Who Needs Doctrine!

“…holding fast the faithful word which is in  accordance with the teaching, so that he will be able both to exhort in sound doctrine and to reprove those who contradict.” Titus 1:9

We live during an age when people argue that all we need to do as Christians is to love people and not be  concerned with doctrine. However, that is an unbiblical approach to reaching the lost and living a mature Christian faith.

What is Christian Doctrine? The following is from Blue Letter Bible;

“The English word, “doctrine,” comes from the Latin word doctrine. It can be defined as, “teaching or instruction.” Christian doctrine   simply means the beliefs of Christians. A Christian doctrine is what the entire Bible has to say on   one particular subject. Therefore, we speak of such things as the “doctrine” of Christ, the “doctrine” of God, and the “doctrine” of the church. This refers to what Christians believe about these subjects based upon the teaching    of the Bible.”

Jesus was greatly concerned about doctrine. In John’s Gospel, Jesus is recorded as saying, “truly, truly”, 20 times. Each time He said, “Truly, truly,” He instructed     believers in doctrine. When Jesus said truly, truly, He is not just saying, “Believe me, this is true.” He is saying, “I know this is true firsthand.” Jesus is not merely aware of these truths. He is the One who originated them!

Who needs doctrine? Every professing Christian needs   to understand what the Bible says regarding what it means to be a follower of Christ. I remember that I had a propensity in high school to daydream and stare out the window during class.

My science teacher always told me I would not learn anything by osmosis. That is, I needed to take an active part and study to learn. God has given us His Word, the  Bible, for us to know Christian doctrine. Read, study, and ask God for wisdom, so you can share Christ and teach others what it means to be a faithful follower of Christ.

Your shepherd,

Pastor Mark