A man went ahead doing the best he could, but it always seemed there was more trouble lurking just around the bend in the road.”
–Louis L’Amour (Hanging Woman Creek)
“In my distress I prayed to the Lord, and the Lord answered me and set me free. The Lord is for me, so I will have no fear. What can mere people do to me?”
–Psalm 118:5-6 (NLT)
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“If your doctrine is wrong, your life will be wrong.”
–D. Martyn Lloyd-Jones
“You cannot speak about Christianity and religion without being doctrinal.”
–D. Martyn Lloyd-Jones
“All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness.”
–2 Timothy 3:16 (KJV)
The day is coming, and may already be upon us unaware, that the Bible will be challenged in our life, therefore, we must make God’s Word the center of our lives. “If you neglect God’s Word and fail to include it in your daily life, that neglect will eventually affect every part of your life.” (Rick Renner) It is vital that the preaching of the Word in your church contain doctrine!
Yeah, yeah, I hear it now. Doctrine is boring, doctrine is old school, doctrine is religion. It grieves me the times I have seen people, especially new and young converts confuse zeal with the Word of the Lord. One of my pet peeves (up around #8) are youth pastors and evangelists that preach a message that contains false doctrine simply because they want to give their opinion. Listen! Practical theology, must always be preceded by doctrinal theology. If your doctrine is right then your practice will be right.
To neglect the doctrines (teachings) of God’s Word, as mentioned, is dangerous to your life. It will jeopardize your faith. Faith comes by hearing the Word; without faith it is impossible to please God (Romans 10:17; Hebrews 11:6). Without proper, sound doctrine, the joy of your life will be in shambles. The hard times will get you down. Doctrine keeps us balanced; without it we tend to become intolerant with God, with ourselves, and with others. Improper doctrine or the lack of sound doctrine will at the very least create putrid attitudes.
I mentioned practical theology. Let me go on to say that you are always practicing your doctrine. You practice what you believe. No wonder the church is confused as people are practicing what they believe rather than what the Word of God says. People who think that doctrine is unimportant reveal their ignorance. “Doctrine is the foundation of what we believe. It impacts what we think; it affects our worldview; it determines what we believe is right and wrong; it guides us in life, determines our convictions and standards, and affects all our actions.” (Rick Renner)
Make it a resolution to study God’s Word, pursue right doctrine, and guard the truth in this year of 2018.