and his wife had headed up the children's ministry at the particular Open Bible my wife and I were considering attending and finally did attend.

Before making this transitional move that I speak of, I ran into this particular Pastor at a local convenience store, just as he was promoted from children's ministry to Senior Pastor. He was quick to let me know that - “ there will no longer be the heavy burden of teaching legalism of the bible.” (his words verbatim) Well I’m all for that, for we are truly under the covenant of grace alone.  That doesn’t mean over the course of the following year you do not teach the Word, nor even bring your bible to the pulpit, but rather teach from Winnie-the-Pooh stories and Psychology today articles. Now… know this. I am not embellishing. You heard me correctly. Pooh and Psychology Today.  This same Pastor, when confronted, said, and I quote,  - “The bible is just a book.  I could write a letter right now and it could be considered scripture.”  Whoa! Wait! What??  There were many more out of character things said. Which led to a whole lot of actions. The story is much, much longer than I can write. But the gist of the story is this… The WORD!  The infallible, inherent, inerrant, plenary(complete) WORD OF GOD!

So many religious sects, cults, and false teachers follow suit in the same mode of operation as Lucifer did in the garden.  They show up disguised as something they are not and they diminish and bring individuals to question the Word of the Lord… To doubt God's Word. 

Worse… Some diminish its infallibility and suggest it is corrupted and therefore felt the need to alter, add to, or entirely write something different and sell it to the masses tell as holy and sacred words of God.

Basically... ignoring and rejecting the only plumbline in the lives of mankind. If there is any other moral compass that one holds to, where do you think the basis of it came from? 

God’s Word is the plumbline for our lives.  Without the Word of God... the infallible, sovereign, inherent Word of He who created us, we are simply reduced to groping in the dark for any meaningful existence.

2 Timothy 3:16  > All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness,

The world around us, including much Christendom, has an opinion about something that is often based on Dogma... Institutional Doctrine.  That being said... in the end, it is man made doctrines and the many “Isms” of the world that lack biblical truth. Often just a religious canned opinion gleaned from one's church, traditions, confessions, councils, catechisms, and even bible colleges, and many seminaries that leans into “Isms” such as Calvinism and Arminianism, or even various repetitive pagan practices of Catholicism, and unbiblical principles of Mormonism.  There is always some unbiblical “ism” lurking around.

As Solomon said - “There is nothing new under the sun.”

Doctrine sounds like such an unnecessary and boring subject. Yet, we all live according to a set of principles that ultimately add up to our own personal doctrine.

Whether one wants to believe it or not, or even care, Doctrine is important.  

Specifically biblical doctrine. 

God has always communicated in some form of language to His creation… always!  It is God's revelation to man that is the definitive Word of God.

Biblical truth is another story for many.  I do not speak of relative truth (Relativism), but of written, validated, and authenticated truth.  When one says - “Well I don’t believe what that book says.”  Well then… that’s interesting because the life you live is very much in accordance with it.   Your life lines up with it in more ways than you are willing to recognize and definitely admit. AND... even if you don't believe it, it does need you to believe to simply be. Trust me. We need the Word of God more than it needs us. Besides, do any of us really think that any concept of goodness actually resides within us?  God’s Word clearly declares otherwise.

One cannot have truth without some form of plumbline or litmus test by which to compare and test all doctrine and belief systems. Belief systems, often erected like an idol by flawed mankind.

The plumbline for creation is God's Word, and His Word has been under attack since the garden when the serpent said to Eve - "Did He Really Say?" “Nah… surely you won’t die.”

That's what Grace Apologetics 101 is about. Clarifying scripture that so may simply ignore when they either do not understand it or when they choose to believe their personal orthodoxy dogma instead.

I hope you choose to challenge your thinking, or, may I say, think outside of one's box of personal doctrine! You will find the correct road map and users manual for your lives in God’s Written Word!  Journey with us and see what "God really did say, and still does say!"  May you come to find the Jesus you thought you knew, and revisit what you thought you heard.  Maybe… it was Lost in Translation?"

Forever, O Lord, your word

    is firmly fixed in the heavens.  (Psalm 119:89)

Yours always in Jesus,

-Brent Hartford