Doctrine

The Ideal Congregation (Pt. 7)

Posted on by Bob Mathews

The ideal congregation maintains faithfulness in doctrine, worship, and life.  John, generally regarded as the apostle of love, commented forcefully upon each of these.

Regarding doctrine, he said, “Anyone who goes too far and does not abide in the teaching of Christ, does not have God” (2 John 1:9a).  The one who progresses beyond the authoritative and scriptural boundary line of the inspired Word of God and thereby no longer resides in the teaching whose origin is Christ — this is the very one whose fellowship and unity with God, the Father, has been broken.

Regarding worship, John said, “God is spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth” (John 4:24).  Accordingly, our worship of God, the Father, must be in the proper attitude (in spirit) and in harmony with revealed truth (in truth).  Worship in truth but not in spirit degrades into mere ceremonialism and formalism while worship in spirit but not in truth degrades into mere emotionalism.

Regarding life, John said, “Be faithful until death, and I will give you the crown of life” (Rev. 2:10b).  If we truly expect everlasting spiritual life as a crown, then may our faithfulness in life be unto death, that is, until we die and be that which, if necessary, brings about our untimely death.

Yes, the people of God maintain faithfulness in doctrine, worship, and life.  To do otherwise constitutes a course which robs us of our present spiritual security and our future spiritual inheritance.  May we always have the courage to seek out the Lord’s will in all matters wherein he has spoken and the fortitude to live and teach accordingly.

The ideal congregation concerns itself with the physical and spiritual needs of others.  The apostle Paul said, “So then, while we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, and especially to those who are of the household of faith” (Gal. 6:10).  We are thus commended to extend acts of moral excellence to the mass of society, with a special obligation unto members of the Lord‘s church (ref. 1 Tim. 3:15).  In so doing, let us be wise to avoid the extreme of failing to be good stewards of our possessions (1 Cor. 4:2) as we actively employ a benevolent spirit both individually and congregationally.  May the people in our community know us as a giving, caring people, and may they witness this in our daily life.

Someone once said, “People do not care how much we know until they know how much we care.”  This old proverb has been confirmed in church growth studies and in everyday life.  Genuine church growth is rooted in great sacrificial love for others.  The heavenly Father has set the example for us (John 3:16; Eph. 5:1).  Therefore, as we evidence our concern for the physical well-being of our friends, neighbors, and brethren, let us also “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation” (Mark 16:15) and “Brethren, even if anyone is caught in any trespass, you who are spiritual, restore such a one in a spirit of gentleness;” (Gal. 6:1).  May we not only be spiritually-minded as a child of God (ref. Rom. 8:6) but may we also so employ this righteous disposition so that others who hunger and thirst after righteousness will be truly filled (ref. Matt. 5:6) because we dared to exercise this spirit in our personal relationship with them.  May the Lord bless each of us this week as we serve our Risen Savior.

Sound Doctrine – #1

Posted on by Bob Mathews

Titus 2:1

But speak thou the things which become sound doctrine. (KJV)

(Those exact two words are also found in I Tim. 1:8-11; II Tim. 4:1-4; and Titus 1:7-9.)

The church is founded, premised upon doctrine and teaching.

Sound doctrine is our English for two Greek words. The first means “healthy.”  The second is the word commonly translated “teaching” or “doctrine.”  So, if we want what PAUL meant when he taught others about how and what to preach, he meant healthy teaching. That is, TEACHING THAT PRODUCES OR MAINTAINS GOOD SPIRITUAL HEALTH. I suppose the opposite would be teaching which makes or keeps believers puny or sickly. (Is that not the case with one’s dietary habits?  What I consume affects my physical well being. Much more, the teachings I am fed can affect my spiritual, emotional, and relational vitality. Right?) We will revisit this.

Why bring this up? First, because of the chaos and destruction wrought upon our fellowship under the guise of “preaching sound doctrine,” “loving the truth,” etc. Indeed, the Bible is primarily a book of doctrine, teaching. And not just ABOUT God but FROM God! TRUTH from God! And, of course, the sinner must be saved on the basis of doctrine, teaching – about the Who, What, Why, and How of Jesus and the cross. And, of course, the church is founded, premised upon doctrine, teaching. Of course! All that I am and have in Christ is because of great scriptural truths, then, teachings which I trust and live out to the point of death, as do others to this hour.

So, the point of concern here surely is not the primacy and necessity of sound doctrine. Rather, my interest stems from that powerful thought being hijacked and abused, with dark repercussions among us. Perhaps we should allow it to have a say for itself, huh? Now, the bad news is that we have called some attitudes and teachings “sound” which have made us sicker. The good news is that a fearless look at the Book and ourselves is always a healthful endeavor. Not always painless, but always healthy.

robert